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Everything posted by Bigglesof266
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Good job. Bought back memories. Although I wasn't to buy and build that until 1967, an avid Biggles and non-fiction historical reader throughout my childhood and adolescence, the aesthetic of the D.Va had always captured my interest. No manufacturer at the time that I could access produced a model of the equally pretty to my eye Pfalz D.III I lusted after that W.E. Johns so frequently posed as an adversary on Biggles' patrols over the lines. So I settled on the D.Va in a classic Airfix Series One hanger bag presented by 1967 with unmistakable Roy Cross' artwork. Not sure if it's the photo lighting in the images above, but you might want to consider a coat of satin or semi-gloss over that paint job. (?) I saw the real aircraft in the AWM museum in 1969 and several times thereafter over the years since. It's paint wasn't a flat matt finish. Having already put in that amount of effort, I'd hit it with a thin spray coat of clear satin with a drop of clear gloss to present the finish more realistically and appealingly. Why? "In the mid 1960s substantial reconstruction of this aircraft was undertaken. The work was commenced by the Australian Society of World War One Aviation Historians, and was completed by personnel from the Camden Museum of Aviation under the direction of Mr Harold Thomas." This being the case, I suspect the post-restoration aircraft I saw in 1969 was an accurate replication of the original paint colours and finish. I was a member of that Society prior to visiting the museum, and had several written (letter) conversational exchanges with them about the aircraft at the time. My impression of those conversations is that the members were knowledgeable pedantically thorough In an case, a fine job. I wish I'd been able to paint and finish mine back then as resplendently as you have. Thanks for the trip down nostalgia road.
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The dirtiest Russian Juggernaut. KV2
Bigglesof266 replied to Maddoxx77's topic in Work in Progress - Armour
Thanks for the elaboration. The fit aspect is most pleasing to hear and I'm sure will be useful and welcome info to others. Take on board your dislike of link and length, and in this kit in particular. I prefer them, where done well. Trumpeter's KV-2 kit contained both CR (albeit the venerable Tamiya clone style) and L&L. Its L&L had moulded in sag on the idler runs as did their KV-1 kit. FMM the pick of kit supplied CR are Dragon's DS tracks. I didn't like them initially when I found the kits didn't co-include their Magic Tracks as an option, but have come round. As I have other hobbies and am not a plastic modelling exclusive obsessive, I'm not an expensive aftermarket accessory parts buyer generally, and definitely won't spend on metal tracks. Not knocking those who do if it suits their budget, desire, or obsession for replication in miniature to the nth degree, but I'd rather direct that into another model or activity respecting OMMV. Occasional projects I will, e.g. Revell's 1/144 Type VIII U-Boat where I bought Griffon's N144B003 detail set, and Academy's 1/35 Hetzer about which I have a particular fascination with the vehicle,. e.g. Artwox PE detail kit inc metal barrel. But with armour most of the time other than perhaps buying a metal barrel and supplementing wire for that horrible nylon 'string' Zvezda persist with indlucing in recent kits for towing cables I build them out of the box. I did buy metal barrels for both the Trumpeter KV-1 & KV-2, and Zvezda's T-34/76s and T-34/85, but I gauge the worth of doing so on an individual kit basis. I didn't bother with their SU-85 happy with how the kit one looks. I stippled its mantlet too to gain that rough cast effect, and saved on purchase of a resin mantlet. Pretty small and easy job, that came up a treat. With Trumpeter's KV-1 in hindsight, being honest I shouldn't have bothered buying a barrel as the kit moulding was excellent IMO. But turned ZiS-5 barrels (in this instance) aren't all that expensive, or weren't back then. One of the things I like about Eduard Profipacks when it comes to aircraft and Dragon Smart kits when it comes to armour, aftermarket stuff generally isn't necessary to detail to a standard I am content with in most instances. I like Zvezda's 1/48 aircraft kits generally, although find their earlier high detail mould attempts overengineered if I could find fault. e.g. Their Bf 109F-2 & F4. Their PE-2 released in 2015 was perfect. I'm hoping their IL2 (Mod.1943) and SU-25 will be as good when/if I get around to buying them. I'm currently building their 1/35 BMPT "Terminator" (original version). For the money vs brand alternatives I'm happy with its quality and detail. Nice plastic, good fit, crisp mouldings. Quite a build though. I confess the older I get, the more I prefer Tamiya's design approach to their kits, but sometime I can't help myself. Couldn't resist as I don't have a high detail C variant or in 1/48. I just bought yet another Eduard 1/48 Bf 110, rather an type obsession of mine as some have for Spitfires. Sucker for punishment. o.O -
The dirtiest Russian Juggernaut. KV2
Bigglesof266 replied to Maddoxx77's topic in Work in Progress - Armour
The KV-2 one of their 1/35 kits which stems from a time when Zvezda had just started to started to lift their game, notably starting with their 1/48 aircraft range release of the La-5FN in 2007. Now I haven't built their KV-2, but my gut would suggest don't judge Zvezda generally on this one. Their 1/35 armour has improved, exponentially over the past five years in particular. A few years ago now, I chose Trumpeter's similar era (2005) mould kit of the KV-2 which was an easier (bathtub hull) build in more pleasing texture grey plastic. I'm enjoying the comparative in your build. -
1/48 Tamiya Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah
Bigglesof266 replied to Pagey's topic in Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
Appreciate it's not Tamiya today, but that was pretty typical of mid '90s Tamiya air though wasn't it? e.g. Mitsubishi Isshikirikko Type 11 G4M1, Heinkel He 219 A-7 Uhu, IDK for certain as I was in plastic modelling hiatus and had been for an aeon at the time. -
1/48 Tamiya Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah
Bigglesof266 replied to Pagey's topic in Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
Nice result! 👍 Beautiful model of a kit it's difficult to comprehend was tooled over quarter of a century ago! Typical Tamiya fit and parts count. Love it. -
Airfix Yak-9D 1/72
Bigglesof266 replied to HMS Thunderbolt's topic in Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
Concur that it should bear the Classic logo for the unwary, like so many of Airfix's 1/72 old hanger bag era moulds now in a new bright red box range. Memory lane stuff fo me though. I built that in 1966 or 1967 as best I recall. This was the hanger header at the time. Loved Airfix's moulds in light blue coloured plastic phase. -
Very nice. Brought back memories. Built this from a 1/72 FROG kit sometime back around 1967. Haven't seen it kitted in the years since since.
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Very nice result. 👍 1/72 is a too small for these old eyes and hands to work with these days, but I appreciate it nevertheless having loved the scale throughout my childhood. Viewing your presentation what came to mind was just how far kits have come and how lucky today young modellers to whom the scale would appeal on so many levels are with the likes of this Weekend Edition kit with superb decals available so affordably from Eduard in 1/72. Back in the day transfers were rudimentary, and there is no way back in my 1960's Airfix days a youngster could even hope to reasonably reproduce a lozenge scheme acceptably with a couple of cans of Humbrol and a brush. Always loved the lozenge camo schemes. Looks great on your D.V.
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A Valiant as old as the real thing
Bigglesof266 replied to Adam Poultney's topic in Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
IDK but in Wikipedia Lincoln International is reported as having been a UK brand, although Wiki is frequently incorrect about such things and notably accuracy of dates, That said, Hong Kong was at that time a British colony, with British administration and trade participation prevalent and dominant there, so whether Hong Kong or UK based, Lincoln International probably was no doubt a British registered company at that time. As can be seen by their choice of air subjects it modelled, they were orientated to and targeted at the British/Commonwealth market, so on balance of probability, I'd wager they were both in the UK before, and more widely marketed there before they ever reached AU. I had quite a few of their kits at the time (late 1960s). Their most off putting aspect was the irregular scale, and the most annoying, inability to get the model wanted as Victors, Valiants and Vulcans quickly sold out. I think I did score one of those, but can't now remember which. As it was I was lucky to score the Lancaster. I recall the Gnat (1/48) too, as I bought one, along with the Sycamore, Auster in 1/41 -also quite a treat in the day when anything in larger scale than 1/72 were both rare in the Airfix dominated AU market and far too expensive for a child or teen's pocket unless funded by a paper run or parental gift, the Venom in 1/59 -a beauty and my particular favourite despite the oddity of scale, the DC-3, the Gannet, the Fairy Rotodyne in a perfectly in sync traditional 1/144, the Sunderland and possibly the Viscount and Friendship, although I can't be absolutely certain on those last two. I think one can still buy modern kits kids can easily build which are affordable, but A. they are to hidden amongst the volume of higher detail kits, and B. for understandable reason as like model railway and to a lesser extent slot cars, they are toys of a bygone age in an era when children's interests have diverted by other things, and to a significant degree, boys natural inclinations toward the things a boy might be interested in have been socially emasculated by society. On a more positive note of availability however is the remarketing of Airfix's Classics range in 1/72 clearly labeled as such so the consumer knows what s/he is buying,, kudos to Airfix for that initiative. Many of Airfix's former range also remain still for sale if not annotated as an old mould on the new glossy box. Comet, Hampden, Ki-46 "Dinah" et al, and although a significant improvement, I wouldn't think assembly of most of their newer mould Series One 1/72 e.g. too hard an ask for the older child. e.g. Fw 190A-7, or even the Series Two Bf 110C/2-4. I think Zvezda do quite a few simpler model kits which remain very affordable in both 1/144 & 1/72 scale today too, however I can't comment on those kit fits or assembly as I've never built Zvezda in those scales. Revell would have loads available as well, some like their venerable Ki-61 Hien which has been around since 1963. Then there's Academy's excellent range in 1/72. Affordable, or were last I looked, and certainly no more difficult to put together than kits of my childhood. Frankly, kids today have it better in terms of price, quality and what's available than we did if one examines the marketplace. As to access, that I do think is sad, as the urban hobby shop or local high street shop in the UK readily accessible to kids has largely disappeared today. I can't recall the last time I frequented a walk-in to buy anything modelling related. -
A Valiant as old as the real thing
Bigglesof266 replied to Adam Poultney's topic in Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
They were only around for about a year as I recall, and in my part of Australia sold only in Woolworth variety stores from bins placed at aisle intersections. Woolworth must have bulk bought a batch and ran them until run out. They were very keenly priced. Naturally all the more exciting to children types went first. Here's that Lancaster in, as characteristically Lincoln, an odd 1:152 scale. And here's the box art of the Victor in 1:148. I suspect the timeline date info there is out by a year, perhaps two. The Gannet surprisingly in 1:72, was an unusual and attractive model for the day. -
A Valiant as old as the real thing
Bigglesof266 replied to Adam Poultney's topic in Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
Walk down memory lane. I remember these. Made in Hong Kong by now famous model train OEM Kadar and sold in Australia around 1967-'68 under the Lincoln brand here through of all places Woolworth when they were still variety stores rather than supermarkets. As I recall the scales were all over the place varying respectively from kit to kit. I had quite a few, but no Valiant. = [ I think they also did the Victor if I remember rightly. Yours brought back memories of many happy hours of a then equally youthful friend and I building and playing with and Lincoln Lancasters among others. -
Su-27 "Flanker B" in hangar and in field
Bigglesof266 replied to haneto's topic in Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
Outstanding! 🔟 -
Su-25 1/32 (trumpeter)
Bigglesof266 replied to RALPHY ROCHA's topic in Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
Workhorse. Magnificent. 🔟 👍🍻- 18 replies
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🍻 Interesting camo, and unusual to see one finished in other than the western desert campaign light mottle over sand scheme. Along with Kawasaki's Hien, I've always personally thought both Macchi's Folgore and Veltro the most aesthetically beautiful looking fighters of that conflict era ever to see action. If looks were what mattered when it came to aerial combat, the latter would have won that war.
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In all my years immersed in aviation and its history, I had thought there were very few types I had never ever heard of, and here you've surprised me in presenting one of them, and splendiferously so. 🔟
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Something about the aesthetic of the MiG-15 I've always loved since a child. You'd done Eduard's kit proud
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10 cm M. 14 Feldhaubitze KuK Army
Bigglesof266 replied to IvoC's topic in Ready for Inspection - Armour
First rate IvoC. Pleasant to see such an unusual subject covered, and presented so well. My paternal Opa ended up an artillery K.u.K. Zugsführer serving in the east during the 1914-1918 war. At mobilisation he was a Huszár Zugsführer. When very quickly in the age of the bolt action rifle, machine gun and accurate rapid firing direct and indirect fire support artillery it was realised any form of cavalry had been rendered obsolete in the fighting role, initially he and his Huszárok were repurposed to reconnaissance, and as the war progressed and stalemated into static warfare, he was posted to artillery as expert horsemen were invaluable drawing artillery and munitions limbers, all horse drawn in those days. I have his mention in despatches for bravery and leadership as his battery came under chaotic counter battery fire. Although it was an age before AI and computers, people fortunate enough to attend school were particularly well well schooled compared with contemporary standards, and well trained within their field of expertise in the military such that within 30~60 seconds of a battery firing, one could expect the location pinpointed and return counter battery fire coming in. Life in the artillery certainly wasn't the quiet life. It was also perpetual arduous work on poor rations in dreadful conditions. Although he survived to the Austro-Hungarian armistice of 4 November, he died from the strain to his heart and impact of those 4 years away at war on his health just 11 years after its end. -
o.O
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Russian Medium Tank T-54 B "The End"
Bigglesof266 replied to THEscaleSHOW's topic in Ready for Inspection - Armour
Magnificent effort! 👍 🔟 -
Inspirational! ❤️ it! 🔟
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Late to the party. (Was away having a surgical procedure performed yesterday under general anaesthetic). Good job Jean! Loving your VVS series. Praise for the amount of effort you put in to make that -5F. Your productivity is might impressive. 😵 I lucked this on runout a year or so ago at a too good not to price, but haven't put either of them together yet. Not just Czech, but loads of decal alternatives including Soviet VVS units. I had already built Zvezda's La-5 & 5FN. The splendid included book being printed in the Czech language was probably the reason it didn't sell here. Fortunately I have a close friend born in Prague who grew up there who lives nearby. I can still 'read' the pictures by myself. 🍻
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Swallow scramble ‒ Kawasaki Hien of the 56th Sentai
Bigglesof266 replied to Toryu's topic in Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
Fantastic! 🔟 I envy your energy! 🍻 👍 -
LavochkinLa5 early. Zvezda 1/48°
Bigglesof266 replied to Zigomar's topic in Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
That was a part of why I abandoned plastic modelling for so many years. Aviation was a jealous mistress, particularly in the early through mid years where I was often relocating 'home' over big distances, more often than not in a hurry without a whole lot of forewarning for planning and packing prep time, and at one's own expense for the most part. VVS subjects, like Soviet armour of the era are of particular interest to me. I'm every appreciative of Zvezda and their new and retooled 1/48 aircraft they've been producing since 2007. For so many years 1939-1945 VVS remained relative oddities in mainstream modelling availability. Certainly during my formative years, like Japanese subjects of the period until Tamiya and Hasegawa emerged to prominence, models VVS types were few and far between even in the scale I could afford and preferred back then, 1/72. During the mid 1960s, Airfix's Yak-9D and IL-2M3 Stormovik (sic) were pretty much it until their Pe-2 came along in a flurry of new releases near the very end of that decade. Unfortunately distribution factors of a different time being were such that they e.g. Pe-2, Fw 189, Hs 129 all Series 2, only became available for sale in my part of the world around late 1969 early 1970 as that initial period of plastic modelling fuelled by historical interest as a primary activity was ending for me in favour of emergent more exciting pursuits becoming available to me as in the latter years of adolescence. By then fortunately I could afford an occasional Series 2, and did buy and build those along with a few Frog & possibly Matchbox over the next couple of years as the former reemerged circa 1971 and latter appeared in 1972, but that was pretty much the end regular static plastic modelling for many years. Very much Looking forward to seeing the result of your La-5F project Zigomar. -
LavochkinLa5 early. Zvezda 1/48°
Bigglesof266 replied to Zigomar's topic in Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
Although I think the development into the bubbletops of the F, FN and subsequent La-7 are aesthetically more pleasing in concert with their functional advantage, I've a soft spot for the La-5 due to its significance in terms of development/improvement over the LaGG-3 bringing VVS pilots a functional parity upon it's introduction, if technically relatively crude in comparison with the systems of the Bf 109 & Fw 190. -
LavochkinLa5 early. Zvezda 1/48°
Bigglesof266 replied to Zigomar's topic in Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
Yes and yes. The excessive internal framing for cockpit and engine mount detail etc and fuselage by part composition is undeniably a PITA build wise. I understand where Zvezda were going with this though, and in their/its defence, it was one of their early new tools (2009) for their 1/48 aircraft line following 2007's La-5FN. Far better than many of Airfix's initial new tool faux pas a couple of years later during their reinvention. The detail OOTB however is superb, and it builds into a beautiful example of the LA-5, patience and tenacity prerequisite. If someone asked me to pick them a VVS model from Zvezda's range as an introduction to the brand, I wouldn't choose either of their La-5s or beautiful Yak-3 kit for reasons both you and Zigomar have made evident. Their two Bf 109F's are similarly overly complex IMV. Although a longer build and very detailed with greater parts count, I think the way the kit is designed as they learned, even their Pe-2 (2015) is easier. The kit I'd recommend to start with in the Zvezda 1/48 VVS aircraft range is the recently added (2019) Yak-1b. A repop of the Accurate Minatures 1998 kit, it's a far easier build which really comes up a treat.