Jonners

Blimey Mike, that's pretty good! (Understatement...) Jon

Brilliant! I’m a big fan of ‘ordinary’, everyday older cars - I have a French one of my own! - and the Trabi is right up my street (sorry...). One of my work colleagues recently bought a Trabant, albeit with a Daewoo engine and mechanicals, which is painted in a very daring red and looks the business parked alongside the modern BMWs, Audis and MINIs that usually fill the work car park. It certainly has plenty of quirks to keep him occupied! Jon

Very nice - I'll build one of these kits myself one day. I'm another one who has happy memories of flying Bullies on a UAS 'back in the day'. Jon

What a great shame. I remember when the Army Transport Museum in Beverley (yup, appropriate, eh?) had to close its doors and the Beverley aeroplane was sold as, IIRC, a sealed bid auction. I’m pretty sure that two of the three bidders had intended to move the aircraft to Elvington, but obviously the highest bidder won and the aircraft was moved to Fort Paull. I’ve often wondered whether the result would have been different if the other two bidders had knowledge of each others’ intentions. That part of the Humber is tidal and very exposed to the prevailing wind, so maintaining such an enormous aircraft outdoors would challenge the most swept-up museum (think of the fate of much of Cosford’s airliner collection...). Unfortunately the Fort Paull museum could never be described that way. I last visited several years ago and was so unimpressed that I decided that I wouldn’t grace it with my entry fee again. It has enormous potential as an historic site, but that would obviously require investment that simply never seemed to be available or intended. Many of the exhibits were poorly presented, some were in dreadful condition and most of the underground rooms housed dodgy waxwork tableaux that varied from cheesy to macabre. The logistics of moving the Beverley aircraft from Beverley town to Fort Paull were well reported locally at the time, and I expect that the inevitable airframe deterioration in the intervening few years will only increase that requirement and the associated cost, assuming that it hasn’t already reached the stage of terminal decline that was the Hendon Beverley’s fate. I think I know which way this will go. Jon

'Honeymoon effect'! Now I know what I suffer from (in modelling terms...). I think I have a chronic affliction. Quite impressed that it only lasted for a month in this case, though; that's quick work in my modelling world right now! One day... Jon

Wot they said! I can only imagine the time and care that went into that superb paintwork -excellent base included. Very impressive. Jon

Keep it up, Adrian; it's looking pretty epic! I especially like the philosophy of making it up as you go along. Might be doing some of that myself... Jon

Helped with quite a few myself, to the utter disgust of some of my colleagues who didn't think it was an aircrew task! I once spent ages scrubbing at the tar-like residue with a brush until one of the gingers eventually took pity and showed me where the solvent was stored. Score: Engineers 1 - 0 Aircrew.

Excellent!

Looking good. Top tip if you are adding the exhaust staining: there was always more staining on the starboard side than on the port side. Probably something to do with the action of the rotor downwash. The winch operators' lungs would have suffered the same effect... Jon

Scratchbuilt 1:72 Avro Avocet. First attempt at home vacforming: ...resulting in this (more edge staples needed in future): ...and this is as far as I've got to date: Jon

Nice one, Rick! Like it. I'm fortunate enough to have one in 1:1 scale (as well as the "I'll-build-it-one-day" Revell kit), but it certainly doesn't look like that under the bodywork! Do you happen to have any pics of the SIG 2CV display? Jon

How much for a pint???? Yorkshire concerns aside, that looks absolutely superb. Very impressed. (But not with £5.50 for a pint!) Jon

Quite brilliant, Gorby. What a refreshing change from the usual vehicles! Jon

Another superb result.