Coors54

Thank you Vesa. Appreciated Pete, who can't love a bungee cord? 😄 Dave

I’ve finally beaten this into some sort of submission, it’s the Magnifier nee Trumpeter US Sports Car issue. It has several well-known detail short comings, mainly in the chassis, engine, suspension areas but having built it I can see why the designers did it this way, for despite my detailing those areas are pretty much invisible on the completed model. The consensus is that the body shape is pretty much spot on but the separate panels don’t fit together very well, this was my experience too. So despite spending quite a bit of time during assembly to try and get a snug fit they still refuse to fit very well. My builds all reflect drivers or cars that I’ve seen race and although I never saw the Ford race in anger I did see Mario drive several times during the Seventies and Eighties so his number 6 car from Le Mans 1966 lets me include the model in the collection. Mario’s car was chassis number 1031 and was one of three cars prepared by Holman Moody for Fords push to win Le Mans. These cars differed in details from the three prepared by Shelby Racing and certainly different to the car in the kit which is a mish mash of MKII & MKIIB cars along with a good pinch of Trumpeter imagination. The colour scheme is also a change to all those Ken Miles and Bruce Mclaren finished models. Unfortunately, the car retired after 6 hours with a blown engine cutting short Mario’s first visit to La Sarthe. Anyway, here’s a couple of pictures of the real thing and one of Mario as a young gun, 26 years old fresh to Le Mans after success in USAC stock cars. The model is finished in an approximation of Ford Night Mist Blue using Halfords rattle can Nissan Indigo Blue, in retrospect it’s a bit light. The dayglo yellow race markings are again Halfords rattle can and do glow in the dark! The markings and paint masks are from Indycal and were fine but the roundels aren’t pure white and show grey printing lines in them under close examination. I used parts from a 3D printed 427 engine but again, the extra detail isn’t really visible. The spare wheel is from Renaissance with a homemade bungee cord! Now onto Gunnar Nilsson's Lotus 78. Dave

If I stay on the page they are starting to appear but exceedingly slowly, what size are the images you're linking to? Anyway, from what I can see you are an artist!! Dave

Oooo, colour me envious! You must really have scored some Brownie points over the last year to get that from the family, my missus nearly choked on her breakfast tea when I told her the price. 🤣 I'm interested to see what you think of the kit as you go Matt. Dave

This sounds a superb project but is it just me that's frustrated by the pictures not loading? I'm on a PC using Windows 10 and all I'm getting is link addresses that go to hobbyphoto but don't load. Any help appreciated. Dave

A diorama eh Craig? Will you be putting any trees in it? 🤣 Those that know will appreciate the comment! Looking forward to seeing it progress and I shall wear the large Hat of Shame as I won't be contributing a build...... Dave

Super job Peter, I really dislike the "aero heavy" F1 cars but this looks the business despite your travails. Dave

Makes you think the photographer might be a modeller? 🤔 Dave

Most awesome, John Cruickshank VC, a quiet, reserved and charming gentleman who wanted no fuss. Shaking hands and chatting with a VC recipient doesn't happen often. As a 12 year old I did stand mouth agape as Douglas Bader stumped past me at Coventry Airport, he had just flown in in Shells Twin Comanche, listening on the radio I had heard the following exchange - Tower - "Golf Alpha *****, what are your intentions?" Bader - "Cup of tea and a pee!" (typically being Bader he didn't say pee). Dave

Thank you Scott, excellent discovery. A virtual pint is on its way to you from me. 🍻 Dave

Thanks to you all for replying (even @Sabrejet! 😆), I agree with you that it's two complete circles, the lower one going over the side stripes and rear clip fastener. @Bengalensis, thank you Jorgen, I haven't seen that picture before, very helpful. It's surprising that even the top end die cast manufacturers haven't caught this before (that I could find but my Google-foo isn't strong at the best of times). Now to find some Ford Nightmist blue and a dayglo lemon yellow in a rattle can....... Dave

Thank you @Sabrejet title amended. Dave

I've started building a 1/12 Magnifier/Trumpeter GT40 which I plan to finish as chassis number P1031 the #6 car at Le Mans 66 driven by Mario Andretti/Lucien Bianchi, lots of work ahead I know. I've been gathering photo's and bought myself a set of Indycal decals and masks but have come across something which doesn't seem to have been picked up by either Indycals or any of the die cast manufacturers who have made a model of this car. This is the picture that has started my query - The dayglo yellow circle I'm aware of but what is that below it? There is a light to illuminate the circle and the lower marking, so it seems a deliberate distinguisher marking, here's a closer look - There are few clear pictures of the right side of the car taken during the race (that I can find online) but going through my other saved photo's I found some from the garage area taken pre race - Here's #6 and it shows a couple of "shapes" on the side pontoon - It also shows the rear clip next to the car masked up for painting the dayglo markings - So I don't think that I'm imagining things and maybe this is one of those marking anomalies that has been staring folks in the face but no one has picked up on it? Is it another circle and is there a triangle further forward on the sill? I'm interested to see what others think and if anyone has any further information on the RH side of this car as it appeared during the race? Dave

I'll second Bjorn's answer, it's deffo not a red, more a burn your eyes out orange! Photographs don't bring it out, here's my rendition - None of the bodywork fits too well! Dave

I was walking the coastal path down that way last week and there were Merlins about but it is the usual thing for them to have leave at this time of the year, even aviating Jack Tars want to get a bit of holiday sunshine. 😄 Dave

One of the most iconic aircraft to operate from an RN carrier, the last conventional fixed wing type to be procured to operate off the last conventional carriers in RN service and the FAA Museum doesn't want it? Unbelievable...... Surely this 'frame is a better example of the type than the one in the Carrier Experience? Dave

The black leading edges are indeed de icing boots, these were pneumatic in operation, air being pumped into them to break the ice forming on the leading edge. Maintenance heavy as they deteriorated with exposure to sunlight, punctured and needed patching. New boots were a so and so to fit (I worked with DC-3/C-47's that used them). Other PBY's used hot air from the exhaust to heat the leading edges (see the photo I put in earlier for one of those), the exhausts are different with a heat exchanger on one of the stacks. So some aircraft could have the boots removed but others would not have been fitted with them having the "hot" leading edges. Dave

Oh that is lovely @Fastcat, fabulous job and just takes me back to being 17 when a Goldie was my first "proper" motorcycle after a couple of Steyr mopeds. It was a 1963 model that had languished in a coal shed for several years after its owner had died. I paid very little for it and had to restore it with lots of repaint and rechroming. I do remember you could hardly see anything at seventy mph because of the vibrations! I loved that bike but it got written off when a Mini pulled out in front of me and it got planted into the Minis front wing. I was very lucky to only suffer cut legs and a broken wrist. Memories eh? And thank you for resurrecting them with your model. Dave

Beautiful build, convincingly well used @JeroenS but with my pedant hat on (stop groaning at the back!), isn't this a T2 pick up? The T1 is the classic Beetle, or is my memory of VW model designation defective? Dave

Excellent work on the Cat, having built one many years ago I know how difficult wrestling that plank of a wing can be. The Belcher tail mod is a must but there is another problem with the fuselage that I hate to bring up, I lived with it as I couldn't see a solution but it's the distance between the fuselage observation blisters, the kit has them too close together. See this IWM picture which shows what I mean - The kit spine between the blisters is much narrower. I mounted my model at the point of water departure - it needs a big base! I look forward to your finished model. Dave

Bonus day there, is it me or does the third picture down (I'm not up on post 1990's racers) look like some sort of take on the Batmobile? 😄 But just like Formula 1 the aero requirements detract from the aesthetics of more modern endurance cars for me. I'd take a ride in that 962 in a heartbeat. Dave

The neatness of your work never fails to impress Ron. Excellent stuff, the fuel metering unit is a gem and I'll be interested to see your injector solution, it's always a weak area on the Tamiya engines and one that bugs me every time I build one. Dave

He posts a lot on Hyperscale under the name ResinPrince, I get the impression he works on the resin part time, as a proud Texan, huntin' and suchlike can take up a lot of a mans time. 😀

CASA CN-235?

I've used some straight lengths as reinforcing doublers on a 1/24 Seafire III conversion once, and to add chassis details to 1/12 cars.