Whofan

What a cracking build of this unique little plane. I built this model last year - no, wait -I think it was 2020 - and I thought it was one of the best kits I've made. Yours, with its lovely crisp canopy painting (I cut my own masks) makes mine look a touch rough. I used Mr Hobby IJN grey, which to my eye looks slightly more grey than yours. I also had the same CoG problem, but despite closing the OHKA with about 20gm in at the tip, I ended up with a tail sitter; I solved the problem by putting some blue tack on the front wheels of the carrier. Incidentally, did you notice in the kit's brief description of the Ohka that the Japanese built several 2 seat trainers? I mean, a suicide plane that you could have lessons in flying? I confess that made me both chuckle and shake my head at the futility of it all.

You’re a lucky man. I agree with you about books, but in all honesty when Tesco here sold more books it was convenient to pick up say the latest David Baldacci, or Lee Childs, while Waterstones supplies the latest Mick Herron, or Dominic Sandbrook.

Thanks. I'm aware of Perdu's build, but why I was more concerned is that I have built an airfix whirlwind in Austrian air force livery, and with the re release was thinking about picking one up to re do the one I've done - which I didn't do very well. However, I'm led to believe from comments elsewhere that one of the Italeri whirlwinds is a far better match in terms of mark of the whirlwind, but the big if is - if you could find one! Have looked at the bay now and again, never seen one.

Picked up Airfix magazine in Sainsbury yesterday. Our local Tesco has had a revamp, starting six weeks before Christmas, , and has dropped 75% of the magazines it used to carry, including the Airfix magazine, and dropped about the same percentage of books - and it dropped childrens books altogether!

Am I right, is the Airfix whirlwind not particularly accurate in dimensions or shape?

It wasn't available in the shops here yesterday (12th).

Damn. Budgie weren't around when I lived at home in Cardiff, before I went to University, but certainly from the mid '70's I was more than aware of them. Never afraid to have a bit of a (n often self deprecating) laugh, with classic songs like "hotter than a Dockers armpit" and "in the grip of a tyre fitters hand" they rocked hard. I have a painting session this morning, and I know which CDs will be replacing the Beatles.

Try 26decals, they do some twin otter decals in 1/72. http://www.26decals.com/epages/62035508.mobile/?ObjectPath=/Shops/62035508

Glad to hear things are getting better, albeit slowly.

It took a minute, but I worked out what your acquisition was. Hopefully you're back to one red line now?

Ah. I see, but I think you have to accept that back in the mid '70's things were different. I don't excuse it, but I was in my 20's during the '70's and frankly, virtually all areas of life were sexist. As an example, I can remember that when I joined Customs & Excise, women officers were expected to make drinks, look after children of detainees, and not allowed to carry out investigation work. It took a very feisty and aggressive woman officer I worked with a couple of years to get into a job involving investigation, despite the prevailing attitude of the day. Of course, as you'd guess, she did very well, and eventually became my line manager - and one of the two managers I worked with that I had the utmost respect for.

To be honest I didn't think the advert was sexist, but I'll have another look at it.

looking through the magazine I noticed an Airfix ad for a Britten Norman Islander reboxed as a defender in Philippines livery or Air Liberia. I was mildly surprised to see the Airfix ad in Navy News, to be honest.

As I said, I don't approve of what's been happening, which includes the bilking of contributors.

I can report that January 2022 SAMI and MA are available in W H Smiths in Kidderminster. Haven't had a chance to read them in any depth yet, just skimmed through the contents, but I noticed in SAMI builds of the 1/72 hasegawa tony and 1/48th Sikorsky dragonfly., if that helps anyone identfy which electronic June or July issue it is. I didn't have the electronic ones, so as for the December print issue, I have what was formerly missing. I certainly don't approve of what's happened, but before things started going pear shaped I regularly bought them, found them to be decent enough, and as it is the contributors who make the content of the magazine, I'm glad to see their work. I would like to think that from February 2022 issue we get a print issue that is, indeed, current.

I agree with you. I've never read any of the "classics" - War and Peace to Brontes to Dickens to Hardy etc., and I recall being bored to tears by Shakespear at school.

The question is will I live long enough to read them?

Following on from reading Mark Lewisohn's biography of the Beatles, from grandparents to December 1962, I've dug out the 2 CD's I burnt a while ago with 50 songs by the Beatles. These aren't even my sort of "top 50", they are just 50 songs I happen to have always enjoyed. I honestly don't know if I could specify a top 50, but it would certainly have to be at least 50. Here's the track listing; You'll notice that there are only a few of their singles (disc 1 - number 2 - 24,25 - disc 2 19,20,22 and 23) - I tend to play the Red and Blue albums for the singles. What I've realised as I've been playing these CDs is that I know all the words to all of the songs. I honestly don't know wheter to be scared or impressed by this!

Vince, I've also got Johnny Rogan's bio of Ray Davies in the to read pile, that's 780 pages long ! Of course, that covers his career and life up to about 2015. If Mark Lewisohn does complete volume 2, I think it would go from Jan 1963 to say Jan 1969, followed by volume 3 which would take the story to the formal legal break up of the Beatles in 1974.

Have just finished Mark Lewisohn's excellent book on the Beatles, 840 pages long and he's only got to Christmas 1962!I It is really extraordinary how, from their first meeting with Brian Epstein in December 1961, the Beatles got their recording contract, recorded their first song in the UK, which spent some 10 weeks in the charts from October to December 1962, changed from leather clad to smart suits, increased their fee for gigs to £100 - (!), played their last month in Hamburg, and recorded Please Please Me of which George Martin said to the Beatles: "We've just recorded your first number 1. " ** Anyway, still on the historical motif, I'm now reading the first volume in Dominic Sanbrook's history of modern Britain, Never had it so good, from Suez to the Beatles. ** corrected the quote.

A terrific collection there Dragan. You have been extremely busy! your KP Zlin 126 is especially interesting, as I built one a couple of months ago, in Austrian airforce colours. I wasn't sure if I'd see another one of these tiny kits on BM!

Aah, thanks for that. A shame, as it would look - I am sure - even better in the flesh.

Lovely work here, Lee. I especially liked seeing the Fantastic Voyage dioramas, a cruelly underappreciated film, given it starred Raquel Welch!! (Glimpsed, I'm sure, in one of the Windows of your Proteus) I also liked the Trumpeter missile, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm sure I saw your Bride of Frankenstein/Frankenstein on a club table at Telford?

Vince just reminded me that Yvonne Elliman did a version of I can't Explain which was in turn samples by Far Boy Slim