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The Tomohawk Kid

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Posts posted by The Tomohawk Kid

  1. 19 minutes ago, Whofan said:

    And thanks again Tommo for the additional information.

     

     

     

     

    If you compare the Mach 2 fuselage to the second image you posted up thread it will jump out at where the Mach 2 kit is lacking.  Correctable, of course it is - but, it just adds to the workload of a Mach 2 kit.

     

    I too would doubt the machine has a natural metal finish, if it was a carrier bourne machine the last thing one would want on an airframe would be exposed metal.

     

    Tommo.

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1
  2. 9 minutes ago, Whofan said:

     

    Tommo,

     

    (forgive the familiarity, many thanks for the explanation regarding the various kits.

     

    I am going to make the kits as part of my HMS Ocean project (my father's last ship before hee left the navy,serving as a Yeoman of signals from 1949 - 1953) to represent this Dragonfly that flew from Ocean during the Korean war;

     

    dragonfly 2

     

    dragonfly

    The latter picture is from the book printed privately by HMS Ocean crew to record its Korean war deployments.  The serial number is VX 965.

     

    It looks from the pictures to have been  a natural metal finish.

     

    Now I have two whirlybird kits with the decals to match the one in the side on view, one Mach 2  and one LF all in 1/72, and one AMP in 1/48th, so I am fairly confident that I will be able to make something that looks pretty much like the dragonfly that flew off Ocean.

     

     

    Its the rear fuselage as it sweeps up to the boom and the glazing arrangement on the Mach 2 kit thats not really correct for a military Dragonfly and its not quite right for the S-51 either, but a bit closer - if that makes sense. The grillage and exhaust arrangements will need altering too.

     

    The Whirlykits (military variant) model is correct on those elements, so you should be good to go with that one.

     

    Best of luck.

     

    Tommo

    • Thanks 2
  3. 5 hours ago, Whofan said:

     the Mach 2 kit? Because I've got one of those, too, and it's still in the box - the difference is I'm taunting it, "you've got too much flash and I haven't got enough sandpaper "!!

     

     

    1/72

     

    - The Mach 2 kit is neither fish nor fowl in that it is hybrid of the S-51 and Dragonfly (closer to the S-51) but either way it needs surgery - plus the usual caveats that apply to Mach 2 kits. 

     

    - The MPM kit is waaaay! overscale and not particulary accurate in outline either - I'm afraid surgery won't save this one.

     

    - The Britavia/AVF kit is good for for the Dragonfly particulary the navalised version (it would need surgery to build it as a S-51 or HC-4). The biggest drawback to me, is its main component parts are acetate which is not a good modelling medium - that said I have seen some nicely built examples.

     

    - The latest iterations of the Whirlykits models are very good, if one is comfortable with resin. As mentioned up thread they bought the Britavia/AVF moulds  and have improved the kit no end. Quite rightly they offer the miltary and civvy Dragonfly as two different kits. The better of the pair is the military kit - although for the HC-4 one needs the civvy boxing and undertake some mods.

     

    - The IM Aerdrom kits came with two sets of fuselage clear styrene and 'solid' styrene and were fundemetally accurate and easy to build, if a little basic - If memory serves it was only possible to build the S-51 and civvy Dragonfly despite a military Dragonfly boxing - I stand to be corrected on that as I have not seen one for an epoch!

     

    - The LF kit as being built in this thread is fundementally a S-51 (but good for the HC-4) and from what I can make out is the most accurate in 72 scale. I don't have and have not seen thier military version Dragonfly kit. But, I would venture that is equally as good. But, in the box it does look a modellers model - the detail for a short run kit is superb.

     

    ------

     

    1/48

     

    - If one is comfortable with resin and vac, the Belcher Bits kit is great and extremely accurate and it is just about possible to build any variant of the S-51 and Westland Dragonfly out the box.

     

    - The Founderie Miniature kit is pretty good for a short run kit of its era if one is comfortable with all clear styrene fuselages halves and limited run kits. However, it has been welll and truly been overtaken by the AMP kits. Also its only really possible to build a S-51 out the box with out resort to the razor saw and Milliput.

     

    - The AMP kits are probably the most accessible in this scale and are very good indeed - However, it is generally one variant per boxing, so one needs to be careful what is buying to match the type and Mk of machine one wants to build.

     

    I'll be tagging along for this build too, looking good so far.

     

    Tommo.

    -

    • Thanks 4
  4. 23 hours ago, Paul J said:

    Any body recall he C-5A Galaxy??/ I had one for several years . Finished it as per the scheme they started off in white /grey. Several years later I repainted it in the 'lizard' or euro scheme. Sold it a couple years ago for £15.00

     

     

    Yep. I still have an unmade one in its original Kelloggs mailer.

     

    Tommo.

  5. 15 hours ago, Pouln said:

    I think that most commericial companies, will declare the true value of the parcel. Add shipment to that and you have the value of you shipment. That will be fully visible on the package (companies do not want to get caught declaring fake values).

    Therefore probably next to all packages will go through the customs process. Packages from the UK to the EU also became a lot more expensive.

     

     

    No bona fida 'commercial company' will knowingly falsely declare the value of a shipment, it is ilegal to do so and the consquences could be devasting if found guility of false declaration.

     

    Now the UK is outside the EU, EU vendors should be removing local taxes and VAT for anything headed to the UK - which at least should make the purchase price cheaper.

     

    HMRC/UKBA have got thier act together with most items over the 'customs' threshold now attracting charges, the days of it slipping through I'm afraid have gone.

     

    Tommo.

  6. 41 minutes ago, Tim R-T-C said:

    https://www.authentic-airliner-decals.de/

     

     

    Unfortunately due to political decisions, you have to order €155 minimum from them at the moment for UK shipping and will of course have to pay tax and duty on top of the costs. I don't think there is a UK distributor, maybe check eBay?

     

    Don't forget to ask for local taxes and VAT to be removed from your order. 

     

    No AA don't have a UK distributor, most of thier orders are made on demand.

     

    But everything they make is of the highest quality!

     

    Tommo.

     

     

  7. On 16/01/2021 at 21:09, PinkThorn242 said:

    In my experience customs fees are a crapshoot anyway. It all depends on whether your packages get stopped by customs in the first place, which doesn't always happen.

     

     

    That used to be the case, not any more - in my expierance pretty much anything over the duty threshold gets tagged now.

     

    Tommo.

  8. 19 hours ago, tonyot said:

    Wish they would re release the 1/72nd Sikorsky H-19 helicopter kit,... or better still release it as a British Whirlwind!!  Shame they never up scaled it to 1/48th too.

     

    That would be nice, wouldn't it?

     

    One can only assume they were poor sellers first time around, a Whirlwind variant would need a major mould change or more than likely a new kit - I can't see either happening personally.

     

    Tommo.

     

     

    • Like 1
  9. @oldmodeler

     

    Yes, I have the Moebuis 1/8 EVA pod, I have had it a while but not made a start on it yet and another yes I do intend to light it. It looks however, I'm taking a different route than you. The aftermarket ancillaries I have bought for it so far are:

     

    - The Yay! Monsters backlight  translight filmkit! https://www.yaymonsters.com/shop/evapodtranslight/

    - The Yay! Monsters  light blocking vinyl set https://www.yaymonsters.com/shop/eva-vinyls/

    - The Yay! Monsters acrylic support and LED support kit https://www.yaymonsters.com/shop/evasupport/ 

    - Voodoofx lighting kit http://www.voodoofx.com/product/2001-eva-pod-lighting-kit/

    - Shapeways 1/8 seated Bowman figure https://www.shapeways.com/product/Y66XNFSD8/sf-astronauts-figure-kit-moebius-eva-pod?optionId=96195441&li=marketplace

     

    Paragrafix make a 1/8 translight kit too, or most likely its the same one marketed by Yay! Monsters.

     

    I await your progress with baited breath.

     

    Its the Moebius Boeing Aries 1-B I'm patiently waiting for, no doubt well delayed now!

     

    Tommo.

  10. On 23/12/2020 at 12:47, oldmodeler said:

    Looking at the MOEBIUS website, models disappear from the list fairly quickly, you have to buy up what you want as soon as it appears, Made in China, like all things made there, production time for an injection mould , packing and boxing etc is scheduled. so re-runs are had to schedule not knowing demand. After 50 years, MOEBIUS is  the only  polystyrene kit maker for 2001 models. The earleir  attempts Luna Models etc, are not in the same league.

     

     

    Moebius certainly understand thier target market and demographic very well indeed, they most definately don't have the same business model as say Revell or Airfix.

    On 23/12/2020 at 12:47, oldmodeler said:

     

    The Discovery has been reported as  the model copy of the move 2010. Any ideas about that? Havent scrutinized the kit that far yet. 

     

     

    Highly likely as that filming miniature is extant.

     

    On 23/12/2020 at 12:47, oldmodeler said:

    a 1/8  Spacesuited figure for the pod would be F A N T A S T I C!

     

    I snagged an absolutely fab one from Shapeways, costly but utterly and totally sublime!

     

    Tommo.

     

  11. 3 hours ago, Richard Humm said:

    My local Sainsburys had the catalogue on the shelf as well as the magazine (separately), but refused to sell the cataloguie when I went to the checkout as it hadn't been entered on the system so the scanner wouldn't read it.

     

    Which does lend some credence it should have been bundled with the magazine. How many times do you go to the check out and they won't sell a can of baked beans or similar because its not been entered into the 'system'? I can't recall that ever happening to me, or I don't shop at the right places perhaps?

     

    Tommo.

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