Olmec Head

How about 'Top Gunski' with an all black MiG 21 in USAF markings representing an American F10 (!). Actually if the original Matchbox markings fall apart, that might just be option B.

And I thought that my Matchbox 1973 MiG 21 in the Matchbox GB was old school. Even your decals are more faded and curly.

Comrade Workers - More Effort is required to defeat the Capitalist Aggressors I have put in some Vallejo filler and then sanded it off. That looked OK, so I sprayed a black undercoat: It's a great pity no one actually operated this in black camouflage in real-life. However, I realised that there was still some gaps that still needed some extra filler and sanding. Production quota is down and must be improved comrades. Time is the ally of the capitalist aggressors.

Yes the inaccurate extra length fuselage makes it better. I think the MiG design bureau looked at the kit and thought 'yes that what we should have done'!

Thanks AaCee, its good to know that an accurate model can be built from the kit with knowledge and skill. That said, I don't think I'll be moving my build to the now running MiG 21 GB and starting again!

Being conscious that @Rob G may be breathing down my neck all the way from OZ, I have put the kit together: The artfully arranged teacloth background also dates from 1973. The kit went together surprisingly well and it is nice not to have to worry about cockpit detailing and all that stuff. There was a bit of gap around the tail that needs sorting and there is some sanding to be done. It all went together in an hour. I understand that the Matchbox kit is regarded as a bit of a homage in Mig 21 circles in that it has a bit of most variants represented. But to be fair, I don't think that Matchbox would have much access to manufacturer plans or a real airframe. Even better, it has a stretched fuselage with an extra nearly 1cm over the actual scale length.

Back in the mid 70s, there was a stall on Mansfield market which had a sale of 5 Matchbox aircraft kits for £1. My father bought a set and I took the Mig 21 to primary school (aged 10 or 11ish) for a hobby afternoon. I don't think that I actually completed it and what happened to it, probably my father took off me and finished it. So now after a long time, I thought that this would be an opportunity to get one from Ebay: And a close up of the sprue: I am not sure why Matchbox decided on green and sand for two silver coloured aircraft! The markings may be a bit iffy after 40 plus years. But they are in register. So the Mosquito is on hold for this relic of the Cold War.

Its a good solution but for some reason, I had to do so sanding and altering to get the thing to fit.

Thanks Chris it is the long pole type aerial at the rear that I am looking at. I have filled the Rebecca aerial holes in, one because they were a 1945 addition as I understand it and two the Revell representations are a bit agricultural.

Yes DV232 is the one I am building, 3/4 quarters submerged in the Trent near RAF Syerston.

Thanks Chris it is the long pole type aerial at the rear that I am looking at. I have filled the Rebecca aerial holes in, one because they were a 1945 addition as I understand it and two the Revell representations are a bit agricultural.

I am trying to do a simple build of the Revell 1/72 Lancaster basically OOB (it seemed a good idea, but the little errors and lack of some expected details is denting my enthusiasm). I making a Lancaster that landed in the River Trent in 1943. Could anyone let me know please if 1943 vintage Lancasters would have the Blind Approach Aerial, I am hoping it was a later fit so I don't have to drill out some holes and attach it!

I have built the new Tamiya Spitfire Mk I and it is a generally nice kit. It did not fall together as the old 1990s? kit did and there was a little bit of fiddlyness at times. The undercart fit caused me problems - but that may have been down to me. It has a slight nose 'error' explained at http://soyuyo.main.jp/spit1/spit1e-1.html. I have also built the Airfix kit and the build issues around needing precise fit and careful putting together are well recorded on this site. Again there is an excellent build at the above Japanese website which again explains some detail errors. It might have the overall best shape. I have the Eduard version which looks very good and is probably the best to build, but lacks the hydraulic undercart selector for later built Spitfire Mk Is.

But there are less squadron code decals! 😉

The Mk 18 is priced at some £3 plus more than the current MkXIV (and some £9 more if you buy from Amazon).

Decision Made - PK116 Mosquito The old 1970s Fury box just looks too redolent of memories to be built (and I can't do rigging). So it will be the NF30 Mosquito which I have done some time ago out of the box. I am not sure when it might start and if I will use different markings. I could use the new Airfix kit as a reference, apart from the target tug bits!.

Greg I have just found out that I have the same kit as retrieved from the loft, I might do the fighter version...

No worries, it will depend on if the Mosquito is a Revell boxing or the original. I know that the Fury is an original boxing, but then I am rubbish at rigging!

Spitfire Vc of 249 Squadron - Malta Overall dark blue finish from Brian Cauchi's Malta Spitfire Vs-1942. No debate on this one! Built over three days with a total of 9 hours spent.

Finished - Spitfire Vc of 249 Squadron - Malta The Airfix kit open canopy is egregiously bad, so I used a spare canopy, which was still over-large, but not as bad.

Day 3 Most of the last bits get put on I started earlier today for the last push. Today's watch is a copy of an old 1963 Chinese watch built for Chinese Airforce aircrew now know as the Seagull 1963. It is a column wheel chronograph and the Chinese company that originally built them bought the mechanism from the Swiss in the 1960s. Mine is a copy bought from Ali Express in China and took 6 days from ordering to delivery to the UK. And two hours later... Unfortunately, I made a mistake with the closed canopy and didn't remove the necessary extra cockpit sides needed. It took some of the two hours used today for me to work this out by referring to the instructions! Now I have to dig out the open canopy parts and try to pain them and then affix them.

I found both a few year back in my parents' attic, so this may be the opportunity.

Get on with It!! After dinner, my wife said: 'Why don't you get on with your Spitfire and stop wasting time'. So I gathered together some decals for the markings as obviously the kit SAAF and USAAF versions weren't any use for a Malta Special. The sqn codes were Sky, not grey as in the profile as I only had 18" lettering in Sky. That said, the colour is a bit debatable as with about anything to do with Malta Spitfires. I was going to do some proper a/c serial numbers built up from individual decals to match the profile aircraft number, but that is the way madness lies as I find each time I do it. Such hubris was averted when one of the sqn code decals broke and I had to sweat peeling it off my finger and redoing it (as I had no spares) - life on the edge -raw modelling! Learning from this, I took the easy option and so I then stuck on some codes from an old Tamiya Spitfire Vb that looked similar. The other markings came from a Sword Spitfire Vc sheet. Best thing is of course no stencils and walkway lines! I used Lakeland Future style polish to stick the transfers down, Hence the sploggy look. So one hour of simple (!) decaling to add to the day two total gives 2 hours 30 minutes and a running total of 6 hours 40 minutes over the two days.

Double Post

The front seats must have been a bit interesting for the nervous flyer. Plenty of opportunities to see the ground rushing up to meet you.