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Roger Holden

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Everything posted by Roger Holden

  1. Not with this one, as it was from the film camera era, when I struggled to take any decent WiP photos. But some of my more recent models I've posted here have some WiP photos, which give you the general idea: Regards, Roger
  2. Thanks John ! I wish my scratch building was as prolific as yours ! Yes, the fuselage sides were vacformed over carved wooden patterns . Because the bottom of the fuselage was stretched too thin, that was made from sheet plastic, as was the internal structure to hold the sides in place . Regards, Roger
  3. The rather grandly-named Aeronautical Corporation of America (Aeronca) was formed in 1928 by a group of Cincinnati, Ohio businessmen hoping to profit from the recent boom in US civil aviation. With initially no product to sell, they settled on the ultralight monoplane designed by Air Corps engineer Jean Roche, which was productionised as the Aeronca C-2 ‘Flying Bathtub’ and became the World’s first successful major-production ultralight aircraft, largely down to the reliability of the 2-cylinder engine Aeronca also manufactured to power it. By 1935 however, the writing was on the wall for the Flying Bathtub line (after over 500 had been produced), as the CAA banned the production of light aircraft with wire-braced wings, which required careful maintenance, seen as a potential safety hazard. So Aeronca had to create a more modern successor and hedged their bets by designing two.... First was the model K, which was effectively an updated replacement for the bathtub, with slimmer lines, strut-braced high wing and the same 2-cylinder 36 h.p. engine. The other was the model L, an altogether more sophisticated affair, with a low-mounted cantilever wing and very 1930s-looking trousered undercarriage. Although the prototype had the usual 2-cylinder engine, that proved adequate only for a single circuit of the airfield to determine much more power was required. This was found in the shape of the locally-produced 5-cylinder Le Blond radial, with 85 hp, which gave the hoped-for performance. Although it was well-received, it was comfortably outsold by the cheaper model K, which evolved into the popular Chief when fitted with 4-cylinder engine. The Aeronca factory was flooded in 1937 and some of the model L tooling destroyed, so the management decided to cease production after 66 had been completed. Only a handful survive, with only one currently in airworthy condition, as shown in this very informative video with vintage lightplane test pilot extraordinary Andrew King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEtvvrJjHqQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkVZjyX7jro It’s one of my favourite 1930s lightplanes and I built this model almost exactly 30 years ago and it won the 1/72 scratchbuilt and vacform class at the 1993 IPMS UK Nationals. Model is 100% scratchbuilt from plasticard using my take on Harry Woodman’s techniques, including the Le Blond engine and Sensenich prop.
  4. Every revision to the LH scheme has been worse than the previous one. They obviously don't want to spend money with a design agency. They're probably having an 'in-joke' to see how bad they can make it....😆
  5. I'm sure Revell love it......makes their decal sheets as cheap as possible. Unfortunately it reinforces the stereotype that Germans have no flair or imagination.....
  6. Could have been worse.....I mean, it's not Lufthansa or Japan Air Lines 'bad', which are the current 'World Champion' benchmarks for awful....
  7. While I agree the service is much improved, there are still some of the same issues. Often, if you order several sheets, there will be one or more sold out and it can be months before they are available again . Sometimes they substitute something you didn't order. Several times, they have sent me the wrong tracking number, for another UK customer 300 miles away. Things usually get resolved eventually, but it can take a good few months . It will certainly test your definition of patience, but no one else is making these decals , even though nearly every one contains some 'mistakes' like they have always made ......and I've been getting them since 2003.
  8. Thanks Chris. I think if the kit comes with removable body panels, that's how they should be displayed. Plus, the rear body no longer fits since I added the correct details on top of the fuel tank and the heat shields around the exhausts, as the body isn't scale thickness. I have recently also completed a Martini Lotus 80, which I will post when I've organised the photos. It's always good to see a few 43rd models on here. They still seem to have quite a dedicated following.
  9. Super ! That might be the best 1/43rd Renault I've seen to date. It certainly sets the bar very high.... Well done !
  10. Thanks Rab. The Tameo kit is a fair starting point, but deficient in a few respects which need addressing. Years later, they finally got around to the 78 and that's a far better kit....
  11. Great job on one of Tameo's nicest kits. Shame it's the only Renault that's been kitted to that standard (Tameo RE30B is ok, also) .....most of the rest are only crappy old Tenariv and Hi-Fi kits. You must be very organised to build it that quickly. Would take me weeks, at least and probably some months.
  12. Thanks Trevor. Your models are very nice and I like the way you modify and/or convert them into different race versions, which I also like to do. The so-called 'Superkits' require a major feat of stamina and take several times the effort needed to build a 'standard' model. Thanks Chris. Coming back to it enabled me to improve a few things, so it ended up better than it would have been. Plus, my techniques have improved in the meantime. Thanks Bjorn. Well spotted....... I think they must have had a few of those larger flag stickers left over from the Lotus 78 ! It's my favourite version of the car. Yes, it's pretty small....around 12cm long.
  13. Although I'm 80% an aircraft modeller, I'm also 20% a builder of 1/43 F1 cars, which I try and fit around my aircraft projects. White metal is not my favourite material to work with and building these things to the standard I desire has been a very long learning curve. Here is my recently completed Lotus 79, based on Tameo kit WCT78. This was I think Tameo's 2nd kit in the World Champion series, from about 1992 and although I remember it was a step forward at the time, it's a long way short of more recent models in that range. In fact, I did 80% of the work in 1999, but got so fed up with all the corrections I felt were necessary, I eventually lost interest and it remained uncompleted until a few months ago, when I resolved to have another look at it and finally complete the thing.... Every part is either scratchbuilt or modified. Biggest problem is the forward monocoque sides, which are vertical when they should be inclined, so they were cut away and replaced from plastic. Also scratchbuilt were the rear suspension uprights, back end of the gearbox, rear wheel spokes (inexplicably not provided), details on top of the fuel tank, raised cockpit floor and lower seat, instrument panel and brake reservoirs. Many other small details were either replaced or added. Probably I would have used the MFH kit if I was starting this now, although I think Tameo's front wheels/tyres are a more accurate size. It was the first 1/43 Lotus kit I bought which reproduced the JPS markings in the correct oatmeal/biscuit colour they used from 1976 onwards, but there was still a major goof in that the '5's on the side pods were vertical instead of inclined, so some careful cutting about of the decals and pinstripes was needed to achieve the shape you see in the photos. I also changed the decals slightly to depict Andretti's Spanish GP winner, which is my favourite race version..... Photos aren't great, but the best I can achieve with my 20 yr old camera, which is not really happy with stuff this small. My favourite Lotus 79 references :
  14. No, because the fabric was clear doped on the outside, before the green was painted, which would have sealed it and prevented the green seeping through....
  15. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235097253-de-havilland-dh88-comet-black-magic-148-mikro-mir/
  16. They would usually be shown in the APs (Air Ministry Publications for servicing and maintaining the aircraft). The RAF Museum often has copies of these. That's where Airfix gets them from, I think.
  17. Decal sheets look rather bare without any stencils, which these aircraft undoubtedly carried. At least, the ubiquitous 'W/T' airframe bonding symbols. Guess we've been spoiled by Airfix giving us all the stencils in their British aircraft kits...
  18. Great looking Stearman. Nice to see one that's not blue and yellow !
  19. AMG have produced the Hart and Demon several years ago, to a very similar standard . This looks like their follow-up. They aren't widely available, though.
  20. I have collected close-up photos of around a dozen restored 'civilian' Tiger Moths and not one has the prop in a period-correct finish. Same goes for the colour schemes used by most operators of vintage civil aircraft. A lot of 30s props did look like the one in your photo......just not British ones.
  21. The Moth Major shows the typical '30s finish exactly. Later the whole prop was covered in fabric, as with the black/yellow WW2 examples . Leading edges had a strip of brass sheathing to protect against 'nicks' from stones, which could affect prop balance. Sometimes this was painted like the fabric, so doesn't stand out, or left as a dull brass colour. Wasn't usual to paint it a different colour.
  22. No, the black props with yellow tips were strictly a WW2-military thing. Typical pre-war was varnished wood central boss area, but blades were fabric covered and painted grey. Polished metal nose cap. Most wooden props on British aircraft were wholly or partly covered in fabric and painted, starting around 1915, to prevent rain and dust/grit erosion of the blades. One of my pet hates on models is seeing models of 1930s British aircraft with 'wood' coloured props.....
  23. Perhaps; but problems with the airframe can be fixed using traditional modelling skills, but the wheels can't. Why they are needed....
  24. Those kits have pretty good wheels, especially the EE, which are CAD - designed. Much better to make them for the older/less good kits which haven't been touched by the aftermarket. eg. B707/720/727/737-200, DC-9, DC-10, L-1011,F27/F28/F50/F100, BAC 1-11,Comet, Viscount, Vanguard, Trident, etc.
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