fightersweep

Hi Nige (And everyone else that responded to my comments) I completely see your point. I think that my purchase would be mostly down to nostalgia, but not for the kits, but for the cars themselves. I didn't manage to pick any of these up the first time around, except for the Escort that my Dad built for me in 1975! I would happily pick them up on Ebay if £20 or £30 was the norm, but I just can't justify £300 or £400 to build myself a 1/32 Austin Maxi! Would they sell so poorly? Who knows? Would a limited gift set re-release be the way to go? I really don't know, but I do hope that we get the chance to see them again one day. Think I might have to wait a very long time though! Regards; Steve

rs2man; Thanks for the info. I was aware of the Capri and Zodiac custom releases, but not the Cortina. It seems that the Victor was planned, but never released, although the moulds were altered. Crying shame that! Still, there are a few that it would be nice to see again...heck! I'd even take the custom releases to try and convert them back again! Regards; Steve PS...Don't get me started on the ESCI 1/24 Transit either!

Thanks guys for the feedback. I have to say that I was surprised by the response I got when I was at Hornby about these old kits. I was there as a buyer, and was telling them that I would buy a fair stash of them as stock, and for myself too!! The rep said to me that surely there would be no interest in cars from this era. I pointed to the large Corgi Vanguards display on the other side of the room and said that they had no trouble selling. I also mentioned the ridiculous prices commanded on Ebay by these kits. Also, having got the re-issues of the Viva and Escort etc, they are still bloody nice kits with good detail and the moulds have faired well too. So let's see them back...Oh, and the Capri, Lotus Cortina and all the others. They have them stashed away...I've seen em! Regards; Steve

I'm sure this has been discussed to death before, but I do wish Hornby would re-release some of those old "Modern Car Series" such as the Vauxhall Victor estate, Marina and Maxi etc. I brought this up with them when I attended the trade preview a couple of years back, and they seemed surprised that there would be any interest in them now. Got to be kidding surely! I know I would buy a batch of them, and I think classic car owners would be a potential market. I really don't want to spend a fortune on Ebay picking up these kits. The ones that do turn up are fetching a fortune for some reason surely! I'd love a Maxi for example...it was the first car I drove after passing my test and my Dad let me borrow his for the weekend. Would love to build a model of that old car! Come on Airfix, how about it? Sling three in a box and go the Classic car gift set maybe? Regards; Steve

A great bunch of new stuff that I'm certainly going to fork out on, and in multiples too! Have to say, I feel like a ten year old all over again, as Hornby have taken my beloved Airfix back to those 1970's glory days! Now where did I put my flares and brown tank top? Regards; Steve PS; Still hoping for another 1/24 release one day!...oh and maybe a new tool 1/72 HP Herald and Viscount?

Hi Steven; I received your email with the photos. Many thanks for taking the time to do that for me. I tried to send a thank you via my email, but Hotmail is playing up at the moment! Those images were very helpful. The forward profile of the Jumo nacelle is markedly different and quite distinctive from the P. Nothing a bit of kit bashing shouldn't cure though. Once again, many thanks! Regards; Steve

Hi Steve; Many thanks for the information, link and kind offer of some photo references. I'll certainly have to take you up on that offer. I can see a few of your points already. Seems to me that the P's cowling tapers to streamline with the spinner, whereby the H has a step between the cowling lip and spinner. Shall I contact you via the supplied email? My email is fightersweep@hotmail.co.uk Once again, many thanks! Regards; Steve

Hi Steve The only reason I'm looking to model a H is because I wanted to depict a He-111 that crash landed near to where I used to live. I'm doing something similar with the Dragon Bf-110. Otherwise, I'd be more than happy to model the P, thankful that we're even lucky enough to have a He-111 in 1/32 in the first place. I'm still finding hard to believe that we have one. Golden times for the large scale brigade! Have to say that I'm surprised that we haven't seen a Jumo conversion from the resin after market chaps yet! Regards; Steve

Hi; This was one topic I wanted to raise so that I could convert my Revell 1/32 He-111P to a Jumo powered H-3. I don't currently have much reference on the spade, so would be very grateful for a list of items myself that outline the airframe and cowling differences. The cowling conversion doesn't sound that involved...would the props be the same also as the P? I'm looking to do a Battle of Britain era H. Regards; Steve

Thanks guys for some really helpful advice! I can see where I went wrong now. I didn't really take into account the fact that the lazer printer inks would not be opaque enough, which is a shame as everything else worked out fine. I think I will look into getting a custom sheet printed as I really don't mind paying out to get the project finished. After all, I've invested enough so far in the required kits. Is there a rough ball-park figure for the average cost of a custom printed decal sheet? Thanks again for the advice! Regards; Steve PS...apologies for sticking this in the wrong forum. Didn't notice the dedicated decals forum. Darn newbies!!

Hi All; Recently, I made up some artwork on my PC for some decals that I needed for a project. It was just a few odments that I needed, namely some VF-11 Red Rippers badges (for a rendition of Stephen Grey's bearcat) and a whole batch of Great Warbirds Air Display "Teddies" (the little teddy design that all the display aircraft wore at the 1983 show at West Malling) in 1/72, 1/32 and 1/24 scales. So all simple stuff. Wizzed off to my local copy shop today to get the designs lazer printed onto Hannants clear decal sheet, and being quite pleased with myself, wizzed back home to try them out. The problem that I have, is that the designs are very translucent and not opaque at all! In particular, the yellows are pretty useless. Therefore, my questions are; 1: Should I have had them printed onto white decal paper (although cutting around all of those teddys would be a real headache!) so that the colours would have been opaque. 2: Even though they have been lazer printed, should I still seal the sheet to protect the print? 3: Is there anyone out there who could print off my design properly so that the decals are opaque and usable at a price that won't break the bank?? I'd really appreciate some help on this as I could really use these decals for my Great Warbirds Air Display project. It's not as if the designs will ever appear on an after market sheet, so I have to try and sort this myself. Many thanks in advance... Steve

Hi Moggy! Excellent! Looks like quite a nice kit too! Never heard of it before, but certainly gives me a lead to pursue. Thanks for the info! Regards; Steve

Hi Graham; Lovely looking release there and a great diorama addition! It's funny that it has been pointed out that the wheels are for a post war pattern trolley acc. The 1937 Standard Flying 9 that I owned a few years ago had exactly the same wheels! Regards; Steve

Hi; Just wondering if there has ever been a Fiat G.46 available in 1/72 (or any scale in fact)? I'd really like to get hold of a kit of this aircraft and will even go as far as vacuform to get one! Any leads would be greatly appreciated! Regards; Steve

Thanks guys for the continued kind words and observations. Shell ejector ports?? Damn! Why didn't I think of that! Something else to add! Right, Here's the list. Wings were simply shortened and squared off and then scribed. Lower part of the tail is from the Hasegawa Hellcat, and grafted on two thirds along the vertical line of the Whirlwind tail. Upper part of fin and rudder above the bullet is the end of a Hellcat horizontal stabilizer Engines and props are Airfix Pr XIX Undercarriage legs are Hellcat too! Canopy is Airfix Fw 190D-9 Radar pod is Italeri F4U-5 Corsair Wheels are aftermarket Hurricane IIc Cockpit and flaps are scratch built Fuel tanks are Frog Sea Fury The finlets are scratch built but inspired by the Wyvern. Regards; Steve PS...Wooksta! I'll be in touch about the left over Spitfire bits!

Thanks guys... Well, a final wash is still to be applied to dirty it up a bit (just waiting for some new citadel stuff to come through that I wanted to try first). The rear third of the vertical tail is robbed from the Hasegawa Hellcat, so the hook is there...just not very noticeable. I'm contemplating adding a hook along the lines of a DH Hornet. Tail wheel is retractable. I just have to add the recess and a couple of plastic card doors. It's nearly there, just not quite! They are Griffons from the Spit Pr XIX. I went for them just because I'm a sucker for Griffons with five bladed props (they are handed). Merlins would have been more sensible, but I wasn't feeling sensible I'm afraid! Thanks for the feedback! Regards; Steve

Hi All; Recently posted on Hyperscale, but thought I'd share here too... After much hacking, sawing, kit robbing, sanding, filling and swearing, I've just finished my first "What If" kit. I know some don't have much time for builds like this, but it was great fun and a welcome diversion. I've decided to call it a Westland Sea Whirlwind N.F.6 as I added a radar pod on the starboard wing to give the aircraft night fighting capabilities. I've opted for a time window of around 1950. The kit is the 1978 boxing of the Airfix 1/72 Westland Whirlwind. I do still need to add flame dampeners to the exhaust, but didn't have any in the spares box. These will be added when I get hold of some (Kindly donated set on route now!!). I also have yet to add a pitot tube...so it's nearly finished I suppose!! I wasn't sure whether or not to post this in the WWII or Post War forum! It's been a really fun build, and I hope you all enjoy it too. Any comments or criticisms welcome. I'm sure it would have been a horror to fly, but I think it looks quite cool! Why not try and spot what other kits I robbed to complete the build. Next on the workbench is another Whirlwind that will be built out of the box. Anyhow, here's the photos. Please excuse the quality as I'm still getting used to the camera! The colours have come out a bit too bright, especially the reds. The model was painted with a good old fashioned hairy stick and some very old paints...anyone remember these?...I'd forgotten how nice that old Gloy paint smells. Even the wife kept popping into the man cave to have a sniff! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed looking at these as much as I enjoyed building this Whirlwind "What If". I have to do this again sometime! Regards; Steve

Hi Seahawk... Frog/Revell instructions will hopefully go into the post today! Funny that Revell have issued both the Frog and Monogram Do-17s. I picked up the Monogram kit recently, so it was interesting to be able to compare the two. I do have a bias towards the Revell/Frog issue as it was one of my favourite kits as a kid. I think I had just read Alfred Price's Hardest Day, and was very interested in the low level raid on Kenley (as you are as a 12 year old!) I didn't know a Do-17z was available, and was chuffed when a school mate picked one up for me from a local cash and carry (£1.15!!) I've loved the Dornier ever since. I think that both kits have their merits. I'm sure I read an article somewhere that suggests a kit bash of the two to get an accurate model. I'm sure there is an issue with wing chord with one of the kits, just can't remember which one!! The Frog kit has the better cockpit, but apart from that, detail is very much on par. The Monogram kit does have a separate tail wheel, whereas the Frog kit is moulded in. Both seem to fit very well. As far as the Frog decals go, I seem to have read in separate sources that the KG3 shield wasn't worn during the Battle of Britain period. Having said that, I still stuck mine on!! Lest hope that the Goodwin Dornier surfaces soon, and that a few major model companies will be queuing to bring us a definitive Do-17 kit. That's proving it survives the lifting! Regards; Steve

Hi Jerry; The only reason I'd love to see a 1/32 Revell Do-17 would be to complement the existing Ju-88 and He-111 already available in those scales. I wonder if the eventual raising of the Goodwin Dornier would tempt Revell to do that? Have to agree that a 1/48th kit would be great too! I've got the Classic Airframes kit, but anyone wanting to get hold of that now would be paying a premium. At least a Revell offering would be affordable! I live in hope! Regards; Steve

Hi Seahawk; I've got the Frog Dornier and several of the Revell re-boxings from the late 70's. I can either scan the instructions for you or pop a set in the post. I like the Frog kit very much. Still a respectable kit, although a new 17z wouldn't go amiss. Seems to me the old Flying Pencil, particularly the 17z gets a bit overlooked compared to the Ju-88 and He-111. (Revell...can we have a 1/32 Do-17z please??) Regards; Steve

WP903, Recently snapped at Duxford... http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6033/7029601...55fd64e1c_z.jpg Photo credit: David Whitworth. Regards; Steve

Sorry! But I have to question this statement. The Airfix Spitfire MkI is still a great kit in my eyes, and captures the lines of the Spit beautifully well. Also, don't listen to any guff about the kit having raised panel lines, as it doesn't. In fact, it replicates the surface detail of the Spitfire quite nicely. Of course, it needs some TLC in places, but with a little time and effort, scrubs up into a great looking model. Not bad for a 40 year old kit. I wouldn't touch the Trumpeter kit with a barge pole. Sure, it has it's merits, but they screwed the shape in many places, particularly around the cockpit area and also the fuselage cross section. This is evident when checking the fuselage frames with photo's of the real thing. I won't even bother passing comment on the canopy. My observations are from some experience, as I have built around 12 Airfix Spits and bought one Trumpeter kit..and that is still in it's box. I also spent five years working on 1:1 scale Spits, so have a feel for what they should look like. Please don't take this as a rant, more of a plea not to dismiss the venerable Airfix offering. Regards; Steve

Personally, I've always felt that the Griffon Spits suit the low back configuration more. It is my favourite mark of Spit. I've always found Ginger Lacey's view on this a bit odd. It seems as if he based the judgement on looks alone. Of course, he is/was infinitely more qualified to pass comment on this than me, but if I had been one of the pilots on his squadron at that time, I would have preferred the extra visibility afforded by the bubble canopy. After all, seeing the enemy first is a rather important factor in air combat! Either way, we need more Griffon Spitfires in any scale. Regards; Steve

Hi All; Recently, I embarked on a bit of a nostalgia modelling project building my favourite kits that I built as a kid. For this project, I decided that I would build and paint all of the models "old school" style, ie: out of the box and painted using a hairy stick. It's been a blast (photos soon on a fresh thread!) I have used a fair amount of Humbrol for this, and generally, I have found the paints to brush beautifully and give finishes that have been almost perfect. I will say, that I have been using the excellent Trumpeter paint stirrer and every coat has been well thinned with around three coats on average. This has produced the best results for me. Drying times have varied, but I haven't had any that have taken more than 6 hours to dry..some far quicker. However, a while back, I managed to obtain a fairly large collection of ex shop stock Humbrol paints and the variation in quality has been interesting. There appears to be a batch where the paint does suck! I've found that on opening a new tin, if the consistency is unduly thicker than usual when mixed thoroughly, then the paint has been a pig to use...even after thinning. These seem to be a batch originating from a few years ago and I have found them almost useless, overly oily with terrible pigments. More recent tinlets have surprised me with their excellent coverage by brush, even yellows! As a footnote, and to take my nostalgia builds a step further, I acquired a few old Humbrol Authentics and a large box of 40 year old, unopened Gloy Authentic Colours. These paints were every bit as good as I remember them. The old Humbrols are beautiful to use and brush perfectly giving an almost airbrush perfect finish with a hairy stick. Likewise, the Gloy's are a delight to use. Every Gloy tinlet I have opened has taken a minimal amount of stirring even though they haven't been opened since being made nearly 40 years ago. The colours seem pretty good to my eye, and they give brilliant finishes. One thing I had forgotten, was the smell of those old Gloy paints. As soon as I popped open the first tin and caught the smell, I was 12 years old all over again. Even the missus said they smelt nice!! So there is an idea there! Trawl Ebay or your local model shows. I always manage to pick up old unused tins of paint dating back to the 1970's or before for a bargain price and they are just the best if you use a brush. Haven't opened any of my old Airfix tinlets yet even if the G9 is calling me! Sorry for rambling... Regards; Steve

Thanks everyone for the help...I appreciate it! I now also know what colour to paint the seats..and that I need to add another bar running from the crash bar to the rear of the cockpit. An extinguisher might need to be added too. In comparison to the photo, the kit seats look more like something bought from the sofa people at DFS! Once again, thanks for the help. Regards; Steve