fightersweep

These are the kits I have decided I want to enter: PK006: Focke Wulf Fw-190 PK008 Gloster Gladiator PK025 AW Siskin PK105 Supermarine Walrus PK409 Dornier 18 I want to enter PK407: Martin B-26 Marauder but I need to check if it falls within the 25% rule. The four wing halves have been glued together, as have the two halves of the horizontal stabs and the rudder. Everything else is untouched. I'd like to get the B-26 in there, so hopefully, it's within the rules. I was going to add the B-17, but a quick inspection found that it's got a bad case of banana wings! I may add more, but that depends if I go as bats as I did in the Heller GB. Steve

Just a thought, but did that Skyhawk fetch a silly price because it's a bit rarer than most others? I'm sure I read somewhere that the inclusion of an Israeli option on the initial boxing caused a bit of a stink in some countries at the time, so Matchbox pulled that version pretty rapidly. Matchbox then replaced this with another version with two US marking options instead. I've just noticed the Skyhawk in my stash is the boxing with the Israeli option. It's tempting to stick it on eBay now! Steve

Please do sign me up. I've got loads in the stash that qualifies. Steve

Lovely looking Emil. Great work, and always nice to see another Airfix Superkit built up. We don't see too many. Agree with the others: Just needs the Swastika on the tail to finish it off. I thought I saw someone on eBay doing a wheel well set for the big Emil. Besides that, the only other thing I've ever seen was a photo etch set produced by a guy called "Old Etcher Fred" in the US. I picked up a couple of sets many moons ago and it's a lovely set of extras. I'll add a photo when I get the chance. I'm not sure if it's still available or not. Steve

They got cleared out of lots of French plastic when the Heller GB was on too. They must love it when a classic GB comes around.

Well, if you fancy something bright and colourful instead, Spencer Flack's Spitfire Mk XIV G-FIRE was a popular participant on the airshow circuit up until 1986. Airfix give you everything you need in one box: Being a really regular visitor to airshows from 83 to 92, Stephen Grey's fleet was a frequent visitor to the Mildenhall shows (for that jet/warbird mix), as was the BBMF. So any of their aircraft are good candidates. As previously mentioned, Spitfire MH434 was everywhere back then along with Ray Hanna of course! Steve

This kit does look really good so far. I can't wait, but do have two anxieties: A: The price (because like all good things, one won't be enough) B: That my crummy model skills won't be able to do it justice.

1/32 Dornier 17Z 1/32 Martin B-26B Marauder 1/72 Howard 500 1/72 Fiat G.46 1/72 Pilatus P.2

Ah! So now I know why this kit doesn't have a full engine. They've gone with the screen accurate propeller and broom handle set up as seen in Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk movie! Sorry! Couldn't resist!

@Rabbit Leader I just felt that a nostalgia based GB like this could be enhanced by revisiting those particular Matchbox kits that stand out above the others in my memory. I built many Matchbox kits myself. Mostly the aircraft, but sometimes other stuff, particularly the 1/32 cars. I remember getting bought the Matchbox boxing of the MPC Bulldozer as well one Christmas, but that never got built. I also wanted all of the 1/32 aircraft, but only managed to get the Spitfire 22/24 and Tiger Moth. Most of my purchases were Purple range, with the odd Orange occasionally. The bigger kits were rarities due to lack of money. Yep! A lot of Matchbox kits got built. Mainly because they were available everywhere here in the UK. Model shops, newsagents, hardware stores, toy shops etc, etc. Everyone seemed to stock them. Which reminds me: My folks took us on holiday to Mundesley in Norfolk in 1982 and 83. There was one of those typical beach shops there that naturally stocked a very small selection of Matchbox kits. In 1982 I was allowed to buy the Fw 190, and in 83, I picked up the Walrus. Trouble is, I had to wait all week until we got back home to build them but needless to say, a lot of sprue fondling, instruction studying and admiration of the box art occurred! I remember those two kits so well for some reason, so therefore, I'm going to have to add the Fw 190 and Walrus to the GB. Especially the Walrus as I messed that up. I thought I had a bad kit as I couldn't get the engine to line up straight. Little did I know! Anyhow, here's that little shop in question... Happy memories of Norfolk in the early 1980s, family holidays, Matchbox kits and the copy of Chart Hits 83 on vinyl I picked up in North Walsham! I've still got that too! I may have to give it a spin on the turntable today. Steve

Fantastic! The Matchbox GB in on! Shortlisted my entries and I'm going to go with any, or all of the following purely to satisfy my 12 year old inner self. I've decided that I will only build kits I built as a kid and want to tackle again; B-17G Flying Fortress. Might just build another as I did in 1983 with a set of Sally B decals I picked up from the Great Warbirds Air Display. I have a couple of spare sets of Sally B decals still. B-26B Marauder. First built back in 1984 after buying the kit on a visit to the Rebel Air Museum at Andrewsfield. A museum dedicated to the B-26. I ended up volunteering there for 16 years! AW Siskin. My all time favourite Matchbox bi-plane. Loved this kit back then and still do. Several in the stash to get started on. Hawker Fury and Gloster Gladiator. Well, it would be rude not to add the other two Matchbox RAF inter war fighters! The "I'm not sure kit". 1/24 Escort XR3. It's in a Matchbox box, but the plastic is Revell. The kit I want to pick up for the GB: Dornier 18. I always had an itch to build the civil version. Steve

Wow! That's looking fantastic so far. I do like the separate spine that follows panel lines. That's thinking outside the box. Also glad that they're concentrating on the cockpit detail and have omitted the engine as I like the ready to go look. Separate wing fillets though? I'm sure that will work out better than the old Matchbox Mk 22/24. This is clearly going the be a fantastic kit. I just hope I can afford a few. Steve

Is the boxing with the D-ISLU option out yet?

Despite already having a Special Hobby Anton, I'd be up for another Ju 87A

Hi all! Next kit up on my bench after the Italeri Ju-52 I'm finishing off will be a Junkers Ju 86C-1 in Lufthansa markings. I picked up this Kora decal sheet for my build: Quick question. The Kora sheet calls out for an overall scheme of RLM 02. Would that be correct? I'm not that well versed on Lufthansa types, but I know that most of the pre war colours were either silver or light grey. However, this one dates from 1945, so I guess RLM 02 would make sense but I don't know for certain. Does anyone know if the call out for RLM 02 is correct? Cheers; Steve

Thanks! I must have been confused with Italeri kits ending up in Tamiya boxings or something. I get the impression from the build reviews I just read that the Italeri Jaguar would be a nice kit if it fitted together ok. Sounds like a bit of a bear to build. Steve

Thanks! I'll have to go and find some reviews to see if it's any good. Looks quite similar to the Hasegawa kit on the sprues.

Must say, I'm tempted by that Jaguar as there's at least three of those schemes I'd like to do. Is that Italeri's own plastic, or is it the Hasegawa plastic? I'm not familiar with this kit. Steve

I'll be honest, I haven't figured out where I'm putting the DAF yet. The Routemater took up half the man cave and the DAF is over 1.2 metres long with the trailer. I guess I'll worry about that later!

Ok! I'll make sure to do a regular WIP. Not every nut and bolt as that would probably bore everyone senseless. I've already made a start, so I'll rustle something up soon. Yes! Twiggy was apparently the first truck with a female name. I didn't realise that prior to that the first few trucks had more standard names. I also quite like the fact that he named a couple of the early trucks after Debbie Harry and another after Joanna Lumley's character, Purdey from the Avengers. By the way, I'm no Stobart anorak (far too busy anoraking over many other things for that), but the fact that it's a great big 1/12 1970s DAF truck is what swung it for me. Steve

Don't know if you access Facebook, but Motobitz is about to release a full 1/24 Series 2 Landrover conversion set in resin and brass etch for the 2 and 2a variants. Link here: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1233534410460624&set=a.117434858737257 Hope this helps; Steve

Well, I built the Hachette Routemaster that I shared here, and I'm going for the Stobart truck. (link here: For me, I thoroughly enjoyed the build and I didn't think the overall cost too bad. After all, the Border Models release of the 1/32 WNW Lancaster will be in the region of £600 and that's for a plastic kit. The Routemaster built into a solid model that weighed a ton and was huge in 1/12. It was also a refreshing change of pace from my usual modelling. Two weeks after completing it, I got an offer to sell it for a price I couldn't refuse. I've had three offers since it sold. Believe me, more of these get finished than you'd think. There's dozens of Facebook build groups devoted these partworks and some folk I know built two or three of the Routemasters. The Stobart DAF is looking very impressive so far. Would there be any interest in a WIP here (a very long WIP ) Steve

Y'know, that's a distinct possibility. Maybe someone should tell them?

The 1/24 P-51B and Fw 190 must have been in the catalogue for almost as long. Funny how Trumpeter have been trumpeting those two for years, yet managed to sneak out a whole range of Ju-87s with barely any pre-release publicity.

Mostly my fault I think. Life has been crazy for a while here and modelling has taken a back seat much to my frustration!