Sparkie

Hi Matt I use the Infini easy cutting matt type B for small circles , I think AK do a version too http://infini-model.com/index.php/portfolio/it-3002v1/ Mark

As a kid spending practically every Saturday wandering up and down the shelves in Beatties in Liverpool, I could probably tell you the price of every item in there, especially the Tamiya kits I longingly wished for but could never afford or more likely justify spending that much when Airfix and Matchbox where so much cheaper This is where my brand fandom spurns from obviously, but although I am in a more comfortable position financially, I still limit the costs of the kits I buy, not so much as being able to afford them, but their 'value' to me. In my opinion my skills just don't warrant the £99 Tamiya Phantom (launch price - more of that in a minute), and I don't feel I can do justice to a kit of that price so it will be a waste of money So that leaves me in a position of buying kits where I will enjoy the build in relation to how many hours I will spend on it and if (probably when) I make a mistake, and I am not too angry at wasting the money I had spent Will I buy that £99 Phantom? possibly, its now down in the £70 range if you look around, so I may feel that I can do it justice sometime in the future. In the meantime I picked up the Airfix 1:72 Phantom when it popped up for £17 recently - more akin to my skill level And this is another pertinent point, the prices quoted by Airfix are there RRP, just like the £99 from Tamiya - the prices from the independents fell quite quickly after launch to something more reasonable - we will undoubtedly see this I am sure Personally, I really feel for the OP and others who need to watch the purse strings, I have been there myself and will probably be back there once I retire myself, but I am sure that there will always be price reductions and sales to pick up kits to keep my interest in the hobby alive. My fear is that as I get better and want those 'better' kits. they will be out of my reach also and the lower end of the market will have followed in the same suit

I agree the price hike is on top of one the back end of 2021 pushes the range up into other competitor territories for Airfix, where modellers expect more for their cash in way or quality and detail (I'm ignoring the short short QC issues which hopefully will be addressed before it become so common place its expected) However, are we all basing the price comparisons on competitors '2021' prices to the Airfix '2022' catalogue? Global prices have gone through the roof as we all know for materials and shipping, not to mention impeding inflation rates, are they just not pricing sensibly knowing what the near future looks like, and should we expect the rest of the market to also push theirs up over the course of 2022?

Good old Revell and their random scales, hot on the heels of a 1/72 Razor Crest we have Boba Fetts Starship to sit alongside it in 1/72 , lets go for 1/88 instead!

Are these just throw backs to the kits previous incarnations do you think Colin, or have Kinetic just got it woefully wrong?

Following this one if I may Colin I picked up this kit as part of the 'the garden is too wet more time for models' plan, along with more than enough others to see me through the winter, but this is defiantly near the top of the pile The colour instruction sheet is on Scalemates if you want it also How can you not love a Harrier Mark

great uniform stretched sprue you have there Colin

Another one calling it a day sadly, Update from Whitchurch Models webpage: 'After 21 years of trade Whitchurch Models is calling it a day and closing down on Saturday 29th May 2021, thank you to all our Customers out there for your custom over the years it is much appreciated.'

a veritable clamp fest, Any more clamps in your arsenal Matt? 😁

from these photos and a few ive just been looking at Victors loading Blue Steel on a flikr account Ive just stumbled across, would a satin or gloss finish come the closest to in service subjects? One thing is for sure, its certainly not matt

I used to pull it backwards but then had a primer completely block up so had to strip it down while still full of primer so i couldn't flush it through. It was then i decided to push it forward as it was absolutely caked, and as you say didn't want to pull that back through the airbrush covered in primer I've done it this way ever since and it so far hasn't broken anything 🤞

Jokes about white sugar are really common Jokes about brown sugar..... Demerara

Great, now I've bought clamps as well 😉 Like the look of those rather than spring clamps

Im still undecided. I have a Valiant on pre-order to go with this Vulcan and the Victor I already have. Not sure how to spread schemes across the 3 yet or what 'story' I want to tell Current thinking for paint schemes is the Valiant in Anti-Flash white, the Victor camo over white and the Vulcan full wrap-around, but which air frame or variant to go for , no idea, it will probably be determined on how much work I want to commit to it

Mine has now Ive updated my card details, the pre-order was made so long ago, the stored card had expired 😁

They have replied to the instgram post saying their 'first shipment lands within the month'

Well Airfix tease once more it seems Their latest mail shot promoting Fathers Day gifts link the Vulcan in pride of place, where it still has it on pre-order and a release of Spring 2021 So there are either going to be a few disappointed fathers who get a receipt given to them, or can we dare to hope a release in the next couple of weeks? Mark

I'm still getting used to my airbrush after a year or so so take this with a pinch of the amateur also, but i got the best results by using a black primer and the panels mottled in white or a light grey depending on what i fancied at the time, leaving the panels lines showing through black I did the same the first time though, put so many top coat layers down I couldn't see them anyway

I cant even buy paint for my house from 2 different batches from the same manufacturer without having them a different shade, so the thought that some of the many thousands of tanks produced may be in a slightly different colour doesn't really surprise me if I'm honest

Always good to use camelcamelcamel for things like this, it will track the prices on Amazon and send you alerts when they drop below the price point you set So for this one - https://uk.camelcamelcamel.com/product/B00187MR78?context=search shows £39 was a pretty good deal Mark

Fantastic build Dan and WIP was a joy to follow Picked up some great tips along the way too, so thanks for that Mark

Much easier on the pocket 🙂 and is even down the road from me for click and collect, bonus cheers Dan

Have I read this right that delivery starts at £20, seems to push the price of a rod up somewhat Price to mainland England & Wales is £20.00 for orders under 15kg, and £0.50 per kg thereafter; mainland Scotland £27.00 for orders under 15kg, and £0.50 per kg thereafter (excluding VAT).

Looks great, how is the switch operated? does the whole intake move?

Have you twisted bare copper wires there or are they insulated?