Hornchurch

' First off, you'll just have to forgive me, as I've been laughing so hard !!!!! My question to you lads (when my laughter dies-down), is about "PLASTIC KIT CEMENT" So "why" am I laughing (first-off, let's get this out of the way) Yesterday (Sunday), I attended an IPMS type kit-fair, at a local USAF 'Bomber Base' (1950's era) Nearest the "Entrance/Exit" wuz a guy (stand) selling Glues/Paints/Brushes/Tools, etc Saw these racks & racks of Tamiya Glue(s) - seemed fair price, £3.35 per "Glass squared Jar" Hall was a bit dark inside (former 'base ballroom'), so didn't see it initially Couldn't help notice (much later on), some "minor white residue" inside the jar(s) "W.T.Flip is that ?" - I kinda silently remarked to myself..... adding silently..... "Looks like bits of ewww, or TINY disintegrated Kleenex fragments" !!!!!!!!!!!! (Hence the uproarious laughter !) Wondering about this strange apparition, today, I took to the internet, FOUND THIS.... https://thediecastmodel.com/does-tamiya-cement-work-clear-parts/ Particularly noted the part that said.... "One last thing...." "The (Tamiya) cement tends to turn cloudy if left for a long time...." (??) "That's WHY it's ideal if you check if your plastic cement has expired" ( Que ?? ) There IS such a thing ?? So, you telling me that this vendor is selling 'dodgy gone-off kit cement' ? Never heard of such a thing - Call me naive - ("Hi Naive/Nieve") I started building kits around 1968 - (yeah, sadly, I'm THAT old) Back then, glues were "AIRFIX" & (early '70's), "Le-Page's" = Canadian ? The latter stank to high heaven & MAY have affected my nugget - (Laughs !) - Used Le-Page's during the build of a 'then new' FROG Heinkel He.219 Oh, yeah, I also used to use "BRITFIX", but it was poop, so avoided it like the plague Then, mid-late 1970's, I ditched kits, in favour of..... "Girls, Girls, Girls, Electric-Guitars, Girls, Motorcycles & Girls (roughly in THAT order !) Once married ("snagged"), I sneaked a few (newer) kits back in (roughly mid-'80s) Started making a few (one or two) before "kids" kicked-in - (Me, "siring" them) By then, I'd go to town (w/Wife & babies) & visit "BEATTIES" "BEATTIES" Glue, or "HUMBROL" Glue, in Glass Jars - (again, squared variety) First time I'd EVER used Glue with "capillary action" - Nice, preferred it to old (style) These ARE the stocks I've been using, until now, naturally am running low. Bear in mind these are/were circa 1998-2004 - Time for replenishment So, am totally clueless about modern brands/makes/manufacturers Am shocked at the sheer (modern) price of kit adhesive, too What "is" the best bang for buck", money-wise & Glue-wise thesedays ?? Advice, please !!!!!! P.S - Last kits I built (recent times), were in Oct' 2018 for the 100th WW.I "ending centenary" I used OLD stocks that I already have, but now of course, dwindling, el-rapido !!

Hi Mark It's with some degree of irony that I glanced & thought, "I wonder if that's "New Mark" from Lanarkshire ?" - (Well now I know, it is !) You & I have already (briefly) met online, as you joined "ModelHangar3", the diecast forum back in January - (or was it December ?) Anyways, "Hawny" here has ALWAYS had a deep, deep LOVE of the Martin B.26 Marauder, which started in 1969/1970/1971 Back then, AIRFIX didn't even have or 'do' a B.26 Marauder & also back then, FROG's distribution was either "patchy or dire" at best, locally. Wasn't until I went on early spring Holiday back in 1971, that I finally snagged the FROG B.26 Marauder, which I really loved & enjoyed ! So much so, that nostalgia dictated that I'd buy another (Mint, for collecting, not to build), back around 2016, in the same box-art packaging. Despite I have many of the Monogram B.26's (in 1/48th), I've always liked the AIRFIX (1973) offering that you've built, as it's a "sexy plane" ! Kick myself now, for not picking-up the (famous) "Yo Yo Champ" decals in 1/48th, as I've passed-up two opportunities now. Good to see that you've utilised them on your lovely build - Looks great to me - Plus of course it's "An Essex Bird" (Stansted Gal) Tell me, does it drop it chips when ya talk 'dirty' to it ? 💔 P.S ; Incidentally - I just picked one of these up, on the 6th Feb' IPMS show over at Sculthorpe. Mint 1973 boxed, for a 'tenner' (£10.00)

Jeeeez Gary - You don't exactly do things in "Half-Measures", do ya now ? Mate - You're "sitting on a Gold-mine" there, with that big-bollard "Billy The Barge" Kawasaki Z.1300 I avoided them 'like the plague' (back in the day), as they had a reputation for "Tea-Trolley" handling, along with Yamaha XS.1100's Bit like trying to corner (tight) Essex country lanes with a Maersk Container Ship - Better suited to The English Channel & beyond 😰 However - Today - 2022, that Z.1300 is regarded as a Classic Bike, with that mental (overkill) famous 'Six-Cylinder' engine !!!!!!! That layer of dust looks like about 15+ years (& counting), NO ? Also, I'll dare to presume that this is NOT your own example, as there are clearly Harley.D's in the background (& you said ya didn't have any) BTW ; Glad you managed to check-out the George Gilroy story..... (that particular day, 31st Aug' 1940, IIRC) Back to the Kawasaki (& bikes) - Around the time you bought THAT Z.1300, I bought it's more nimble & faster 'brother' (New) Like I said, I wanted a bike that actually WENT around corners, rather than thru the adjacent hedgerows, at fair speed So, I went out & bought a truly GORGEOUS Kawasaki Z.1000-J - (a 'J.3' last of the breed) Took it all over Europe, mainly visiting old WW.II battlefield areas, such as Hurtgen Forest / Ardennes / Normandy Loved that bike to pieces - Super handsome (fast, in it's day) & it never, never, ever let me down once. Regards Normandy, I took this particular shot of it, beside the 'Sea Wall' along the "UTAH" invasion beach, during June 1984 Hornchurch's Kawasaki Z.1000-J at Utah-Beach, Normandy, June 1984 by Hornchurch_Aerodrome, on Flickr

Hi Ian ; I dunno "if" you saw MY Honda ? (further, up above thread) Wouldn't call that 'boring' in a million years, not judging by the reaction it gets, on the street. Gotta be truthful, to be honest tho' - It's THE first & ONLY Honda that I've ever owned - (Bought it in 2006) I'm usually (heavily) into Suzuki's & Kawasaki's instead Ahhhhh - That'll be 'The Newer' (i.e,) "Mickey-Mouse" (fake) King George's Hospital then - (known in 'name only') The "Real" (proper) King George V. Hospital was formerly on the Eastern Ave (A.12) for about Ninety Years !!!!!! That "New" abomination (Looks like cheap ramshackle buildings), was built at top-end of Barley Lane** (see foot of page) We even used to have an old Pub up there, Named "The Hawbush" Click Link to see it, as it once was ** Back in the 1960's & 1970's, it used to be the old Lunatic Asylum & they used a Bell 206 'Jet-Ranger' (1970's) Just known locally as "The Nut House" - obv's NOT a politically correct name , but locals called it that, anyhow ! The Maternity Ward (of "The Original") was built from Monies collected from WW.I soldiers, intentionally. The idea being, "To Create Life" (rather than 'to take it') - Was a rip-roaring runaway success. Of course, it was just 1,000+yds from the old Spitfire & Hawker Typhoon airfield, at RAF Fairlop There's The Original "King George V" Hospital - 1912 to 1993 - Here, click link Hornchurch Spitfire Pilot, George Gilroy went there, after Dagenham residents beat him senseless... P.S ; Thanks for the kind comment, re; the bike (Honda 900cc) P.P.S ; By Ramshackle Buildings I meant like this one, HERE - (Latterday 21st Century King George Hospital) As opposed to such quality as this....

Gary, Speaking frankly, as "one Essex Geezer, to another" - (AND M/cyclist with FIVE M/cycles & also has a "crocked-knee") Go EASY on any venture "up into the loft", as it MIGHT be "your last", if things go "Pear Shaped" 😇 GULP - Hahahaaaaaa Mate ; I'd be well inclined to (Ahem), "Leave the F**kers UP THERE" 😋 Better safe, than sorry - (PMSL, again) BTW ; Curiosity ; Are ANY of them the old Tamiya Kawasaki Z.1.R or perchance, the Tamiya Honda CB.900-F ? I absolutely LOVE the 'old classic Japanese sportsbikes' - Here's my very own 1979 (real) Honda CB.900-F = Here IMAG1491 - by Hornchurch_Aerodrome, on Flickr Welcome to the forum BTW ; From one absolute "newb", to another - (P.S = Chadwell Heath lad here !) They got MY knee "fixed" (sorted out), at Hartswood Hospital, in Brentwood - (small world)

Subbuteo - Back in the Day, DID you Play Subbuteo ? Wasn't too sure where to put this & let's face it - They ARE Plastic Figures ! Many folks DO make conversions & re-paints - It used to be rife, back in the day. Airfix AND Humbrol Glues (& Paints) certainly "came to the rescue", fixing-up teams. I got my first set via Mum/Parents - It was circa 1973 My Mother wasn't exactly 'shy' about splashing-out da cash ! So, Hawny here had the "Floodlight Edition" as his 1st-set Just the 'plain-jane' Red & Blue teams (Man.U & Everton ?) They just bored the $hit out of me (both teams, colour-wise. Hawny wanted some SPICE !!!!!! Now around that time, I was heavily into AIRFIX So, AIRFIX 1/32 figures (Soldiers) & painting & colour schemes, etc. Toyshops near me, held mostly sparse stock options.... (Ergo -Gutted !) West Ham (Catalogue No.7) were in abundance, as they were my local team Opposite end of town however, there was a toyshop named "Bulls" Great selection (at long-last !), cycling distance away, too !!!! Prices were (sadly) high, but if you wanted variation, then "stump up" Owner was NOT happy "if" you lifted the lid, for a better look After about 3-4 visits, I kept getting "the glare" & asked "why" ? "We've had stuff stolen - Not saying it's YOU, but we're wary of anyone" I told him the truth, that I WAS "well bought up" & NOT into theivery (not my style) After buying a few sets (different colours), he got to trust me & happy for me to open... Run up to 1974 FA-Cup-Final, I wanted to get (& liked) BOTH teams.... Liverpool vs Newcastle ; Steve Heighway WAS my favourite player (Big MAC, opposition) Gutted to find that ALL the New'cy teams had AWFUL dreadful "wonky stripes" Hawny's imagination didn't stretch across to "windy day, shirts rippling, accordingly" Nope - All I saw, was "wonky stripe" & duff painting (poor women !), so I bypassed Tyneside Liverpool team(s) ALL looked "spot-on" & even the White (rounded) collars, well-executed = SOLD !!!! By now, I had at least TWELVE teams in all & interesting selections too, ALL English Clubs, "1st Division" But the "Munich '74" set came out & of course, I just HAD to have it - Loved the "Goal-Nets" (superb !) They were proper 'hanging nets", so, not 'richochets or rebounds' off the lower-bar (too fast, visually to confirm) Instead, the ball WOULD go in & absorb the vast majority of powerful shots, causing less arguing !!!! I really, really wanted Holland (Netherlands) to win the 1974 'World Cup', but as we all know, the Germans nabbed it But, even before THAT Tournament had started, I felt a STRONG hankering for some Continental teams.... Didn't have to be flash - Nor successful teams - Just colours that I really, really liked & fawned-over. Being 'Hardcore' on Subbuteo by 1974, I asked my Mother to do the 'Postal Order' thing - (Mail Order) This simply meant that I (aka 'Hawny'), could finally obtain teams, the like of which I'd NEVER even seen in the shops... Nor, being somtimes or often "obscuro" teams from Belgium & Holland/Germany/France, that you'd NEVER see "in stock" Thus : "Harlem" (87), "Wuppertal" (121), "Anderlecht" (55, Mauve), "Ostend" (64), "Nantes" (142) were obtained. Hawny was "like a dog with TWO dicks" & could now stage "U.E.F.A" games amongst mates - (They loved it !!!) By pure luck, chronological-timing & fate, ALL of Hawny's teams WERE the "Classic Heavyweight" type, bar none ! They (it seems) have HUGE re-sale value thesedays, tho' to be fair, I'd NEVER part with them... (too much nostalgia value) I'd usually make a 'beeline' for the British/English "Away Teams" - Again, colour dictated it all & of course, variation. Coventry City in Dark-Green//Black-Stripes & the same Red/Black Man City equivalent, too - (as examples) Bizarrely, I only EVER seem to remember having ONE proper green "Baize Pitch", which I kept in excellent condition God forbid//Woe betide anyone who'd bring coffee, or worse yet, a "full sugar" tin of Coke near it ("Away From Thee, Satan") Happy memories of (what was, pre-internet & P.C.), a most FABULOUS game & with hindsight, "most collectable" in tow... Anyone else on here 'resonate' with what I'm saying/have said, in regard to "Subbuteo" ????? (Esp' in it's "Heyday", 1970's) P.S = An utterly SUPERB page - HERE - (Peter Upton's), on the "Classic Heavyweights" SUBBUTEO website SUBBUTEO  "Classic Heavyweight"  Page  -  Player Figures P.P.S ; I forgot to say ; Most teams (of mine) were in that 'painted White plastic' (heavy-duty).... Whereas, I did notice that the later 'Classic Heavyweights' were molded in 'Flesh' tone & painted thereafter** ** As opposed to the original WHITE 'Classic Heavyweights' having 'flesh coloured' (Airfix M.7 ?) type paint.

Cheers for that Dave - Many Thanks !!!! Nah - Definitely NOT the Amiens mission / raid = Here's "why" Now I haven't seen the Amiens footage for many, many years....... BUT Even with MY savage "Beer addled memory", I've seen it enough times (in the past), to know...... To both the SOUTH & the outlying EAST = (when raid took place), there was an absolute $hitload of wide-open expanse (Ground) You see it, flagrantly, on the footage & it's (quite literally) just a wide open expanse of fields, outlaying to TWO aspects. Look a the image that I've shown of the OLD (vague) series.2 Mosquito released when God was in nappies. Buildings, buildings, buildings & more buildings. I've NO DOUBT, that TODAY, in 2022 (& beyond) that Amiens is heavily built-up, like it WASN'T waaay back in 1942/1943/1944 Even the Norm' Christie (Canadian narrator) documentary show it "today" (well, alright, 15-20 yrs ago), as built-up = i.e, "Modern" But in the 1940's THAT footage shown (Pathe News ? Sorry, I can't remember it's latterday source), shows "open fields" on TWO aspects. Hence as to "why" I'd say that Amiens is not remotely close, on THIS occasion. Maybe it's just a "Generic assemblage" of the artist's impression of BOTH ? POST EDIT - Despite I ain't seen it in years & years - I've just gone in (POST EDIT) & dredged-up THIS Take note (Folks), of the severe "lack" of buildings, in the outlaying "General vicinity" - Hence what I'd mentioned, in my post. Click the intended link, below. 07:15 to 07:19 image explains it best, showing nearly all 'open' snow covered fields Amiens Raid  -  You Tube  - explanation (etc)

Hi Finn, In addition (to what Crim'River asked - What is it's title in regular English please ? I ask, purely to look at 'IMDB' website (entry, "if" there is one?) and also "if" a DVD is likely (in English, or, with subtitles) This would intrigue a lot of folk, in the English speaking world, yet am not sure where it's released ? Also, this.... I could well be wrong here, but.... As a kid (back in the 1960's, my VERY FIRST ever kit, was the series.2 "AIRFIX" de-Havilland Mosquito It was the (fairly crappy) old original, which I guess was tooled (molded) around 1959 ? As opposed to the much later, circa 1973 multi-version (series.3), which had the "Molins 57mm" as it's box-art (Anti-Shipping) So, wasn't that "old original" AIRFIX kit (series.2) box-artwork, meant to represent THIS actual raid ? I always thought it was - (but of course, I may be wrong) Again, scrolling down the (interesting) You Tube trailer comments, I couldn't help noting this.... Christian Heckmann Engelbrecht - 2 months ago (edited) Okay. [Spoiler alert] "As seen in this trailer, there is a scene in the beginning with an RAF bomber mistakenly shooting at a taxi in Jutland full of happy bridesmaids going to a wedding, killing them. A boy becoming a lead character witnesses this and is traumatized, after which he is sent to a school in Copenhagen, which then later in the film is mistakenly bombed during RAF's Operation Carthage against Shellhuset, Gestapo's Copenhagen headquarters. Such a mistaken shooting of a civilian vehicle in Denmark seems to be based in history, such a thing did happen in Jutland during the war. However, what Bornedal decided with his drama is to name the pilot shooting at the taxi, putting the historical Mosquito flyer Peter Kleboe inside that plane. That is a very troublesome choice, 'cause Peter Kleboe later died in action when he crashed his Mosquito bomber during Operation Carthage, going down next to the school in question, and the smoke from his wreck caused about a dozen other bombers to mistakenly bomb this school, collaterally killing scores of teachers and children. Showing poor Kleboe as some kind of war criminal at the beginning has no basis in history at all, Bornedal made this up for whatever dramatic reasoning. But it immediately angered historians and not least Kleboe's surviving family. Based on that criticism, the studio (don't know if Bornedal is involved or not) has chosen to reedit the film after its Danish premiere to remove Kleboe from the opening scene. I imagine it's just an anonymous RAF pilot making the mistake now. For all I have read about that raid and the second world war, it really is a dick move to mispresent Kleboe like this just for drama. Sometimes them movie makers stare way too much into their ivory walls, forgetting their responsibilities and who they make films for". (unquote) All pretty powerful stuff - I wonder "if" that AIRFIX series.2 "box-art" WAS meant to be this portrayal - (Raid, not Kleboe) Figured that it might be (even at my early young age, back then, as I'd heard of it, in books) Also, as the plane depicted (box-art, with it's crappy 1960's "Transfers"), was coded "EG-T", a 487 Sqdn machine Obviously THEY (487 Sqdn) took part in this raid, presumably part of the later "wave/waves" ? Anyways - Tragedy asides, it looks brilliantly done & seems to be one of the better "C.G.I" a/c films. I'll be happy to see it (for myself), in Danish (original), but would reach a wider audience w/English subtitles too. Lastly, one of the You Tube commentators claims this WILL be 'out on Netflix' (?) I'm too old hat to fathom out it's platform, hence any IMDB link, would be appreciated.

A mild co-incidence for me, as only last-night we drove past the 392nd's "main runway" - (on the way back from the Pub 😋 In fact, we drove past it TWICE - once outbound & seven hours later, homeward-bound, in the pitch dark (Wendling) (I even stopped for a 'Lag' outside Honeypot-Wood, the 392nd's "bomb dump" area - No, I wasn't driving, just emptying out about six-pints !) On the Western side, it led (leads) out to the A.47 But when I'm driving, I like to use the 'Honeypot-Wood' side, as the bridge AVOIDS the dreaded A.47 - (To go Scarning, thence Dereham) Have always taken an interest in the 392nd's B.24s - (see below) Major reason is = Same unit as THE original "Roy Cross" box-art from the 1965-1972 vintage AIRFIX Liberator - (that I built several of circa 1971) Classic box-art (if ever) - I even bought one of these (circa 1998, "mint"), purely for nostalgia reasons, as a keepsake, BTW ; Back in 1971, the I.W.M (at Lambeth), had a display-case which actually replicated this exact same AIRFIX B.24 Liberator "box-art" The guy who did it, used at least FIVE of the old AIRFIX kit(s) seen above, plus a 'climbing 109' - (Prob' the old "Bag & Staples" Airfix 109-G6) The B.24 display-case was there in 1971-1975 (near the He.162 & Swordfish), but sadly wasn't there on my March 1981 visit. Back to the paint - I see it as nothing more 'sinister' than a (much) later "re-application" of "Olive Drab" of a (completely) different batch !!!!! It's B&W photography folks.... & despite the sharp 77 y/o photo', you'd expect different applications to render (sometimes) vastly different 'outlook' on a B/W image I'd (honestly) say "nothing to get excited about" & "as you were" with regard to it NOT being 'Black paint', as it might otherwise appear.

Hi Sprue.C / Chris. Thanks for the warm welcome, along with the other fine lads on here, doing the same - Cheers, it's appreciated. We used to go to the 'North Weald - Fighter Meet' each year, plus Biggin Hill & Mildenhall & the like.... His idea was (just for laughs) "smuggle" one of us in, each year, at North Weald, in the boot of his large motor. We'd each take turns, year after year - Just one of us "scrunched-up" in the boot (trunk) area (I did it twice) Then he got a 24v Cosworth Scorpio & it was HIS particular turn, that year. As the queues took absolutely AGES, he got fidgety & asked "can I get out yet" & "what's the hold-up" ? Yakking (blind) whilst we were at the ticket-area (from the boot) was never gonna be a 'good idea' As I was driving, I switched-on the stereo, just to drown out his inquisitive calls - (car at crawling pace, by ticket stand) Unbeknownst to me, the radio, hitherto switched-off, had been previously set at a very loud level !!!!! So, NOT being my car, I just hit the "on" button (to drown him out from the ticket guy, now leaning on the drivers door) "Is that someone in the back of your car ?" - We responded "Nah, that's just the radio on, at low volume" - (It wasn't, as it was OFF) So when I actually DID hit the stereo's "on" button, the damn thing immediately started "booming out loud", like a night club in Ibiza at 2am Carmel was SO spooked & startled by the "instant deafness", that he accidentally & inadvertently, hit some sharp point, in the boot area By chance, the "impact point" was slap-bang in the middle of Carmel's forehead (!), thereafter giving him a Red-Dot, like a Hindu marking !!! For the next 45mins (larking about), the other three of us started calling him "Mr.Patel" - (purely banter, of course) Hit the "trade stands" for about 90-mins/2hrs, then, settle down to the (fine) airshow - Miss those days at North Weald "Fighter Meet", hugely Back then, a wide variety of aircraft AND also a wide-variety (tremendous), of differing venues - Not a patch in comparison with thesedays. We bought his "Eismeer over Herdla" (Fw.190 / Norway) print at one of those Mildenhall shows (I think it was 1996 ?) Anyways, "if" ya see him again, give him my best regards.

Hi Don, et-al. = Stunned at the 'Lord Haw Haw' bit. Man, that makes you old enough to be my Grandad 🤗 Cheers to ALL you guys, one & all I'd hoped to answer 'em all, individually - Nice to know many ARE my similar-age With that, I then read Don's comment - Above ! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Wanted to thank... adey.M > Dnl42 > John.T > Don149 > TroySmith > PZR.GREN > bootneck(Mike) > 12jaguar > Steve86 > TonyW & CorsairFox4 - (& hopefully any others I've missed?) For the especially warm welcome from you guys, to me, as a "newb" here - Cheers ! (it's much appreciated, too) As a "newb", I'd like to respond to your posts, especially the Short Stirling ones (Laughs !) It's not that I wanna "hang it out" (this intro' thread) Just me being polite in answering (methinks) So, please forgive me "if" I'm answering your welcome posts, one at a time (or so) Makes it rather easier, as a reply (from me), to all your welcome comments & stuff. Thanks once again, "Hawny".

As the other two lads (here in the thread, above me) have said, it went 'stateside' Yeah, Kermit Weeks bought it "at auction" It went for £85,000 (back then), but it also had a 'cracked-wing'spar' I did see a You Tube video (fairly recent), around 2016 of it in his hangar(s) It had been painted in some stange looking Olive Green primer (seemingly so) I couldn't help thinking - It's like his Short Sunderland - (Ex Edward Hulton) In other words, "there" but it'll sit "there" forever & a day - (The 'jaded-cynic' in me !) I took an interest in LA607 as a teenager, because it was still at Duxford (then) Every time I went (around 1979/early 1980), it was parked next to "Big Beautiful Doll" (P.51) No-one knew at the time that "it" (LA607) was going up for sale, nor 'stateside' It's like, you turn-up (Dux') & expect it to (still) be there, naturally ! Glad I took some pix of it, when "she" was still resident, back then. It was (formerly) painted-up, in an R.A.F.G scheme, with the White (lip) cowling. Still view it as a big loss (for the U.K), but of course, money-talks (sadly) Same went for the Strathallan Mosquito

I was devastated (as a kid), when FROG folded, back in 1976 Last kit I built (during my childhood-spell), was the FROG Macchi Mc.202 Folgore (1976, too) IIRC, the Novo acquisitions were to 'shun' the Nazi a/c (With WW.II being fairly-recent back then & no-wish for the Soviets to sell their effigies ?) I did pick up the Novo "Martin Baltimore" & "Airspeed Oxford" for my 2nd kit-spell I also remember the Novo Javelin being a bit rough in White-plastic. But that was like a Rolls-Royce, compared to that Russian (made) Whitley I bought ! Now my question is.... (you said...), "Revell got the German subject kit moulds/molds" So, WHO ended-up with the former FROG Dornier Do.17-Z, in 1/72 scale ? FROG's distribution was fairly poor (where I lived) & AIRFIX clearly held sway. As FROG folded in '76, I never got to even see the FROG Do17-Z, until 1986 They had one in 'Mil-Slides' in Croydon, which I saw (2nd-hand) for the first time Also (& forgive me asking), but - Who ended up with the Lesney Fairey Seafox ? After it left Matchbox, I "lost trace" - (kids/mortgage/M/cycles !) Am I wrong in assuming both of those got "Hoovered-up" by Revell ? If so, was the (Ex-FROG), Dornier Do.17 "tidied-up" by Revell, perchance ?

Hi "12jaguar" (John/St.Neot's) Et-Al, I immediately recognized your call-sign, from the old "Flypast Forum" (seemingly now, "in slumber mode" !) I've been a member there, since around 2004/2005 & used to post quite often, too. Alas, since the (seemingly catastrophic 'meltdown') it's crawled to a dead-near halt. "Dead Snail in Molasses, Encased in Concrete" would indicate the latterday pace there (sighs) Complete contrast here, as this forum seems to be thriving well & strong membership. I do have some (a few) questions John, as to the RAF's "stash" of Stirling parts. What happened to that "smashed" tail section they have / or / had in store ? From memory (don't quote me here), I believe it was 'LK.712' ? It's late & I can't be ar$ed to check the serial just now, but I believe it's correct (?) Also, by chance.... (whilst I'm asking) What happened to that large chunk of rear-fuselage in Vraux, in France ? Do they still have it & is it still on Public display ? (I may be getting 'LK.712' muddled-up ?) I'll type out a separate post for the other lads, who've been most kind with my welcome ! Cheers.

' Hi Folks. Figured I'd best introduce myself, after arriving here. Started building my first AIRFIX kits around a full-year before the Beatles released their 1968 "White Album" By the time Jimi Hendrix had passed, I'd built pretty much the full AIRFIX range (all scales) Revell's (H-285) 1/48th B.25 Mitchell was a 1968 release that I bought & built brand new, too I can remember that, as I'd built it before we even got/had our first pet-dog (a beautiful Boxer !) As a kid, couldn't fathom as to "why" my new O/D "Doolittle" B.25 was so vast/huge when compared to my regular fayre kits & "why" THAT newsagent carried weird stock (FROG He.219) Some more embarrasing strong recollections which give away my age... I was building an Airfix Ki-46 Dinah, whilst watching an original transmission of "Peyton Place" Glueing fuselage-halves on the Airfix Short Sunderland, when a young Barry Norman came on BBC, saying "And now we'll show some excerpts from the forthcoming U/A film "Battle of Britain" Down went the Sunderland (on the carpet) & "Help yourself everbody, there's no fighter-escort" was heard, uttered for the very first time (for me) by the late, great Christopher Plummer. Saw the film at the cinema a few months later, twice, on initial release & the queues outside were Biblical ! I gave up building around 1976 (FROG's demise, too) - Girls, Exams, Girls, Guitars, Girls, M/cycles, Girls ! Two kits alone kept my (kit) interest on life-support - Heller dH-Vampire & a 1/32 Revell P.51-B Latter, as my Church nagged me to build a kit "Below £2.50" for the forthcoming Eisteddfod competition Never understood "how" I won 1st-prize with my Essex based"Shangri-La", as a guy had built a superb HMS Victory (large Airfix), complete with rigging & super-paint, yet only came 2nd, which frankly, baffled me, as he'd put a lot of work in. Then, aside from THAT brief blip on the radar, it was back to Girls, Guitars, Girls & M/cycles (& Girls !) but NO kits Casting back a mo'..... By 1971, I'd already built my 2nd Airfix Short Stirling, a plane I was literally obsessed with (then & since) 14-years later (summer 1985) the pretty-wife & I had a fortnight away (2 locations) in Cornwall Then, "Palitoy" had Airfix in their 'death-grip' & the "Buy one get one free" era was in (but I wuz still "off kits") By chance, whilst out riding, we stopped for Diet Coke's & Cornish Ice-creams (both) at some shop or other. Walked in & the place was "wall to wall" with Airfix & this (hitherto) unheard of B.O.G.O.F crazy deal. Guy was triple-scooping Cornish ice, whilst wife groaned "Bloody Airfix $hit", with me, cast back in mists of time Alpha in me kicked-in & asked - "Do you by ANY chance have the series.7 Short Stirling ?" "It's on the shelves somewhere" - "No it's NOT, I've looked twice already", followed by him saying.... "Hang on, I'll go upstairs & check the stockroom" (which, given 100-kits on sale downstairs, gave hope) "Yes. Here it is. Last one in stock" - "Great, I'll have it" - "Erm NO, YOU WON'T" (with me saying "Why not ?") "No. You have to buy one first, off the shelves - I can't let you have it, unless you buy one. That's the deal" Exasperated to the max (with both him & 'Palitoy's rules), I got rattled & said.... "Listen Guy !" "I've got a Kawasaki Z.1000 outside, NO LUGGAGE SPACE & I don't wanna be saddled with dross I don't need" But he, the newsagent/large shopkeeper 'stuck to his Palitoy guideline sheet' (Jobsworth) & was adamant. Losing my rag, I went... "Alright, I'll buy THIS ($hit) but I don't want it AT ALL" - picking-up an RAF 1/44th VC.10 "Now can I have the Short Stirling & you can put THIS unwanted dross (VC.10) back, as I've got no room for it" He burst out laughing (embarrassed) & said, "God, you must want that kit badly". (Like, does a bear soil the woods ?) Nostalgia does funny things to people... We lugged that bloody Stirling kit around for the rest of the fortnight. Awkward, as we did an additional 1,000+ miles To add insult to injury, when we got back (chalet), it had TWO sets of wings & NO tailplanes - (Jeeez = Trun, France !) 1988, started going to the "Southern-Expo" at my namesake, then joined the Hornchurch IPMS for 10-years. Built-up a crazy sized vast kit-collection & kept buying & selling, over the years, upgrading etc Didn't help remotely that the Wife's Dad (a Police officer) had a lovely 'holiday-home' at Pakefield, near Lowestoft Practically "lived" at the Hannant's Trafalgar St warehouse, (before Oulton) & spent a shedload between 1986-1995 there. Attended ALL the IPMS shows (whilst a club-member), plus airshows & touring European battlefields (same Kawasaki, w/mates) Went to many airshows, i.e "Fighter Meet" (North Weald) with Carmel.Z - (some of you will know him from Colindale, Hendon ?) Had kids, moved away - Still had the kids & things went very quiet, as I live in a fairly remote area, now Lurked on here for around 9-10 years - Finally took the plunge & registered on the 30th Dec' - (came thru today, 1st-Jan'22) Mainly been in 'hoarder mode' up till recently, as family members & 1/48th made up kits tend to clash ! Mainly into Bombers & large Transport a/c, but mostly Bombers, with B.26 Marauders & Short Stirlings being my faves. Do have quite a few armour kits - mostly 1990's & 2000's Tamiya 1/35th & a few trucks, too. Lastly - Happy New Year folks ('Hawny') P.S ; Went to "the dark-side" (diecast) from around 2004-2015, but prices (on good stuff) got silly. A few of my elderly kits, ageing just like me ! Hornchurch_Aerodrome, on Flickr Hornchurch_Aerodrome, on Flickr