Rob de Bie

Justin, the old Esci kit contains the long 335 gallon pylon tanks, and the Italeri kit contains the original short 275-gallon tanks. The former had a 28" cilindrical section added, at the panel line at the leading edge of the pylon. I found a set in the Italeri reissue. Note the slightly larger diameter of the Italeri tank. Rob

CharlieGolf2009, thanks for the compliments! I had to think a bit why it is dormant, and it's the canopy, the area behind the cockpit bulkhead. I have a resin part that I do not understand, whether it's the part that moves up and down with the canopy, or the area belong that. I will make a photo during the next shoot, so I can make a posting about the subject,. Rob

I assume you're talking about the lower picture? Yes, I too thought it looked like a fuel connection to that 'speed bump'. But the hose extending from the box looks like a compressed air hose, with the nozzle that you see on 'Mule' deck tractors. Fuel hoses on bowsers don't look like that. Rob

Here's my next contribution for the near-endless discussion on that darned windscreen. I made a paper copy of the TamTech windscreen, and sanded down the forward A-pillars paper-thin to see how it fits, and I was pleasantly surprised. It looked almost exactly like the photos of the real thing, with a suggestion of double-curved top corners. I photographed the bodies one more time, and made measurements to show the main differences. The measurements suggest the Modeler's kit is slightly smaller than the TamTech body - it could be resin shrinkage. Rob

I've got an eternal Work In Progress of the Esci D on my website, that also discusses the differences with the Italeri kit: https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/f100.htm I think the Esci D is an excellent model. The Italeri repop has an extra non-existing canopy frame, otherwise it's as good I believe. Rob

I just checked the contents of the Modeler's kit, specifically the clear parts. They cover the whole cockpit area, with *very* light engraved lines. So it does exist, that near perfect cockpit replacement for the Protar kit.. But it would make a 250$ kit incomplete.. Rob

I have that one too, and yes, paid through the nose.. A quick comparison shows: 1. the cockpit area, from the panel line behind the front wheel up to the panel line ahead of the engine cover, looks like a copy of the TamTech body, with open windows of course, and some refined details 2. the wheelbase, as indicated by small notches in the body, is 111 mm, correct AFAIK 3. the nose is a lot shorter, but it's the double headlight LM nose, so that's no fair comparison 4. the rear fenders have the same length, but the bodywork between the fenders is shorter 5. the front and rear wheel openings are smaller, the former some 4 mm, the latter some 3 mm However: I 'm not sure Modeler's did perfect research. Plus it's a resin / white metal kit, that could show shrinkage. Hence I would not consider this a reliable reference.. I'll try to make side and top view photos so we can compare all three kits. But that will probably will have to wait a few days. Rob

Last year I obtained the 1/72 version of Verlinden's 'NAS flight line equipment'. Here are the contents. I would like to know that the units A, B and K are. Here's unit 'B' in real life. I assume it delivers compressed air for engine starting and 3-phase AC to support the batteries during engine starting. The air hose looks like that used on deck tractors, and there's a large wheel to open the air valve. There's also a 'post box' with a slot in the middle, of which I don't know the function. I cannot find this unit's designation or any non-modeling information about it. Anyone here that knows more? Here's unit 'K' in real life. It's a mobile unit, fitted with wheels J, and I think it only delivers compressed air, usually from an above ground air line under a 'speed bump' fairing (part L). Just maybe it also delivers AC, there are some black cables to be seen; but maybe this is grounding? Again, I cannot find this unit's designation or any non-modeling information about it. Anyone here that knows more? I didn't find photos of unit 'A' in real life, but maybe someone knows it? Thanks in advance! Rob

Yes, the TamTech body is not a regular detailed scale model.. I just finished doing some measurements, to see whether I could transplant the complete TamTech cockpit area to the Protar model. Or a vacformed copy. It looks doable. But I will probably try making a vacformed copy of the windscreen first. Rob

I agree the TamTech body doesn't fit nicely on the TamTech chassis. But that's no proof that the body (wheelbase) is of the correct length! All internet sources say the wheelbase 2665 mm, or 111 mm in 1/24 scale. I measure 110.3 on my Protar model. I don't have a TamTech chassis to measure its wheelbase. The Protar body has a horrible windshield, very thick body mouldings and simplistic details. But for the rest it seems correct to me. I do get the impression that Protar had access to the real thing when they developed the model. Rob

That looks fantastic!! Really beautiful, with realistic poses and all. Years back, I tried fitting an SBS A-37 resin cockpit, but it made the cockpit way too shallow. And the seats were way too short for my pilot figures, from the Hasegawa 'Pilot / ground crew set'. Cutting out the floor would help, but I never got around doing that. Rob

Dawsonsauce, great work! I've been working on a conversion too, with new exhausts and a flatter belly, but got stalled on the inlets. I've learned to do reasonable 3D CAD, but that sculpted inlet you designed in Blender is way past my capabilities. Could I buy or trade the STL file from you? Rob

Andreas, that's very interesting information! Do you possibly know how Tamiya modified the body shape to make it fit on their standard 116 mm wheelbase chassis? The LC2 should have a 111 mm wheelbase if my information is correct. Here's what I wrote on my LC2 webpage: "Tamiya TamTech Lancia LC2, sold as an complete 1/24 scale RC model, and as a separate spare body. The body is a one-piece clear (lightly tinted) injection moulded piece. The body represents the later, widened style from 1985 and later. One possible problem with this model that the its RC racing chassis was shared by all TamTech cars (Porsche 962, LC2, BMW GTP, Mustang Probe GTP, Testarossa, Porsche 961). Therefore all TamTech models have a 116 mm wheelbase, with 70 mm and 67 mm threads at the front and rear respectively. 116 mm in 1/24 translates to 2784 mm, but the LC2 had a wheelbase of 2665 mm (listed by most internet pages), and that makes 111 mm in 1/24 scale. These extra 5 mm are distributed roughly evenly front and rear, if I line up the Protar and Tamiya bodies with their door position on the sides. That's a bit arbitrary of course, but it's the best reference available for the center section of the car. The front wheel opening appears excessively big, but that's partly caused by the lack of a 'rear wall' of the wheel opening. Still the front edge is 3 mm further forward compared to the Protar. The whole nose section could be too long, but it's difficult to verify. The TamTech 2784 mm wheelbase was probably determined by the first model in the series, the Porsche 962 which has a 2770 mm wheelbase." https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/lc2.htm Rob

Here's how I sculpted mine a few years ago, in 1/72. The sensor is a bit different than the Canadian one. Rob

Theo, I have a build report and a picture of the nose modification on my website: https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/etendard.htm Rob

The real thing resides at a university if I'm not mistaken, so you probably can take a look yourself.. Rob

I just took a look at the Lindberg Komet. It doesn't look too bad, but indeed, with solid rear view windows. It's a bit overscale compared to the real dimensions. And of course rivets everywhere, including the wooden wing 🙂 Unfortunately, Lingen is ~250 kilometers away for me, far exceeding my travel time tolerance for a model show. Interesting to hear that Frog was equally unknown to you. A bit of thread drift: I'm building my first ever Frog model now, their Beaufighter with the 'Spin-a-Prop' feature. It's a nostalgia build, as much straight out of the box as I can. The 'Spin-a-Prop' motors are fun: no switch, you have to 'prop' them to start 🙂 However, the installation engineering was not very well done. The motor's axle is offset because there's only one magnet. But Frog didn't account for that, and that puts the axle too high. I moved the motors down, and the axles are now perfectly centered. Rob

Thanks for the extensive analysis! Now I can only hope that my Lindberg memory wasn't wrong. Just as an alternative, I had never ever seen a Frog model in my early scale modelling, they weren't sold in my part of the Netherlands, so to me they were as obscure as a Lindberg model. The only Lindberg model I have is their Me-163 Komet. It was a gift, I don't think I would have bought it myself 🙂 I'll run upstairs and retrieve it from storage in a minute. Rob

I guess I borrowed the book around 1988-1990, but from memory the book was older, it had a seventies / early eighties feel, meaning there was no photo-etch or resin to be seen. It tried the title you mention, but it's not in the catalog. However I realised I hadn't tried Dutch words, like 'modelbouw' (model building) and that yielded ~20 more titles! Mostly RC, but I will get these two books the next time: Handboek modelbouw - Albert Jackson, David Day, B Terlaak, Ado Ladiges (probably a translation of 'The Modelmakers Handbook') Handboek plastic modelbouw - Roger Chesneau, B Terlaak, Ado Ladiges (probably a translation of 'Scale models in plastic') Rob

Unfortunately no, it was 30+ years ago. The only strong memory is a detailed build of a German late-war type, using a Lindberg model. It's mostly nostalgia that drives me to find it 🙂 Rob

I went to the library today, and browsed through 'Flugzeug-Modelle aus eigener Hand' front to back. But It's not the book I remember, it does not contain that detailed build article on the Lindberg kit that I remember. Maybe it was an English-language book after all? The Modell Magazin 1985 and 1986 volumes were very car-oriented as you predicted. I have 1 or 2 copies myself, and they had in-depth Luftwaffe articles, so that's what I expected - but nope. Rob

Yes, I remember Manfred Leise from Modell Fan too, I can even remember his name was always followed by 'Dillingen / Saar' 🙂 I checked the catalog for 'Das gute Modell' but they don't have it. The Delft library is well stocked, apart from 'Modell-Magazin' they also had 'Kit' (volumes 1984-1996). But from memory 'Kit' was a bit more 'light' in content and never contained any research. The few issues of 'Modell-Magazin' that I've seen were very good with research and letters from readers with more research. But all in black & white, no colour to be seen except the cover. Rob

The good news is that the 'helpdesk effect' may have occured; by asking the question, you find the answer yourself. Considering that the Lindberg model was of a German aircraft, I started searching with German words in the library catalog. And with the rather generic word 'Flugzeug' (aircraft), I found 'Flugzeug-Modelle aus eigener Hand' by M Leihse from 1975. That could be it! Maybe you know this book? I'm getting it in the next few days. I also found they have ~10 volumes of 'Modell-Magazin', and I requested two volumes from storage. Rob

That sounds like a classic method, with a 'J' shaped feed channel and several air vent channels, in a two-part mould. I can recommend this YouTube channel for that: https://www.youtube.com/@RobertTolone/videos Rob

Way back (30+ years ago) I borrowed a modeling book from the university library, and I would like to read it again. I searched the catalog with every title I could think of, but to no avail. The only solid memory of the contents is that in one of the chapters the writer wanted to build a Luftwaffe aircraft, maybe Me 262 or Arado 234, and selected the Lindberg model as the best option. Since I had never seen a Lindberg model here (the Netherlands) that surprised me, and that memory stuck. I know it isn't much, but does anyone know which book this is? Rob