spruecutter96

It's tomorrow, folks. Don't get any icicles on your barnacles, though! See ya'll there. Chris.

To the best of my knowledge, traders will include Clive Davis, Models For Sale (Vince), Klassic Kits (Steve Foster), Chris Mitchell Models, (possibly) Mainly Military Models, (possibly) Parabellum Models, Dave (private trader - no idea what his surname is), the Museum's tables and (maybe) a few more. Additionally, there should be some under-the-table stuff in the education-building, next to the main hangar. Take heed of Texan Tomcat's advice, above - the main hangar is usually BITTER cold during this show. See everyone on Sunday. Chris.

Bump 28/11/23.

Hi, Sinnerboy. I would say the reverse is actually true, from where I'm sitting. Trumpeter's early 1/32 kits were pretty poor (the Mig-15 comes to mind here - more a toy than a proper kit). I think their modern 1/32nd aircraft are (generally) pretty good, even if they do need some aftermarket thrown at them, as a rule. Trumpeter is having to fight in a very competitive market, in which quality and accuracy standards are being increased all the time. Yes, even the best of modern Trumpeter have some "issues", but no company's ever produced the "perfect" kit (and I doubt they ever will). One thing I think most folks completely ignore is that Trumpeter have produced some kits that no other model-company would even consider moulding..... and they really are not afraid of producing BIG subjects. Personally, I think we should be more appreciative of what they do, regardless of some of their faults. Other users' experience may be quite different, of course. Chris.

I used to speak to Alan at some of the UK shows. He seemed a very decent fella. I read he had some Internet issues (people trolling, his account was hacked, false rumours, etc) but - as with many things on the Web - I never found out what the truth was. Whatever he's doing now, I wish him every success. Cheers. Chris.

It was a straight run, from entirely unmodified moulds. I've only ever heard about Trumpeter "enhancing" one of their kit-moulds and that was because the American hobby-importers Stevens International told the Chinese company they would not be buying any of that particular kit, unless major corrections were made first. Can't remember what it was.... a 1/32nd Wildcat (possibly)? Good luck, with whatever you decide to build. Chris.

This one is very much a matter of opinion..... I've seen a couple of Trumpy Frightnings at shows and - to my non-expert eye - it looks a lot like the original. I've read that the fuselage needs to be extended by about 1.5 cm and there's a load of smaller inaccuracies. The cockpit certainly could do with the Aires set to make it look busier (my scratch-building skills are not nearly good enough to do a decent job). As a quick-n-easy alternative, you could put an Aires / Quickboost resin bang-seat in the 'pit - I reckon the seat is the cockpit's main point of focus, as the instrument-panel is often hard to see. I think it's a decent kit, all things considered, but the Trumpeter design-team should have taken more care on it. I guess that when you're producing dozens of big aircraft kits, the overall accuracy of one airframe probably takes a back seat, compared to getting the products designed and out-to-market. I will now ready myself for a deluge of "Are you out of your mind?" comments.... Chris. PS: The Echelon Lightning has a MUCH better reputation for accuracy than the Trumpeter, but it's a vac-form, like gold hen's teeth and been out-of-production for decades. They do come up on E-Bay every now and then, but the prices are a tad "inflated".

Two more days to go, folks. See you on Sunday. Bump 24/11/23.

Hi, Barzin. That is an excellent Phantom! Thanks for sharing her with us. Cheers. Chris.

That's a very interesting statement. I'm guessing that you would disapprove of cutaway diagrams of the latest weapons (often freely-available and in the public domain), too? Also, I'd have guessed that the chances of an engineering/recovery vehicle having top-secret equipment mounted on its exterior were fairly low. Cheers. Chris.

If you like series with believable, very fallible characters, which continually goes in VERY weird tangents and confounds your expectations.... watch Barry. One of the best series I've watched this year. Chris. PS: Yes, it does stretch credibility in places, but it's more than entertaining enough for me to forgive it this sin....

Saw Rush a couple of times. Three people, making more noise than a lot of bands with twice their membership. You are missed, guys. Neil Peart, RIP. Chris.

Is the production version likely to be very different from the test-molding? I would have thought not. Maybe some small corrections, here and there? Cheers. Chris.

..... Or a "Wart-Mech"? Chris.

Hi, Natter. As said, no criticism intended here. I think the scene works very well and I admire the work you've put in. I also appreciate that having everything "non-parallel" would need a much bigger base and I can understand the desire to keep things small. I think the issue with the wheel has been created by what appears to be a small shadow, underneath the tyre. As you say, sanding down a tyre of this type is no easy task. Thanks for sharing with us. Chris.

Loving this diorama! Very nice stuff. A couple of friendly observations, though (NOT criticisms!): The nearest front wheel of the APC looks like its not really touching the road - something of an optical-illusion? It's a good thing to have all the major elements in your diorama not running parallel to the diorama-base. This adds visual interest to your scene. Having said that, I think it's a great little diorama. Cheers. Chris. PS: "Me no get-to-know Soul Bruvva!" I've kept this quote family-friendly, as the original line would give some folks the vapours..... PPS: If you look at the vehicles driving around the background, small-roundabout in the original FMJ scene, you quickly twig that the majority are the same ones, simply going around the roundabout repeatedly. And this was from Kubrick, who - legend has it - sometimes demanded over 150 takes of the same shot, until he had that magic "something" in the can.

Hi, Ian. Thanks for providing this set of images. The museum looks very worth a visit. Cheers. Chris. PS: What's going on with the skids on the OH-6A Cayuse, hanging from the ceiling? Is the weight of the chopper causing them to slowly fold upwards, by any chance? They don't look right....

Hi, Let's just say that it is not unusual for aftermarket parts to be copies of the kit parts. This is not isolated to just Quickboost / Aires - I've seen it from several manufacturers. I have bought A/M parts that were less detailed than the original parts. On the flip-side, I've also bought A/M that were superbly produced and a massive upgrade on the styrene bits provided in the box. Hope this of some help to you. Chris.

Bump 20/11/23.

See everyone on Sunday! There be bargains in them there hills... Bump 20/11/23.

With the amazing DACO F-104 book still being available, an HMH book might not be a sure-fire seller. Having said that, the DACO covers European Starfighters only. So, an American-versions book might be a much better idea. Cheers. Chris.

For some unknown reason, the museum's website is often not updated until 10 days or so before their events. The show is definitely happening - I spoke to Diane (the museum's manager) about it maybe two weeks ago. See everyone on the day! Chris. PS: Traders will include Klassic Kits (Steve Foster), Models for Sale (Vince), Chris Mitchell Models, (possibly) Parabellum Models and several others.

I had a quick look around the Eduard stand and saw no prices on any of their stock. What an amateurish way of doing things! Of course, there may have been some prices, somewhere, but nothing that caught my eye in the two minutes I was there. This REALLY doesn't encourage sales... i just walked away and didn't return. Chris.

Bump 13/11/23.

Bump 13/11/23.