[1:72 EF-111A ESCI]

What an excellent result from such a classic kit. This is another example of what can be done with old models with a little extra effort. 

Cheers and well modelled.. Dave. 

[Marcel Bloch / Dassault Aviation GB Chat]

3 minutes ago, Enzo the Magnificent said:

 

Blame me.  Everybody else does and - let's face it - it probably is my fault anyway...   

 

Please send your address Enzo and no doubt when the parcel(s) arrive Mrs. RL will be at your doorstep in no time waving some sharp implement! 

[Mirage F1CT]

Another gem in the making Enzo. I’m really tempted to add one of these kits to my growing stash, however also feel it’s a bit of a crime to not attempt (at least) one of the classic Mirage F.1’ kits first. A recent bulk stash donation provided me with a 2% started Airfix F.1, so I’ll consider making that one up some day soon. Unfortunately I doubt it will be during this GB, although I’ll never say never. 

Cheers and watching on with intense interest.. Dave 

[Marcel Bloch / Dassault Aviation GB Chat]

OK… who do I blame for this? 

Whilst finalising some postage details for an earlier order, I stupidly checked what other kits this seller had under the search title ‘Mirage’. Lo and behold, he had a Black Box Heller Mirage 2000C for a great price and as postage remained the same for both kits, added additional funds to cover this second model! These Group Builds do nothing for my stash reduction, although I am making a concerted effort to finish more GB’s and hence more kits this year. Im sure if you ask Mrs RL… I have been a good boy this year! 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

[Les Chevaliers Du Ciel]

Nice start Enzo and although being an active modeller for over 40 years, I’m still learning and trying to be more careful with every build. At times it seems like a slow approach, however getting it right first time does tend to save time with every ‘recovery’ session that seems to occur during most builds. Your Mirage is looking great. 

Cheers.. Dave 

[United Arab Emirates Mirage 5RAD]

Looks like a great idea and thankfully it all aligns itself pretty well. That’s a great exercise in ‘dry fitting’. 
Cheers.. Dave 

[Kinetic 1/48 Mirage 2000C, Armée de l‘Air]

Great start Sam, it’s all looking really nice and precise. I know we down in Australia always complain about high postage costs, however I’ve never had to pay additional import or so-called “handling” fees for any overseas purchase. I can seemingly justify the postage (cause we’re so far away), but don’t think I’d be happy with all that waste of red tape  money! 
 

Glad you got some peace at home and made a start to this kit. It promises to I be a real beauty. 
 

Cheers and best of luck.. Dave 

[Tim's Heller Mirage F1 - complété]

Well done Tim, it was odds on you’d have the first kit in this GB Galley and that F.1 looks just fantastic. I’m glad some classic kits are also being built here which helps us compare how they still stack up with later toolings. 
 

Cheers and well modelled.. Dave 

[1/48 - North American F-51D Mustang (new tool !) by Academy - release in 2023]

Is there any evidence of a South Korean pilot claiming a Mig kill in a F-66A Sabre?? If not, perhaps someone a little more tech savvy than I  could spread some fake news to attract the eyes and ears of Academy. Then we’ll all get something we really want and lacking in all the major scales. 

Cheers.. Dave 

[** FINIE / FINISHED ** Dassault M.D 450 Ouragan - Heller 1/72 (No. 103 ‘Hornet’ Squadron, IDF/AF)]

2 hours ago, Wez said:

Did those decals turn up yet?

 

Not as yet Wez, however mail is awfully slow from the UK to Oz so I suspect they won’t be too much longer. 

Thanks for all the nice comments lads, it sure helps motivate me to get keep plugging away with this excellent little kit. 

Cheers.. Dave 

[Hasegawa 1/72 Fuji T1a. Has returned!]

That’s a shame Steve, I was really looking forward to seeing this kit take shape on here. Hopefully you can source another better example soon enough. 
 

Cheers.. Dave

[Revell 1/72 Mirage 2000C]

57 minutes ago, Hook said:

Heller. The French kit has the better shape, even though it is by now an older tool.  

I appreciate the informative description Andre. I don’t mind old tool kits so if I get tempted by a 2000 I’ll search for that kit. 

Cheers and thanks.. .Dave 

[Revell 1/72 Mirage 2000C]

My Mirage 2000 (real aircraft and kit) knowledge is quite limited so I’ll watch on and see this one take shape. You say this is from Italeri moulds, I’m now wondering what is the best ‘Classic kit’ representation of the 2000 in 1/72 scale? I’ve always dismissed this version for earlier Mirage’s for some reason? 
 

Cheers and best of luck.. Dave 

[** FINIE / FINISHED ** Dassault M.D 450 Ouragan - Heller 1/72 (No. 103 ‘Hornet’ Squadron, IDF/AF)]

On 2/13/2023 at 6:32 AM, Richard Humm said:

Did you remember to put some nose weight inside the intake splitter? There aren't many other places for it.

 

Yes Richard, I managed to cram in some weight inside the intake splitter, the two small slots inside the under nose cannon piece (part 4) as well as wedging more weight in a hole that presented itself underneath the cockpit tub. I’m pretty confident (hope!) she’ll sit right. 

 

The main construction is all done and the fit is quite good for a kit of this vintage. Filler is required at various joints, however nothing more than normal for any kit to be honest. Although the nose gear has a semi boxed in section, I decided to cover a few annoying gaps with thin sections of plastic card and strip. I’m now happier with this small improvement. Next step is to apply the canopy, blend in the windscreen and apply a few coats of primer.

 

Cheers… Dave 

 

 

 

[Tim's Heller Mirage F1 - complété]

That’s looking great Tim and although it’s not the best of fitting models, you’re making great progress getting this one over the line and in the GB gallery.  

Cheers.. Dave 

[Hasegawa 1/72 Beechcraft T-34A Mentor (first release - 1973)]

11 minutes ago, JOCKNEY said:

and you're far too young and good looking to remember 1973,

 

If only Pat… there’s photos out there of Mum dressing me up in some short legged red and white one-zie wearing knee high socks somewhere about that time… thankfully the fashion has changed, but that mat of hair is quickly thinning out! If it wasn’t for this GB I’d probably stay well clear of subjects like this, which is why they are always so much fun to get involved with. Let’s see how we go hey! 

 

Cheers and best of luck with the Hosting duties Pat… Dave 

[Golden oldie Hasegawa Heinkel He-51 Floatplane]

1970 you say Pat?? … that looks as pristine as the year I was born! We all know you love your floaty planes so best of luck with this one mate, should be great. Cheers.. Dave 

[Hasegawa 1/72 Beechcraft T-34A Mentor (first release - 1973)]

So this is my third Group Build entry for 2023, with builds well progressed in both the Salty Dog GB (Fairey Gannet) and Marcel Bloch / Dassault GB (Dassault Ouragan). I’m trying to push my modelling output this year by getting involved in as many Group Builds as possible. There’s a good chance some of them may fall by the wayside, however if I keep slowly plugging away at things I might surprise myself and end up with a new collection of finished kits…. As they often say in this hobby, what could possibly go wrong!
 

So as a nice little Japanese training buddy to @stevej60’s Fuji T-1a, I present Hasegawa’s rather cute little Beechcraft T-34 Mentor. A kit first released in 1973, it’s includes five decal options and a nifty little tow tug. My boxing seems to be from around 1977 and the silvered coloured parts are quite crisp and flash free. One of the Japanese options is painted in all over International Orange which has taken my fancy and be a nice addition to my small collection of colourful cabinet models.

 

Like a number of these classic GB’s, this will do nothing for my stash reduction. There’s no doubt I’ll see a number of great builds I’ve never ever considered, then go on a mad search to try and acquire some!
 

So big cheers and best of luck to all ‘Big in Japan’ contributes.. Dave 

[United Arab Emirates Mirage 5RAD]

Thats some interesting fuselage break-up…. Like what could go wrong there? I’m sure you’ll do a great job of it although I’m really looking forward to when some manufacturer produces a really good, well moulded, reasonably priced 1/72 kit of a Mirage III. The Special Hobby kit looks promising, although I’d buy three times as many if they were half the price - sadly, not going to happen. 

 

Cheers and all the best.. Dave 

[Mirage 5BA BA33 'Blackbird' Belgian Air Force]

Nice subject and great box top, so it’s such a shame to open the kit up to find those warped parts. I’m wondering if you start assembling the fuselage at various points (starting from the tail then moving forwards), if this would help slowly forming this kit into something essentially straight? The underside photo (besides the nose) looks reasonable, but the upper halves do need a bit of work. I don’t have any history cross kitting the Revell and Heller kits, although would think it wouldn’t be that far off. 

 

Cheers and best of luck.. Dave 

[RAAF Mirage III O]

Agree with the others, excellent details offered by this kit and great skills to bring it all out so nicely. Great progress. 
Cheers.. Dave 

[Tamiya Dambuster Lancaster 1:48th]

Great to see this big Lanc being presented within a GB. It’s also a timely reminder that for well over 40 years Tamiya’s  Lancasters were the only 1/48 examples of this famous Bomber going around and still build up quite well despite their age.
 

Having recently visited Scalemates and looked at the various kits that fall into this GB’s criteria, it’s obvious that Japanese kit design and production in the 70’s and 80’s was so far ahead of anything else at the time. Although I grew up in this era, I’m starting to release it more as I get older. This GB should unearth a great range of subjects and this big Lanc is certainly one of them. 
 

Cheers and best of luck.. Dave 

[Arii Mitsubishi Ki-67 Peggy 1/72]

Nice choice Pat and this ‘Peggy’ just adds to the great list of subjects already nominated. I wonder how many ‘Allied Code Names’ we can add during this GB? …. Seems like a good title for a proposed future GB some time later down the track too (unless it’s already been done?).So double points for Japanese kit and colour scheme you say? Interesting! 

Cheers and best of luck.. Dave 

[Paris Air Show Kfir C.2 - Hasegawa 1/72]

That all looks great Luke, I wish you well. 

I'm just getting into a few Israeli builds myself so that overall package looks very tempting. 

Cheers and all the best.. Dave 

[Hasegawa 1/72 Fuji T1a. Has returned!]

Looking forward to this Steve, it’s certainly a great choice for this “All Japan” GB and might even be a good match for my (soon to be unveiled) proposed build. Now doubt, you will probably tempt me to add one of these to my growing stash. 
Cheers and all the best.. Dave