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I didn't manage much modelling in 2021 and both completed models were for other people. They were a 1/48 scale Airfix Spitfire Vb and a 1/72 scale Revell P-47D Thunderbolt in Burma markings ( see below ). Not much, but read on, I haven't been idle!!! Now for the reasons/excuses! I spent January packing up the contents of my house, ready to move house in February. February was spent stripping out all the machines, tools, benches and units from my existing workshop. The house move happened late February. March was spent rebuilding my workshop in the new house, in a room around 20ft square ( bar one corner taken up by another room ). I also made a little photo studio and display area in a cloakroom cupboard. The workshop was first so I had somewhere to make mess while working on the house. April was felling a number of trees to tame the garden and April and May were decorating and re-plumbing the utility rooms, the office and guest room. June was started as decorating my daughter's bedroom, but which ended up being gutted with new ceiling fitted and plastering. July was fitting out shelving and storage in the garage. Some of August was a short holiday. During September and October, I took a break from major work on the house ( though it continued ) to strip down my 1/1 scale Flying Control Dodge Weapon Carrier and repaint it back to standard olive drab finish in order to get it in the garage. I'd hoped that the builders I'd booked would have modified the garage doors by September, but I'm still waiting! November I was back in the house, finishing my daughter's bedroom having got the electrics and plastering finished and also started to add another 8 inches of insulation in the main loft ( 14 x 14 metres ). Then in December, I was back on the Dodge for part 2 of the work, building an A-Frame crane in the rear. That was finished on Christmas morning, after present opening and before in the in-laws arrived. So there you go, a really busy year! I hope those are reasonable excuses for my lack of plastic activity. At least I was still building, even if most of it was at 1/1 scale!!! Now the pictures..... Airfix 1/48 Spitfire Vb Revell 1/72 P-47 Thunderbolt My new workshop, before and after pics. The mini photo studio and display area. The Flying Control Dodge at the new house. As it stood, it was too tall to fit through the garage door. I'd booked some builders to fix that problem and I'm still waiting as of January 2022. The Dodge WC51 stripdown. Stripping off the old paint. First side done. Then the truck was turned around to work on the second side. Quite a bit of welding was needed here and there to patch areas rusted through with new metal. Starting the repaint into olive drab. Painting was completed late October and it was out for the November Remembrance services on the 11th and 14th. Building the crane in the back of the Dodge. The jib winch. Crane head, ready to be welded in place. Ready for painting. A chain hoist is used for the lifting. Finally, complete and out for a photoshoot on December 30th.

Here is the WiP thread... This is the additional kit that comes with the Italeri 1/72nd scale C-119 Flying Boxcar kit, which I built over a year ago and posted in the Aircraft section of BM. For this build I wanted to do something less military so I searched for some good references for surplus firefighting vehicles, the type one might see in forested or mountainous areas. I found plenty. The kit is a fun little number, with fine detail and decent fitting although I did have to fettle and fray a bit here and there. The pump housing, reels, hoses, Indian tank, etc...are all scratch-built. The bucket is from some resin farm gear set I have. The colours are all Vallejo or Vallejo Air and I weathered with oil pin-washing, dry-brushing, and some FloryWash for the tires. The dirt is from the garden is from of my house. All the rest is OOB...or bag, as it were. Many thanks! Now that I am warmed up on vehicles, I'll get into the Rolls armoured car I have been caring around for a few years... --John

I am pretty sure this build thread can live here, if not, please tell me and help me move it. This is the Dodge WC51 kit that is supplied with the Italeri C-119 Flying Boxcar kit in 1/72nd scale. I am sure that this kit, or others like it, have been built before so maybe mine will be a bit different. I would to build mine as a surplus-post-war fire fighting vehicle, similar to those seen in national parks, etc...There is no box art for this, but I did find this nifty photo: Now, wouldn't that be fun? Of course it will mean scratch-building the pumps and hoses and all that stuff, but I think it might make for a neat little vehicle model. Here are some sprue shots. I have already primed it... And some resin additions that might be useful...ok, maybe not the barrels...😁 What say ye? --John