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RAF Houchin 25K VA Ground Power Unit (229732) 1:32 VideoAviation To some modellers the name of this essential piece of aircraft ground-handling kit might still garner a response such as "A what now?", but without these unassuming boxes that contain diesel or petrol engines to generate ground power for aircraft when their engines are off. Technicians and crews couldn't work on the systems without lighting up the engines so that the aircraft could have electrical power, which is expensive and dangerous if you’re not paying attention. Whenever an aircraft was preparing for flight, or engaged in maintenance, there would always be one of these nearby chugging away and generating the power needed to run the systems, plus a lot less pollution than the gas-guzzling jet engines otherwise would. This particular type of unit was used at the height of the Cold War to power the Lightning, Hunter, Phantom, Buccaneer, Harrier, Jaguar and Sea King to name a few, supplying them with 28v DC and 200v AC on two separate connections. It lapsed into obsolescence which the introduction of the Tornado which needed more power for its advanced systems, and the retirement of the older aircraft from the RAF's fleet. There are still some in service with conservation groups that have suitable aircraft in their hangars. The Kit The resin set is already available in 1:72 and 1:48 and now is out for the large-scale modeller. It arrives in a sturdy cardboard box, with the bright yellowy cream-coloured parts in Ziploc bags swaddled in bubble wrap. The instruction sheet also helps keep the parts safe, and details construction in an isometric format. Because this is larger scale, it comes with more detail than its smaller scale predecessors. This set includes seventeen resin parts, eight 3D Printed parts in grey resin, four clear resin parts, a length of flexible black tubing, plus a small sheet of decals with yellow stripes and data plates. The main body is a large hollow part to which you add the top panel with various circular caps, the bottom surface with the pivoting hole and guide arc, plus the radiator on the front of the device. The two axles are made up on palettes and are supported by leaf-springs, the front axle also having a peg on which it pivots. The front axle slots into the hole in the underside, while the rear slides under the back with a bumper/fender on the reverse. A 3D exhaust/muffler is glued into a hole in the underside, and more 3D parts are attached to the back for the towing hitch and filler tube. At the rear the control panel is inserted into a recess and is either enclosed by the two doors if you don’t want to paint the details, or you can leave them open to show off your hard work. The top of the unit is dotted with clear resin parts on the raised circular areas, and 3D lifting eyes are glued into little holes in the corners. The towing A-frame has a 3D tripod support fixed underneath and another 3D hitch on top, after which it is glued into the brackets on the front of the forward axle, with a narrow cable running to it from under the unit, which you’ll have to find from your own supplies. The thick AC/DC cable is made from the flexible hose, adding a 3D plug to the end. Markings The instructions provide a painting guide to the details, and advise you to look at their site for some painting assistance, which gives a choice of yellow, tan or green for the body, depending on whether you are modelling an early or late unit respectively. The decals include four yellow warning stripes, plus a pair of unit numbers for the top of each end. You can see the reference photos by clicking on the link below. Conclusion A great addition to any ground-handling diorama that won't tax your skills to complete, but will add some interest to your work. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi, Having no real clue as to where to put this WiP I decided to put it here as it pertains to Diorama related things, more than say civil vehicles or armour. It can't fly either although the subject is definitely aviation-related. So without further ado: the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) has used quite a variation of GPUs (Ground Power Units) for their aircraft over the years. As I only model aircraft that were operational a very specific era (well one specific year actually - 1983!) the choice was somewhat narrowed but still there's a lot to choose from as even in that one era the French used GPUs of several different sizes, often differing per air base. The Socea GLF-223 was a very common one, used by most Mirage bases. I wanted a couple to put next to my Mirage F1s. Luck (is it though? - see below) would have it: a kit exists for it in 1/72. L'Arsenal of France produces a mixed-media resin and PE kit which I ordered online directly from them. The price, almost twenty euros excluding shipping put me off at first, to me the price seemed rather steep. But after a while, failing to find accurate measurements of the real thing online, I reckoned the resin body would form a nice guideline for further French projects so money was forked and shipment was gotten. It came bagged in a tight-fitting box with photo-copied instructions. First off, I decided to build two and for that I needed to copy the GPU's main body as one l'Arsenal original is expensive enough. Creating parts with resin is still somewhat of a hurdle, so I went for an old-fashioned approach instead and made the part from lime wood and bits of plasticard for side panels. I chose wood mostly because of the opportunities for practice with the medium. Here's a side-by-side comparison of the two parts: and this is the wooden body (already with a coat of Mr Surfacer on it) with the control panel created from leftover PE: Only now did I make an effort to inspect the l'Arsenal kit more closely. And I must say, if the contents of this kit represent their quality standard, this is certainly going to be the last one I'll build. The resin main body is nice enough and the detail is adequately crisp. But that's the only positive. There are a couple of points but I'm especially irked by the incomplete Photo-etch fret. Granted, some parts are 'luxury' items such as ladders to improve your diorama but most parts are essential for the GPU itself. Spot the missing parts! Alas, l'Arsenal gets no recommendation from me. But, we have to move on with the kit: To the rescue then! Till next time. Jay

Houchin 25Kva Ground Power Unit 1:72 & 1:48 VideoAviation To a great many modellers the mentioning of the name of this essential piece of kit might still garner a response such as "A what now?", but without these unassuming boxes providing an aircraft on the ground with power, technicians and crews couldn't work on the systems without lighting up the engines so that the aircraft could have electrical power. Whenever an aircraft was preparing for flight, or engaging in maintenance, there would always be one of these nearby chugging away and generating the power needed to run the systems. This particular unit was used at the height of the Cold War to power the Lightning, Hunter, Phantom, Buccaneer, Harrier, Jaguar and Sea King to name a few, supplying them with 28v DC and 200v AC on two separate connections. It lapsed into obsolescence which the introduction of the Tornado which needed more power for its advanced systems, and retirement of the older aircraft from the RAF's fleet. The resin set is available in both scales, both of which arrive in almost identical clamshell boxes, with the light tan-coloured parts in ziplok bags swaddled in bubble wrap. Under the card insert is the instruction sheet, which details construction in an isometric format. The smaller set forgoes the opening stowage panniers, the small Photo-Etch (PE) sheet, and the hoses that can be stored inside. 1:48 Houchin 25Kva GPU (160948) This set includes sixteen resin parts, a small fret of PE and two gauges of flexible black tubing, plus a small sheet of decals with yellow stripes and data plate. Construction is simple, with the main body attaching to the chassis, and the four wheels on two axles, one of which is fixed, the other on a turntable for towing behind a suitable ground vehicle. The opening lids of the boxes are separate, as are the hubs of the wheels, and the PE is used for door latches, brackets and a towing eye on the rear of the body. The instructions providing painting guide to the details, and advise yellow or green for the body, depending on whether you are modelling an early or late device respectively. 1:72 Houchin 25Kva GPU (161272) Assembling in the same manner as the larger version, this set has only ten resin parts, as the storage panniers are moulded closed, and the hubs moulded into the wheels. At this scale the parts made from PE would have been too small to handle, so these have been moulded-in for ease. The decal sheet and colour call-outs are identical except for their size of course. Conclusion A great addition to any ground-handling diorama that won't tax your skills to complete. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hobart AM32A-86 Generator 1:48 & 1:72 VideoAviation The Hobart Genny was dual voltage generator that was often seen plugged into an aircraft on the ground, running the electronics when the engine or APU wasn't turning to generate its own juice. It could deliver 400hz 115v or 200v AC power from a Detroit diesel power plant, and was introduced in the late 80s, being used by a number of Air Forces. The Kit Available in 1:72 and 1:48, this little kit is as comprehensive as you could wish for. It arrives in a small white card box with an almost full-face sticker on the top containing product details and a picture of the finished item. Under the instruction sheet you will find a ziplok bag of resin parts, the large body part wrapped in foam sheet, and another ziplok bag containing decals, a piece of clear acetate and some black rubber tubing. There are fifteen resin parts on eight pouring blocks in a dense light grey resin, and all parts have sensibly placed attachment points for easy release and minimal clean-up. The main part is the enclosure for the engine, which has a sliver of resin under it that can be sanded off (taking the usual precautions with resin), after which you can add the two fairings that house the wheel wells, and have a shallow upstand around their perimeter for stowage. The axles fit under the main body, locating in pairs of slots with triangular profile, after which you can install the four wheels with their separate hubs, towing pintle, and a (lifting?) eye on the top centre of the body. There are two small control panels set into the side of the body, which have clear covers over their surfaces. The larger panel at the top is covered completely by a small piece of acetate sheet that you will need to cut very carefully to shape, and it also has a small hand-hole for removal, which you can attempt if you are feeling brave. The lower panel has a small hood of clear material, which you should glue to the narrow triangular section that allows the real thing to swing out or slide flush, in the same manner as your cooker hood at home. You will probably want to fix these after painting is complete, and either clear gloss varnish, or G-S Hypo cement would be useful to fix them cleanly. The provided hose should be stowed in one of the sponson trays, with one end plugged into the hole in the little square upstand below the control panels. Markings It seems that most of these units were white green, or grey, but you can be assured that they saw some wear that took a toll on their appearance fairly quickly. The decals provided are printed by Fantasy Printshop, and consist primarily of edge and corner markers to prevent the erks from bumping into them, but there are also helpful pointers such as "Do not forklift" and the designation DG12, plus a pair of small data plates, and of course an emergency shut-down stencil in red. Decals are up to Fantasy Printshop's usual standard, and shouldn't give you any problems. Conclusion The kits are essentially the same in each scale, with the exception of the wheels for the 1:72 option being single parts due to their size, and the eye on the body pre-moulded to the top. They are simple kits, but look very effective when completed, and will give any diorama some additional appeal and realism. Highly recommended. 1:48 1:72 Review sample courtesy of

I don't suppose anyone has any better pictures of the Houchin 690 GPU than can be found on Google images? The 690 is the standard slidy cover towable GPU seen at many airports worldwide. I'm after a good clean shot from side on and from the rear/ front so I can get the angle right. An even better find would be some plans... https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&biw=1024&bih=672&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=Mw5HUpHfBsiM7AaEp4CACg&q=houchin+gpu&oq=houchin+gpu&gs_l=img.3..0.2525.3523.0.4399.6.6.0.0.0.0.128.591.3j3.6.0....0...1c.1.27.img..5.1.103.S4ZqmMCbORw#biv=i%7C5%3Bd%7CNz1W4pRpa3yfyM%3A