Search the Community

I guess that its time to draw the curtain on 2016 although I may just squeeze another one in before Christmas. A better year than last, numbers are down (14), but I think that quality is back on the up after my bout of illness last year. This year's incidental theme was colour. Orange in particular (i've got my money's worth out of that pot), but yellow made its mark too. As usual, all are brush painted in enamels and all bar one (the Airbus) are 1/72 scale: The year started with a colourful Dutch Coastguard patrol aircraft using the Revell Dornier/RUAG/HAL Do-228, with various scratch built add on bits : Then the first in a set of early RN helicopters, in this case the Matchbox Wessex scratch converted to a HAS.1, with Xtradecal markings. Fold em baby...: Followed by a very colourful Abbottsinch-based BP Sea Balliol, using the Special Hobby kit. Groooovy babe: Then as a follow on from the Wessex, a Hobby Boss-based Sikorsky S-58 used by Westlands to develop the worlds first production gas-turbine powered helicopter: Then I got a buzz from building a very fiddly Lossiemouth based Westland Dragonfly based on the Mach 2 kit with some old Britavia decals: Rather more effort than I expected was needed for this Antarctic Westland Whirlwind HAR.1, based on the Italeri kit and some scratch and Rotorcraft decals. However it was the easiest blade fold of them all: A quick break for an Airfix Tiger Moth in RN colours. Almost as fiddly as the Dragonfly: Then a quick change of plan to build a flaps down, wheels up tribute build of a FROG Vampire as a rubber deck Sea Vampire, following the death of Scotsman Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown RN, surely the most accomplished aviator in history. Ever: Then inspired by the Polish Air Force displays at RIAT, an Italeri MiG 29 with BoB commemorative markings: Something completely different; the Millenium Falcon from Revell in 1/2 scale. I am a bit small for a Stormtrooper, so this is the cheaper version! For Halloween, a Goblin and a Ghost; at last, I managed to build the Goblin powered Vampire I had intended earlier in the year, but using a Heller kit with Modeldecal markings for 603 Sqn at RAF Turnhouse, Edinburgh: And a Ghost powered Suez Anniversary Froggy Sea Venom, partly inspired by a visit to the superb DeHavilland Museum: Then to finish the year, a Revell airbus 319 (with 2-6 decals) of the type I regularly travel in from Bristol to Edinburgh, named after Sir George White the founder of Bristol, who died 100 years ago last month: And as a bonus, snuck in as part of a last minute group build on UAMF, a Trumpeter Westland Wyvern in Suez markings: And that's it. An An-28 and a tentative RN Merlin HC3i currently sit on the bench, but are unlikely to finish before New Year. Hope you like them! I've certainly enjoyed building them. FredT