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At 17.15 on the 25th of April 1978, in Swan Hunters Neptune Yard, the wife of the Secretary of State for Defence performed the traditional christening at the launch of what would become HMS Exeter, D89. She was a Type 42 Destroyer, second batch, and carried Sea Dart missiles along with a Mk8 4.5" gun. She would go on to serve with distinction in the Royal Navy for over 28 years. Several months later, in Frimley Park Hospital, with a much reduced crowd and to a lot less ceremony, (Although I wouldn't put it passed my Dad to have opened a bottle on my head, may ask him about that) I appeared. A batch one Son, armed, eventually, with large front teeth (x2), ginger hair (as launched, over time this has thinned and darkened) and a warped sense of humour. Would go on to do a lot of stupid stuff (distinction in stupidity) around the world until being tied up (married) at the same time as Exeter was put into Extended Readiness. So this is my entry to the GB, HMS Exeter D89 1/700 by Dragon. I also have the Skywave/Pit Road boxing of this kit so I may do two entry's, well see as we go. At first I was going to build her just because She was launched in '78, was a RN ship, and there was a kit of her avaliable at a sensible price. But the more I looked into her service, and history, the more I found strange mirrors to my own life. -Falklands in '82, Just as I started school and the first thing I really remember watching on the news with my Dad, who's ex RN and had only been out a few years then. -Gulf War, same time as I moved to Secondary school. -A score of deployments to places I've subsequently been to myself. -She entered Extended Readiness at the same time I stopped wandering the world and got hitched, so She stopped having fun at the same time as me! She'll be spruced up with the White Ensign Type 42 Destroyer Photo Etch, which happily comes with enough parts for two kits(I know one set is for the extended batch 3 ships, a bit of trimming may be needed). I'm looking to do her as She was in the Falklands, with her hull coated in an experimental vivid bright blue co-polymer, anti-fouling boot topping. She also had a black stripe up from the boot topping to the funnel as the Argentinean Navy had their own Type 42's. I'm not sure that I'll do her in a sea scape, I want to but well see if time allows. Obligatory spruce shots, All untouched and in the bags, even the PE which ironically was delivered today, Just in time for the kick off of the GB! I'm really looking forward to this group build, think it'll be a lot of fun! Sorry for the long introduction, couldn't help myself! Well I'm ready to go, will be posting progress soon, and a bit of the history of the ship as we go. Any and All welcome to join in and see what happens to the kit, should be interesting. Happy Modelling All Geoff

Back in the 1980s Skywave issued a series of tiny aircraft kits to go along with the Waterline Series ships in 1/700 scale. These kits were simple but nicely done; this particular set contained four B-17s and two PBY Catalinas - and there were even decals! I started with the PBY; a mere 8 parts out of the box, and the wing floats can be depicted either deployed or retracted! This was a straightforward build. The propeller hubs were .023 inch discs cut from .010 inch thick sheet plastic. Other than the wing support struts, the only other improvement I made to the kit was to add guns to the forward turret and side blisters with fine brass wire attached with Elmer’s glue.

Hi folks, After the saga of the Hudson I thought I'd have a go at something that's a bit less work and I fancied something floaty! So, I've decided to make a start on the Shirakumo kit by Pit-Road from their Skywave range. I'm using a thread over on Model Warship by Dan Kaplan as a bit of inspiration plus looking at the reference thread in the "Calling all Ship Fans" section of that board. Having read through what's there, it's become evident that Pit-Road goofed with this kit. The hull has a long forecastle whilst the actual ship had a short one. From what Dan's indicated in the reference thread, the only group 1 ships to have the longer forecastle were Hatsuyuki, Murakumo and Uranami. I was tempted to do Uranami as the kit funnels are wrong for the rest of the first group, but I decided to follow Dan's example and nabbed them from a scrapped Tamiya offering. So she's going to be the Hatsuyuki around the time of the Guadalcanal Campaign. Overall shot with some reference pictures and the box: A close up current progress: Still a lot to do on the funnels and the cowls either side of the fore funnel - none of it's glued down yet. Just like the Kako, I won't be using any etch, so I'll try and replicate some of what Dan's done in plastic just to add a bit of extra detail. More pics as and when! Mike.

Hi guys ive been off the scene for about 6 months due to various reasons but im back now and wanted to share with you what i think is exciting news. I do not know if this has already been broken on here but there appears to be a new 1/144th scale plastic injection moulded avro vulcan which for me is fantastic news as im sure it will be for many who think the airfix is too big or the dragon too small.(i think not for either but anyways) this model looks fantastic to me here is a link to the test shot models http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail?scode=TOY-SCL2-14156 I have just picked 1 up off ebay and when it lands here i will do a review/build of the new kit. cheers Rob