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144 Dragon Rapide


John Aero

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I'd like the 1/144 Rapide too. My first flight was also from Squires Gate in one in 1957 - I bought the new Airfix Stuka and Hurricane IVRP in Blackpool Woolworths the same week. I do have the registration of the one I flew in, somewhere, but there were however two there the day I went. One was Westair and I flew in the other.

Talking of Airspede: they did a 1/144 Halifax/Halton which wasn't too brilliant. It did annoy me when Corgi followed their other post war airliners in 1/144 with a Halifax in 1/72. It would be good to have a decent late civil Halifax to use up all the more colourful schemes.

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VW

I too like the AA Rapide but I don't know if there would be any copyright/ licence issues. Though I suppose one could always do it as a "rearrange these words into a well known phrase or saying". I hope to have some of the kit we spoke about soon.

MAM

The Islander is 1/144. and I don't do any other airliners, both the Rapide and the Islander are not in production (yet), in fact I just dabble a bit really ;)

Thanks to all the other chaps for the feedback, do keep it coming.

John

30 years apart.

My first flight and my sons first (piston) flight.

File1822.jpg

SimonG-AIDL-1.jpg

Any chance of the AA example too John?
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It will be the decals which will determine the price. So what decals? I have already drawn up North Sea Air transport Ltd (1948) Maroon and Cream.

Here are a few suggestions:

Hillman's Airways

Railway Air Services

Isle of Man Air Services

Blackpool & West Coast

Manx Air Charters

BEA

I've got plenty of photographic refs for all of these!

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So good ones there Ivor. I'd be pleased to see some of them and get colour refs. Some reg no's for the "trippers" Westair was G-AKJW and Air Navigation and Trading ltd both of Blackpool in the 50's.

John

Here are a few suggestions:

Hillman's Airways

Railway Air Services

Isle of Man Air Services

Blackpool & West Coast

Manx Air Charters

BEA

I've got plenty of photographic refs for all of these!

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Oh yes please, I'd like at least a couple of thos Islanders too.

For me I'd like a Rapide in any of;

BEA, BEA or BEA :)

Railway Air services

Island Air Services

Royal Navy silver & red/day-glo.

Cheers

John

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Apart from the AA Rapide, I would like BEA pinstripe and High speed jack schemes.

Replicating window colour is one I have been messing with at the moment redoing my late Dads 1/144 Shackleton AEW2 - settled on Extra Dk Sea Grey for the cockpit and Medium Sea Grey for the nose and tail.

Steve

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Hi John,

Just picked up on this one and I would like to get at least two.

My first ever flight was in a Rapide around Elmdon (Birmingham) c1957 or 58.

Any ideas on likely prices yet? This could decide if I order more than two.

Cheers

Mike

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You've certainly stirred up some interest with this one John !

I'd be interested in several 1/144 Rapides and Islanders.

It would be nice to be able to model both an older Rapide and one of the recent examples still flying.....so how about, say, BEA or AA plus Air Atlantique ?Don't really mind what decals you provide (preferably screen printed) as long as they depict UK Civil operators.

So far as window decals are concerned, the optimum colour probably depends on the specific livery involved - in other words, if its an overall silver airframe livery its probably best to have a strong contrast (ie not silver !), whilst silver might be more effective on a scheme featuring lots of dark blue. Of course if the Rapide fuselage is moulded clear, the window decals are less crucial....

Whichever way you decide to go I'd encourage you to produce both the Rapide and the Islander, not least because you've already done some of the hard work !

All the best

Don

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Any of the 'vintage' airlines would suit me. But something that captures the 30s, 40s and 50s. Or even the 60s periods. Re window colours I too think EDSg or a sort of 'gunmetal' would suffice.

Islanders.! Wow! Multitude of schemes. I'll have a look, but somewhere in my archive box in the loft , I have some genuine B-N literature with the various 'house colours'. Would these be of use to you? Belgian Army ones come to mind too for a military scheme.

Really look forward to seeing both these 'related' types!

Paul.

Edited by Paul J
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H'mm, well there does at least seem to be a commercial reality to the models. My general plan for the Rapide is probably going to be this. If I don't have to make any changes to the moulds as they are. I ran off about 30 sets of Gray plastic mouldings mouldings the other day with the shallow windows as you see in my earlier photos. Doing the fuselages in clear styrene is not really a problem as I do have a small machine dedicated to clear which will just take the fuselage mould size. However the thickness of plastic precludes any interior work. I would produce the struts and a pair of props (already half drawn) as a fine etch sheet. Some w/m cast spinners and possibly a pair of w/m props (but they are little sods to cast). Decals will be screen printed. For every colour the price soars. So the choice is to have a multiple subject sheet or release as a number of limited choice subjects. The latter would keep the price down. A similar operation would be how the Islander would be produced but it would have to cover the new mould cost but that's not as horrendous as it sounds. The modeller can choose whether he wants to fill the windows and how he wishes to work with the one piece wings. It's not rocket science.

John

BEARapide.jpg

Goodwood08G-AGTM.jpg

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Hi John, not putting any pressure on you, but I seem to remember a conversation about a different scale after discussing the product from the antipodes! By the way, enjoyed the chat the other day. I've just ordered from Axson, and I'm taking the plunge with building my own vacformer!! Maybe Anastasia will fly again?

Dave

BEARapide.jpg

Goodwood08G-AGTM.jpg

Edited by davepb
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VW

I too like the AA Rapide but I don't know if there would be any copyright/ licence issues. Though I suppose one could always do it as a "rearrange these words into a well known phrase or saying". I hope to have some of the kit we spoke about soon.

MAM

The Islander is 1/144. and I don't do any other airliners, both the Rapide and the Islander are not in production (yet), in fact I just dabble a bit really ;)

Thanks to all the other chaps for the feedback, do keep it coming.

John

30 years apart.

My first flight and my sons first (piston) flight.

File1822.jpg

SimonG-AIDL-1.jpg

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how sad (or have i got it wrong) that after all these years there would (possible) be people wanting licensing money to print decals for a plastic kit for an aircraft that flew all those years ago, greed reigns?

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I haven't approached the AA (but I have just had an encouraging message from another quarter ref the markings) but I was being cautious as american owned companies are notorious for trying to extort licence fees. Boeing and Pratt and Whitney are apparently two of the worse for bullying model companies. which is why I often refer to them as Boe®ing and Prat and Whinger. The AA were owned by Centrica but they may have asset stripped it or sold it by now -_- . Problems do occur when a company Logo is involved, so hence the caution. I agree with you especially when any possible profit from a short run kit wouldn't keep the average exec in cocaine for a lunch break.

All the photos are my copyright by the way :P

John

how sad (or have i got it wrong) that after all these years there would (possible) be people wanting licensing money to print decals for a plastic kit for an aircraft that flew all those years ago, greed reigns?

AARapide.jpg

John

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The good thing is that many of the liveries and markings carried by Rapides only had one or two different colours in them. The Automobile Association aircraft, for instance, was I believe simply yellow and black, which means that the cost of printing decals should be kept reasonable as only the black sections would need printing, the yellow being the base paint scheme. Plus, of course, any door outlines/windows. However, I guess that if different decal options are offered (in a series of kits) the window decal could be a separate generic item common to all issues.

Don

ps The pictures of the 1/144 Islander look very, VERY nice !!

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I acquired 3 of the Rapide kits from you after seeing the prototype at the Newark Show many years ago - moulded in the caramel plastic with white metal castings.

One has been built for the IPMS Biggles SIG - another is underway as one of the first aircraft used by the Yugoslav airline that became JAT and the third is planned as one of the BEA aircraft serving the Scilly Isles that I remember from childhood!

If I can get it to work I will post a photo of the Biggles Rapide tomorrow.

If it does come back on the market I will be in the queue again - and also for the Islander!!

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I'd like the 1/144 Rapide too. My first flight was also from Squires Gate in one in 1957 - I bought the new Airfix Stuka and Hurricane IVRP in Blackpool Woolworths the same week. I do have the registration of the one I flew in, somewhere, but there were however two there the day I went. One was Westair and I flew in the other.

Talking of Airspede: they did a 1/144 Halifax/Halton which wasn't too brilliant. It did annoy me when Corgi followed their other post war airliners in 1/144 with a Halifax in 1/72. It would be good to have a decent late civil Halifax to use up all the more colourful schemes.

Funny to think we might both have been there that same day Graham! Somewhere I have a photograph of the one I flew in, if I could only lay my hands on it. What was the registration of the one you flew in?

Anyway John, I'm in if you do decide to go ahead.

Cheers

Edited by chaddy
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