Heller Classic GB Chat

[TonyOD]

On 8/18/2020 at 5:11 PM, TonyW said:

I posted pictures of my builder Arc En Ceil above. Here's a couple of shots of a kit that I won't be building, a mint condition Amiot 143. Sometimes the collector in me gets a bit of attention. 😄

 

 

 

That's a very good looking illustration of a somewhat looks challenged aircraft!

 

It's only just arrived here and I'm over the moon with it! It's rare to find an original  kit this good, so it's destined to become part of my unbuilt collection. Fortunately I have a builder kit to get stuck into once the GB is underway.

Being a greedy bugger I also have an earlier edition boxed kit. With luck, this will all lead me to my modelling ultimate, perfect unbuilt boxed kits, alongside built versions of the same! 

 

Roll on October.

 

Tony.

It reminds me of someone...

 

 

 

[Enzo the Magnificent]

About three and a half decades ago, I was in the RAF.   I had joined the modelling club at the unit where I was posted.   

 

I bought a Heller Bf 109K from the local model shop and built it in a scheme from 3/JG1 which had been featured in a colour profile and supporting photos in a copy of Scale Models a few years previously.  Given that the aircraft was photographed in early 1945 when resources were slim for the Luftwaffe, the aircraft had a number (probably the last three of its Werk Nummer) crudely handpainted on the fuselage side. 

 

I carefully recreated the handpainted number and proudly displayed the model at the next meeting of the modelling club.  The officer in charge was not impressed.  He loudly told me "Matrix, old chap, that is not the standard we aspire to in this club.  Could you not have found some suitable decals for it?  It just looks scruffy."   I tried to explain the situation, but he wouldn't have any of it. 

 

Well, it's been thirty five years or so, but I've finally found some decals.  So this one is for you, Squadron Leader Henderson, you patronising...  erm...  officer!   And guess what?  It's still going to look a bit scruffy!    

 

 

 

[Enzo the Magnificent]

And while we're on the subject of Heller, cop a load of this! 

 

 

at one point sold for 30p. 

[Wez]

10 hours ago, Enzo Matrix said:

About three and a half decades ago, I was in the RAF.   I had joined the modelling club at the unit where I was posted.   

 

I bought a Heller Bf 109K from the local model shop and built it in a scheme from 3/JG1 which had been featured in a colour profile and supporting photos in a copy of Scale Models a few years previously.  Given that the aircraft was photographed in early 1945 when resources were slim for the Luftwaffe, the aircraft had a number (probably the last three of its Werk Nummer) crudely handpainted on the fuselage side. 

 

I carefully recreated the handpainted number and proudly displayed the model at the next meeting of the modelling club.  The officer in charge was not impressed.  He loudly told me "Matrix, old chap, that is not the standard we aspire to in this club.  Could you not have found some suitable decals for it?  It just looks scruffy."   I tried to explain the situation, but he wouldn't have any of it. 

 

Well, it's been thirty five years or so, but I've finally found some decals.  So this one is for you, Squadron Leader Henderson, you patronising...  erm...  officer!   And guess what?  It's still going to look a bit scruffy!    

Enzo, good choice my friend, I have one of these lurking in the stash, glad to see this one in the GB.

10 hours ago, Enzo Matrix said:

And while we're on the subject of Heller, cop a load of this! 

 

at one point sold for 30p. 

Nice one!

[Wez]

Just over a month to go, time to rummage in those stashes (or whatever you like to call your kit repository), dust off those references, maybe choose some decals and aftermarket.

 

Still time/room for people to join.

 

Any mould originally released by Heller before 1 Jan 1986 in its original boxing, subsequent re-release or even released by somebody else is eligible, other manufacturer's kits in Heller boxes aren't though!

 

Come and join us, this one is going to be huge!

[Enzo the Magnificent]

20 minutes ago, Wez said:

(or whatever you like to call your kit repository)

 

Well I certainly wouldn't call it that, 'cos that sounds rather rude!   

[Wez]

29 minutes ago, Enzo Matrix said:

Well I certainly wouldn't call it that, 'cos that sounds rather rude!   

Smut, smut, smut, that's all you thinks about!

 

Kit store OK with you?

[Enzo the Magnificent]

"The Stash"  is more my speed.   I used to have The Deep Stash as well but that has been amalgamated with The Stash.

[helios16v]

Just did a quick peruse of available AM bits for the MiG-21.  I don't think I want to spend that kind of money on this kit.  

 

I'm just going to build it, enjoy it for what it is, and rob some decals out of my Eduard double boxing.

[Wez]

2 minutes ago, helios16v said:

Just did a quick peruse of available AM bits for the MiG-21.  I don't think I want to spend that kind of money on this kit.  

 

I'm just going to build it, enjoy it for what it is, and rob some decals out of my Eduard double boxing.

That's the spirit!

[Enzo the Magnificent]

4 minutes ago, helios16v said:

I'm just going to build it, enjoy it for what it is

And what is wrong with that???

[John]

I'm in.

No idea what with, but I have a lot of happy memories of Heller kits from the early 80s.

John 

[helios16v]

1 minute ago, Enzo Matrix said:

And what is wrong with that???

Nada.  Nada damn thing!  Just don't let TR hear that. 

 

  

[Wez]

3 minutes ago, John said:

I'm in.

No idea what with, but I have a lot of happy memories of Heller kits from the early 80s.

John 

Good man John, welcome along!  You're Number 90 in our merry band!  As you can tell, this is a small GB

[JeroenS]

25 minutes ago, Wez said:

Good man John, welcome along!  You're Number 90 in our merry band!  As you can tell, this is a small GB

Only 10 more, only 10 more!

[Wez]

2 minutes ago, JeroenS said:

Only 10 more, only 10 more!

Get out there and twist some arms!

[John]

29 minutes ago, Wez said:

Good man John, welcome along!  You're Number 90 in our merry band!  As you can tell, this is a small GB

Actually...I have a Noratlas in the stash,  black box version. 

Been a while since I've built a biggie 🙂

John 

[Wez]

1 minute ago, John said:

Actually...I have a Noratlas in the stash,  black box version. 

Been a while since I've built a biggie 🙂

John 

DO IT!!! DOOO IT!!!!

[klr]

56 minutes ago, John said:

Actually...I have a Noratlas in the stash,  black box version. 

Been a while since I've built a biggie 🙂

John 

I have this in the stash as well:

 

I happen to know that I bought it in 1991, for IR£ 6.50 (about 8 Euro in today's money, not inflation adjusted). I also bought the Canadair CL-215 at around the same time for the same price, with the same packaging:

 

 

 

[Wez]

I remember seeing Noratlas's when transiting through France on NATO detachments in my callow youth, I distinctly remember the coughing and belching as the Centaurus engine kicked into life!

 

I also saw the Canadairs when we were transiting through Canada after an exercise, they were being beached for the winter.

 

It would be great to see either one of these in the GB.

[Graham Boak]

I have a Noratlas too.  One day at Warton a decidedly worn Noratlas popped in to see us, in the late "desert" scheme.  Well, I just had to get one.  It is started, in the sense of being cleaned up but I wasn't sure what to do to improve the cowlings so it still sits there.  Hercules not Centaurus, I believe.

[Wez]

2 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

Hercules not Centaurus, I believe.

You're right Graham, my mistake.

 

For anyone thinking of joining this GB (not you Graham, I know your position on that), you don't have to make a Noratlas, although if you did, it would be very welcome!

[fightersweep]

I'm getting pretty stoked about this group build now. One month to go! Strangely, my Heller stash has grown over the last couple of months, so I'm raring to go. Well, actually, I couldn't wait, so I'm already cracking through a couple of Bf-109K-4s to get me in the zone.

 

Also, just had the operation I've been waiting two years for last Friday. I was concerned I would end up getting it scheduled during the GB, but that's done and dusted now so I'll be fighting fit in time for the start. Happy days!

 

Guess who's off to King kit for more Heller......again!!

 

Steve 

l'amant des maquettes heller

[fightersweep]

On 8/30/2020 at 9:00 PM, Enzo Matrix said:

 

 

 

Perhaps we could have a Squadron Leader Henderson group build where the subject has to have the most accurate but wonky hand painted aircraft numbers, id marks or wobbly invasion stripes possible?

 

Which K-4 kit did you get? Picked up a black boxing the same as yours (and the same as what I bought back in the 80s), but the kit inside is the early version of the kit sans all the important K-4 bells and whistles. Basically, I think it's just a late G-6. Had to go and buy another, and luckily, that was the later "proper" K-4 kit. I didn't realise that the old G-6 masquerading as a K-4 still appeared in the black box kits.

 

Steve 

[Wez]

1 hour ago, fightersweep said:

Also, just had the operation I've been waiting two years for last Friday. I was concerned I would end up getting it scheduled during the GB, but that's done and dusted now so I'll be fighting fit in time for the start. Happy days!

Good news Steve, hope you're on the mend, some bench time should be prescribed convalescence!

 

39 minutes ago, fightersweep said:

Which K-4 kit did you get? Picked up a black boxing the same as yours (and the same as what I bought back in the 80s), but the kit inside is the early version of the kit sans all the important K-4 bells and whistles. Basically, I think it's just a late G-6. Had to go and buy another, and luckily, that was the later "proper" K-4 kit. I didn't realise that the old G-6 masquerading as a K-4 still appeared in the black box kits.

I made several of these black box K-4's back in the day, they bore no resemblance to the earlier G-6 kit.  I consulted the Carbonel book and there was an earlier K kit released in 1976 then that one in the black box in 1980, methinks somebody pulled a fast one there.

 

The one I've got in the stash is definitely the later one.

 

47 minutes ago, fightersweep said:

Perhaps we could have a Squadron Leader Henderson group build where the subject has to have the most accurate but wonky hand painted aircraft numbers, id marks or wobbly invasion stripes possible?

I call that normal modelling.