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Fairey Rotodyne, 1/72 Airfix


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A veritable blast from the past, since I built this one in the 90's:

 

If you like rivets, weird birds and old molds, this is for you. I built this one many, many moons ago.

This kit seems to prove that the proverbial "Rosie the Riveter" was well and alive by the time the aircraft was produced, and very enthusiastic too.

I remember putting the fuselage molds to good use -before building the model- in filing wood, scraping wallpaper and sanding some bricolage projects.

They are also good for peeling potatoes and other hard-skinned vegetables.

All in all, the kit's stance is magnificent in its alternativeness, and building does not present any serious issues.

I have no access to the model now -my son inherited it, whatever wanting it or not- so just these two images (that he took, by the way) are available.

Since this is a well documented apparatus -many images on the Net- you won't have trouble finding references. It is a fair rendition filled with nostalgia -for lacking of anything else, since the interior is mostly empty. A basic cockpit is provided. The decals were good, but you have to match the "French blue" -a perfect color choice being this a British machine-  for some details that you have to paint by yourself. Beware that it is a potential tail sitter. I found on Youtube movies showing it....Flying!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9633v6U0wo

 

 

N of B: I must confess I bought another (and also a not very wise off-scale Revell one!), and look forward (one day) to build it again, perhaps improving a thing or two.

Airfix fans (not really my case) always sleep with one under their pillows 😉

 

rotodyne+2.jpg

 

rotodyne.jpg

 

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30 minutes ago, Baldy said:

my Rotodyne, also built many moons ago (when I was a kid), never looked this good!

 

I bet it did to you when you built it!

I used to steal my grandma's nail enamels to paint the occasional model*. They surely looked good to me then, no matter what!

 

*We did not have a coin and I would get about one kit a year from some better-to-do relative or other. No paints of course or tools, so I used what was around (my grandpa shaving blades, for example, that I will ruin). My grandma and grandpa, saints, never said a word about those things.

(Luxury! we used to steal discarded items from the trash and melt them to fabricate lumps of plastic that we called "kits" and have to chew with our own teeth into shape!)

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4 hours ago, Moa said:

I bet it did to you when you built it!

I used to steal my grandma's nail enamels to paint the occasional model*. They surely looked good to me then, no matter what!

 

*We did not have a coin and I would get about one kit a year from some better-to-do relative or other. No paints of course or tools, so I used what was around (my grandpa shaving blades, for example, that I will ruin). My grandma and grandpa, saints, never said a word about those things.

(Luxury! we used to steal discarded items from the trash and melt them to fabricate lumps of plastic that we called "kits" and have to chew with our own teeth into shape!)

You are right - I was very pleased with it at the time. I used to 'borrow' all sorts of paints and other coatings from my dad - He used to do a bit of aeromodelling and his old stuff was still at my Gran's house when I was young. Unfortunately most of my models met untimely ends - anything from bumping into doors or furniture at high velocity to being unceremoniously blown up with the help of petrol and a firework purloined from the firework display we used to hold each year on  my dad's smallholding. 

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