***C'est magnifique!!!*** Heller Classic GB 2025 Chat

[Mjwomack]

7 minutes ago, 2996 Victor said:

You know you want to.....

Well since I saw they're around the £50 mark AND have a Perrier advert on the bonnet I lost interest (you don't get a body like this from drinking water)

[2996 Victor]

16 minutes ago, Mjwomack said:

Well since I saw they're around the £50 mark AND have a Perrier advert on the bonnet I lost interest (you don't get a body like this from drinking water)

Fair enoughski! 

[George Norman]

2 hours ago, 2996 Victor said:

Hi George,

 

Come on in and welcome to the madness You've got a couple of good subjects there but I'd have to pick the Lansen if it were up to me (which it's not, of course!).

 

Cheers,

Mark

Nice one, Just checked the loft and I have 2 Lansens so will do the two together, One green and one NM.

 

 

 

 

[vppelt68]

About the Heller "tadpole" Bf 109 G/K:s...

That's the "old K" kit starboard fuselage half in front of the G port fuselage half, with their front parts lined up (perfectly, btw, like they were the same kit). As you can see, the "K" fuselage looks to be just that ~2mm longer than the G, that everyone keeps saying the latter is too short Is the "K" fuselage length correct, then? Whatever it is, I'll live with that!

The "tall" tail of course is not tall at all. I believe that even the Heller G:s standard tail looks too short, and the tall tail matches it in height, so... off to raid the spares box, again when the build starts 

[George Norman]

On 1/20/2024 at 9:42 PM, theplasticsurgeon said:

Just the one kit in my stash, which dates back to the 1970s - so count me in.

Lovely Model, Cut my teeth on these back in the 80's

[2996 Victor]

11 minutes ago, George Norman said:

Nice one, Just checked the loft and I have 2 Lansens so will do the two together, One green and one NM.

 

 

 

 

Excellent! Looking forward to these, George 👍

 

8 minutes ago, George Norman said:

Lovely Model, Cut my teeth on these back in the 80's

I'll be building the black box issue of the Spit XVI as it was one of the few Heller kits I built as a youngster

 

[Enzo the Magnificent]

On 20/01/2024 at 21:42, theplasticsurgeon said:

Just the one kit in my stash, which dates back to the 1970s - so count me in.

 

Sadly, I have never built one of these.   I don't have one in The Stash but I'm almost certain to be getting one soon because I'm currently in the grip of a Spitfire frenzy.  I've noticed the proximity of the Spitfire Anniversary GB in 2026 so I feel I need to get my hand in building Spitfires.   I currently have seven 1/72 ones on the go!   It's only fair to add a Spitfire XVI into this GB. 

 

[CarLos]

Ready!

 

[theplasticsurgeon]

8 hours ago, Enzo the Magnificent said:

 

Sadly, I have never built one of these.   I don't have one in The Stash but I'm almost certain to be getting one soon because I'm currently in the grip of a Spitfire frenzy.  I've noticed the proximity of the Spitfire Anniversary GB in 2026 so I feel I need to get my hand in building Spitfires.   I currently have seven 1/72 ones on the go!   It's only fair to add a Spitfire XVI into this GB. 

 

Well things have changed since that post.

I've currently got 3 Spitfires active on the bench, and can satisfy my Heller commitment with this Condor Legion, and have built this kit before.

If you really want to add a Heller XVI bubbletop to your Spitfire Parade,  then post on Wanted - I'm not precious about this one. 

[Wez]

6 hours ago, CarLos said:

Ready!

 

Yes, yes you are.

 

Glad to see the love child of an art-deco period aircraft and a conservatory in the GB.

[2996 Victor]

44 minutes ago, theplasticsurgeon said:

Well things have changed since that post.

I've currently got 3 Spitfires active on the bench, and can satisfy my Heller commitment with this Condor Legion, and have built this kit before.

If you really want to add a Heller XVI bubbletop to your Spitfire Parade,  then post on Wanted - I'm not precious about this one. 

Excellent choice - how about a Republican Polikarpov to go with it?

 

Cheers, 

Mark

44 minutes ago, Wez said:

 

Yes, yes you are.

 

Glad to see the love child of an art-deco period aircraft and a conservatory in the GB.

Absolutely!

 

[vppelt68]

15 hours ago, vppelt68 said:

About the Heller "tadpole" Bf 109 G/K:s...

 

That's the "old K" kit starboard fuselage half in front of the G port fuselage half, with their front parts lined up (perfectly, btw, like they were the same kit). As you can see, the "K" fuselage looks to be just that ~2mm longer than the G, that everyone keeps saying the latter is too short Is the "K" fuselage length correct, then? Whatever it is, I'll live with that!

The "tall" tail of course is not tall at all. I believe that even the Heller G:s standard tail looks too short, and the tall tail matches it in height, so... off to raid the spares box, again when the build starts 

 

I did dryfit the "old K" fuselage with the recent Eduard G-6 fuselage. The Heller fuselage was ~equal~ to Eduard's in length, but by the tail wheel housing the Heller fuselage was maybe 2mm too skinny, and I don't even start about the comparison of the tails. Let's just say that one can have a very forced perspective view looking at the Heller Bf 109 G/K kit - a fat spinner and a seriously undernourished tail. Yet I can't wait to get to build them!

[Mjwomack]

On 12/16/2024 at 10:15 AM, TonyW said:

The 1/72 Constellations I have are pretty big and are space eaters in storag

Went to the local car accessory shop and stocked up on rattle can grey primer; I'm ready for the off now

[2996 Victor]

Does anyone have the necessary skills to create a suitable GB banner?

 

TIA

Mark

[Moggy]

On 24/11/2024 at 22:22, klr said:

Actually, at 40 Euro or so for the twin-pack, that's very good value ... if you actually want two kits, which I did, to go with the first kit I bought back in the early 1990s.

 

And yes, the box for the double kit is huge. No way you can sneak that past someone 😄

 

I checked Hannant's for the double Noratlas pack - and I couldn't find it.

Where do I get it? (preferably not Ebay or Amazon)

 

Cheers, transport aviation Moggy

[Moggy]

On 19/12/2024 at 00:48, CarLos said:

Ready!

 

 

Interesting - we have about the same interest (and similar stashes - including the literature)

 

In other words - you're a man of excellent taste! 😜

 

Cheers, Tasteful Moggy

 

[Enzo the Magnificent]

Some more possibilities...

 

[IanC]

I shall be building this chap. It was on offer from Creative Models for 6 quid and also came with a brush, some ancient tube glue and three potlettes of paint. I wish I had something a bit more French, but I'm on safe modelling ground with the Luftwaffe and I built this kit many moons ago and was impressed. Merry Christmas to all Heller GB'ers. 🙂   

 

[Andwil]

Would this be eligible?

 

 

 

 

I bought it second hand many years ago, it’s from a Polish concern called Reflex who I have never heard of since.  The instructions are all in Polish but they look like the Heller ones and the parts breakdown is the same.  Now I’ve always considered it to be a re-pop of the Heller kit but Scalemates does not mention it but does list a Smer re-pop.  So now I’m worried that it may be a pirated clone.  If so I definitely won’t be building it here.

 

In any case, the decals are useless!

 

 

AW

[2996 Victor]

7 minutes ago, Andwil said:

Would this be eligible?

 

 

 

 

I bought it second hand many years ago, it’s from a Polish concern called Reflex who I have never heard of since.  The instructions are all in Polish but they look like the Heller ones and the parts breakdown is the same.  Now I’ve always considered it to be a re-pop of the Heller kit but Scalemates does not mention it but does list a Smer re-pop.  So now I’m worried that it may be a pirated clone.  If so I definitely won’t be building it here.

 

In any case, the decals are useless!

 

 

AW

Hi,

 

this is potentially a difficult one. Scalemates indicates that it was a new tool in 198?, i.e. nineteen-eighty-something, which is a strong start! Link here. That being the case, it's a definite no as it's not a Heller mould. However, the breakdown of parts makes it look "right", so if it can be proven to be a legitimate re-pop of the Heller kit then it would be eligible.

 

HTH!

 

Mark

[Andwil]

14 hours ago, 2996 Victor said:

it's a definite no as it's not a Heller mould.

Yep, confirms my suspicions.  Actually relieved as I wasn’t really looking forward to building it having looked closely at it.

 

Never mind, I have a genuine Heller Spitfire XVI which I will be building.

 

Merry Christmas 🎄 

 

AW

[2996 Victor]

6 minutes ago, Andwil said:

I have a genuine Heller Spitfire XVI which I will be building.

Superb choice - I have one l8ned up as well

 

Cheers,

Mark

[Enzo the Magnificent]

On 23/12/2024 at 13:58, IanC said:

I shall be building this chap. It was on offer from Creative Models for 6 quid and also came with a brush, some ancient tube glue and three potlettes of paint. I wish I had something a bit more French, but I'm on safe modelling ground with the Luftwaffe and I built this kit many moons ago and was impressed.

 

That's at least three of em in this GB!     This is gonna be good.   

[2996 Victor]

A schwarm, no less! If we're lucky, we might have a staffel's worth!

 

Cheers,

Mark 

[Enzo the Magnificent]

8 minutes ago, Andwil said:

I have a genuine Heller Spitfire XVI which I will be building.

 

1 minute ago, 2996 Victor said:

Superb choice - I have one l8ned up as well

 

Me three!  

 

Looking forward to it as I've never built one before.   I'm a little conflicted about what to do with the radiator housings.  They are obviously more suited the the Griffon-engined variants as they are far too deep for a Merlin-engined XVI.  Should I just do a legacy build or should I fix them? 

 

Sawing them off and simply refitting them would actually fix the problem as it would reduce the depth of the fairings.