ssculptor

Thats really neat! I have one of these kits and now I think I'll build it with the four Panzerfausts on it. Thats the cat's meow!

If you are strapped for cash or if you just like vacuforms, Combat Models (Roberts Models) has a 1/32 Rufe vacuform conversion for $20 plus shipping. Roberts Model 18 East Clay Avenue West Hazelton, PA 18202 USA Contact Jeff roberts by snail mail or by phone: 570 450 5647

Allright already! I'll print the decals tomorrow. I'll contact you with a scan of them and we can go on from that point. If they work I'll send you a sheet or two for nuttin. Stephen

Tanks but dem bums kicked me outader liddle group. Soz I doan have nuttin to do wit dem bums no more. Brooklyn Bennie.

Hi all, I was sorting things in my stash tonight and I came across a bagged kit of the Revell kit #4746 1/28 scale Spad XIII. No box, just a plastic bag. I looked at the decals and I saw that they were most unusual. Revell finally gave decals that were not Rickenbacker or Luke. But, I do not know what they are. The instructions are quite sparse as to info on the decals. Do any of you have that kit with perhaps the explanation of the markings written on the side of the box? Thanks, Stephen

I found an online source of 1/18 and 1/32 diecast models. Their prices are bit high for the 1/18 scale, but, if you order over $100 the shipping is free! When you consider how high the shipping is when you buy from ebay this becomes a factor in considering from whom to buy these goodies. I have not bought anything from them so I cannot comment on their service or honesty, but with free shipping.... http://www.flyingmule.com/

Yes, you are right. Back in 1966 I bought a new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray for only $3,875. That would not even be the down payment for a new Corvette today. I recall gas at 21 cents a gallon in the mid '60's in Chicago. And in 1976 a friend down the block from me in Stamford, Connecticut, sold his house for $35,000 when he moved to Florida. Today that same house would sell for at least 10 times that. But there are three areas that have skyrocketed in proportion to income over the years: housing, automobiles and education. In the early 1960's I was paying $800 per year at the university for a full program (up to 42 credit hours per year). That is $800 per year, not per credit hour as it is today. When I was working while I was going for my masters degree in the evening I was paying 25% of my income for my 5 room apartment in a lower middle class neighborhood. That is only 25%. Nowadays my children have to pay 125% of their individual income for an apartment. So they double or triple up with friends to take an apartment. My daughter bought a house and both she and her husband have to work full time to pay the mortgage. Ah nostalgia.

We here in the USA are a bunch of sissies when it comes to risque language. Go surf the great Britmodel site if you want to see some language that can really wake you up! They are a really fun group of guys! Their selection of emoticons are fantastic! http://www.britmodeler.com/forums/index.php?

I know. But when I open a crate in the basement and look at a Revell 1/32 kit from the 1960's with a price tag of $2.98, well....

Yeah! Dat's what I calls gettin me money's wort! Brooklyn Bennie

Gluck haben!

Currently on ebay, 1:32 AVRO VULCAN KIT 25 ONLY MADE BY HERITAGE AVIATION Item number: 110197065765 Starting price is 300 pounds Sterling. At first, I thought that this was a rather high price. But, then I reflected a bit and looked at other hobbies that are out there. Radio contol model airplanes can easily go beyond this price. All that electronical equipment and motors cost money. How about the guys who work on real automobiles, $600 is nothing to them. A set of wheels and tires can cost twice that, easily. How much is a new set of golf clubs? We won't discuss the guys whose hobby is the High Life. The cost of good booze, gambling, expensive women, drugs..., well, they live in a different world from most of us. So, I guess 300 pounds Stirling for this kit really isn't so bad, is it? But in comparison with plastic model kits that cost from $10 (21st Century) to $125 (Trumpeter), this does seem a bit excessive. At least for me, anyway. However, considering the time, effort and cost of manufacturing this limited run resin kit, well, I do think it is worth the price. After all, its only money. Its just not for me.

Thank you for the info. Alas, I'll have to pass on the Boomerang, Gamecock and Fury. I cannot afford to pay $200 a model. I'm not saying they are not worth it. I am just saying that I cannot afford them. Such is life. Stephen

I realize that this question is a bit premature but is it resin or styrene? It looks like it is an injection molded goodie. So, does that mean they will charge $200 for it? Or, if it is a styrene injection molded kit will it be more affordable, like maybe $50 (USD)? If it is another $200 kit like their Boomerang, sorry, I cannot afford it. Y'know, I used to scoff at Hasegawa, always bringing out a slightly different mark of the Fw-190 or Me-109. But now I am coming to appreciate this fine company. Why? Because their kits are usually priced well under $50. Bully for Hasegawa and Revellogram! The Bronx cheer, Braaaaaaaap! to the companies who market injection molded kits in the $100-150 range. P.S. This little diatribe of mine does not apply to resin kits. I know how much work goes into producing resin kits and I cannot say anything bad about these fine "mom & pop" operations. I only wish I could afford to spend the money for them.

Oh I feel so guilty! I haven't got the Vulgrian insignia printed yet! I promise some time in the next few days I'll get a decal sheet printed for you. I promise I will I will I will! Stephen Auslender Grand Poobah of the Vulgarian Armed Forces

This relatively recent Revell offering looks suspiciously like a simple repackaging of that 40 year old Revell kit I have, number H-294-200. Well, I will say that I am glad that Revell re-released that kit after all these years. Irrespective of how accurate, semi-accurate or in-accurate it is, I'm happy to see it back.

Yes, but what is the story of the chin filters? As I recall, Revell in the old days issued a Seafire with the chin filter. It was their kit #H-294-200 SEAFIRE Yes, lookit that price! $2.00. I still have this kit and probaly should dig it out and look at the box again. But was it accurate, or just another fig newton of Revell's imagination?

Its incredible! For many, many years we in 1/32 have starved for new kits, happily grovelling in the dirt to be allowed to buy some really bad resin kits at outlandish prices. Or we stocked up on vacuform kits as if we ever even dared to actually build one of the nasty things. Now we have an epidemic of new injection molded kits in 1/32 scale aircraft. All I have to say about this new situation is YIPPEE

Dave Thompson and I discussed this conversion. David couldn't stop laughing at the poor quality. But then David's skill as a modeler and molder and caster was so extradorinarily above everybody else that he was entitled to scoff at the poorer attempts at conversion kits. However, this particular kit is so inexpensive that one can take it as a starting point and save oneself a lot of time. Which is why I have this conversion kit. Besides, one does not do a conversion unless one is prepared to do some scratchbuildingl If the modeler cannot do any scratchbuilding at all then he should keep the hell away from these conversions. :angry:

There do exist, in 1/33 scale paper card models, the Mig 21. 23, 25, 29, 31 as well as the Yak 1, 9, 15, 17, 23, 25; the Lagg 3, 5, 7; the I-153, the Su 2, 7, 9, 22, 25, 27B, 30MK; as well as many other Russian planes. The only problem is that cutting out and fitting together all those tiny parts is almost guaranteed to send you to the funny farm. But they are a stating point if you want to develop scratch building skills, or simply escape from reality. Stephen

Its the usual problem, Trying to find the time. I'll get to it. Never fear. Stephen

No matter what you do, have a lot of ventilation. I would suggest an open window and a small fan to blow the fumes out of the kitchen. All that stuff is dangerous to inhale. Except, of course, for the schoch, er, sckotsch, er, slosktch, er skotsclh, yeah, the booze.

I'd go for the alcohol. Pour three fingers of a good single malt scotch into a tumbler. Drink it. Pour some acetone on the future. Go watch golf on television. Later, if necessary repeat above process. Later if future is all gone from the sink, repeat the first process with the alcohol. I'll drink to that!

Kev, I disagree with a lot that you said here. It is NOT a stupid idea! It is a great idea and it demonstrates a lot of common sense and logic. You wish to develop your scratchbuilding skills. So what better vehicle to use than an old, built, cheapie kit. Its already built and you have had it for years so it really costs you nothing. The nice thing about scratch building is that you are working alone. Thus you do not have to be embarassed by any errors or bits of lousy work you may do. The only person who sees it is you. After all, you are learning, right! A student is expected to make mistakes and false starts and even to travel down the road in the wrong direction for a while. Fear nought! Charge ahead and develop those skills. After all, what is the worst that can happen? You screw up the entire model? So what, You are learning. You can always get replacement parts from Larry or pick up another old Revell Zero to play with for a small amount of money. As to that bad wing. Look at that as an opportunity to develop your skills in using putty and sanding and filing. The worst shape the disassembled Zeke is now the better it is for you. Do not let yourself get discouraged if things go wrong. You are learning. Do it again and again until you get it right and then you are developing. This project is a challenge that is well worth accepting.

David said that he was waiting for the new Avia book to be released from Israel before he would finish his Avia conversion molds and release the difinitive model. He was in contact with the author and was advised that the book would tell all when released. So David waited. There was some contorversy over exact details and this book would clear up the matter with facts, rather than conjecture. Then David died. Damn! I lost a really good friend. I have some bad, overpriced conversions and some good conversion sets for the Israeli Avia. Now the Avia book has finally come out and I got my copy yesterday. So I can get to work on the model. The name of the book is Avia S-199 in Israeli Air Force Service 1948-1950 by Alex Yofe and Lawrence Nyveen. See address and details at the bottom of this posting. When David died his family stepped in and took all his models and valuable stuff. Like vultures descending on a fresh kill. Still, they had to settle David's debts. According to Umi they did not get his molds, probably because they could see no use for them. I recall Umi saying that one of David's modeling friends from nearby was going to take a table at the next IPMS meet and sell off all the remining stuff, like books, and whatever for her. I believe Umi still has the molds but there are two factors here. 1) molds decay over time. Use the molds and cast in them right away. Because the longer you delay the weaker they get. 2) who is qualified to do the casting? David was a super mold maker and he had some techniques that were exclusive to him The average guy may not know how to successfully cast in David's molds. Personally, I am staying well out of it. All we really have in life is our life, itself. When David died I put all his stuff out of my mind. When a person close to me dies I prefer to keep only the cherished memory of the person. Otherwise I would become one of the vultures, picking at his bones. Yes, I have some of his original models, which he sent me over the years. But I will not get involved in the "afterdeath feast". I gave Umi the names and phone numbers of guys who cast models and advised her to contact them. What she did I do not know. My advice to anyone wanting to make a seriously accurate model of the Israeli Avia is to buy any one of the conversion kits floating around and buy the book. Then get some squadron putty, files, sandpaper and kit-bash the model. Like David, I believe that if you cannot scratch-build or Kit-bash then you should develop the skills. We were both old-timers who scratch-built models from the git-go. If, however, you just enjoy assembling the model from parts made by others then go ahead and do that. It's a big world, room for all of us to have fun in our own way. Problem is, Davids molds may never get used again to cast parts. So unless you get the book and do some original work you may not get that accurate of a model. By the way, I'm reading the book now and find that there were differences from one plane to the other in the Avias that Israel acquired. Surprise! There is more than one difinitive model to be built. The book is published in the USA by White Crow Publications, P.O. Box 26901 San Jose, CA 95159 http://www.wings48.com/avia%20book.shtml 1) ISBN 0-9774627-1-4 Avia S-199 in Israeli Air Force Service 1948-1950 Authors: Alex Yofe and Lawrence Nyveen. $25 You can also get: 2) ISBN 0-9774627-0-6 Spitfire Mk.IX in Israeli Air Force Service 1948-1956 Author: Alex Yofe. $30 Write to the publisher to find out how much extra for postage.