Alain Gadbois

Agreed. It hasn't happened yet because it is not as exciting as the He111 or Ju88. But I will not say it will never be done. I think the night fighter Do 217 would be the most popular in the Dornier line. Alain

The Ohka is certainly well known because of that mindset that certainly shocked the western civilization that is ours. So a kit of this tiny aircraft (piloted missile) is not surprising but it is up to each to decide what one wants to build. A member of our modeling club had been bombed by the Luftwaffe when, as a child, was trying to escape advancing German troops in 1940. He simply did not build any military subjects. Alain

Excellent paint job, very realistic! Alain

Wow! Those were poor fitting parts! Very good job at getting that fixed properly! Alain

Great progress! Looking forward to see your cockpit leather solution. Alain

I agree there would be much work to do to to construct the shape of the aircraft, we should not assume that plastic kits necessarily need factory drawings to be produced. In fact, a recent B-24 kit shows just the opposite and it is still a popular kit. Many are willing to build it as is and some are ready to fix the wing problem as we can see here on this forum. Of course in this particular case we are surprised that there are such mistakes as many B-24s are still in around plus good kits in other scales and the wing is such a caracteristic part of the bomber... There are many additional examples where kits are designed using existing sets of plans that are inaccurate. One example are the old Hasegawa and Tamiya spitfire 1/48 kits that are short in lenth. I truly believe that a company that would be dedicated to seriously research the Do 17Z could produce a kit that would satisfy the great majority of modelers even in 1/32 scale. Alain

Great start! The kit looks like a real gem! Alain

Thank you for these good ideas, as they will be better protected than in the folder they're in now. I will also add a little note to explain the story about those magazines, as it is the context that makes these tattered pages important. In the past few days I have remembered a lot of interesting aviation related stories I have witnessed in the distant and not so distant past. While not incredible, some are worth noting down, and also to share with those like you who share the same interest. One thing related to WWII I remember happened while I lived in Tunisia in the early seventies (where my father worked for three years). We would sometimes take a walk in the port of Tunis and the tail section of a Ju-52 was lying there, possibly pulled out of the sea after getting caught in a fisherman's net. It was quite corroded and all the paint was stripped of the corrugated aluminum, so it had obviously spent a lot of time submerged. I guess could be one of many shot down in the evacuation of the German forces in the last stages of the North African campaign. It seemed to be a permanent fixture in that corner of the port until one day it was gone. Guess some decided to recycle the metal, but we were never able to find out what happened. Cool! I have the 1980 one and it is worn out too. I was 16 when I bought it. Also, great stuff you have shown Max. That note pad is very precious. If I remember correctly, kids were much better than adults in aircraft recognition, and the Aeroplane Spotter was created to improve everyones knowledge of aircraft, Allied also, as it was essential in the defense of England. Must have been interesting times for the kids to watch what was happening in the sky above. There are some moments that make a difference in our lives, and these models were the reference then. I hope they are taken care of well today. Alain

Simply beautiful. I especially like the black, white and silver underside! Alain

That's very interesting! And surprisingly big airplane in 1/72. Alain

That will look interesting in the X-ray machine at customs!

Hi all! Just wanted to show you guys the cover of an issue of Model Airplane News my dad had from way before I was born. I remember being completely fascinated by that image growing up. I've kept this magazine and it is falling to pieces after being leafed through for many years. Nothing inside about the Corsair though, but lots of cool builds of flying models and ads for plastic kits that made my imagination fly way up to the clouds! My dad had two aviation magazines actually, and the second one had all the aircraft in it in the form of small line drawings, all classified by year. This is where I think I learned to name and date most planes, at least those before 1953...See how the future was imagined beyond 1953! When I was five, I would cut out a little plane I liked and bring it in my kindergarten class to be fixed on the peg board. Now the magazine is full of holes, all in the section of aircraft of WWII. Sadly I don't remember which ones I chose then... The magazine also had some very nice detail drawings too of aircraft and engines. One last thing, Again in kindergarten one day, we went to visit the Air Canada maintenance center in Dorval, Montreal. We were able to visit airplanes there ( a DC-8 ) and see engines being serviced. Cool stuff for us kids! When The lady leading the tour (she looked like an airline hostess) asked for a volunteer to try a life jacket I raised my hand so fast! To say I was surprised when she pulled the cord and the jacket inflated is an understatement! We left with little white plastic planes of the Air Canada fleet...So a memorable day for sure! Thanks all! If you have some memories to share, please feel free to write your own! Alain

Max, I think those mechanics, after tending to the Fw, will walk over with the starter cart to the Me 323 waiting right next to it! Alain

Very nice work here! I am reassured about the fit of this kit as some really struggled with it and made me hesitate to start mine. I will be following your assembly method, as it gave you very good results. Alain

Weren't the Finnish Gladiators MkII with 3 bladed props?