Telepatu

For databases I use trusty Scalemates Stash for models, and the iCollect app for books.
after I had bought about my third duplicate book title I figured I had to find a way to stop burning cash ……

Don’t worry Mr Wixon is probably staring at you from the other side waiting for your hard earned pocket money to go into his till so he can pay the electricity bill. Or some sexy lingerie to wear after the shop closes…oh soz this is models in the closet. 

What happens if the spreadsheet is the victim of a drive crash or other catastrophe? 
 
I've been using simple Post-it notes for at least 20 years to identify the aftermarket items that are store inside the kit boxes. I need only look at the kit box to know what it contains - all of that information is in one place. 
 
Relevant to this thread's topic, ANYONE looking at my kit boxes has instant access to lists of exactly what's inside each box, so heirs would have an easy time selling the stuff if they should so choose to do so. 
 
The only question posed about doing this so far has been "Won't they fall off eventually?" No. I've never had one fall off unless it was knocked off, and some of those Post-its have been in place for more than 2 decades. 

 
D
 
 

The MDC Typhoon has arrived, it’s lovely…..can’t wait to start it after my next Hurricane:
 


It very much has the feel of a Silver Wings kit in its assortment of plastic bags, I love getting it all out and sorting the bits into a recognisable coherent arrangement.  No ordnance provided so will have to get some rockets, this is going to be my subject:
 

Richard Brooker, ex-56 Squadron and Hurricane P3153 fame:
 
This makes interesting reading:
 
FLYING THE HAWKER TYPHOON
The Typhoon was described by Farnborough Test Pilot Captain Eric (Winkle) Brown as “A great brute of an aircraft – large, heavy, fast and somewhat alarming!” Actually it was all of those things to a degree but, unlike Winkle, I loved it.
The Tiffie was truly massive for a fighter, at seven tons all up almost twice the weight of a Hurricane.  There was an aggressive elegance in the thick slightly cranked wings, forward thrusting wide track undercarriage and very visible cannon.  The feeling of positive security was further enhanced by the substantial engine and radiator assembly – even if one might have preferred a less vulnerable air cooled alternative! – and there was the satisfaction of knowing that the Typhoon could absorb considerable punishment and get you safely home. You clambered aboard (quite literally) up the starboard side – the opposite of virtually every contemporary allied fighter. Propeller rotation with the Sabre was similarly the reverse of the Merlin and Allison.  So you were warned that the Typhoon needed a boot full of left rudder to prevent it from swinging to starboard on take-off.  Rather important this, as the Hurricane, Spitfire, and Mustang swung in the opposite direction.
      Here too was a British fighter with the undercarriage and flap controls positioned on the left.  No more changing hands on take-off – and quite essential for the de rigeur ending to every sortie – of which more later. On the starboard side, close to where they might otherwise have been fitted, was an array of engine instruments and switches dominated by the big cylinder priming pump.
     Early on, ejector exhausts had been found to increase the performance at the expense of carbon monoxide contamination which was a problem already.  But 400mph plus was important. So that modification was gratefully received and 100% oxygen became mandatory on every flight.
     The superb one piece canopy, high seating position, short nose and the gunsight reflecting straight on to the armoured windscreen, provided the best ever view from a single (piston) engined fighter.  Likened by one experienced pilot as “up front on the upper deck of a London bus!” It was a great feeling and within months every other manufacturer, Britsh and American, was trying to follow suit.
     For us however the short nose was a mixed blessing.  The Typhoon had no front fuselage fuel tank, and you were almost sitting on the engine bearers, with correspondingly high vibration levels.  Soon there were ugly rumours about male infertility! (quite untrue) and sprung seats were provided to comfort the chaps, but these bottomed when you pulled any significant g.
     Starting the Sabre for the first time was an emotive experience. Having pressurised the fuel lines you grasped the priming pump handle.  Aware that each stroke would send a measure of petrol/oil mixture into each of the 24 cylinders – that the correct amount was in some way critical to the air and engine oil temperatures.  Get it wrong or touch the throttle, they said, and, as you pressed the booster coil and starter buttons, the whole thing might erupt in flames.  So an airman stood by – extinguisher at the ready – prepared to deal with the worst.
     A raucous bang from the Coffman starter – the engine coughed, hesitated, spewed sheets of smoke and snarled into life.  A marvellous sound like a multitude of thrashing chain drive transmissions.  Taxying out, conscious of the instruction to wind on full port rudder trim – to watch the powerful swing to starboard… and I was off.
     At +7lb/in boost and 3,700 rpm the sense of power was exhilarating.  The acceleration fairly pushed you in the back.  Most of those describing their maiden Typhoon take-off, and it was certainly my own experience, failed to keep up and raise the undercarriage and flaps until they were miles away from the airfield!
     Despite its size and weight the Typhoon was easy and responsive to fly, just positively stable with generally light stick forces in pitch.  The ailerons were a bit heavy, and the roll rate at measured speeds slightly bettered a rather pedestrian 45degrees/second. Whilst the change of directional (rudder) trim with power and speed was very marked.
     The high speed stall was quite violent, and the aircraft rolled almost inverted, but could be recovered immediately.  The spin was equally violent, and rather erratic, responding slowly to normal recovery action.  No panic, one just had to be patient.  But it had caused a number of fatal accidents.  Aerobatics, although rather satisfactory, took up a lot of sky by the standards of the day.  And boy was it fast! Ailerons or not I also have to thank the Tiffie for giving me some of the best slow rolls of my flying life – always slightly barrelled because nobody wanted to risk negative g or oil starvation with that engine.
    In overall performance and handling the Typhoon, like the Hurricane before it, seemed to have struck a pretty good balance between the demanding requirements of air combat and the somewhat differing but specific needs of fighter ground attack.
     Ground strafing with the four 20mm cannon was most satisfying.  That wonderfully stable gun platform… especially in rough air… feeling the recoil… sensing the punch… seeing the shell bursts.  The flat trajectory and visible impact made for rapid aiming adjustments and accurate shooting.  No training problem here.
     The extensive range of ground attack ordnance, together with occasional leaflet and supply operations, was a measure of the growing capability which the aircraft took in its stride. However pilot training in accurate weapon delivery was to remain a critical factor until the squadrons could be put through Armament Practice Camps in the UK. A fascinating consideration and activity.  But rather outside the scope of this note.
     Back in the circuit, and lowering the wheels, created a brief yawing oscillation, which was quite unique to the Typhoon. Throttled back, with full flap, the approach was very steep . But one soon learned to maintain the speed so that (unlike the Tempest) there was plenty of elevator power for the round out.
     Characteristics which were perfect for that de rigeur fighter break at the end of a sortie as you let down in sections of four, tight line astern, and pulled up into the circuit one by one like guardsmen on parade.  Perfect because, more than any other aircraft, that rate of descent allowed you to create the highest, tightest possible, circuit – for the leader almost a tilted loop – just time for wheels, flaps, and canopy – merging into the steepest imaginable curved approach.    Perfect for the regular public demonstration that your squadron was the best!
     At touchdown I’m right back in the here and now. A gentle three pointer and straight as die. It's easy on the Tiffie even cross wind and the brakes have been much improved.   I raise my seat to maximum height and lift my boots onto the g pedals.  It feels pleasantly cool up here, ruffled by the slipstream, rolling along the runway.  And to catch first sight of Chiefy, bless him, standing in the squadron dispersal anxiously counting heads, is always a special moment. Stan and his boys, Typhoon engineers par excellence and a vital part of the team, readying themselves for the last moments of another squadron show.
 
 
 

A much neglected and very important historical aircraft, the MDC kit is a bit challenging but turns out really nice, with some MDC parts the old Revell kit also cleans up well.
In fact I think I still have another Revell one in the stash.

And both

 
 
Cheers
 
Dennis

Cost of kits Kotare or otherwise.  If a kit costs more but delivers a great build, I am okay with that, kits have come a long way since the 1980s.  Ignoring inflation compare a 1/32 kit from 1975 to a kit tooled today.  The level of detail is normally a mile beyond what was done back then.  I don:t mind paying for that, I would buy a MacBook over a RadioShack model 2000 Computer from 1980 also.  What I find appaling really is that those old kits are sold at modern prices.  Someone tries to buy a model at the craft store and a 50 year old kit is $30.00 and should be $15.00.  Hobby lobby sales a fair number of really old kits and although they discount, their retail is modern prices for old kits.  Kind of lick paying the same price for a new Mac as a 50 year old pc.  Imagine if you could still buy brand new computers using 50 year old technology but inflation added.  I think modeling a cheap hobby as long as you don:t hoard.  
 
A person that wants to build the Border Lancaster could focus on that model for 2 years at at $600.00 you can:t get cable for three months for that price in the U.S.  When I cut cable, my basic package was over $200.00 per month.  Models are cheap as long as you actually build what you buy as you buy them.  Think of it in 1/32 if you only bought a model when you finished the last one, your hobby would only cost you two or three hundred dollars per year for most of us.  
 
I would submit that most model kits you can get whenever you want even if worst case you have to pay full retail.  As such Ebay is the ultimate stash, you don:t have to own the kit but can get it whenever you want.  However take a Tamiya Mosquito, it is a better economic decision for me to pay $250.00 for the kit when I am actually going to build it, than it is to pay $150.00 stick on a a shelf and never build it.  I can buy a Mosquito any day I want typically on ebay so why store one on my shelf?  Now there are exceptions to this rule, for example, if you are a fan of Jet Mads kits, you have to buy those when they are announced as a rule.  But most injection molded kits relativly speaking are in unlimited supply.  Even if you pay up for a kit that has gone out of production, if you are going to build it, what is the problem?  

Thanks all for your thoughts.  I didn't want to step on any toes here. 
 
So far, I've done one thing on this build - take a picture of the box and addons .  Next task is to glue something, so once I've got a couple pictures, I'll begin to post.
 
 
Cheers,
Michael

Go for it!

Kev

I see no reason why not! It's definitely not a competition, and multiple entries in the same GB for the same aircraft should present no issues.
 
Unless K1 or Matty have an issue with it, but again I see no reason why it shouldn't be allowed. The only thing we are usually sticklers for is the 25% built rule, and of course sticking to the spirit of the GB itself.

I don't see why this would be an issue.  As I understand it this is not a competition.  You may use certain techniques to solve issues that your counterpart may not be useing - so we could all learn from that

A while ago, I said that I was going to join this GB after finishing a 109 for the Aces High GB.  In the interim, someone else has started the same project that I was going to do, that being the only suitable kit in my stash.
 
I'm not sure of the protocol here and I don't want to compete with someone else's efforts so I'd like to know if it's considered OK for me to start that planned build in the same GB - Closterman's LO-D in the form of the Airfix Spitfire IX.
 
No worries if not.  I'll just do it another time and I've got plenty of choice to do something else.  Please advise.
 
 
Cheers,
Michael

For my first LSP since I built the Airfix 1/24 Spitfire as a kid more than 35 years ago, I'm going for the latest release of their Spitfire.
 
Hopefully,the postie will bring a few AM goodies tomorrow, however the HGW harness and Eduard 3D printed exhausts are on backorder with Hannants. 
 
All being well, I'll make a start this weekend.

There is a D-Day version in the boxing; XP-R from 174 Squadron qualifies, it's also in full invasion stripes. You can tell the difference between invasion stripes and just the standard recognition stripes that most Typhoons had by the width of the black bands; recognition stripes had thinner black bands than the white, where invasion stripes were all the same width.

For those interested in Martlett's, 846 Squadron FAA conducted fighter sweeps over the invasion beaches. Also I should have included those squadrons involved over the channel on anti submarine patrols, so those of you who want to build a Hellcat Mk 1 from 800 or 804 Squadron or Avenger from 846 Squadron, go ahead.

Hopefully not two late, I'd like to donate the two items separately
 

 

 
Some how I ended up with two of the books...
 
Can you also put me down as a recipient Kevin?

Since I cleared most of my stash before my move last year, I didn't think that there was anything to donate for the raffle.
But with the Bf 109 book in the raffle, the adversary will be in as well:

 
And note me down as a recipient as well.
 
Cheers,
Joachim
 

I'd like to enter as recipient and donate this book to the raffle:

 
Merry Christmas time to all!
 
Br, Jani

I'll pass on this one.  Not a fan.  Now if it were an Essex class, yea for sure no matter how big.
 
Patrick, an Essex class sailor '59-'61

I'd like to enter as a recipient, and as a donor. I will have three different donations:
 
Zotz Decals 32-084 1/32 Douglas A-20G Havoc in the PTO WWII
 
 
Zotz Decals 32-086 1/32 On Griffon's Wings: The Spitfire XIV In Service
 
 
Zotz Decals 32-085 1/32 Gerald "Jerry" Johnson: Ace of the PTO
 
 
Thanks!
 
- Dennis S.
   Mount Juliet, TN USA

I'd like to enter as a participant and a donor if it is not too late.
 
It appears I have an extra copy of Duke Hawkins F-104 Starfighter book.

 
Also as a set, the following AM for the Tamiya F4U Corsair in 1/32. If I manage to dig out any more AM for the Corsair I will include that as well.
HGW wet transfer stencil set HGW Royal Navy Corsairs Barracuda wheels (plain tread) Yahu Models instrument panel
 
All the best and happy modelling!
 
Jeremy

I'd like to enter as recipient and donate this book to the raffle:

 
Merry Christmas time to all!
 
Br, Jani

I'd like to enter as a donor and recipient
 
My donations, as 2 separate gifts
- Two Bobs 32-032 F-16 Block 50 Big mouth Vipers (we already have 32-031 and 32-033 in the raffle. 32-032 ought to be here as well )

 
- Fox one decals F-4J Marines 32-003
  
 
 

I'd like to enter as recipient and donate this book to the raffle:

 
Merry Christmas time to all!
 
Br, Jani

I'd like to enter as recipient and donate this book to the raffle:

 
Merry Christmas time to all!
 
Br, Jani

I'd like to add this to the list as an offering!
 
 
(The book, not the 1/24 Mk.IX behind it. )