Stefano

As promised, here's an update on my weird ordeal with Mr. Jay. Sent my warning on Apr. 11 and got his reply the same day(!): in brief a) my previous messages were binned in the spam bucket ... b) ready for an incomplete shipment; open to refund for missing items. Received the parcel last Friday: more items missing vs. previous declaration, no Bill of Materials included in the package nor an invoice. Notified him about the anomaly today. Given him the option of either shipping the missing items (all!!) by the next 30 days or refund me. It seems it's not ended yet. Keep you posted on further development. Wish me good luck! In the meantime, happy modelling! Stefano

Kev, Glad to know it all went fine with your surgery. You've got to take your time and relax for a complete recovery. Forum seems to be slightly quicker. Never had issues with stability. Take care, Stefano

Kevin, wish you a prompt and complete recovery! Stefano

Good! Please keep on sharing progress on your amazing project!

I meant I could help on this. IMG-6721 by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr IMG-6720 by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr

Baffozac, Your project is amazing! Please let me know if you need walkaround photos or close details of your subject. I live close to Vigna di Valle AMI Museum and I'd be glad to help you if you deem so. Please keep on sharing your progress! Happy modelling! Stefano

Troy, The relics found at Bagram were Ro-37 and - yes! - one of those has been restored and it is currently displayed at Vigna di Valle. The Gruppo Amici Velivoli Storici (GAVS), a private enthusiasts group, is currently restoring a Ro-41 basic trainer. The floatplane Ro-43 is also displayed in its full glory at VdV. I am nudging some resin model manufacturers to consider releasing a 1:32 model of one of those, not having Baffozac's scratchbuilding skills. Historical subjects, simple design and forms to mould, originals available for measuring, plenty of data and gorgeous painting options. Keep trying! Some photos of the restored Ro-37, Ro-43 and Ro-41 under restoration below. Enjoy! Ro-37 206BC015-7C90-4098-B568-A00304E295CA by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr BBFDE1B5-8DA6-45E9-8824-CF45DFE7DD62 by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr 8E9F56BC-37C3-4083-A5C5-2971E4CB73BE by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr 0364C6DD-6ED0-4A1E-BB47-24C469763F10 by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr 8CDFE9B5-B014-47D0-B25D-2D5711983E75 by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr Ro-41 under restoration C6E248C0-679E-49A0-A76E-D8CDE18CC441 by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr A47F7C11-FE69-49B6-BF1D-1DAED9BC358D by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr A2DB63AD-2B88-41F7-B13F-02ABF8D70519 by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr C2C553EE-63CF-420B-8179-7960830C74B5 by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr D9F10457-535D-4755-A2EE-6A538F01672E by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr D86FECDF-3340-448A-8A14-381D8017C18E by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr 09069427-2220-4167-BEDE-7F73C8A112A2 by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr B1D50A5A-D2CB-4A92-A0D0-4018B319705E by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr Happy Modelling ... and crossing fingers to having one of those in 1:32 scale one day!

Graham, Inferring that all small companies do not operate with integrity from this discussion would be silly wrong in my opinion. Small manufacturers represent a paramount asset for our hobby: on a personal basis, I value the research, the commitment, the service they (guys like you!) provide, not to mention the friendly relationships that very often develop, as we have interests in common. This discussion is about some individuals whose business practice seems questionable: poor information, repeated failed commitment, trust abuse, sometimes fraud. As a member of this community I think that sharing customer experience is a useful practice, even on sellers' end: it helps to cleaning up weeds and keeping the reputation to the industry. I sense other members of this forum may think likewise. To that extent, I will keep this forum informed on whether my bad experience originates from casual factors or I am rather a victim of a trader's scam: hope it helps! Stefano

I am in the same boat... Ordered items worth GBP 55 on Jan 21st. Jay kept on replying to my enquiries he had casts delayed, but would have shipped my order the shortest. Last vital sign on Mar 8th: No more feedback since then. I regret I will warn him to fulfill the order within the next fortnight, otherwise I shall notify Paypal and ask for a refund. Too bad! I will keep you informed on this post. Stefano

Nice indeed Lukasz! How about a Yellow Wings Grumman (your choice!) in 1:32 next? Stefano

Thanks a lot Brian and Kevin for bringing this book under LSP spotlight. Further to your article, I bought the PDF version and it seems to be a very useful and comprehensive reference for me: I feel confident it is going to be instrumental to improving my (basic) modelling skills. Also noteworthy is the publisher’s customer service. All in all, it is good value for (my) money. Please keep on with your valuable articles and Happy Modelling! Stefano

Thank you very much Jenning and Mike! I was inclined towards the same opinion until I came across Serge Dompierre’ article ( http://www.arcair.com/Gal10/9301-9400/gal9371-P-26-Dompierre/00.shtm) and doubt sparkled. I could not find an appropriate reference from original photos (and all museum originals and replicas walkarounds available on the net depict flaps up). Hopefully, the photo in Peter Bowers’ book you kindly brought in clarifies the doubt. Incidentally, Pete Bowers and my dad were very good friends! They shared the same interest in AAHS. Long time ago. Again grazie mille for your sound advices and for refreshing nice memories! Happy modelling! Stefano

Hello Gents! I need some help from Golden Wings Experts: a. which color was used on the upper surface of Boeing P-26A Peashooters’ flaps? b. which color was used on the corresponding lower part of wing surface where flaps accommodates? Thanks a lot for your advice! Stefano

I”ll follow your build with great interest! Stefano

Hi Gents, here are some notes on my effort in putting your advice into practice. This is not meant to be a scientific dissertation on fixing heavily warped styrene parts, but rather a newbie modeller peer-to-peer list of do’s & don’ts on tackling the issue, based on pro modellers’ suggestions. Please tune your expectations up accordingly and feel free to criticise, integrate or comment. The approach I tested consists in using both methods, hot water bending and clamping, sequentially. The purpose is to reduce initial warp to a manageable residual level using hot water, then clamp parts for a suitable fit and glue them. I started taping the warped part to the flat bottom of a rectangular bowl A6CB1A5D-932E-4496-9707-80108BB28DF4 by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr thus forcing the part to assume (at least partially) the desired plane shape. Hot water is then poured in the bowl to allow for a desired and controlled plastic deformation of the part by thermal transfer. This happens once a transition temperature (TT) is achieved: this is the key factor for a successful process. TT depends on a number of factors (rheological characteristic of specific styrene used, mass of the part) and - alas - has to be determined empirically. It is essential not to exceed TT: excessive thermal transfer will melt the part beyond repair! A fresh water rinse and bath after 3 mins. stabilises the part temperature back to ambient level. The procedure is repeated by increasing water temperature by 5C intervals until TT is achieved. A boiler with a kitchen thermometer will help. 67DC8AC1-2D4B-4FFB-BAED-1A3DA73B6B25 by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr In this case, TT resulted to be around 90C: this was determined by gently applying pressure with a blunt tip prong to the warped part and observing it won’ t spring back to the original shape. Please DO NOT assume this value works for every part of every model: do your testing even though it is a repetitive, time-consuming procedure if you don’t want to thrash your kit (my previous experience!). Some weight is then added (I used a jug filled with water) to put pressure to the warped part and keep it adhering to the flat bottom of the bowl. 1742F469-18D5-42C6-8B1D-D5A176C31215 by Stefano Salvati, su Flickr Further notes on clamping to follow. HTH Happy modelling! Stefano