Faust

An old adage is “If it looks right, it flies right”. This implies that a well-designed, well-flying plane is one that is aerodynamically sound, and that this translates, on some subconscious level, to a perception of beauty. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but by and large it is pretty true. (I think the A-10 is hot, so don’t bring that as a counterexample!) Of course, beautiful planes are one thing, but just like how I like loser cars, I have a thing for making pretty airplanes ugly. I absolutely love it when a plane gets all kinds of lumps and bulges, be it for EW purposes, or some other reason. One thing above all that I love is a big spine! Taking an otherwise lithe and athletic aircraft and putting a MASSIVE SPINE on it just works. OA-4Ms, Thunderstick II Thuds, Sufas… you name it, if it has a big spine or a hunchback, I’m on it like… well, a fat spine on a lithe plane! Thus, I was pretty pumped to get my hands on the Zveszda Mig-29SMT. Nothing takes the “Russian-chic” of the Fulcrum and junks it up like a massive hunchback of a fuel tank! Add a centreline tank to add a belly, and the poor SMT’s just got “fat and slow” written all over it! Check out Zvezda’s take on this last of the original Fulcrum family at the link below. You can’t like to yourself any more; you know you want it! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/zvezda-1-72-mig-29-smt-oob/

The BRAT keeps on rolling! Well, not physically, since I haven’t done the wheels and tires yet, but it’s metaphorically well on its way! One part of cars I really like is the interior, and while it’s simple, the old AMT Brat has some nice detailing. The texture of the carpet and the detail on the door panels and seats is great; it’s a bit too bad it isn’t going to be more visible! Still, I’ve had a good time building it, and I’m glad that I cut the bucket separate from the bed. Best move ever. I’ve also got the paint on, and that meant it was time to look at the decals. Since this is an original BRAT, not the reissue, I don’t have that super-nice looking new sheet to work with. I had a scan of it, but that’s cheating, and I wanted to make the originals work. WOW… that’s quite a fight! Check out the ups, downs ins and outs at the link below! Despite what it looks like, I think things are getting close! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/2019/07/31/brat-update-3-sit-down-dress-up-and-hold-on/

The Battle of the BRAT rages on! I’ve been hacking away at the original AMT BRAT for a while now, and am making good progress. Thankfully, the body seems to have the highest number of flaws, since I was able to get the chassis and engine done without major issue. Of course, that doesn’t mean AMT still didn’t find ways to disappoint; that would be unthinkable! From poor location to just plain old forgetting to finish the job, the BRAT has some interesting quicks in its lower half. You can check out the chassis and engine at the link below, and if you’ve got a reissue of this kit, let me know if they fixed the issue on the motor. https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/2019/07/16/brat-update-2-topless-on-bottom/

If you know me, then you know my thing is weird cars, the everyday and what I call “loser cars”. One of the most recognized, reviled and joked about loser cars of the Automotive Dark Ages was the Ford Pinto. With a reputation for blowing up like a stick of Looney Tunes dynamite and a design that was a weird mix of practical and impractically underpowered and underbuilt, the Pinto has long epitomized how low things could go. It’s no surprise then that I was beside myself with excitement when Round 2 anounced they were going to give us our SECOND Pinto reissue. First, there was the Pony Express wagon, followed now by the AMT 1977 hatchback! For Pinto-philes (even sounds gross) and loser-lovers like me, getting a chance to own the second-ugliest installment of Ford’s incendiary blighter was something that had only been hoped for. I managed to snag one a week and change ago, and I’m really surprised to see that no one else out there seems to have jumped on this one. Of course, that might be because, unlike me, they knew what to expect! Check out my out of box review for this new stain on your modelling display at the link below, and bring your fire extinguishers! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/1-25-amt-round-2-1977-pinto-runabout-oob/

Is it funny, or sad? Or is it funny, because it's so sad!? :)

There’s not much more fun than a road trip, unless it’s a road trip that also includes going to Hobby Shops along the way! A couple of weeks ago, my brother and I ended up doing some “hobby shopping” in Michigan, and it was not without considerable success! We managed to find all kinds of old, interesting and (of course!) sad car kits that begged to become part of the stash. Being kind-hearted, we of course took them in! Check out this weird mix of everything from MPC Annuals to JoHan promo-kits at the link below! Don’t forget to vote for your favourite, either! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/cross-border-car-bonanza/

I do love a good mech, and I have a particular fondness for mech shows and designs from the ‘80s. Even though I didn’t grow up with a lot of mech shows, there’s something about the animes from this time frame that others just don’t have. One thing that was nice is that there weren’t ‘rules’ yet for how a Gundam, or even a non-Gundam should “look”. Before EVA’s “Stringbean Chic” approach, mecha could be chunky and still look cool. A perfect example are the mecha from Metal Armour Dragonar. While they have some Gundam in them, they are just as much equal parts Layzner and there’s a hint of “super robot” in there too. I was very lucky when I found pretty much every Dragonar kit had been reissued a few years ago, and go my local shop to order them for me. Since there hasn’t been much new in the world of mech kits that’s grabbed my attention lately, I decided I’d bust out a classic and review it! If you want to see how a Hero Mech was done in 1987, then check out my out of box review on the classic 1/144 Dragonar 1 + Lifter, below. In some ways, we’ve come a long way, but there’s still a quaint charm about this guy! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/bandai-1-144-xd-01-dragonar-1-xdfu-01-lifter-1-oob/

Well, it’s taken me a while, but I’ve finally managed to make some headway on the BRAT. I was very excited to get one, since I had turned one down (stupidly) years ago. I think it was a good thing, though, since I’ve built up my skills at cars in the meantime. And let me tell you… boy, do you need to be ready to leverage some skill against this thing! After a lot of work, modifying the body and interior pans, adding, reshaping and scribing parts, the body is pretty much ready for paint! However, it was a long haul. Given that the reissue is due out in a month or so, you can get a preview of what you’re up against here. It won’t likely have gotten any easier with age! Despite it all, though, the BRAT’s such an interesting, niche vehicle that I have to say it’s worth all the work. Check out the first build update below, and get ready for a workout! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/2019/05/22/brat-update-1-grind-that-body/

I have that CRX kit too, I think. The Ballade Sports CR-X1.5, right? What colour was your car? You can't be Hondas for durability, but their high resale after that many miles never ceases to amaze me!

Ooh... I didn't scroll down far enough. Mods: is there any way you can move this for me? I really didn't mean to step on anybody's toes! Thanks!

Thanks, Whiskey. Sorry about putting it here. However, I don't know where it should go. I went to go to the "others" forum, but it was closed, and apparently all the stuff was scattered where it belonged. Problem is, I can't figure out WHERE this thing DOES belong! If anyone knows and can move it, I'm certainly glad for the help!

Anyone who knows me knows I love loser cars. There’s a lot of things that can make a car a loser, though. We know that Pintos explode, and Vegas melt down, Citations fall apart and anything that’s a mid-to-late-70s Ford can slip a gear and run you over in your own driveway. However, there’s more to loserness than just that. For me, a lot of loserness just comes from being no fun. I am someone who likes to drive, and likes to drive cars that are interesting. I have no love of “Soulless personal transport modules” that blandly do little more than move you from point to point. For that reason, the mid-80s Honda Civics have always been losers to me. They had lots of ugly black plastic, and were these revvy, sputtery little econoboxes that even made Citations look stylish. Thus, when I had a chance to get one, I knew I had to have it for my loser car museum. While it might be mechanically sound, it’s still one of those cars that I hope we remember so we never go back to anything that bland again. Check out my build of the Tamiya ’85 Civic below, and tell me what you think. https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/cars/tamiya-1-24-1984-honda-civic/

It’s not just loser cars that I like. I also like loser airplanes. For all the great aircraft that have served the US Navy over the course of its lifetime, there have also been a few… well… flops. The word “flop” really seems appropriate when you consider the Brewster F2A Buffalo. Sure, it was the first USN monoplane, so you have to cut it some slack… but still. I have several 1/72 Buffalos, like the Farpro Japan and ancient Revell. However, it will come as no surprise if you’ve ever visited my site, that I’ve always wanted the Matchbox. It’s been hard to find, and the first time I’ve seen one since I was a kid was this year at the HeritageCon show in Hamilton, Ontario. Of course I got it, and it won a poll I ran to see which was the kit most people wanted to see reviewed. So, check out this classic bit of Matchbox engineering, and remember, it doesn’t get any better than this! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/matchbox-1-72-brewster-buffalo-oob/

One kind of modelling that has always been near and dear to my heart is “What If” stuff. I love project aircraft (particularly Luft ’46, but others too) and weapons of all sorts. Of course, What If can encompass a whole range of things, from Nazi UFOs to simply applying some different markings to a particular vehicle to represent it in an alternative service or capacity in which it was never found. The one kind of What If that’s pretty hard to come by, though, is a “real” What If. In other words, hardware that was developed, but only barely made it into prototype or limited production but didn’t get used. One example of this is the Bachem Natter; the Ba-349 was produced in small numbers, and was deployed in Operation Krokus. However, Natters never saw action (much to their pilots’ relief, I’m sure) and while a few were captured, nothing ever became of them. To go along with such a rare “real” What If, Brengun made another “real” What If kit – the wooden trailer/launch rail that was supposed to be used for launching the Natter! This is a really weird kit, and is, very unusually for me, a resin model. However, since I do like Natters, I thought it would be cool to build it. Check it out at the link below, and you’ll see how you can probably imagine a couple of other uses for it too! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/brengun-1-72-natter-trailer-launcher/

I never think I'll leave empty handed, and I don't think I ever will! There's always something interesting there; books, kits, tools... too hard to pass up some of the deals! :)