Patrick_Nevin

Always wanted to do one of these, so if time permits I'd like to join in :)

What's your source for that assertion please, Les? Personally, I think they are highly underdeveloped (unsurprising: it's hardly likely the extremely rich and hence influential petroleum industry would exactly encourage the competition) and possible very viable sources of energy, that are effectively infinite. I'd add wave power, too. As opposed to the noticeably dwindling global oil reserves. Not Greenpeace tree hugger, just pragmatic and interested in the future... Patrick

If of any use, the SAM guide to the meteor (Richard Caruana/Richard Franks) mentions both: The PJ meatbox is reportedly very nice, but 1.5mm too long in the span (shrug) but 7mm too short in fuselage length (eek). The Aeroclub is (by the same reports) dimensionally accurate and 'the best and only real option in 72nd' HTH, Patrick

That's the one that was translated for an American owner, isn't it?

Obviously local conditions apply (for a start, I've no idea how congested the highways are your locale.) So, we reset the speed limit up to, say 170 mph. Freedom at last! Not a few people advocate doing exactly this. It's rarely just the speed itself that causes issues, it's far more usually the speed delta multiplied by the mass. You wouldn't advocate lorries doing that same high speed, would you? I mean, one of those gets caught in a side wind doing 150+ and on the F=mv side, there'd be a LOT of damage. No disrespect to lorry drivers, who are very cool, but you'd likely end up with th

Because not everyone has followed the leaps and bounds? :)

Besides the obvious ones quoted (S. Weaver, R. Hauer etc) I really like (best film never made, IMHO :))

Just got this: It's a little gem at first acquaintance. I don't want to open the bags yet (got too many unfinished models!) but it looks really well done. I've been looking for one for ages to hang under a 701st Kokutai G4M, am now rather glad the other eBay-ites beat me to the Hawk ones. It's got the warhead and engines (venturi cast in single pieces and beautifully...er...fine :)) , tiny and rather gorgeous decal sheet with lovely in-register (unlike some of my photography, sorry!) flowers, instruments and stencilling; clear, thin, three-part canopy and Hasegawa-quality engraved pan

I think you could argue the famed fit against the extra detail, but they're certainly in the same ballpark and one costs £17 while the other is £29. And one of the two manufacturers is working its way down the subvariants, milking the market quite nicely while the other languishes...

Bali was the one that's most scared me so far :) Although, driving through Rhodes central: narrow street, parked cars either side, being simultaneously over- and under-taken by scooterists was quite good for the digestion, too.

1) Front tyre deflation. You don't even know it's happened, for the first few confused seconds. Hello, I appear to be surfing the tarmac (if you're lucky, that is...) It's simply not nice. 2) SMIDSY's :) 3) People who ignore the 3/4 mile of empty room behind, pull into the 20 feet braking space in front and whack on the anchors to go 90-60 (I read similar above - happens here, too.) Bike has pretty good brakes, car likewise, yet neither can compare with an Audi or BM smoking the ABS into the road. Not to mention the thinking time you haven't got. It's bad for the vehicles, the environme

I just received two 32nd MiG cockpits by AMS (via the excellent Sprue Brothers.) They are so nice looking, I am seriously tempted to shelf the current builds and dig out the Cold War fighters instead. Kudos, sir, they are absolutely lovely: lots of high-relief detail cast very cleanly indeed. Patrick

That is really....sickeningly....fine work :) Thankyou Sergey, from the heart of my overdraft. Patrick

When I looked at the markings, it seemed very similar to his F-6/U W.Nr. 6750, so I was planning to use Techmod 48016 myself which has markings for this (and make any changes required nearer the time :)) Patrick

That's come out very nicely sir - between yourself and the ancient plastic a fine work indeed.

As I wait for the one being shipped I am wondering if Encore will sell the 'care package' separately. After all, the un-pampered one in the stash is going to feel a bit the poor relation....

I just deeply admire your models, sir. High kudos!

Read some Ecclesiastes mister, all this stuff is pretty meaningless considered on purely its own merit. However if you work on the human side (did these models give said builder pleasure, did they give him/her opportunities to think while modelling etc) it's not necessarily bad :) Patrick

Indeed. Aldi (our local cheap supermarket) do one here sometimes for about the equivalent in British Sponds. I bought several last time and brought one into work - one of the guys had a good scoff, as his family runs (I gather) a precision instrument recalibration business and this was obviously a little lower than top quality built. He took it away to prove his points and....came back two days later saying he really couldn't find much fault with it for the price. Does the job, comes in very handy for modelling on occasion.

Yep, had stuff from them, fine dealer.

Go on, 'olmes - get with the program. Loot one, and build it.

OW. 3 recent ones: 1 - of course I can simply remove the tiny Klear bubble with a cotton bud dipped in thinner: 2- discovering AMT plastic can be brittle: 3: accepting a third kit of the above...

What are your references for this, please?

Eh? If that was the one I think you mean, I was pretty sure it was no mistake - it was a defection (and was up there with Arnim Faber's true mistake, in terms of value gained.) The one with the completely accidental Canadian fighter escort? This model is very nicely realised, by the way - love the way the wash has gone down :)

+1 on that! Can you please give us a little education on how you go from plastic part to immaculately-structured and aligned skeletal structures? They're EXTREMELY impressive work, I'd really like to know how you work out what you're going to do, how you construct the parts and (not least) how you align and secure them in relation to each other... Patrick