I had a good time at the model club last night. We had a building session - bring your tools and a kit and get going. It was fun to sit and talk about what everyone else was plugging away with. Plenty of ship kits for next months competition including a US Monitor and a pair of LTV-4 from Rubicon which look nice.

Guy next to me had a fancy magnetic base with clips for holding the small parts. Something like this but not quite as fancy. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnetic-Helping-Hands-Soldering-Station/dp/B08QYTYX5H?th=1

Made a start on the Matchbox Challenger and got most of the hull done. The rubber tracks look rather bendy and past experience tells me they don't always glue or stay in the right shape so I might cut them short, wrap them around the ends and bottom of the wheels and hide the gap under the side skirts.
I can't find any 1/72 replacement sets online.

When I'm happy with this I will start on the Marksman turret.

The actual turret will probably remain unbuilt until I have a better idea for it. Right now I'm imagining it on the surface of a mudbath with a pair of muddy squaddies stood on top while the ARV pulls the tank out.

Quote from: Nick on February 09, 2024, 08:02:10 AMThe actual turret will probably remain unbuilt until I have a better idea for it. Right now I'm imagining it on the surface of a mudbath with a pair of muddy squaddies stood on top while the ARV pulls the tank out.

That's not a bad idea - an effective use of something which otherwise would languish in the spares box, and a bit of fun, too!
'I told you to give it more Welly!'
'You're the one that'll be cleaning it out!'

Went down to the Tank Museum at Bovington today with some of the guys from the club. It's changed a bit since I was there in 2014 with more emphasis on the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts - good place for reference photos for the Airfix kits like the Jackal and WMIK.

They have installed a very moving memorial featuring all the units in the Royal Armoured Corps since 1939. There's a video which scrolls through the names of the 12,600 dead. Every couple of minutes they read out the name, rank and age of a soldier and give details of his service and what happened to them. A recent death had the father of a dead trooper telling his side of things. Very sobering.

I mentioned previously that I have acquired a pair of big kits for just £5 each from a local charity shop. These are the Airfix BBMF set and the Revell Airbus A380. Battered boxes with a hint of sun damage, resealed with parcel tape.



I only had time for a quick squint in the A380 box but the boxes felt full of plastic and in the worst case I'd have a pile of spares. Nothing ventured, nothing gained... 

Airfix released this BBMF set A05158 in 2014. It is currently priced at around £40 on Ebay. The paints and brushes have gone but that's no great loss. Decal sheet and instructions have gotten damp at some point but are not ruined.
Everything else: the Lancaster B.MkIII, Spitfire MkIIa and Spitfire PR.XIX, plus the stands; all there in UNOPENED BAGS   

I only really want the Lancaster 

****

The A380 is not so good. It looks like a youngster started it on Xmas Day and gave up on Boxing Day. No painting and the decals have been stuck badly onto the fuselage parts. There should be 20 main wheels in there but I can only find 9. The landing gear is part done.
Thankfully the clear parts are all there and the decals for the cockpit area are untouched but this has also been stored in a damp environment like a shed or garage. 

I can see myself building this in flight mode with the wheels up. Obviously it'll be a different scheme. Air Force One, Blair Force One, EU Forza Uno, RAF Transport Command - who knows?
British Airways would be nice to go with my Concorde   

Nice score!! Wheels up is a good plan.

Even in 1/144 that is big!

First time I saw a 1:1 380 in the flesh I couldn't believe how huge it was.

Quote from: Nick on February 24, 2024, 01:04:11 PMBritish Airways would be nice to go with my Concorde   

Here ya go:

https://joydecals.com/decals-by-aircraft/airbus/a-380/

Quote from: Rick Lowe on February 24, 2024, 11:11:01 PM

Quote from: Nick on February 24, 2024, 01:04:11 PMBritish Airways would be nice to go with my Concorde   

Here ya go:

https://joydecals.com/decals-by-aircraft/airbus/a-380/

Slightly annoying website but they have some stuff i'd like.  Shame the exchange rate is so crap.

Quote from: zenrat on February 24, 2024, 10:28:04 PMFirst time I saw a 1:1 380 in the flesh I couldn't believe how huge it was.

I was at Farnborough when the first one flew in and the hush was almost audible (If you know what I mean....) as it taxied in. The thing TOWERED over everything, and that included the hangars!

Quote from: PR19_Kit on February 25, 2024, 03:25:23 AM

Quote from: zenrat on February 24, 2024, 10:28:04 PMFirst time I saw a 1:1 380 in the flesh I couldn't believe how huge it was.

I was at Farnborough when the first one flew in and the hush was almost audible (If you know what I mean....) as it taxied in. The thing TOWERED over everything, and that included the hangars!

I used to watch the A380s fly into Heathrow on the flightpath over Westminster. They looked very low then due to their being massive!
Saw one do a display at Farnborough in 2018 showing off her moves when unloaded. Impressive!
 


Last night was the regular club Zoom chat where we sit at our benches and talk online. The next club comp is Crest of a Wave - anything nautical. I got busy with the Airfix SR.N1 hovercraft which is of their Vintage Classic range. The kit is actually dated on the underside as Airfix 1960 

Goes together quite well with slightly more parts clean up and shaving to make it fit than todays kits. I've built each of the main segments separately so I can paint them before putting together. The biggest issue so far is around the edges of the hull where the join shows but there are ridges which I need to avoid sanding off. That's a job for tonight while watching TV.

I would like to see the real thing but that's in the Science Musuem store at Wroughton and not open to visitors yet. 
I need to know how the main funnel was attached internally and if there should be gaps around the lower edge.

Hey, Nick.
There might be something here:

https://www.agefotostock.com/age/en/Stock-Images/sr-n1-hovercraft.html

One or two shots are looking down into the funnel - they may have what you need.

More here:

https://www.bartiesworld.co.uk/hovercraft/srn1.php

Including one of the thing under construction, which may have a clue or two.

There are lots of other shots on .ru sites, but it's up to you whether you want to risk them...

Quote from: Rick Lowe on March 01, 2024, 03:14:52 AMHey, Nick.
There might be something here:

Thanks for that Rick, there's some great shots there. I shall press on with the model tonight.

In other news I am glad it's payday because I need to spend more cash than I'd like to...
My mobile phone has a battery fault so I need to either repair or replace it.
The foglight / DRL on my car has cracked open needing replacement.
The car seems a bit sluggish and the mpg is dropping steadily. Might be the cool weather or something to do with the sensors or belts or battery.

Glad to have been of some help. 

Yeah, it seems like cars are there to cost us money and the transportation thing is a side effect...

Quote from: Nick on March 01, 2024, 10:33:53 AM

Quote from: Rick Lowe on March 01, 2024, 03:14:52 AMHey, Nick.
There might be something here:

Thanks for that Rick, there's some great shots there. I shall press on with the model tonight.

In other news I am glad it's payday because I need to spend more cash than I'd like to...
My mobile phone has a battery fault so I need to either repair or replace it.
The foglight / DRL on my car has cracked open needing replacement.
The car seems a bit sluggish and the mpg is dropping steadily. Might be the cool weather or something to do with the sensors or belts or battery.

Depends a lot on what car/engine we're dealing with, but for any combustion engine, dirty air filters will cause symptoms like these. Often easily checked/sorted as well.

When did you last change the plugs?