Milton Keynes show 2009

[Hobbes]

That blue airliner looks intriguing. What is it?

[NARSES2]

Well it was a good day I must admit. Got there a little late due to "planed engineering work" on both Tube and train. Then our Glorious Leader volunteered me as a judge. I was locked in the jury room for 2 hours ! We couldn't leave until the final category had been judged (48th and larger aircraft) as we all had to then vote on the overall champion. I honestly could not believe some of the judges had brought dental mirrors and miniature torches  They were even checking the kids stuff with these ! I judged juniors 11 to 16. Some good stuff but as I did comment to an "official" , one category on the marking sheet was "construction", now how do you give a painted Games Workshop figure anything in that category ? His comment - "well give them 10 points" immediately kick's the kid out of contention. Obviously only a problem in a mixed class like the juniors. The other thing was that the Junior wiiners (2 age groups) were excluded from best of show just in case they one and upset some 50 year olds !!!!

Anyway got to the station at 16:45, got my train and got almost home. Then it snowed  Must have had an inch in 15 minutes, seriously, anyone who knows London knows the transport system can't cope if it even thinks about snowing 

As I said good day 

[Mossie]

The other thing was that the Junior wiiners (2 age groups) were excluded from best of show just in case they one and upset some 50 year olds !!!!

This kind of thing really gets my goat.  I get annoyed at the attitude to kids at model shows.  People mention that it's terrible that the hobby might die out, that kids aren't interested these days (which in my opinion, is far from the truth).  Then those same people criticise the kids that do take part & if there is a prodidgy, take steps to actually prevent them from them from winning the overall title, God forbid if it's upsets someone!!!

[Aircav]

And I found this funny little Chap lurking around 

Yep, you have watch out for him, he looks like someones taken his toys away.

[Martin H]

And I found this funny little Chap lurking around 

Yep, you have watch out for him, he looks like someones taken his toys away.

little?

[PR19_Kit]

That blue airliner looks intriguing. What is it?

Ah yes, that's KLM's second A390-200, complete with the Promenade Deck at the front of the upper deck.

It's two Belugas end to end (not that you'd ever guess of course......) with the cockpit 'de-snooted', lengthened A330 wings with two sets of engines fitted, plus a 747 fin and DC-10 tailplane. The landing gear uses A330, A340 and Beluga bits and it consumed a whole year's production of window decals.....

[Martin H]

time for my photos.

[Radish]

Good to see some civil whiffs on there....gets me thinking...mmmmmmm

[nev]

I don't know whose or what this is - but it looks awfully like The Thing I'm Not Allowed To Say

[Martin H]

thats beast hails from our very own PR19Kit (aka Kit Spackman). Ill let him fill u in on the details.

And despite the fact it was tucked away at the back of the display, it was the subject of more questions than anything else on the table.

[Aircav]

Nice looking Horten, I had an idea about a BEA Boeing 737 in the red and black but I think that may of been done already, also thought about a crome silver Space marines drop pod which hasn't been done, well not yet anyway 

[PR19_Kit]

I don't know whose or what this is - but it looks awfully like The Thing I'm Not Allowed To Say

As Martin says, I'm afraid that one is down to me. (What aren't you allowed to say anyway?)

It's a Grumman S-4B Sentinal. The original S-4A was built in competition to Lockheed's S-3 Viking and when the S-3 ran into problems the USN asked Grumman to upgrade the S-4 improve its performance, which is why it's been their main anti-submarine aircraft to this day......... 

The model is a real Spares Box Special, the fuselage obviously coming from a E-2 Hawkeye, with a fin and ECM fairing from an EF-111 Sparkvark, which in turn supports the 1/144 scale Boeing 767 tailplane. Revell also provided the engines, from an A330 this time, and the u/c fairings came from an Airfix 1/48 Tornado. The u/c wells and cockpit interiors came from a Hobbycraft MV-22, and the u/c itself from an old Fujumi 1/80 scale F-8 Crusader. The best bits are the wings, which were donated by a Hawk 1/126 scale Convair 800 and turned upside down to give a supercritical wing section.

The 880 also provided the fuselage extension, but this time the right way up.

I entered it in the Mushroom Monthly Trophy in 2001, but when we were packing up some gawp knocked it over and broke off all the wing stores, landing gear and engines. I repaired it last week so MK was only its second showing.

[nev]

I don't know whose or what this is - but it looks awfully like The Thing I'm Not Allowed To Say

As Martin says, I'm afraid that one is down to me. (What aren't you allowed to say anyway?)

Old Timers on this board know what The Thing I'm Not Allowed to Say is   Its an old swear filter that Supertom put in years ago - for 2 words that can be used in the most innocuous way.  For example, you could say that all the extra weight in the car was very The Thing I'm Not Allowed To Say the tires

[gunfighter]

That SAAF Falcon looks..

[Martin H]

That SAAF Falcon looks..

Not bad for a Matchbox kit eh?