Kitbasher's blog: City slicker turned beach bum

[kitbasher]

The 'Sea Master' fish & chippery is the place. Blue plaque clearly visible on Google Street view but not legible. Will post a picture soon.

[kitbasher]

Hunters are getting some more attention, as is the front end of a Matchbox T7. The freebie Angel Interceptor from Nick has had some work done on the joins, and a little bit of work has been done on a Merlin Meteor F8 that's been in the stash since about 1986-87!
Just need some quickish builds to get back into the groove following the recent hiatus.
Angel Interceptor BTW will acquire some additional stores and I think will be grey. Initially tempted to put some Paveways on it but on second thoughts keeping the interceptor vibe is more attractive.

[kitbasher]

Any modeller who does not think the Airfix Vampire T.11 is a lovely, lovely kit is a soulless curmudgeon!  Can't wait to build it (as a real-world T.11 - probably 5 FTS OOB)

I was going to fight a long-stashed Merlin Vampire T.11 into submission and turn it into an NF.10 but no - a conversion of the Airfix T.11 will be so much easier.  I do have plans for the Merlin kit, though - watch this space!

Whilst on the subject of the Merlin Vampire, it was only when reading discussions in threads elsewhere on this forum and (I think) Britmodeller that I became aware that Chris Gannon had been the pattern maker for Mr Merlin.  The latter's name escapes me and I think the threads developed following his recent death.  Anyway, back to the Merlin Vampire.  A close look at the parts, the nature of the plastic, etc, definitely reveals a kit that to me could have passed as a Pegasus product around the time of the Balliol, Defiant target tug and others.  Perhaps not so much in the actual execution, but certainly in the design.  For example, there is some really fine recessed panel line detail, especially on the fuselage pod halves.

As for my current builds, the Merlin Meteor, Matchbox Hunter and Airfix Hunter are still being worked on.  A mixture of slapping parts together and some PSR - hopefully they'll be finished soon and I'll be able to return to the other part-builds.

[PR19_Kit]

For example, there is some really fine recessed panel line detail, especially on the fuselage pod halves.

Such a pity that you have to do so much PSR on the bits to make them fit properly that all that fine detail vanishes! 

I'd be surprised if the Merlin 'TSR2' (the phrase 'TSR2' is used here in its WIDEST possible sense!) had anything to do with Chris Gannon, I can't think of one single positive thing to say about that diabolical 'kit'! (The word 'kit' is used etc etc....)

[kitbasher]

Such a pity that you have to do so much PSR on the bits to make them fit properly that all that fine detail vanishes!  

Very true.  The Merlin Meteor is a surprise though - parts go together reasonably well with little PSR.  The plastic is somewhat brittle and takes a fair amount of liquid cement to get it to melt enough to bond to other parts, fingers, etc.  I recall seeing somewhere that it is a clone of the old FROG F8 - certainly looks like the one I saw unbuilt.  Again some very refined detail (almost invisible to be honest) combined with some that is somewhat hit and miss.  I do like the swirls in the plastic that look and feel like finger/big toe prints though!

[The Wooksta!]

The Merlin T11 looks likeit would do as a decent front end for the DH116 "super Venom".  An Airfix Hunter would give you the arse end and a Sea Vixen (or reshaped Novo Hunter F1) the wings. That's the recipe I came up with anyway.

[kitbasher]

Oddly enough Wooks I enlarged the BSP Super Venom plans to 1/72 scale and came to a similar conclusion about a fortnight ago.
However for now at least I've plans for some Merlin components (I've got the remains of a second Merlin Vampire as well) for another BSP that could use NOVO Sea Vixen outer wing panels too.

[kitbasher]

Stash census finally complete!  At 212 it's small by the standards of many but it seems a lot to me.  
Included in the tally are:

• 11 in various stages of construction (some may say they're not really in the stash)
• 17 identified as future sales.
• 84 Airfix
• 33 Spitfires/Spitefuls plus some related conversion parts (pitiful compared to Wooksta's Spitfire haul

So, the total will be down to 184 when the builds are done and the sales are sold.  And the only new kits I'm hankering after are the forthcoming Airfix Typhoon Ib and Lightning F.2A.  Although an Airfix Valiant would be nice t- take note AGAIN Santa!

Assuming 186 in the stash at the end of this year, no subsequent purchases or disposals and a build rate of one per calendar month, they should all be built by 1 July 2029.  I will be very old by then; my daughter will be 42 and my son 39.

So how big are your stashes, and do you think you'll live to see it all built?

[PR19_Kit]

So how big are your stashes, and do you think you'll live to see it all built?

HUGE! 

At the last attempt at a census Mrs_PR19 and I got as far as 1000 and gave up the unequal task. As I'm now 70 there's NO way I'll ever build them all so it'll be down to my two daughters to sort that lot out eventually. Do I care? No........... 

[The Wooksta!]

I think mine is well over the 1,000 mark.  I don't know how many Spitfires I have, I have a considerable number of Lancasters (full set of Hasegawa ones plus some dupes), Hornets* and Mosquitos.  I like line ups and if I have one idea, I usually have a few more and want to do them all.



*The De Havilland one, not the overated US hairdrier.  I intend to do a new version of The Plan for the DH Hornet at some stage.

[kitbasher]

*The De Havilland one, not the overated US hairdrier.  I intend to do a new version of The Plan for the DH Hornet at some stage.

Look forward to seeing Plan 2.  As for Hornets, yes, the de Havilland Hornet is a beautiful and overlooked aircraft.  As for the F-18, I actually rather like it - the F-16 is the 'overrated US hairdrier' to me.  I've always been able to see the F-18 as an RAF/FAA aircraft (but never the F-16), ditto the A-5 Vigilante (but never the F-111).

[NARSES2]

Stash size - got to 1,000 and stopped counting  Gradually reducing it via E-bay

[Father Ennis]

I haven't a clue as to the size of my stash.  I don't really care,either. There is always room for a few more ...

[kitbasher]

I haven't a clue as to the size of my stash.  I don't really care,either. There is always room for a few more ...

Ha ha! Healthy attitude!

[PR19_Kit]

There is always room for a few more ...

Not in my house there isn't.............