Kitbasher's blog: City slicker turned beach bum

[Gondor]

I wish I could retire! Saying that I am looking forward to getting my bus pass 

Gondor

[NARSES2]

The world is conspiring against my modelling this year.  I do blame society!

Retire mate   You don't get half as much done as you thought you would but it's still a massive improvement then when working  

Chris (retired 7 years 3 months and 16 days  )

Amen to that, best move I ever made too, retired 6 years, 3 months and 16 days.  

Cor, you were exactly a year ahead of me Chris!  

Yup went a month after my 55th in order to get my full 40 years service in, inc purchased years.

I wish I could retire! Saying that I am looking forward to getting my bus pass  

Gondor

Even better value in London we get trains, tube, Overground and trams within the Greater London Area and national buses for nothing, and when the national age limit went up (and I missed out) Boris brought the London one in at the original age - Long live Boris and Ken  

Get my heating allowance this year as well  

[kitbasher]

The world is conspiring against my modelling this year.  I do blame society!

Retire mate   You don't get half as much done as you thought you would but it's still a massive improvement then when working  

Chris (retired 7 years 3 months and 16 days  )

Amen to that, best move I ever made too, retired 6 years, 3 months and 16 days.  

Cor, you were exactly a year ahead of me Chris!  

Yup went a month after my 55th in order to get my full 40 years service in, inc purchased years.

I wish I could retire! Saying that I am looking forward to getting my bus pass  

Gondor

Even better value in London we get trains, tube, Overground and trams within the Greater London Area and national buses for nothing, and when the national age limit went up (and I missed out) Boris brought the London one in at the original age - Long live Boris and Ken  

Get my heating allowance this year as well  

This is why I still have work - so my taxes can fund all these lives of unparalleled cosseted luxury!

[Rheged]

The world is conspiring against my modelling this year.  I do blame society!

Retire mate   You don't get half as much done as you thought you would but it's still a massive improvement then when working  

Chris (retired 7 years 3 months and 16 days  )

Amen to that, best move I ever made too, retired 6 years, 3 months and 16 days.  

Cor, you were exactly a year ahead of me Chris!  

Yup went a month after my 55th in order to get my full 40 years service in, inc purchased years.

I wish I could retire! Saying that I am looking forward to getting my bus pass  

Gondor

Even better value in London we get trains, tube, Overground and trams within the Greater London Area and national buses for nothing, and when the national age limit went up (and I missed out) Boris brought the London one in at the original age - Long live Boris and Ken  

Get my heating allowance this year as well  

This is why I still have work - so my taxes can fund all these lives of unparalleled cosseted luxury!

Thank you for your generous contribution to  my retirement!!  I can claim my old codgers bus pass next month, and Madame and I will be getting the heating allowance too........more cash to spend on plastic.......... and Madame to spend on gardening.

[kitbasher]

You're welcome!

[PR19_Kit]

The world is conspiring against my modelling this year.  I do blame society!

Retire mate   You don't get half as much done as you thought you would but it's still a massive improvement then when working  

Chris (retired 7 years 3 months and 16 days  )

Amen to that, best move I ever made too, retired 6 years, 3 months and 16 days.  

Cor, you were exactly a year ahead of me Chris!  

Yup went a month after my 55th in order to get my full 40 years service in, inc purchased years.

I wish I could retire! Saying that I am looking forward to getting my bus pass  

Gondor

Even better value in London we get trains, tube, Overground and trams within the Greater London Area and national buses for nothing, and when the national age limit went up (and I missed out) Boris brought the London one in at the original age - Long live Boris and Ken  

Get my heating allowance this year as well  

This is why I still have work - so my taxes can fund all these lives of unparalleled cosseted luxury!

Your turn will come Dave                                                  eventually.   

[kitbasher]

A few day's leave comes to an end.  A few days in lovely Whitstable, including a visit to the Hornby Visitor Centre where I was treated to a shiny new not even on the shelves F.6 Lightning kit.  After some negotiation, that is:
    a. with the wife who wanted to get me a reduced-price F-5A starter kit - she was encouraging me to whif it and generous an offer though it was it's a horrible kit that needs to be quietly put out to grass.
    b. with the staff as the new 1/72 Lightnings weren't due to be put on the shelves until the next day.

So a day to myself spent mostly researching modelling subjects or tidying up my references - but more importantly catching up with some part-builds and bringing them closer to completion.  I've decided that the first new project of 2015 will be an English Electric P.6/1 (OK there may be a bit of approximation/artistic licence but that will be kept to a minimum).  In addition, having been inspired by something Chinese, I know what to do with the Academy MiG-21 that donated its markings to my recent Frogfoot (http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,38357.msg627370.html#msg627370).

Finally - and I've been itching to start it and I know it's a kit with problems but still it will be an OOB fun build - several parts of an Airfix MiG-15 (A02037) were cut and stuck.  Brought back memories of building one of the original Airfix MiG-15s many many years ago - in mum & dad's kitchen I recall - and again in 1999 whilst in Kuwait (and as a whiffed up WW2 Luftwaffe model, ages before I'd got into whiffery).  Looking forward to a relaxing build - planning to finish it in Hungarian markings, but that may change.

EDIT: the 'something Chinese' is, specifically the Guizhou JL-9 JL-9 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guizhou_JL-9, http://www.military-today.com/aircraft/jl9.htm, http://www.tomcat521.com/afspace/jdqy/jl-9/04.jpg), likely to be in Swiss colours.

[McColm]

You'll be going on Saga holidays next!

[kitbasher]

You'll be going on Saga holidays next!

That must be the cruellest thing said on this forum.

Saga holidays? NEVER!!!!  I'd rather cut off one of my arms and beat myself with the soggy end than do that!

[NARSES2]

 

[kitbasher]

So a day to myself spent mostly researching modelling subjects or tidying up my references - but more importantly catching up with some part-builds and bringing them closer to completion.  I've decided that the first new project of 2015 will be an English Electric P.6/1 (OK there may be a bit of approximation/artistic licence but that will be kept to a minimum).  In addition, having been inspired by something Chinese, I know what to do with the Academy MiG-21 that donated its markings to my recent Frogfoot (http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,38357.msg627370.html#msg627370).

What I should have said was that deciding on the P.6/1 build followed a path of such meandering it made the Amazon look as though it went in a straight line!  Originally inspired by Weaver's EE P.7D I was simply going to do my take on that using a Kopro Su-9 as the base kit (it's OK, we swapped PMs about it).  Then I was simply going to build the Su-9 'as is' but in Egyptian markings (no, not real world  - only the USSR operated Su-9s) but a recent thumb through the 'British Secret Projects - Fighters' book and some photocopying at work, the P.6/1 is back on.

And another early build will be a Westland W.36 Jet Wyvern courtesy of some of my own research, The Wooksta's great generosity and some inspiration from one of Lenny 100's builds.  Thanks guys, I hope I do well!

As for the MiG-21, that's back in the melting pot/possible SMW2014 Kitswap fodder!

[kitbasher]

Quite a while since I updated my blog.  Probably an accurate reflection of the amount of time I've devoted to modelling of late.  Just haven't had the time or motivation.  Keeping up on the forum though, mostly through my phone.  Ho hum.

Well, I guess 'Telford Fever' must have got a grip as the least few days I've been tinkering with some works in progress.  At this time of year I'm trying to get things done for Telford; well, not so this year.  Concentrating instead on some leisurely finishing off of unfinished builds and resisting the temptation to start something new when so much is only partly done.  I have been seduced by an Airfix MiG-15 - yes it has its well-documented faults but it it's a nice little kit to play with as a bit of relaxing modelling 'therapy'.  Goes together nicely OOB (and it will be real world OOB in the Hungarian markings), minimum filler and sanding needed.  A bit of a departure for me, and the last Airfix MiG-19 I built was done in 1999 in whif Luftwaffe colours and hung from the ceiling in my room at Ali al Salem.  It was still there three years later!

This time of year I'm also clearing out stuff from the tash for sale (hopefully) at the Kitswap.  The sorting is happening but not for Kitswap (not this year at least).  May sell them through the forum or use them as part exchange with Collectakit or (maybe, don't know whether Tony and Jan would consider it) with AJ Aviation Publishing.  Thy may all still be in the sales box this time next year, of course!

Amazing to think that this time next week SMW will be almost over for another year.  Where on earth does the time go, eh?

[The Wooksta!]

Remember, anything Spitfire related may well have a home with me!

[kitbasher]

Well it's nearly Christmas Day and I'm pretty certain now that Santa won't be delivering a new Airfix Swift in the morning.  Which is not a bad thing really as I really do have plenty in the stash to contend with - a bit of a wait for a Swift won't hurt - and what with so little kitbashing having occurred this year, said stash isn't going to go down in any sort of hurry!  Which is a shame as I'd got back into the modelling groove courtesy of whiffery.  Still, I can only hope 2015 sees a return to form, that enough modelling time materialises and that I can finish off the incomplete builds.

So about 2015.  What an amazing regeneration job Airfix have done in recent years - the 'James May Factor' clearly hasn't quite worn off judging by the speculation surrounding the 2015 releases.  Being a dyed in the wool 1/72 aircraft builder here's my thoughts about the new products:

• There's still a few 2014 releases yet to hit the streets, so let's not be surprised if a number of the 2105 releases don't arrive until 2016.
• Oddly the one I'm looking forward to most is the Defiant.  Not a clue why but there you go.  Possibly memories of the awful ancient original Airfix Defiant.  The stash's MPM Defiant will probably now be built as a P.94.
• Then the 'Kate'.  By my reckoning only the fourth Japanese type to be kitted by Airfix and, discounting the Zero repop, the first since the Val and the Dinah in 1965.  That's 50 years ago!  Anyway there's a personal link with the type and a real world build beckons.
• The Shackleton.  I should be excited about this and to be honest I am.  It'll be interesting to see how Airfix eventually addresses the AEW.2 (a conversion similar to the Valiant tanker set perhaps?) and what the aftermarket sector comes up with.  My enthusiasm is tempered by the fact that I've an old, built FROG MR.3 in the loft with an Aeroclub AEW.2 conversion to use up.  The MR.3 was built in the days when all my models were finished 'gear up', but amazingly I have the undercarriage in the spares box still, so I guess I could still go for a straight MR.3 rebuild, or an AEW.3 whiff.  Also how will Airfix do the rivets?  They'll be damned if they do and damned if they don't I reckon.  BUT I DO WANT ONE!
• The Beaufighter looks nice and despite owning a Hasegawa Mk X I'm tempted  - if only for what should be a far superior interior.  The Hasegawa Beau X does come with the big dorsal fin and thimble nose though, which is what I need for my planned post-WW2 TF.10 and may not be the case with the Airfix Mk X.  Should be a great basis for a TT.10 though.
• The Whitley I think will grow on me as a subject, and apart from the Kate is the big surprise for me.  Getting tempted as I type!
• Wildcat - a good move by Airfix but I've one built and won't be building another (unless perhaps as late-WW2 Wildcat VI, so Colin Freightdog get the conversion kit started pronto!).
• There's an Italeri Stuka in the stash and the He 111 has never excited me an an aircraft.
• AV-8A - not for me
• Sea King.  Helicopters are the Devil's Aircraft   so won't be tempted there, I can tell you!

And that concludes Kitbasher's Kritique of the new Airfix 1/72 aircraft for 2015.  Which pretty much leaves me to wish you all a very Merry Kitmas and Whiffy New Year.

[Captain Canada]

Merry Kitmas to you as well ! Nice read on your take on the Airfix news. I'm excited for the Shak but then again not. Probably wait and see if they come out with the AEW conversion/ new kit as well.