Nick's Notes

[NARSES2]

My mum has for years collected the PG Tips cards. 

They are the ones I remember and most of the sets in the early 60's were to do with wildlife - British birds, African mammals and British Wildflowers are the ones I can remember collecting. There was a stall in Brixton Indoor Market that used to sell the complete albums and I bought a couple of the more interesting ones there. Dad still had some Players sets from the 30's, but the footballers didn't mean a thing to me in the 50's. Strangely the cricketers did because a fair few were still playing.

I don't remember either of those Jim, but then we were a P.G. household 

[Nick]

I've been getting over a bad cold the last week and am still bunged up in the head. Can't stop coughing when my throat tickles.
Going through the stash reveals I bought a lot of kits last year!

I'm looking forward to the next group build as I have quite a few options available to me. Of the top of my head:

F-14 Tomcat - possibly too much done already but I will send a pic to the mods when I find it again.
T-45 Goshawk - Royal Navy trainer or Royal Marines ground attack. Italeri 1/72 that looks the same as a Mk.100 Hawk.
Space Shuttle - US Navy to stop the USAF!

[PR19_Kit]

Space Shuttle - US Navy to stop the USAF!

The US Navy did fly (sometimes....) their Vanguard satellite launcher in competition with the US Army's Redstone rocket, so there's a precedent. 

[zenrat]

Space Shuttle - US Navy to stop the USAF!

The US Navy did fly (sometimes....) their Vanguard satellite launcher in competition with the US Army's Redstone rocket, so there's a precedent. 

Hmmm, grey over white with folding wings and a hook.  Sundowners or Jolly Rogers fin.

[PR19_Kit]

Space Shuttle - US Navy to stop the USAF!

The US Navy did fly (sometimes....) their Vanguard satellite launcher in competition with the US Army's Redstone rocket, so there's a precedent. 

Hmmm, grey over white with folding wings and a hook.  Sundowners or Jolly Rogers fin.

I like the idea of the hook, I bet the crew would have too, having watched some of the 'heart in mouth' landings they had with it!

[Rheged]

Space Shuttle - US Navy to stop the USAF!

The US Navy did fly (sometimes....) their Vanguard satellite launcher in competition with the US Army's Redstone rocket, so there's a precedent. 

Hmmm, grey over white with folding wings and a hook.  Sundowners or Jolly Rogers fin.

I like the idea of the hook, I bet the crew would have too, having watched some of the 'heart in mouth' landings they had with it!

The hook is a GOOD IDEA!!.......and Kit no doubt would have (at a price) a billet of Unobtainium for them from which to forge it.

[Nick]

So it seems a USN Shuttle with a sodding great hook on the tail is demanded. We shall see.
I like the idea of having one coming in to land as it catches the wire, balanced with the nose in the air, but it's a bit much for my skills.

Other options from the stash:

Royal Navy F-18
French Navy F-18

Hot Shots Gnat (or the Oscar EW-5894!) comes complete with The Navy decals.

Gotha P.60 flying wing from AZ Models. Pretty sure it has decals for a US Navy captured markings version. Complete Whiff!

[Nick]

As mentioned in the 2020 Stash thread I got the Dream Models Z-19 Black Whirlwind. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbin_Z-19
I get the impression this is the lighter Comanche/Gazelle scout to go with their Apache, the WZ-10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAIC_Z-10

Looking in the box it's a nice crisp mould of what is essentially a rebuilt modified Dauphin with a narrower 2 crew cockpit and stub wings for Anti-Tank Missiles, 57MM Rokect and 70MM Rokect. Yup, Chinglish strikes hard!
Found a tiny square of etch for the rotor in with the decals.

Markings are provided for the basic flat black in-service scheme (with or without the mast radar) or the slightly more fancy PLA Army Aviation* Thunder Aerobatic Team. They clearly had some trouble with printing decals as there's the main sheet (10cm x 5cm), a thumb size sheet for two panels over the wing stubs and a thumbnail size scrap with miniscule dots for the nose lights.

Instructions are on two glossy colour A4 sheets. One for the paint scheme, the other for the build. It's very clear with English notes, numbers for the parts, PE for the metal parts and boxed numbers for Mr Hobby paints. I didn't know that Chinese helicopter seats were bright blue!
It calls for Flat Black overall but photos online make it look more medium-dark grey or green.

There are a few errors in the instructions mainly regarding the etch but a bit of thought should get through that.

*Yup, People's Liberation Army Army. Chinglish! 

[DogfighterZen]

Those kits look really good, i'm thinking of buying the Z-19, the AS-565 Panther and the new AH-1Z Viper. I hope they keep coming out with more 1/72 models of recent but also older choppers like the UH-1, Bell 206 or OH-58A and even the Gazelle. New molds of those would be very much appreciated.

[Nick]

Redundancy.
Today work announced their consultation in which a heck of a lot of jobs will be lost until probably next summer or whenever things pick up.
My job is safe but it looks like some serious changes to my contract and the possibility of a pay cut.
As is typical it was all sent out at the end of the day so we have to wait until tomorrow to ask questions.
I should know more details on Thursday.

My modelling mojo has disappeared. I get a boost from attending shows and the lack of them hasn't helped.

Been playing with and sorting out my old computer collection - took my old Spectrum and Amiga 600 and a bunch of old kit to the Centre for Computing History in Cambridge. They will either display it or sell it to raise funds for their museum.

[kitbasher]

In and amongst a lot of bad news you must consider yourself fortunate, Nick.

I was very fortunate to continue to work (from home) once lockdown started, although most of us took a pay cut that was due to last three months.  Thankfully pension not affected and I understand since I finished work that the pay cut has been extended a further three months. 
No redundancies there yet (not that there's an impact on me now) but they can't be ruled out. 
So I've been very, very lucky when so many haven't.
I think in terms of the UK economy  the COVID-19 impacts are in many cases bringing forward inevitable contractions- I'd say the writing had been on the wall anyway regarding economic downturn, sadly it'll take a while to recover.

[The Wooksta!]

Hope it works out for you, Nick.

[NARSES2]

Redundancy.
Today work announced their consultation in which a heck of a lot of jobs will be lost until probably next summer or whenever things pick up.
My job is safe but it looks like some serious changes to my contract and the possibility of a pay cut.
As is typical it was all sent out at the end of the day so we have to wait until tomorrow to ask questions.

At least you have the time to think about it and come up with the important questions Nick, not just a gut reaction.

Hope it goes o.k., but as Dave says I think Covid has simply accelerated the inevitable in some areas. Doesn't help I know.

[Nick]

I got the redundancy offer today and it is a good sized amount, goodness knows I've been there long enough to earn it. It would last me through to February but after that, who knows?
Got a few weeks to decide yet. It actually depends on them accepting my request for redundancy and if I apply for it in the first place.

When it comes to finding a new job I would be up against 3 million other people most of whom are more up to date with office skills and whatever. I have no real idea which direction to go other than avoid customer service roles cos I have had enough of people. Is it worth me retraining now, especially as all learning is gonna be online?

[The Wooksta!]

It's never too old to retrain - I was 41 when I started out as a chef, so it can and will happen if you try hard enough.