(#1 DONE! , pix pg. 3&4) AVG Sunblazers Flight Demonstration Team Yak9 by Airfix

[TheChronicOne]

EDIT: More of the background story is coming together and I settled on what to call this finally, as per the edited threat title. "AVG" being "all volunteer group."

I was poking around last night rummaging through my transfer sheets trying to get them matched up to kits that are lacking or have sub par quality decals.

I found some really neat decals that fit quite well on this airframe in this size. The good part, she's nice and old!!   This is the 1964 boxing (it's in a bag, though) of a 1963 tool.  50+ years old by all account and since the tool was only a year old when this was put out I'm thinking/hoping the fit will be nice and crisp!

I'm thinking of making it either a racer or an airplane that is part of a demonstration team. No military widgets on this one. I doubt I'll do any scratch building on this. It's all about the livery.

Here's the neat little kit:

[Captain Canada]

The old bagged goodies ! Looks cheap, does that say $1.29 ?

[TheChronicOne]

Sure does! Not sure when it was written on there but it may be original to the 60s, too!  Sometimes it makes me just slightly sad not to know the history on the individual kits. Not so much the technical stuf, etc, like on Scalemates, but the personal and indivual stuff like who owned them, where was it first sold,  who when and why did they write certain things in or on them? Was this the original price or a thrift store price written on it in the 80s?  What happened to the previous owner? Etc..

I was looking at another kit last night that had some hand written notes on the instructions listing the Scale Moderl magazine volumes with info about the kit.  So, I was thinking, "Wow, whoever owned this at some point wanted to build it and just never got to it. I wonder why.. did they change their mind? Did they pass on? Etc.."   At some point I like to think that most people care about these kits as much as I do and it's sort of sad to lose these bits of history.

I'm also a bit happy, too, because a lot of people (most  not actual modelers but the ones who find themselves in possession of this stuff through various means)  DON'T see the value in these kits and the old, seemingly junky looking stuff. I rescue these old ugly looking kits so they can have their day on a shelf like they deserve. Even my low quality Russian kits deserve the love and care to get them to a shelf.

[Old Wombat]

I'm also a bit happy, too, because a lot of people (most  not actual modelers but the ones who find themselves in possession of this stuff through various means)  DON'T see the value in these kits and the old, seemingly junky looking stuff. I rescue these old ugly looking kits so they can have their day on a shelf like they deserve. Even my low quality Russian kits deserve the love and care to get them to a shelf.

Amen, brother!

[TheChronicOne]

I'm also a bit happy, too, because a lot of people (most  not actual modelers but the ones who find themselves in possession of this stuff through various means)  DON'T see the value in these kits and the old, seemingly junky looking stuff. I rescue these old ugly looking kits so they can have their day on a shelf like they deserve. Even my low quality Russian kits deserve the love and care to get them to a shelf.

Amen, brother!

Hey, while I'm here?   Why not show these decals I was talking about.

 

Ain't those neat?  Bonus points to whomever correctly guesses where these came from..   

[TheChronicOne]

Definitey bird wings/feathers but that's all I will divulge. 

[Mossie]

I know those markings!   I'll keep quiet.

[NARSES2]

Probably the first Russian aircraft I built

[Dizzyfugu]

I know those markings!   I'll keep quiet.

OMG! I'll keep quiet, too. Epic idea. 

[kerick]

The letters on the decals almost look Arabic......

[zenrat]

Definitey bird wings/feathers but that's all I will divulge. 

Like from a bird of prey maybe? 

[Modelling_Mushi]

Yes, I think too ... twins even perhaps 

[TheChronicOne]

Definitey bird wings/feathers but that's all I will divulge. 

Like from a bird of prey maybe? 

Yuuuuup!  At this point I think most people have had the chance to have fun at the guessing or sitting on the answer..  Definitely off of a BoP.  There's another caveat to the story that I will get into later on as I refine the write up and get closer toward actual completion. If it pans out, we may have some historically significant information presented that I'm not sure many whif enthusiasts know about. I guess I'll find out soon....

[TheChronicOne]

Before I got to taking all this apart to put it all together, I figured I would document everything in a picture or two. After all, this is history! The collectible nature of this bagged kit is gone forever. One less complete, bagged Airfix kit in the Universe thanks to me. The least I can do is take a picture of it all before I use it up.



More to follow.  I'd like to do some sort of construction this evening.

[TheChronicOne]

So far an hours worth of filing down ridges and flash. Only been working on fuselage halves..  The fit seems OK, though.