Pellsons Perceivings

[NARSES2]

Well done the male members of the Pellson clan  What a heart warming story  and glad you managed to get home.

On top of all that we get a pretty impressive model to look at as well  , well done to young Mr Pellson 

[PR19_Kit]

The whole story of this period of your life is amazing Mr. Pellson! 

More strength to you in your trials and tribulations, and the 'Joint Efforts' Skyhawk is an absolute blinder! 

[Pellson]

Slowly getting up to speed again, mainly meaning that I've yet again taken out the Valiant kit just to admire the pieces on the sprues for a while. Building pace, yeah?
Actually, I have managed one thing - to replace the fifth broken off pitot tube on my Tornado interceptor. Some minor painting left and then done, maybe. Even if it actually is getting uglier every time I repair it. So that's Ok, then. Provided I don't break it a sixth time, that is.
I need to paint the missiles, though. Not really a thrilling task.

Also spying on a Monogram F-105 on Evilbay (or their local rep). That's still the best Thud out there in 1/72, and Thuds really should have sold better, imho. Not necessarily because they were great strike aircraft (they were, but the F-4 was yet again much better, plus a viable interceptor) but because they're dead cool!
We'll see. I won't pay too silly money.

Spring seems to have taken a break. A spring break, obviously. And probably in bloody Cancun or somewhere, 'cause it's bloody well not here, is it? Tomorrow's forecast says horizontal monsoon. Well, at least then no one will expect me to leave the modelling table to go out..

Oh, and we're projecting a RSwAF Canberra Mk 8, the lad and me. Dunno yet when we're really starting the build, but we've taken out the old Frog box. And I'm looking much forward to it.

[Old Wombat]

 

[NARSES2]

I've fond memories of that Monogram F.105. As you say, it's a nice kit

[zenrat]

I think I may have built one.  I certainly built a Thud as a youth and I have a feeling it was by monogram.
I have a Hasegawa example in the stash.

[NARSES2]

I think I may have built one.  I certainly built a Thud as a youth and I have a feeling it was by monogram.
I have a Hasegawa example in the stash.

The Monogram one had a crew entrance ladder, which I remember for some reason ?

Odd how this seemingly little things stay with you for what is probably almost 50 years now 

[kerick]

I believe the Monogram kit was the only one with the lower air brake hanging down as per the real world. Great kit, wish I had one

[Pellson]

Pretty good day. Abominable weather but somewhat more energy than previous days led to me actually getting some modelling done. Not that much, but I got the Valiant cockpit together and even managed to close up the fuselage.



Then moved on to close up the landing gear covers, but stalled due to questionable fit (everything is really made to be built gear down, annoyingly) but I can't really be that grumpy about it - I'm well underway.



In other news, I tried to get a MOT time for the Defender, but with little luck. All booked up this week, so MOT is now Monday. No biggie, but a little bit annoying. I love the old mudbus, and find ridiculous pleasure in just cruising it on the small gravel roads so frequent in these parts. But Monday isn't far away, and there's still much to do on the Valiant.

Oh - if someone wonders why the flight deck ladder is red rather than yellow, as it is in reality, it's because I like it that way. Red is nice in cockpits..

Edit: Just found interior shots from a cockpit preserved at Tangmere. That ladder is as red as mine. Hmmm..

[Pellson]

Having been involved in that Skyhawk and now mucking about with the Valiant, I can't but reflect on the quantum leap in engineering the kit manufacturers in general and maybe Airfix in particular has taken over the decades. I'm complaining a bit about the Valiant gear doors, but really, the kit just falls together whereas the old Skyhawk had to be fought piece by piece. It is really quite impressive.

[NARSES2]

Having been involved in that Skyhawk and now mucking about with the Valiant, I can't but reflect on the quantum leap in engineering the kit manufacturers in general and maybe Airfix in particular has taken over the decades. I'm complaining a bit about the Valiant gear doors, but really, the kit just falls together whereas the old Skyhawk had to be fought piece by piece. It is really quite impressive.

Yup on the whole the improvement in quality and ease of build over the last few years has been truly impressive, but every now and then you pick up a kit that's 30/40 years or more old and it just falls together. Sometimes it is pure nostalgia that makes you feel that way about an old kit (nostalgia coupled with memories) but very occasionally you forget just how good some of those old kits were.

[Old Wombat]

Most people forget that the old-old Airfix kits were state of the art for their time, as good as or better than most of their contemporaries, & went together very easily.

People tend to remember how they were 2 or 3 decades later, when the tech had moved on & the moulds were old & worn out.

Airfix's problems stemmed from the financial difficulties they had & the subsequent failure to retool most of their kits when they wore out.

[kitbasher]

Most people forget that the old-old Airfix kits were state of the art for their time, as good as or better than most of their contemporaries, & went together very easily.

People tend to remember how they were 2 or 3 decades later, when the tech had moved on & the moulds were old & worn out.

Airfix's problems stemmed from the financial difficulties they had & the subsequent failure to retool most of their kits when they wore out.

I fully agree.  Airfix produced some cracking kits in the 1970s and 80s that have stood the test of time.  OK some have been bettered since but in terms of a balance between accuracy, detail and of course price then I'd always be tempted by, for example, their B-26 Marauder, the Hs123, Beaver, Bird Dog, Do17, FW190D, and I've really wanted to have another pop at their Super Mystere (purely for nostalgia's sake).  Going back even further I have fond memories of the Roland C.II and Hannover CL.III.  I admit all of the above are 1/72 aircraft, 'cos that's what I build.  I did build a couple or three 54mm figures and they were excellent.

Moving up a scale let's not forget the 1/48 Spit 22/24 and Seafire 46/47 are now 25 years old - they were beautiful kits when first released, potentially Airfix's finest right up the the Red Box revival.

Anyway, each kit is of it's time - who knows how we'll look back in 20 year's time at the recent Airfix Beaufort?

What I'd really like to build is a cheap Airfix B-26 Invader, whiffed up with a pair of Centaurus engines and five-bladed props as used by the RAF in Operation Firedog and elsewhere.

[Pellson]

The Centaurus-engined Marauder is a brilliant  idea.

Another brilliant idea was to sneak away from any duties and just get on with the Valiant. Not that there's that much I'm supposed to do, being where I am, but even small things tend to take a lot of time. Anyway - I got to the modelling table at last. 
It really is a nice kit, the Airfix Valiant. Having sorted the gear doors, everything else almost attaches itself. And it's going fast now! I've built and attached the wings and the stabilator, completed the fuselage and basically, saving the canopy for last, it's now only some antennas and minor stuff left. Plus the refuelling pods, of course.



I need to find suitable attachment points on the wings, though. Cutaways give some clues but a schematic drawing would be better. We'll see.

Speaking of tankers - I actually bought another Revellobox Victor K.2 yesterday. Mainly because I need the AAR pods, but also because I realised that a low level Victor could be a cool Canberra replacement with the RAAF. Being whifworld, some reinforcements to the wings together with the shortened tips would suffice from a fatigue point of view, giving the Oz proper strategic reach.

But that's in the future. For now, I'm thoroughly enjoying myself building this alternative RAF tanker.

[TheChronicOne]

Man, that looks glorious.