First placcy model
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There's a common theme running here, methinks. Hours of loving work to produce a fine, accurate piece of work, the pride of the owner.
Then it's hauled out of a second floor window and blown to buggery.
I'm sure a trick cyclist would know why.
Wasn't just me, then.
Then it's hauled out of a second floor window and blown to buggery.
I'm sure a trick cyclist would know why.
Wasn't just me, then.
Suspicion breeds confidence
In my youth I spent many hours building kits only to shoot them up with my air rifle. Aircraft kits were not really sturdy enough, tanks and ships are much more fun. Ships can be subdivided and "armoured" to make them more survivable. My 1/450 scale Bismarck was sunk, repaired and re-floated on more than one occasion.
Ah happy days....
Ah happy days....
I do remember some of the balsa wood ones - Baroudeur (French experimental fighter built by SNCASE, launched off a trolley, landed on retractable skids), Javelin (at about 1/48 scale; I spent ages whittling away at a plank of balsa to get the wing shape almost correct but gave up in the end).
As for flying models, I was given kits of both the Canberra and Comet. Neither flew particularly well - I couldn't afford a Jetex 100 motor and the Jetex 50 didn't have enough guts. Also I painted the Comet so well that it glided like a brick. But they both burned very well!
I came across the remnants of a 1/72 scale F-27 in Aer Lingus colours some time ago, the years (and my son) had not been kind to it
Mind you, I've still got the balsa wood Golden Hind and Victory on display in the sitting room cabinet. It took me about ten years to get the courage up to build Victory (again carved from the solid) as the finished article is only about six inches long and has very detailed rigging - my eyesight has never been the same since
.
GG
As for flying models, I was given kits of both the Canberra and Comet. Neither flew particularly well - I couldn't afford a Jetex 100 motor and the Jetex 50 didn't have enough guts. Also I painted the Comet so well that it glided like a brick. But they both burned very well!
I came across the remnants of a 1/72 scale F-27 in Aer Lingus colours some time ago, the years (and my son) had not been kind to it
Mind you, I've still got the balsa wood Golden Hind and Victory on display in the sitting room cabinet. It took me about ten years to get the courage up to build Victory (again carved from the solid) as the finished article is only about six inches long and has very detailed rigging - my eyesight has never been the same since
.GG
Can't even imagine digi-yoof being allowed x-acto hobby knifes, polystyrene cement, Humbrol enamel, thinners (OK - who didn't clean the paintbrush in the bottle?) or many of the other things we used at the age of 6 without supervision. That's if they have any interests beyond iPods and drugs. And as for cellulose dope and diesel fuel.... Or even Jetex pellets.
I never dispatched a model with explosives - but the odd one which was beyond repair did get the BSA Meteor .22 treatment!
I never dispatched a model with explosives - but the odd one which was beyond repair did get the BSA Meteor .22 treatment!
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First one was a 1/32 (big!) scale of an F4U Corsair from VF-17, "The Jolly Rogers."
Seems my aircraft models all suffered catastrophic flak damage from firecrackers that then went on to ignite with a mighty satisfying 'woomphf' the main fuel tanks stuffed with gasoline (Ok, I grew up on a farm where I had both the room and the gas pump to do this).
Ships were dispatched with a BB gun and diesel. Very realistic plume of black smoke as it slowly sank into a pond.......maybe one of the Learning/Discovery channels can do a special on locating the "Wrecks of Brick's Pond?"
I really did need to get out more then....................
Seems my aircraft models all suffered catastrophic flak damage from firecrackers that then went on to ignite with a mighty satisfying 'woomphf' the main fuel tanks stuffed with gasoline (Ok, I grew up on a farm where I had both the room and the gas pump to do this).
Ships were dispatched with a BB gun and diesel. Very realistic plume of black smoke as it slowly sank into a pond.......maybe one of the Learning/Discovery channels can do a special on locating the "Wrecks of Brick's Pond?"
I really did need to get out more then....................
Fat Albert
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Seem to recall it was an old airfix series 1 'dogfight double' which was the Red Barons Triplane and an Avro 504K I think. Didn't they used to be supplied in a plastic bag?
I've made many since and still make the occasinal one now having just spent 18 months living in during the week.
I still have an unmade Airfix 1;72 scale Hercules kit from around 1975. Still in its original box and it came complete with the Bloodhound Missile kit. The aircraft decals are for XV196 in its desert brown with the white 'sunroof' and no refuelling probe. Looks a little different these days with all its lumps and bumps. Wonder if this is a collectors item yet.
I've made many since and still make the occasinal one now having just spent 18 months living in during the week.
I still have an unmade Airfix 1;72 scale Hercules kit from around 1975. Still in its original box and it came complete with the Bloodhound Missile kit. The aircraft decals are for XV196 in its desert brown with the white 'sunroof' and no refuelling probe. Looks a little different these days with all its lumps and bumps. Wonder if this is a collectors item yet.
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Good thread. Circa 1965 I bought an Airfix ME 110 which I proudly showed to my Dad who was a WW2 RNVR veteran. He promptly told me that the last time he has seen one was when he was legging it along the dockyard in Portland Bill as it attempted to cut him to pieces with strafing fire.
After that every Airfix kit bore RAF roundels. I graduated to KielKraft rubber powered models (never go the hang of control line) then flew gliders when I was 16, onto a PPL, the RAF and then the airlines.
Now . . . this begs the question:
What the heck do kids play with these days? Is it all PC games? Do any of them make models?
After that every Airfix kit bore RAF roundels. I graduated to KielKraft rubber powered models (never go the hang of control line) then flew gliders when I was 16, onto a PPL, the RAF and then the airlines.
Now . . . this begs the question:
What the heck do kids play with these days? Is it all PC games? Do any of them make models?
Last edited by Yarpy; 2nd Jun 2006 at 06:43.
Originally Posted by C130 Techie
I still have an unmade Airfix 1;72 scale Hercules kit from around 1975. Still in its original box and it came complete with the Bloodhound Missile kit. The aircraft decals are for XV196 in its desert brown with the white 'sunroof' and no refuelling probe. Looks a little different these days with all its lumps and bumps. Wonder if this is a collectors item yet.
Older brother had the talent for building them. Once he'd gone to Henlow, they gave me hours of pleasure, 'plinking' away.
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Airfix "Golden Hind" in about 1972 .... 1:600 I think. I've just Googled it, it was Airfix's first commercial plastic kit, first released in 1952. Blimey! A classic!
In Oz at the time IIRC most of the easily available kits were Airfix, and the standard line up of 1:72 kits were done - Spitfire, Hurricane, Blenheim, etc.
Went through a brief WWII AFV vehicle phase when I discovered Tamiya kits (including a beautiful 1:35 Panther which met a pyrotechnic end), then back to aircraft in my teens. My pride and joys were a 1:48 F-105D from Monogram, and a 1:32 F-104G from Hasegawa.
Happy days ....
In Oz at the time IIRC most of the easily available kits were Airfix, and the standard line up of 1:72 kits were done - Spitfire, Hurricane, Blenheim, etc.
Went through a brief WWII AFV vehicle phase when I discovered Tamiya kits (including a beautiful 1:35 Panther which met a pyrotechnic end), then back to aircraft in my teens. My pride and joys were a 1:48 F-105D from Monogram, and a 1:32 F-104G from Hasegawa.
Happy days ....
Airfix Avro504K - a bit ambitious with all those struts for a first attempt.
First balsa model was a Kiel Kraft FW190. It flew very well. So well in fact I had to put another loop of elastic in it to make it go faster and longer. It did, so I put yet another loop in. Got to the final turn, there was a big crunching sound and the fuselage was suddenly four inches long. B%gger!
Didn't fly either.
First balsa model was a Kiel Kraft FW190. It flew very well. So well in fact I had to put another loop of elastic in it to make it go faster and longer. It did, so I put yet another loop in. Got to the final turn, there was a big crunching sound and the fuselage was suddenly four inches long. B%gger!
Didn't fly either.
Mostly Harmless
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First was a small scale C-130, moulded in black plastic, brand unknown. It came with a tiny tube of cement that I managed to budget over the whole project, so avoiding the enthusiastic Humbrol SQUEEZE!
Made on kitchen floor, left on kitchen chair for Mum to admire on completion while I scooted off to view Play School. Anguished screams indicated its subsequent termination was not without cost to Mum's fundament.
Have only flown C150 & P28A and built neither!
Made on kitchen floor, left on kitchen chair for Mum to admire on completion while I scooted off to view Play School. Anguished screams indicated its subsequent termination was not without cost to Mum's fundament.
Have only flown C150 & P28A and built neither!
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Used to tape a small medicine bottle full of petrol to a firecracker then attach to model mounted to run down a wire from a height - light wick and let go! Also made flame throwers by filling water pistols with metho - squeeze trigger while holding lit match under muzzle.
Of course there was always sulphur/potassium chlorate mix.
Marvellous how kids 12000 miles apart came up with similar fun ideas.
What do the kids of today do now that none of the above is pc? Shoot up heroin I suppose.
GAGS
Eagle 86
Of course there was always sulphur/potassium chlorate mix.
Marvellous how kids 12000 miles apart came up with similar fun ideas.
What do the kids of today do now that none of the above is pc? Shoot up heroin I suppose.
GAGS
Eagle 86
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My first attempt was an Airfix B29, over engineered into existence by my Dad who then sprinted around the living room trying to get the glued props to turn.
I also went the Keilkraft route and although they suffered from "contraction effect" often I was always able to reconstruct the remnants into a passable "frame".
Very useful later when applying my cannibalisation skills.
Imagegear
I also went the Keilkraft route and although they suffered from "contraction effect" often I was always able to reconstruct the remnants into a passable "frame".
Very useful later when applying my cannibalisation skills.
Imagegear
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Originally Posted by BEagle
I never dispatched a model with explosives - but the odd one which was beyond repair did get the BSA Meteor .22 treatment!
Not like in my younger days of course! It was obvious I was destined for the Army when I found that the heavy artillery of the .22 Meteor made such a spectacular explosion of fuselages and hulls. I particularly remember a Navy Lynx (for some reason gloss blue painted, I thought they were all grey??), and a SAR Sea King going kaboom the best.
I made a model of the Titanic, 1:350 scale, took 6 months to make, all the rigging correct, every porthole painted. It met its iceberg in the form of my mother who sent it plummetting to the sea bottom (floor) while dusting. On hearing the story, my ex-wife promptly went and bought me a replacement 15 years on! Last seen in her house...I'm not making another one!!!
As one of the $5 prizes in the Incirlik VC10 Det Christmas Draw, we included a model of the Titanic - 'for anyone who thought they had a career' as it said on the card!
Also made sure that the BEngO won the 'Suitable for age 5 or more' snap together aircraft model on the grounds that it might be something even he could fix!
Air rifles! I liked the Douglas Bader story about how he'd been scrumping apples from the vicar's garden as a youngster, when the vicar turned his dog on him. Revenge was achieved by shooting up the vicar's shaving kit etc through the bathroom window!
Also made sure that the BEngO won the 'Suitable for age 5 or more' snap together aircraft model on the grounds that it might be something even he could fix!
Air rifles! I liked the Douglas Bader story about how he'd been scrumping apples from the vicar's garden as a youngster, when the vicar turned his dog on him. Revenge was achieved by shooting up the vicar's shaving kit etc through the bathroom window!
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First kit was an airfix spitfire V.
Needless to say not flown one, in fact not flown anything except for a C150 in a trial lesson before I found out that my eyesight was not up to scratch which cancelled all ideas I had 40 years ago.
Can't remember what happened to the spitfire which was painted in fingerprint camo with glue blobs attached.
Needless to say not flown one, in fact not flown anything except for a C150 in a trial lesson before I found out that my eyesight was not up to scratch which cancelled all ideas I had 40 years ago.
Can't remember what happened to the spitfire which was painted in fingerprint camo with glue blobs attached.