I'm desperately trying to reduce my stash, so I'll deliberately reduce my kit buying in 2007 (he says hopefully). I've formulated some ridiculously complex rules to ascertain whether or not I can buy a kit. But I would like
EE Lightning. A series of modern quality Lightnings in 1/72 would be nice. Maybe from MPM to a similar standard as their Meteor.
Sea Vixen: Again in 1/72.
Early and late mark Hunters: Revell introduced the Hunter F6 in 1/72, which is a very nice kit. It has sprues which seem to have been designed to allow a late tailcone and photo nose, to give us the FGA9 and FR10 variants. I'm surprised that Revell hasn't already done this. Addition of an early tailcone and wing leading edge would give us early marks. Come on, Revell... you know you want to!
Resin:
Hunter: Failing Revell giving us early and late mark Hunters, they seem ideal subjects for a resin conversion kit from someone like CMK or Pavla.
Meteor: Using the new MPM kit, how about a conversion kit for the Meteor F4? It would require a new tail and canopy. A conversion to the T7 would be a little more involved, with a new fuselage, or maybe just a nose and tail.
Spitfire: In 1/48, how about a set to convert the Hasegawa IX to a Griffon engined XIV or XIX? It would require a new nose, airscrew, tail and radiators. I know that there is a kit from Academy, but the fuselage and wing root is too deep and the wing doesn't have the subtle twist that a Spitfire wing should. A conversion for the Hasegawa kit could use the lovely wing and would solve the length problems of the IX fuselage.
I'd also like an early Griffon nose, maybe from MDC. Then it could be grafted on to a Tamiya MkV, using the MDC Vc wings to produce a Spitfire XII. A modicum of scratchbuilding could produce a Seafire XV...
Spitfire Mk IX and XIV Westland Whirlwind Fighter Defiant Gladiator Swordfish Fairey Fulmar Tempest V Sea Fury Sea Hornet Meteor Mk IV, VII and VIII Blenheim Mk I and IV Beaufort Thunderjet Vindicator Devastator Helldiver Kate Val Judy Boomerang
All in 1:32 scale, modern injectionmoulded kit at resonable prises. Something like the Hasegawa/Revell cooperation of recent times.
My wish list for 2007 is simple and as short as can be - no new kits please ... just enough time to work on the ones I have stashed on my shelf ... you know, the ones that have been there for about 7 years now waiting for me to have the time to work on them the way I would like to.
1/32 Figures for all the 1/32 Aircraft out there . Without the old Revell style of pilots with their arms fused to their legs. What about flight crews, pilots getting in/out of cockpits, etc...
MY wish is for some benevolent kit manufacturer to make an injection-molded AP-2H in 1/48 scale. Nevva hoppen, I'm sure but, just the same I'm putting all my eggs into this one basket for 2007
LOL I must admit that I'd buy one of those. I don't have a very good track record when it comes to signal boxes!
About three years ago, I received some surprise visitors. My cousin, her husband and their angelic child had decided to come and visit me,unannounced, all the way from London (I live in Norfolk). I live in a 2 up, 2 down. I have one bed - the other "bedroom" is a railway room/workshop. Needless to say, they expected to be put up for the night (where?). The child (6 years old at the time) was also tired and fractious - hardly surprising. The only way that they had managed to keep him quiet was to promise that he could "play with Uncle Enzo's train set".
I pointed out that it wasn't a "train set" but a model railway. However I eventually agreed that the little darling could watch it in operation. Anything to stop the snivelling - and that was just the parents!
First question: "Where's Thomas?" I explained that the model represents the London Midland region in 1956 (or with a few minor changes, the LMS in 1936) and that Thomas lives on the Isle of Sodor, not my railway.
Not good enough. "Want Thomas!" stated the cherub loudly, bottom lip a-tremble. "Where's Thomas?" With a sinking feeling in my stomach I realised that very shortly I would be staring down the barrel of a hissy fit - a situation with which I was ill equipped to deal. I looked around for moral support to find that cousin-and-hubby had left me alone with the adorable angel and were downstairs opening a bottle of wine (*My* wine, I must point out) without an invitation!
In desperation I pointed out the train that was running. The apple of my eye. A Caprotti Black 5, ugly as sin, weathered to perfection, hauling a fitted freight, each van subtly different, weathered and close coupled. It took my breath away just to see it.
The child was not impressed and instantly morphed into the Spoiled Brat Demon from the Seventh Level of Hell. Without warning, he screamed at the top of his lungs and swatted the Black 5, which was knocked off the track, severed footsteps flying around like shrapnel. Somehow in the melee the buffers and coupling from the van on the engine also came adrift. I looked on aghast, but the SBD from the SLH was only just getting into his stride. The next strike was the signal box. He plucked it from the layout and hurled it at the wall! OK, so it was only a Dapol/Airfix box and not particularly accurate for the LMS/LM region, but it had been lovingly detailed inside and out. I liked it. Alas, before my very eyes it shuffled off the mortal coil, rang down the curtains and went to join the choir invisbule. It was now an ex-Signal box.
So, I grabbed the brat, who was now kicking and screaming, and dragged it downstairs to present it to its parents. They were very angry - understandably so I thought, considering the behaviour of their foul progeny. Incredibly, they were angry with *me* for manhandling their abhorrent offspring. I hadn't realised that parents of a vile brat misbehaving quite dreadfully in someone else's home could ever get quite so territorial. So, I considered my options - apology, reconciliation or stern-but-fair rebuke. After a moment's thought I rejected them all and settled for losing my temper. I asked them to leave (in no uncertain terms, which were a melange of ****, **** and **** with a judicious smattering of
******* for good measure) In the end I virtually threw them out into the street and withdrew upstairs to assess the damage.
The engine and van were repairable. Sadly, the signal box was a right-off. I salvaged the interior and built a new signal box from Langley components, with the locking room from Townstreet brick components. It certainly looks more LNWR than the old one, which being the old Airfix kit was modelled on a Midland prototype - Oakham IIRC. However, I would buy a new LNWR box if one became available.
In the intervening three years I have had no contact whatsoever with that portion of the family - thankfully. I still haven't forgiven that horrid brat.
I almost forgot. We need a generic kit for a midland region footbridge with high metal sides but no roof. This could be assembled in any configuration such as Z, U or straight, with platform or street level staircase. It would only need to span two tracks as we could buy extra kits to make up the wider versions. Some local ones spanned an entire goods yard. Good repeat business from a single mould I would have thought.
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