Sow's ear into a silk purse?

Well,I think my Glencoe Curtiss Condor is an example. It was in a recent issue of FSM in a report of the Mad City show. It was a Glencoe kit- need I say more? But it was the only game in town.

I've added detail to Starfix kits. 'nuff said.

...what, and risk swine flu?

But I guess if one works in God's scale (which is FAR larger than 1/72), God would protect one.

God WORKS in 1/1 but I have it on good authority from people who still retain better than 20/200 vision that He models in 1/72.

God WORKS in 1/1 but I have it on good authority from people who still retain better than 20/200 vision that He models in 1/72.

Not sure it counts as silk purses but recently built some 'space craft' (assorted, for a space base built for a kiddie) from assorted odds and ends in the bits box, as per the Rule of Threes I needed some in triplets to represent 'lots' and managed to get them all the same. Not great art but I was rather chuffed they all turned out the same. Next two projects for this include a couple of Airfix 2001 space shuttles to convert to air-breathing closed-cycle nuclear powered hypersonic transports with an intake duct on the top of the fuselage and wheels. Also three very old Frog Frellon helicopters to be converted to tilt-jet jet copters (cut away where rotor fits, add length of tube, smaller tube inside allows wings with tip mounted jets to rotate for landing, cut down tail and add tail-plane). Plan is to use a 1:144 airliner kit for the jets, then use the wheels for the shuttles. As I said not great art but -very- satisying (where was I when I was 10, I'd have loved this stuff!).

Regards

Mike

Well, after I went blind from contemplating that Mach 2 kit...

Apart from scratch-building escort ships in 1/700 scale, my only real pains in modeling have been with a 1/72 Convair Pogo which gave me a lot of workhours both to add detail inside and out, and to give a decent finish after puttying for the silver paintjob. All others have been fun, with most trouble being through my own misdirected or ignorant efforts (like using undryable water-based Hobby Color overall Navy Blue on a

...models, WORKS...in God's scale it's ALL 1:1!

So that's why the inch high pilots speak to me!

...I don't think that's the pilots, I think that's just the voices...

It's the pilots. I can see their lips move.

...well, if you're building 1/72 you have to...right?

I took the circa 1967 Tamiya T-55 and with the help of a T-62, a Tyresmoke turret shell, and a LOT of sheet styrene turned into...a T-55.

Only had four parts left when done -- the steel axle (front), the two back halves of the main gun (breech block basis) and the on/off switch which was cleaned up, drilled out, and used as the driver's oil pressure gauge. Took a 1st at the 1989 IPMS Nationals for 1/35 closed- top armor (post WWII).

Cookie Sewell

any pics, cookie? is there a site with your stuff? i would love to see more of your work. i think i've only seen a panther, some time back.

I've done a number of articles for both FSM and Military Modelling, as well as the AMPS BORESIGHT and a few IPMS Updates and Journals. Plenty of items out there in the ether...

Cookie Sewell

i was hoping you had a pic site. seems like a natural...if you can afford to host one, which i couldn't.

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

After some long thought, I'd guess it was the Yak-7 kit that was leaking out of Eastern Europe back in the '90s. I bought a couple over time and had fun making a reasonable shelf model out of each. Aviation Usk sold them as 'the worst kit of all time' but with time and patience they weren't half as bad as that. There were extra parts in the kit to make the 'razorback', bubble canopy and the -7V two-seat trainer. The decals were the worst part but I didn't use them as there was only markings for one aircraft. I picked my own markings from aftermarket sheets and the spares box. While not a lousy kit per se, I did one car kitbash out of two kits, strip styrene and some home cast parts. I've wanted a '62 Dodge 880 for years and had figured out to go about it back in the '60s. The problem then and for some time was the lack of a usable, obtainable '61 Dodge. When JoHan re-released their old promos under the X-El name it became an attainable goal. The model I had in mind required removing the front of the '61 Dodge back to the leading edge of the doors and removing the front of the '63 Chrysler 300 to the same depth. Oddly the Chrysler body was deeper than the Dodge and some body sectioning was required. The '62 Dodge had a different trim strip on the bodyside and the originals on both bodies were removed and a strip of Evergreen plastic that had been rounded by sanding was glued on in the new position. The '62 had at least two obvious 'fratzogs' that had to be added. Since I had an unbuilt '63 Polara I rubbed aluminium foil down on the proudest example on that body. I made sure to do that about four times and then filled those with tube glue. After they had cured I popped them lose and painted them silver. Taking my lens to check them I picked the two best and attached them to the body and grille after trimming the 'flash'. Since the car was not going to be 100% stock I left a couple items off the model but now I have a Dodge that not everybody has. It looks good sitting in the cabinet with the other Dodges I have finished.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Not a masterpiece but I have recently finished a Kitech DH Vampire after buying it reluctantly (I am not keen on counterfeiters but could not find the Hobbycraft original). It came out not too bad and the dreaded anhedral wing was not present so Kitech must have corrected the original mould error. I guess that makes it a derative, not a true pirate copy. It got finished as the Gate Guardian at RNZAF Ohakea with the aid of lasertrans decals. It shares a shelf with an Ocidental Harvard and an MPM P-51D, both in RNZAF markings.

Worst kit I have built was a Russian 1:48 scale Yak 3 that I picked up locally on auction. No cockpit or undercart (a stand like the old Airfix 1:72s), raised decal guides and a canopy that was only approximately the shape of the fuselage recess. The wing needed work with a fine wood rasp to shape it something near correct. It looks like a Yak 3 in dim light from a distance. A friend in Moscow tells me it was made back in the 80s and a local source has said that quite a few of them came in on chartered Russian fishing boats to generate some pocket money for the crew.

Tony Chch NZ

Your Yak sounds like the Entex Grumman P-50 that I put together. I used aftermarket decals and some late-war underwing ordinance, but it was still putting lipstick on that pig.