Ahhh. Memories
Digitising old slides and found a few gems, this included. I was 9 or 10. The Brand New 1/24 Airfix
Spitfire had just come out and I saved the £12 required. No airbrush then! Bit of a toy. Retractable undercarriage and sliding canopy. Al Deere, DSO, OBE, DFC & Bar , was still a sprightly 50 something.
My old man used to moan ” I wish they would make a decent Spit IX” like he flew. Back then I think the Airfix 1/72 Johnnie Johnstone JE-J was the only one around
You can see by the desk I was an avid inhaler of Humbrol Enamels and Polystyrene Cement. Explains a lot. The curtain was supposed to be that colour.
As I got older , Punk Rock came along and making model aeroplanes was… uncool. Then I went to University. Making model aeroplanes was still uncool. Then I had a farm to run and a family to raise. Here I am aged 60 and no longer give two ****!
Robert Royes said on March 22, 2021
Wow, I remember when Airfix first released that kit, it was reviewed in Scale Modeler magazine.
Walt B said on March 22, 2021
I had a work surface for my early models that looked very similar to yours…just not as neat! Good times!
Spiros Pendedekas said on March 22, 2021
Great memories, Ross, thanks for sharing with us!
Gábor Szabó said on March 22, 2021
What a story! 🙂 I smiled as I read.
George Williams said on March 22, 2021
I really enjoyed the story, must be true for so many of us.
Bernard Bedeur said on March 22, 2021
So nice to read your story. I’m in the same boat, uh, cockpit ?
David Mills said on March 22, 2021
It was the kit to have at the time… I remember it and the Me 109 calling to me from the window of Martins toy store……….
Ross Paton said on March 22, 2021
Yes. Built the 109 and the p51. The p51 ended in the bin because I tried to follow an Airfix book on detailing the kit. I still don’t know what “plasticard” is. Does anyone know if the recent re-releases are exactly the same?
John Krukowski said on March 23, 2021
That’s one nice thing about getting old (I’m 60 too), not giving two ****s and, it beats not getting old. Thanks for sharing this photo and these words.
Nice looking model.