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I grew up in the 60s in the UK, and remember clearly building an Airfix Mosquito with my Dad after seeing '633 Squadron'. My pocket money used to go on bagged FROG and Airfix kits from Woolworths or the local newsagents. In 1973 a friend introduced me to IPMS Lancashire/Cheshire, and I was blown away by the models I saw on the tables; from then on I aspired to emulate the same standards. My interests are varied, although I prefer 1/72 aircraft, especially biplanes and between-the-wars subjects. I dabble a bit in armour, too.
In the early 90s I emigrated to Calgary, Canada. I'm married with two adult kids, and two grandsons.
This kit is effectively the 1/48 kit scaled down, and Eduard have done a great job of cramming as much detail as possible into the smaller version. Surface detail was superb, and the fit of parts virtually perfect except where the engine [...]
This is a beautiful kit that exudes quality, from the box-art to the presentation of the instructions. Parts are moulded in a grey-green and exhibit beautiful sharp trailing edges to the flying surfaces, delicate recessed panel lines and [...]
Meng 1/72 Kayaba Katsuodori Ram-jets
It seems to be '1/72 Japanese week' on iM, so here's another contribution. These Meng kits come two-in-a-box, and are superbly moulded. The actual aircraft was a concept only and never got beyond one [...]
I remember building this kit as a teenager back in the 70s, but a few years ago I had another crack at it. It's actually quite a nice little model, spoilt only by the poor clear parts and some unfortunately placed ejection-pin marks.
I [...]
Xtrakit 1/72 Gloster Meteor F.8
Amongst my all-time favourite aircraft are several 50's jets – including the F-86, Hawker Hunter and Gloster Meteor. Xtrakit's 1/72 Meteor kit was a re-boxed MPM tooling, and looked great in the box with [...]
Long before the A380 took to the skies, there was another twin-deck, four engine French airliner, the Breguet Br.763 'Deux Ponts'. When a 1/144 injection-moulded kit of the type was announced by F-RSIN, I immediately ordered one, seduced [...]
I'd intended to build this Airfix 1/72 LFG Roland C-II Walfisch (whale) with minimal upgrading, but with only giant pegs and a blobby aircrew in the cockpit (not surprising for a 1965 tooling) the interior needed a bit of help. Referring [...]
This is the Tamiya 1/48 Komatsu G40 bulldozer, built a couple of years ago. It's the second 1/48 Tamiya armour kit I've done and I can't say enough about how nice they are. This is stress-free modelling at its best: every piece just slots [...]
This is RS Models 1/72 Avia Ba.122, a 1930s Czechoslovakian aerobatic biplane, a few of which were pressed into military use at the beginning of WW2. The kit's typical short run; some nice detail, some rough parts, vague instructions, [...]
I've always had a phobia about photo-etched parts. Paint won't stick to them, they fly off into oblivion when picked up with tweezers, they bend where they shouldn't and you can't sand them to shape; it's a pretty unforgiving medium. I [...]
