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Three things accompany and fascinate me throughout my life: history, the fine arts and the fascination of aeroplanes and ships. In the many aspects of model making, these fascinations come together quite happily.

In this respect, I take the freedom to build anything and in any scale that occupies me. In practice, these are mainly aircraft in 1:48 and 1:32 scale, but lately the 1:72 and even the 1:144 scale have developed a great fascination for me.

As a child of the 1970s, I am aware of the scale in which the offers, possibilities and demands in plastic modelling have developed: we are living in truly great times... aren't we?

A truly rare bird: Flettner FL 282 "Kolibri" V23 as US-prize aircraft, summer 1945

I would like to begin my contribution to the presentation of the FL 282 with a personal thought: my approach to aircraft modelling is fed by several sources, as is probably the case with most of us. One of them is the fascination with the [...]

One of the "last of the many"and the last of my Bf 109 Gustav quadruplet: Bf 109G-6, JG 302 in spring 1945

This model concludes a group of four Bf 109Gs that I treated myself to as a model-building start to the year. "Treat" is the right term, because what Eduard packs here in the boxes is indeed a well thought-out pampering [...]

Under the sign of the bat over an endangered city? No, this time it's not Batman! Arnold Döring's Bf 109 G-6 nightfighter and the "Wilde Sau"

On the "Wilde Sau" night fighting operation If one deals with the air war over Germany at night, one soon claims terms such as "light" and "dark night fighter", "sky bed" or "tame" and [...]

A deadly opponent to the end: Bf 109G-10, II/JG 52, Hörsching, Austria

About the Bf 109G "Gustav The Bf 109 is the most produced aircraft in history - and it will probably not have to relinquish this rank in view of the ever increasing performance of the individual fighter aircraft. With the production [...]

Hans Hahn's last flight. Bf 109G-2, II./JG 54 "Greenheart”

About Hans „Assi“ Hahns Bf 109G-2 21 February 1943 can probably be described as a fateful day in the life of Hans "Assi" Hahn, at that time group commander of II / JG 54 "Grünherz" and one of the Luftwaffe's most [...]

Dancing with the Wolf: F-14A and the Vf-1 Wolfpack, USS Ranger 1982

This F-14 model is the third part in a small series of five Tomcats that I am building in 1/144, 1/72 and 1/48 scale. The history of Grumman's spectacular carrier fighter is rich enough in variations and stories that there is room for five [...]

Zlin Z-226MS OK-LMG or: what is Galland's fierce mouse doing on an entirely peaceful plane?

The Zlin 226 shown here is the second model of a parallel built "Dual Combo" kit from Eduard. For the presentation of the first model I read a little bit into the type history of this long-lived Czech classic of aviation, already [...]

How to make a cow jump or : Zlin Z-226B "OK-MPJ"

Isn't it true that in aviation the sound of some manufacturers' names triggers entire chains of associations? The images that come to mind when we think of "Heinkel", "Avro" or "Grumman" will differ in detail, [...]

Traditional in a very unconventional way: Handley Page Heyford Mk.I

The Heyford by Matchbox is one of the early models I ventured over in my childhood. I still remember the joy of what was certainly anything but a first-class result. It was therefore a particular pleasure to be able to acquire one of these [...]

A dangerous Persian Cat: F-14A, IRIAF

F-14 Tomcats in Iran It is not often that two political mortal enemies are able to deploy the same high-tech weapons systems - and that one has supplied the other with this equipment for good money. In the case of the Iranian F-14 Tomcat, [...]