Leaderboard

I got this kit in a grab bag of kits I bought. It's from the 1956 molds and even had the pilot's head molded in halves integral to the fuselage sides. There are many inaccuracies and omissions, so to build it 'right' would be a real waste of time as there are now many other much better representations, including Airfix's own excellent re-tooled one. But I decided to do it just for fun, so I did it as a desk model and since it was to be in flight, I added the 'spinning' prop. I also rigged it, which was not called for in the instructions, and added the antenna, which you may notice is the wrong configuration, but since there were so many other 'problems' and it was simpler to do this way, I settled for it amongst all the other inaccuracies, which includes the markings. The kit's decals were useless, so I got some out of the spares box. They actually belong to a Hawker Fury of First Squadron, but hey, in for a penny in for a pound, inaccuracy-wise.

This is an older build I made several years ago. The I did was use an Airfix cockpit. props, and nose cone. I like those cowlings!

this is Matchbox's kit of the Me110 and is built out of the box with only changes being the decals. It was first released in 1976 and unlike earlier Matchbox releases this kit has mostly fine panel lines unlike the deep engraving or earlier kits.

When the new Airfix Me262 came out I built the original version from Airfix for a fun comparison. It is built out of the box and the decals are from the new Airfix Me262. For a 61 year old mold it does hold up. The last photo shows the new and old kits.

You answered your own question earlier in this paragraph. We're all "human", and competing is just part of the human condition.

This is the Airfix Do217 first issued in 1960. It is built as the instructions indicated and I also used the paints recommended by Airfix. The hardest part was masking the nose which I did one frame at a time. The landing gear is missing support structs and should be added. I did sand all surface detail and did some minor scribing. I also used the kit decals. So here she is built just as Airfix indicated in the instructions.

Airfix 1/72 Junkers Ju88A The classic Airfix 1/72 Junkers Ju88A-4 I built this about 4 years ago and did update a couple of items. I used a Mattel vac-form machine to make new clear parts, since the ones in the box were dense and not as crisp as once before. I had extra parts from an AMT kit and used the cockpit and wheels from that kit. In the end it looks just like the Ju88 even if the cowlings are a bit swollen.

The Matchbox kit was first issued in 1972 and later editions had an extra part to make a bubble top version. One can clearly see the trademark engraved lines on the fuselage. On this one I used a spare resin cockpit (make unknown) and also a Squadron vacform canopy. Paint is by Tamiya. It certainly looks like a Spitfire when done.

Thank you Gil. I built four vintage Me262 kits together, Matchbox, FROG, Heller and Hasegawa. Here they are. From top to bottom: Hasegawa, Heller, FROG and Matchbox.

Monogram 1/72 F-105B This kit was first issued in the late 1950s with moving parts. This particular version is an early 1970s edition. I sanded all the rivets and smoothed it out. I used Tamiya silver spray can for the finish and decals from a very old MicroScale sheet. Actual F-105s were painted with a silver finish which the Tamiya duplicates nicely. So here is the kit with no additions. The markings are from an old MicroScale sheet with those of the 4th fighter Wing in Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina. The yellow outline on the canopy was done with a very thin strip of 1/64" tape called simply pinstripe Tapes.

I'm still at it with these old Aurora WW I biplanes. Found this one at a local show and it's bit rarer than others so I snapped it up. It's the Monogram boxing, so the decal locators were removed from the molds, which made life a lot easier. The only thing I did was add a basic interior and drill out the exhaust pipes and Lewis guns. The kit has a four bladed prop, which was only used on Brisfits with a particular engine. In addition, it has a dual Lewis gun mount, which the gunners did not like as it was bulkier and heavier and more difficult to bring to bear on a target. Anyhoo, here 'tis.