noelsmith

Latest reported on the MCM website is that a new associate editor named Larry Greenberg has been appointed. The name may be known to some of you American car modellers possibly?

Recently learnt that Scale Auto will be ceasing publication this year October 2020. From what I understand the Auto related subjects will be absorbed into Fine Scale Modeler. I believe that Model Car Builder is still going and is a subscription only magazine in the US and Canada. What is happening or has happened to Model Cars Magazine is anybody's guess. Their forum is very active but is the magazine still going?

Apart from the Airfix Bugatti Veyron snap kit more like Lego and a similar Airfix Chiron on its way in 1/24 sca!e no one else has kitted these great superstars with proper plastic kits. Nothing apart from ready made did casts.

I forgot to mention in my last post that many years ago (in the 60's I think) I built the Rosebud Kitmaster Genera!. When the moulds were sold on to Airfix they just used the moulds for the British railway engines and rolling stock. They only issued Stephensons Rocket from any historical Kitmaxter moulds. All the Airfix own and Kitmastef moulds were sold on to a company named Dapol who still make most of the kits today. Whether the General moulds along with some other Kitmaster subjects like a Beyer Garratt and some European subjects went on to Dapol with the rest I do not know. None of those have seen the light of day since Airfix took on the Kitmastef range. Maybe the moulds went to Dapol but we're never used?

Occre, a Spanish company make an old style locomotive kit similar to the General named the Jupiter. It is a large mainly multi medium kit and they make some other very interesting transport kits as well.

A truly lovely model to complete and keep to remember your late wife. It may well be worth looking for a glass dome or a case to protect them from damage and dust etc.

In my last post, curled sails should read furled sails.

Sails or no sails? That is the question. Really it comes down to personal preference. Put the sails on and all the running digging will have to be included. Without sails (harbour rig) much of the running rigging will have been stowed with the sails. I have seen many models without sails where the upper yards have not been lowered as would have been when sails are stowed. The late Professor John Tilley made his models with curled sails made from tissue strengthened with a mixture of dilute acrylic colour and a little PVA. They looked most effective on his builds and showed all the running and standing digging to great effect. The vacuum formed sails supplied with plastic ship kits look awful in my opinion no matter how well painted.

Airfix are now doing a Chiron I believe in similar fashion. They have the licences from VW Bugatti so a 1/16 scale fully detailed model from them I would imagine would be a good seller. Pity they did not go the snap kit route in 1/24 scale like the Reve!! And Lindberg kits with these instead of the Lego like assembly method!

I think that the MCM forum has all but replaced the paper magazine. Last I heard was that issue 207 was in preparation. Did it eventually make it to print?

Have a look at Scale Motorcars forum as they tend to specialise more in larger scale models. HTH.

Hi Richard, it may be worth contacting Alfie Bass who is on the IPMS UK exec. He he been already working on a history of IPMS about its development since it was first founded in England in 1963 I think with the possibility of a publication some time in the future. Alfie has been working on this project for a few years already and may be able to help you with extra information about the old days of the society.

Maybe MCM will survive. Maybe not. It was struggling anyway when times were ok in the world, so whether current circumstances will create a perfect storm for it we will have to see. As I see it many specialist hobby magazines soon will be struggling as all depend on disposable income, as just about anyone else does in the hobby trade.

Over here in the UK severe restrictions came in nationwide about a week ago. Hopefully Telford will not be affected in November but who knows if we will be clear by than or not. Venues like the International Centre are being converted into multi bed field hospitals at the moment. I think it will be a very different world when we all come out of this. Keep safe guys!

A sadly missed friend of mine, the late Professor John Tilley shared many hints and tips on the FSM forum.