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SkyKing

IPMS/USA Member
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Posts posted by SkyKing

  1. Very odd.....

     

    While we "war mongers" are blamed for glorifying violence with our model building, I've never seen anything like those, where out and out murder is emphasized, in our hobby. The builder comes across (intentionally or not) as a disturbed individual.

     

    GIL :smiley16:

    The only possible justification I see for this is the re-creation of crime scenes for jury trials.

  2. I am having trouble with airlinercafe.com. All of a sudden, I'm getting a message that I have an ad blocker in my browser and must upgrade to a "First Class" membership in order to access the site. I do use an adblocker program, but it is disabled for airlinercafe, and the site is whitelisted. I cannot log in, and I cannot even contact the site administrator about this issue because the adblocker prevents me from doing so. This is happening in both Safari and Firefox.

    Help!

  3. Fine point, but the Coast Guard was under the Department of the Treasury, not Transportation. Maybe you just mis-spoke or am I wrong?

    You're partly correct. Originally, the Coast Guard was under the Treasury Dept. during peacetime and the Navy Dept. in wartime. In 1967, it was moved from the Treasury Dept. to the newly formed Dept. of Transportation, an arrangement that lasted until it was placed under the Dept. of Homeland Security in 2003. It can still be transferred to the Navy in time of war.

  4. This letter from Lewis Nace, President of Minicraft Models. appeared in the July 2016 issue of "Beaver Tales," the e-newsletter of IPMS-Canada:

     

    “Some months ago we exchanged messages about the threat of licensing demands by the US Military. It is now official that the first of the US military licensing demands have been made, the first being the US Navy.

     

    “Last year this topic first came up because a container shipped to a Minicraft customer (MMD) was seized by US Customs because a model kit had a decal representing the seal of the US Coast Guard (it was a Trumpeter container not a Minicraft container). That situation did not affect Minicraft because we do not currently offer a kit with US Coast Guard markings, but the lesson was obvious – the US military branches are by way of US Customs starting to enforce “new” trademark laws. Minicraft will no longer consider marketing any subject that requires reference to the Coast Guard going forward.

     

    “However, given the nature of the Minicraft line, I have a minimum of 2 military licenses I must contend with, the US Navy and the US Air Force. In the past we often offered optional markings in kits but that will no longer happen. If we were to include markings for a Navy and an Air Force airplane in the same box we would be subject to licensing both branches of the service. The US Army, US Marine Corp, US Navy, US Air Force, US Coast Guard all have a SEPARATE license all with separate procedures and royalty requirements. We cannot triple our licensing cost.

    “If modelers wonder why their selection has narrowed this might help explain it. The cost of licensing? Licensing costs are all pretty similar for Ford, Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, Northrup-Grumman, Cessna etc. It looks like the US military licensing fee will be the same and this will effectively double Minicraft licensing costs. EACH licensing authority will need to approve the product and each have their own special requirements all of which adds to the time it takes to develop new product. Many licensing groups are starting to require the use of an “OLP” hologram and we are expecting to have to reserve space on the box to line up the OLP holograms! Manufacturers will have no alternative but to increase the price to the consumer.

    “If model enthusiasts are unhappy about the state of the industry invite them to contact their Congressional representatives. Model kit manufacturers now need to wade through licensing agreements, pay royalties and follow accounting requirements and not only pay manufacturers for designs and license holders for ships tanks and airplanes the US military used decades ago, but now also pay each individual branch of the service depending on the decals included in the kit.

     

    “Incidentally legal advisors have also recommended removing any reference to crews or pilots because doing so presents the risk of yet another licensing demand. Ever heard the story about the “estate” of Chuck Yeager? His heirs have successfully demanded licensing of any kit bearing his name on the airplane.

     

    “Say goodbye to the hobby we once knew.”

  5. The general rule is: "Acrylic" (i.e., water-based) over enamel (oil-based) over lacquer (lacquer-based). NEVER enamel over acrylic and NEVER lacquer over anything. This is a rule which I have obeyed for years, and it has never let me down.

     

    Having said that, however, there do appear to be some modern "acrylics" that are robust enough to stand up to the application of enamels over them. I can't tell you which ones, because I shy away from "acrylics."

     

    I put "acrylics" in quote because "acrylic" means different things to different people. There are water-based "acrylics" (which are technically enamels), and there are "acrylic lacquers." The latter are lacquer-based but their pigments are acrylic polymers.

     

    You can use Tamiya primer for just about anything without fear. And enamels need not be restricted to pre-shading; you can apply enamels over enamels without any problems. And you can also pre-shade with water-based acrylics if using them for your base colors.

     

    Ron's advice is good. I usually allow any paint I apply to dry/cure for a week before applying more paint on top. If you can still smell paint on your model, the paint still isn't dry/cured.

  6. I have 333 tins! Most of it new old stock, purchased on The Bay Of E. Including some discontinued but still useful colors, such as Eau de Nil (No. 1) and Yellow (No. 8), and several sets of Humbrol Authentics. Many duplicates/triplicates, some opened and partially used tins, but all still fresh as the day they left the factory. There's nothing like the sweet, oily smell of vintage Humbrol enamel to get your modeling mojo working!

    And yet, among all that Humbrol paint, there's not one tin of Gloss Black. Go figure.

    • Like 1
  7. In my opinion, and what we've done in Chattanooga, the best thing to do is ask both vendors and buy outers to hold off on buying/selling out until "x" time. That way, everyone through the door before then has a good opportunity to shop, and the folks interested in buying/selling out can still do so. I think that if the request is made up front, and politely, most will understand that the health of shows is the concern, and will cooperate.

     

    Mike

    I like this approach. However, current leadership of my home Chapter seems to think it's "immoral" to attempt to put any restriction on a seller. They have no expressed concern for the health or future viability of the show. For my own part, I have taken the position that if we are going to allow our IPMS Regionals and locally-sponsored contests to become nothing more than markets for bulk sellers and bulk buyers, then I refuse to support them in any manner whatsoever, and that includes that of my own chapter.
    • Like 1
  8. Long-time IPMS member and retired McDD engineer Ron Downey has posted scans of the official Douglas factory display model drawings for the DC-1, DC–3, DC-6, DC-7, DC-8, and DC-9 aircraft on his blog: http://aviationarchives.blogspot.ca/

    Follow the link in his blog entry to see a thumbnail gallery, then click on the thumbnail of the drawing you're interested in, then click on the "full size" link to see and copy the full size drawing.

    We all owe Ron our thanks for posting these. There's a lot of other good stuff on his blog, too!

  9. Humbol still has a full line-up, correct?

     

    Incorrect. The following Humbrol colors have recently been discontinued, according to reports from the UK, although most if not all seem to be available from Hornby USA:

     

    36 Matt pastel green
    42 Matt violet
    44 Matt pastel blue
    58 Matt magenta
    111 Matt field grey
    112 Matt field blue
    156 Satin dark camouflage grey
    157 Matt azure blue
    167 Satin RAF Barley grey
    168 Satin hemp
    187 Matt dark stone
    195 Satin dark green
    225 Matt middle stone
    230 Matt PRU blue
    234 Matt dark flesh
    237 Matt desert tan
    239 Gloss British racing green
    240 Matt RLM 02 grau
    241 Matt RLM 70 schwartzgrun
    242 Matt RLM 71 dunkelgrun
    243 Matt RLM 72 grun
    244 Matt RLM 73 grun
    245 Matt RLM 74 graugrun
    246 Matt RLM 75 grauviolett
    247 Matt RLM 76 lichtblau
    248 Matt RLM 78 himmelblau
    249 Matt RLM 79 sandbraun
    250 Matt desert sand
    251 Matt RLM 81 dunkelbraun
    252 Matt RLM 82 olivgrun
    253 Matt RLM 83 dunkelgrun
    1325 Clear green
  10.  

     

     

    But why is it that some lacquers (I.e., Mr. Color, AKAN) are easier to get here in the US than some enamels (Xtracolor, White Ensign). Aren't lacquers more volatile and "nastier" than enamels?

    Mike,

     

    How can you question the wisdom and expertise of the federal government? They are protecting us. :smiley2:

     

    it is my understanding that the airlines, through their international trade association, are to blame for enamels no longer being shipped by air.

     

    And who regulates the airlines?

     

    In this case, themselves.

  11.  

    But why is it that some lacquers (I.e., Mr. Color, AKAN) are easier to get here in the US than some enamels (Xtracolor, White Ensign). Aren't lacquers more volatile and "nastier" than enamels?

    Mike,

     

    How can you question the wisdom and expertise of the federal government? They are protecting us. :smiley2:

     

    it is my understanding that the airlines, through their international trade association, are to blame for enamels no longer being shipped by air.

  12. According to a post on the Britmodeller forum, the following Humbrol colors have been discontinued, as confirmed by their deletion from the trade order forms:

     

    36 Matt pastel green
    42 Matt violet
    44 Matt pastel blue
    58 Matt magenta
    111 Matt field grey
    112 Matt field blue
    156 Satin dark camouflage grey
    157 Matt azure blue
    167 Satin RAF Barley grey
    168 Satin hemp
    187 Matt dark stone
    195 Satin dark green
    225 Matt middle stone
    230 Matt PRU blue
    234 Matt dark flesh
    237 Matt desert tan
    239 Gloss British racing green
    240 Matt RLM 02 grau
    241 Matt RLM 70 schwartzgrun
    242 Matt RLM 71 dunkelgrun
    243 Matt RLM 72 grun
    244 Matt RLM 73 grun
    245 Matt RLM 74 graugrun
    246 Matt RLM 75 grauviolett
    247 Matt RLM 76 lichtblau
    248 Matt RLM 78 himmelblau
    249 Matt RLM 79 sandbraun
    250 Matt desert sand
    251 Matt RLM 81 dunkelbraun
    252 Matt RLM 82 olivgrun
    253 Matt RLM 83 dunkelgrun
    1325 Clear green

    So get 'em while you can.

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