DocRob

Good to see your Hind developing so well. I don't like these gap surprises with kits, at least not by that much. You seemed to have that solved and closing her up is always a great step. Cheers Rob

That's a way to rehab . Great build, painting and weathering. I like the two layer maskol chipping. I planned to do that on my Doobie Bulldozer. Cheers Rob

Yesterday I received a nice package containing lots of goodies from Taurus, Top Notch, Aviattic, Profimodeller, HGW and last but not least Yahu. While browsing through my ransom, I figured I have to show you the item to you which made my Jaw drop. I had one pack from Yahu before but it's not a complete IP, it's pre-printed bezels and gauges for a Arado 234. This time I got two IP's for my SBD-3 and 1/24 Typhoon. Lately I have to admit, that I got a little bored with that pre-printed stuf mostly produced by Eduard. Too flat, sometimes rasterized and in a way lifeless. The Yahu ones are way better , they are more 3D, sharply printed (readable), with a fitting flat surface and high gloss glass appearance for the bezels. It's not that easy to get these heavy macroed pics right, but show you anyway. Cheers Rob

Hehe, at least it's less painting this way . I like your solution with these Lozenge strips applied. I was checking my Pics of D VII's from Pensacola Florida and Berlin Gatow Museums and found no evidence of the usage of any kind of tape around the edges. I don't know how accurate these planes are restored. At one point or another we have to settle for some artistic freedom or years of tiring research. You seem to reach an end with decaling and are closing to the finish line. Cheers Rob

That's a good and busy start, Rich. I believe your Tiffy is bathing with greater regularity than me . I will follow through your build with pleasure. Cheers Rob

Excellent, you can't see the pain involved into this build. The splinter camo looks great and makes the Viggen standout. Glad you finished her through all the obstacles. Cheers Rob

Great link Martin, thanks, immediately found some great pics for my Churchill MK.4 in Normandy and some of SAS Jeeps, great. Cheers Rob

FYI , just saw the announcement in 'our' scale and had to share it. https://www.themodellingnews.com/2019/05/preview-miniarts-new-35th-scale-focke.html#more Cheers Rob

Looking great Phil, love that 'busy' appearance, love it. Cheers Rob

True, we will be part of future petrochemichals and are determined for the ever (maybe not) lasting circle. Personally I don't see an end to our hobby during my lifespan, even though it seems to last for some decades , stash is full beyond my composting and meanwhile there are enough temptations with new and existing kits. The market for the companies is not too shabby in the moment. Hobbyists in their second half of existence tend to spend a lot in kits and AM. I think, that money per kit with added AM seriously increased over the last decades. Twenty years ago nearly nobody would have spent let's say 300 Euros for a 1/32 Mossie with all the galore. The Hobby is changeing with only us 'old guys' buying, there is a tendency in following marketing leads like Star Wars and of course Gundam and Anime related stuff mostly for the younger ones. First tendencies of slow deterioration of the LS-Market may can be seen in less mass kits from mass companies in the market. Maybe stashes are overcrowded with the usual suspects, but the specialists provide us with exotic stuff like never before. Among other hobbies, I have another one which is really petrochemical related, it's vinyls. I have some thousand and still buy new and old stuff. The more than once buried black disk is resurrected and the only physical recording medium with raising market shares. Of course, it's not mass market, but vinyl found it's niche and is more alive than at any time in the last twenty years, even with all the streaming. Even younger people get attracted, because vinyl is hip and on the other hand is retro in a positive way. No digital rights management, just the needle and the vinyl, and its adaptable to the modern world via USB port. Why I state this should be obvious, there are lots of chances to develop modelling into the future. That future might not be the umpteenth 109 K4 with a scratch on the left side of the canopy and 0,2 bar less tyre pressure in it's left wheel. The biggest challenge of the market will be, how the mayor companies will react to those changes to attract younger people or even women. To me the modelling future is bright, as I'm not bound on historical correct scale reproduction. Don't get me wrong, I like to build my P-47 or FW-190, but I enjoy to look for other modelling horizons, be it steam punk, sci-fi, or whatever will attract my ever searching mind . Cheers Rob

Hi Martin, just finished that book a week ago. https://www.amazon.com/SAS-Nazi-Hunters-Damien-Lewis/dp/1787477894 Interesting read and fits your choice. The mentioned Jeeps where used in the Vosges mountains by the SAS in September 1944. The were parachuted along the men and equipment. Actually I was thinking SAS Jeep too, but as I have everything to equip them for the desert, I decided against. Cheers Rob

Wow, Lozenge is looking bueno. your Pfalz is progressing rapidly, despite the cold. Suerte mi Amigo, health to you, like we say here in Spain. Cheers Rob

I have to admit, at first, I was not totally thrilled about that GB. To many projects pointing in completely different directions. But while browsing through my stash I found some candidates. I had to scratch some as too far fetched for the theme, or arriving too late on the scene and of course found some of the usual suspect like a 1/24 Typhoon or a Tamiya Mossie. There are some FW190, but these are reserved for other projects. These two (not together), added with a little base and figures are my choices for now. Cheers Rob

Nice save with the Jaws. The painted one looks definitely better than the decal, lots of work to get there, but the result looks great. Cheers Rob

Enjoy your time there, must be a nice place to be. Never visited the Azores, but have been on Madeira, a place I really liked, despite being to crowded. My westmost Canarian Island home shares a lot with some places on the Azores I guess, It is full of wild, mostly undisturbed nature, it's not crowded and the Tuna is fresh from the sea. Greetings fro Europes south western point Cheers Rob

Welcome to LSM Gary. Your Lib is a nice first entry here being very L of LSM . Love your NMF and the finish in general. The lower turret seems to be a possible substitute for lots of nose weight . It is good to see one actually build after all the ranting and yours look very good. Cheers Rob

Wow, clean and lean. Your F4 looks great, the finish is perfect. What do you mean by painted stencils, freehand or masks? Cheers Rob

Hehe, that's what I thought, but wrote it anyway Cheers Rob

Tough one, but interesting and very tempting. I'm looking forward to your build. I guess you know the SWS Concept Notes from Zoukei Moura. There are some detail pics of the very same airframe included, along with scale drawings and of course some WIP-pics Cheers Rob

Now there's a beauty. Love the paintjob and finish. Another strong point of your builds is the perfect presentation and skilled photography. Cheers Rob

Thanx sieben, very appreciated Cheers Rob

Nice, HGW or not, I'm buckled in . Cheers Rob

Please do share, I will follow, because I like these Eindeckers and soon have to get me one. Cheers Rob

Like it a lot. Nice finish and rigging. BTW, which line are you using and what kind of buckles? Cheers Rob

If we keep it open for another two years, I may get in with a F8 . Cheers Rob