Artful69

Grabbed a Birdcage for kicks when released ... some of the best kicks to be had on reflection ... but an FAA corsair was what I was REALLY after!! A truly awesome kit ... now just needing Euro-Theatre operational decals and some clipped wings I guess ... Rog

Not quite from the blue Nick ... lol ... at least for me ... Part of my acquisition budget (configured in February this year) has been allocated for the HpH Me410 in either Late Sept or during Oct this year so pretty much on schedule! ... Also, I went looking for a G-4 conversion for a Dragon Bf110 ... Long story short, the only one out there USED to be good originally but the company that owns the moulds now is as dodgy as a $3 note ... anyone lucky enough to get one gets a crap conversion for drug money investment! ... Now I'm not a super modeller ... hell, I can't scratch my a** let alone scratch BUILD ... My eye for detail is good - better than some ... but no-where NEAR like our studious friend up there, Steve ... or Edgar ... or (insert appropriate expert here!). But I do possess a decent skill set ... team builder, vocabulary, entrepreneur (I can see potential or a good idea miles away!) ... and I can find where to go and get whatever I want easily ... and so lastly - cash! ... Sorry to go all Jennings Heilig 'Black-Ops' on you here ... but at this point there is only a certain amount of info I can share ... The G-4 project was tabled about early June if I recall correctly - and after some initial discussion, my contact in UK (who shall remain anonymous - but is well known and respected within the community) agreed to put together a conversion for a DML kit as long as I handled logistics and supply. Also he wouldn't be able to start until some time in November because of previous commitments. I will supply the DML kit (although which one I'll be using for the 'base' kit is still undecided) ... and would have been supplying brass antennae for it if I could have got GMF to come to the party - but after 6 weeks of trying, I gave up!! ... I sourced from a couple of willing participants, some decent drawings and some dude even threw in the old conversation set so we have a 3D comparison for the crafting process. I have no timeframe for completion of the project - but once this guy gets committed to a project he's usually all over it ... suffice to say that his work is top notch as far as resin AM add ons go!! - TENTATIVELY 1st Qtr next year?!? ... no promises yet though ... the 410 project will be slated slightly after that one Rog

Working in conjunction with some contacts in Belgium and UK for a fully detailed AM add on kit involving a rather large protuberance from the nose ... probably a while away on that one ... also have a nice new and detailed G4 conversion (Bf110) in the works ... I'm just on logistics, supply and finance for these though ... But if you you want to modify a Dragon Bf110 to get some of that Schrage Musik happening?? ... You might be in luck into the New Year Steve Rog

And now ... I have something to add ... First up - The last of a set of Classics Publications books I had on order - These are getting very hard to find ... I hope the new mob at Crecy start doing reprints of some of the other stuff soon ... And today ... a Parcel is delivered from Czechoslovakia ... Unfortunately the Belgian chocolate had a hard time from some evidently warmer weather through France, India, China and Singapore ... Shape issues resulting!! ... Fortunately none of the taste was lost ... and the kit, of course, is awesome!! Of course ... It's always a good idea when buying O/S, to buy "in bulk" if possible, and save on freight ... so I grabbed a couple of correction kits on the list ... ... As for the kit ... a fellow LSPer and I have something rather special in store for this one!! Regards Rog

Oh, come on!!! ... I can't believe no-one has said Tempest yet ... a ready made mould for that big a** Napier Sabre ... aircraft quite similar, yet not the same? Well ... that's what I'd like anyway!! ... The Whirlwind would be welcome too ... But ... I suspect it's going to be a Mossie with a clear nose P/R or Bomber. Rog

Guys ... You know - I've NEVER found a shonky review on your webpage ... but more than that ... I've found most reviews here detailed, concise and above all - entertaining ... I love how the multi-person review/interaction dynamic works ... Kind of like the Top Gear for LSM's ... This review, of course, is no exception ... and well worth the wait! Rog

Did you chop the box art off, lol??? ... otherwise it's looking a little flat! I got one shortly after release, nice kit ... and the only one since the other has disappeared indefinitely!! Rog

I have to agree ... it's a real disappointment!! ... What other "projects"?? ... This one was announced at the same time (roughly) as the PCM kit, and how long as that thing been out on the market ... glad I didn't bother waiting now! ... reminds me of that Martin guy who was always on about Mitchell's, Marauders, Havocs and the like and starting up his own company etc etc etc for about a year or more ... Then everything fell apart and we had to wait for HKM to pick up the pieces ... Meanwhile Ken will be laughing his a** off and carrying on about how PCM is the best blah, blah, blah ... and really, who wants to read a load of that?!?!? Very poor effort ... Rog

Well ... With my first overseas trip done and dusted in May this year ... It was back into acquisition mode for me!! ... I changed tack slightly during June-July with a few reference books being put onto order ... Since I don't usually go after this kind of thing It was a bit of an eye-opening experience trying to chase down books no longer in print!! ... While all this was going on - My Birthday arrived! - and with it, as per usual, my boss' email asking me to select a gift ... There IS a $$ limit on these kinds of things - but he doesn't mind going over marginally if he can ... I dunno how much it cost him ... but I ordered this: And at the same time ... I rang Frontline, my Aussie supplier, and ordered these (a couple were on back order and only arrived last week) ... Much said about the inaccuracy of the kits below ... but they can't really be faulted on detail, fit and finish!! ... ... as well as the Airfix Typhoon - which only just arrived at about the same time as my backorders. In a brief nod to "Canopy-gate", while this one has the tiniest distortion at the top ... it is nothing to really cry about - at least nothing to get me figged in calling Hornby to get a replacement!! Meanwhile ... Just prior to my kit's being mailed ... my reference books arrived! ... I especially like the 3 Vol Fw190 and 2 Vol Bf109 Refs!!... Still in the hunt for a good Spitfire (all Mks in one book!), Hurricane and Typhoon/Tempest ref in Hardcover ... but they can wait a bit now while I get my tennis gear organised for the coming summer!! That's all just for now, while I clear a bit of shelf space for these and future purchases! ... Rog

Thanks people ... got it ... I think ... I was trying to use the system to garner a quote ... so that I could budget for the purchase. Since the website is not playing ball I guess I shall have to estimate and cross my fingers!! Rog

Um ... is that correct? ... It's just that Volks seem to sell a load of other (non ZM) gear as well (Dragon, Cyber Hobby etc) ... and ZM use other international suppliers (we have one or two in Aus!) As for the other ... PM inbound. Rog

Er ... + ???? Do enlighten us James?? Rog

Ahhh ... do you get an invoice with shipping quote included before payment if you use CC as a medium?? Rog

Very good question Mr.S!! ... Yes - I saw that and proceeded ... the order details I saw were 2 x Mustang IV's ... nothing else unfortunately ... I really did go as far as I could without my Paypal account being debited ... It's a pain ... I've sent 3 emails ... finally got a response on the 3rd one ... where they say that they have lodged an enquiry ... with Paypal?!?!?!? every other online store I visit either gives you a shipping quote on your invoice prior to payment OR informs you that they will do it manually after confirming your order - but PRIOR to payment (in other words, they supply you with an invoice after shipping calculations!) In reality the site should go no where near Paypal ... until you confirm that what is in your basket is everything ... and until you confirm your postal address - and shipping costs are given ... Dunno how theirs works actually ... but I'm leery of 'confirming' anything unless I know if I can cancel the order - should the shipping charge prove to be extortionate ... Thanks for the effort though, S!!!! Cheers Rog

Hi All Want to buy a bucketload of gear over the next year or two from ZM ... Tried to buy a couple of new Mustang IV's ... the items go to cart ... and then when you go to check out ... no shipping charges are added?? ... from there it asks you to go to Paypal and authorise payment while confirming your order ... Why on earth would I authorise or confirm ANY transaction without knowing the full cost!!???? So ... Am I doing it wrong?? The "Help" email has be sent 3 times with only one reply ... saying that an enquiry has been lodged with Paypal for the 'error' ... God only knows what THATS all about?? Rog

ha ha ha!!! ... or my own shop front!! - the back room has a whole wall of kits - floor to ceiling Rog

lol thanks very much fellas ... though to be fair, this was all done over the period of a month or two ... unlike some of the purchases last year (15 kits inside a couple of weeks - done several times!) ... There are still a few kits I am chasing ... not the least of which is the ZM Fw190 series when they make their auspicious appearance!! And I am desperately hoping Classic Publications re-release the Ju-88 Vol.1 book!!! ... Rog

An update on collecting some new items on my return from holiday in Manila ... 1st up a great new read ... Next ... a couple of references familiar to most of you ... and I agree with many reviews - very nice!! I had purchased this, the second of my ZM Ta152's in original boxing, before I left for Manila ... I had it delivered to a friend in case it arrived while I was away ... And lastly ... these arrived at the post office for collection today ... supplied by my usual UK contact ... Rog

2 on order as of 3 days ago ... fixes are easy-peasy, really ... Rog

Hi all ... I'm not sure if I've posted this thread in the correct place ... so, Mods', please forgive the transgression and shift it if required! I've pretty much copy/pasted this from my thread on there. A few of you might have seen this recent thread posted by 'Vitali' on LSP (Large Scale Planes) 18th June ... but to fill in the background info for this thread (and save me from doubling up!), have a decko ... and at the link he provided in his opening post. http://forum.largesc...showtopic=51112 With a couple of emails exchanged between Mike (the Merit website manager) and I, due to the confusion surrounding the listing on scale size (i.e.: 1/32 & 1/48), he seemed genuinely intrigued about the interest level the ad had sparked for 1/32 scale ... his final reply is below: "Hi Roger, Sorry to dissapoint! However we are always looking for the next big thing (pun intended) and our owners are very receptive to the forum communities. So, it may be possible to consider producing a twin engine Soviet aircraft kit in that scale if enough people would be interested. We will keep the community informed! Thanks Again Mike Johnston Webmaster Merit International" Ok folks ... so, the question is one of interest level!! ... Please be aware that I will provide Mike with a link to this thread so he can pop in and look at your suggestions ... probably a good idea to follow the forum rules in spirit on this one ... I think we would like to create a good impression (also not annoying the Mods is good!)... any ideas/thoughts are welcome as long as they are Soviet, WWII and predominantly (though not exclusively!) twins Rog

Me Three? Rog

Not a huge fan of hairdriers by a long shot ... but the Phantom/carrier deck dio is awesome!!

I have 3 hobbies ... * Military history, especially relating to strategy and tactics ... and narrowing it down further, the development of armour (and therefore my interest in the Panzerwaffe and WWII in general by extension) ... This is where my interest in modeling comes from ... I can create 3D art - depicting that which interests me. * Books ... Military history, of course ... but also novels - you could divide my yearly reading time equally between both ... * Writing ... I am currently at work on a novel of my own ... but at university, I was just as much at home writing essays for assignments on subjects like accounting and economics. I am always buying books ... so whenever I am short of something new to read I give the girls of Dymocks in Ellenbrook a call ... I also wander around their shelves whenever I venture up that way ... I grabbed some Military titles while up there recently While Neither James Holland or David Isby are familiar authors to me ... the topics piqued my interest. Paul Ham is well known to me ... "Kokoda" and "Hiroshima and Nagasaki" being a couple of his works I have on shelf. Rog

And today another collectable arrives Rog

Darn that looks decent ... dispenser style rows too!! ... It looks like it'd be just the thing for my Tamiya bottles :/ ... wish you could buy these new!! Rog