Matt_

Lovely... wouldn't have thought the green/blue colour you've streaked with would work, but it certainly does... Nice work. Matt

Tom Fab work.... I have only dabbled around the edges of vac forms and am really impressed at the momentum you maintain in your builds... Can't remember if you have any background in engineering or similar? I say that because the bit that I seem to fail on with vacs is getting everything lined up and square - your dowels for eg... getting them in place so wings just slide on is no mean feat... I must dig something out and finish it off.... Matt

They're both beauties... Matt

Love that first shot Dave... Matt

Good review. I think you're right in that Valiant Wings are the company actually giving the reader good research, useful material and a useful narrative at the 'sub-opus' level of publication. Sometimes the 'eye candy' is covering up the fact that we're just getting the same old stuff in new packaging... Matt

Yes, very good effect. It is always surprising to see how 'beefy' these things were on the real machines... not at all petite..! Matt

Another cracker Dave! Well, you've managed 3 in the time I haven't finished one.... Mine is coming along though... Matt

Thanks Matt Interesting stuff.... now maybe next year Hannants will have a 50% off sale, but I won't hold my breath..... Matt

Wrong side of the 'pond' shipping and HM Customs makes it pointless. Though some of the terminology that I've seen coming from the US is reaching our shores (Black Friday, Cyber Monday/Week - whatever they actually mean) the reductions are massively underwhelming on the whole.... I'm not sure that Hannants even bother.? Matt

Very nice... Barracuda wheels? Matt

Do you think the red is meant to represent a red primer coat...? I don't even know if these got such a finish, but you all too often see tanks (especially German) given a red oxide primer... Method to their madness... Matt

Ah... so these are racks for toothbrushes when you have them at home or from the actual shop display...? Can't quite make them out well enough... Matt

Hello and welcome Rossco. Can you explain or show us a piccy of this - "Toothbrush racks thrown out at the local supermarket were excellent for tools, lined with litho sheet and some with plastic straws cut to length. I was suitably amazed at how many files/knives/chisels/scissors I could fit so close to hand." I'm intrigued.. Matt

Trumpeter Hurricane is one of their best kits - full stop. Same league as the 262. I had one, sold it and regret it now.... Is the PCM kit difficult then? I have one but haven't really looked at it in great detail... Matt

Remember we have two 335s announced - well 3 in fact. Dragon from a few years back - they only showed us a wartime photo (I could announce one on that strength..), Zoukei Mura showed us the boxart so we have a little investment in the product and ZM don't announce and then forget/sideline. Finally, we had the HK announcement, they showed us CAD drawings.... So, the race is on. It'd be nice if the protagonists managed to give us different versions.... I'd like the trainer. Matt

My first airbrush is the Iwata HP-C+, it is great, double action, but why not start as you mean to continue...? Depending where you are in the world, it may be worth looking at Harder and Steinbeck (in Europe at least) as the cost of spares is much lower than for Iwata... Also with the H&S brushes, the needle assemblies are generally interchangeable so you can move to finer needle as you progress... Matt

Looks like a real beauty of a kit. Those separate cockpit panels make it look like a car door could be modelled with a minimal amount of effort (I've always preferred the car door's look). Matt

Thanks for posting all these up. Matt

Rich You don't say if it's a mainstream high pressure IM company or a low volume (Special Hobby for eg) type outfit... That has a bearing as some are looking for mainstream to replace what is available as limited run stuff. Anyway, stuff that would sell in 1/32: Harriers - Trumpy haven't touched all the 'classic' versions - not even a sea harrier - still stuck with Revell's offering. Vampire, Venom series A good OOB EE Lightning Folland Gnat Fouga Magister FIAT G-91 SAAB Tunnan Westland Wasp/Scout Gazelle (helo) Bf 108B Dornier Alpha Jet Dassault Ouragan Dassault Mystere Dassault( Super) Étendard Bolton-Paul Defiant I think this stuff would sell well because, as George says, there's a strong sense of nostalgia attached to a lot of these aircraft - they're the sort s of kits I made when entering the hobby in the last year of the 60s and into the 70s. They are old Airfix and Matchbox kits - revamped with extra details and larger size to cater for our greater pocket money and dwindling eyesight... In fact I think looking at the back catalogue of what Airfix, Frog and Matchbox produced in the late 60s and into the 70s would provide a rich seam of subject matter... Just my thoughts.. Matt

Very nice The St Chamond was a real monster... sort of thing kids draw as a tank! I always suspected the gun barrel would easily get stuck into the ground.... Look good next to a German A7V (which Tauro make - not bad kit either).. Matt

And for the Airfix Typhoon.... which means it'll be spot on.... I imagine his excellent Do 335 drawings may have headed to Japan knowing ZM are doing that as well... Matt

I wonder if that'll develop into a Seafang (hmmm contraprops) as well... Wings would be basis for an Attacker..... Matt

I spent a good half an hour chatting to Arthur at Telford on Sunday. Looked at some of his new work on the 109G, including the Erla. He's a mine of info... Matt

Looks good... That nice looking Erla type vac canopy could have potential outside of this conversion... Matt

1/32 Bf 109G-6 Upgrade Set for Revell kit Alley Cat Catalogue # AC32027C Available from Alley Cat for £15.00 The Revell Bf 109G-6 kit The Revell Bf 109G-6 promised to be the definitive plastic model of this version of Messerschmitt's long serving fighter. However, when released it revealed a series of minor, though frustrating, flaws which were in need of attention. The Large Scale Modeller review covers almost all of the shortcomings found in the kit and all those covered by the Alley Cat upgrade set. Introduction to the Alley Cat Upgrade Set Alley Cat is a range of resin kits and accessories produced and sold by A2Zee Models. The Alley Cat upgrade set is aimed at addressing the bulk of the issues found with the Revell kit whilst exacting the minimum amount of effort from the modeler. Many parts are a reworked kit part, which means they should be a simple drop fit substitute. All parts, except the two photo-etched brass scribing templates, are moulded in a medium grey resin which if the same material as other Alley Cat releases is easy to work with. The parts come in a single zip lock bag along with the instructions in a sturdy cardboard box. No parts were broken or damaged n my sample. The parts are cleanly cast with a very small number of pin holes (I had only 3 in 51 parts). Casting blocks are small and thoughtfully located, removal and clean up shouldn't pose any problems. Note that all my photos are of the parts as they come. Contents: 47 parts plus 4 spare parts (2 exhausts, 2 air scoops) and two photo etch scribing templates. What's in the set? Spinner parts and prop blades Spinner and props – The Revell spinner has a good shape and the correct teardrop shaped openings for the props. Unfortunately, to achieve this the spinner is separated at a point where no joint existed. To make matters worse, the assembly method required spinner and propeller blades to be assembled prior to any clean up or painting. The Alley Cat parts use a novel method to allow the blades to be added after assembly and painting. As well as a new spinner, three replacement blades with a much better profile than Revell's parts are included. Blades are a marked improvement over the Revell parts The new one piece spinner, engraved back plate is visible Exhausts – Revell's engineering made the modeller fit the exhausts prior to closing up the fuselage halves. This meant that without modifying the assembly sequence, painting of both the exhausts and area of fuselage around them would be tricky to say the least. With the upgrade set we are provided with three parts to go inside the fuselage, two parts which fit into the exhaust locations and a third part which helps hold them in place. These are all keyed to ensure positive location. The individual hollowed exhausts (2 spares included) can be put in place right at the end of assembly. Each exhaust 'ejector' has a pin which fits into a hole in the previously assembled parts. This will ensure correct spacing, although care will have to be taken to ensure they are properly oriented. Exhaust parts Air scoops – We were all surprised that Revell hadn't hollowed out the small scoops that cool the oil tank and spark plugs (Hasegawa's much older kit featured hollowed scoops). While the kit scoops can be hollowed, it is a delicate and time consuming job that can easily go wrong and leave a ruined scoop. Alley Cat provide six scoops (2 spares) that simply require the existing ones to be sanded of and these carefully removed from their pour stubs and attached. These are delicately formed parts and should look really nice in place. These will also allow the staggered scoops; apparently characteristic of some aircraft batches to be reproduced. Difficult to photograph! Air scoops are wafer thin and will look good in place Beule – The undernourished beule, the blisters covering the breech and ammunition feeds for the MG 131 machine guns, are one of the most mentioned and visible shortcomings of the Revell kit. Some of us have managed to wrestle the more correctly proportioned Hasegawa parts onto the Revell cowl, but this is time consuming as they don't fit exactly and require filling and sanding. The corrected parts provided by this set include both the standard and 'G-5 type' starboard beule. They look much fuller and feature flange detail on the rear part of the beule. This means the flange Revell have moulded onto the cowl has to be removed. Alley Cat have given us 'standard' and the often seen 'G-5 type' breech and ammo feed covers It is apparent in this view just how much fuller the Alley Cat parts are Supercharger intake – Revell's intake fails to depict the flange for attachment of the air filter on the opening, resulting in a too thin lip to the opening of the intake. The weld bead that runs down the outside of the intake fairing is also absent. Alley Cat replaces the two part Revell offering with a single part that reproduces both these features very nicely and has the added bonus of not having a seam to clean up inside the intake. Seam line and thicker intake lip are (just) visible Undercowl oil cooler – The Alley Cat part has given us a very nicely refined version of the Revell part here. It features more of the curviness of the original part and deepens the whole unit, much more prototypical. Also greatly adding to the look of this part, Alley Cat have narrowed the intake and exit – the original radiator face parts still fit. Much better front profile, narrower intake, curvier sides and deeper overall From the top, curves in all the right places Cockpit – For whatever reason, Revell depicted the harness moulded onto both the seat pan and the rear wall of the cockpit. The effect certainly isn't up to what many of us would want and using better replacement parts requires taking the detail off the parts. This is a drag, especially on the bucket seat. Alley Cat have performed this chore for us. Both parts are basically cleaned up kit parts so fitting is just a case of substitution – easy! Also included is a nicely detailed replacement control column featuring a couple of details omitted by Revell. Side by side with the kit parts - one tiresome job taken care of Ailerons and elevators – Revell scored a bit of an own goal on these parts. For the most part detail is petite and very convincing. However six of the eight parts were 'marred' by disk shaped details which are meant to depict the reinforcements around the drain holes on the real aircraft. There are 42 of these to carefully remove, again, a drag. The Alley Cat parts are devoid of these, are single parts and as a bonus have addressed the dodgy trim tabs on the elevators. Disks gone and a neater trim tab, tiresome job #2 taken care of Tiresome job #3 - history Other parts – Also included are a nice new ETC rack for the drop tank, two parts representing the air vents inside the cockpit that can be used to re-locate the inaccurate port one (starboard one is correctly located), copies of the Revell machine gun barrels with opened out ends, a copy of the propeller shaft, again with a drilled out muzzle for the engine cannon, and finally two photo etched scribing templates – one to re-scribe the port cockpit air vent, the other to correct the location of the fuel filler on the port fuselage behind the cockpit. This second template is actually redundant as Revell corrected the location of the fuel filler in the released kit. Alley Cat Bf109G-6 14 – The final detail parts, including on the left a replacement control column Instructions – The instructions consist of a photographic overview of the parts and a series of short descriptions of some areas of construction. Particular attention is given to assembling the spinner and props and the exhausts as these are significantly different assemblies to the kit parts. For the rest of the assembly the user is left to merely substitute the resin parts for the Revell plastic, a satisfactory approach I think. So What Do We Think? This set has addressed most of the concerns that were highlighted during the various reviews of the Revell kit, including LSM's own review. Alley Cat have stepped up and brought a whole host of simple drop fit replacements that will make your Revell G-6 more accurate with minimal effort and hassle. This is a good honest set of parts that for a relatively small outlay will really boost the look of the Revell kit. Quality is excellent and the amount of parts one gets for the £15.00 asking price makes this a real bargain in my book. Very highly recommended. With thanks to Alistair of A2Zee models for this review sample. To purchase directly, click this link. References: LSM review of Revell Bf 109G-6 Matt Low