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IainMackayDall

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Everything posted by IainMackayDall

  1. Ever wondered what pilots were doing when they did a walk around on the tarmac before each flight? Here is a 747 walk around done just before she went to the desert for retirement.
  2. My thoughts would be to defend those big planes, but only if we all still has such a rosy and growing tourist industry, especially the one that I knew between Europe and Asia. But yes, smaller or mid sized twin efficient by pass turbine craft are much more flexible, and probably the future, as in our new dreamliner route from Perth to London. As for Greta, please don't dismiss her. If you know anything of our past geology and climate, and the fact we have added more carbon into the atmosphere between the 1980's and today than of all the past Industrial revolution. Then we are on track to some change. Covid is just a trial run to get us used to a new normal.
  3. Well it looks like all 12 Qantas A380's will be stored in the Mojave desert. The 4th QF A380 is already there, or on its way. I flew on one of the first Australia bound A380's back to SYD from London, thinking that this was such a huge quiet and wonderful craft. Actually I flew up to London to get this flight, on an Emirates A380. I had a very Aussie comparison on both craft back then, the Emirates craft had a lot of gold trim and overt opulence compared to the more starker Qantas cabin decor, it was rather like the Holden (GM) model equivalent of the Commodore range. Emirates was the Calais model, whereas the Qantas was the Executive, or barely the Berlina model. But, Qantas had better menu changes, plus copious wine etc Emirates however, it seemed kept on the same menu forever. But Emirates had a business class rare stand up bar, which Qantas had not thought to install. That back bar, whilst flying, was a very social and lively place, and caused many an Aussie flyer to stray. I was also involved in a recent Qantas future survey, "Project Sunrise", where they were going to reconfigure their 12 A380's interiors to loose all freight cargo carrying to concentrate on range, as in, non stop Sydney to London with passengers, probably on a full 19-20hr flight ( I had done 17hrs on a A380 from Sydney to Dallas, so no big deal for any Aussie flyers ) This proposed configurations was surveying flyers as to their thoughts. sounding out proposals like no cabin crew aisle trolly service, with meals being self service, in a galley below, created from the freed up freight hold, that and or having concepts for exercise areas, child creche, sleeping berths for booking etc.. it was a bit lite those early 747 top deck concepts before economics came to play. - we already have/had a Perth Qantas Dreamliner nonstop to London, but the fact that a non stop to London was a possibility from Sydney and Melbourne was almost on the horizon.
  4. I'm fated to have to use up my Tamiya 1/32 spitfire to build a version of this LVC Spitfire, like this grand 1/48 version from Serge Dompierre http://www.hsgalleries.com/gallery04/spitfirevbsd_1.htm I've just been sent copy of "Gone is the Angel" by the Deputy Commanding Officer, 151 Chadburn Sqn, Ontario
  5. I hope someone picks up the the team behind that WNW Lancaster and their moulds.. I was all her bent on that HKM version, even putting down a deposit that took 2 years to get to the point, when I decided to let the model shop refund so I could wait longer foe that WNW version, and in an ideal world, there was to be a Stephen Fry screenplay for the Peter Jackson Dambuster remake. But it seems worlds change rather too quickly.
  6. Do any Aussies out there ( or Brits come to speak of them ) know why the Australian Army chose to replace their British built 1952 Centurion battle tanks with the Leopard 1s back in 1977. It always seemed odd, that iI could never find this fully explained as to why. Also, but wind back to 1963. Was it a related "political" decision, to opt for French Mirage 111 jets for the RAAF? https://www.raafa.org.au/mirage Ps: I am a Brit, but I do feel free to criticise the old country, especially after living in Australia for so many years and on reading as much local history, well as much as I can get my hands on, be it mostly on post ww2 related nuclear bomb tests here on Australian territories.
  7. Great source of information form all your replies !! Thanks I also note that there is a crossover with flying equipment with this 1/35 scale Viper http://hyperscale.com/2020/features/ah1z48sp_1.htm So is it taboo to mix 1/32 scale craft with 1/35 scale ground equipment.. what about all those dioramas with Lancasters and Mossies with refuelling trucks?
  8. I've always been bothered as to why 1/32 scale was applied the standard for large scale aircraft models but 1/35 was only used for military vehicles. Why the slight difference?
  9. Has anyone ever fulfilled this dream. To build the Tamiya ITEM 56010 Tiger I Early Production Full-Option Kit.. ?https://www.tamiya.com/english/products/56010tiger/tiger.htm
  10. What 3d software interfaces the best for these printers. I'd love to get involved with them, but just waiting for them to shake out, or as just you are reviewing, helping see the plus and minus points. On that 1/16 Sopwith Camel cowling, how much effort in the 3d model do those cutaway support stuctures require when preparing the print. is it as ( a novice asking here ) built in.. somehow?? I cannot believe that would really be that case, so I'm assuming you have to scaffold the piece manually, well in the 3d file before printing?. Great article, Plus many thanks.
  11. Who makes these platform loaders? ( is that the word for them? ) They remind men of the Oshkosh 40k Loaders the US Military have? I sponsored various 3d builds for some of my corporate 3d rendered scenes like this one now, on TurboSquid.. https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/oshkosh-40k-loader-3d-max/319716
  12. I got the chance to learn how to overtake road trains out in the Pilberra Western Australia. A CB is essential, you call quoting the Road train ID plate# as you approach from behind. it's not the license plate, but the company plate like this one, JT31 ( # also behind the stack on the cab) , adding yourself as "LV light vehicle, requesting to overtake". These drivers are amazingly careful and helpful, making sure no oncoming before giving you the go-ahead. It does takes quite a time to pass 4 trailers. The road dust, especially after rain, also makes some impressive paintwork additions to when you get to hand back the rental ute.
  13. Thanks Hubert, your asking price of € 135 is an acceptable price, but could you calculate how much boxing it all up and shipping to Sydney Australia would cost? if its not excessive I'll most likely take you up on the sale. many Regards Iain
  14. Ooo.. I'm still tempted by your HKM Mosquito? But I'm comparing the Tamiya reviews vs the Hong Kong Model ones. But Tamiya does not do the glazed nose version, although I could build a butchered version.
  15. This is not exactly "my bench", more like "my side desk". Two glass tops on trestle legs. The items below are all now lost to view by the crowded top. On that "stash" level there is an un-opened 1/32 scale Tamiya P-51D Mustang just quietly waiting. The featured work in progress is that white and grey lego attempt at a Russian N1. I've getting closer to finishing that stage 1 (blok A) base. it's so often put aside, as I try to order and source a few more tiles and bricks. It's the same 1:110 scale as the recent Lego Saturn V. Next lego project is to make a mini figure scale TinTin Rocket, like the last image from Gronkius: https://www.flickr.com/photos/67516138@N02/
  16. I hope you are going to keep these Hornets warm and out of your extreme conditions, at least until they get used to it. Which could be many years
  17. If it's for that B-36, maybe not just recess, but more of a serving hatch.. with a cabinet both sides. Ps that suggestion may be upsetting to some. Also I have built a trestle table that has a 34" wide glass top and width of up to 72". then another section of glass, somewhat narrower in my case fits underneath. the tittle table has 4 adjustable posts that loft the too glass, for me its only 6" but I could go to 12 making it a higher table.. but the glass keeps everything on show, that is until more models get piled on the top. The downside is that custom cut reinforced glass is both heavy and expensive.
  18. Like other comments, I cut down my meat intake, well my dog now do gets more BBQ chicken these days. I do eat meat, but mostly a lot of fish, and vegetables in various bakes are very tasty. In fact eating meat again is quite a disappointment, you realise that it was the veggies that gave all the taste on past dishes. The crunch came recently when I did a regular blood test with my GP. I was worried that from my standard decades long 80/81kg I had lost weight, and had past my goal of my more teenage 75kg and had actually hit 74, 73, and ever 72 after some lockdown stunt gardening projects. So worried I was spiralling out of control, I did the blood tests. My Doctor called to say everything was ok, in fact whatever I was doing was it was the best i have ever been on all counts for my past 15 years. To me it was not cutting out Alcohol, or dieting, but to quit snacks and just eating more veg. especially using up old veg in making soups. Nothing radical, its saves money. But do watch and avoid how much sugar ( especially corn syrup sugar ) is in the food you buy. better still just buy fresh local produce, be it veggies, fish, meat and use it all up as leftovers.
  19. There are still many old shapers and surfers from the 70's today, watching the young guns surf in lockdown ( well it's actually been a surfing boom ) at our local of beach, the life guards have given the surfers free range along the whole Manly Beach in Sydney. But before I moved down under. I had my teenage years - through the 70's - along the surfing coast of Cornwall, where the newly employed council lifeguards were all Aussies with Aussie equipment, and they spawned the local surfboard factories then. - a house or garage was often what started these overseas US/Aussie surfing legend imports to build up the UK surfing culture. As a teenager there, we converted roller skates to skateboards, dreaming of attaining what we saw in those overseas Surfer mags. But I shaped boards too, in reality they were mostly old 60's cut down long boards with wood stringers, but I did have the odd fresh new blank and bottles of resin and catalyst ( mostly in those UK glass milk bottles ). The fun shaping a blank was often with those offcut pieces. We had this bet we could fly an off cut foam brick - a square foam block across our lawn just like any balsa wood glider could.. and we did. It was Surfie built lifting body of sorts. Regards from the Antipodes to all.
  20. Looks like it was from that early Spielberg movie "Duel"
  21. Would love to do the Vulcan, and a Victor it gets into production. but I'm not seeing much internal details, and or how they handle the glazed surfaces. They may be just like those big airline models we all were fascinated with in the big end of town shop fronts.
  22. While we all need some cheer, Just remembering Spike Milligan. Spike spent the last years of his life living just North of Sydney in Woy Woy. I recall reading his wartime memoir back in the late 70's "Adolf Hitler my part in his downfall" and I found this odd facebook meme below that's suitably Spike's humour.
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