Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe.

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
) All I received was a sign of old age.

Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers Magna Visor, with 1.8x, 2.2x and 2.6x
magnification. Stuck the 2.2x in to start with.


Matt Bittner
)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
) All I received was a sign of old age.

Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers Magna Visor, with 1.8x, 2.2x and 2.6x
magnification. Stuck the 2.2x in to start with.


Matt Bittner
) Michael!
> I had initially requested that new Belgian WWI aeroplane book but she said
> that wasn't personal enough!
> So, a track-suit is more personal than an aeroplane book, apparently?

It depends on the kind of "persona" relatives want you to be. To me, it
sounds like your loved ones want you to fall in a bundle of oversized
clothes and lose the chance to become a star player, while keeping you
ignorant of the subtleties of Belgian aviation. It's a cruel plot, I
daresay, old chap.

> My in-laws "promised" to buy me a winter coat but I have to go and pick it
> out.

Grab the money and run to the nearest book shop that caters that new Belgian
WWI aeroplane book! "Here's the new winter coat! They had it in teal, mauve
and WW1 Belgian Aviation. I liked the last one the best."

> I have Polly Scale flat but that is usually too flat - I usually reserve
> that for armour.

You can use it unstirred and it probably won't have as much matting agent in
suspension as if you shake the bottle for several minutes. Try it! Or else
go outside to buy a new bottle and accidentally bring that new Belgian WWI
aeroplane book by mistake.
D.
It is, after all, a season of miracles.

)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
) All I received was a sign of old age.

Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers Magna Visor, with 1.8x, 2.2x and 2.6x
magnification. Stuck the 2.2x in to start with.


Matt Bittner
) Michael!
> I had initially requested that new Belgian WWI aeroplane book but she said
> that wasn't personal enough!
> So, a track-suit is more personal than an aeroplane book, apparently?

It depends on the kind of "persona" relatives want you to be. To me, it
sounds like your loved ones want you to fall in a bundle of oversized
clothes and lose the chance to become a star player, while keeping you
ignorant of the subtleties of Belgian aviation. It's a cruel plot, I
daresay, old chap.

> My in-laws "promised" to buy me a winter coat but I have to go and pick it
> out.

Grab the money and run to the nearest book shop that caters that new Belgian
WWI aeroplane book! "Here's the new winter coat! They had it in teal, mauve
and WW1 Belgian Aviation. I liked the last one the best."

> I have Polly Scale flat but that is usually too flat - I usually reserve
> that for armour.

You can use it unstirred and it probably won't have as much matting agent in
suspension as if you shake the bottle for several minutes. Try it! Or else
go outside to buy a new bottle and accidentally bring that new Belgian WWI
aeroplane book by mistake.
D.
It is, after all, a season of miracles.

) Re: [WWI] Christmas LootS!
> Modelling related, but pre-OT, a Revell kit of da Vinci's aerial
> screw.

Female air attendants were hot dates even in the Rennaisance.
D.
)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
) All I received was a sign of old age.

Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers Magna Visor, with 1.8x, 2.2x and 2.6x
magnification. Stuck the 2.2x in to start with.


Matt Bittner
) Michael!
> I had initially requested that new Belgian WWI aeroplane book but she said
> that wasn't personal enough!
> So, a track-suit is more personal than an aeroplane book, apparently?

It depends on the kind of "persona" relatives want you to be. To me, it
sounds like your loved ones want you to fall in a bundle of oversized
clothes and lose the chance to become a star player, while keeping you
ignorant of the subtleties of Belgian aviation. It's a cruel plot, I
daresay, old chap.

> My in-laws "promised" to buy me a winter coat but I have to go and pick it
> out.

Grab the money and run to the nearest book shop that caters that new Belgian
WWI aeroplane book! "Here's the new winter coat! They had it in teal, mauve
and WW1 Belgian Aviation. I liked the last one the best."

> I have Polly Scale flat but that is usually too flat - I usually reserve
> that for armour.

You can use it unstirred and it probably won't have as much matting agent in
suspension as if you shake the bottle for several minutes. Try it! Or else
go outside to buy a new bottle and accidentally bring that new Belgian WWI
aeroplane book by mistake.
D.
It is, after all, a season of miracles.

) Re: [WWI] Christmas LootS!
> Modelling related, but pre-OT, a Revell kit of da Vinci's aerial
> screw.

Female air attendants were hot dates even in the Rennaisance.
D.
) > I got nothing OT and nothing ot.

It sounds like you misbehaved this year... good for you!
D.
)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
) All I received was a sign of old age.

Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers Magna Visor, with 1.8x, 2.2x and 2.6x
magnification. Stuck the 2.2x in to start with.


Matt Bittner
) Michael!
> I had initially requested that new Belgian WWI aeroplane book but she said
> that wasn't personal enough!
> So, a track-suit is more personal than an aeroplane book, apparently?

It depends on the kind of "persona" relatives want you to be. To me, it
sounds like your loved ones want you to fall in a bundle of oversized
clothes and lose the chance to become a star player, while keeping you
ignorant of the subtleties of Belgian aviation. It's a cruel plot, I
daresay, old chap.

> My in-laws "promised" to buy me a winter coat but I have to go and pick it
> out.

Grab the money and run to the nearest book shop that caters that new Belgian
WWI aeroplane book! "Here's the new winter coat! They had it in teal, mauve
and WW1 Belgian Aviation. I liked the last one the best."

> I have Polly Scale flat but that is usually too flat - I usually reserve
> that for armour.

You can use it unstirred and it probably won't have as much matting agent in
suspension as if you shake the bottle for several minutes. Try it! Or else
go outside to buy a new bottle and accidentally bring that new Belgian WWI
aeroplane book by mistake.
D.
It is, after all, a season of miracles.

) Re: [WWI] Christmas LootS!
> Modelling related, but pre-OT, a Revell kit of da Vinci's aerial
> screw.

Female air attendants were hot dates even in the Rennaisance.
D.
) > I got nothing OT and nothing ot.

It sounds like you misbehaved this year... good for you!
D.
) Nothing OT, but I did get a couple of books on the air wars of pt.2 over Scotland.

Dave

)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
) All I received was a sign of old age.

Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers Magna Visor, with 1.8x, 2.2x and 2.6x
magnification. Stuck the 2.2x in to start with.


Matt Bittner
) Michael!
> I had initially requested that new Belgian WWI aeroplane book but she said
> that wasn't personal enough!
> So, a track-suit is more personal than an aeroplane book, apparently?

It depends on the kind of "persona" relatives want you to be. To me, it
sounds like your loved ones want you to fall in a bundle of oversized
clothes and lose the chance to become a star player, while keeping you
ignorant of the subtleties of Belgian aviation. It's a cruel plot, I
daresay, old chap.

> My in-laws "promised" to buy me a winter coat but I have to go and pick it
> out.

Grab the money and run to the nearest book shop that caters that new Belgian
WWI aeroplane book! "Here's the new winter coat! They had it in teal, mauve
and WW1 Belgian Aviation. I liked the last one the best."

> I have Polly Scale flat but that is usually too flat - I usually reserve
> that for armour.

You can use it unstirred and it probably won't have as much matting agent in
suspension as if you shake the bottle for several minutes. Try it! Or else
go outside to buy a new bottle and accidentally bring that new Belgian WWI
aeroplane book by mistake.
D.
It is, after all, a season of miracles.

) Re: [WWI] Christmas LootS!
> Modelling related, but pre-OT, a Revell kit of da Vinci's aerial
> screw.

Female air attendants were hot dates even in the Rennaisance.
D.
) > I got nothing OT and nothing ot.

It sounds like you misbehaved this year... good for you!
D.
) Nothing OT, but I did get a couple of books on the air wars of pt.2 over Scotland.

Dave

) Chris!
> My OT Christmas presents to me arrived from sunny California this morning.

Great! That means that probably my package is about to get here as well!

> A Pegasus Sopwith Dolphin

I have one of those too. Tell me what you think of it... Especially taking
into account the technology changes from these limited run kits to the
current state of the art Eduards or Rodens.

> and two Merlins; a DH5 and a Vickers Gunbus. I've not opened the Merlin
> boxes yet, but,
> judging by recent posts, I've got lots of happy hours sanding in front of
> me!

Well, be prepared for a surprise... are these your first Merlins? Tell us
what you think of them as well.
You better open the packages while sitting down.
D.

)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
) All I received was a sign of old age.

Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers Magna Visor, with 1.8x, 2.2x and 2.6x
magnification. Stuck the 2.2x in to start with.


Matt Bittner
) Michael!
> I had initially requested that new Belgian WWI aeroplane book but she said
> that wasn't personal enough!
> So, a track-suit is more personal than an aeroplane book, apparently?

It depends on the kind of "persona" relatives want you to be. To me, it
sounds like your loved ones want you to fall in a bundle of oversized
clothes and lose the chance to become a star player, while keeping you
ignorant of the subtleties of Belgian aviation. It's a cruel plot, I
daresay, old chap.

> My in-laws "promised" to buy me a winter coat but I have to go and pick it
> out.

Grab the money and run to the nearest book shop that caters that new Belgian
WWI aeroplane book! "Here's the new winter coat! They had it in teal, mauve
and WW1 Belgian Aviation. I liked the last one the best."

> I have Polly Scale flat but that is usually too flat - I usually reserve
> that for armour.

You can use it unstirred and it probably won't have as much matting agent in
suspension as if you shake the bottle for several minutes. Try it! Or else
go outside to buy a new bottle and accidentally bring that new Belgian WWI
aeroplane book by mistake.
D.
It is, after all, a season of miracles.

) Re: [WWI] Christmas LootS!
> Modelling related, but pre-OT, a Revell kit of da Vinci's aerial
> screw.

Female air attendants were hot dates even in the Rennaisance.
D.
) > I got nothing OT and nothing ot.

It sounds like you misbehaved this year... good for you!
D.
) Nothing OT, but I did get a couple of books on the air wars of pt.2 over Scotland.

Dave

) Chris!
> My OT Christmas presents to me arrived from sunny California this morning.

Great! That means that probably my package is about to get here as well!

> A Pegasus Sopwith Dolphin

I have one of those too. Tell me what you think of it... Especially taking
into account the technology changes from these limited run kits to the
current state of the art Eduards or Rodens.

> and two Merlins; a DH5 and a Vickers Gunbus. I've not opened the Merlin
> boxes yet, but,
> judging by recent posts, I've got lots of happy hours sanding in front of
> me!

Well, be prepared for a surprise... are these your first Merlins? Tell us
what you think of them as well.
You better open the packages while sitting down.
D.

) Chris!
> your answers as promised:

Thanks, mate! I was curious about your reactions.

> Being on a limited budget, I decided to start amassing my stash
> with stuff that was no longer produced.

Same story here. Not only I must pass from WnW kits, those rare resin
Austrian submarines and others, that while tempting, might take away
my devaluated Argentinian pesos.

> And, because I have an amazing ability to lose anything once
> opened, I have left the shrink-wrapped boxes intact.

As you have seen now, it would be as good as to lose more than a few
parts from ceetain kits! The upside is that you learn a lot of
scratchbuilding from them!

> peering at the Dolphin through the plastic bag, which probably makes
> it an early kit, the first thing I notice is the industrial-sized
> sprues. These mean a fair amount of work to the top wing as it is
> attached to them in four places. And I'm none too sure if the girt
> lump of plastic attached to the hor/stab is part of the fuselage!!
> There is a fair amount of flash, especially around the curved and
> fiddly bits. Detailing seems good, although not quite as sharp as
> the MAC's.

All of this is result of the low pressure injection plastic technology
employed to make these kits. MACs and other current kits use a whole
different type of molds and plastics, but, more expensive to tool.

> I cannot comment yet on the accuracy.

You'll be nicely impressed when you clean all the flash from the
parts. Don't be intimidated by it and keep and eye for mating
surfaces, as it's important to have them trimmed correctly for fitting
with a few others that conform the front fuselage and cockpit coaming.

> Taking your advice, I'm parked on my ****. No, they are not my first
> Merlins, but they are the first I have opened.

It was fortunate then that you were benevolently dsiposed by the
previous doses of Mendocino wine (do tell, is this wine from our own
province of Mendoza?). This was a momentous occasion, and you must be
well prepared to face it like a brave.

> To paraphrase an advertising slogan, Should've gone to Freightdog.

Colin should hire you as one of those "true fact" type of ads. Let me
add somethig then: go get the Freightdog ex Pegasus kit, if possible.
In the worst of cases, you'll have something to emulate when replacing
some parts of the Merlin kit!

> This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of surfaces to
> which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> probably zero.

Battle plan here, as taught by one of my modelling heroes, Steve
Perry: tack fuse halves with some tiny drops of superglue, then saw,
rasp, file and sand to final and accurate external shape. Done this,
unglue halves, thin innards with your preferred method (more on this
later) and presto, you have carved a decent Gunbus nacelle from a lump
of plastique-uh, as the French like to utter.

> Sprues, again, are of industrial dimensions, meaning that, however
> careful I may be, a lot of repair work will be required.

Cut with a thin saw blade, off the parts themselves, then refine the
stubs until no trace of them is to be found, sire.

> However, closer inspection reveals lots of tiny imperfections.
> Possibly air bubbles from the mould?

Some Merlin kits use plastic composed mostly of ungodly materials.
Time to either sand the wings flat (or better said, featureless) or
replace by scratchibuilt items. The second option is the most rewarding.

> With the possible exception of the skids, the white metal parts
> are useless - there are chunks missing from the seat and prop and
> the wheels have a surplus of waste stuck to them.

Again, use them to learn how to carve, or instead... replace with
Aeroclub items. I find that engines are nearle impossible to
scratchbuild as good as those parts, and they're well worth their
modest price. The propeller -note this!- should be properly handed for
a pusher. A teo blader seems to be less of a hassle to carve than a
four blader. Our own Neil Crawford, who lives in a wonderful country,
knows how to make some superb 1:72 propellers from wood veneer
laminations. Ask him to describe his method once again! It'll be
educational for all of us.

> OK, for someone who wants to build a kit OOB, it's horrible. But
> I'm looking forward to tackeling it sometime in the future when my
> skills have improved.

Thing is, mon ami, that skills only improve when you are faced with
this type of project, that more often than not, give a lot of fun,
even if you are daunted with the less than perfect parts you see.

> The DH5, on the other hand, is a sweetie. Moulded in (off) white
> plastic (as opposed to the grey of the Dolphin and the FB5), it
> seems less soft than the other two. As a consequence, the surface
> detail seems crisper, the trailing edges razor thin and the cockpit
> has side wall detailing. Again, accuracy will have to be checked.

You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters related to the
excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once again, if
you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
better than the old Dolphin you got.

> Overall, I'm very pleased with these three kits. They each offer a
> challenge and will help me progress with my modeling abilities.
> Just don't hold your breath waiting for the Gunbus.

OK, but consider it a modelling training ground. As Ira used to say:
"Have fun!"
D.


)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
) All I received was a sign of old age.

Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers Magna Visor, with 1.8x, 2.2x and 2.6x
magnification. Stuck the 2.2x in to start with.


Matt Bittner
) Michael!
> I had initially requested that new Belgian WWI aeroplane book but she said
> that wasn't personal enough!
> So, a track-suit is more personal than an aeroplane book, apparently?

It depends on the kind of "persona" relatives want you to be. To me, it
sounds like your loved ones want you to fall in a bundle of oversized
clothes and lose the chance to become a star player, while keeping you
ignorant of the subtleties of Belgian aviation. It's a cruel plot, I
daresay, old chap.

> My in-laws "promised" to buy me a winter coat but I have to go and pick it
> out.

Grab the money and run to the nearest book shop that caters that new Belgian
WWI aeroplane book! "Here's the new winter coat! They had it in teal, mauve
and WW1 Belgian Aviation. I liked the last one the best."

> I have Polly Scale flat but that is usually too flat - I usually reserve
> that for armour.

You can use it unstirred and it probably won't have as much matting agent in
suspension as if you shake the bottle for several minutes. Try it! Or else
go outside to buy a new bottle and accidentally bring that new Belgian WWI
aeroplane book by mistake.
D.
It is, after all, a season of miracles.

) Re: [WWI] Christmas LootS!
> Modelling related, but pre-OT, a Revell kit of da Vinci's aerial
> screw.

Female air attendants were hot dates even in the Rennaisance.
D.
) > I got nothing OT and nothing ot.

It sounds like you misbehaved this year... good for you!
D.
) Nothing OT, but I did get a couple of books on the air wars of pt.2 over Scotland.

Dave

) Chris!
> My OT Christmas presents to me arrived from sunny California this morning.

Great! That means that probably my package is about to get here as well!

> A Pegasus Sopwith Dolphin

I have one of those too. Tell me what you think of it... Especially taking
into account the technology changes from these limited run kits to the
current state of the art Eduards or Rodens.

> and two Merlins; a DH5 and a Vickers Gunbus. I've not opened the Merlin
> boxes yet, but,
> judging by recent posts, I've got lots of happy hours sanding in front of
> me!

Well, be prepared for a surprise... are these your first Merlins? Tell us
what you think of them as well.
You better open the packages while sitting down.
D.

) Chris!
> your answers as promised:

Thanks, mate! I was curious about your reactions.

> Being on a limited budget, I decided to start amassing my stash
> with stuff that was no longer produced.

Same story here. Not only I must pass from WnW kits, those rare resin
Austrian submarines and others, that while tempting, might take away
my devaluated Argentinian pesos.

> And, because I have an amazing ability to lose anything once
> opened, I have left the shrink-wrapped boxes intact.

As you have seen now, it would be as good as to lose more than a few
parts from ceetain kits! The upside is that you learn a lot of
scratchbuilding from them!

> peering at the Dolphin through the plastic bag, which probably makes
> it an early kit, the first thing I notice is the industrial-sized
> sprues. These mean a fair amount of work to the top wing as it is
> attached to them in four places. And I'm none too sure if the girt
> lump of plastic attached to the hor/stab is part of the fuselage!!
> There is a fair amount of flash, especially around the curved and
> fiddly bits. Detailing seems good, although not quite as sharp as
> the MAC's.

All of this is result of the low pressure injection plastic technology
employed to make these kits. MACs and other current kits use a whole
different type of molds and plastics, but, more expensive to tool.

> I cannot comment yet on the accuracy.

You'll be nicely impressed when you clean all the flash from the
parts. Don't be intimidated by it and keep and eye for mating
surfaces, as it's important to have them trimmed correctly for fitting
with a few others that conform the front fuselage and cockpit coaming.

> Taking your advice, I'm parked on my ****. No, they are not my first
> Merlins, but they are the first I have opened.

It was fortunate then that you were benevolently dsiposed by the
previous doses of Mendocino wine (do tell, is this wine from our own
province of Mendoza?). This was a momentous occasion, and you must be
well prepared to face it like a brave.

> To paraphrase an advertising slogan, Should've gone to Freightdog.

Colin should hire you as one of those "true fact" type of ads. Let me
add somethig then: go get the Freightdog ex Pegasus kit, if possible.
In the worst of cases, you'll have something to emulate when replacing
some parts of the Merlin kit!

> This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of surfaces to
> which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> probably zero.

Battle plan here, as taught by one of my modelling heroes, Steve
Perry: tack fuse halves with some tiny drops of superglue, then saw,
rasp, file and sand to final and accurate external shape. Done this,
unglue halves, thin innards with your preferred method (more on this
later) and presto, you have carved a decent Gunbus nacelle from a lump
of plastique-uh, as the French like to utter.

> Sprues, again, are of industrial dimensions, meaning that, however
> careful I may be, a lot of repair work will be required.

Cut with a thin saw blade, off the parts themselves, then refine the
stubs until no trace of them is to be found, sire.

> However, closer inspection reveals lots of tiny imperfections.
> Possibly air bubbles from the mould?

Some Merlin kits use plastic composed mostly of ungodly materials.
Time to either sand the wings flat (or better said, featureless) or
replace by scratchibuilt items. The second option is the most rewarding.

> With the possible exception of the skids, the white metal parts
> are useless - there are chunks missing from the seat and prop and
> the wheels have a surplus of waste stuck to them.

Again, use them to learn how to carve, or instead... replace with
Aeroclub items. I find that engines are nearle impossible to
scratchbuild as good as those parts, and they're well worth their
modest price. The propeller -note this!- should be properly handed for
a pusher. A teo blader seems to be less of a hassle to carve than a
four blader. Our own Neil Crawford, who lives in a wonderful country,
knows how to make some superb 1:72 propellers from wood veneer
laminations. Ask him to describe his method once again! It'll be
educational for all of us.

> OK, for someone who wants to build a kit OOB, it's horrible. But
> I'm looking forward to tackeling it sometime in the future when my
> skills have improved.

Thing is, mon ami, that skills only improve when you are faced with
this type of project, that more often than not, give a lot of fun,
even if you are daunted with the less than perfect parts you see.

> The DH5, on the other hand, is a sweetie. Moulded in (off) white
> plastic (as opposed to the grey of the Dolphin and the FB5), it
> seems less soft than the other two. As a consequence, the surface
> detail seems crisper, the trailing edges razor thin and the cockpit
> has side wall detailing. Again, accuracy will have to be checked.

You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters related to the
excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once again, if
you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
better than the old Dolphin you got.

> Overall, I'm very pleased with these three kits. They each offer a
> challenge and will help me progress with my modeling abilities.
> Just don't hold your breath waiting for the Gunbus.

OK, but consider it a modelling training ground. As Ira used to say:
"Have fun!"
D.


) Chris:
>
> > This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> > agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of
> surfaces to
> > which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> > probably zero.
>

Yep, those Merlin kits look pretty good........ before you try building one!




And Diego:
>
> You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
> this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters
> related to the
> excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once
> again, if
> you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
> pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
> better than the old Dolphin you got.

Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
better than other kits from the same company)
Did they all copy the Czechmaster?
/Neil
)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
) All I received was a sign of old age.

Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers Magna Visor, with 1.8x, 2.2x and 2.6x
magnification. Stuck the 2.2x in to start with.


Matt Bittner
) Michael!
> I had initially requested that new Belgian WWI aeroplane book but she said
> that wasn't personal enough!
> So, a track-suit is more personal than an aeroplane book, apparently?

It depends on the kind of "persona" relatives want you to be. To me, it
sounds like your loved ones want you to fall in a bundle of oversized
clothes and lose the chance to become a star player, while keeping you
ignorant of the subtleties of Belgian aviation. It's a cruel plot, I
daresay, old chap.

> My in-laws "promised" to buy me a winter coat but I have to go and pick it
> out.

Grab the money and run to the nearest book shop that caters that new Belgian
WWI aeroplane book! "Here's the new winter coat! They had it in teal, mauve
and WW1 Belgian Aviation. I liked the last one the best."

> I have Polly Scale flat but that is usually too flat - I usually reserve
> that for armour.

You can use it unstirred and it probably won't have as much matting agent in
suspension as if you shake the bottle for several minutes. Try it! Or else
go outside to buy a new bottle and accidentally bring that new Belgian WWI
aeroplane book by mistake.
D.
It is, after all, a season of miracles.

) Re: [WWI] Christmas LootS!
> Modelling related, but pre-OT, a Revell kit of da Vinci's aerial
> screw.

Female air attendants were hot dates even in the Rennaisance.
D.
) > I got nothing OT and nothing ot.

It sounds like you misbehaved this year... good for you!
D.
) Nothing OT, but I did get a couple of books on the air wars of pt.2 over Scotland.

Dave

) Chris!
> My OT Christmas presents to me arrived from sunny California this morning.

Great! That means that probably my package is about to get here as well!

> A Pegasus Sopwith Dolphin

I have one of those too. Tell me what you think of it... Especially taking
into account the technology changes from these limited run kits to the
current state of the art Eduards or Rodens.

> and two Merlins; a DH5 and a Vickers Gunbus. I've not opened the Merlin
> boxes yet, but,
> judging by recent posts, I've got lots of happy hours sanding in front of
> me!

Well, be prepared for a surprise... are these your first Merlins? Tell us
what you think of them as well.
You better open the packages while sitting down.
D.

) Chris!
> your answers as promised:

Thanks, mate! I was curious about your reactions.

> Being on a limited budget, I decided to start amassing my stash
> with stuff that was no longer produced.

Same story here. Not only I must pass from WnW kits, those rare resin
Austrian submarines and others, that while tempting, might take away
my devaluated Argentinian pesos.

> And, because I have an amazing ability to lose anything once
> opened, I have left the shrink-wrapped boxes intact.

As you have seen now, it would be as good as to lose more than a few
parts from ceetain kits! The upside is that you learn a lot of
scratchbuilding from them!

> peering at the Dolphin through the plastic bag, which probably makes
> it an early kit, the first thing I notice is the industrial-sized
> sprues. These mean a fair amount of work to the top wing as it is
> attached to them in four places. And I'm none too sure if the girt
> lump of plastic attached to the hor/stab is part of the fuselage!!
> There is a fair amount of flash, especially around the curved and
> fiddly bits. Detailing seems good, although not quite as sharp as
> the MAC's.

All of this is result of the low pressure injection plastic technology
employed to make these kits. MACs and other current kits use a whole
different type of molds and plastics, but, more expensive to tool.

> I cannot comment yet on the accuracy.

You'll be nicely impressed when you clean all the flash from the
parts. Don't be intimidated by it and keep and eye for mating
surfaces, as it's important to have them trimmed correctly for fitting
with a few others that conform the front fuselage and cockpit coaming.

> Taking your advice, I'm parked on my ****. No, they are not my first
> Merlins, but they are the first I have opened.

It was fortunate then that you were benevolently dsiposed by the
previous doses of Mendocino wine (do tell, is this wine from our own
province of Mendoza?). This was a momentous occasion, and you must be
well prepared to face it like a brave.

> To paraphrase an advertising slogan, Should've gone to Freightdog.

Colin should hire you as one of those "true fact" type of ads. Let me
add somethig then: go get the Freightdog ex Pegasus kit, if possible.
In the worst of cases, you'll have something to emulate when replacing
some parts of the Merlin kit!

> This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of surfaces to
> which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> probably zero.

Battle plan here, as taught by one of my modelling heroes, Steve
Perry: tack fuse halves with some tiny drops of superglue, then saw,
rasp, file and sand to final and accurate external shape. Done this,
unglue halves, thin innards with your preferred method (more on this
later) and presto, you have carved a decent Gunbus nacelle from a lump
of plastique-uh, as the French like to utter.

> Sprues, again, are of industrial dimensions, meaning that, however
> careful I may be, a lot of repair work will be required.

Cut with a thin saw blade, off the parts themselves, then refine the
stubs until no trace of them is to be found, sire.

> However, closer inspection reveals lots of tiny imperfections.
> Possibly air bubbles from the mould?

Some Merlin kits use plastic composed mostly of ungodly materials.
Time to either sand the wings flat (or better said, featureless) or
replace by scratchibuilt items. The second option is the most rewarding.

> With the possible exception of the skids, the white metal parts
> are useless - there are chunks missing from the seat and prop and
> the wheels have a surplus of waste stuck to them.

Again, use them to learn how to carve, or instead... replace with
Aeroclub items. I find that engines are nearle impossible to
scratchbuild as good as those parts, and they're well worth their
modest price. The propeller -note this!- should be properly handed for
a pusher. A teo blader seems to be less of a hassle to carve than a
four blader. Our own Neil Crawford, who lives in a wonderful country,
knows how to make some superb 1:72 propellers from wood veneer
laminations. Ask him to describe his method once again! It'll be
educational for all of us.

> OK, for someone who wants to build a kit OOB, it's horrible. But
> I'm looking forward to tackeling it sometime in the future when my
> skills have improved.

Thing is, mon ami, that skills only improve when you are faced with
this type of project, that more often than not, give a lot of fun,
even if you are daunted with the less than perfect parts you see.

> The DH5, on the other hand, is a sweetie. Moulded in (off) white
> plastic (as opposed to the grey of the Dolphin and the FB5), it
> seems less soft than the other two. As a consequence, the surface
> detail seems crisper, the trailing edges razor thin and the cockpit
> has side wall detailing. Again, accuracy will have to be checked.

You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters related to the
excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once again, if
you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
better than the old Dolphin you got.

> Overall, I'm very pleased with these three kits. They each offer a
> challenge and will help me progress with my modeling abilities.
> Just don't hold your breath waiting for the Gunbus.

OK, but consider it a modelling training ground. As Ira used to say:
"Have fun!"
D.


) Chris:
>
> > This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> > agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of
> surfaces to
> > which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> > probably zero.
>

Yep, those Merlin kits look pretty good........ before you try building one!




And Diego:
>
> You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
> this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters
> related to the
> excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once
> again, if
> you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
> pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
> better than the old Dolphin you got.

Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
better than other kits from the same company)
Did they all copy the Czechmaster?
/Neil
) > Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
> better than other kits from the same company)

DeHavillands always look spiffier than other designs!
D.
)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
) All I received was a sign of old age.

Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers Magna Visor, with 1.8x, 2.2x and 2.6x
magnification. Stuck the 2.2x in to start with.


Matt Bittner
) Michael!
> I had initially requested that new Belgian WWI aeroplane book but she said
> that wasn't personal enough!
> So, a track-suit is more personal than an aeroplane book, apparently?

It depends on the kind of "persona" relatives want you to be. To me, it
sounds like your loved ones want you to fall in a bundle of oversized
clothes and lose the chance to become a star player, while keeping you
ignorant of the subtleties of Belgian aviation. It's a cruel plot, I
daresay, old chap.

> My in-laws "promised" to buy me a winter coat but I have to go and pick it
> out.

Grab the money and run to the nearest book shop that caters that new Belgian
WWI aeroplane book! "Here's the new winter coat! They had it in teal, mauve
and WW1 Belgian Aviation. I liked the last one the best."

> I have Polly Scale flat but that is usually too flat - I usually reserve
> that for armour.

You can use it unstirred and it probably won't have as much matting agent in
suspension as if you shake the bottle for several minutes. Try it! Or else
go outside to buy a new bottle and accidentally bring that new Belgian WWI
aeroplane book by mistake.
D.
It is, after all, a season of miracles.

) Re: [WWI] Christmas LootS!
> Modelling related, but pre-OT, a Revell kit of da Vinci's aerial
> screw.

Female air attendants were hot dates even in the Rennaisance.
D.
) > I got nothing OT and nothing ot.

It sounds like you misbehaved this year... good for you!
D.
) Nothing OT, but I did get a couple of books on the air wars of pt.2 over Scotland.

Dave

) Chris!
> My OT Christmas presents to me arrived from sunny California this morning.

Great! That means that probably my package is about to get here as well!

> A Pegasus Sopwith Dolphin

I have one of those too. Tell me what you think of it... Especially taking
into account the technology changes from these limited run kits to the
current state of the art Eduards or Rodens.

> and two Merlins; a DH5 and a Vickers Gunbus. I've not opened the Merlin
> boxes yet, but,
> judging by recent posts, I've got lots of happy hours sanding in front of
> me!

Well, be prepared for a surprise... are these your first Merlins? Tell us
what you think of them as well.
You better open the packages while sitting down.
D.

) Chris!
> your answers as promised:

Thanks, mate! I was curious about your reactions.

> Being on a limited budget, I decided to start amassing my stash
> with stuff that was no longer produced.

Same story here. Not only I must pass from WnW kits, those rare resin
Austrian submarines and others, that while tempting, might take away
my devaluated Argentinian pesos.

> And, because I have an amazing ability to lose anything once
> opened, I have left the shrink-wrapped boxes intact.

As you have seen now, it would be as good as to lose more than a few
parts from ceetain kits! The upside is that you learn a lot of
scratchbuilding from them!

> peering at the Dolphin through the plastic bag, which probably makes
> it an early kit, the first thing I notice is the industrial-sized
> sprues. These mean a fair amount of work to the top wing as it is
> attached to them in four places. And I'm none too sure if the girt
> lump of plastic attached to the hor/stab is part of the fuselage!!
> There is a fair amount of flash, especially around the curved and
> fiddly bits. Detailing seems good, although not quite as sharp as
> the MAC's.

All of this is result of the low pressure injection plastic technology
employed to make these kits. MACs and other current kits use a whole
different type of molds and plastics, but, more expensive to tool.

> I cannot comment yet on the accuracy.

You'll be nicely impressed when you clean all the flash from the
parts. Don't be intimidated by it and keep and eye for mating
surfaces, as it's important to have them trimmed correctly for fitting
with a few others that conform the front fuselage and cockpit coaming.

> Taking your advice, I'm parked on my ****. No, they are not my first
> Merlins, but they are the first I have opened.

It was fortunate then that you were benevolently dsiposed by the
previous doses of Mendocino wine (do tell, is this wine from our own
province of Mendoza?). This was a momentous occasion, and you must be
well prepared to face it like a brave.

> To paraphrase an advertising slogan, Should've gone to Freightdog.

Colin should hire you as one of those "true fact" type of ads. Let me
add somethig then: go get the Freightdog ex Pegasus kit, if possible.
In the worst of cases, you'll have something to emulate when replacing
some parts of the Merlin kit!

> This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of surfaces to
> which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> probably zero.

Battle plan here, as taught by one of my modelling heroes, Steve
Perry: tack fuse halves with some tiny drops of superglue, then saw,
rasp, file and sand to final and accurate external shape. Done this,
unglue halves, thin innards with your preferred method (more on this
later) and presto, you have carved a decent Gunbus nacelle from a lump
of plastique-uh, as the French like to utter.

> Sprues, again, are of industrial dimensions, meaning that, however
> careful I may be, a lot of repair work will be required.

Cut with a thin saw blade, off the parts themselves, then refine the
stubs until no trace of them is to be found, sire.

> However, closer inspection reveals lots of tiny imperfections.
> Possibly air bubbles from the mould?

Some Merlin kits use plastic composed mostly of ungodly materials.
Time to either sand the wings flat (or better said, featureless) or
replace by scratchibuilt items. The second option is the most rewarding.

> With the possible exception of the skids, the white metal parts
> are useless - there are chunks missing from the seat and prop and
> the wheels have a surplus of waste stuck to them.

Again, use them to learn how to carve, or instead... replace with
Aeroclub items. I find that engines are nearle impossible to
scratchbuild as good as those parts, and they're well worth their
modest price. The propeller -note this!- should be properly handed for
a pusher. A teo blader seems to be less of a hassle to carve than a
four blader. Our own Neil Crawford, who lives in a wonderful country,
knows how to make some superb 1:72 propellers from wood veneer
laminations. Ask him to describe his method once again! It'll be
educational for all of us.

> OK, for someone who wants to build a kit OOB, it's horrible. But
> I'm looking forward to tackeling it sometime in the future when my
> skills have improved.

Thing is, mon ami, that skills only improve when you are faced with
this type of project, that more often than not, give a lot of fun,
even if you are daunted with the less than perfect parts you see.

> The DH5, on the other hand, is a sweetie. Moulded in (off) white
> plastic (as opposed to the grey of the Dolphin and the FB5), it
> seems less soft than the other two. As a consequence, the surface
> detail seems crisper, the trailing edges razor thin and the cockpit
> has side wall detailing. Again, accuracy will have to be checked.

You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters related to the
excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once again, if
you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
better than the old Dolphin you got.

> Overall, I'm very pleased with these three kits. They each offer a
> challenge and will help me progress with my modeling abilities.
> Just don't hold your breath waiting for the Gunbus.

OK, but consider it a modelling training ground. As Ira used to say:
"Have fun!"
D.


) Chris:
>
> > This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> > agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of
> surfaces to
> > which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> > probably zero.
>

Yep, those Merlin kits look pretty good........ before you try building one!




And Diego:
>
> You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
> this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters
> related to the
> excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once
> again, if
> you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
> pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
> better than the old Dolphin you got.

Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
better than other kits from the same company)
Did they all copy the Czechmaster?
/Neil
) > Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
> better than other kits from the same company)

DeHavillands always look spiffier than other designs!
D.
) > > Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good,
> (or at least
> > better than other kits from the same company)
>
> DeHavillands always look spiffier than other designs!
> D.


By that reasoning all Spad kits should be good too!
/Neil
)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
) All I received was a sign of old age.

Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers Magna Visor, with 1.8x, 2.2x and 2.6x
magnification. Stuck the 2.2x in to start with.


Matt Bittner
) Michael!
> I had initially requested that new Belgian WWI aeroplane book but she said
> that wasn't personal enough!
> So, a track-suit is more personal than an aeroplane book, apparently?

It depends on the kind of "persona" relatives want you to be. To me, it
sounds like your loved ones want you to fall in a bundle of oversized
clothes and lose the chance to become a star player, while keeping you
ignorant of the subtleties of Belgian aviation. It's a cruel plot, I
daresay, old chap.

> My in-laws "promised" to buy me a winter coat but I have to go and pick it
> out.

Grab the money and run to the nearest book shop that caters that new Belgian
WWI aeroplane book! "Here's the new winter coat! They had it in teal, mauve
and WW1 Belgian Aviation. I liked the last one the best."

> I have Polly Scale flat but that is usually too flat - I usually reserve
> that for armour.

You can use it unstirred and it probably won't have as much matting agent in
suspension as if you shake the bottle for several minutes. Try it! Or else
go outside to buy a new bottle and accidentally bring that new Belgian WWI
aeroplane book by mistake.
D.
It is, after all, a season of miracles.

) Re: [WWI] Christmas LootS!
> Modelling related, but pre-OT, a Revell kit of da Vinci's aerial
> screw.

Female air attendants were hot dates even in the Rennaisance.
D.
) > I got nothing OT and nothing ot.

It sounds like you misbehaved this year... good for you!
D.
) Nothing OT, but I did get a couple of books on the air wars of pt.2 over Scotland.

Dave

) Chris!
> My OT Christmas presents to me arrived from sunny California this morning.

Great! That means that probably my package is about to get here as well!

> A Pegasus Sopwith Dolphin

I have one of those too. Tell me what you think of it... Especially taking
into account the technology changes from these limited run kits to the
current state of the art Eduards or Rodens.

> and two Merlins; a DH5 and a Vickers Gunbus. I've not opened the Merlin
> boxes yet, but,
> judging by recent posts, I've got lots of happy hours sanding in front of
> me!

Well, be prepared for a surprise... are these your first Merlins? Tell us
what you think of them as well.
You better open the packages while sitting down.
D.

) Chris!
> your answers as promised:

Thanks, mate! I was curious about your reactions.

> Being on a limited budget, I decided to start amassing my stash
> with stuff that was no longer produced.

Same story here. Not only I must pass from WnW kits, those rare resin
Austrian submarines and others, that while tempting, might take away
my devaluated Argentinian pesos.

> And, because I have an amazing ability to lose anything once
> opened, I have left the shrink-wrapped boxes intact.

As you have seen now, it would be as good as to lose more than a few
parts from ceetain kits! The upside is that you learn a lot of
scratchbuilding from them!

> peering at the Dolphin through the plastic bag, which probably makes
> it an early kit, the first thing I notice is the industrial-sized
> sprues. These mean a fair amount of work to the top wing as it is
> attached to them in four places. And I'm none too sure if the girt
> lump of plastic attached to the hor/stab is part of the fuselage!!
> There is a fair amount of flash, especially around the curved and
> fiddly bits. Detailing seems good, although not quite as sharp as
> the MAC's.

All of this is result of the low pressure injection plastic technology
employed to make these kits. MACs and other current kits use a whole
different type of molds and plastics, but, more expensive to tool.

> I cannot comment yet on the accuracy.

You'll be nicely impressed when you clean all the flash from the
parts. Don't be intimidated by it and keep and eye for mating
surfaces, as it's important to have them trimmed correctly for fitting
with a few others that conform the front fuselage and cockpit coaming.

> Taking your advice, I'm parked on my ****. No, they are not my first
> Merlins, but they are the first I have opened.

It was fortunate then that you were benevolently dsiposed by the
previous doses of Mendocino wine (do tell, is this wine from our own
province of Mendoza?). This was a momentous occasion, and you must be
well prepared to face it like a brave.

> To paraphrase an advertising slogan, Should've gone to Freightdog.

Colin should hire you as one of those "true fact" type of ads. Let me
add somethig then: go get the Freightdog ex Pegasus kit, if possible.
In the worst of cases, you'll have something to emulate when replacing
some parts of the Merlin kit!

> This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of surfaces to
> which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> probably zero.

Battle plan here, as taught by one of my modelling heroes, Steve
Perry: tack fuse halves with some tiny drops of superglue, then saw,
rasp, file and sand to final and accurate external shape. Done this,
unglue halves, thin innards with your preferred method (more on this
later) and presto, you have carved a decent Gunbus nacelle from a lump
of plastique-uh, as the French like to utter.

> Sprues, again, are of industrial dimensions, meaning that, however
> careful I may be, a lot of repair work will be required.

Cut with a thin saw blade, off the parts themselves, then refine the
stubs until no trace of them is to be found, sire.

> However, closer inspection reveals lots of tiny imperfections.
> Possibly air bubbles from the mould?

Some Merlin kits use plastic composed mostly of ungodly materials.
Time to either sand the wings flat (or better said, featureless) or
replace by scratchibuilt items. The second option is the most rewarding.

> With the possible exception of the skids, the white metal parts
> are useless - there are chunks missing from the seat and prop and
> the wheels have a surplus of waste stuck to them.

Again, use them to learn how to carve, or instead... replace with
Aeroclub items. I find that engines are nearle impossible to
scratchbuild as good as those parts, and they're well worth their
modest price. The propeller -note this!- should be properly handed for
a pusher. A teo blader seems to be less of a hassle to carve than a
four blader. Our own Neil Crawford, who lives in a wonderful country,
knows how to make some superb 1:72 propellers from wood veneer
laminations. Ask him to describe his method once again! It'll be
educational for all of us.

> OK, for someone who wants to build a kit OOB, it's horrible. But
> I'm looking forward to tackeling it sometime in the future when my
> skills have improved.

Thing is, mon ami, that skills only improve when you are faced with
this type of project, that more often than not, give a lot of fun,
even if you are daunted with the less than perfect parts you see.

> The DH5, on the other hand, is a sweetie. Moulded in (off) white
> plastic (as opposed to the grey of the Dolphin and the FB5), it
> seems less soft than the other two. As a consequence, the surface
> detail seems crisper, the trailing edges razor thin and the cockpit
> has side wall detailing. Again, accuracy will have to be checked.

You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters related to the
excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once again, if
you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
better than the old Dolphin you got.

> Overall, I'm very pleased with these three kits. They each offer a
> challenge and will help me progress with my modeling abilities.
> Just don't hold your breath waiting for the Gunbus.

OK, but consider it a modelling training ground. As Ira used to say:
"Have fun!"
D.


) Chris:
>
> > This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> > agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of
> surfaces to
> > which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> > probably zero.
>

Yep, those Merlin kits look pretty good........ before you try building one!




And Diego:
>
> You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
> this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters
> related to the
> excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once
> again, if
> you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
> pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
> better than the old Dolphin you got.

Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
better than other kits from the same company)
Did they all copy the Czechmaster?
/Neil
) > Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
> better than other kits from the same company)

DeHavillands always look spiffier than other designs!
D.
) > > Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good,
> (or at least
> > better than other kits from the same company)
>
> DeHavillands always look spiffier than other designs!
> D.


By that reasoning all Spad kits should be good too!
/Neil
) N!
> By that reasoning all Spad kits should be good too!

They're much better than Bf 1*9 kits!
D.
)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
) All I received was a sign of old age.

Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers Magna Visor, with 1.8x, 2.2x and 2.6x
magnification. Stuck the 2.2x in to start with.


Matt Bittner
) Michael!
> I had initially requested that new Belgian WWI aeroplane book but she said
> that wasn't personal enough!
> So, a track-suit is more personal than an aeroplane book, apparently?

It depends on the kind of "persona" relatives want you to be. To me, it
sounds like your loved ones want you to fall in a bundle of oversized
clothes and lose the chance to become a star player, while keeping you
ignorant of the subtleties of Belgian aviation. It's a cruel plot, I
daresay, old chap.

> My in-laws "promised" to buy me a winter coat but I have to go and pick it
> out.

Grab the money and run to the nearest book shop that caters that new Belgian
WWI aeroplane book! "Here's the new winter coat! They had it in teal, mauve
and WW1 Belgian Aviation. I liked the last one the best."

> I have Polly Scale flat but that is usually too flat - I usually reserve
> that for armour.

You can use it unstirred and it probably won't have as much matting agent in
suspension as if you shake the bottle for several minutes. Try it! Or else
go outside to buy a new bottle and accidentally bring that new Belgian WWI
aeroplane book by mistake.
D.
It is, after all, a season of miracles.

) Re: [WWI] Christmas LootS!
> Modelling related, but pre-OT, a Revell kit of da Vinci's aerial
> screw.

Female air attendants were hot dates even in the Rennaisance.
D.
) > I got nothing OT and nothing ot.

It sounds like you misbehaved this year... good for you!
D.
) Nothing OT, but I did get a couple of books on the air wars of pt.2 over Scotland.

Dave

) Chris!
> My OT Christmas presents to me arrived from sunny California this morning.

Great! That means that probably my package is about to get here as well!

> A Pegasus Sopwith Dolphin

I have one of those too. Tell me what you think of it... Especially taking
into account the technology changes from these limited run kits to the
current state of the art Eduards or Rodens.

> and two Merlins; a DH5 and a Vickers Gunbus. I've not opened the Merlin
> boxes yet, but,
> judging by recent posts, I've got lots of happy hours sanding in front of
> me!

Well, be prepared for a surprise... are these your first Merlins? Tell us
what you think of them as well.
You better open the packages while sitting down.
D.

) Chris!
> your answers as promised:

Thanks, mate! I was curious about your reactions.

> Being on a limited budget, I decided to start amassing my stash
> with stuff that was no longer produced.

Same story here. Not only I must pass from WnW kits, those rare resin
Austrian submarines and others, that while tempting, might take away
my devaluated Argentinian pesos.

> And, because I have an amazing ability to lose anything once
> opened, I have left the shrink-wrapped boxes intact.

As you have seen now, it would be as good as to lose more than a few
parts from ceetain kits! The upside is that you learn a lot of
scratchbuilding from them!

> peering at the Dolphin through the plastic bag, which probably makes
> it an early kit, the first thing I notice is the industrial-sized
> sprues. These mean a fair amount of work to the top wing as it is
> attached to them in four places. And I'm none too sure if the girt
> lump of plastic attached to the hor/stab is part of the fuselage!!
> There is a fair amount of flash, especially around the curved and
> fiddly bits. Detailing seems good, although not quite as sharp as
> the MAC's.

All of this is result of the low pressure injection plastic technology
employed to make these kits. MACs and other current kits use a whole
different type of molds and plastics, but, more expensive to tool.

> I cannot comment yet on the accuracy.

You'll be nicely impressed when you clean all the flash from the
parts. Don't be intimidated by it and keep and eye for mating
surfaces, as it's important to have them trimmed correctly for fitting
with a few others that conform the front fuselage and cockpit coaming.

> Taking your advice, I'm parked on my ****. No, they are not my first
> Merlins, but they are the first I have opened.

It was fortunate then that you were benevolently dsiposed by the
previous doses of Mendocino wine (do tell, is this wine from our own
province of Mendoza?). This was a momentous occasion, and you must be
well prepared to face it like a brave.

> To paraphrase an advertising slogan, Should've gone to Freightdog.

Colin should hire you as one of those "true fact" type of ads. Let me
add somethig then: go get the Freightdog ex Pegasus kit, if possible.
In the worst of cases, you'll have something to emulate when replacing
some parts of the Merlin kit!

> This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of surfaces to
> which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> probably zero.

Battle plan here, as taught by one of my modelling heroes, Steve
Perry: tack fuse halves with some tiny drops of superglue, then saw,
rasp, file and sand to final and accurate external shape. Done this,
unglue halves, thin innards with your preferred method (more on this
later) and presto, you have carved a decent Gunbus nacelle from a lump
of plastique-uh, as the French like to utter.

> Sprues, again, are of industrial dimensions, meaning that, however
> careful I may be, a lot of repair work will be required.

Cut with a thin saw blade, off the parts themselves, then refine the
stubs until no trace of them is to be found, sire.

> However, closer inspection reveals lots of tiny imperfections.
> Possibly air bubbles from the mould?

Some Merlin kits use plastic composed mostly of ungodly materials.
Time to either sand the wings flat (or better said, featureless) or
replace by scratchibuilt items. The second option is the most rewarding.

> With the possible exception of the skids, the white metal parts
> are useless - there are chunks missing from the seat and prop and
> the wheels have a surplus of waste stuck to them.

Again, use them to learn how to carve, or instead... replace with
Aeroclub items. I find that engines are nearle impossible to
scratchbuild as good as those parts, and they're well worth their
modest price. The propeller -note this!- should be properly handed for
a pusher. A teo blader seems to be less of a hassle to carve than a
four blader. Our own Neil Crawford, who lives in a wonderful country,
knows how to make some superb 1:72 propellers from wood veneer
laminations. Ask him to describe his method once again! It'll be
educational for all of us.

> OK, for someone who wants to build a kit OOB, it's horrible. But
> I'm looking forward to tackeling it sometime in the future when my
> skills have improved.

Thing is, mon ami, that skills only improve when you are faced with
this type of project, that more often than not, give a lot of fun,
even if you are daunted with the less than perfect parts you see.

> The DH5, on the other hand, is a sweetie. Moulded in (off) white
> plastic (as opposed to the grey of the Dolphin and the FB5), it
> seems less soft than the other two. As a consequence, the surface
> detail seems crisper, the trailing edges razor thin and the cockpit
> has side wall detailing. Again, accuracy will have to be checked.

You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters related to the
excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once again, if
you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
better than the old Dolphin you got.

> Overall, I'm very pleased with these three kits. They each offer a
> challenge and will help me progress with my modeling abilities.
> Just don't hold your breath waiting for the Gunbus.

OK, but consider it a modelling training ground. As Ira used to say:
"Have fun!"
D.


) Chris:
>
> > This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> > agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of
> surfaces to
> > which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> > probably zero.
>

Yep, those Merlin kits look pretty good........ before you try building one!




And Diego:
>
> You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
> this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters
> related to the
> excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once
> again, if
> you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
> pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
> better than the old Dolphin you got.

Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
better than other kits from the same company)
Did they all copy the Czechmaster?
/Neil
) > Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
> better than other kits from the same company)

DeHavillands always look spiffier than other designs!
D.
) > > Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good,
> (or at least
> > better than other kits from the same company)
>
> DeHavillands always look spiffier than other designs!
> D.


By that reasoning all Spad kits should be good too!
/Neil
) N!
> By that reasoning all Spad kits should be good too!

They're much better than Bf 1*9 kits!
D.
) I got the Ghosts calendar WWI edition and the Red Baron DVD. Good haul!

On Sat, 2010-12-25 at 21:31 -0500, Mike Muth wrote:
> Sooo...
> What on-topic did everyone get this year?
> As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
> Mike Muth


)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
) All I received was a sign of old age.

Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers Magna Visor, with 1.8x, 2.2x and 2.6x
magnification. Stuck the 2.2x in to start with.


Matt Bittner
) Michael!
> I had initially requested that new Belgian WWI aeroplane book but she said
> that wasn't personal enough!
> So, a track-suit is more personal than an aeroplane book, apparently?

It depends on the kind of "persona" relatives want you to be. To me, it
sounds like your loved ones want you to fall in a bundle of oversized
clothes and lose the chance to become a star player, while keeping you
ignorant of the subtleties of Belgian aviation. It's a cruel plot, I
daresay, old chap.

> My in-laws "promised" to buy me a winter coat but I have to go and pick it
> out.

Grab the money and run to the nearest book shop that caters that new Belgian
WWI aeroplane book! "Here's the new winter coat! They had it in teal, mauve
and WW1 Belgian Aviation. I liked the last one the best."

> I have Polly Scale flat but that is usually too flat - I usually reserve
> that for armour.

You can use it unstirred and it probably won't have as much matting agent in
suspension as if you shake the bottle for several minutes. Try it! Or else
go outside to buy a new bottle and accidentally bring that new Belgian WWI
aeroplane book by mistake.
D.
It is, after all, a season of miracles.

) Re: [WWI] Christmas LootS!
> Modelling related, but pre-OT, a Revell kit of da Vinci's aerial
> screw.

Female air attendants were hot dates even in the Rennaisance.
D.
) > I got nothing OT and nothing ot.

It sounds like you misbehaved this year... good for you!
D.
) Nothing OT, but I did get a couple of books on the air wars of pt.2 over Scotland.

Dave

) Chris!
> My OT Christmas presents to me arrived from sunny California this morning.

Great! That means that probably my package is about to get here as well!

> A Pegasus Sopwith Dolphin

I have one of those too. Tell me what you think of it... Especially taking
into account the technology changes from these limited run kits to the
current state of the art Eduards or Rodens.

> and two Merlins; a DH5 and a Vickers Gunbus. I've not opened the Merlin
> boxes yet, but,
> judging by recent posts, I've got lots of happy hours sanding in front of
> me!

Well, be prepared for a surprise... are these your first Merlins? Tell us
what you think of them as well.
You better open the packages while sitting down.
D.

) Chris!
> your answers as promised:

Thanks, mate! I was curious about your reactions.

> Being on a limited budget, I decided to start amassing my stash
> with stuff that was no longer produced.

Same story here. Not only I must pass from WnW kits, those rare resin
Austrian submarines and others, that while tempting, might take away
my devaluated Argentinian pesos.

> And, because I have an amazing ability to lose anything once
> opened, I have left the shrink-wrapped boxes intact.

As you have seen now, it would be as good as to lose more than a few
parts from ceetain kits! The upside is that you learn a lot of
scratchbuilding from them!

> peering at the Dolphin through the plastic bag, which probably makes
> it an early kit, the first thing I notice is the industrial-sized
> sprues. These mean a fair amount of work to the top wing as it is
> attached to them in four places. And I'm none too sure if the girt
> lump of plastic attached to the hor/stab is part of the fuselage!!
> There is a fair amount of flash, especially around the curved and
> fiddly bits. Detailing seems good, although not quite as sharp as
> the MAC's.

All of this is result of the low pressure injection plastic technology
employed to make these kits. MACs and other current kits use a whole
different type of molds and plastics, but, more expensive to tool.

> I cannot comment yet on the accuracy.

You'll be nicely impressed when you clean all the flash from the
parts. Don't be intimidated by it and keep and eye for mating
surfaces, as it's important to have them trimmed correctly for fitting
with a few others that conform the front fuselage and cockpit coaming.

> Taking your advice, I'm parked on my ****. No, they are not my first
> Merlins, but they are the first I have opened.

It was fortunate then that you were benevolently dsiposed by the
previous doses of Mendocino wine (do tell, is this wine from our own
province of Mendoza?). This was a momentous occasion, and you must be
well prepared to face it like a brave.

> To paraphrase an advertising slogan, Should've gone to Freightdog.

Colin should hire you as one of those "true fact" type of ads. Let me
add somethig then: go get the Freightdog ex Pegasus kit, if possible.
In the worst of cases, you'll have something to emulate when replacing
some parts of the Merlin kit!

> This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of surfaces to
> which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> probably zero.

Battle plan here, as taught by one of my modelling heroes, Steve
Perry: tack fuse halves with some tiny drops of superglue, then saw,
rasp, file and sand to final and accurate external shape. Done this,
unglue halves, thin innards with your preferred method (more on this
later) and presto, you have carved a decent Gunbus nacelle from a lump
of plastique-uh, as the French like to utter.

> Sprues, again, are of industrial dimensions, meaning that, however
> careful I may be, a lot of repair work will be required.

Cut with a thin saw blade, off the parts themselves, then refine the
stubs until no trace of them is to be found, sire.

> However, closer inspection reveals lots of tiny imperfections.
> Possibly air bubbles from the mould?

Some Merlin kits use plastic composed mostly of ungodly materials.
Time to either sand the wings flat (or better said, featureless) or
replace by scratchibuilt items. The second option is the most rewarding.

> With the possible exception of the skids, the white metal parts
> are useless - there are chunks missing from the seat and prop and
> the wheels have a surplus of waste stuck to them.

Again, use them to learn how to carve, or instead... replace with
Aeroclub items. I find that engines are nearle impossible to
scratchbuild as good as those parts, and they're well worth their
modest price. The propeller -note this!- should be properly handed for
a pusher. A teo blader seems to be less of a hassle to carve than a
four blader. Our own Neil Crawford, who lives in a wonderful country,
knows how to make some superb 1:72 propellers from wood veneer
laminations. Ask him to describe his method once again! It'll be
educational for all of us.

> OK, for someone who wants to build a kit OOB, it's horrible. But
> I'm looking forward to tackeling it sometime in the future when my
> skills have improved.

Thing is, mon ami, that skills only improve when you are faced with
this type of project, that more often than not, give a lot of fun,
even if you are daunted with the less than perfect parts you see.

> The DH5, on the other hand, is a sweetie. Moulded in (off) white
> plastic (as opposed to the grey of the Dolphin and the FB5), it
> seems less soft than the other two. As a consequence, the surface
> detail seems crisper, the trailing edges razor thin and the cockpit
> has side wall detailing. Again, accuracy will have to be checked.

You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters related to the
excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once again, if
you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
better than the old Dolphin you got.

> Overall, I'm very pleased with these three kits. They each offer a
> challenge and will help me progress with my modeling abilities.
> Just don't hold your breath waiting for the Gunbus.

OK, but consider it a modelling training ground. As Ira used to say:
"Have fun!"
D.


) Chris:
>
> > This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> > agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of
> surfaces to
> > which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> > probably zero.
>

Yep, those Merlin kits look pretty good........ before you try building one!




And Diego:
>
> You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
> this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters
> related to the
> excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once
> again, if
> you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
> pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
> better than the old Dolphin you got.

Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
better than other kits from the same company)
Did they all copy the Czechmaster?
/Neil
) > Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
> better than other kits from the same company)

DeHavillands always look spiffier than other designs!
D.
) > > Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good,
> (or at least
> > better than other kits from the same company)
>
> DeHavillands always look spiffier than other designs!
> D.


By that reasoning all Spad kits should be good too!
/Neil
) N!
> By that reasoning all Spad kits should be good too!

They're much better than Bf 1*9 kits!
D.
) I got the Ghosts calendar WWI edition and the Red Baron DVD. Good haul!

On Sat, 2010-12-25 at 21:31 -0500, Mike Muth wrote:
> Sooo...
> What on-topic did everyone get this year?
> As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
> Mike Muth


) DeHavilland had some great designs. However, I find it difficult to describe the ungainly DH-5 as "spiffy".

That being said, the Karaya kit is far and away better than the Lone Star kit.

Brent
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
) All I received was a sign of old age.

Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers Magna Visor, with 1.8x, 2.2x and 2.6x
magnification. Stuck the 2.2x in to start with.


Matt Bittner
) Michael!
> I had initially requested that new Belgian WWI aeroplane book but she said
> that wasn't personal enough!
> So, a track-suit is more personal than an aeroplane book, apparently?

It depends on the kind of "persona" relatives want you to be. To me, it
sounds like your loved ones want you to fall in a bundle of oversized
clothes and lose the chance to become a star player, while keeping you
ignorant of the subtleties of Belgian aviation. It's a cruel plot, I
daresay, old chap.

> My in-laws "promised" to buy me a winter coat but I have to go and pick it
> out.

Grab the money and run to the nearest book shop that caters that new Belgian
WWI aeroplane book! "Here's the new winter coat! They had it in teal, mauve
and WW1 Belgian Aviation. I liked the last one the best."

> I have Polly Scale flat but that is usually too flat - I usually reserve
> that for armour.

You can use it unstirred and it probably won't have as much matting agent in
suspension as if you shake the bottle for several minutes. Try it! Or else
go outside to buy a new bottle and accidentally bring that new Belgian WWI
aeroplane book by mistake.
D.
It is, after all, a season of miracles.

) Re: [WWI] Christmas LootS!
> Modelling related, but pre-OT, a Revell kit of da Vinci's aerial
> screw.

Female air attendants were hot dates even in the Rennaisance.
D.
) > I got nothing OT and nothing ot.

It sounds like you misbehaved this year... good for you!
D.
) Nothing OT, but I did get a couple of books on the air wars of pt.2 over Scotland.

Dave

) Chris!
> My OT Christmas presents to me arrived from sunny California this morning.

Great! That means that probably my package is about to get here as well!

> A Pegasus Sopwith Dolphin

I have one of those too. Tell me what you think of it... Especially taking
into account the technology changes from these limited run kits to the
current state of the art Eduards or Rodens.

> and two Merlins; a DH5 and a Vickers Gunbus. I've not opened the Merlin
> boxes yet, but,
> judging by recent posts, I've got lots of happy hours sanding in front of
> me!

Well, be prepared for a surprise... are these your first Merlins? Tell us
what you think of them as well.
You better open the packages while sitting down.
D.

) Chris!
> your answers as promised:

Thanks, mate! I was curious about your reactions.

> Being on a limited budget, I decided to start amassing my stash
> with stuff that was no longer produced.

Same story here. Not only I must pass from WnW kits, those rare resin
Austrian submarines and others, that while tempting, might take away
my devaluated Argentinian pesos.

> And, because I have an amazing ability to lose anything once
> opened, I have left the shrink-wrapped boxes intact.

As you have seen now, it would be as good as to lose more than a few
parts from ceetain kits! The upside is that you learn a lot of
scratchbuilding from them!

> peering at the Dolphin through the plastic bag, which probably makes
> it an early kit, the first thing I notice is the industrial-sized
> sprues. These mean a fair amount of work to the top wing as it is
> attached to them in four places. And I'm none too sure if the girt
> lump of plastic attached to the hor/stab is part of the fuselage!!
> There is a fair amount of flash, especially around the curved and
> fiddly bits. Detailing seems good, although not quite as sharp as
> the MAC's.

All of this is result of the low pressure injection plastic technology
employed to make these kits. MACs and other current kits use a whole
different type of molds and plastics, but, more expensive to tool.

> I cannot comment yet on the accuracy.

You'll be nicely impressed when you clean all the flash from the
parts. Don't be intimidated by it and keep and eye for mating
surfaces, as it's important to have them trimmed correctly for fitting
with a few others that conform the front fuselage and cockpit coaming.

> Taking your advice, I'm parked on my ****. No, they are not my first
> Merlins, but they are the first I have opened.

It was fortunate then that you were benevolently dsiposed by the
previous doses of Mendocino wine (do tell, is this wine from our own
province of Mendoza?). This was a momentous occasion, and you must be
well prepared to face it like a brave.

> To paraphrase an advertising slogan, Should've gone to Freightdog.

Colin should hire you as one of those "true fact" type of ads. Let me
add somethig then: go get the Freightdog ex Pegasus kit, if possible.
In the worst of cases, you'll have something to emulate when replacing
some parts of the Merlin kit!

> This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of surfaces to
> which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> probably zero.

Battle plan here, as taught by one of my modelling heroes, Steve
Perry: tack fuse halves with some tiny drops of superglue, then saw,
rasp, file and sand to final and accurate external shape. Done this,
unglue halves, thin innards with your preferred method (more on this
later) and presto, you have carved a decent Gunbus nacelle from a lump
of plastique-uh, as the French like to utter.

> Sprues, again, are of industrial dimensions, meaning that, however
> careful I may be, a lot of repair work will be required.

Cut with a thin saw blade, off the parts themselves, then refine the
stubs until no trace of them is to be found, sire.

> However, closer inspection reveals lots of tiny imperfections.
> Possibly air bubbles from the mould?

Some Merlin kits use plastic composed mostly of ungodly materials.
Time to either sand the wings flat (or better said, featureless) or
replace by scratchibuilt items. The second option is the most rewarding.

> With the possible exception of the skids, the white metal parts
> are useless - there are chunks missing from the seat and prop and
> the wheels have a surplus of waste stuck to them.

Again, use them to learn how to carve, or instead... replace with
Aeroclub items. I find that engines are nearle impossible to
scratchbuild as good as those parts, and they're well worth their
modest price. The propeller -note this!- should be properly handed for
a pusher. A teo blader seems to be less of a hassle to carve than a
four blader. Our own Neil Crawford, who lives in a wonderful country,
knows how to make some superb 1:72 propellers from wood veneer
laminations. Ask him to describe his method once again! It'll be
educational for all of us.

> OK, for someone who wants to build a kit OOB, it's horrible. But
> I'm looking forward to tackeling it sometime in the future when my
> skills have improved.

Thing is, mon ami, that skills only improve when you are faced with
this type of project, that more often than not, give a lot of fun,
even if you are daunted with the less than perfect parts you see.

> The DH5, on the other hand, is a sweetie. Moulded in (off) white
> plastic (as opposed to the grey of the Dolphin and the FB5), it
> seems less soft than the other two. As a consequence, the surface
> detail seems crisper, the trailing edges razor thin and the cockpit
> has side wall detailing. Again, accuracy will have to be checked.

You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters related to the
excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once again, if
you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
better than the old Dolphin you got.

> Overall, I'm very pleased with these three kits. They each offer a
> challenge and will help me progress with my modeling abilities.
> Just don't hold your breath waiting for the Gunbus.

OK, but consider it a modelling training ground. As Ira used to say:
"Have fun!"
D.


) Chris:
>
> > This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> > agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of
> surfaces to
> > which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> > probably zero.
>

Yep, those Merlin kits look pretty good........ before you try building one!




And Diego:
>
> You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
> this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters
> related to the
> excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once
> again, if
> you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
> pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
> better than the old Dolphin you got.

Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
better than other kits from the same company)
Did they all copy the Czechmaster?
/Neil
) > Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
> better than other kits from the same company)

DeHavillands always look spiffier than other designs!
D.
) > > Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good,
> (or at least
> > better than other kits from the same company)
>
> DeHavillands always look spiffier than other designs!
> D.


By that reasoning all Spad kits should be good too!
/Neil
) N!
> By that reasoning all Spad kits should be good too!

They're much better than Bf 1*9 kits!
D.
) I got the Ghosts calendar WWI edition and the Red Baron DVD. Good haul!

On Sat, 2010-12-25 at 21:31 -0500, Mike Muth wrote:
> Sooo...
> What on-topic did everyone get this year?
> As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
> Mike Muth


) DeHavilland had some great designs. However, I find it difficult to describe the ungainly DH-5 as "spiffy".

That being said, the Karaya kit is far and away better than the Lone Star kit.

Brent
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
) It's rakish, invertedly speaking.
/Neil

> -----Original Message-----
> From: wwi-
> [mailto:wwi-] On Behalf Of Diego Fernetti
> Sent: den 3 januari 2011 16:09
> To: World War I Modeling Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [WWI] Christmas Loot
>
> Brento!
>
> > DeHavilland had some great designs. However, I find it difficult to
> > describe the ungainly DH-5 as "spiffy".
>
> I see it as the forerunner of the Beechcraft Staggerwing.
> With a nicer tail
> shape, of course.
> D.
>
>
)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
) All I received was a sign of old age.

Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers Magna Visor, with 1.8x, 2.2x and 2.6x
magnification. Stuck the 2.2x in to start with.


Matt Bittner
) Michael!
> I had initially requested that new Belgian WWI aeroplane book but she said
> that wasn't personal enough!
> So, a track-suit is more personal than an aeroplane book, apparently?

It depends on the kind of "persona" relatives want you to be. To me, it
sounds like your loved ones want you to fall in a bundle of oversized
clothes and lose the chance to become a star player, while keeping you
ignorant of the subtleties of Belgian aviation. It's a cruel plot, I
daresay, old chap.

> My in-laws "promised" to buy me a winter coat but I have to go and pick it
> out.

Grab the money and run to the nearest book shop that caters that new Belgian
WWI aeroplane book! "Here's the new winter coat! They had it in teal, mauve
and WW1 Belgian Aviation. I liked the last one the best."

> I have Polly Scale flat but that is usually too flat - I usually reserve
> that for armour.

You can use it unstirred and it probably won't have as much matting agent in
suspension as if you shake the bottle for several minutes. Try it! Or else
go outside to buy a new bottle and accidentally bring that new Belgian WWI
aeroplane book by mistake.
D.
It is, after all, a season of miracles.

) Re: [WWI] Christmas LootS!
> Modelling related, but pre-OT, a Revell kit of da Vinci's aerial
> screw.

Female air attendants were hot dates even in the Rennaisance.
D.
) > I got nothing OT and nothing ot.

It sounds like you misbehaved this year... good for you!
D.
) Nothing OT, but I did get a couple of books on the air wars of pt.2 over Scotland.

Dave

) Chris!
> My OT Christmas presents to me arrived from sunny California this morning.

Great! That means that probably my package is about to get here as well!

> A Pegasus Sopwith Dolphin

I have one of those too. Tell me what you think of it... Especially taking
into account the technology changes from these limited run kits to the
current state of the art Eduards or Rodens.

> and two Merlins; a DH5 and a Vickers Gunbus. I've not opened the Merlin
> boxes yet, but,
> judging by recent posts, I've got lots of happy hours sanding in front of
> me!

Well, be prepared for a surprise... are these your first Merlins? Tell us
what you think of them as well.
You better open the packages while sitting down.
D.

) Chris!
> your answers as promised:

Thanks, mate! I was curious about your reactions.

> Being on a limited budget, I decided to start amassing my stash
> with stuff that was no longer produced.

Same story here. Not only I must pass from WnW kits, those rare resin
Austrian submarines and others, that while tempting, might take away
my devaluated Argentinian pesos.

> And, because I have an amazing ability to lose anything once
> opened, I have left the shrink-wrapped boxes intact.

As you have seen now, it would be as good as to lose more than a few
parts from ceetain kits! The upside is that you learn a lot of
scratchbuilding from them!

> peering at the Dolphin through the plastic bag, which probably makes
> it an early kit, the first thing I notice is the industrial-sized
> sprues. These mean a fair amount of work to the top wing as it is
> attached to them in four places. And I'm none too sure if the girt
> lump of plastic attached to the hor/stab is part of the fuselage!!
> There is a fair amount of flash, especially around the curved and
> fiddly bits. Detailing seems good, although not quite as sharp as
> the MAC's.

All of this is result of the low pressure injection plastic technology
employed to make these kits. MACs and other current kits use a whole
different type of molds and plastics, but, more expensive to tool.

> I cannot comment yet on the accuracy.

You'll be nicely impressed when you clean all the flash from the
parts. Don't be intimidated by it and keep and eye for mating
surfaces, as it's important to have them trimmed correctly for fitting
with a few others that conform the front fuselage and cockpit coaming.

> Taking your advice, I'm parked on my ****. No, they are not my first
> Merlins, but they are the first I have opened.

It was fortunate then that you were benevolently dsiposed by the
previous doses of Mendocino wine (do tell, is this wine from our own
province of Mendoza?). This was a momentous occasion, and you must be
well prepared to face it like a brave.

> To paraphrase an advertising slogan, Should've gone to Freightdog.

Colin should hire you as one of those "true fact" type of ads. Let me
add somethig then: go get the Freightdog ex Pegasus kit, if possible.
In the worst of cases, you'll have something to emulate when replacing
some parts of the Merlin kit!

> This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of surfaces to
> which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> probably zero.

Battle plan here, as taught by one of my modelling heroes, Steve
Perry: tack fuse halves with some tiny drops of superglue, then saw,
rasp, file and sand to final and accurate external shape. Done this,
unglue halves, thin innards with your preferred method (more on this
later) and presto, you have carved a decent Gunbus nacelle from a lump
of plastique-uh, as the French like to utter.

> Sprues, again, are of industrial dimensions, meaning that, however
> careful I may be, a lot of repair work will be required.

Cut with a thin saw blade, off the parts themselves, then refine the
stubs until no trace of them is to be found, sire.

> However, closer inspection reveals lots of tiny imperfections.
> Possibly air bubbles from the mould?

Some Merlin kits use plastic composed mostly of ungodly materials.
Time to either sand the wings flat (or better said, featureless) or
replace by scratchibuilt items. The second option is the most rewarding.

> With the possible exception of the skids, the white metal parts
> are useless - there are chunks missing from the seat and prop and
> the wheels have a surplus of waste stuck to them.

Again, use them to learn how to carve, or instead... replace with
Aeroclub items. I find that engines are nearle impossible to
scratchbuild as good as those parts, and they're well worth their
modest price. The propeller -note this!- should be properly handed for
a pusher. A teo blader seems to be less of a hassle to carve than a
four blader. Our own Neil Crawford, who lives in a wonderful country,
knows how to make some superb 1:72 propellers from wood veneer
laminations. Ask him to describe his method once again! It'll be
educational for all of us.

> OK, for someone who wants to build a kit OOB, it's horrible. But
> I'm looking forward to tackeling it sometime in the future when my
> skills have improved.

Thing is, mon ami, that skills only improve when you are faced with
this type of project, that more often than not, give a lot of fun,
even if you are daunted with the less than perfect parts you see.

> The DH5, on the other hand, is a sweetie. Moulded in (off) white
> plastic (as opposed to the grey of the Dolphin and the FB5), it
> seems less soft than the other two. As a consequence, the surface
> detail seems crisper, the trailing edges razor thin and the cockpit
> has side wall detailing. Again, accuracy will have to be checked.

You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters related to the
excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once again, if
you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
better than the old Dolphin you got.

> Overall, I'm very pleased with these three kits. They each offer a
> challenge and will help me progress with my modeling abilities.
> Just don't hold your breath waiting for the Gunbus.

OK, but consider it a modelling training ground. As Ira used to say:
"Have fun!"
D.


) Chris:
>
> > This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> > agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of
> surfaces to
> > which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> > probably zero.
>

Yep, those Merlin kits look pretty good........ before you try building one!




And Diego:
>
> You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
> this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters
> related to the
> excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once
> again, if
> you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
> pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
> better than the old Dolphin you got.

Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
better than other kits from the same company)
Did they all copy the Czechmaster?
/Neil
) > Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
> better than other kits from the same company)

DeHavillands always look spiffier than other designs!
D.
) > > Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good,
> (or at least
> > better than other kits from the same company)
>
> DeHavillands always look spiffier than other designs!
> D.


By that reasoning all Spad kits should be good too!
/Neil
) N!
> By that reasoning all Spad kits should be good too!

They're much better than Bf 1*9 kits!
D.
) I got the Ghosts calendar WWI edition and the Red Baron DVD. Good haul!

On Sat, 2010-12-25 at 21:31 -0500, Mike Muth wrote:
> Sooo...
> What on-topic did everyone get this year?
> As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
> Mike Muth


) DeHavilland had some great designs. However, I find it difficult to describe the ungainly DH-5 as "spiffy".

That being said, the Karaya kit is far and away better than the Lone Star kit.

Brent
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
) It's rakish, invertedly speaking.
/Neil

> -----Original Message-----
> From: wwi-
> [mailto:wwi-] On Behalf Of Diego Fernetti
> Sent: den 3 januari 2011 16:09
> To: World War I Modeling Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [WWI] Christmas Loot
>
> Brento!
>
> > DeHavilland had some great designs. However, I find it difficult to
> > describe the ungainly DH-5 as "spiffy".
>
> I see it as the forerunner of the Beechcraft Staggerwing.
> With a nicer tail
> shape, of course.
> D.
>
>
) Brento!

> DeHavilland had some great designs. However, I find it difficult to
> describe the ungainly DH-5 as "spiffy".

I see it as the forerunner of the Beechcraft Staggerwing. With a nicer tail
shape, of course.
D.

)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
) All I received was a sign of old age.

Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers Magna Visor, with 1.8x, 2.2x and 2.6x
magnification. Stuck the 2.2x in to start with.


Matt Bittner
) Michael!
> I had initially requested that new Belgian WWI aeroplane book but she said
> that wasn't personal enough!
> So, a track-suit is more personal than an aeroplane book, apparently?

It depends on the kind of "persona" relatives want you to be. To me, it
sounds like your loved ones want you to fall in a bundle of oversized
clothes and lose the chance to become a star player, while keeping you
ignorant of the subtleties of Belgian aviation. It's a cruel plot, I
daresay, old chap.

> My in-laws "promised" to buy me a winter coat but I have to go and pick it
> out.

Grab the money and run to the nearest book shop that caters that new Belgian
WWI aeroplane book! "Here's the new winter coat! They had it in teal, mauve
and WW1 Belgian Aviation. I liked the last one the best."

> I have Polly Scale flat but that is usually too flat - I usually reserve
> that for armour.

You can use it unstirred and it probably won't have as much matting agent in
suspension as if you shake the bottle for several minutes. Try it! Or else
go outside to buy a new bottle and accidentally bring that new Belgian WWI
aeroplane book by mistake.
D.
It is, after all, a season of miracles.

) Re: [WWI] Christmas LootS!
> Modelling related, but pre-OT, a Revell kit of da Vinci's aerial
> screw.

Female air attendants were hot dates even in the Rennaisance.
D.
) > I got nothing OT and nothing ot.

It sounds like you misbehaved this year... good for you!
D.
) Nothing OT, but I did get a couple of books on the air wars of pt.2 over Scotland.

Dave

) Chris!
> My OT Christmas presents to me arrived from sunny California this morning.

Great! That means that probably my package is about to get here as well!

> A Pegasus Sopwith Dolphin

I have one of those too. Tell me what you think of it... Especially taking
into account the technology changes from these limited run kits to the
current state of the art Eduards or Rodens.

> and two Merlins; a DH5 and a Vickers Gunbus. I've not opened the Merlin
> boxes yet, but,
> judging by recent posts, I've got lots of happy hours sanding in front of
> me!

Well, be prepared for a surprise... are these your first Merlins? Tell us
what you think of them as well.
You better open the packages while sitting down.
D.

) Chris!
> your answers as promised:

Thanks, mate! I was curious about your reactions.

> Being on a limited budget, I decided to start amassing my stash
> with stuff that was no longer produced.

Same story here. Not only I must pass from WnW kits, those rare resin
Austrian submarines and others, that while tempting, might take away
my devaluated Argentinian pesos.

> And, because I have an amazing ability to lose anything once
> opened, I have left the shrink-wrapped boxes intact.

As you have seen now, it would be as good as to lose more than a few
parts from ceetain kits! The upside is that you learn a lot of
scratchbuilding from them!

> peering at the Dolphin through the plastic bag, which probably makes
> it an early kit, the first thing I notice is the industrial-sized
> sprues. These mean a fair amount of work to the top wing as it is
> attached to them in four places. And I'm none too sure if the girt
> lump of plastic attached to the hor/stab is part of the fuselage!!
> There is a fair amount of flash, especially around the curved and
> fiddly bits. Detailing seems good, although not quite as sharp as
> the MAC's.

All of this is result of the low pressure injection plastic technology
employed to make these kits. MACs and other current kits use a whole
different type of molds and plastics, but, more expensive to tool.

> I cannot comment yet on the accuracy.

You'll be nicely impressed when you clean all the flash from the
parts. Don't be intimidated by it and keep and eye for mating
surfaces, as it's important to have them trimmed correctly for fitting
with a few others that conform the front fuselage and cockpit coaming.

> Taking your advice, I'm parked on my ****. No, they are not my first
> Merlins, but they are the first I have opened.

It was fortunate then that you were benevolently dsiposed by the
previous doses of Mendocino wine (do tell, is this wine from our own
province of Mendoza?). This was a momentous occasion, and you must be
well prepared to face it like a brave.

> To paraphrase an advertising slogan, Should've gone to Freightdog.

Colin should hire you as one of those "true fact" type of ads. Let me
add somethig then: go get the Freightdog ex Pegasus kit, if possible.
In the worst of cases, you'll have something to emulate when replacing
some parts of the Merlin kit!

> This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of surfaces to
> which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> probably zero.

Battle plan here, as taught by one of my modelling heroes, Steve
Perry: tack fuse halves with some tiny drops of superglue, then saw,
rasp, file and sand to final and accurate external shape. Done this,
unglue halves, thin innards with your preferred method (more on this
later) and presto, you have carved a decent Gunbus nacelle from a lump
of plastique-uh, as the French like to utter.

> Sprues, again, are of industrial dimensions, meaning that, however
> careful I may be, a lot of repair work will be required.

Cut with a thin saw blade, off the parts themselves, then refine the
stubs until no trace of them is to be found, sire.

> However, closer inspection reveals lots of tiny imperfections.
> Possibly air bubbles from the mould?

Some Merlin kits use plastic composed mostly of ungodly materials.
Time to either sand the wings flat (or better said, featureless) or
replace by scratchibuilt items. The second option is the most rewarding.

> With the possible exception of the skids, the white metal parts
> are useless - there are chunks missing from the seat and prop and
> the wheels have a surplus of waste stuck to them.

Again, use them to learn how to carve, or instead... replace with
Aeroclub items. I find that engines are nearle impossible to
scratchbuild as good as those parts, and they're well worth their
modest price. The propeller -note this!- should be properly handed for
a pusher. A teo blader seems to be less of a hassle to carve than a
four blader. Our own Neil Crawford, who lives in a wonderful country,
knows how to make some superb 1:72 propellers from wood veneer
laminations. Ask him to describe his method once again! It'll be
educational for all of us.

> OK, for someone who wants to build a kit OOB, it's horrible. But
> I'm looking forward to tackeling it sometime in the future when my
> skills have improved.

Thing is, mon ami, that skills only improve when you are faced with
this type of project, that more often than not, give a lot of fun,
even if you are daunted with the less than perfect parts you see.

> The DH5, on the other hand, is a sweetie. Moulded in (off) white
> plastic (as opposed to the grey of the Dolphin and the FB5), it
> seems less soft than the other two. As a consequence, the surface
> detail seems crisper, the trailing edges razor thin and the cockpit
> has side wall detailing. Again, accuracy will have to be checked.

You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters related to the
excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once again, if
you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
better than the old Dolphin you got.

> Overall, I'm very pleased with these three kits. They each offer a
> challenge and will help me progress with my modeling abilities.
> Just don't hold your breath waiting for the Gunbus.

OK, but consider it a modelling training ground. As Ira used to say:
"Have fun!"
D.


) Chris:
>
> > This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> > agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of
> surfaces to
> > which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> > probably zero.
>

Yep, those Merlin kits look pretty good........ before you try building one!




And Diego:
>
> You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
> this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters
> related to the
> excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once
> again, if
> you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
> pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
> better than the old Dolphin you got.

Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
better than other kits from the same company)
Did they all copy the Czechmaster?
/Neil
) > Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
> better than other kits from the same company)

DeHavillands always look spiffier than other designs!
D.
) > > Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good,
> (or at least
> > better than other kits from the same company)
>
> DeHavillands always look spiffier than other designs!
> D.


By that reasoning all Spad kits should be good too!
/Neil
) N!
> By that reasoning all Spad kits should be good too!

They're much better than Bf 1*9 kits!
D.
) I got the Ghosts calendar WWI edition and the Red Baron DVD. Good haul!

On Sat, 2010-12-25 at 21:31 -0500, Mike Muth wrote:
> Sooo...
> What on-topic did everyone get this year?
> As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
> Mike Muth


) DeHavilland had some great designs. However, I find it difficult to describe the ungainly DH-5 as "spiffy".

That being said, the Karaya kit is far and away better than the Lone Star kit.

Brent
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
) It's rakish, invertedly speaking.
/Neil

> -----Original Message-----
> From: wwi-
> [mailto:wwi-] On Behalf Of Diego Fernetti
> Sent: den 3 januari 2011 16:09
> To: World War I Modeling Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [WWI] Christmas Loot
>
> Brento!
>
> > DeHavilland had some great designs. However, I find it difficult to
> > describe the ungainly DH-5 as "spiffy".
>
> I see it as the forerunner of the Beechcraft Staggerwing.
> With a nicer tail
> shape, of course.
> D.
>
>
) Brento!

> DeHavilland had some great designs. However, I find it difficult to
> describe the ungainly DH-5 as "spiffy".

I see it as the forerunner of the Beechcraft Staggerwing. With a nicer tail
shape, of course.
D.

) There's no accounting for taste. Some folks enjoy listening to Ethel Merman "sing". :-)

I'm traveling home today. I hope my giant Gotha is waiting. I'm going to order up the new 1/48 Gotha from Fly as well.

Brent
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
)

Sooo...
What on-topic did everyone get this year?
As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
Mike Muth

-----Original Message-----
From: wwi- [mailto:wwi-] On
Behalf Of John Cyganowski
Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:17 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WWI] Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.




) ot I got two books, well I was ordering bunch for everyone else, so I got two I wanted and had my between jobs brother give them to me.
One of my other brothers gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card - so that might end up OT.
And my g/f gave me a Kindle - which might very well hold OT content.
Too bad my brother was under the impression a B&N card could be used for Kindle content.
________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Posted on the WWI mailing list. Go to http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi to subscribe. Hei,

Found Field Marshal von Hindenburgs "The Great War" in a Freemantle
second-hand bookshop.

More OT birthday present to myself: three of John Baxter alternative
books arrived with the supply boat.
The captain was not sure if this was something official or not, so she
kept the little parcel locked up in the ships safe until I could pick
it up today.


Eders
Knut Erik
) All I received was a sign of old age.

Bausch & Lomb Sight Savers Magna Visor, with 1.8x, 2.2x and 2.6x
magnification. Stuck the 2.2x in to start with.


Matt Bittner
) Michael!
> I had initially requested that new Belgian WWI aeroplane book but she said
> that wasn't personal enough!
> So, a track-suit is more personal than an aeroplane book, apparently?

It depends on the kind of "persona" relatives want you to be. To me, it
sounds like your loved ones want you to fall in a bundle of oversized
clothes and lose the chance to become a star player, while keeping you
ignorant of the subtleties of Belgian aviation. It's a cruel plot, I
daresay, old chap.

> My in-laws "promised" to buy me a winter coat but I have to go and pick it
> out.

Grab the money and run to the nearest book shop that caters that new Belgian
WWI aeroplane book! "Here's the new winter coat! They had it in teal, mauve
and WW1 Belgian Aviation. I liked the last one the best."

> I have Polly Scale flat but that is usually too flat - I usually reserve
> that for armour.

You can use it unstirred and it probably won't have as much matting agent in
suspension as if you shake the bottle for several minutes. Try it! Or else
go outside to buy a new bottle and accidentally bring that new Belgian WWI
aeroplane book by mistake.
D.
It is, after all, a season of miracles.

) Re: [WWI] Christmas LootS!
> Modelling related, but pre-OT, a Revell kit of da Vinci's aerial
> screw.

Female air attendants were hot dates even in the Rennaisance.
D.
) > I got nothing OT and nothing ot.

It sounds like you misbehaved this year... good for you!
D.
) Nothing OT, but I did get a couple of books on the air wars of pt.2 over Scotland.

Dave

) Chris!
> My OT Christmas presents to me arrived from sunny California this morning.

Great! That means that probably my package is about to get here as well!

> A Pegasus Sopwith Dolphin

I have one of those too. Tell me what you think of it... Especially taking
into account the technology changes from these limited run kits to the
current state of the art Eduards or Rodens.

> and two Merlins; a DH5 and a Vickers Gunbus. I've not opened the Merlin
> boxes yet, but,
> judging by recent posts, I've got lots of happy hours sanding in front of
> me!

Well, be prepared for a surprise... are these your first Merlins? Tell us
what you think of them as well.
You better open the packages while sitting down.
D.

) Chris!
> your answers as promised:

Thanks, mate! I was curious about your reactions.

> Being on a limited budget, I decided to start amassing my stash
> with stuff that was no longer produced.

Same story here. Not only I must pass from WnW kits, those rare resin
Austrian submarines and others, that while tempting, might take away
my devaluated Argentinian pesos.

> And, because I have an amazing ability to lose anything once
> opened, I have left the shrink-wrapped boxes intact.

As you have seen now, it would be as good as to lose more than a few
parts from ceetain kits! The upside is that you learn a lot of
scratchbuilding from them!

> peering at the Dolphin through the plastic bag, which probably makes
> it an early kit, the first thing I notice is the industrial-sized
> sprues. These mean a fair amount of work to the top wing as it is
> attached to them in four places. And I'm none too sure if the girt
> lump of plastic attached to the hor/stab is part of the fuselage!!
> There is a fair amount of flash, especially around the curved and
> fiddly bits. Detailing seems good, although not quite as sharp as
> the MAC's.

All of this is result of the low pressure injection plastic technology
employed to make these kits. MACs and other current kits use a whole
different type of molds and plastics, but, more expensive to tool.

> I cannot comment yet on the accuracy.

You'll be nicely impressed when you clean all the flash from the
parts. Don't be intimidated by it and keep and eye for mating
surfaces, as it's important to have them trimmed correctly for fitting
with a few others that conform the front fuselage and cockpit coaming.

> Taking your advice, I'm parked on my ****. No, they are not my first
> Merlins, but they are the first I have opened.

It was fortunate then that you were benevolently dsiposed by the
previous doses of Mendocino wine (do tell, is this wine from our own
province of Mendoza?). This was a momentous occasion, and you must be
well prepared to face it like a brave.

> To paraphrase an advertising slogan, Should've gone to Freightdog.

Colin should hire you as one of those "true fact" type of ads. Let me
add somethig then: go get the Freightdog ex Pegasus kit, if possible.
In the worst of cases, you'll have something to emulate when replacing
some parts of the Merlin kit!

> This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of surfaces to
> which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> probably zero.

Battle plan here, as taught by one of my modelling heroes, Steve
Perry: tack fuse halves with some tiny drops of superglue, then saw,
rasp, file and sand to final and accurate external shape. Done this,
unglue halves, thin innards with your preferred method (more on this
later) and presto, you have carved a decent Gunbus nacelle from a lump
of plastique-uh, as the French like to utter.

> Sprues, again, are of industrial dimensions, meaning that, however
> careful I may be, a lot of repair work will be required.

Cut with a thin saw blade, off the parts themselves, then refine the
stubs until no trace of them is to be found, sire.

> However, closer inspection reveals lots of tiny imperfections.
> Possibly air bubbles from the mould?

Some Merlin kits use plastic composed mostly of ungodly materials.
Time to either sand the wings flat (or better said, featureless) or
replace by scratchibuilt items. The second option is the most rewarding.

> With the possible exception of the skids, the white metal parts
> are useless - there are chunks missing from the seat and prop and
> the wheels have a surplus of waste stuck to them.

Again, use them to learn how to carve, or instead... replace with
Aeroclub items. I find that engines are nearle impossible to
scratchbuild as good as those parts, and they're well worth their
modest price. The propeller -note this!- should be properly handed for
a pusher. A teo blader seems to be less of a hassle to carve than a
four blader. Our own Neil Crawford, who lives in a wonderful country,
knows how to make some superb 1:72 propellers from wood veneer
laminations. Ask him to describe his method once again! It'll be
educational for all of us.

> OK, for someone who wants to build a kit OOB, it's horrible. But
> I'm looking forward to tackeling it sometime in the future when my
> skills have improved.

Thing is, mon ami, that skills only improve when you are faced with
this type of project, that more often than not, give a lot of fun,
even if you are daunted with the less than perfect parts you see.

> The DH5, on the other hand, is a sweetie. Moulded in (off) white
> plastic (as opposed to the grey of the Dolphin and the FB5), it
> seems less soft than the other two. As a consequence, the surface
> detail seems crisper, the trailing edges razor thin and the cockpit
> has side wall detailing. Again, accuracy will have to be checked.

You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters related to the
excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once again, if
you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
better than the old Dolphin you got.

> Overall, I'm very pleased with these three kits. They each offer a
> challenge and will help me progress with my modeling abilities.
> Just don't hold your breath waiting for the Gunbus.

OK, but consider it a modelling training ground. As Ira used to say:
"Have fun!"
D.


) Chris:
>
> > This thing is an animal. The plastic of the nacelle is of
> > agricultural thickness. So, whilst there is no lack of
> surfaces to
> > which to apply glue, the chances of an accurate alignment are
> > probably zero.
>

Yep, those Merlin kits look pretty good........ before you try building one!




And Diego:
>
> You are lucky indeed. IIRC it was Dennis Ugulano who commented that
> this was one of the best kits, and probably the masters
> related to the
> excellent Czech Masters resin kit, that's also a jewel. Once
> again, if
> you like the airplane, don't lose the chance to get one of the ex
> pegasus kits, which are very very goodd as well, and a whole lot
> better than the old Dolphin you got.

Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
better than other kits from the same company)
Did they all copy the Czechmaster?
/Neil
) > Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good, (or at least
> better than other kits from the same company)

DeHavillands always look spiffier than other designs!
D.
) > > Isn't it strange that nearly all kits of the DH5 are good,
> (or at least
> > better than other kits from the same company)
>
> DeHavillands always look spiffier than other designs!
> D.


By that reasoning all Spad kits should be good too!
/Neil
) N!
> By that reasoning all Spad kits should be good too!

They're much better than Bf 1*9 kits!
D.
) I got the Ghosts calendar WWI edition and the Red Baron DVD. Good haul!

On Sat, 2010-12-25 at 21:31 -0500, Mike Muth wrote:
> Sooo...
> What on-topic did everyone get this year?
> As for me, I got the Eduard Oef. 153. I also have the Wingnuts H-B en route.
> Mike Muth


) DeHavilland had some great designs. However, I find it difficult to describe the ungainly DH-5 as "spiffy".

That being said, the Karaya kit is far and away better than the Lone Star kit.

Brent
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
) It's rakish, invertedly speaking.
/Neil

> -----Original Message-----
> From: wwi-
> [mailto:wwi-] On Behalf Of Diego Fernetti
> Sent: den 3 januari 2011 16:09
> To: World War I Modeling Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [WWI] Christmas Loot
>
> Brento!
>
> > DeHavilland had some great designs. However, I find it difficult to
> > describe the ungainly DH-5 as "spiffy".
>
> I see it as the forerunner of the Beechcraft Staggerwing.
> With a nicer tail
> shape, of course.
> D.
>
>
) Brento!

> DeHavilland had some great designs. However, I find it difficult to
> describe the ungainly DH-5 as "spiffy".

I see it as the forerunner of the Beechcraft Staggerwing. With a nicer tail
shape, of course.
D.

) There's no accounting for taste. Some folks enjoy listening to Ethel Merman "sing". :-)

I'm traveling home today. I hope my giant Gotha is waiting. I'm going to order up the new 1/48 Gotha from Fly as well.

Brent
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
) T!
> Yeah, What's up with the Staggerwing tail? I have always wondered if they
> gave that job to the summer intern.
> Who was drunk. And blind. And couldn't draw.

The DeHavilland tail saves even homely designs as the DH4!
D.

)