Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
or-
August 2020 – Jim’s Issue No 104
This weekend we should have been at the Dorset Arts and Crafts show in Wareham promoting our club to the
public. But instead here we are still not being able to meet, I haven’t heard from the Legion yet but by what has
just happened this weekend it doesn’t seem likely any time soon. At least our facebook group are still
communicating and having virtual model of the month competitions, plus you are getting photos and snippets to
me for our newsletter. Model shops are opening so that we can stock up on paints, adhesives etcetera but if we
feel the need to get out some of our local museums are now open. Bournemouth Aviation Museum , Bovington
Tank Museum but you do have to pre book here. Castletown D Day Centre Portland, Old Sarum BDAC
although the cockpits are not open. Finaly Solent Sky in Southampton is open. These are probably not the only
ones that have reopened but they are the ones I know about. I have just seen, courtesy of Henry letting us know
the timing, the NHS Spitfire doing a couple of circuits of Poole Hospital. Suppose that is the nearest we get to
an airshow this year.
Page 2
Escaped from the Shelf of Doom : Cessna UC-78A Bobcat by KP in 1/72nd scale
I rarely build in 1/72nd
scale these days, let alone build new release aircraft models (which this is) in that scale. I
built this one because I have a photo of this aircraft at Winkton advanced landing ground taken by Captain
Andrew F Wilson, USAAF in June 1944. The Bobcat is probably not owned by the 404th
Fighter Group based
at Winkton as their HQ flight aircraft were serviced by one of the three squadrons there and the aircraft would
carry the codes for that squadron. There is a version in the box for the 405th
Fighter Group HQ Flight at
Christchurch, detailed with squadron codes.
This aircraft’s unit is anonymous but in terms of probability it could be from either the HQ of IX Fighter
Command at Middle Wallop or the 84th
Fighter Wing HQ at Beaulieu, the command and parent units for the
404th. Given when it was photographed at Winkton its very probable that the aircraft belonged to the 5th
Tactical Air Depot, either the 10th or 86th Air Depot Groups based at RAF Chilbolton. The 404th
aircraft were
supplied through Chilbolton and the first three natural metal bubble top P-47s to reach Winkton arrived in mid
June, painted up with immaculate D Day stripes at Chilbolton like this Bobcat. It’s possible this Bobcat is at
Winkton to ferry back the delivery pilots.
This is one of those kits that usually get relegated to the shelf of doom. The fuselage is twisted, the instruction
don’t mention the control yolks to be fitted to the control panels (though they are on the sprue). Once you’ve
fitted the yolks and the rudder pedals to the panel you discover the cockpit isn’t deep enough to accept the
subassembly. The port tail plane was surely never designed to fit the fuselage, the engine cowls are very
difficult to align together or onto the nacelles not helped by the fact the engines don’t fit in them. The
undercarriage seems to be modelled with no load or the legs are too long, so the model rides a little high from
the ground. The cockpit canopy is a smidgeon too wide. The Bobcat is the American equivalent of the Airspeed
Oxford, the Frog kit of the Oxford from 50+ years ago was a better kit than this. cont
Page 3
The kit decals are great (except there are only three sets of seat belts for five seats) and the aftermarket cockpit
masks by Peewit are brilliant. I used a rattle can of Chrome paint by Montana over Tamiya grey primer. The
stars and bars are from the kit, I home printed the serial, the D Day stripes are from a generic set by Hannants
and must be ten years old at least. I made templates with low tak masking tape (Tamiya) then laid them on the
columns of stripes and used them to cut the decals to fit. First time I’ve done it and it worked well, just
remember to keep the templates aligned with the decal stripe edges. The fuselage stripes for instance are in four
parts; top, both sides and underneath. Microsol and Microset proved invaluable.
John
TANK MUSEUM MODELLERS NEED YOU. Richard Amphlett is looking for more volunteer modellers during the school holiday period. Monday, Tuesday or Friday cover is needed. Mileage paid up to £15 per day plus free Tea / Coffee. Anyone interested, Graham Young can give more information as required. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anyone interested in sourcing 3D printed figures might like to browse the Modelu website starting at https://www.modelu3d.co.uk/product-category/finescale-figures/military/world-war-two/american/ these figures are available in 9 scales form 1/35th to 1/144 The civilian figures are awesome especially the Pendon collection and the Ragged Victorians. John
Page 4
Quite a number of you will know John Brook a member of this club until he moved to Bridgwater a few years ago. He was also one of the founding members of the Tank Museum Volunteer Modellers. It seems that earlier this year, pre Covid, he caught some nasty virus in Cambodia. Nobody seemed sure what this was but it had a serious affect on him with severe loss of weight. Blood samples were sent to Porton Down !!!! to try and find out what his problem was. All this was added to the fact the he had diabetes, which he lost control of. The situation now is that because of the many illnesses that he has had plus the diabetes, he has developed rapid onset dementia . This has left him in a very bad place. He came home from hospital but he then smashed up some of his models and threw loads of stuff in the rubbish bin. Things got so bad that he was taken back to hospital and it looks likely that he won't be able to come home again because of his deterioration. We have heard all this from Richard Amphlett of the Tank Museum Modellers --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jez has sent pictures of his builds from over the last few weeks including a move from his usual offerings.
Above is an OV10 Bronco from the 1/32nd
Kittyhawk kit. Jez says it’s not the greatest kit he’s ever built.
On the next page is the 1/35th
scale AFV kit of the M35A1, very detailed and a great fit
Page 5
Page 6
Calling this finished so says Trevor of this diorama.
The Steyr front end and chassis is Tamiya, the cargo deck, cab and wheels are CMK/ Lead Warrior resin.
Rails/ sleepers from Miniart and Woodland Scenics for the Trees etc. Two of the figures are Rado
the other two from Masterbox. Paint was Tamiya / Vallejo and the washes /filters were Mig Ammo.
Trevor enjoyed this project but now onto something completely different
More pictures on next two pages
Page 7
Page 8
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the following two pages are pictures of Ian’s Spitfire, see June newsletter, now incorporated in a scene with
two figures all finished to Ian’s impeccable standards
Page 9
Page10
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I haven’t got a quiz for you this month here is a question,
Who knows what this aircraft is and what is its country of origin.
Page 11
Page 12
I can tell you it is a MPM 1/72nd
kit, and made straight out of the box.
The real life prototype first flew in April 1938 powered by a licence built Gnome-Rhone14k which gave it a top
speed of 342 mph at 22,000 feet. Armament comprised six 7.92mm Browning machine guns in the wings.
It is thought approximately 450 were built
The model depicts a machine from 1943 and the pilot had scored 7 victories mainly on home defence
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2020 SHOWS and EXHIBITIONS
These are still on until we hear differently
October 3 Abingdon OX14 1BB
October 25 Elstree WD6 3PJ revised date
November 7/8 SMW Telford TF3 4JH
November 15 Middle Wallop SO20 8FB
November 22 Bugle Call Nailsea BS48 2HN
December 6 London plastic model show NW3 2BQ
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers to last month’s ‘sights’ from the BCP and Wimborne areas
1 - Presentation clock from Lucerne. Old Christchurch Road outside Arcade Bournemouth
2 - Old Library now Weatherspoons Lord Wimborne Lagland Street Poole
3 - Town crest Wimborne town hall West Borough Wimborne
4 - Regent Centre High Street Christchurch
5 - Obscura Café roof Bournemouth Square
6 - Art Branksome retail centre ( John Lewis)
7 - Memorial to sacrifice of volunteers RNLI West Quay Road Poole
8 - Antelope Hotel High Street Poole
9 - Queen’s Jubilee stone Wimborne Square
10 - BIC entrance steps Exeter Road Bournemouth
11 - Pier Approach roof Bournemouth
12 - Poole Pottery 50th
anniversary D day Mural Dolphin Quays Poole
13 - Guild Hall roof Poole
14 - Art back of H & M building Terrace Road Bournemouth
15 - Old Town Hall roof Saxon Square Christchurch
16 - Old Orchard Poole
17 - War Memorial Upper Gardens Bournemouth
18 - Twinning Association garden Priors Walk Wimborne
Newsletter production by – Jim Smith © August 2020
