Friday, June 26, 2009

Scale Aircraft Modelling 01 1990


APART from being the last piston-cngined bomber to be employed under operational conditions by the Royal Air Force, the Avro Lincoln has often been described as the 'long-range Lancaster, Far East bomber, or the RAF's answer to the B-29'. Of these, the first two were substantially correct but as for being the equivalent of the B-29 the Lincoln was conceived as a different class of aircraft altogether and even though it was constructed at the same time as the American machine, B-29s were eventually called upon to supplement its abilities with RAF Bomber Command. Originally seen as being a logical development of the very successful Avro Lancaster, the original design studies were, in fact, named Lancaster IV and V differing in having either Rolls-Royce or Packard Merlin engines. But with an increase in wingspan, more powerful engines and armament it soon became evident that the design study was, in fact, an entirely different aeroplane albeit within the same role and having the same general appearance. The decision was therefore taken to rename it the Type 694 Lincoln.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

The Alamo - Victory or Death


The style of warfare in the early 1800s, and right up to the American Civil War, was very different to the open skirmishes of the Plains Wars in the latter half of the century. Soldiers were trained to fight in large formations, maintaining order and discipline regardless of enemy firepower. The equipment, tactics and chain of command in 1830s America was incredibly similar to those of European armies almost twenty years earlier. In fact, some of the equipment utilised during Santa Anna's campaign had previously seen use in the Napoleonic wars. In this section, you will learn how to fight Massed Battles and sieges. Unlike the skirmish games introduced in Legends of the Old West, these rules assume that most of your models are nameless soldiers in larger regiments, and allow you to reproduce sweeping military actions with scores, or even hundreds, of miniatures!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Great Civil War Projects You Can Build Yourself


Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you had lived during the Civil War? A lot would depend on who you were and where you lived: if you were white or black, a former or a city dweller, or if you were rich or poor before the Civil War started. But whether you lived in the Deep South or Far North, whether your hometown was the site of a battle or far removed from any fighting at all, there is no question you would have been greatly affected by the conflict between the Union and Confederate armies. This book will help you discover a bit about what life was like during the Civil War for families, soldiers, and children. You'll learn a little history of why the Civil War began, some interesting facts about the people, places, and battles during the war, and create projects that will give you an idea of what people during the Civil War did to communicate, have fun, and live their day-to-day lives. The book is divided into three general sections: On The Battlefield covers projects that deal with a soldier's life in camp and during battle. On The Homefront features projects that give you an idea of what life was like for everyday people during the Civil War.

Great World War II Projects You Can Build Yourself


The local ration boards were made up of area businesspeople and politicians. Board members came up with a ration level for each person or family in their program. How much a family was allowed depended on where they lived, who they worked for, and the number of people in their household. Each family member was issued a ration book that contained numbered stamp coupons. They had to turn in the coupons when they bought a rationed item. The stamps did not guarantee that food would always be available on store shelves, however. Red meat was especially hard to get, and was a popular black market item. Remember, those who sold things on the black market operated illegally outside the government's ration system. Black marketers, known as "Mr. Black" or "Mr. B," sold their items for whatever price they could get, so prices could be quite high. Nylon stockings, for instance, sold for 20 times their pre-war price. The government fined store owners for participating in the black market if they were caught by one of the 3,100 OPA investigators.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Scale Aviation Modeller International 06 2008


The latest announcement from Anigrand offers something a little more manageable in size than many of their recent offerings! The 1/72 Fairchild T-46 Eaglet (#2080/US$45) represents a second generation trainer designed to replace the T-37, so is in keeping with their experimental theme. Anigrand's customary bulletin tells us that 'in 1982, the US Air Force issued a Next Generation Trainer (NGT) competition for primary flight instruction. Initially it was planned that the Air Force would purchase 650 of the trainers through 1993 and that they would serve well into the 21st century. In order to validate the proposed aircraft's design, and to explore its flight handling characteristics, Fairchild Republic contracted with Ames Industries to build a flyable 62% scale test bed, the Model 73. This design won the competition and was designated T-46 Eaglet. The T-46 prototype was first flight tested at Edwards AFB on 15 October 1985. The plane performed beyond expectation during the testing phase, however, due to budget constraints, the Air Force cancelled the T-46 program in 1986 after only three aircraft had been completed. The T-46 was the last project of the Fairchild Republic Corporation, and with the NGT program cancelled, the company closed the Republic factory, bringing 60 years of Fairchild aircraft manufacturing to an end.'

Scale Aviation Modeller International 05 2008


Even the most hardened purist's faith will waver when they see what Accurate Armour have come up with next. The latest In their Airfield series of 1/48 resin vehicles includes a couple of models that any aircraft modeller should be able to find a place for in their collections. First up is a Scammell SV/2S Recovery Crane (#48011/£64.99), and this is followed by the cream of the crop, an AEC 6x6 Refueller with booms, released in two versions (#48007 and #48013, both £64.99). and the AEC Matador 4x4 RAF Flat Bed truck (K48008). This model features cab and pump chamber internal detail, suspension, optional spare wheel carrier and chassis, and also includes a pair of refuelling booms and filter systems for refuelling Jet Aircraft. Rubber hose lines are included. Extensive RAF Bomber and Coastal Command decals are provided, as are AVTUR decals for post-war use. The final release is equally attractive, and very useful for diorama builders. The flat bed truck depicts a standard RAF vehicle for general heavy load duties, which had a very long service life, and can be modelled as both a wartime and post-war machine. This highly detailed series of models provided the initial impetus for the Editor's crusade for the inclusion of ground handling vehicles in the magazine's pages. The models are exquisite, the series well planned and all the subjects will enhance any aircraft model they are posed next to. giving a real feel for scale and period that is sometimes missing in the model cabinet.

Scale Aviation Modeller International 04 2008


The second release in Tamiya's popular F-16 series is now due. Following the record success of the first release, the F-16C/J, which won a Modellfan award at Nuremberg, the second kit is the Lockheed F-16C (block 25/32) -Fighting Falcon ANG (#61101/£29.99), and features the aircraft in National Guard service. The F-16 has become one of the most widely-used jet fighters in the world, and has undergone a series of upgrades throughout its service life with various air forces. The Block 25 entered service in 1984 and featured upgraded radar and cockpit avionics. The Block 32 was the first upgrade affected by a program to use different engines in the F-16, and continued to use Pratt & Whitney engines, while the Block 30 used engines made by General Electric. The Block 32 has been upgraded to carry a wide range of weapons, including the LITENING II laser targeting pod, which enables precision attack capability with laser-guided bombs. Tamiya's revised tooling includes new parts that accurately reproduce the correct engine nozzle and smaller air intake that correspond to Pratt & Whitney powered F-16s. Main landing gear and doors are also depicted with new parts, while the wing reinforcement plates for Block 32 are recreated with decals.

Scale Aviation Modeller International 10 2005


Inside the side-opening box you get three sprues of grey plastic, one sprue of clear, an instruction sheet and a small decal sheet. The instructions show four construction sequences, with a parts tree diagram and decal placement options. All of the main parts feature very fine recessed detail, but it is so fine that a thin coat of paint will obliterate it. The decals in my sample were out of register by 1mm on each colour, and absolutely useless, so I had to revert to raiding my spares box. The finished model therefore does not represent any particular aeroplane, but it looks pleasing to my eye. In the box of my sample I was supplied with the parts tree for the two-seat version of this aircraft instead of the single-seater. It's not a huge problem, but the numbers on the parts tree diagram don't match what you have in the box. I don't know if this was a simple mistake or whether it applies to all of the kits.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Model Graphix 07 2009


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N-Scale 09-10 2008


The time has come to paint our naked beauty. Everyone has their own process on this, so I will not linger long on the topic. It is recommended that you allow each coat to dry for 12 to 24 hours each. I used 3-M Brand automotive painters tape to mask off areas that will not be painted. This is low-tack tape that is less likely to peel paint off when removed than good-old yellow or blue masking tape. Let's start by giving the loco a bath in soap and water, allowing it to soak and gently cleaning it with a toothbrush as shown in Photo 51. Following the soap and water bath and a good rinsing, pour some Polly S Plastic Prep in a clean pan and dip the shell in it thoroughly. This will rinse away the residue left behind by the soap or oily finger prints (Photo 52). Place the shell assembly on a paper towel and allow to air dry Don't touch it or play with it until it is dry (Photo 53). Now, the while the shell is drying, we'll paint a few small parts. Starting with the number-board/headlight assembly, wrap masking tape around just the "headlights." Make sure this is tight around the "bulbs" as shown in Photo 54.