New 1/20 Lotus Type 72C: COMING SOON!

Ebbro announces the release of an all new 1/20 scale Lotus 72C injection molded kit.  It is due in the U.S. in early May 2012.  We are taking pre-orders for this exciting new kit of one of Formula One's most successful designs.

PRE-ORDER TODAY:  $59.95

Stock number 3154-20001

3/4 front.  Beautiful!

3/4 rear view

Ebbro is better known for producing diecast metal replicas.  This is its first effort into the realm of injection molded plastic kits.  We're looking forward to this one!

The model represents the first competition version of the classic Lotus 72 which with various modifications won 20 races, 2 drivers', and 3 constructors' championships between 1970 - 1976.  Decals are included for both drivers (Jochen Rindt and John Miles), and four races (1970 British, German, Austrian, and Italian Grand Prix).

Rear view

 Looks fast just sitting there!

Parts look Great.

 PRE-ORDER TODAY!  $59.95

Stock Number 3154-20001

Cushy Hobby Shop Job

Fokker Dr.1 replica

I'm excited to be at Old Kingsbury Aerodrome tomorrow 28 April 2012 for the Pioneer Flight Museum's Spring Fly-In.  Can't believe I get paid for this!  If you haven't been yet, you need to go.  Old Kingsbury Aerodrome houses a truely unique collection of vintage aircraft and vehicles with a focus on World War One.  The mostly volunteer staff of the Pioneer Flight Museum is dedicated to preserving and operating these great old machines.  The fly-in provides the museum with an opportunity to show off and hopefully raise funds to help maintain its wonderful collection.  The event is free with donations accepted.  Aviators from all over fly-in to the grass airfield to participate.  You're liable to see lots of classic and homebuilt aircraft if you attend.  Hot rod clubs have also been known to show up.

Indian Motorcycle

Model T Ford

Old Kingsbury Aerodrome is in Kingsbury, TX.  Take Highway 183 south from Austin to Luling and turn right on Highway 90 going towards Seguin.  Go west about 10 miles to Kingsbury.  As your coming into Kingsbury turn left on FM 1104.  Go south on FM 1104 about 1 mile.  The aerodrome is on the right.  Here's a link to the Pioneer Flight Museum Website for a map.

Fokker D.VII replica

 

Bristol F.2B Fighter (Original airframe)

Texas Militarty Forces Open House & American Heroes Airshow

Texas Militarty Forces Open House & American Heroes Airshow

Major Davis talks to KEYE about the Vietnam Wall and the Texas Military Forces Open House

This weekend is the traditional Camp Mabry Muster Day and Open House.  Each year it just gets bigger and bigger.  There will be many helicopters on display including the Blackhawk, Apache, Chinook and Lakota.  A traveling Vet Nam Memorial Wall with living history encampment (including Ed Hall's M-35 gun truck).  The WWII reenactment will include three Shermans, Gruetzner's Hetzer and Brent Mullin's Stug III. The TMFM gift shop will feature a "Make-n-Take" and many King's items discounted and tax-free.

April 21-22 * Saturday & Sunday * Camp Mabry 8am - 5pm

Click the link for an Event Flyer

They are expecting a large crowd, so arrive early.  Hope to see you there.

Pre-Owned Kits: What's the Deal?

King's pre-owned Mecca

    Lots of hobby shops devote retail floor space to offer a selection of pre-owned model kits.  Pre-owned kits appeal to a variety of hobbyists.  Kit collectors, scratch builders, novice modelers, builders who want to sharpen their skills, and nostalgia seekers regularly purchase pre-owned kits.

    Others simply enjoy "treasure hunting", or the process of perusing stacks of old kits.  It's sort of modeler's "zen", if you will.  Not so "zen" are the feeding frenzies at model shows that can result from a vendor plunking down containers of old kits rescued from abandoned long term storage.  I've seen adults shove kids out of the way to get to the "eureka" find.  It's like women at a shoe clearance!  It's like Walmart when the doors open on Black Friday!  You don't want to be the greeter, but I digress...

    Let's return to the appeal of pre-owned.  Serious kit collectors occasionally find a gem, while scratch builders can acquire loads of random parts.  Look closely at any scratch built sci-fi model and you discover the preponderance of out of context tank, aircraft, and ship parts that "busy up" fictional intergalactic craft.  Scale doesn't matter.  These models are convincing because they appear mechanically complex.

    Pre-owned kits can also be an inexpensive way to knock the rust off your modeling skills.  Build an old kit before you tackle that $167.98 Tamiya 1/32 P-51D Mustang.  New modelers can also acquire skill sets inexpensively by doing a few rounds of pre-owned before tackling new tool kits.  You don't have to hurt your wallet as much to break into the hobby.

Built this as a kid.  I think it had a different box.

    Nostalgic modelers may wish to replace beloved old models of yore or recreate memories of building that AMT Corvette when they were 8 years old (complete with the cussing!).  Sure wish I had kept some of the models I built as a kid.

    Pre-owned kits are generally priced inexpensively for several reasons. Reason one:  they're often somewhat shop worn and not in the best condition so pricing them reasonably makes them attractive to the buyer.  Reason two:  Retailers don't have the time to painstakingly verify all the parts are there.  Taking the time to do so isn't cost effective without raising the price of the kits.  It's a good idea to thoroughly inventory the parts yourself before purchasing a pre-owned kit as all sales of these items tend to be final.  Buyer beware!

Period kits have great box art!

    

    
       
    
    
  
 

Howard Pardue Gone

Some sad news, very sad news...

Subject: Howard Pardue Gone

April 4, 2012, 2 p.m. the Texas aviation community lost a good friend.  Howard Pardue of Breckenridge Texas crashed his F8F Grumman Bearcat shortly after takeoff from his home airport in Stephens Field (KBKD) Breckenridge Texas.  Many have seen Mr Pardue at airshows and Warbird displays for many, many hears.   Mr Pardue had a collection of warbirds that were the best in the world; several F4U Corsairs, F4F Wildcat, Hawker Seafury and his famous Grumman F8F Bearcat.  Howard was a former Marine Corp pilot and was 77 years old and was a very likeable Marine.
He will be missed.

Jerry Gardner

The first time I saw Mr. Purdue, he was flying his Seafury at the San Marcos airshow.  It was one of the most exciting things I've ever seen.  He was a regular at every Central Texas airshow...and he will be missed by the avaition community.

Brad's Wish List Part 1

I'm presenting a list of subjects I'd be interested in seeing for possible future kit releases in the hope that it generates action by mainstream kit manufacturers and model builders (i.e. to produce, purchase, and build them!).  My top area of interest is 1/48 aircraft, and so part 1 will focus on this.  All types on my list are overdue for a modern treatment.

Great Wall Hobby P-61A

Great Wall Hobby TBD

I don't want to leave the impression that kit makers have been unresponsive to my interests. Three subjects which were high on my personal list have been addressed in recent months.  Two were produced by newcomer Great Wall Hobby which released its P-61 Black Widow and TBD Devastator kits.  The third was by our oldest friend Revell which released the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura.  All are really nice.  Of the three, the Revell Ventura is the best value at $36.98. I hope they've sold tons!  My hat is off to Great Wall for the excellent out of the box quality of the Devastator.  I also respect the company's willingness to address several much discussed but minor issues with the Black Widow.  They are revising tooling to several components to improve accuracy for the next boxing of the early P-61A.  Problems with the initial release were largely corrected by Great Wall offering new and additional parts.  Great Wall sent them to our supplier, who in turn, sent them to us at no expense.
I still haven't seen the perfect kit yet!



Revell 1/48 PV-1 Ventura.  No, I didn't build this one!

 
Since I have very little time to build models as much as I'd like,  why would I want more?  The honest and mature (?) answer is BECAUSE!  Another answer might be, "more is always better".  Let's take a look at my wish list.

World War 2:

P-40B/C Tomahawk
B-26B Marauder
B-17E/F Flying Fortress
B-24D Liberator
AT-6/SNJ Texan
PT-17 Stearman
B-29 Superfortress

All have been done, and all need an updated treatment.  I don't think my list differs much from others I've seen elsewhere, especially with regard to the top three.  I guess the issue will be how to keep the price low on the big multi-engine subjects.  A $400.00 B-29 won't sell well.

In addition to the above list I might also like to see manufacturers improve existing kits.  I'm thinking, for example, of Tamiya's P-51 kits.  Both the "B" and "D" suffer from minor issues.  I'd like to see Tamiya add a cockpit floor, a late pilot's seat, link ejector ports under the wings, and early 75 gallon teardrop drop tanks to the P-51B.  The P-51D needs a better sliding canopy to fix the super thick stiffener arch.  It could also use additional under-wing  stores like 110 gallon teardrop and 160 gallon Lockheed drop tanks seen on late war P-51s.  Cost to develop these minor upgrades would be minimal and might regenerate interest in older but still excellent kits.  All kit manufacturers should take a lesson from Great Wall Hobby.

Moving on...

Post World War 2:

F-80C Shooting Star
F-86A/E Saber
F-82 Twin Mustang (Especially the F/G/H models.)
RF-101C Voodoo
F-100D/F Super Saber (That's right! I'm calling out Trumpeter!)
F-105D/F/G Thunderchief  (Ditto Hobby Boss!)
F-4C/D/E/J/RF-4C Phantom (Slipped off Eduard's upcoming list, and yes, I'll still build my Hasegawa F-4s)
MiG-17 Fresco C (Hobby Boss has issues.)
MiG-25P/PD/R Foxbat (Especially the reconnaissance version.)
SR-71A Blackbird
RF-8A Crusader
U-2C Dragon Lady
UH-1C/D/H Huey
AH-1G Cobra

Note the number of recon birds.  I grew up in Austin around the RF-4Cs at Bergstrom AFB.  I guess that explains that!  I'm also noticing that my modern list is longer than my World War 2 list.  Except for those noted above, and the Bf-109 (Haw, Haw!), World War 2 has been covered fairly well.  The jet list could, however, be even longer.  A slight push could get me to include the F-102 and F-106, and dare I say it... the B-58 Hustler.

Others I'd like to see but never will:

Ford Trimotor
B-17C/D
Martin M-130 China Clipper flying boat

I gotta be me.

Let me know if I've forgotten something.  I probably have!