Plastic Warrior show 2023

 Yesterday I had a jolly day out at the PW show in Twickenham, West London.  It seemed well attended and some brisk trading was observed.  I sold a bit and bought a bit less - the difference being more than enough to cover my petrol costs.  It was nice to see so many old and newer friends - to name but a few, Jack, Paul, Brian, Anthony, Mike L, Mike C, Graham, Steve, Diego…..well you get the idea.

Here are most of my purchases.  The Basevich WW1 German cavalry were  - for plastic figures - fantastically expensive (£25 for a box of four mounted figures) but are very lovely. 

Replicants always has a new set or two for the show. This year it was two sets of medieval peasants - always useful!  

I was rather taken with this unsmiling Del Prado Red Army officer. 

Great War British officer by Tradition. 

Probably my favourite figure of the show - Great War British sentry.  Skewered on his bayonet is a chemically treated gas indicator.  Though it looks to me like cheese on toast!  

Heller Horror - French P-47 Thunderbolt - part 2

The dodgy Thunderbolts are finished and I offer as evidence these terrible photos.  

20 Escadre de Chasse is ready for action - I expect they'll look a lot better when viewed from the correct distance (6 feet plus) on the lawn at Knuston in July.  Maybe.

Heller horror - French P-47 Thunderbolt - part 1

In need of some close air support from the French in Algeria c1960, a bit of research led me to remember I had some 1/72 Thunderbolts which would fit the bill.  These were bought some years ago in a sale for only £1 each.  It's as well they were cheap as the review on the excellent and very useful Modelling Madness website opens with the words:  "Seldom do I see a kit that has nothing whatsoever to recommend it.  The Heller P-47N is one of those rare few."

So with my expectations well and truly managed I sliced open the bags (these kits came to me minus boxes) and set about them.  Rendered in silver-grey plastic, most of the parts were quite crisply moulded with very little flash. 

The fit wasn't brilliant though and much masking tape was employed to hold parts together while the glue dried.

I gave them an overall undercoat in matt black and then slapped on Revell silver to give a well-worn look.  Despite the review, they look like Thunderbolts to me.

I painted on the tail stripes and then went off to plunder the Decal Box for suitable French roundels.

(Hotch)kiss and tell - part 2

Following the only slightly fiddly build, painting  - when I finally got round to it - progressed quickly. The overall khaki uniforms will allow the use of this lot as not only French but also as anything from Spanish to Romanian. So long as no one looks too closely.

 The team leader (left) is clearly expecting chilly weather - hence his sheepskin waistcoat.

(Hotch)kiss and tell - part 1

This ancient Heller kit has been hanging about for a few months, so earlier this week I took pity on it and set to work.

These Heller kits are getting on a bit but the mastering and moulding is on a par with contemporary Tamiya. The instruction sheet folds out to A4 size and is a model (sorry) or clarity.

The three legs of the MG tripod are separate parts and I wasn’t looking forward to the assembly but in the event it all went together very nicely.

Paintwork will follow - I’m planning a 1940 French overall khaki finish so these chaps may also see service in Spain. 

Holiday shopping 2

While I was in buying bridges, in the same Dutch model shop I spotted a pile of cheap-ish kits. So of course I dived in for a rummage!  The ancient Heller set above was a good buy as Hotchkiss MGs can be difficult to find in this (1/35) scale. €3.99. 

Another useful set, I bought this set of Japs ‘cos it was cheap. Who knows what they’ll end up as?  Not me.

I’ve always rather liked the idea of this set of Generals and at this price it was irresistible. 

I don’t recall having seen this set before but a better informed (and clearly richer) friend tells me this sprue was included with the LandRover Ambulance set he had in the 1970s.

Like a hurricane - part 2

Here is the completed Ouragan, aloft over the er, floor.  I opted for a fairly basic green over sand finish and used the kit decals.  I like it.

Like a hurricane - part 1

While searching for suitable aircraft kits for the recent Golan Heights game I found this ancient Heller offering in one of the boxes.  Although retired from front line IAF service after the 1967 war I decided to build the thing anyway.

Not too many parts, very little flash and pretty good fit.

I have had far worse builds of late.  Mostly KP MiGs....

The title refers of course to today's musical link - Ouragan being French for Hurricane.  Take it away Neil....

https://youtu.be/LDyTcDqW7kU

Shopping at Triples - part 1 - kits

Actually I didn't buy much - I rarely do at any show these days - but I will somehow string out my paltry purchases over three posts.  

First up is this useful pair of 1/72 kits - both destined for a hard but glorious career in the armed forces of the peoples' democracies.  To encourage their crews' commitment to the cause I will leave on the sprue any bits which look like the sort of navigation equipment which might encourage defections....  In one of the great ironies of the Cold War, the vendor of these Warpact classics was collecting funds for the British Legion.  A handsome buy at £5 each.

I like these Heller figures, especially the 'Contemporary' - that is early 1970s - sets.  These are all incomplete with just a couple of figures in each but that was reflected in the prices.

Again incomplete, who knows what nationality these chaps will end up as?

Alpha Jet - part 3

Here is the completed A-J - resplendent in Luftwaffe markings and destined for a career in the low-level strike business.  These 'in flight' photos were hurriedly posed in the garden but since then the thing has been used in a game!  Photos of that coming soon.

The kit did include a set of Luftwaffe markings but they dissolved in water!  Luckily I had some more or less suitable spares though they were a bit yellowed with age.  Still, it all turned out OK in the end.

Alpha Jet - part 2

Built and ready for painting!

Alpha Jet - part 1

I've already mentioned this kit here and here.  And now....on with the build!

The contents and the box.

The initial build went smoothly but some parts did need clamping into place while the glue dried.

Though the box featured a 'clean' aerobatics machine, I was encouraged by the discovery on the sprue of pylons and bombs.  That's more like it!

Shopping from Triples

That's the first day of Triples done.  Our 'Doodlebuggers' game went well with around 35 players over the course of the day.  And much chatting with other SWS members and friends old and new - John, Martin, Nick, Tim, Bruce, Pete, Chris, Phil, Ben and Mark to name but a few.
But enough of that.  What - I hear you ask - did I buy?

Well not all that much really.  In fact so far I have spent £8.30 - or about the same as it will cost me in diesel to drive to the venue twice.

 First up - the Bring & Buy yielded this Tamiya kit for £3.50.

 On a trader's stall I spotted some Froggie frogmen - just the thing for LCW.  OK, so no boat, but...

 On the same stall was this for £2.  I took this as a sign from above.

And this is what £1.80 worth of rummage box figures looks like.  A Starlux French bandsman*, an unknown US-equipped officer, a useful looking civilian and a trio of Crescent(?) postwar Brits.  I already have a couple of these so hopefully I'll eventually find enough for a LCW company (12 figures).

* see also my previous purchase of Starlux bandsmen in this earlier post.