WOODEN FISHING BOAT

This is said to be a 1/30 scale wooden model of a Greek fishing boat from a Chinese toy company. It is a plank-on-frame model. The fit is rather good but the overall kit is somewhat crude. A little bit of work makes it far better than the out-of-box version. The plans are awful and missing details, and are only in Chinese. It took three weeks to plank the hull, then a week to finish and paint the hull. Numbers on the side are from an aircraft model kit decal sheet. I like the effect of real wood and of the wooden deck. The stained wood effect comes from touch-up pens for repairing furniture damage such as small nicks and scrapes. It was mail ordered from Ali Express in China for about $15. It took less than a month to finish.

 

  

 

RCAF SABRE Mk4 (Hobbycraft)

This is a 1/72 scale Hobbycraft (Canada) kit of the Canadair Sabre Mk4. I started the kit in about 1995 and finished it in 2013. The metal finish is duraluminium from Alclad. Cutting the decals to fit the open airbrakes doors was a small headache. It shows Royal Canadian Air Force, 444 Squadron aircraft VH-584 from about late 1953 to early 1954 just after making the hop over to England from Canada - a long and scary flight in a small single-engined aircraft with relatively short range. I gave this as a going-away gift to a friend who had flown VooDoos for the CAF and Phantoms for the RAF.

Canadair Sabre Mk4

Canadair Sabre Mk4

Some real ones...

Canadair Sabre Mk4

Canadair Sabre Mk4

Canadair Sabre Mk4

Canadair Sabre Mk4

Canadair Sabre Mk4

Canadair Sabre Mk4

Canadair Sabre Mk4

Canadair Sabre Mk4

JOSEPH STALIN JS-1 TANK (Testors)

This gun kills nazi scum.

This is the rather odd 1:35 scale Testor's (USA) Four-Star Collector's Series  model of the JS-1 (IS-1) Joseph Stalin Tank. This was a heavy tank used in the latter part of the Great Patriotic War to spearhead the offensive into Germany and the final battle for Berlin. The kit has very little detail, but the decals are interesting. The main image shows a polar bear on a red star. The slogan on the side of the turret says "For Stalin". 

Hobby House (Ottawa) was selling off a bunch of these for $20. Lots of fun and I got a display case! For a Testor's kit it was actually rather good. The box included a large clear plastic display box long enough for the tank and gun, which of course was used for some better project. 

The tank is lightly weathered with smoke effects near the engine, and rust effects on the tracks.

JS-1 (IS-1) Joseph Stalin Tank

JS-1 (IS-1) Joseph Stalin Tank

A real one...

JS-1 (IS-1) Joseph Stalin Tank

JS-1 (IS-1) Joseph Stalin Tank

JS-1 (IS-1) Joseph Stalin Tank

JS-1 (IS-1) Joseph Stalin Tank

JS-1 (IS-1) Joseph Stalin Tank

TREBUCHET CATAPULT (Age of Empires)

This is a TREBUCHET (a specific class of catapult) from the Age of Empires series by a Chinese model company I cannot name (as I do not read Chinese - not because it is a secret) but appears to be http://www.xymxok.com. The scale is uncertain as the plans list 1/72th scale, but the website says it is from 1/40th scale down to 1/72. It seems too large for the smaller scale. The trebuchet was invented in the 12th century and used for over 300 years until after the introduction of gunpowder. This is an all linden wood laminate (plywood) kit with tight-fitting laser-cut parts and metal bolts and nails. The build took eleven hours, and was an fun weekend project. The catapult actually works, and will throw small stones. The wheels at the back are to winch down the throwing arm. Length 221mm, height 240mm, width 156mm. I bought it through mail order at aliexpress.com for about $24.

GERMAN DRB CLASS 41 2-8-2 STEAM LOCOMOTIVE (ESCI)

This is the ESCI 1/87 HO scale kit of the German 2-8-2 steam locomotive built from 1936 until 1971, but a handful survived in service until as late as 1986. The Germans built 366 units. The engines weighed 102 tonnes and could go 90 km/h with freight or passengers. Mine is done in pre-war colours and gently weathered. The kit comes with several small clear glass lenses for the lights both front and rear. I bought the kit at a hobby store in Minneapolis USA, and have given the model to my dear friend Sandy in NFLD.

German 2-8-2 steam locomotive

German 2-8-2 steam locomotive

German 2-8-2 steam locomotive

German 2-8-2 steam locomotive

German 2-8-2 steam locomotive

German 2-8-2 steam locomotive

German 2-8-2 steam locomotive

being judged at the Montreal MIMM contest in 2014

TCA VISCOUNT (Glencoe)

This is the awful 1/96 scale model by Glencoe of the Vickers Viscount in Trans Canada Airlines (1955-1964) colours from the early 1960s. All the windows were puttied over and replaced with black decals, as was the windscreen. The body was sanded smooth to remove the heavy panel lines. The aircraft was painted with Alclad aluminium, and the decals applied using a lot of decal setting solution, especially in the nose region for the compound curve. It has won an award for airliners, beating an identical kit.

Vickers Viscount - Trans Canada Airlines

Vickers Viscount - Trans Canada Airlines

A real one...

Vickers Viscount - Trans Canada Airlines

Vickers Viscount - Trans Canada Airlines

Vickers Viscount - Trans Canada Airlines

Vickers Viscount - Trans Canada Airlines

Vickers Viscount - Trans Canada Airlines

TCA at the Ajax contest in 2014