Faust

Breaking records and advancing technology is a lot of what interwar aviation was about. Whether it was civilians risking it all for fame and fortune, or military test pilots pushing new frontiers for the glory of their homelands, going higher, farther and faster was a frenetic, and dangerous, game. While post-war X-planes from many nations are decently catered for by model companies, the same can’t really be said, especially nowadays, for these interwar pioneers. Thankfully, FROG had a whole series of “Trailblazers” kits that paid plastic homage to some of these aeronautical achievements. One that I’ve managed to get my hands on is the Bristol 138/A, a high-altitude research aircraft of clearly British origin. A very pedestrian-looking plane to today’s eyes, it must have been quite a sight back in its day, with its closed-in canopy, huge wings and spindly, tall undercarriage! Check out my review of this seemingly forgotten classic at the link below, and get ready to “get high” in a way that doesn’t (necessarily) involve inhaling model cement fumes! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/frog-1-72-bristol-138-a-oob/

Oh man!! That Cosmo kit is awesome! I've never seen that one before! I have to say that, while it's not perfect, the Cosmo looks pretty okay to me. It's a bit weird, but generally I like the shape and style. I think the grille's a bit off from the rest of the design; it wraps up the front too much, like those '90s Regals. If it had a more distinct "snout" like the RX-3, I think it would have looked better. Interesting to compare it to the Colonades. I also HATE colonade A-Bodies. Not sure why there's so much love for them, but my brother is in love with them... so I guess GM knew what they were doing (from a marketing standpoint, at least...). Fair exchange is no robbery, I guess... now I have to go hunting for a Cosmo!

One area of interest that seems to be taking off in the scale replica world lately is that of Japanese cars, particularly older cars from the ‘70s and even early ‘80s. There’s not a lot written in North America about these cars in comparison to the domestics of the period, and this air of mystery has helped fuel the increasing popularity of these rarely seen and little-known automobiles. Interestingly, there were a lot more kits of older Japanese cars back in the day, when they were current, than you can find now. Sure, some have been reissued, and many “updated” to match the current vogue of the Tuner scene, but these don’t compare to the number of kits from when these cars were new. If you want to get a feel for one of these Japanese beauties, you have to commit to going back in time and looking at that era’s kits. Unfortunately, the relative obscurity of these cars in North America meant there was little call to import them in kit form, so there are not as many 50-year-old Japanese car kits as there are American cars of the same age. Thankfully, though, there were a few exceptions; the Entex corporation loved to bring various Japanese kits over. Some, like their planes, were by Otaki. Others, like their 1/20 cars, were Bandai’s creations. Thanks to my brother, I was able to get my hands on one of the 1/20 Entex Mazda RX-3 models. This is a classic in its own right, so put on your best bell bottoms and fire up the Wayback Machine as we take a look at this forgotten classic at the link below! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/entex-bandai-1-20-1971-mazda-rx-3-oob/

Thanks man, I appreciate the love. MPCs are a pain, but their choice of subject matter usually makes the difference for me between abandoning and finishing a kit!

You know the saying… when MPC throws you lemons, make… well… something! That was the situation I found myself in when it turned out that the old MPC California Sunshine show truck kit was anything but accurate. With decals that didn’t fit and results that didn’t match reality, it was time to come up with some kind of “Plan B”. So, I did. I thought it’d be fun to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Macross: Do You Remember Love movie with a truck that would look like it was an homage to the film but from back in the day! To this end, I present the finished “Valkyrie Truck”! Sure, it’s not what MPC intended, but I’d drive this around any day! Check out how this little beast turned out at the link below, and never believe people when they say “That’ll never make sense!”. It may not, but it’ll look cool doing it! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/mpc-1-25-valkyrie-truck-california-sunshine/

Nice Green Bug you have there! This kit is clearly showing its age, but I think, as you've seen, it can be built up into something rather interesting. It sure won't blend it with anything else in a display, that's for sure!

They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Well, true as that may be, there are a lot of examples of things that have gotten a lot of publicity yet, unsurprisingly, don’t seem to be all that great. Notoriety is no guarantee of success; we’ve all seen it so many times that it barely needs to be said. However, some people, or companies, will always choose to push the limits; to try and stretch the limits of good taste in the quest for fame and success. Sometimes, those limits are elastic enough to stretch, and other times, like an old elastic band, they break suddenly and severely. Perhaps one of the best examples of this was the amazingly polarizing, ridiculously wedgy and questionably tasteless Bond Bug. This bizarre three-wheeler for the “sporty, hip youth segment” was a purely British machine, and it was kitted by none other than Airfix. Long out of print, the new Airfix has resurrected it for a new generation! You can imagine my excitement at seeing this tangerine-coloured automotive sideshow freak on my local store’s shelves! Check out this kit below, and make sure to leave your good taste at the door! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/airfix-1-32-bond-bug-700-oob/

Ah Spring! The time when a young man’s fancy turns to… Weird Sprue!! Well, of course it does, what else did you expect from me? ? This year’s HeritageCon was its usual great show, and the Vendors’ room had plenty going on. I got a very interesting mix of kits; it was heavy on classic anime kit subjects but also had some newer stuff, some airplanes and a whack of brass cars! In short something for everyone, and everything for me! Check it out below, and let me know what your favourite is! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/heritage-con-2024-haul/

There’s a lot to love about building model airplanes; the research, the importance of the real machine, finding a cool cammo scheme or personal markings that catch your eye… all of these and the desire to recreate a piece of history is what draws a lot of us into the hobby. For me, it’s always wanting to have a “toy” (or replica) of something I find cool. However, in a lot of ways, modelling aircraft isn’t always a place to express one’s self. There’s not a lot of leeway for imagination, and rivet-counters can quickly turn a slightly-off model into a less-than-enjoyable target of opportunity. However, like in all things, there’s an out. That is where “What-Iffing” comes in. In the past decade, the number of “Whif” kits that have been made available as styrene kits is impressive. Once the domain of scratchbuilders and resin-casters, a lot of companies have embraced the “Whif” side of things. Maybe the most prominent and prolific of these makers are the Czech companies of AZ, RS and Brengun. I was feeling a bit of cabin fever, and thought I’d dig out a cool “Whif of a whif” kit today. To that end, check out the MB.6 “Sky Ferret”, a theoretical two-seater heavy fighter based on the non-produced MB.5! How many layers of alternative reality can you handle? https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/az-model-1-72-mb-6-sky-ferret-oob/

Of course, I would go gaga for a Mustang II (the real thing, not the concept car), but I really, REALLY want a notchback! The fastback is ugly. the Notchback captures exactly why the Mustang II was the perfect successor to the original; a somewhat tarted-up secretary mobile. GO NOTCHBACK Ghia!

Thanks to the rather mild winter weather here, I haven’t had to shovel much this year, so that has give me some time to make some more progress on my California Sunshine “Valkyrie Truck”. I’ve managed to get the guts all assembled, now all that’s left is the bodywork and exhaust! Check out my progress here – maybe I’ll actually get this thing finished this calendar year! Will wonders never cease, eh? https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/2024/02/12/california-sunshine-update-2-youth-takes-guts/

With a lot going on, some projects get pushed to the back burner. When the kit in question is an old MPC, that may be surprising, but it can happen. Case in point: the MPC California Sunshine kit. A lot happening at home, combined with straightout lying on MPC’s part have combined to make this one a bit of a non-starter. However, things are rolling again, and it’s my pledge to get this thing done before the end of the year! It’s time to clear the backlog and get the Sunshine back in my life! Check out my progress so far at the link below, and if you have one of these, get ready to be surprised by what I found out. (Or, maybe not… it is an old MPC…) https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/2024/01/13/california-sunshine-update-1-california-screamin/

Not bad considering the original moulds were, apparently, done for Kellogg's cereal pack-in toys (at least in Australia) during the '60s, eh? Not the best CSM ever, but it certainly is nice and small, so it doesn't take up much room!

It’s close to Christmas, and while I don’t have a holiday-themed Gundam kit this year, I do have something that’s a bit out-of-this-world: the ancient Academy Apollo Command/Service Module! I’m not really a “real space” builder, and have an interest in space travel, but never really to the level of wanting to model subjects from it. However, I needed something small and fast, something simple I could finish and get on display since I was in a bit of a rut. Of course, this little guy turned out to be a bit more complicated than it should have been, most of that being my own fault, mind you… Still, while not a tremendous kit (in any terms), this thing does come out looking okay, especially if you have a moon-themed display base for it! Check out my take on humanity’s first true space cruiser, that did exactly what Kennedy challenged it to do. Don’t let the Aliens on the horizon on the folks on the sound stage confuse you – you can see the build here: https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/academy-non-scale-apollo-command-and-service-modules/ Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to everyone!

As I go through my modelling journey, I find that I get onto “themes”; I’ll go hog-wild over various familes of planes, and scoop up all of what I can locate like a Roomba eats dirt. Sometimes it’s a specific type of plane, like a float plane, or one-seaters that were made from two-seaters. Other times, I get fixated on a service, like the WWII IJN or Royal Navy jets. One such tear saw me dive into the world of US Navy and Marines jets. My Twogar is a result of that particular episode. However, it’s likely no surprise that even when “under the influence” of a particular fetish, I still have a nose for the weird and often best forgotten. Surely, one such aircraft must be the Vought F6U1 Pirate, the first attempt by that storied company to produce a jet. Dumpy, barely capable of flight and deemed unfit for service, it was a long way from its later siblings the Crusader and Corsair II. Of course, when I came across the Admiral kit of this portly aeronautical dead end, I had to have it. Since it’s the 11th Anniversary of the Sprue Lagoon, I thought this would be a fun way to celebrate. Check out this half-baked and half-wooden faltering first step at the link below. Don’t tell me you don’t think it has a certain loveable charm! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/admiral-1-72-vought-f6u-1-pirate-early-oob/

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, everyone! Normally, I’m a 1/72 plane person, although I do have a few kits in 1/48 due to the subject’s availability in 1/72. However, it’s very, very rare for me to bother with ktis any larger than that. Well… it used to be. My old-kit lust got the better of me at a recent model show and I fell in love with some old, early 1970s-era, 1/32 Japanese fighters! They come from a number of companies, and make a very interesting counterpoint to what we expect out of a kit in that scale today! I thought I’d fight my Turkey Hangover by putting these out there for everyone to take a look at! Enjoy this trip down memory lane! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/1970s-era-1-32-japanese-fighters/

I'd love to get both of those kits! That's cool about the organ and a bonus Stanley just kinda thrown in!

When I was little, my uncle used to sit me on his lap and we’d look at car books. He had a lot of them, and he’d use them and models to teach me about cars, their parts and how they work. It’s not a surprise then, that I have more than a passing interest in cars, let alone model cars, eh? We also used to go to car shows and museums a lot, and I used to get to see a lot of Brass Era cars. I always thought they were neat, but that they all looked kinda the same. Well, except for one kind: the Stanley Steamer! Even I could recognize a Stanley in a field of other Brass Era cars, thanks to its unique shape. I’ve always thought they were cool, but never thought I’d find a kit of one. I mean, I know there are kits of them, but finding one has proven difficult. However, I did manage to get my hands on an ancient Renwal 1/48 Stanley at a model show, and I thought it would be neat to take a look at it. Check out what’s in the box at the link below! If you’ve ever built one of these little Renwals, let me know how it went, too! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/renwal-1-48-1910-stanley-steamer-oob/

Darn! So cool to have another Pentastar Losermobile (aka "Belowpar Mopar") on the street. I have the silver with blue version of the kit in original form. It had lots of extra goodies, like a spare engine and some extra Omni bits, since it came from the Omni kit. I think it even had the gross "Sidewinder" nose clip. Wonder if those will be in there? I'd love a new decal sheet, though. Can you just order them separately, from Round 2?

Yeah, hobby shops are great, but being able to get your hands on stuff you've never even seen or heard of before is an awesome feeling. I love model shows because it's often people blowing out their collections, and man, if that doesn't smell like gold, nothing does!

Even though there’s been a tonne of stuff that has been going on in the background, I still manage to get things done once in a while! This time, I’m pleased to be able to put my Vietnam-era FAC TF-9J Cougar on my shelf. While I am not a fan of the fighter version, I have always thought the TF-9J was a gorgeous airplane, fixing all the Cougar’s awkward nasal bumps and stumpiness, and being a snappy dresser to boot! What’s even cooler is that it was only the Trainer that ever got to go to war, something rather unusual, I think. Check out my Sword Twogar at the link below and give me some feedback. This was a lot of work, and even though it isn’t perfect, I’m pleased enough with it! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/sword-1-72-tf-9j-cougar-twogar/

One of my favourite things as a modeller is seeing kits in person you never thought you’d see; Either built, at a show, or better yet, for sale somewhere so you can add it to your stash! For me, that’s tied with the thrill of finding out there IS a kit of THAT, whatever weird and wonderful “that” that maybe. No wonder, then, I love going to antiques stores and swap meets – it’s like a giant garage sale of potential sprue awesomeness! It’s rare to find a lot of variety, but this spring proved to have a bumper crop of old and varied models out there waiting for me! About the only thing I build that I didn’t get was armour, but that’s okay. Check out my last few months’ haul below for a little bit of everything from around the world! There’s gotta be something in there to make you smile! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/spring-2023-haul/

There’s a certain kind of good feeling that comes from knowing that people enjoy what you do. For me, I get that when people comment on my builds or articles and appreciate the work I put into them. However, once in a while, some people go the extra mile. They recognize the weird and wonderful that make me and the Sprue Lagoon tick, and out of the kindness of their hearts send me kits that they think will make for good review material and additions to my eclectic stash. One such event happened very recently, when I received some emails from a fan in Texas who clearly understood my brand of oddness. To fuel the styrene insanity, this fellow sent me a box of some of the weirdest car kits I’ve seen, of subjects I’d largely not even heard of. Were they up my alley? Heck yeah! Check out this in-the-mail infusion of mostly Italian style and engineering, and some of the strangest, most “borrowed” kits I’ve run across yet. Even if supercars aren’t your thing, you’ll love this, trust me! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/may-2023-italian-supercar-score/

With trees and flowers busting out into bloom as we enter the middle of spring, I thought it would be appropriate to go back in time a bit and check out something else that was a breakout – the classic Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water anime! This was a huge success that put Gainax (later known for Evangelion) on the map, and proved to be a show with a large, devoted fanbase. Oddly, though, despite its success, Nadia did not generate a lot of love in styrene. So far as I know, only the main ship, the Nautilus, saw mainstream release as a kit back in the day. This was a time when Bandai seemed to be playing it tighter-to-the-vest than now, so while it’s not a surprise, it’s still a bit unfortunate that we didn’t get more. That’s made the Nautilus kit rather hard to get, although thankfully it has been reissued once or twice in more recent times, and that’s how I got my hands on mine. With other companies now challenging Bandai’s hegemony in the anime kit field, and more kits of more obscure subjects coming out all the time, it seems like a good time to take a look at this kit and see how esoterica was done back in the day! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/bandai-1-700-nautilus-oob/

A great spring tradition here in Ontario is the HeritageCon model show in Hamilton’s Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. This year’s show was the biggest ever, with more than 1000 kits on display! Of course, a model show wouldn’t be complete without a vendor’s room, and it’s not a surprise that I tucked into multiple helpings of old and interesting kits, as well as managing to find some newer and nicer ones as well! Part of my yearly pilgrimage to Hamilton includes doing a hobby shop run in the area, so that helped with the count of kits procured, even if it wasn’t exactly what my wallet wanted to hear! Check out this year’s score for an odd mix of new and old, advanced and bare-bones, Eastern and Western. When you’re done, there’s a poll so you can vote for your top two favourites – I’ll review the winner first! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/heritagecon-2023-score/