DonW

I once thought it would look great to cover a wall socket with a gold Benson and Hedges cigarette packet. When I put the plug in, there was a big flash and the power circuit blew. Gold foil conducts electricity!

I'd do the shifter knob and find a way to get a fan belt in there and - to me most important - I'd very carefully bend those droopy headlights so they are upright! Otherwise it looks great, especially with the other three big models.

Yeah, what's happening with the Allison LSR car and the Challenger? There's some great displays here. I used to hang my 'planes from the ceiling, but I did get tired of just seeing the underneath - and that idea really doesn't work with cars!

Is it still true that you can run tyres with tread projecting outside the bodywork in some states in the US? I'm enjoying this project!

I don't get chance to build models nowadays, too busy trying to restore our old house. I like to have models around but photographing a few recently makes me realise what a great job most of you do in keeping the dust at bay! The lens seems to show more than the naked eye, witness the highly visible fuselage join on the Spit 24! Nonetheless I love having models around, so here are some random shots of how I have displayed some of mine. One day I look forward to having some proper cabinets but I'm happy enough for now as they are at least visible and people do enjoy seeing them and playing with some of them. Note the Tonka toy General that Amanda's brother used to use as a roller skate - it still rolls!. I love Starfighters too, I found two 1/72 Frog models years ago one of which was plated in silver so I built them with no markings and painted the other one matt black just to show off the design - 'just look at the shape of that beauty!' Not sure if this thread is in the right place but I couldn't think where else it fitted.

Here is a wooden model of a Hawker Hurricane that was given to me by a man called Eric Bates, the builder. He was an RAF cadet in the war and carved and painted the model himself in around 1940. Two of the pictures show the model, which is 1/72 scale or thereabouts, against some pages of a bound collection of Aircraft Recognition magazine that was published from 1942 onwards, again given to me by Eric.

In the 1:1 world I drive BMWs and can't imagine any alternative but here is my ideal 3 of non-Bavarian vehicles which would suit our needs pretty well - the Vette for obvious reasons, the Fiat 500 for commuting and shopping - you can drive like a complete hooligan and nobody will care as it won't go over 60mph! - and the Koach for Amanda and I and our 4 kids. I wanted to bring out the inner Ferrari that I see in the Vette, and I found a couple of 4-bbl carbs and some better tyres for it as well as opening up the front vents in the scoop to let hot air out from the radiator. With the Koach I cut off two of the injector stacks (8 stacks / 8 cylinders) as I prefer it like that, although I know the original had 10. No plumbing, brush painted models that look fine on the shelf if a little dusty, people like to pick them up which is ok with me. I just wanted to post something!

Many years back I was working on my car at a friends yard and I went to get some burgers for lunch. The car, a BMW 2002, had far better tyres on the front than the back for some stupid reason and on the way back on a country road at maybe 65mph I managed to spin it through 180 degrees . I remember heading for a tree still going backwards and thinking this was going to hurt - then there was a feeling like a giant hand had caught the car and thrown it back into the road, pointing in the direction I had been travelling and with the engine still running. There was no damage on the car apart from a piece of trim knocked off the bootlid and the burgers and chips were all intact in their cartons. I still don't understand what happened, most of my accidents have not had such fortunate outcomes. I was completely sober and I pretty soon changed the rear tyres!

It looks like the wood is used to get the layout and shape before the box is fabricated in a aluminium? And presumably each blower has separate manifolding hidden by the box or it would surely leak round the belts. It seems like an odd way to build an induction system! Enlighten us Ace!

How come the 'Stang is on the right in the B&W photo but on the left in the colour photo (looks like a reversal of the original image) yet the SuperSonic steering wheel is on the right in both pictures?

Hmm - you don't get so many potholes or high kerbs on a racetrack and they can cause massive stress at highway speeds. Chrome wire wheels are probably OK for the likes of Ralph L because their show cars don't get driven properly in the real world, they are safe on their trailers.

But it doesn't make a noise like a Harvard because the atmosphere is travelling at the same speed, subject to winds of course. Just as well really!

1973 Plymouth Fury. Great film!

If a tiny person stood in the middle of the record as it turned they would not be moving at all, just spinning on their own axis. As they moved out to the edge of the record they would be going faster and faster relative to their surroundings, but they would still be spinning at the same RPM whatever position they were in. The tips of a Harvard propeller actually went supersonic, which gave that aeroplane it's distinctive sound.

PM sent!

Thanks for the clarification - now I know what it is I see that the original didn't have the futurist bumper, headlights or cabin, and it all makes perfect sense. I enjoyed the search even though I didn't get there! .

Once again can't wait to see what the answer is, there's a few clues but they all seem to point in different directions. It looks extremely big, to judge by the 'stang next to it!

JMF won his first world championship when he was 40 years old, mainly due to WW2 and the general difficulties of getting into the big-time as an Argentinian, and won 4 more after that, against Moss, Ascari, Hawthorn, Farina and many more top class drivers. And he remained utterly modest and a great sportsman. But it's great to hear everyone else's favourites - they were all masters of their chosen field.

It rings a bell somewhere in the depths of my memory... not got the answer yet!

Sounds like you have to improve your research skills!

'by a man who had his arm partially severed in rally crash just a few years ago.'. There's a bit of a clue there. Not the best, just the bravest / most stupid (delete as preferred).

India is after all very tiny.

Good game, good game!

Good one Harry!

Perhaps he should stick to the polo shirts.