What non-auto model did you get today?

[John1955]

I collect vintage Auto World catalogs, usually I find them on eBay. But the other day, a friend had been cleaning out his father's house (his father passed away) and was going through stacks of old magazines. And there was an original AW 1959 catalog in perfect condition! 

[Classicgas]

A generous member over at FSM is sending me this.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Got another vintage HO scale Norfolk and Western class J, 4-8-4 streamlined locomotive. The class J was the last passenger steam locomotive built in the USA, until 1950, and finally retired (and all but one, no. 611, scrapped) in 1959. Also among the fastest steam engines ever built, they were capable of over 100 MPH. I saw them still running in regular revenue service when I was a little kid, and rode behind the restored 611 back in the mid-1980s when she was pulling steam excursions.

[Can-Con]

Git this in the main yesterday.

I've been wanting a DC-9 for a long time as it was the first plane I was ever in.  As common as these planes were, I'm surprised at how scarce models of them are. 

I just need a set of Air Canada decals for it.

Now I'm looking for a DC-8 to go with it. If anyone has an unbuilt one in 1/144, maybe we could work a trade??

[Earl Marischal]

On 5/15/2021 at 3:03 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

Got another vintage HO scale Norfolk and Western class J, 4-8-4 streamlined locomotive. The class J was the last passenger steam locomotive built in the USA, until 1950, and finally retired (and all but one, no. 611, scrapped) in 1959. Also among the fastest steam engines ever built, they were capable of over 100 MPH. I saw them still running in regular revenue service when I was a little kid, and rode behind the restored 611 back in the mid-1980s when she was pulling steam excursions.

Nice. What make?

steve

[cobraman]

On 5/15/2021 at 7:03 AM, Ace-Garageguy said:

Got another vintage HO scale Norfolk and Western class J, 4-8-4 streamlined locomotive. The class J was the last passenger steam locomotive built in the USA, until 1950, and finally retired (and all but one, no. 611, scrapped) in 1959. Also among the fastest steam engines ever built, they were capable of over 100 MPH. I saw them still running in regular revenue service when I was a little kid, and rode behind the restored 611 back in the mid-1980s when she was pulling steam excursions.

To me, a lot of things had more style back in the day.

[Mike999]

On 5/15/2021 at 11:27 AM, Can-Con said:

Now I'm looking for a DC-8 to go with it. If anyone has an unbuilt one in 1/144, maybe we could work a trade??

Don't have one to trade, but Revell and Minicraft both did 1/144 scale DC-8's.  The Revell is an older kit and according to the experts, out of scale and proportions.

Minicraft did several different DC-8 versions, including a Dash-63, Dash-71 and Dash-73.  They get good reviews, but may be out of production since their prices seem sort of high on eBay.  Minicraft also did this neat CIA version from "Southern Air Transport."

[Ace-Garageguy]

7 hours ago, Earl Marischal said:

Nice. What make?

Old Bachman / Rivarossi. Really cheap because someone somehow managed to break the drawbar. I got another one (different number) that had the side-rods and valve-gear bodged. There's no shortage of bargains to be had if one can un-chimp prior damage.

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

17 hours ago, cobraman said:

To me, a lot of things had more style back in the day.

I agree completely...though there are a few contemporary designs I rather like. Not all that many, though.

EDIT: Here's one...

Edited May 18, 2021 by Ace-Garageguy

[Mike999]

Wow, no updates here for a while!  This kit just came in the mail:  the Gecko Models 1/35 scale LARC-V Amphibious Cargo Vehicle, Vietnam.

"LARC-V" is short for "Lighter, Amphibious Resupply, Cargo, 5 ton."  The box art doesn't give a sense of scale, but this thing is BIG, since it could carry 5 tons of cargo.  About the size of a tank.  These are still in use around the world, including civilian and police/rescue versions.  Gecko has also done a kit of the updated LARC-V, with solid instead of canvas sides.

Gecko is a new company that hasn't done many kits, but this one is getting good reviews.  The cab has a lot of data plates, which Gecko did in photo-etched metal, a nice touch.  Another nice touch is those big balloon tires, which have a slightly flattened bottom molded right into them.

[Roadrunner]

It's been quite a while since I visited here, so I have no idea where I left off, but I know for sure I hadn't yet shown off this baby.

 

[Roadrunner]

On another subject, I'm very pleased to see that we now have a like button. That, in my opinion, was way overdue. Kudos to the admins for that.

[Mike999]

This should keep me busy for a while, until about the year 2045 or so. 

The fe-mail carrier just dropped off a box from Sprue Brothers.  One thing in that box is the Rye Field Model #5042, M4A3E8 76mm Sherman with full interior.

[DonW]

On 5/18/2021 at 3:21 AM, Ace-Garageguy said:

I agree completely...though there are a few contemporary designs I rather like. Not all that many, though.

EDIT: Here's one...

Would be OK with a wider set of these on it:

[tbill]

Airliners have kind of piqued my interest as of late, got these a few weeks ago,

 

[Mike999]

I just got an incredible deal.  Still can't believe it.  For a long time, I've been trying to find either the Dragon 1/35 scale kit of the M-48A1 Patton tank or their Magach-1, the Israeli version. I want to build a 1961 "Berlin Standoff" tank and that was the M-48A1.

Those kits came out in 2016 and are Unobtainium today.  On eBay, prices for either Dragon kit are generally somewhere between $60 and $100 or more.  Original retail for them was about $50 to $60.

Last Saturday I was on Amazon and decided to search for the Dragon kit.  A Magach-1 popped up for $11.08 plus $0.66 Tax, for a grand total of $11.74.

I told myself that must be some kind of mistake, or a rip-off.  I checked the seller's other items and they had a lot of model kits at regular prices.

After thinking about it for awhile, I went ahead and ordered.  All this week, I've been expecting the seller to contact me and tell me the price was wrong.

Nope.  The kit arrived today, still shrink-wrapped and just 1 week after I ordered it. I would have ordered 2 more, but the kit is now "Currently Unavailable."

I'm guessing the seller just had that 1 kit still in stock, and wanted to get rid of it. 

[Snake45]

Happy Happy Joy Joy! The Universe has truly smiled on you today, Mike! Congratulations! 

[LDO]

Two each of these. 
 

The goal is a body for a sidecar similar the the last photo. The spaceship has a better shape overall, but it will need lots of filling and sanding. Both have lots of interior structure to remove. I would really like to find a 1/12 scale Labrador Retriever for a passenger. 

[Snake45]

33 minutes ago, LDO said:

I would really like to find a 1/12 scale Labrador Retriever for a passenger. 

Might be easier than you think. 1/12 is common dollhouse scale and there are quite a few 1/12 pets made. The trick will be finding one in a "sitting" position, though you might get lucky. Run google searches for dollhouse accessories and parts. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

One of these...

...and all of these...

         

... to hack into a reasonable facsimile of this, in 1/24 scale:

 

 

[Snake45]

I'll be amazed if there's anything in that Spit kit you can use in the S6B model, unless maybe you're able to modify the floats. Is the Rolls-Royce R engine similar to the Merlin? 

The old Hawk 1/48 S6B kit might be of use to you in establishing the 3D shapes. Just make everything twice as big! 

[Ace-Garageguy]

41 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

I'll be amazed if there's anything in that Spit kit you can use in the S6B model, unless maybe you're able to modify the floats. Is the Rolls-Royce R engine similar to the Merlin? 

The old Hawk 1/48 S6B kit might be of use to you in establishing the 3D shapes. Just make everything twice as big! 

Yup...I've got the Hawk kit for just exactly that.

The S6B was, of course, a direct predecessor to the Spitfire, and the dimensions are roughly similar. The Spit's a little bigger.

The general plan is to splash molds from the Spit, fill them with a slurry of epoxy and styrene balls I developed decades ago for rapid-prototyping of real-car parts, and carve a 1/24 S6 from the Spit form, plus some bondo shaping and surface detail as required.

Probably won't bother with trying to get any interior detail or engine, at least in the beginning...but the Merlin is visually similar enough to the R to use it as a starting point.

Basically, I just want a big S6B to sit with my similar-scale GeeBee, and a baby-blue Spitfire prototype.

If I live long enough, I'd like to do Dago Red and Rare Bear 1n 1/24 too.

And this...

Edited December 30, 2021 by Ace-Garageguy
CLARITY and ACCURACY

[Snake45]

13 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

The general plan is to splash molds from the Spit, fill them with a slurry of epoxy and styrene balls I developed decades ago for rapid-prototyping of real-car parts, and carve a 1/24 S6 from the Spit form, plus some bondo shaping and surface detail as required.

Basically, I just want a big S6B to sit with my similar-scale GeeBee, and a baby-blue Spitfire prototype.

If I live long enough, I'd like to do Dago Red and Rare Bear 1n 1/24 too.

 

Does the Trumpeter Spit floater include the standard landing gear? If so, that could be the basis of your Spit prototype. 

Of the other two, Dago Red is very do-able. There have been at least three 1/24 P-51Ds. Biggest job would be scratching up and vacforming the racing canopy. 

Rare Bear is another story. I don't know of any 1/24 F8F kits, ever, so that's a 100% scratchbuilt project. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

5 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

Does the Trumpeter Spit floater include the standard landing gear? If so, that could be the basis of your Spit prototype. 

Of the other two, Dago Red is very do-able. There have been at least three 1/24 P-51Ds. Biggest job would be scratching up and vacforming the racing canopy. 

Rare Bear is another story. I don't know of any 1/24 F8F kits, ever, so that's a 100% scratchbuilt project. 

I have a Spitfire Mk 1 already in the lineup for the prototype.

Yes, Dago Red isn't too difficult.

Far as Rare Bear goes, I'm thinking of digging deep into the dimensions and specs of a FW190, a Zero, a George (Shiden Kai), and a Hellcat with an eye towards which one...if any...could be carved, stretched, bondoed, etc. into a presentable Bearcat from a solid form.

If I get to these, I won't be going for intense detail, but I will be after dead-on proportions.

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Far as Rare Bear goes, I'm thinking of digging deep into the dimensions and specs of a FW190, a Zero, a George (Shiden Kai), and a Hellcat with an eye towards which one...if any...could be carved, stretched, bondoed, etc. into a presentable Bearcat from a solid form.

I don't think any of those would be even "close enough" for your purposes...if they even exist in 1/24. The Hellcat could provide you with the basis of an engine, though you'd have to scratch or modify the late-type bolted gear case. 

Closest airplane to the Bearcat in size is...the Wildcat! I've been known to describe the Bearcat as "a Wildcat with a Hellcat engine in it." It was kind of the 427 Cobra of the skies, in its day. 

Frankly, I think you'd be better off finding a good set of Bearcat plans with cross-sections, and using them to scratchbuild the thing completely using carved foam with epoxy coating.