Gallery - Club Meeting 26th October 2005

The following are some of the kits made by members and brought to the club for all to see. Double click on any of the images to see a larger version. For more details of each offering, click here

We need more contributors - so please what you have. send them to webmaster@ipms-ipswich.org.uk. Please include all the information you can - including scale.

1/72 Kev Baxter	1/72 Kev Baxter	1/48 Jim Sylvester
1/72 Dominic Stevenson 1/72 Revell	Huma CASA 1.131E Jungmann 1/72 Alan Wilson	Ray Challoner
Paul Casson	Stuart Clark	Rob Foster
	The Table

A healthy line-up of models was on the table for our first meeting with a dedicated table with lights. The intention was for Dave to post the turn-out on the nascent Gallery page of the web-site, so the more the better next time. Only one complaint was received from the floor saying that the light was too good and this caused the dust on the models to be visible. No names, no pack-drill…

Jim’s dusty Airco DH6 was up first (1a). This kit was a Blue Rider 1/72nd scale model representing an aircraft of the School of Inshore Submarine Detection, based at RNAS Aldeburgh. Not the prettiest aeroplane in the World, it was known as the, “Clutching Hand” since it killed more pupils than Ops did. If I’d been the PO in charge of the maintainers, I’d have got the lights switched off, lest you see all that dust on the aeroplane! Jim followed up with a 1/48th scale Albatross D3 OEW (1b). The Austrian version of this famous biplane, the kit is the Eduard standard kit with rigging supplied from 28 SWG steel wire. Nice work, if in need of a little dusting.

Dom completed his Revell 1/72nd scale Hunter in time for the meeting. He was extremely pleased with the kit and rightly so. Dom wished to do a ‘silver underside’ jet and was thus forced to use the kit decals representing it is believed 66Sqn, RAF Acklington, in order to fulfil this wish. Sadly, his ready stock of finishes did not include markings for these earlier aeroplanes. We look forward to the next one on the production line.

Bob was up next with a rash of 1/48th-scale P47s from his beloved Boxted and the 56 FG. Superbly finished, as always, first up (3a) was LM.C a Hasegawa M-model of the 62nd FS and credited with a Me262 kill in the hands of Shirly Ulch. Well with a name like that you’d either be on the Germans side or have aggressive rage symptoms aimed at your family, who were probably German; no wonder he went around picking uneven fights! Second up (3b) was the Tamiya D-model LM.Q also of the 62nd FS. Finally (3c) was the Tamiya razorback D-model UN.B of the 63rd FS. All of the models are credit to Bob and serve to tell of the fascinating history of our local area. Just wait ‘til you see them all together, outstanding!

Robert followed Bob with his ‘orphaned’ 1/72nd scale Airfix Defiant. Robert rescued this model from an old chap who was getting rid of his ‘stash’ last year and, inspired to build a locally based aeroplane, Robert completed the part-built model in markings of 264 Sqn, RAF Martlesham Heath, from an old Esci sheet. We think Robert’s found his niche!

The Sec brought along his PJ Resin, 1/72nd scale, F-84F Thunderstreak. Built OOB the kit was far superior to any of its rivals from the injection-moulded side of the hobby; however, this comes at a price. The model represents an aeroplane of the 92nd FBS, 81st FBW, based at RAF Woodbridge, although this sqn flew out of RAF Manston in 1953 with decals from Carpena and ‘scratch-built’ sqn badge from the computer.

Alan brought along his exquisite Casa Jungmann in 1/72nd. Another ‘rescue’ kit, this one came from ‘Dusty’-Jim Sylvester, father-in-law of the parish. This is the Huma kit that Alan felt required disassembling ‘for cleaning’ prior to giving the model a fresh coat of paint and finished it with a coat of Polyscale matt varnish. A striking wee model!

Steve followed with an old friend (see the April ‘05 Newsletter), his Pontiac GTO (7a), OOB in 1/32nd scale. He had also brought along a 1/20th scale Tamiya Williams FW07 (7b), complete with its etched-brass belts. This car was driven to F1 glory by Alan Jones in 1979 when most of us still had hair that wasn’t grey and our waist-size was smaller than out chest! Thanks for reminding us Steve.

Works in progress were heralded by Stuart’s 1/35th scale Italeri Crusader. Basically OOB but with a modicum of gratuitous etch, this model flew in the face of the box-art and instruction sheet and Stu went direct to the ‘Source’ for the camouflage details. Nice work mate, sunglasses please; did they have them in Tunisia, 1941?

Not to be out-done on the desert front, Paul followed Stuart with a 1/35th scale, Tamiya Tiger I of the 503rd Hvy Tank Btn. Tunisia, 1943, when the sun was apparently behind the rain-clouds and the desert turned green for fear of the wrath of Rommel – it says here! Anyway, Paul is believed to have taken on Dom’s mantle (or is that mantlet, see what I did there? An armour joke!), as the last known corrupt treasurer of a small African nation. Known for spending an allegedly ludicrous amount of ill-gotten revenue on a helicopter smaller than an unmentionable part of his anatomy, Paul has usurped this crown having spent £120 so far on his unfinished magnum-opus. It’ll be nice when it’s finished and locked in the vault of Lloyds with the rest of our fortune!

The Chairman finished up with his latest kit for the Nats a 1/72nd scale Saro Skeeter from Aeroclub. This tiny model was an interesting build with an understandably difficult vac-form canopy. Partially finished as an aircraft from, predictably, the AAC display team the ‘Skeeters’. That said, the kit appears to be coming along very nicely; what a pity that the last remaining airworthy Skeeter came into Wattisham 3 days after the meeting and the Sec got as many photos of the inside of it as you’d like. It always happens that way, doesn’t it? Reference after the fact it should be called.