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Air no
Il y a peu de temps je roulais encore avec son sœur. J'avais un side car Ural 750. Copie conforme de la R 75. C'était un régal à piloter.

Ben M
I built this when I was a kid. I remember the interior was a lot of fun, lots of details and stuff to paint.

John Hughes Autor
Ben, I think there is a decal set for the interior. Might end up looking for a shortcut that I'll never find...

Jennifer Franklin
I'm excited and following. Is this a Mistel?

John Hughes Autor
Mistel? Is that another new pronoun I've not heard of yet?

Jennifer Franklin
Mulitple models/vehicles in one kit.

John Hughes Autor
Yes, it is. 2SPG's & a truck.

Kesa Tiho
Knowing how global politics works the U.S will (probably) get it first followed by Germany and so on the list of global superpowers. But depending on when it was announced and when the first commercially available one comes out Russia or North Korea will have made a shitty and cheap copy like the T-14 Armata or any of North Koreas subs (not copies of any western vehicles but you get the point)

Kesa Tiho
If that kit ever finds its way onto your work bench then let me know, ill watch with interest

Hans Spa
That doesn't matter..but thanks for the heads up..

John van Hooijdonk
Needs Zimmerit anyway, so the clear part is going to be covered......

Robert Podkoński
I will follow this for sure 🙂

John Hughes Autor
Hi Robert, I'm hoping to find a second kit so I can make both versions. Having said that, these cars seem to have been continually modified over the years.

Torsten
I wish to see a build 🙂

Donald Dickson II
Rolf, yes! I have the resin one in my stash. Would love a proper injection kit in 48.

John Hughes Autor
1:35 Mk I Churchill (come on AFV Club, you've done just about every other version!)

John Hughes Autor
Looks like it's a Sherman. Probably belonged to Telly Savalas to end up looking like that!

gorby
😄 😄 😄

John Hughes Autor
Hi Gorby. Yes, the tracks were stolen from where they were left. Our usual Evri guy is good, but this was a new one that had only been with them two months. The most annoying part is that it takes 4-6 weeks for a new set to arrive. I'm hoping they will be a good product as they're white metal tracks with brass pins. Should be more durable than the usual resin pins most use.

gorby
Hope it goes better next time.

Villiers de Vos
A very unusual subject coming along nicely.

gorby
The center hinge thing on the 1/72 model is quite sturdy, but I can see that it might be more of a concern on this big beast.

Jennifer Franklin
Decal challenges aside, it looks great.

Curtis Caden
Lots of interesting tidbits about the "circle". "The circled star having the purpose of avoiding mistakes by Allied airplanes (not by Messerschmitt and Focke Wolf airplanes!) the circle around the small stars on jeeps was more for uniformity than for said purpose, and therefore at times omitted. That is why bigger stars on the sides of bigger vehicles had the circle, be it broken or solid."
I had heard another story where the circles were removed in France by some troops to prevent aerial targeting by the Germans. For me modeling has to be fun more than accurate, for me it is a representation, nothing more. I feel your pain when decals don't go right and sometimes, I have just tried to make the best of the situation, although a part of me wants it like the instructions.

Robert Podkoński
Good job, John. Keep it up!

John Hughes Autor
Thanks, all. It takes a bit of work due to the age of the kit. I've got the whole set of these old Airfix/Italeri/whoever kits. Most are the Airfix versions, so the moulds would have been fairly new when they were made. The decals might be another matter, however.

Bruce Huxtable
Goodness, soo many problems that Zvesda could have easily avoided. Stars indeed!

Lenny V
I envy your persistence John!

Robert Podkoński
Taking a seat, of course!

John Hughes Autor
There's always a seat reserved for you, Robert, but this time it's up front, unless you want to drive!

Ben M
👀

Robert Podkoński
I will follow this build for sure!

John Hughes Autor
The spars are moulded into the sails. Useful from an assembly point of view, but a pain for masking!

James Davidson
I did some research with the chinese embassy's help, and some very obscure references. Althought the depiction of the vessel is conjecture, the details of construction remain in expense reports-[various dimensions] so the approximate scale of the kit would be 1/244 or close to that. Best of luck, and the picture is impressive! The only remaining artifact from the actual ships [ther were several built] is a 50 + foot long rudder shaft found in the mud of the drydock that was built for these monsters!

John Hughes Autor
I first heard of these ships from reading 1421: The Year China Discovered the World, by Gavin Menzies. There is plenty of info on these vessels in there, although, as you say, there is a lot of conjecture too as all records of the voyages of the ships were destroyed after they returned home and China became isolationist.

James Davidson
Hello Mr. John! just for your information; There is a very good book about the voyages of admiral Zheng, called 'When China ruled the seas" by Louise Levathes- and Captain Menzies wrote a sequel to his- Many people have said that a wooden ship of the described size was not possible [with the methods of the time]- i contend that it WAS, because the size limits of european ships were mostly for military vessels, and Sir Robert Seppings methods set an upper limit to those. The Yankee lumber schooners were enormous, and wooden! If you maintain a box like shape it can be huge, while retaining good structural strength to weight/size ratio. As to Cpt. Menzies ideas of where they went, i think the best argument centers around the time length of the voyages. There are clear dates of departure, arrival at know ports, and returns from same. They just did not have the time/supplies to go futher with their known speed of advance. Again, best of luck with the kit, i have one as well- i am debating replacing the spar/sail combo with scratchbuilt. There are some foil wrap papers that look good at this scale, for the sail cloth.

Robert Podkoński
I have build this model long time ago (in its original, Dragon incarnation) - it is a very modeller-friendly kit imo.

John Hughes Autor
Good to know, Robert. That means any problems I encounter will be entirely of my own making.