Next meeting: Wednesday 25th May 2016
ScaleModelsWellington.org.nz
In this issue:Club News • April Show & TellScale models Expo & IPMS NZ NAtionalsSpecial hobby 1/48 Seafire Mk.xv • Build the Same Kit
ConnectionsMay 2016
Best in show
Club committeeRichard AlexanderSean MarshGrant Matchett Bruce Patchett ([email protected])Kevin TrewWill Vale ([email protected])Peter White ([email protected])
You can reach the committee easily via email - the executive email addresses are listed above, and you can contact the whole committee using:• [email protected]
How to find usScale Models Wellington meets on the last Wednesday of every month execpt December, at the Petone Working Men’s Club, Udy Street, Petone. Meetings start at 7.30pm and finish around 9.30pm.
Find us online• scalemodelswellington.org.nz
• facebook.com/groups/scalemodelswellington
• flickr.com/groups/scalemodelswellington
• groups.yahoo.com/scalemodelswellingtonipms
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Disclaimer Connections is published monthly for members of Scale Models Wellington IPMS Incorporated, and associated organisations.
Opinions expressed in a newsletter article are solely those of the article’s author and do not necessarily reflect the policy and the rules of Scale Models Wellington IPMS Incorporated.
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Contents3 Club News4 April Show & Tell - Finished Models 6 April Show & Tell - work in progress 7 Scale Models Expo & IPMS Nationals19 Special Hobby 1/48 Seafire Mk.XV21 Build the Same Kit
SCALE MODELS WELLINGTON IPMS
Front cover: 1/32 DH-88 - Eric Galliers (IPMS NZ Nationals best in show)
1/8 Alfa Romeo Monza 2300 - Jo Martin (Scale Models Expo best in show)
Back cover: 1/12 Mike’s Motors - Marij Parris (Peoples’ Choice winner)
All photos: Will Vale2
Club NewsEvents calendar• May 25 BSK voting• June 29 Club meeting• July 27 Club meeting• August 31 BSK judging
JuniorsYou have some great BSK options this year - the 1/700 Fujimi Lexington, 1/72 Hasegawa F-15 Eagle, and 1/48 Airfix Warrior.
You have plenty of upcoming sessions to work on your BSK projects too, so we hope to see lots of entries at the end of August.
• June 4 BSK building and priming • July 2 BSK priming and painting• Aug 6 BSK painting and finishing.• Aug 31 BSK judging and prize giving.If you can’t make it to a meeting, please let Ray know as soon as possible. You can reach him on:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 04 461 7261
AGMThe delayed AGM was held at the May club meeting, many thanks for turning up and supporting the club. Rachel and Grant Porter have stepped down and we have a new committee for 2016:
Richard Alexander
Sean Marsh
Grant Matchett
Bruce Patchett Treasurer
Kevin Trew
Will Vale Editor
Peter White President
Special thanks are due to Rachel and Grant for their efforts over the past few years, the new committee for stepping up, and Grant Matchett for covering secretarial duties in the interim.
We are still looking for someone to take over the role of Secretary on a permanent basis - please get in touch if you think you might be up for this.
Build the same kit (BSK)We’ll be voting on BSK subjects at the May meeting and you can start building straight after that. See the list of nominations elsewhere in this issue for details.
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April Show & Tell - Finished Models 1/51 AMT TIE Fighters - Sam Hall
1/48 Hasegawa Voyager - Sam Hall
PhotoS: Peter White
1/350 Aoshima Thunderbird 1 - Malcolm Thomas
Non-scale Hasegawa Macross YF-19 - Malcolm Thomas
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1/48 Hasegawa Seafire Mk 1B - Mike Regan
1/600 Airfix Ark Royal - Chris Velvin
1/48 Airfix Seafire Mk XVII - Mike Regan
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April Show & Tell - work in progress PhotoS: Peter White
1/8 Pocher Alfa Romeo - Jo Martin
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Scale models Expo & IPMS NZ NAtionalsWe held our Scale Models Expo and the IPMS Nationals over ANZAC weekend at the end of April, and it felt like a big hit with the public judging by the enthusiastic feedback we received on both days. We had at least 1400 members of the public visit the show, and 99 modellers from Scale Models Wellington and further afield entered models in the two competitions. Thanks to all of you for helping make it a success! Now we can start planning for 2018...
ThanksExtra-special thanks are due to our sponsors: Holdson and Airfix donated kits and catalogues for the “kids build a kit” activity, and Trevor Bringans Ltd. provided gift card spot prizes for both juniors and adults. In addition Acorn Models and Wingnut Wings sponsored several competition categories and helped us provide trophies and certificates to the winners.
We would also very much like to thank the following organisations and individuals:
• Traders from the Wellington area, around the country, and even overseas! Thanks to Acorn Models, Belmont Models, Modelcrafts and Hobbies, OldModels Decals, Tinkering Tools and of course Wingnut Wings for your support.
• Mike Butler for giving up his weekend to demonstrate his amazing figure-painting skills.• Mike Regan and his team of judges, who had an even harder task than usual with two competitions to handle.• Rex Barker for donating some interesting kits for kids to take away on the Sunday.• Ray Thorpe and the A-team for organising and running the wildly popular “kids build a kit” activities.• Out-of-towners, some of whom travelled a long way to enter their models, and also all the club members who entered models.• Club members who gave up their time on the Friday and over the weekend to help set up, run and break down the show.• Parents and guardians of our Junior members, and the Juniors themselves for demonstrating the hobby to the public.• Excel Digital and the Expressions Centre for their services.• And finally the club committee and Expo sub-committee for their organisational efforts in advance of the show and on the
day.
Thankyou all!
NumbersWe had 198 entries from 53 entrants in the Scale Models Expo public competition, and 214 entries from 46 entrants in the IPMS NZ Nationals. Kevin Trew was the most prolific modeller by quite a margin, with 33 entries in total, followed by Will Vale with 27 and Michael Rohde with 19.
Scale Models Expo 2016 public competition results
Class A - Aircraft
Category Placing Modeller EntryA1 1 Grant Porter Kaman SH-2F Seasprite ‘RNZAF’
A1 2 Ray Thorpe RNZAF Catalina
A1 3 Bruce Patchett F-4U Corsair
A2 1 Brent Cooper Curtiss F8C-4 Helldiver
A2 2 Craig Sargent Spitfire IIb, 65 Squadron, RAF, 1941
A2 3 Kevin Trew Hawker Typhoon 1B
A2 HC Grant Porter BAE Jetstream 31 ‘Air Ambulance’
A2 HC Andrew Connor Curtiss Hawk 81-A-2
A2 HC Andrew Connor BF110 C-4
A3 1 Alan Sannazzaro F/A-18F Super Hornet
A3 2 Craig Sargent F-16A Netz, Operation Opera, IDF/AF, 1981
Will Vale
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Class A - Aircraft (continued)
Category Placing Modeller EntryA3 3 Aran Ludlow F/A-18D
A3 HC Kevin Trew English Electric Lightning F6
A3 HC Kevin Trew F-35A
A4 1 Chris Shannon Vought F4U-1A
A4 2 Craig Sargent Hurricane IIC, Kings Cup Air Race, 1950
A4 3 Gary Fowkes Luftwaffe FW190A4
A4 HC Kevin Trew P-39Q Airacobra
A5 1 Brett Sharman HS129
A5 2 Kevin Trew P-38J Lightning
A5 3 Gary Fowkes Bristol Beaufighter Mk VI
A6 1 (best in class) Craig Sargent AV-8B Harrier II+, VMA-231, USMC, Iraq 2011
A6 2 Craig Sargent OA-4M Skyhawk, H&MS-12, USMC, 1990
A6 3 Gary Fowkes RAF Phantom FGR Mk2
A7 1 Bruce Adam Roland CIIa Late
A7 2 Graham Bird Bristol
A7 3 Ernie Thompson BF109 Trop
A7 HC Hasitha Mananwatte Hawker Typhoon - MR-U
A7 HC Ernie Thompson FW190A
A8 1 Ernie Thompson RF4C Phantom
A9 1 Craig Sargent AH-1F Tzefa, Northern Cobra Squadron, IDF/AF
A9 2 Grant Porter United States Coastguard HH-60J Jayhawk
A10 1 Kevin Trew B2
A10 2 Kevin Trew Mig-15
A10 3 Kevin Trew Tornado “Tiger meet”
A10 HC Kevin Trew A90 Orlyonok
A10 HC Kevin Trew MV22B Osprey
Class B - Military Vehicles
Category Placing Modeller EntryB1 1 (best NZ) Kevin Trew Staghound Mk 1
B2 1 Ewan Forbes M10 Achilles
B2 2 Leighton Littlewood Challenger MkII
B2 3 Lance Whitford Panzerjager Fedinand
B2 HC Ray Thorpe Sturmtiger
B3 1 (best in class) Bruce Adam Sherman M4A3E8
B3 2 Bruce Adam PzkwII Ausft VK1601
B3 3 Lance Whitford M-10 Gun Motor Carriage
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Class B - Military Vehicles (continued)
Category Placing Modeller EntryB3 HC Ray Thorpe Churchill AFV Petard
B3 HC Leighton Littlewood M-26
B4 1 Leighton Littlewood IDF M577
B4 2 Ray Thorpe M1A1 Abrahams
B4 3 Leighton Littlewood M981 FISTV
B5 1 Leighton Littlewood SAS Landrover Pink Panther
B5 2 Andrew Connor SAS Recon Pink Panther
B5 3 Selwyn Jaquiery German Horch Kfz.15 ‘North African Campaign’
B6 1 Bruce Adam 21cm Morser 18
B6 2 Leighton Littlewood 88mm AA Gun
B6 3 Bruce Adam Pak 44 Krupp
B7 1 David Andrew sd.kfz 234/2 Puma
B7 2 Kevin Trew Bradley M3
B7 3 Ewan Forbes Saladin
Class C - Civilian Vehicles
Category Placing Modeller EntryC1 1 Grant Matchett Morgan 4/4
C1 2 Paul Scadden 1998 Mazda MX5
C2 1 (best in class Jo Martin Alfa Romeo Monza 2300 1932
& best in show)
C2 2 Paul Scadden 1923 Fuel Altered - Wild Willie Borsch
C2 3 Paul Scadden 1989 Top Fuel Dragster - Gary Ormsby
C3 1 Paul Edwards Ferrari Testarossa
C3 2 Kevin Trew Bedford OLBD
C3 3 Grant Matchett Mini Cooper
C4 1 Paul Scadden 1932 Ford 3 Window Coupe
C4 2 Paul Scadden 1932 Ford B400
C4 3 Paul Scadden 1957 Chevrolet Street Machine
C5 1 Paul Scadden 2013 McLaren MP4 - 12C GT3
C5 2 Paul Scadden 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda’ - Billy the Kid
C5 3 Nic Zwart Jaguar XJR-9LM
C5 HC Chris Shannon BMW 320i
C6 1 Kevin Trew Honda NSR250 2001
C6 2 Reon Webster Aces Wild Chopper
C7 1 David Andrew Ford Fiesta RS WRC 2012
C7 2 Tony Wood Dodge Charger
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Class C - Civilian Vehicles (continued)
Category Placing Modeller EntryC8 1 Glen Burrell Mack Superliner
C8 2 Glen Burrell Westernstar
C8 3 Glen Burrell Inter Lonestar
Class D - Dioramas
Category Placing Modeller EntryD1 1 (best in class) Leighton Littlewood SdKfz 234 Puma
D1 2 Lance Whitford France 1944
D1 3 David Coulthard Roland CII - Engine Change
Class E - Ships and submarines
Category Placing Modeller EntryE1 1 (best in class) Graham Bird HMS Monmouth
E1 2 Chris Velvin HMS Ark Royal
E1 3 Ray Thorpe HMS Iron Duke
E3 1 Kevin Trew Trafalgar class
Class F - Figures
Category Placing Modeller EntryF1 1 Richard Conway NZ Infantry man, Italy 1944
F2 1 (best in class) Darren Lyttle Legionary 3rd Century AD
F2 2 Will Vale Stormcast Eternal Liberator
F2 3 Reon Webster Treeman
F4 1 Leighton Littlewood SS Officer
Class G - Sci-Fi, collections and miscellaneous
Category Placing Modeller EntryG1 1 Craig Sargent Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced X1
G1 2 Will Vale Martian Fighting Machine
G1 3 Dave Johnson X-Wing
G1 HC Will Vale Space Cruiser Murasame Type
G1 HC Will Vale Space Assualt Destroyer Isokaze Type
G1 HC Dave Johnson TIE Fighters
G1 HC Will Vale Baldwin Steam Tanks
G1 HC Stacy Hay MSZ-006C1 Zeta plus C1
G2 1 (best in class) Kevin Trew R2-D2
G2 2 Kevin Trew R5-D4
G2 3 Kevin Trew Big Boy Locomotive
G3 1 Sam Hall RNZAF P-51 Mustangs
G3 2 Stacy Hay Black Sun Dragon Space Marines10
Class G - Sci-Fi, collections and miscellaneous (continued)
Category Placing Modeller EntryG3 3 Paul Scadden 1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt
Class J - Juniors
Category Placing Modeller EntryJ1 1 Shaquile McCool Supermarine Spitfire Mk22
J1 2 Madeleine Mills P-40
J1 3 Eric Vaclavek F4F-4 Wildcat
J1 HC Shaquile McCool J2M3 Raiden
J1 HC Madeleine Mills Stuka
J2 1 (best junior) Shaquile McCool Pzkwfg III Ausf J (late model)
J2 2 Madeleine Mills Tiger
J2 3 Monty Davidson M47 Paton
J2 HC Shaquile McCool GMC 2 1/2 ton truck
J2 HC Samuel Van Der Zwaag M3A1 Halftrack
J2 HC Eric Vaclavek Supacat Jackal
J3 1 Shaquile McCool Red Baron
J4 1 Emily Rose Hay TIE Interceptor
J4 2 Laura Vale Yokai Watch Cat collection
J4 3 Shaquile McCool F4U-1 Corsair
J5 1 Samuel Van Der Zwaag “Life on a farm”
J5 2 Samuel Van Der Zwaag “Taking off from Lakenheath”
J7 1 Shaquile McCool SS Soldier
J8 1 Eric Vaclavek Escort Carrier Bogue
J8 2 Shaquile McCool Shimakazi
J8 3 Harrison Taylor Vosper MTB
IPMS (NZ) Nationals 2016 results
Class A - Aircraft
Category Placing Modeller EntryA2 1 Will Vale Tiger Moth G-ACDC
A2 2 Brent Cooper Gloster Galdiator J-8 - Swedish Volunteers
A2 3 Michael Rohde Heinkel He 70 G 1
A2 HC Michael Rohde Dornier Do 17 Z
A2 HC Michael Rohde Heinkel He 51 A
A2 HC Michael Rohde Aichi E 13 A1 with Type 2-5 Catapult
A2 HC Michael Rohde Hawker Hurricane MK 1 (early)
A2 HC Michael Rohde Junkers Ju 5211
Class A - Aircraft (continued)
Category Placing Modeller EntryA2 HC Sam Hall Hawker Hurricane 1
A3 1 Craig Sargent Tornado IDS, 6o Storma 154o Gruppo, Italy, 2007
A3 2 Mark Robson Gloster Meteor
A3 3 Aaron Ludlow F/A-18C Hornet
A3 HC Will Vale MiG-15SB
A3 HC Aaron Ludlow F/A-18E Super Hornet
A4 1 Brett Sharman F-4F Wildcat
A4 2 Brett Sharman P-40
A4 3 Brett Sharman Hawker Typhoon
A4 HC Michael Rohde Fiat CR 42 ‘Falco’
A5 1 Gary Fowkes Luftwaffe Donier DO-217
A5 2 Michael Rohde Mitsubishi KI 46-III ‘Dinah’
A5 3 Michael Rohde North American B25 PBY Mitchell
A6 1 Brett Sharman F-84G
A6 2 Brett Sharman F-5F
A6 3 Mark Robson SAAB Viggen
A7 1 (best in class Eric Galliers De Havilland DH-88 Comet
& best in show)
A7 2 Brett Sharman Ki-84
A7 3 Peter White Roland CII
A7 HC Peter White North American P-51D
A7 HC Michael Rohde Seversky P 35
A7 HC Michael Rohde Nakajima KI 27 ‘Nate’ (with Pilot)
A7 HC Peter White Roland VIB
A8 1 Peter White F/A-18B Hornet RAAF 1989
A8 2 Eric Galliers Douglas A-4G Skyhawk
A8 3 Peter White MDD F-4J (UK) 74Sqn RAF
A9 1 Will Vale Westland Wessex HU.5
A9 2 Kevin Trew MH7 Chinook
A10 1 Peter White Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero
A10 2 Hasitha Mananwatte De Havilland Mosquito
Class B - Military vehicles
Category Placing Modeller EntryB1 1 Kevin Trew M113 Fitter
B1 2 Collin Heffer Sherman Dozer
B1 3 Ewan Forbes M10
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Class B - Military vehicles (continued)Category Placing Modeller Entry
B2 1 Ray Thorpe Tiger 1 Early
B2 2 Lance Whitford KV-1e
B2 3 Gary Fowkes British WW1 Male Tank
B2 HC Gary Fowkes Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf.E Sd.Kfz. 181 (Tiger 1)
B3 1 (best in class) Collin Heffer Panther
B3 2 Ray Thorpe M4A3 Sherman Pacific Theatre
B3 3 Will Vale Mark IV Male Tank
B4 1 Ray Thorpe Iraqi T-55 Enigma
B4 2 Will Vale CV9040B
B6 1 Sean Marsh Quad Tractor & 25pr x Lumber
B7 1 Kevin Trew Challenger
Class C - Civilian vehicles
Category Placing Modeller EntryC1 1 Nic Zwart Scania R730 Cabover
C1 2 Nic Zwart Volvo Rigid Truck
C1 3 Nic Zwart Scania R620 B-Train Radio Control
C2 1 Paul Edwards Lotus 49
C2 2 Kevin Trew McLaren MP4-25
C2 3 Kevin Trew McLaren M23
C3 1 Mark Stockdale Mercedes-McLaren SLR
C3 2 Mark Stockdale Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider
C3 3 Mark Stockdale Porsche 911 Turbo
C3 HC Mark Stockdale Ferrari 575M Maranello
C5 1 Grant Matchett Lancia Delta Rally Car
C5 2 Grant Matchett Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6T
C5 3 Grant Matchett Subaru Impreza WRC
C6 1 (best in class) Paul Edwards Honda NSR250
C6 2 Kevin Trew Kawasaki ZX14
C7 1 Kevin Trew Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa
C7 2 Kevin Trew Ford Woody
C7 3 Kevin Trew VW Beetle
C8 1 Nic Zwart Bedford Tipper
C8 2 Jamie Larn Scania 142 w/Canvas Trailer
C8 3 Jamie Larn Volvo Cabover
C8 HC Tony Wood 1914 Dennis Fire Truck
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Class D - Dioramas
Category Placing Modeller EntryD1 1 (best in class) David Andrew The SpyMasters Tryst - Cyrenaica, March 1942
D1 2 Will Vale Tanis 1937
D1 3 (public choice) Marij Parris Mikes Motors
Class E - Ships and submarines
Category Placing Modeller EntryE1 1 Peter Randall HMS Queen Mary
E1 2 Peter Randall HMS Milne
E1 3 Peter Randall USS Cushing DO797
E2 1 (best in class) Will Vale Schnellboot S-204 ‘Lang’
E2 2 Peter Randall LCT MK4
E2 3 John Darlington HMNZS Southland
E2 HC Gary Fowkes Protected Cruiser - YSS Olympia
E3 1 Will Vale Shinkai 6500 DSV
E3 2 Hasitha Mananwatte Type VIIc U-Boat
E3 3 Will Vale U-boat type VIIB
Class F - Figures
Category Placing Modeller EntryF1 1 (best in class Andy Cairns ANZAC Charge, 1915
& best NZ)
F1 2 Richard Conway NZ Infantry man with Tommy Gun - 2NZEF, Italy 1942
F1 3 Richard Conway NZ Bren Gunner Waiouru
F2 1 Will Vale Khorgos Khul
F2 2 Will Vale Spirit Host
F2 3 Darren Lyttle Signifer
F2 HC Will Vale Dark Angels Terminator Squad
F2 HC Will Vale Stormcast Eternal Prosecutor
F2 HC Will Vale Tyranid Haruspex
F3 1 Will Vale Old Father Elm
F3 2 Will Vale Drone Sniper
F3 3 Richard Conway German Elite Infantry man
Class G - Sci-Fi, Collections and miscellaneous
Category Placing Modeller EntryG1 1 Will Vale Colonial Viper Mark One
G1 2 Gary Fowkes Maschinen Krieger - Ma.K Lum-168 Camel
G1 3 Will Vale Gunship from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
G2 1 Peter White RAAF Mirage IIIO Control Column Grip14
Class G - Sci-Fi, Collections and miscellaneous
Category Placing Modeller EntryG2 2 Peter White BR52 Steam Locomotive
G2 3 Rachel Porter R5-D4 Droid ‘Star Wars’
G3 1 (best in class) Grant Matchett Ford GT40s
G3 2 Grant Porter F-16 Parking only
Class J - Juniors
Category Placing Modeller EntryJ1 1 Shaquile McCool Supermarine Spitfire Mk 1A
J1 2 Eric Vaclavek BAE Hawk T MK1
J1 3 Eric Vaclavek Hawker Typhoon MK.1B
J1 HC Charlotte Hall P-40B
J1 HC Samuel van der Zwaag Hawker Typhoon 1B
J2 1 (best junior) Shaquile McCool T-34-85 ‘Rudy’
J2 2 Fergal O’Connell KV2
J2 3 Fergal O’Connell Supacat Jackal
J2 HC Shaquile McCool M1A1 Abrams ‘Iraq 2003’
J2 HC Shaquile McCool Pzkfwg II Ausf E
J2 HC Fergal O’Connell M48 Patton
J2 HC Fergal O’Connell Mk1 Male Tank
J4 1 Charlotte Hall R5-D4
J4 2 Charlotte Hall R2-D2
J6 1 Fergal O’Connell Space Marine Captain
J6 2 Nevan O’Connell Custom Stormcast Eternal
J6 3 Nevan O’Connell Necron Warrior
J6 HC Nevan O’Connell Chaos Chosen
J8 1 Harrison Taylor Admiral Graf Spee
J8 2 Samuel van der Zwaag Bismark
J8 3 Eric Vaclavek Italian Heavy Cruiser Pola (1941)
J8 HC Samuel van der Zwaag Vosper Motor Torpedo Boat
In conclusionCongratulations to the winners, particularly Jo Martin who won Best in Show in the Expo Public Competition with his super-detailed large scale Alfa Romeo, and Eric Galliers who achieved the same feat in the IPMS (NZ) Nationals with his superb DH-88.And we shouldn’t forget Marij Parris whose Mike’s Motors diorama won the Peoples’ Choice award by a country mile!
Images of almost every winning model can be found in our Flickr group - feel free to add your own pictures from the Expo too:
• flickr.com/groups/scalemodelswellington
If you entered a model but didn’t win, don’t be disheartened. For one thing there’s always next time, and for another you can be sure that the public visiting the show will have loved seeing it on display.
Please keep on building and painting and we’ll see you again in 2018!15
Expo best in class A - AV-8B Harrier II+ - Craig Sargent Expo best in class B - Sherman M4A3E8 - Bruce Adam
Expo best in class B - Alfa Romeo Monza 2300 - Jo Martin Expo best in class D - SdKfz 234 Puma- Leighton Littlewood
Expo best in class E - HMS Monmouth - Graham Bird Expo best in class F - Legionary 3rd century AD - Darren Lyttle
Expo best in class G - R2-D2 - Kevin Trew Expo best Junior - PzKpfw III Ausf J - Shaquile McCool
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Nationals best in class A - DH-88 - Eric Galliers Nationals best in class B - Panther - Collin Heffer
Nationals best in class C - Honda NSR250 - Paul Edwards Nationals best in class D - Spymasters Tryst - David Andrew
Nationals best in class E - Schnellboot S-204 - Will Vale Nationals best in class F & best NZ - ANZAC Charge - Andy Cairns
Nationals best in class G - GT40 Collection - Grant Matchett Nationals best Junior - T34-85 “Rudy” - Shaquile McCool
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Some more Expo and Nationals winners...
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Special hobby 1/48 Seafire Mk.xvBackground
“Seafire”: An elegant contraction of the official name “Sea Spitfire”.
The Seafire Mk.XV was the first Seafire with a Griffon engine to enter Fleet service. The type is often regarded as the “worst” of the wartime Seafires, because the poor deck handling of the Merlin Seafires was exacerbated by the big Griffon engine which turned in the opposite direction to the Merlin - the basic airframe was rigged to counteract the torque of the Merlin and this remained unchanged with the Seafire XV – and the much enlarged nose also made the poor visibility of the earlier Seafires even more of a problem. That said, performance where it counted, in the air, was vastly improved over the already excellent performance of the Seafire Mk.III and the perennial problem of the chronic short range of the Seafire was at last addressed with the introduction of a proper centreline drop tank.
Despite its handicaps and the type being grounded fleet-wide not long after its introduction into service because of a fault with the clutch of the supercharger impeller (this was rapidly fixed) the type would have fully replaced the Seafire III in the squadrons of the British Pacific Fleet if the war with Japan had gone on into 1946 and eventually the Seafire XV would see service with no less than twelve front-line and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve units and twenty-eight second-line units as well as the Royal Canadian Navy, French Aeronavale and (in hybrid form) the Union of Burma.
Often referred to as a naval version of the Spitfire Mk.XII, the Seafire XV was in fact a highly modified Seafire III, with the big Griffon VI under bonnet turning a four-blade prop, the wing overflow tanks from a Spitfire Mk.IX and the tail unit with retracting tail wheel from a Spitfire Mk.VIII – a real mix-and-match job!
The first fifty or so were built by Cunliffe-Owen and featured the A-frame arrester hook as found on earlier Seafires along with with the standard Spitfire Mk.VIII style rudder, albeit with an extended chord trim tab to try to alleviate a directional stability issue. Subsequent production Seafire XV’s built by Cunliffe-Owen and Westlands discarded the A-frame arrestor hook in favour of a “stinger” hook at the base of a much enlarged rudder. Some 380 Seafire XV’s were built in total.
The first unit to take on the Seafire XV was 802 Naval Air Squadron which had re-formed in May 1945 with a mix of Seafire Mk. LIIIs and the new Seafire XV. The squadron was fully equipped with the Seafire XV by August and preparing to embark on H.M.S. Queen for service with the British Pacific Fleet when the war ended. The second unit to form on the Seafire XV was 805 NAS aboard H.M.S. Ocean; she was in the Mediterranean when all Seafire XV’s were grounded with the aforementioned fault with the Griffon VI supercharger. This was swiftly put right and the engine went on to give years of reliable service and also power the Seafire F.17.
Mike Regan
19
The KitThere have been two injection-moulded kits released of the Seafire Mk.XV in 1/48th scale; Hobbycraft was the first back in the early 1990s and this has been released in a number of boxings. The kit itself is not wonderful, being based on the old Otaki/Arii Spitfire Mk.VIII with all that kit’s faults plus some new and exciting faults added in by Hobbycraft!
The Special Hobby kit first appeared around three years ago and has been released in two boxings; one with markings for the British Pacific Fleet (BPF) and one with markings for the French Aeronavale. The kit has also been reboxed by Revell Germany, albeit without the photo-etch fret of the Special Hobby originals. This kit also has markings for the BPF.
Typical of Special Hobby kits, it is a short-run injection moulded kit with the above-mentioned photo-etch parts which provide for the instrument panel, seat harness, canopy latch and rudder pedal straps. Unlike the earlier Special Hobby kits of the Seafire II and Seafire III, the fuselage reinforcing plates are moulded into the new fuselage and not provided as self-adhesive strips. One can build either an early Seafire XV with the A-frame hook and orginal rudder or the main production aircraft with the big rudder and stinger tail-hook. If building the early aircraft, surgery is required to fit the insert for the A-frame hook into the lower rear fuselage.
Construction is pretty straightforward, allowing for the usual fit and fiddle issues of a limited run kit and no major difficulties were encountered with my first Seafire, which was built with the stinger tail hook. The second was a bit more involved as this was built in the early configuration with the A-frame hook and surprise, surprise... the fit of the insert into the cavity under the rear fuselage was not good – cue lashings of thick superglue and “technical modelling terms”. Once this was dealt with and all joints cleaned up, things moved quickly to the painting stage. One thing I did find with the second Seafire was that the canopy really only fits well when opened and slid back with the port fuselage cockpit access panel also open. I had decided to close up this model to show off the lines of the model and the colour scheme. The result was a poorly fitting canopy and access panel which still don’t look entirely “right”.
My first Seafire XV is finished in the wartime Temperate Sea Scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey, Dark Slate Grey and Sky. The big propellor spinner is Roundel Blue with a thin White band. The markings are for Seafire XV SW768 “114/Y” embarked on H.M.S. Glory in August 1946 on her Australian tour. The wartime colours lingered for a number of years after WW2 and even postwar types such as the Blackburn Firebrand TF.5 can be seen finished in this scheme. A new scheme with the catchy name of “Pattern No.1” was introduced in September 1945 and consisted of Extra Dark Sea Grey over Sky with the demarcation between the colours low on the fuselage. The more attractive “Pattern No.2” was introduced in August 1946 with the same colours, but with the demarcation much higher up on the fuselage; at least one Seafire XV has been photographed in this scheme but still wearing the wartime British Pacific Fleet markings!
Seafire XV no.2 is finished in the postwar Pattern No.2 scheme , this time though with French Aeronavale markings; the unit being Escadrille de Servitude 54.S at Hyères, near Toulon. The Seafire XV was assigned to frontline units in the Aeronavale, but with the arrival of ex-U.S. Navy Hellcats and Bearcats it quickly ended up in training units. The aircraft still carried it’s British serial SR520 under the wings and on the rear fuselage in the standard style along with full French markings, add in that big yellow spinner and all this makes for quite a colourful model. This is in the “early” configuration with that A-frame hook and original rudder with extended trim tab.
I’ve quite enjoyed building these two little beasties and they look nice alongside my other Seafires; there is one more Seafire XV in the stash and I must say that I’m warming to the idea of a Canadian one – watch this space!
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Build the Same Kit
1/32 Aircraft• Wingnut Wings Hansa Brandenberg W.12 (Early)
1/48 Aircraft• Airfix Boulton Paul Defiant
(new tool kit only)• Airfix Folland Gnat/Red Arrows Gnat
(new tool kits only)• Accurate Miniatures SBD Dauntless
(or reboxes from Academy, Eduard, Italeri)
1/72 Aircraft• Airfix Fokker Eindecker E.II (late)• Airfix Sea King HC.4
(new tool kits only)
1/35 Military Vehicles• Takom Chieftain tank
(any version)
• Meng Whippet tank
1/48 Military Vehicles• Airfix Albion refueller
Civilian Vehicles• 1/24 Aoshima McLaren F1 GTR Longtail
Ships• 1/72 Airfix RAF Rescue Launch
Sci-Fi• 1/144 Bandai Millenium Falcon• 1/12 Bandai Star Wars figure
(any)
Miscellaneous• Egg planes/Cute planes
(any)
BSK is coming!Here’s the list of BSK nominations, mostly using your suggestions. We’ve added a couple of things and removed others that were unavailable or a bit complicated for the three months of building time.
We’ll hold a vote at the May meeting - any kit from this list that at least four people want to build will be eligible for the BSK. If you can’t make it to the meeting you can vote by proxy - just ask a member of the committee beforehand.
This year there are some additional incentives to get you building - all will be revealed on the night!
The nominations
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Now go and build something!
People’s Choice
Recommended
![[Armor] Schiffer 24 German Anti-tank Guns 1935-45, 37, 50, 75, 88mm](https://img.pdfslide.net/doc/110x75/577d22a61a28ab4e1e97ea12/armor-schiffer-24-german-anti-tank-guns-1935-45-37-50-75-88mm.jpg)
