Telford 2013

[PaulBradley]

Boxart was always going to be a hard act to follow!

I think if we can work on a number of these clusters, and maybe add in some elements from other ideas, we'll have a darned good display. The good thing about the clusters is that we don't need so many models to fill the tables.

[beany]

You wouldn't want to suggest some ideas for subjects of those clusters would you...

[PaulBradley]

Well, for starters, the Sabre is a good one, the Airfix Lancaster - old and new (perhaps even the intermediate as well), Jaguar sports cars, HMS Daring. I'm sure there are plenty of others we can think of. If we can do 10 or so, that should fill it up. We could even do multiple of each kit in different styles and markings perhaps - OOB, super-detailed, box decals, aftermarket, etc.

[JamesPerrin]

OK I think I've got an idea.

Firstly the idea in a one line description is:

"Builds Inspired by Classic British Books and Magazines"

As a modeller, after being persuaded to by the kit maybe adding some details from looking a the boxart the next thing that contributed to our development were the books and magazines that inspired us to try some new. Whether it was a glossy colour photo, intriguing profiles of markings that lay beyond the box, articles that taught us new techniques that we were eager to try, or simply the advert that made us want to rush out and buy the latest kit. We are talking about the pre-internet age when our initial exposure to resources and new possibilities was by the printed word and image.

Each contributor will provide a kit along with the book or magazine that inspired the build. This can a kit you've already built, a past project revisited, or something completely new. The point is the source of the inspiration for the finished model should come from the magazine or book. Kits can be a simple OOB build where appropriate to something with a lot of added detail taken from the resource. New markings can be from any aftermarket sheet regardless of when they were released

Here's a list of examples:

A kit with a scheme from a SAM Aircraft in Detail profile
A kit demonstrating a new technique that you learned from a modelling mag
A conversion you have followed from a modelling mag
An Airfix superkit that you always wanted after seeing the advert
A aircraft and a centre spread from Flypast magazine
A tank conversion and an Airfix modelling handbook
A car or train and a Spotters Book of Cars
A battle ship and St Michael Book of Warships.

The source materials should be classic as well as the kit ie not later than the mid 80's, though they don't have to be contemporary. I say British Books and Magazines, the forumer is a bit tricky as many titles were published internationally but magazine should be titles like Aeromodeller, Airfix, Aeroplane, Flypast, Air Pictorial, SAM, Scale Models etc.

Obviously John's suggestion formed the seed of this idea as well as the contributing discussion.

Comments?

[mightymikeD]

I think it's a great idea... only problem I can see (and it applies to me although I doubt I'd be able to build a good enough model for a table at SMW 2013) is that it's a bit exclusive to those who weren't reading modelling books/magazines etc in the 60's-80's.. the kits are a lot more freely available than the printed matter..
Maybe open it up to any "Classic" era reference: I've already done some builds and am planning more based on a nifty little 1962 Floatplane book that I picked up in a charidee shop..

[JamesPerrin]

Good point Mike...

Maybe open it up to any "Classic" era reference: I've already done some builds and am planning more based on a nifty little 1962 Floatplane book that I picked up in a charidee shop..

... but you've hit the nail on the head and clarified what I was getting at. It doesn't matter if you didn't "do this at the time" but if you like me are still using copies of SAM from 1979 to choose a markings scheme then that's what I'm on about. Your little book sounds like exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about.

[JohnRatzenberger]

I like this idea, it's almost a re-incarnation of the Alan W Hall Memorial GB in some respects and I am going to go subject hunting along those lines.

I have printed matter -- Airfix Magazine (1961-93), Aeromodeller(1943-69), RAF FR(1954-68), other things. I can provide supporting/asssisting references from back then; happy to do the research.

As I noted earlier, I'll gladly send over models & such never to be seen again -- I'm not so sure about my only copy of a magazine, so I hope that decently made copies are acceptable.

Good write-up James !!

[PaulBradley]

Ditto - what John said.

[beany]

Here comes Eeyore again... sorry James but personally that one doesn't strike a chord with me. I don't think I used books or mags that often and if I have they probably weren't classic British ones. I thought about it all night before responding but haven't even had a single whiff of an idea of what I might do for this theme. I guess the problem with our SIG is that being that it is nostalgia based, and we are different age groups, it will mean different things to different people. I like Pauls' "clusters" concept very much and immediately had ideas of what I might do for that theme. Would it be possible to combine the two - you could say for the clusters that the inspiration for the builds came from the adverts or the old catalogue pictures (it usually did in my case), so that may still tie in with your suggestion.
Cheers
Al.

[PaulBradley]

I don't see why not, Al - I think the two ideas are rather complementary.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Agree with Paul here. And I think some of us can help fill out the cluster/whatever with illustrative material - it isn't necessary that the viewer know it was not the inspiration for this exact build .... Al makes a good point about our ages, backgrounds, experiences shaping our personal "nostalgia" but our display is a collective effort ....

[JohnRatzenberger]

I have to recall one of my "best" efforts along this inspired by theme, don't remember the dates but ...

RAF FR did an article on the Hawk-75/P-36 with a color profile of one of the Vichy planes with red/yellow stripes on nose and tail - I had to have one, but there wasn't one. So I got the Monogram 1/48 P-40B/C lopped off the Allison nose and attached a slightly modified nose from the Monogram Dauntless, then had-painted the whole thing by carefully scribing lines to guide my brush. Not accurate, not pretty close-up, but it's a good illustration ....

Well, I think so ...

Maybe I could re-create that in 1/72 CBK's ?

[PaulBradley]

Hmmm, the only P-36 I recall form those days was a Mongram one. You'd have to use a Frog P-40C and change the nose again...!

[MDT]

The magazine and book inspiration idea is growing on me after a bit of thought. From personal experience I've got a couple of 1970s Chris Ellis books and the Airfix RAF Vehicle magazine guide and I've often picked up materials and plans for some of the conversions but never made the push to start - This maybe the KUTA I need!

[splash]

I have just picked up a couple of Airfix magazines from 1961 & 1962 and was surprised at the lack of plastic modeling information in them, they have a few adverts and articals on a/c, cars boats and train sets. There are kit reviews but they are very basic with very small images as the magazine is only A5.

I think for the table display to work we would have to use later magazines when they started to show profiles and conventions.

Regards Splash