Classic Plastic section in SAMI
Posted: April 22nd, 2011, 3:55 pm
Original thread
Paul Bradley wrote:So the April issue of SAMI introduces a new feature - Classic Plastic, edited by yours truly. This is a very exciting project for me and, I hope, for you as well. The column represents a new venture for SAMI – a section especially devoted to classic kits. Each month, I’ll be taking a look at the world of classic kits, with, I hope, the help of my friends here at UAMF, and at the Classic British Kits SIGS, both UK and US branches. It is my hope that this column will resonate with you, the membership, as many of us started our hobby building the type of kits I intend to feature in Classic Plastic.
Over the past few years here at UAMF, we have all admired Mike Grant’s fabulous builds of classic kits, and in the past couple of years, Mike has also graced the pages of SAMI with his excellent models. My new column is intended to expand on Mike’s ethos of enjoying these kits with a minimal investment of time or money, but it will be more than just model builds – there’ll be history, opinions and photos. In this time of recession, many people can no longer afford many of the modern superkits, while at the same time, having many classics in their stashes – I’ll pull out some of these and take a closer look, and build some of them, in the hope that you’ll do the same. I’ll be delving into the history of both the kits and the companies that produced them, and I’ll talk to people in the hobby about their passion or the classics. My intent is to show the readership that there’s still relevancy in many of these kits, as well as a lot of fun and enjoyment to be had.
So, what is a Classic Kit, anyway? There really is no simple answer to this question, but it is helpful to try to come up with some rough parameters as a base of reference. Broadly speaking, and the definition we use at the Classic British Kits SIG, is that a kit is a “classic” if it is over 25 years old. At the present time, this includes everything that was first moulded prior to 1986, and by extension excludes everything created since.
And what can you, dear forum member, do to get involved? Well, if you want to have your model gracing the pages of the world’s most popular aviation modelling magazine, why not submit a couple of photos for the Gallery. Just send me a couple of hi-res photos and some notes about the model and we may include it in the mag. Alternatively, you could do a build report of one of your classics with in-progress photos of any special work you’ve done on the kit. Or you can do a ‘kit preview,’ known in Classic Plastic as Kit of the Month, on a golden oldie, highlighting the kit’s history with some notes on its accuracy. I cannot promise you the riches beyond avarice for your contribution, but you will receive a small reward.
Support of the CBK SIG is another big area where you can help out. We all love these kits, we all go to model shows, so why not get a little extra out of your hobby by helping out with the SIG, by building models for display, and/or by manning the stand at shows, for example. Contact James Perrin or Jim Bates to get signed up for the SIG, and remember that you are not required to be an IPMS member to join.
So, buy SAMI this month, tell me what you think and let me know your ideas and what you’d like to see.