Fokker Dr.I ...

Some time ago, I expressed my admiration and eternal love to DML kits. To any modeler is a must to build a Fokker Dr.I at least once a time in our lives. My first model was made in the first half of 60's, when a child, in the Red Baron guise of course. I remember the Revell 1/28 scale, was a marvel in its times but an obsolete one at today standards.

But, DML version in 1/48 of that famous fighter is superb. No fit problems, no putty needed, excellent details, just fun. The weight of the final model is impressive. After many kits build in overall red paint, this time I select another famous plane... the Ltn Friedrich Kempf mount, an ace of IWW, as is the central motif of DML kit.

"Chapeau" to DML for this wonderful kit.  

Bf-109D...first of a long saga

I belong to a generation that have been captured by the Messerschmitt, Spitfires, Hurricanes, Mustangs, Focke Wulf and the pletora of the best piston aircraft of the great war. 
Understanding this fact, no surprise then if I show my large collection of all kind of variations about the same theme...like young modelers proudly show there F-16 in all kind of variations of camo schemes or productions series.

When, some few years ago, Academy launched the Bf109C/D in 1/48 scale, I was one of the first in buy this kit. Some faults in precision and accuracy, nevertheless caught the general aspect and lines of the Caesar and Dora's variant of that extraordinary plane.

If one wants to do the D variant of the Messer (Bayerische flugzeugwerke at that time), it's a must to do an Spanish Civil War model. This is the case...my model represents the mount of Major Gottahrd Handrick who was famous because won the pentathlon in the Berlin Olympics Games of 1936 and he put the olympic rings on the spinner of the 6-56 coded machine of the J./88 of the famous Legión Condor. The "zylinder hut" was the emblem of the second staffel of jagdgeschwader 88. Important to note, this specific aircraft had no antenna.

The model looks wonderful in the shelf!!...

Fiat G-50...an old fashion Airfix kit

I did tell some time ago that my first kit was the Revell 1/72 Morane Saulnier type N when a was in bed recovering from a mumbless...I was in my eights. We were in the first half of the sixties then...

In my town, Punta Arenas, besides of Magellan Strait in the extreme south of South America, was an old British (Scot, like many others in my land) toys dealer (Mr. Hardy, I remembered him well with his always polite forms) who introduce the not assembled plastic kits in his offer...we saw the first generations of Revell and Airfix kits in Mr. Hardy's shelves.

One of my first kit in hand was this Airfix 1/72 Fiat G-50...in this time, we like very much the movable parts of these kits. I perfectly remembered that when I approached the cash to pay my purchase, Mr. Hardy, like every good dealer, opened wide his eyes and praised my purchase saying "oh...wonderful election boy, this machine fought in the Battle of Britain too".

This model was based in the 80's batch launched by Airfix, been the kit exactly like my first one. Surprisingly, in spite of the serious limitations of the molds, the radial engine is a little gem...not accurate by very well detailed. The cockpit is spartan, but very easy to complete with some wire to imitate internal structure, a lot of sanding to reduce the thickness of trailing edges of wings and empennage and replacing the capot machine guns by syringe needles.

Final result is an acceptable model indeed...and the eternal memory of Mr. Hardy and my very first kits...Now, I think that is absolutely necessary to have a Finnish version of this little obsolecent Italian bird.