Triumph Tiger 80/3HW

Here are some images of Aurora/ESCI's 1/9 scale Triumph Tiger 80/3HW. From Wikipedia. "The Triumph Tiger 80 was a British motorcycle first made by Triumph from 1937. There was also a 250cc Tiger 70 and a 500cc Tiger 90.^[1] Production of the Tiger ended with the outbreak of WW2 and never resumed after the Triumph works at Priory Street in Coventry were completely destroyed". "When World War 2 broke out in 1939, the Tiger was developed into the military Triumph 3HW model.^[6] The Triumph works was destroyed by German bombers on the night of the 14th November 1940 - along with much of the city of Coventry bringing production of the Tiger 80 to an end. When Triumph recovered and began production again at Meriden,only the Tiger 100 survived in the new production line".

The General

Here are some images of AMTs (MPC molds) 1/25 scale type 4-4-0 locomotive "The General". In the early 1800s the US was still mostly a untamed wilderness and its railroads had been built quickly and very economically so as a result railroad tracks were often built over areas where very little landscaping was done to accommodate the track, in other words lots of twists and turns. European locomotives at that time lacked the appropriate truck systems to handle such unpredictable track. So in 1836 Henry R Campbell invented the 4 wheel swivel leading truck, the 4-4-0 locomotive. The beauty about this design was that the leading 4 wheel truck had the ability to turn sharply and absorb any track irregularities. The General is this kind a locomotive. The General was built by Rogers Engine Works in Patterson New Jersey in 1855 and is best known for its participation in the famous Andrews raid which is often referred to as "The Great Locomotive Chase". The General now sits on display in the Big Shanty Museum in Kennesaw Georgia. This model is currently not available. Its last release was in 1992. However a model as ornate and pretty as this kit is I strongly believe that it will be released again someday.

Seaview

Here are some images plus a composite and kit pictures of Moebius Models 1/128 scale Seaview from the television series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Next to the USS Enterprise the Seaview has to be one the most recognizable images of 1960s television. First featured in the 1961 Irwin Allen film of the same name the Seaview went on to delight audiences with 4 historical seasons of television entertainment. The main purpose of the Seaview was to investigate the mysteries of the open sea. This is a great kit. All parts went together without any difficulty and it also allows for lighting provision if one desires. I used to put lighting in my models but I discovered that over time it becomes more trouble then it's worth, eg: burnt out bulbs, battery replacement and sometimes mild melting. Now if lighting is required I just use Photoshop. Anyway this model is a large 39 inches when complete and it gives you the option to build the 17 foot or the 81/2 foot versions that were used in the TV program. There are subtle differences. Plus this kit also comes with scale matching models of the Flying Sub, the one man submarine, the Apple diving bell and a neat little brochure on the restoration and other facts of the originals Seaviews. The only changes I made to this kit was in the painting of the model. The instructions call for the model to be painted light ghost grey on top and camouflage grey on the bottom and I'm sure that they are the colours of the original. However I painted mine trying to match the way I thought it looked on television and that is dark sea grey on top and light ghost grey on the bottom. The only major complaint I have about this kit are the instructions. They have got to be some of the worst assembly images I have seen so make sure to do a double and even a triple take on the instructions should you decide to build one. I don't understand some model kit companies, they go through all this time and effort to create a fantastic model kit only to then top it off by tossing you a piece of crap like these instructions. Just as a side note Lunar Models used to make a Seaview kit in the 30 inch plus range complete with options and extras before they disappeared off the face of the earth. I wonder if that is where Moebius Models got some and I mean some of their design ideas from for this model. Just a thought.

Here are some images of...

Here are some images of the room in which I store my models in panorama, plus I have many more packed away in boxes. As you can see I have a long way to go before they are all posted. I hope to one day find a larger place where I can display these models proper. Here's to wishing.

s.Sp.Artilleriewagen

Here are some images of Dragon Models 1/35 scale s.Sp.Artilleriewagen. The s.Sp.Artilleriewagen was an armored rail car designed to protect cargo trains.

Shinden

Here are some images of Hasegawa's 1/48 scale Kyushu J7W Shinden. From Wikipedia "The Kyūshū J7W1 Shinden ("Magnificent Lightning") fighter was a World War II Japanese propeller-driven aircraft prototype that was built in a canarddesign. The wings were attached to the tail section and stabilizers were on the front. The propeller was also in the rear, in a pusher configuration. It was expected to be a highly maneuverable interceptor, but only two were finished before the end of war. Plans were also drawn up for a jet-powered version (J7W2Shinden Kai) but this never left the drawing board. The J designation was used by land based fighters of the Imperial Japanese Navy and W is for Watanabe factory produced (later Kyūshū).

Ameisenbar

Here are some images of Monogram's 1/48 scale Dornier DO 335 Ameisenbar (Anteater). From Wikipedia " The Dornier Do 335 was a World War II heavy fighter built by the Dornier company. The DO 335s performance was much better than other twin-engine designs due to its unique "push-pull" layout and the much lower drag of the in-line alignment of the two motors. The Luftwaffe was desperate to get the design into operational use, but delays in engine deliveries meant only a handful were delivered before the war ended.

Staghound

Here are some images of Bronco models 1/35 scale T-17 Armored Car Staghound. From Wiki Pedia "The T17 and the T17E1 were American armored cars produced during the Second World War. They did not see service with frontline US forces but the latter was supplied via the United Kingdom to British and Commonwealth forces during the war and received the service name Staghound". This model cost around $60 Cdn and though it comes with photo etched parts and is well detailed you would think they would supply rubber tires instead of plastic ones.

Vulcan Shuttle Surak

Here are some images of AMTs (Aluminum Model Toy) 1/187 scale Vulcan Shuttle Surak from Star Trek the Motion Picture. This is the craft that delivers Mr. Spock to the U.S.S Enterprise in the movie. When this kit first came out in the 1980s it said the colour of the craft was a copper. I am glad to see the re release has corrected that to the correct mauve colour.