SPA Modeler

Bruce, I love that cartoon! I feel the same way.

I mostly get my supplies when go out to a couple local hobby shops. I have a list and start picking those up first before shopping for models. When I do order supplies online; I tend to get them from Brookhurst. Other online shops I've had great service from despite the delivery issues is:

-> BNA Models in Australia; amazingly enough, I get stuff from them in at least a week from ordering and the prices are great!

-> Squadron, Brandon has been proactive in finding alternate shipping companies without raising the rates too much, therefore he's able to send out things quickly.

-> Sprue Brothers is pretty quick, but I've only ordered models from them.

Some local hobby shops in SoCal are Tony's Hobbies and Toys in Baldwin Park, Pegasus Hobbies in the Inland Empire ( they recently moved to a larger building; I have yet to visit the new place.); you already know about Brookhurst and then there's Burbank House of Hobbies too.

Nice! I rarely order anything from squadron and Sprue Brothers. Most of my orders are from Scalehobbyist. They have great prices and fast delivery. I usually receive my order at my doorstep within 3 days. (I live in New York State, Scalehobbyist is located in New Hampshire - pretty much 2 states east) Once in a while I’ll shop at Hobbylinc.

I haven’t shopped at Plaza Japan in a while. You never know what you’ll find there. Prices are reasonable but shipping tend to be a bit high but not too high. Takes a while to arrive at my mailbox. That’s okay by me.

I’d like to check out Andy’s and Brookhurst someday.

Duke and Blacksheep! Thank you both for your replies. I have a flu now so I’m going to be resting but I will respond more completely and coherently when the fever breaks. Cheers to you both.

Hope you feel better, soon! But, there is nothing wrong with exhausted incoherence!

Thanks, Lyle. Day 2 of whatever this horrible flu is has left me weakened. I took a shower about 30 minutes ago so I have no sense of time apparently. Wonderful.

Ughhh. Not a good way to ring in the new year Bruce. Hope you feel better soon.

Damn that sucks. Hope you get to feeling better soon.

Thanks, John and Mike! I am resolving to improve my immune system. I got through Covid all right, but now the Norovirus is a real problem. Prayers to all for their health and my very best to all for a bright future in 2025!

So I crawled out of bed at 5:45 pm. I changed clothes. I made broth with turmeric, cayenne and garlic then I cracked open Sheperd Paine’s book “Building and Painting Scale Figures.” I started reading while I waited for the broth to cool. Man alive, but this is good to read! The beginning set up alone has gold in it.

I pulled these images of a replica build just to show scale with a figure in both relation to the outside as well as the inside of the cockpit—





I wanted to add that delivery of the figures is scheduled for January 6th and ordered EZ Line and AK Line too. I have also worked a bit on the engine. It’s in primer at least and I trimmed flash from the rudder and tail as well as tested their fit which wasn’t very good due to more flash in hard to see places. I think I have solved this. I’ll try to take pictures soon. I’m still fighting this horrid flu!

Yeah. Wrapped in a blanket with tea at my elbow, I am making another post. Here are two photos of William Barker for figure reference—





Bio / Adapted from Britannica

The eldest son of a farmer who was also a blacksmith and sawmill operator, Barker grew up on the frontier in Manitoba, where he became proficient at riding horses and shooting. Although he was a good student, Barker often was required to miss school to work at the family farm or sawmill.

Having seen “flying machines” at agricultural fairs, he indicated an early interest in becoming a pilot. In 1914 he left high school and enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) to fight in World War I. He joined the 1st Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles (CMR), trained as a machine gunner, sailed to England with his unit in June 1915, and served in the Ypres Salient in Belgium that fall and winter. Barker found service in the trenches to be discouraging and in early 1916 he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), where he became an observer and was commissioned as a second lieutenant.

Flying in France during the First Battle of the Somme with No. 15 Squadron, he earned the first of the 12 gallantry awards he would receive—the Military Cross (MC), for supporting the capture of Beaumont-Hamel in November. He then trained as a pilot in England, completing all ground and flying training in only four weeks and returning to the Western Front in February 1917. While flying a Reconnaissance Experimental 8 (R.E.8), he was awarded a bar for his MC, promoted to the rank of captain, and appointed a flight commander. After sustaining a head wound in August, Barker was assigned to duty as a flying instructor in England. However, he had no desire to teach. After he performed an unauthorized aerobatic display over Piccadilly Circus in London, the RFC reassigned him to combat as a fighter pilot flying the Sopwith Camel.

Barker returned to France in October 1917. Over the next 12 months he shot down 50 enemy aircraft on the Italian and Western fronts. Barker’s tally placed him in the top 10 of Royal Air Force (RAF) aces and fourth among Canadian-born flyers. Barker’s Sopwith Camel, No. B6313, was flown almost exclusively by him. With an unprecedented 46 enemy downings in one plane flown by the same pilot, B6313 has been called the single most-successful fighter aircraft in the history of the RAF. Remarkably, Barker never had a wingman killed while flying with him or an aircraft he was escorting shot down.

speedgraflex wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2024 11:48 pm Duke and Blacksheep! Thank you both for your replies. I have a flu now so I’m going to be resting but I will respond more completely and coherently when the fever breaks. Cheers to you both.

Take care Bruce, as read further below, warm drink aka tea is the way to go. And rest.

And yes, your H-291 thread is truly a classic Speedgraflex project, including and containing all the ingredients needed making it special, interesting and memorable !

Yes, is back on the bench!

- Kari