Category: My Collection

Creating a Runway Diorama

3/7/2021

I am by no means a master model maker and I don't get as much time as I'd like to muck around in the hangar anyway, however I've built my share of model airports ever since I was a kid. Rarely have they included runways, but recently I decided I'd create a separate runway diorama to liven up some of my model photography.

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It's Just Like Watching Peru

28/5/2021

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Latin classics always appear in high demand and until recently it has only been Aeroclassics that made them at all regularly. Now El Aviador is on the scene in 400 scale we can look forward to hopefully a lot more. Just recently there have been a selection of Peruvian releases and they have all sold like hot cakes. In fact, while people have zeroed in on that Gemini Delta CRJ I'd say it has been a lot harder to find a Faucett DC-8!

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Auckland Hobbies Fair Comes Good

16/4/2021

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In my experience New Zealanders on the whole are not big aviation fans, certainly their love for cars and trains eclipses aircraft. There are fairly regular hobby fairs in my home city of Auckland but historically there hasn't been much of anything in 400 scale present and what there has is usually horrifically overpriced. This last fair however proved an exception.

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When You Have A Room Full of Models & Drink Too Much!

12/3/2021

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As many of you know I have a decent sized collection of 400 scale models, which are stored in my 3 car garage or hangar as I like to call it. It's a great entertaining space complete with pool table and table football, which means it also gets used for drinking and eating. I had managed to acquire a few airplane related beermats but in the end it just proved easier to make my own.

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New Arrival: The Only SMA 747

21/2/2021

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I don't usually write blogposts about models I receive, aside from the detailed reviews, but occasionally I get a new model, which has that something special about it. A few days back I managed to pickup a United 747-123 in the Battleship Grey colours and this model is a little unique as it is the only 747 that was ever made by Seattle Model Aircraft Co (SMA).

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2020: The 400 Scale Year In Review - Part 1

4/1/2021

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With 2020 behind us I thought I’d take a look back at the year in 400 scale that was and pick out some salient points for discussion. Obviously for most it was a year best forgotten but in 400 scale it was actually a superb year. In general, the scale seems vibrant and healthy with some excellent innovation and models being made. In part 1 I take a look at 3 of the major brands.

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In Praise of Dragon Wings DC-10s

19/11/2020

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Dragon Wings get a lot of flak nowadays, especially from younger collectors. Some of this is warranted but a lot of it isn’t. For their time they were excellent models and many of their production remain really nice and more than capable of holding their own in any collection. I admit I have been gradually replacing old Dragon models as replacements become available but Waffle’s last collection sale gave me the opportunity to reassess my opinion of the Dragon DC-10 as there were four, I just couldn’t resist.

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Indonesia Ahoy: Starting A New Collection

18/9/2020

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Given the number of models I own I really ought not to be starting new areas of the collection, but the post-deregulation period in developing nations has always been of real interest to me and Indonesia in particular is super interesting. In recent years there has been a nice selection of relatively obscure releases made, often in partnership with retailers, and even though I know I shouldn't have recently I started an Indonesian fleet too.

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The Final Hangar Addition

4/9/2020

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It has been clear for sometime that my 400 scale collecting has gotten well out of hand and of course with lots of models you need lots of box storage and lots of display cabinets. Just this past week or two I have slotted in what is potentially the final piece in the hangar display system and which has finally allowed me to retire my first cabinet. Read on for a tour of the changes to the US part of the fleet.

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New Collection Additions: April/May 2020

18/6/2020

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I am very happy to say that New Zealand is out the other side of its lockdown, and now we are level 1 almost everything is back to normal. Things that aren't are international travel and postage so it has taken some time for models to reach me. Nonetheless 14 models did make it through in the past two months, many of which have already received detailed reviews.

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New Collection Additions: March 2020

27/4/2020

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March was the month level 4 lockdown began for New Zealand and there was further dislocation to the manufacturing of 1:400 scale, with most companies delaying new releases. Even so there are always older models to acquire and with my job holding on for the timebeing I was able to take advantage of some nice Aeroclassics sales.

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New Collection Additions: February 2020

29/3/2020

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The model world has been hit like all others by this bloody virus outbreak and that meant that releases from several manufacturers dried up in February as China began to tackle the problem. So there were no NG Models to be seen and less models than usual arriving at the Hangar. In fact, there were almost none since the disruption to air traffic appeared to disrupt parcels to Aotearoa too. Fortunately the mail got through eventually.

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New Collection Additions: January 2020

27/2/2020

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January seems like a long time ago now, with the Coronavirus outbreak delaying the shipment of February’s models and causing suspensions to at least some manufacturer’s production into March. It was however a fairly standard month of purchases for my collection with a focus on my favourite pair of 1:400 manufacturers.

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New Collection Additions: December 2019

23/1/2020

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The end of the year saw a wide range of excellent releases and December had 14 of them joining my collection from 5 different manufacturers. With that many models it is little surprise that they weren't all great successes but still overall it was another good month for me.

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New Collection Additions: November 2019

24/12/2019

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November proved to be an expensive month with excellent release sets from my two go-to manufacturers in 1:400 scale: Aeroclassics and NG Models. In this post I'll take a look at what flew in to join the collection last month and offer some opinions about them.

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<<Previous

Creating a Runway Diorama

It's Just Like Watching Peru

Auckland Hobbies Fair Comes Good

When You Have A Room Full of Models & Drink Too Much!

New Arrival: The Only SMA 747

2020: The 400 Scale Year In Review - Part 1

In Praise of Dragon Wings DC-10s

Indonesia Ahoy: Starting A New Collection

The Final Hangar Addition

New Collection Additions: April/May 2020

New Collection Additions: March 2020

New Collection Additions: February 2020

New Collection Additions: January 2020

New Collection Additions: December 2019

New Collection Additions: November 2019

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