F/FSport “Getting information off the Internet is like
taking a drink from a fire hydrant.” —MITCHELL KAPOR
receive hobby products, and the way we re- ceive information about modeling. While that is a useful, and in most cases a wel- come way of tying all the loose ends of mod- eling together, the overall effect is more like that of a tsunami as opposed to a foun- tain-like stream that can be savored and enjoyed. As is the case this month, we all benefit
A
from our reader/contributors who have used their own personal Internet seines to help sift out things of value for us. We will con- tinue to use this process of reader-induced reverse osmosis to screen the torrent of ma- terial and provide the substance to make us all better modelers. Let me invite all read- ers to share those things they have found useful and valuable by sending them to my e-mail address above, and I will be happy to translate as many as possible to the printed pages of this column.
PAL Models on the Web I’ve made several mentions of the good
work of the folks at PAL Models as they res- urrect the old Blue Ridge Model offerings in an incremental fashion. Bob Langelius, one of the principals in the PAL effort, has just announced that they now have a web site, thanks to the efforts of Alan Abriss. The new on-line shop
www.palmodelproducts.com is a very easy-to-navigate enterprise that is sep- arated into individual header links clearly la- beled “Engines”, “Kits”, “Parts”, and “Plans”. Surfing from one to the other, you will find
that two replica engines are currently being offered, the McCoy .049 Diesel Replica, and the K&B Infant .020 Replica. I’ve seen both of them and they are both jewels, with ex- cellent casting and machined parts.
s most readers have noted in their own modeling lives, the per- vasive nature of the Internet has re-shaped our hobby, the way we
by larry kruse You can reach Larry Kruseat 18 NW Heatherstone Drive, Lawton, Oklahoma 73505, or via e-mail at
aircats@att.net
PHOTO: LARRY KRUSE
Author’s model shop door is dressed up during the holiday season with this wreath featuring historically important aircraft produced as Christmas ornaments by the Hallmark Company each year. Details in the text.
Under the “Kits” heading the line is grad-
ually growing, currently featuring the Square Eagle P-30 and the Blue Ridge Spe- cial, as well as several other Phil Hartman designs, perfect for successfully introducing youngsters to the magic of freeflight. For more advanced builders, the “Parts”
section has the Square Eagle wing and stab rib sets at a very nominal price, and the “Plans” segment has the Square Eagle plans, as well as the fondly remembered Coupe deVille plans for sale. For convenience sake, a PayPal link has been added for wrapping up your purchases on-line. Special club and group pricing is also available by contacting Bob at
bobbylang@earthlink.net.
Great News from Sig Due to a perfect storm of unfortunate cir- cumstances and the loss of key personnel through illness and death, Sig Manufactur- ing, long a mainstay of modeling in this country, has been in a state of flux and un- certainty for the last couple of years. Those of us who are life-long Sig customers and fans have been waiting on the sidelines, hoping that Sig would be able to emerge from this dismal economy and continue pro- viding the top quality modeling products we have all depended upon for many decades. A recent communication from Sig’s Mon- tezuma, IA location was just what we were hoping to hear. The company founded by
PHOTOS: CALLIE GRAPHICS
Al Pardue’s gorgeous red and white OT British Streamliner (at left) is made even more striking by the British Union Jack and script graphics. Details in the text. This rubber-powered Luftwaffe Arado AR 96(above) is another model that benefits from custom markings to make it more than an average rendering of the WWII trainer for German pilots.
24 DECEMBER 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76