Nautical Birthday Presents

Subtle hinting and emailing an Airfix link brought about this first birthday hit. HMS Repulse in 1/600. A kit I "touched" in 1995 but decided not buy (and regretted), so second time around I didn't want to miss the boat (literally) again. I know Trumpeter have produced a nice version too, but the 1/600 Airfix version fits in nicely with the KGV 1/600 (aka HMS Prince of Wales) Airfix model I also have dating back from the 1995 era too. Perhaps subconsciously I am planing some sort of a "Sinking of Force Z" game in a local school playground/hall.

The second birthday hit was a eBay (store purchase not bidding war) birthday present bought for myself on the excuse of an older brother saying I had to "get something I wanted for myself". Mission accomplished with the Airfix 1/1200 "Sink the Bismarck" waterline model set (shown below). I can also blame Tim Gow and David Crook for this with their blog reviews, though if truth be told I didn't need that much encouraging at all.

I didn't have this as a kid and it was yet another feeling of "the one that got away". It also fits in nicely with the Revell Mini-Ships series I have, plus an eclectic set of "metals" (1/1200 or 1/1250) scale I picked up on eBay recently. Another bonus was that a benign Airfix "Packing Elf" included two packs of HMS Suffolk, which is quite handy (aka the RN, HMS Norfolk and HMS Suffolk Greenland Gap/Denmark Strait cruiser patrol pair). All I now need is another "pair of Tribals" for Vian's boys, but they seem to be over-priced on eBay (am I making an excuse for buying another boxed set?)

Well they are 'both' on the "winter projects to do list" :)

Releases that I am looking forward to :)

I crave the delight of seeing kits that were available from the past (i.e youth) being re-released. Up-and-coming ones I have a particular eye for are:

• Ex-Matchbox Stuart/Honey tank by Revell (Linking back to the Plastic Warrior)
  

• Ex-Matchbox Hanomag 251 by Revell (Linking back to the Revell website which seems to suggest they have just released it)

I found a link to a Flicker collection of the origin Matchbox box art :)

The former will complete a Desert Rat tank troop (Command Decision company) in the desert for the Eighth Army and as the alternative version (bless Matchbox) as  a close-support/light tank (primarily for its many machine guns) for the US Marines in island clearing operations. A couple of kits of the latter Hanomag is needed to complete a Panzer Grenadier company, one of which will necessitate a bit of ingenuous modeling (well just sticking a 37mm AT gun on it, but that's ingenious enough for me).

• I seem to have missed the 1/72 Italeri (old Esci kit) for the Panther, the one they seem to be pushing is the fast snap together version :(

• Will Airfix release the 1/600 HMS Repulse again? :(
  

 Of interest I found this link to a PDF of the old Airfix Magazine ship articles including one on the Repulse.