Newsletter

This Months Meeting

7.30pm, Tuesday 20^th June.
First floor - Ley’s Institute Library, St Mary’s Bay Road, Ponsonby, Auckland.

Using Resin & Photo-Etch
Ever have lots of trouble using those fragile and fiddly resin and photoetched pieces? For this month’s meeting, we will have a practical demonstration evening with various members giving sessions on preparing and using aftermarket detail sets, both resin and photo-etched - practical tips for preparing, working/shaping and attaching pieces. Bring along anything you have built which makes extensive use of resin or photoetched to put on display on the table.

The Chairman’s Bit

A big thank you to all those who supplied time and models for our display at ModelEx over Queen’s Birthday weekend. We had plenty of interest from the public and may have some prospective members as a result. An extra big thank you to Bob Cox for organising the event.

Planning for the regional show and competition has started with the Marine Rescue Centre booked for the 7th and 8th of October. We will be aiming for plenty of practical displays over this weekend so I will be approaching members about doing some modelling during the event. I have had a positive response about putting on displays from other plastic modelling groups around Auckland including car, armour, figure, sci-fi and fantasy/Warhammer modelling groups, so we should be able to put on a diverse show for the public. I will be approaching (hassling) other IPMS chapters around the country about their participation so the competition tables should be full as well. There are only 130 days to go so start finishing (starting) those competition-winning kits now.

This months meeting on resin and photo-etched should give us all a new insight into handling these common but tricky modelling mediums, so if you have any bits and pieces that have been giving you grief, bring them along, and ask the experts. See you there.

Cheers,
Kevin

Upcoming Events

JULY – KIT IN A NIGHT
Due to the popularity of this event last year (the Tamiya 1/35th Morris Quad Tractor and Field Gun), we will have another kit in a night build-up this year. We will break into 5-6 teams and see how far we get. Suggestions for which kit to use are welcome.

AUGUST – ASSAULT FROM THE SEA
The next of our themes. For this one bring any model that has been used in an amphibious assault. Includes ships, tanks, landing craft, carrier-based aircraft, hovercraft, marine forces of any kind – whatever. If it is sea-based (even vaguely), bring it along.

SEPTEMBER – FIDDLY BITS
A practical session on rigging (ships and aircraft), using foil for straps, wiring engines and any other super detailing we can think of, and find a mug … oops, volunteer to demonstrate.

OCTOBER – REGIONALS
The Regionals has been scheduled for October, meaning plenty of nice cold Winter nights to get your entry finished. This will probably also take the place of the annual club champs. Due to the lack of a Nationals this year, we will probably open this to members from clubs outside of Auckland as we have done in the past.

New RNZAF Decals/Resin

A number of the recent releases from The Aviation Workshop/Hawkeye Models, Australia may be of interest to RNZAF 1/72 modellers:

#AVW-H01 is a conversion set to make a 1:72 RNZN SH-2F Seasprite from the excellent Airfix kit #3041. The decals give you markings for three different low-visibility aircraft, all medium grey, and you also get a pair of high-quality fuel tanks, each moulded in two parts in a fine and glossy white resin.

#AVW-HD07 is a set of 1:72 decals for the UH-1H Iroquois of 3 Sqn., RNZAF. Markings for two paint schemes are provided, the 'lizard' scheme of forest green and olive drab with normal insignia and markings, and the modern low-visibility scheme of all-over forest green. As well as the roundels, serials (13 different ones), and titles, both schemes are provided with No.3 Squadron's 'kneeling Maori' insignia for the tail fin, and the Squadron badge for the cockpit doors. The markings given for the 'lizard' scheme would also be correct for the RNZAF all-over orange Antarctic scheme. The decals themselves look to be sharp and cleanly printed, but remember they will need a coat of varnish before being cut from sheet. I hope ESCI really are going to re-release their UH-1D/H this year, because I really want to make the Antarctic one.

I will have a full price list from The Aviation Workshop at the meeting for those who wish to see it.

Information courtesy of Chris Jones at Heli-Kit News (http://www.5chr.freeserve.co.uk/)

Resin/Photo-Etched Manufacturers Internet Links

Eduard
http://www.eduard.cz/

Aires
http://www.aires.cz/

Cutting Edge
http://www.meteorprod.com/