Faust

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been almost 63 years to the day (Feb 20, 1962) that John Glenn rode Friendship 7 and an Atlas ICBM into orbit to be America’s first Man in Space! While space doesn’t seem to hold as prominent a place in the public consciousness as it used to, there’s no denying how big a deal the Space Race was at the time. It might be something of a negative commentary about our world that journeying beyond it no longer seems to hold our attention. But I don’t want to dwell on that! In a recent journey to a local shop, I came upon a more-or-less perfect reissue of Revell’s ancient Mecury-Atlas booster kit with launch complex, and was reminded of a time when this kind of thing really got people going. This particular reissue was to commemorate Glenn’s return to space on the Shuttle. I don’t normally build “Real Space” kits, but I couldn’t say no to it, not with the anniversary of that famous flight so close at hand! So, check out this kit; maybe you remember it as a kid, or maybe, like me, you’re seeing it for the first time. Regardless, it’s a pretty cool kit, even if not a perfect one! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/revell-1-110-atlas-mercury-everything-is-go-out-of-box/

Well, it’s the early part of a new year, so what a good time to take a look at the oddball mix of kits that I was able to accumulate over the holidays! Some were Christmas presents, others finds at local stores, a toy show, and even a few online purchases! There’s everything from old to new to something old being new again! One thing’s for sure, though; if you know my tastes at all, then you know there’s going to be some esoteric weirdness in here! Check out my 2024 Yuletide Haul at the link below! The pic is just the cars, but there’s a whole lot more to see! Here’s to another great year of modelling to all! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/yuletide-2024-haul/

Heck, I've got over 350 Gundams (unbuilt, and about 110 built) and I still build them! Just picked up four more today! I remember Zellers and K-Mart selling models and supplies, but I never saw a drug store do that up here.

One of the greatest forms of losermobile is the kind that is let down completely not by design, but by birth. Either shoddy workmanship, materials or both result in a great design being little more than a cautionary tale in the annals of automotive history. A great example of that is the Alfa Romeo Alfasud, a sporty, fun-to-drive car that was everything one could hope for, while also being an unrepentant rust magnet! In the case of the ‘Sud, the design was willing, but bad metallurgy and cost cutting doomed it, and the resulting flesh was weak, so to say. Obviously, having a replica of a loser like that is high on my list, and I was ecstatic when I got my Solido Cougars and found one of them was, indeed, an Alfasud! While it may not be a kit, I do think this is one of the only ways to get a replica of an Alfasud, so enjoy a look at a car that you certainly don’t see in real life anymore! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/solido-1-43-alfa-romeo-alfa-sud/

One of the great parts about being a modeller is being able to embrace the more esoteric subjects, or kit makers or even kit formats so that the hobby never gets stale. With the explosion of Japanese Sci-Fi and Anime kits in the past decade or so, this has never been more true. However, not every kit made for the the Japanese home market is intended to make it across the oceans to us here in North America. Just like in the early days, when mech kits were little-known and something of a niche, there are mech kits that, even today, remain largely unknown and unavailable. A perfect example of this are “gum kits”, which straddle the line between a mega-fancy Kinder Egg toy, and a full-on model. Pushing these even farther are the Kabaya Gum Kits from the G1 Transformers Franchise! Recently, I got my hands of a few of these, and I thought I’d take a look at the God Ginrai kit from a modeller’s perspective, rather than form the point-of-view of a Transformers Fan (which, of course, I also am). So, for something totally different that you won’t find on too many shelves, check out the kit below, and prepare to wish we had drugstores like Japan does! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/kabaya-transformers-gattai-dx-gum-kits-super-ginrai-godbomber-oob/

Glad I was able to introduce this plane and kit to a whole new audience. I really do wish that kits of these weird, interwar record-breaking and research aircraft were available again, or better yet as nice new kits. They're important, but they've gotten lost in the shuffle as technology has progressed. Gotta love FROG for bringing out stuff like this!

Yeah, I love it when we actually get some different marking options! This variety makes even Matchbox pale by comparison, eh?

If there’s one thing I like, it’s a two-seater. Most of my modern jet kits are, in fact, two-seaters! Well, that’s except for the ones that are single-seat variants of two-holers! That’s just the kind of backwards guy I am, I guess… However, I love esoteric aircraft as well; those things that are a bit more off the beaten path really appeal to me. Not a surprise, then, that I’ve long wanted a kit of a two-seat MiG-23 for my stash. I my eyes, the “UB” variant of the Flogger is probably one of the sexiest Soviet aircraft of all time, but it’s not one you see in plastic very often! Until it is! Check out my out of box review for the Art Model 1/72 MiG-23 UB at the link below. Man… they really do make a kit of everything, don’t they! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/art-model-1-72-mig-23-ub-flogger-c-out-of-box/

Since I was looking for a change of pace from ill-fitting MPCs and picky airplanes, I thought the Airfix Bond Bug seemed like a great choice for my next build. While it’s far from perfect, it’s certainly very much unlike anything else I have, and I have multiple Japanese 3-wheelers, so that’s saying something! I’ve managed to get the chassis all together and ready for installation, so I thought I’d share it with everyone. This part of the kit is actually quite good, with only minor modifications needed! Enjoy! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/2024/09/13/bond-bug-update-1-its-whats-underneath-that-counts/

Okay, that's fair. We could always use more, though! I'd love to see some of the weirder stuff, or body styles we don't see, like the RX-3 wagons, Skyline wagons and other four-door versions of what we often see as 2-door kits. Mind you, that same sentiment goes for kits of North American cars, too...

Breaking records and advancing technology is a lot of what interwar aviation was about. Whether it was civilians risking it all for fame and fortune, or military test pilots pushing new frontiers for the glory of their homelands, going higher, farther and faster was a frenetic, and dangerous, game. While post-war X-planes from many nations are decently catered for by model companies, the same can’t really be said, especially nowadays, for these interwar pioneers. Thankfully, FROG had a whole series of “Trailblazers” kits that paid plastic homage to some of these aeronautical achievements. One that I’ve managed to get my hands on is the Bristol 138/A, a high-altitude research aircraft of clearly British origin. A very pedestrian-looking plane to today’s eyes, it must have been quite a sight back in its day, with its closed-in canopy, huge wings and spindly, tall undercarriage! Check out my review of this seemingly forgotten classic at the link below, and get ready to “get high” in a way that doesn’t (necessarily) involve inhaling model cement fumes! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/frog-1-72-bristol-138-a-oob/

Oh man!! That Cosmo kit is awesome! I've never seen that one before! I have to say that, while it's not perfect, the Cosmo looks pretty okay to me. It's a bit weird, but generally I like the shape and style. I think the grille's a bit off from the rest of the design; it wraps up the front too much, like those '90s Regals. If it had a more distinct "snout" like the RX-3, I think it would have looked better. Interesting to compare it to the Colonades. I also HATE colonade A-Bodies. Not sure why there's so much love for them, but my brother is in love with them... so I guess GM knew what they were doing (from a marketing standpoint, at least...). Fair exchange is no robbery, I guess... now I have to go hunting for a Cosmo!

One area of interest that seems to be taking off in the scale replica world lately is that of Japanese cars, particularly older cars from the ‘70s and even early ‘80s. There’s not a lot written in North America about these cars in comparison to the domestics of the period, and this air of mystery has helped fuel the increasing popularity of these rarely seen and little-known automobiles. Interestingly, there were a lot more kits of older Japanese cars back in the day, when they were current, than you can find now. Sure, some have been reissued, and many “updated” to match the current vogue of the Tuner scene, but these don’t compare to the number of kits from when these cars were new. If you want to get a feel for one of these Japanese beauties, you have to commit to going back in time and looking at that era’s kits. Unfortunately, the relative obscurity of these cars in North America meant there was little call to import them in kit form, so there are not as many 50-year-old Japanese car kits as there are American cars of the same age. Thankfully, though, there were a few exceptions; the Entex corporation loved to bring various Japanese kits over. Some, like their planes, were by Otaki. Others, like their 1/20 cars, were Bandai’s creations. Thanks to my brother, I was able to get my hands on one of the 1/20 Entex Mazda RX-3 models. This is a classic in its own right, so put on your best bell bottoms and fire up the Wayback Machine as we take a look at this forgotten classic at the link below! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/entex-bandai-1-20-1971-mazda-rx-3-oob/

Thanks man, I appreciate the love. MPCs are a pain, but their choice of subject matter usually makes the difference for me between abandoning and finishing a kit!

You know the saying… when MPC throws you lemons, make… well… something! That was the situation I found myself in when it turned out that the old MPC California Sunshine show truck kit was anything but accurate. With decals that didn’t fit and results that didn’t match reality, it was time to come up with some kind of “Plan B”. So, I did. I thought it’d be fun to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Macross: Do You Remember Love movie with a truck that would look like it was an homage to the film but from back in the day! To this end, I present the finished “Valkyrie Truck”! Sure, it’s not what MPC intended, but I’d drive this around any day! Check out how this little beast turned out at the link below, and never believe people when they say “That’ll never make sense!”. It may not, but it’ll look cool doing it! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/mpc-1-25-valkyrie-truck-california-sunshine/