Hi Mal,

Remember those masks for the MIIc Hurricane you sent me a while ago, meant for my version of Kuttlewascher’s plane whilst No1 Squadron were at Redhill? Well I’ve finally got around to using those masks; photo attached, please feel free to use this photo any way you wish to promote your wonderful product. Blimey, everything you say about these masks is true and then some, they are brilliant! Ok, for me using them for the first time they were fiddly and a few Anglo-Saxonisms floated out of the studio from time to time, but in the end the reward was well worth the effort.

This vintage Revell-Monogram kit is, like me, really showing its age, coming from 1971, around the time I was last doing modelling before becoming a re-born modeller in the last couple of years. I knew the kit was simple and crude, and that it had a lot of faults, but it wasn’t until I started nailing it together and taking a good look at my sources that I realised just how bad it is. Times have moved on, as has technology and the standards expected of kits, and so this was probably the least pleasurable build I’ve done so far. Ho hum.

In the end I scratch-built the drop tanks, guns and aerial, and to cut a long story short, though I re-engraved a few panel lines and removed some of the pancake-like rivets and added some that are more subtle and realistic, this kit just wasn’t worth spending too much effort on, so instead I decided to crack on and do a very basic job and concentrate on using the kit as a practice platform for your masks, on the theory that if I made a cock-up with them I wouldn’t climb up the walls with rage and frustration at having messed up a good kit.

The ribbed of the side of the Hurricane is a devil anyway, but with everything exaggerated on this ancient kit (almost to the point of caricature) even your wonderful masks couldn’t cope with these peaks and troughs so the paintwork needed a fair bit of touching up after the masks were removed, but nothing that a steady hand and a glass of Scotland’s finest next to me couldn’t sort out.

By the way, correct me if I’m wrong, but as no one else seems to do RAF dull blue or dull red in acrylics (?) I mixed up my own, neither of which, when I stand back and squint at the finished model honestly and objectively, are quite right on this Hurricane. Next time I’ll get this right. One of the reasons why I wanted your masks was that for some reason most decals seem to depict RAF dull blue far too dark, sometimes being a very dark dull indigo - compared to the examples I’ve seen of the real thing that’s way wrong. Maybe it’s just my eyes – I hope not though!

Thanks again for the masks. I will probably knock on your door for some more when I have time to think about other projects for which decals won’t do. I still have that almost as ancient 1/32 Revell Beaufighter kit that I’d love to put together, but so far (again correct me if I’m wrong) I’ve heard nothing about an improving set of resin bits appearing. Patience, patience………

All the best,
Leo

I won't say anything here but I think that most will like the updated version. I'll post a copy when completed, I might actually be able to sell the instructions without Masks All will become clear in the not too distant future.

Looks like a great idea Mal, they always say that a picture is worth a thousand words.

P.S. My hairs about shoulder length, you may want to point that out to the artist

That's true as there must be more than a thousand words on the current instructions
I wouldn't mind getting a set of the "new" instructions

You could always have your hair cut? I hope to have a trade stand at Telford in 2010 and I would hope to have a large Millie Mask cut out to attract punters. A real life Millie would be a million times better, do you fancy dressing up Sam

I'm really glad to see that the girls aren't taking offence

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P.S. My hairs about shoulder length, you may want to point that out to the artist

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You could always have your hair cut? I hope to have a trade stand at Telford in 2010 and I would hope to have a large Millie Mask cut out to attract punters. A real life Millie would be a million times better, do you fancy dressing up Sam

Allen don't read the bit above this

I'm really glad to see that the girls aren't taking offence

Go on then

Has anyone actually noticed the likeness of style in the drawings?

If you're really lucky there might be a slim chance of convincing Sam to wear her Camo mini skirt with knee high boots and a Miracle Mask T-shirt (but not too low cut )

Go on then

These are of course drawings by Chuck Wojtkiewicz, aren't they?*

* Do I get a free set of instructions for the answer...

If you're really lucky there might be a slim chance of convincing Sam to wear her Camo mini skirt with knee high boots and a Miracle Mask T-shirt (but not too low cut )