1/72 Airfix Short Stirling

by Gabriel Stern

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Neither the Stirling nor Airfix need any introduction, I think.
That old magic. Myriads of rivets, vague fit, the exciting challenge of improving things a little.
I feel with Airfix kits the same sensation I experience watching those old SciFi movies of the fifties and sixties. That irresistible candor, the low-tech magic, I don't know. It is like eating a hot dog: it's bad, unhealthy, but...what a heck. This model was built for a friend who actually flew in the real thing (hi Thomas!). I added some interior details (barely visible, I'm afraid) and tweaked here and there aiming to obtain a clean model. The kit pieces needed some attention (well, the flash thing, you know..) and so did the fit of most parts. The kit transparencies...well, I did my best. I added MV lenses in the landing lights recess and covered it with bent acetate. With the model comes the unexpected addition of a vehicle and trolley used to load the bombs; to these I added pieces of tubing at the end to replace the overly thick kit pieces. Acrylic paints and airbrush were used to finish the model, Testors metallic enamels for the correspondent details, decal strips for the canopy framing. This time the kit decals behaved properly. Somewhat difficult but enjoyable building. One day I'll will understand myself.

Gabriel

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Photos and text © by Gabriel Stern