Retail therapy

Another couple of packages landed on the palatial modern runway of 72 Land’s capital today, from Hannants, Amazon, and Sprue Bros. Since they all managed to arrive on the same day, though ordered as much as 14 days apart, Mrs. 72 raised many an eyebrow at the large stack of boxes on the porch. Luckily she is a knitter, and they are every bit as bad when it comes to accumulating a stash that they probably will never get around to making.

First of all was the second in the Osprey X-Planes series, on late-war emergency fighter projects. I’m pretty interested in this new series (along with the upcoming Air Campaign books). I suspect much inspiration will come from this direction. I’ll likely keep on picking them up if I can continue to get them at decent prices.

Second are two books from Sprue Bros. The AirDoc book on German Eurofighters has been on my radar since the modern Luftwaffe started putting their Eurofighters into colorful commemorative schemes. It is printed in both German and English. Longtime readers know that I have a thing for RAF anniversary types, so this is a natural extension. I’ve already gathered up a few decal sheets which will figure in to the future construction plan. I do have two RAF Eurofighter specials to finish up before I get to the Luftwaffe types.

The second book was my first example of the Valiant Wings Airframe Album series. This is #10, which features the Messerschmitt Bf-163 Komet. The format is roughly similar to the Modellers Datafiles, not surprising since both were created by Richard Franks. There is a bit too much of excerpts from the technical manuals for my taste, but the development and operational history, and especially the markings information, were just what I was looking for. Even though I have completed a number of Komets, I’ve got plans for a captured RAF example, the Japanese MXY8, and Special Hobby’s Me-163C.

Finally came the Hannants box. Headliner for this shipment is the Mikro-Mir Miles M-47 Aerovan. I was overjoyed when I found this on the future releases list, and photos of the test sprues only made me more ready to go. It will be dropping into the construction queue right after the recent AZ DHC-1 Chipmunk. I’m inclined to also add the Airfix Short Skyvan to the queue, if only for the fact that the two aircraft had similar applications. I thought I had I had a copy of the Skyvan in the stash, but so far it has evaded my attempts to dig it out (think of the warehouse scene at the end of “Raiders of the Lost Ark”).

Also in the box was the new IBG PZL P-23. There seems to be a lot of interest in early WW2 Polish AF types at present, and I’m on board for that. Now if we could just get that 1:72 injected Zubr.