Welcome to The Model Museum.
Building models of aircraft, ships, cars and almost everything else has been around practically since humans first appeared. At least in one form or another.
The next best thing to an actual museum, where one can see exhibits for real, is a virtual one - like this.
So if you build models of any kind, drop us a line and let's see about showcasing your work.
You don't have to be a professional, just enthusiastic.
Email us for more details - info@kjmtoday.com
Begin your tour...
More details and images coming soon, including the Trident 1 in British Airways service.
When Minicraft began releasing airliner subjects, a collective sigh went up from enthusiasts, as the market had been not best served over the years.
Some of the kits had a number of issues over accuracy, fit or parts and so on - all common complaints regardless however.
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The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 wasn't one them and looks the part and goes together quite well. And given my liking for stuffing the interior with extra detail, it's just as well.
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This model depicts one of two that Scandinavian Airlines painted in a special scheme; known as 'paper planes, one carried a red base colour, the other blue. The design was the same on both aircraft otherwise.
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As with many of my models I included the cockpit and the area seen inside the open doors. This included the galleys and an open cockpit door, revealing a crew locker with a coat hanger on the door.
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At the rear I also scratch-built seats and curtains...as usual most of it can't be seen but again as always, I know it is there.
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One of my most satisfying builds, made even more so by its winning it's class at the former Southern Expo Model Show in Hornchurch and taking third at the Scale Model World national show at Telford.
When British Airways took over British Caledonian in 1988, what was the charter arm of BA (British Airtours) became Caledonian Airlines.
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The newly constituted inclusive-tour carrier used Boeing 737-236 aircraft transferred from BA's mainline operations and supported these smaller types with some of BA's Lockheed L1011 TriStar wide-bodied aircraft,
In addition, at least one of the former BCAL Douglas DC-10-30s appeared in Caledonian colours, although for the most part, all eight of BCAL's DC-10s were repainted in full British Airways colours and continued to be used on scheduled services from London Gatwick.
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With the plethora of after-market decals available during the late 1980s and 1990s, building a Caledonian 737 was a must to add to the BA collection.
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Airfix's kit can be built almost straight fom the box but the engine pylons do need altering - a little filler and some sanding can deal with this however.
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The Boeing 707, along with the Douglas DC-8, pioneered the era of mass travel around the world and was produced in a number of versions by Boeing. BOAC had a fleet of Rolls-Royce powered aircraft and this is the one depicted by Airfix. It isn't the most accurate kit but it's flaws aren't too difficult to put right.
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The most obvious is the height of the fin and a little plastic card can extend it to the right height.
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When BOAC retired the type, a number of them were transferred to BEA, who utilised them on charter flights to Mediterranean holiday hot-spots, as well as occasionally supporting scheduled flights to the same destinations.
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That's how I came to fly on the two models built for my 'flights made' collection, to Cyprus and Malta.
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The same also applies to the BOAC version, upon which a very little me and my Father returned from New York to London Heathrow, with a stop at Glasgow Prestwick.
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The Airfix Sea King is another kit that has been re-released a number of times over the decades since the original 1960s issue (which came with US Navy markings).
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This particular kit was built originally back in the 1990s and has had a complete rebuild, depicting the RAF Rescue scheme seen here.
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The rebuild involved adding a number of modifications not seen with the original issue, including various 'lumps and bumps' and so on.
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It's not a bad kit overall and not that difficult to build - although that can depend on which version one wants to have.
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But it's one of my personal favourites, not least because the exhaust stains turned out quite well.
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At least to my eyes anyway...
Growing up in (West) Germany in a British Armed Services community meant being surrounded by the Army and...the Royal Air Force.
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Making models of tanks and aircraft was pretty standard for most kids and one of the most popular was the Hawker Harrier.
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This has had a number of versions from Airfix and depicted here are two GR3s and a GR7, from Operation Telic.
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Not hard builds, as a means of transporting one back to growing up, this is as good a way as any.
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The two earlier versions have slightly differing colour schemes (which is why I made two of them...) and the later GR7, with its longer wingspan and greater power, is self-explanatory.
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To really go back in time means finding an ancient original Airfix GR1 and adding that to this collection.
The Airfix BAC 1-11 i another mould from many years ago and, as with most Airfix airliner kits, was produced using the first version of the real aircraft.
Delivered to British United (BUA), a forerunner of British Caledonian, the aircraft quickly underwent in-service modifications, the most obvious of which was a longer nose cone.
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One 'could' have built the original kit straight from the box using the early decal release for BUA, but to build it as depicted here means making the modifications.
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How one does is very much up to the individual modeller but the result here satisfied me.
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This very standard Airfix De Havilland Comet 4 is my oldest model, originally built in 1982 - which makes it 41 years old in 2023.
Built straight from the box and using the decals supplied by Airfix, the mould goes back to the 1960s so there are some minor fit problems but nothing an average modeller can't deal with.
The important part to this kit is , like many other model kits, the historical importance it represents.
And it does build into a nice little model!
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Douglas DC3, American Airlines,
1/144 scale, Minicraft.
Kevan James
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Minicraft's airliner kits were a boost to airliner modellers but came with a few caveats; some were not particularly accurate although this one wasn't too bad. It did have some fit problems but nothing that couldn't be overcome.
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A 1/144 scale it's also a small kit when built and probably falls into the category called 'cute'...
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But it does make a neat little model.
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Kaman Seasprite, US Navy.
1/72 scale, Airfix.
Kevan James
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Probably one of the lesser-known helicopters, the Seasprite was actually in service with the US Navy for thirty years.
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It's a neat little kit at 1/72nd scale, doesn't take up much space when built yet still contains a fair amount of detail.
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I confess to not knowing much about the Seasprite, my acquisition of the kit was really due to an increased interest in building some model helicopters.
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Some kit manufacturers are known for not providing the most accurate depictions of their subjects, but this one, to my uneducated eyes, looks like a Kaman Seasprite.
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Grumman F14 Tomcat
US Navy, 1/72 scale, Hasagawa.
Kevan James
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One of the most influential movies for me was 'The Final Countdown', in which a US Navy aircraft carrier goes through a time-warp and ends up back in WW2, just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour.
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It resulted in my interest in US military hardware, hence my build of the Tomcat shown here.
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It's not the most complex kit to construct and does make a nice model.
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As is usual for me, added detail includes extra work in the cockpit and nose gear bay.
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It might seem a little superfluous to add detail to the nose gear bay as it can't normally be seen. It is however, one of the little quirks of building models - I know it's there...
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British Caledonian Boeing 707
1/144 scale, Airfix.
Kevan James
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This is my second oldest model, close to 40 years old now (in March 2023).
It's an Airfix kit so to build this needed the kit to be converted to the type of 707 used by British Caledonian (BCAL).
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The model had a makeover a few years ago, with new decals specifically for the BCAL 707.
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However, the registrations provided were the wrong font and were too large so I didn't use them. Once I find a set that's right, they'll be applied and this model will represent the same aircraft that was used in the 1969 movie 'Airport'.
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At the time owned by US-based Flying Tiger Line, the 707 later spent a period in the UK with BCAL.
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The modifications include Pratt & Whitney engines from the Revell 707 kit as the Airfix kit comes with Rolls-Royce engines, altering the shape of the wing trailing edge, and making the fin taller.
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Swiss Airbus Airbus A320,
Revell, 1/144 scale.
Kevan James
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There are some who feel that the predominately all-white colour designs used by many airlines is boring, and to an extent this is true. That doesn't mean a boring model however and by adding detail it becomes more interesting.
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I confess to being a detail freak anyway so most of my models have scratch-built visible interiors, including the cockpit and areas shown through open doors.
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Engines and pylons usually have considerable potential for extra detailing and even on a plain white fuselage by gently scribing panel lines, adding aerials and other bits that stick out, a more realistic depiction of a real aircraft is the result.
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All aircraft, civil or military, don't sit on the ground doing nothing. They are made to earn their keep flying so they will (like your car) get a little dirty. Some aircraft can actually be filthy - depends on the operator...
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But a little judicious grime can make a difference. As can the extra detail, even on a rather unimaginative colour scheme.
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