Once i had a Stuka...

Andrew Gorman · February 24, 2026, 01:19:40 PM

I had a Stuka kit, but really didn't want to build a Stuka. Start with a Frog kit, transplant the tail from an ME-262, spats from a Northrop Gamma, clip the wings and change the greenhouse.Inspired by a Curtiss Shrike more than anything. Who's going to operate this abomination? I'm thinking the Federal Republic of Central America. I have an idea for markings that might work, or might not

Steel Penguin · February 24, 2026, 01:21:47 PM

" i dont know what it will do to the enemy, but it frightens the life out of me!"

looking good

Rick Lowe · February 24, 2026, 08:52:17 PM

Quote from: Steel Penguin on February 24, 2026, 01:21:47 PM" i dont know what it will do to the enemy, but it frightens the life out of me!"
looking good

Agree.

Captain Canada · February 25, 2026, 09:08:52 AM

That'a pretty wild. Defo all over the place ! Looks like an ealry Stuka, but also, not so much....

Andrew Gorman · February 25, 2026, 09:12:17 PM

It's different in a low key kind of way, which is the point. While looking for inspiration I ran across this beast:
http://www.aviastar.org/air/england/handley_hp-47.php
I want one! But I ave to figure out why they needed the stalky and fetching landing gear...

PR19_Kit · February 26, 2026, 02:52:20 AM

Perhaps they wanted good clearance underneath to load the bomb(s)?

Andrew Gorman · March 07, 2026, 04:51:06 PM

I just noticed the original price on the Stuka box- 4/9 from Beatties Trains and Cars. Looks like they were big in model trains in the 1960s, did mail order and had shops in London and Manchester. And then got bigger before collapsing- I should have checked Wikiedia first...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatties_of_London
This kit has certainly traveled in time and space to end up in San Francisco! Lots of filling tiny gaps and the plane is about ready for primer.

NARSES2 · March 08, 2026, 12:55:38 AM

I used to work for the Pearl in the late 60's/70's and the office was 100 yards or so away from Beatties. Some happy lunch hours around payday

PR19_Kit · March 08, 2026, 05:55:20 AM

In the 70sand 80s Beatties were all OVER the UK, but they collapsed as fast as they arrived, I never was quite sure why.

The Beatties in Nottingham was effectively Trent Plastic Modellers club room on a Saturday morning.

Weaver · March 08, 2026, 06:42:04 AM

I used to go to the Beatties in Manchester on a regular basis, in fact I still have a bottle of their own-brand plastic cement.

I can still remember some of the things I used to lust after in their window which my mum wouldn't let be buy too (in all fairness, they were WAY too expensive) and when I see them now I still get a pang and an irrational desire to buy one. Funnily enough they were mostly Solido very high quality die-casts rather than plastic models. The LHS had a second-hand AMX VCI trpp carrier with working metal tracks in recently and I was sorely tempted. The other one I remember was the Soviet BRDM-1 missile carrier with it's pop-up missile launcher and drop-down belly wheels.

NARSES2 · March 09, 2026, 06:31:59 AM

Quote from: Weaver on March 08, 2026, 06:42:04 AMSolido very high quality die-casts rather than plastic models.

There was a model shop in St George's Walk, Croydon called Modelzone. They used to cover all genres, but in particular they had a lot of Solido stuff. As I got older and started chatting with the owner he told me he was one of the UK's main importers of them and had a wholesale business as well.

Andrew Gorman · March 10, 2026, 06:17:31 PM

Almost done with the PSR phase, and wondering if I should swap in a radial engine? I have a donor, but then what to do with the big oil cooler and the exquisitely crafted tropical air intake from a Wehrmacht gas mask canister?

zenrat · March 11, 2026, 03:30:18 AM

Every time I see the thread title this comes into my head;

If I had a Stuka, I'd stuka in the morning
I'd stuka in the evening all over this land
I'd stuka out danger, I'd stuka out a warning
I'd stuka out love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land, ooh...

Weaver · March 11, 2026, 04:13:15 AM

Quote from: zenrat on March 11, 2026, 03:30:18 AMEvery time I see the thread title this comes into my head;

If I had a Stuka, I'd stuka in the morning
I'd stuka in the evening all over this land
I'd stuka out danger, I'd stuka out a warning
I'd stuka out love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land, ooh...

Now the thing that always goes through my head is the book/movie title: "We Had Stukas Once...And Were Young".

PR19_Kit · March 11, 2026, 05:06:10 AM

Quote from: zenrat on March 11, 2026, 03:30:18 AMEvery time I see the thread title this comes into my head;

If I had a Stuka, I'd stuka in the morning
I'd stuka in the evening all over this land
I'd stuka out danger, I'd stuka out a warning
I'd stuka out love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land, ooh...

Darn it Fred, I was SINGING that in my head, while reading it!

I'll have that track as an earworm now for DAYS!