In time for spring is the next issue of IPMS Canad's Random Thoughts. The issue returns to having six main articles from a number of familiar names as well as the usual information from the editor, national director, and chapter liason.

This time the issue leans towards aircraft, however, the main feature article is on the Tamiya 1/12 Brabham BT42 from 1974. For those of you who are 'youngsters', you may be unaware that in the past, F.1 was not the strictly closed batch of groupies that it is today. Often times private teams drove 'second hand' cars they had bought or leased from the main teams. These entries helped to add zest to the field and fill out the grid. One of these drivers was Canadian Eppie Wietzes, whose name was familiar as a privateer in all sorts of motorsports. Evan Jones accurizes the Tamiya kit to represent the car Eppie drove in the 1974 Canadian Grand Prix.

Next, Frank Cuden does an easy conversion making the MPM 1/72 F-86L kit into an F-86D. Easy because MPM did not bother to add in the longer wing of the F-86L and provides the correct F-86D wing in the kit! Frank chose a nice scheme that your editor picked for one of his Revell F-86D builds. I also notice that Frank decided not to add all the tiny brass vortex generators to the rear fuselage and I don't blame him.

A very nice Fokker E.V by Gary Barling is next. He uses the Eduard 1/48 kit and includes some excelling how to for representing the wooden wing and camouflage for this aircraft.

A very neat Basler BT-67 conversion by Barry Webb is next. Barry used the Italeri kit for this and it is a model that won best Canadian subject at last year's IPMS USA event. Lots of great photos to help anyone wanting to do this conversion which, other than the nose, looks to be straight-forward.

Moving to non-flying subjects we have Ron Bell's sanitary Archer 17pdr anti-tank gun. This is a conversion using the Fujimi Valentine and the Milicast resin set.

Finally, we have Andy Bannister's Roden 1/72 SE.5A. As usual, the kit has a lot of additional work and aftermarket put into it to make the sort of model that folks like to read about. The result is a super model.

As with all RT articles, these are well written, in full color and with lots of photographs. How do you get these great editions? Simply join IPMS Canada and trade money for magazines. It is well worth it. As a bonus, you also get their e-mail editions of Beaver Tails, which is separate from the magazine.

March 2015

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