Miscellaneous Hobby Page

REFERENCE & MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

REFERENCE Highlights: Information Requests | Humbrol Chart | Opinions on Kit Manufacturers | Terms On SMAKR | Scales Discussion

Set out below are links to other parts of my site that fit under the above banner pretty well. This includes useful tips and information for modellers, a cross reference Humbrol paint chart and even some humour. Feel free to browse these pages.

Please note however, that many of these pages are provided as is without any real intention of further updating, purely because they are secondary parts to the running of this site (which is about kit reviews obviously).

Any updates or additions to this section will be summarised on the "What's New" Page.

SITE INFO : This page provides a comprehensive run down on how the SMAKR site (Scale Model Aircraft Kit Reviews) is organised and managed. Rather than providing all this information on the HOME page which you have to scroll down through, I figured it best to provide a separate page which could be read at your leisure. This page discusses things from how the review indices are sorted, right through to what various sections of the site really mean. Headings and a list of contents also help to find what you are after. This is a recommended page for first time visitors to SMAKR to get some information about the site, that may answer a lot of questions!

INFORMATION REQUESTS :
BEFORE you send me an email asking for information or assistance, please read this page first!!!
I have set this page up to answer a hell of a lot of commonly asked questions I get in emails, many of which I cannot really assist with - for example, explaining why pop adverts appear on SMAKR (and this is not something I have any control over!); why I can't help with finding you a kit in the US (since I live in Australia!) and so on. Various headings and topics answer most queries, and all you need to do is page down and look at the appropriate heading. This saves you from having to write an email and then sitting around waiting for a response! :-) The page is not intended to affront anyone, but it does help greatly free up my time to publish reviews for you and spend time on the hobby as well as work a full time job and run a business (my wife also runs her own business!), so please understand that I cannot always respond to emails - I do read them though!

HUMBROL X-REFERENCE CHART : This link should open up a new window - but please be patient, it may take a little while to load! This is a comprehensive chart listing Humbrol paint numbers with their name, approximate FS match plus closest match to a number of other paint brands including Tamiya, Testors/Model Master, Gunze, Airfix, Authentics etc. This information has been gleaned from a number of sources, and should be only used as a guide and in conjunction with other tables, please read the accompanying disclaimer before relying on the advice given.

KIT MANUFACTURERS - OPINIONS AND COMMENTS : Generalised and unbiased opinions on experiences with a number of known manufacturers, intended to provide some advice to modellers in making an informed decision about whether to buy a kit from a specific manufacturer, as well as what the likely outcome may be; for instance, fit, accuracy, etc. Please read the disclaimer, and note these are opinions and comments as the page suggests, and contributed by a number of modellers.

MODEL SCALES : A discussion page on scale modelling, explaining the evolution of scales, what the term means, conversion rates and opinions/general discussion on each of the major scales available (1/24; 1/32; 1/48; 1/72; 1/100 and 1/144) and their (dis)advantages. Naturally this page deals exclusively with aircraft kits for the sheer fact of relating to SMAKR.

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MODEL KIT RECYCLING : Brian R. Baker has put together a very helpful and informative article on how to recycle old kits - strip them right down, reassemble and repaint them! Sounds like fun!

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COCKPIT PAINTING TIPS : A step by step information page to how your SMAKR webmaster paints his kit cockpits! Hopefully some useful tips for others to pick up on. This article was written in the late 1990's so I have honed many skills now but at least gives you an idea of some of things I have done.

FS NUMBERS - CODE OVERVIEW : A short article explaining in three steps how the breakdown of the numbering system for FS numbers is applied.

TIPS & TOOLS : A very basic tips/tools page I wrote which is aimed at novice modellers to get a bit out of their modelling experience through some easy techniques, and using basic tools (eg: clothes pegs & rubber bands for clamps), that many now take for granted as being "presumed".

MODELLING TIPS - IAN CHILDS : Ian provides an overview of some of the skills he learned from an extensive background in railway modelling and how much of this, including model railway accessories, can be used for scale aircraft building!

MODELLING FAQ : NB: This is actually a link to another URL on the web containing a long list of FAQ's written in the mid 1990's, for all facets of modelling and should help you much more than I ever could! This should open up in a separate window but remember this link is to another web site and not my own.

US MILITARY AIRCRAFT DESIGNATIONS : A short article providing a basic list of the prefixes and general designations given to USAAC/USAAF aircraft in WW2 - eg: F4U-5N is Fighter from Vought specially modified for Night attack.

RUSSIAN WW2 SILVER & OTHER COLOURS : This article has been taken from the rec.models.scale newsgroup and provides some opinions on the use of silver on Russian WW2 aircraft as well as other VVS colours. Note that this article is general in opinion only.

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