Dave HomewoodSomething else that a mate and i came up with after much experiemtation was mix one part MEK (Ethyl Methyl Ketone, usually used as liquid glue for platic kits) and four parts methylated spirits. It stinks by it works brillaintly. Just mix and apply with a soft cloth. All types of paint, enamel, acrylic, whatever, comes straight off. Be advised to do it in a well entalated area, MEK isn’t pleasant stuff at the best of times despite model shops selling it to kids. At least this is something every modeller should be able to make from stuff they already have.
Dave HomewoodThanks everyone. Quite an interesting one. I heard the ‘over 1000 built by the Russians’ on the voice-over on the 1998 Wanaka DVD. I guess Ian Brodie had his facts askew.
Did anyone else licence build the Cat apart from the Russians and Canadians?
Dave HomewoodAh, yes, I didn’t mean it that way.
Dave HomewoodJust while a few here mention the engineers of Shuttleworth in earlier days, does anyone know much about Malcolm Frazer? I read he was with the collection till the mid 1970’s when he then came to NZ to become head of the Motat Aviation Division. He had hoped to get a number of the Motat aircraft flying, and I can only assum that it may have been his vision that started what resulted decades later in their Ryan STM taking flight. It was the only one to do so, and is based at Ardmore. Did anyone here know him? Is he still around? Just curious.
Dave HomewoodJust to let everyone know, I found a copy of the DVD set for John. So no need to look further now (for him anyway!)
Dave HomewoodWell said Merlin 70. Back to historic aviation for me now.
Dave HomewoodRESULT BECKA!!
Hi Becka,
What wonderful news, I am so happy for you and your Dad, and all your family. It must be such a relief. I’ll bet there are celebrations all around tonight. Have a drink on me. 🙂
I spent the afternoon and evening with Dad today, after he’d returned from the hospital. His first radiation treatment didn’t go well because after over an hour of consulting etc with several doctors, they were about to start and the entire hospital had a blackout. The power went off, and mum said it was quite funny because they were in a windowless room, and the doctor couldn’t find the door in the pitch black! Luckily the corridors had a few dim back-up lights, and mum sais everyone had torches and candles (!!). So Dad’s treatment was postponed till Monday. First they have to take some fluid off his lungs which means a huge needle through his back. He’s had it before, and depite how bad it sounds, he reckons it didn’t hurt!
Sadly, Dad is so unwell he said he’d never be able to drink the bottle of fancy English beer I’d given him a while ago, so now it’s in my fridge. 🙂
Thanks to everyone who has shown their support towards us. Especially to Andy too, yep, depression sucks bigtime. I hope I won’t have to call on ou, but I appreciate that mate. I am the guy in the group that usually handles everything thrown at me. I handle stress well, I deal with things with calm thought and always find a way through or a solution no matter what it is. And in the past I have always been the one who’s helped everyone else I know through their problems with calm, rational advice and whatever else it takes. But being in the position where I found myself where everyone was stunned into the same awful emotional state, and ten my stae was compelled by a second suicide whilst my friends were still coming to terms with the first, there was no-one who could say anything that made things seem better for me, that’s what really threw me. I learned a lot during that period. I learned how the mind works and it has made me stronger as a person, but also much more aware of certain emotions, etc. The greatest thing in life I have discovered – I was aware before but now it is so blatantly obvious – friends are so important. I have such an amazing group of mates who I would do anything for, and they would do anything for me. Losing one of our inner circle of friends was the catalyst to bringing the rest of us together so much more. It is like we’ve been to hell and back together and survived, and now we can face anything, and do anything for each other. I would definately take a bullet for any one of my close friends without a second’s thought. I hope it doesn’t take events as bad as mine for other people here to realise we have to make the most out of life and cherish the people we love.
Once again, thanks guys. Sorry for all this depressing nonsence. But really, I would never have thought a year ago I’d be a member of a forum where I’d bear my soul and still be welcomed. All you guys and gals here are great, even the slightly crazy ones. Cheers. 🙂
Dave HomewoodBy vermillion, does it mean the Rearwin changes colour to match its surroundings?
Dave HomewoodWINSTON CHURCHILL also rings a few bells with me. Not sure where I’ve seen it.
Henry sent me further info tonight after I asked if there was any possibility if the Ellis’s also donated a Spitfire (as reported). His reply is very interesting.
“There definitely wasn’t a Spitfire – and I think the reason for this was as follows. During WW2 there was an organisation known as the Fellowship of the Bellows which began in south America – Argentine/Brazil somewhere, and it was for ex Brits to donate money towards the aircraft funds in secret. A smal amount of money was donated by each member for every enemy aircraft shot down. A new member was a “puff”, after donating so much they were promoted to a “breeze”, and as they donated more money so the “wind” factor went up gale, hurricane, whirlwind, typhoon etc. You see now what I’m getting at? As Mr Ellis was not short of a bob or two, he may well have been a member of the Fellowship of Bellows – hence the reason he donated the Hurricane, Whirlwind and Typhoon – and not a Spitfire. “
Dave Homewood😮 🙂 🙂
Dave HomewoodThanks Arthur
Dave HomewoodSteve,
Thanks mate. I’m sorry to hear about Julie’s mum.
It seems we all have these things going on outside the forum that other posters are not aware of. I guess that is why sometimes people get feisty or moody, we forget the real world exists.
It takes real trust and friendship of others to bring real world problems in and share them here. But I think that proves this is not an exclusive group, a million people could read what I’m about to write in the next week or so if they wanted.
It is great to have a network of friends in the virtual community – a communitythat takes you outside of your real life sometimes. This forum community unwittingly did me a great deal of good last year, and none of you know it. I had the worst year of my life in 2004- two very good mates, one of whom was a very close best friend indeed – committed suicide within two months of each other. I went absolutely to pieces. It all went downhill and my studies at uni went pearshaped because I lost motivation and the ability to concentrate. I became terribly depressed. I used to wonder about depression, why people got it – it is a terrible thing. I can usually handle things fine, I’m not taken to depression, but this threw me over that huge cliff into it. Everything seemed depressing around me, because all my mates were feeling the same thing as me, all of us were mourning and trying to understand (though they never knew the second guy, only I did, which made it harder for me too). A whole lot of other crap started happening too, other friends dying (naturally, old age), the cat died, money problems, etc. and life became a blur of one bad thing after another.
I guess I just didn’t want to focus on realities for a while. I turned to the virtual world to take my mind off it all.
The creation of my website and the work that went along with the research of it really helped keep my mind active, but it was this forum that was one of the few refuges I had where things seemed better. The people were all nice, many made me smile or laugh, and it took me away from the bad reality happening around me. I
didn’t have to think about those things. If I went out and saw my mates, we’d always get drunk and end up depressed, and dwell on the what ifs, etc. It’s natural and part of the healing, but it is very hard. But stepping into the virtual pub with you lot made me happy. It truly helped me through a rough time. Somehow all that stuff didn’t matter a jot in the world of the forum.
Last year was bad, and I had hoped that this year would be a turning point. But Dad got sick around Christmas time and was diagnosed with cancer in late January. My first thought was, there goes the better year I’d hoped for out the window. But the thing is, I am finding that my personal character has really built up over the past year. I feel normal again, able to take the stresses of these things life shats on you. I know things are bound to get worse now that Dad is starting his treatment, but hopefully it’ll turn out for the good. I know one thing, I doubt I could feel as bad again as I did last year, and I have a lot of you guys and girls to thank for unwittingly pulling me through a very tough time. Cheers, thanks to you all.
A special thanks to Stve Patterson and John Parker especially who showed me such a great time recently when they were in Auckland, that is what this forum is about. Meeting amazing people.
Dave HomewoodBrilliant photos of an amazing collection. Thanks Mark12.
I don’t recognise a lot of the planes in that second lot. Would you mind posting a list of what they all are please?
Dave HomewoodMr Holmwood.
you have recently had a visit from our registered inspectors, Mr Parker and Mr Patterson.
You can now consider officially ‘cliqued’–sadly you’ll wear the scars forever more.
Cheers
Andy
Oh dear,
No-one warned me at the time. I wondered why they had that branding iron 😮
Does this mean I am required to change the spelling of my surname too then?
Dave HomewoodI guess that makes me part of the Duxford mafia…cool…:D
In line with what SteveYoung is saying, today my father finds out if the growth removed from his eye is cancerous or not…this has been hanging over my family since Christmas, and there have been times when I have watched some of the squabbling here in recent times and thought “c’mon, there are more important things to stress about”…We are all guilty sometimes overreacting to something that really isn’t that worth getting worked up about [b](and YES, I include myself in that before anyone says something)/[b], but there are situations that occur in life sometimes that really shake you up.
Take care Steve, you know you are among friends here 🙂
Absolutely. I can concur. My Dad begins radiation treatment tomorrow for cancer of the bowel and the bladder. I know exactly what you’ve been going through, our Christmas was not too good either. Dad also has had pneumonia and it seems to be coming back. A worrying time.
I’m thinking of both of you Becka and Steve
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