h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Airfix: a lifelong passion for men of a certain age - A8145812
Author: AgProv - U538194

I hesitate to submit this straight to Peer Review (although I have a suspicion this could be one of my first successes in PR)as past experience indicates that obvious flaws will emerge that make the exercise a waste of everyone's time until the glitches are sorted out.


Therefore Alternative writing workshop and perhaps the Underguide look like a good starting point.


Any other Men Of A Certain Age out there whose eyes mist over at the sound of the word "Airfix"? Please report in and comment!

Well, it had me running!

Lots of interesting stuff here, but I suspect your instincts are correct - this should be heading PR-wards but isn't quite there yet.

Which makes me think the EG Writing Workshop would be the right place for it

As a youth, in about 1955, I bought and built two of my favourite aircraft in the Airfix range: The English Electric Canberra High Altitude and photo-reconnaissance (mark 9) medium bomber; and the Hawker Hunter F6 single-seat Interceptor fighter and ground attack bomber. And even though I say it myself, I made a good job of their construction, placing them on display stands in my bedroom.
The trouble was, they didn't stand up very well to my mother's expertise with a mark one muck attack duster! Bits came off, as if they'd been targeted by anti-aircraft artillery! But they were fun to make and good to look at whilst in their 'battle-readiness' mode or condition.
I think the Red Army made my mum a full KGB Colonel for her efforts!

Good and well written piece; full of interesting information about the company and its early beginnings.

I agree with T T that this could well make Peer Review material, being factual and all!

f.

I think it has PR and EG potential, and indeed with the lovely style combining it with this Entry A3770660 might be worth thinking about. Why not contact the author and see if a Collaborative Entry might be a nice idea?

MJ

Hmmm, a model entry for such a topic, I think. Just right in terms of detailing and scale. Could do with brushing up a bit presentation-wise mind, just like Airfix .

(Seriously - an added line break betweeen paragraphs would make the read much easier.)

Unlike Airfix models though, this it's entertainingly put together. I didn't know the original Airfix went bust. That's sad. The Stealth Bomber story is hilarious however.

Thanks AgProv, I've been entertained and educated,
Waz

Now rescued by Hornby?

Hmm, I'll have to update to take in the most recent (2006)banktruptcy and buy-out... I have to admit that my belief is that the vast majority of Airfix kits, maybe 60% of the range, have had their day and I really would not want to rush to revive some of the oldest, crudest, most worn moulds.

My interest in the buyout is a kind of relief that Humbrol paints are safe! (as parent company to Airfix, Humbrol also went bust - serious, as their paint range is important still: lost these and another slice of British modelling history goes to the wall)


Again, Humbrol was a British company that had no serious opposition for a long time and got complacent. The only competitor in the paint range was Airfix: I remember those cool early Airfix paints in the tall glass jars which had a certain elegant 1960's iconography to them. Then Airfix converted to boring little tinlets and the romance got lost. Finally Humbrol bought out Airfix and closed down the Airfix paint range so as to have no competitor, and for some years prospered.

However, acrylic (water-based) paints have become big-vogue over the years: users of the Games Workshop system will use no other.

Imported paints from Spain (Dragon Viejo and others) and from Japan (Gunze)have a brilliance and clarity of colour that makes Humbrol enamels look muddy and grubby by comparison, alas. (It is the case that Humbrol colours do not contain any pure primary shades: Gunze Sanyo certainly do)

So again the former British market-leader is outclassed by the continental competition?

Right, submission updated and tidied up.

Ready for the next stage, or is there more to do?

From a quick re-read this seems really, really close to EG fit to me. I'm no Scout or PR regular, mind.

The problem in reviewing outside PR is that the criteria are different.

I actually think that if this got UnderGuide nomination we'd quite likely be told by the italics that the UnderGuide couldn't use it because it was too EG-fit.

So, where do you want it to go AgProv? The reviewing advice would be different depending on your choice, and if it's EG - you need the expertise of PR regulars, I reckon.

(I do like this. Love it when something connects that you'd never expect to connect with. And the black bomber ... I'll say again, is classic.)

hmm, this is indeed a tough one to call.

As an old Scout and PR regular I'm sorry to say that I think this would be torn to shreds and lose its tone if it were submitted to Peer Review with the intention of becoming Edited Guide material.

However, there's loads of factual and informative stuff in there too!

Oh, you!

I think the problem would be that if it went into PR you would have to do a LOT of work on it, and you may feel that it will become merely 'A History of Airfix'. Which it isn't.

You could try putting it into the EGWW before PR and see what people like Gnomon and other high falutin' EG types say.

As such, I think it has definite Post potential, because as Waz said, if the Italics saw it coming to the UnderGuide they may suggest it has more EG potential, and then you go and lose your lovely heartfelt piece of writing.

If it were me, I'd submit it to the Post, then go for the EGWW and see what it morphs into.

glad you posted Matt - you're much more up on PR than me. I really didn't see that much that would _have_ to be changed.

Is there another option,... make a less EG fit version? Ie, bit of first person, more opinion?

Like the Blue Oyster cult one (think that was your's AgProv), there's maybe potential for two entries here. One EG, one not.

Whatever you do though, keep this version somewhere, it's a really good piece of writing.

(And it's about Airfix! Can't believe I'm saying this about an entry on Airfix models!)

I don't think the actual 'content' needs all that much changing for it to go into PR, but I have a strange suspicion there may be a long road ahead of 'tweaking'...

PR has gotten very, well 'just the facts ma'am' recently, and like I siad, you may find yourself on a route to the Edited Guide Entry - 'A Brief History of Airfix Models'.

Depends how much you're willing to put in and/or change AgProv...

I don't know, Matt. I'd suggest EGWW, myself; the only thing it really needs is more structure; breaking up into headers and organising a bit into chronological order. I don't think that by doing that it would lose its voice or tone, nor that it would be torn to shreds in review. It's an excellent Entry, and I'm rather surprised that anyone is talking about anything *but* the EG as its final destination. In any case, EGWW would be a better testing place for that rather than the Post.

'PR has gotten very, well 'just the facts ma'am' recently'

I disagree with that as well, Matt. I don't recall anyone being asked to take their personality out of an Entry.

You know, there's only one way to find out!

Submit to PR and see what happens! Wherever it goes, it will do well

ah, but is the personality going in in the first place?

But that's another issue away from what AgProv needs suggestions for

Agreed, and I think we've agreed on that very point elsewhere in the past

For my dosh, I'd go for EGWW - the reviewing is slower, but it does prepare thing very well for PR. AgProv would be able to get a good idea of what needs to be done without a huge debate, and could make his own decision from there

Oh, and regardless of the outcome of where this goes, you've inspired me to get out my modelling board and cut something off the sprues once again Ag!

Thank you, thank you...

Funny you should have mentioned the Blue Öyster Cult, as I'm attempting to build the model of one of their LP sleeves right now. This is not as wacky as it sounds: the "Secret Treaties" album features an ME-262 fighter jet on the cover, but with the German crosses and swastikas replaced by the band's Chronos cross logo. The plane is sitting at rest on a runway with a pilot at action stations: either rationing is at a very critical stage, the pilot has terminal anorexia, or this is Death making his first guest appearance in a Blue Öyster Cult album design)The headache will be re-modelling various stock figures to look like an early seventies rock band, but I think my skills will be up to it...

As for the linked article here, on use of tanks in WW2, this is one I picked up in Flea Market and tried to run with. It's substantially finished - it just needs the sub-article about German tanks and AFV's in WW2 to be completed, and a few odd paragraphs added to round things out elsewhere.

I think Yataghan (original writer) was wiser than me - he realised what a monster he'd started and ran away. I didn't until I was well into it.

Now I've written a shorter entry and was advised to break it down as it was far too long - that became FOUR possible Guide entries.

So I've hesitated to do anything with this one, or to draw anyone's attention to it, until now... I realised I made a few remarks about Italians in a footnote to the Airfix article that might be taken in the wrong spirit. I don't want to delete those, but I also wanted to set the record straight, so I linked to this article, and especially to its sub-entry on Italy in WW2, to show there are two sides to every story, and I am capable of writing straight history, honestly!

(Any comments on the WW2 piece, I'd be glad to hear them!)

Phewf, I recall the last 262 I built. 1/72 scale night fighter. Lovely little job it was too.

I have a feeling you've gone and started something my mrs will not take kindly too.

'Not MORE things to dust!'