Archive October 2009
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Kids can do it too ... for pocket money prices!
- By: Faith
- On: 31/10/2009 05:59:49
- In: Projects Gallery
- Comments: 0
As many of you Mums (and Dads) know, keeping the kids amused during the school holidays can be quite exhausting and also expensive. So while trying to conjour up new and exciting ways of entertaining my twin boys I had a brilliant idea. Why not let them have a go a making a model aeroplane? With working for The Model Catalogue it is amazing that I hadn't thought about this before. I guess I just assumed that they wouldn't have the ability as they are only six and a half years old and that the whole experience would be a total disaster. How wrong I was!!!Having checked out the models available I realised that there was quite a selection available for children and beginners. In the end I decided to choose from the range some of which we are currently are offering at half price at only £3.00 each. Those referred to in this article are all pre-painted, have a display stand and also come with the glue supplied. The kits my boys chose were as follows:
Focke Wulf Fw190A MINIKIT by Airfix (A50024) 1:100
P-47 Thunderbolt MINIKIT by Airfix (A50025) 1:144The boys were extremely excited about the prospect of making the planes and it turned out to be quite an enjoyable activity for all concerned. Obviously due to their age, adult supervision was required but I allowed them to do as much of it as they were able (which was most of it) and they both were absolutely chuffed to bits with the finished product. I felt that the fact that the models were pre-painted helped to produce a very professional finish and they are both very proud of their work. They rated the activity as ten out of ten and now have their models proudly on display and are shown in great detail to any visitors that we have.
All in all, the activity was fun and very inexpensive bearing in mind that everything is included in the kit and we hardly used any of the glue so we have that to use up on other things. This is definitely an activity that we will be doing again. Also with Christmas fast approaching you may consider these as fun stocking fillers.
Product codes of similar items:
F-15 Eagle MINIKIT by Airfix (A50027) 1:144
Messerschmitt Bf109F Minikit by Airfix (AT0001) 1:100
Mitsubishi Zero MINIKIT by Airfix (A50026) 1:100
F-4 Phantom MINIKIT by Airfix (A50067) 1:144
Tips for using Xtracrylix Flat Varnish
- By: Tom
- On: 24/10/2009 09:39:43
- In: Modelling School
- Comments: 0
http://www.modelshipwrights.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=147390&page=1
James May's adventures with Toy Stories! Get READY!
- By: Tom
- On: 21/10/2009 17:54:23
- In: Miscellaneous
- Comments: 0
"James May is out to prove why traditional, old-fashioned toys are still relevant today when he pushes them to the limit in spectacular, supersize challenges. This time, James takes model aeroplanes to a whole new level when he tries to make a full-size spitfire out of Airfix. But the venture soon hits problems when it becomes clear the giant 36-foot pieces may not be strong enough and nobody knows how they will fit together."
There is even a Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_May%27s_Toy_Stories
Who is she?
I thought I would write a piece for the blog to introduce myself to you. My name is Faith Mixer and I have been working for The Model Catalogue for a while now but recently have become more involved in marketing and customer service. I have had email contact with a number of our customers and my name has cropped up a couple of times in the blog and you probably wondered "who on earth are they talking about?"I try my hardest to keep all our customers happy with the service we offer and trust that they remain loyal to us. I also spend many hours (usually while I am doing the washing-up or making packed lunches) trying to think up new and exciting offers for you lucky people. Recently inspiration struck me and I will be posting news of this wonderful brainwave soon so keep your eyes peeled for this.
If any of you need to contact me for whatever reason, I seem to be glued to my laptop so email is usually the best form of communication for me.
Well, there it is - my first blog entry. Hope you now are clearer as to who I am and what I am trying to achieve. If any of you have an idea or suggestion that would improve our service or website and you would like to share this with me, please get in touch.
A payment page mystery solved ... I hope!
There has been a mystery at The Model Catalogue recently that has had me stumped for quite a few weeks. Faith noticed that a number of our customers have not been able to complete their orders despite several attempts. The baffling thing was that there was nothing wrong with the web site or with Paypal as both my internet host and I could put orders through with no problems at all. The only option was to be patient and trust that customer feedback would reveal the glitch. I believe I have now identified the problem! As is often the case it is not technology related, but user interface related.It appears that some customers may have been getting confused with our payment information page; the one where you can either fill in your credit card details and pay that way, or proceed to the Paypal site or chose the Other Payment Type option.
I suspect what these customers were doing was filling out the credit card payment form and then clicking the "Continue" button at the bottom of the page. The problem though is that this button relates to the Other Payment Type section of the page not the Credit Card payment section. It meant that because no Other Payment Type option was selected from the drop-down menu in that section, the page was being refreshed resulting in the credit card section of the page being reset and the customer's payment details being cleared from the form. The customer would then have to re-enter their credit card information much to their confusion (and presumably annoyance). This naturally would happen again and again until either the customer realised that the button to click was the one immediately below the credit card form and not the one at the bottom of the page or they gave up completely. Obviously I am mortified that this should have become an issue: the last thing I would do is intentionally frustrate a customer - it is obviously not in my interests!
Anyway, after a number of feedback examples we managed to figure out a solution. I have now made what I hope will be the changes needed to eliminate any ambiguity regarding the payment options. The changes include a paragraph of explanatory text at the top, in addition to modifications to the text in each button to make it absolutely clear which button to use for each part of the payment information page.
Of course you believe there are further improvements to be made please let me know by emailing me with the Contact Us form.
One for the diary - Yeovilton Fleet Air Arm Museum Autumn Model Show
- By: Tom
- On: 05/10/2009 16:24:33
- In: Museums, Exhibitions & Reference
- Comments: 0
This Airfix sponsored event will be one to brighten up an autumn weekend. Click on the link below for more information.
http://www.fleetairarm.com/en-GB/event/3.aspx
A whole new catalogue section devoted to a selection of diorama materials.
- By: Tom
- On: 03/10/2009 12:52:23
- In: Product News
- Comments: 0
This material, designed for create model railway dioramas, can be used in plastic kit dioramas to recreate a turfed or mossy surface. There are various application techniques however the most common is to put down a coat of PVA glue or a layer of adhesive spray upon which the turf is sprinkled.After a long time deliberating I have finally ordered in some diorama building supplies and creating the new category in the catalogue. Most of you will be very familiar with the brand and the perhaps also the products. At the moment there is a selection of scale gravels, rocks, tufts, turfs, foliage and a lonely tree!
Click here to see for yourself the new diorama products we now stock
New Airfix Kits in stock...
- By: Tom
- On: 03/10/2009 09:53:15
- In: Product News
- Comments: 0
A few new Airfix kits have come in. Below is the list and link to each one in our online store.
WWII British Paratroops by Airfix (A02701) 1:32
As the war approached it was seen that having the ability to drop elite troops behind enemy lines would be a major tactical advantage. By the end of December 1940, everything was in place to create the British 1st Airborne Division whose distinctive mark was to be the maroon beret and a shoulder patch with Bellerophon astride the winged horse Pegasus.
WWII US Infantry by Airfix (A02703) 1:32
The US infantry regiment of World War II was a powerful, flexible organization and was the core of the infantry division. During the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944 / early 1945 the infantry suffered high casualties, but managed to turn back the final push by the German army.
WWII British 8th Army by Airfix (A02707) 1:32
British 8th Army was one of the best-known military units in World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. At the beginning of November 1942 the 8th Army defeated Rommel in the decisive Second Battle of El Alamein, pursuing the defeated Axis army across Libya, eventually leading to the Axis forces to abandon North Africa.
BAE Red Arrows Hawk by Airfix (A02005) 1:72
A brand new tool for the famous Red Arrows Aerobatic Display Team's Hawk. This features the new 2008 scheme the team currently fly in.
Messerschmitt BF109G by Airfix (A02029) 1:72
Over 12,000 of the "Gustav" G-6 were built from 1943 to 1944 and were armed with two formidable 13mm machine guns, enabling the top Luftwaffe aces to record in some cases hundreds of "kills".
WWII DUKW by Airfix (A02316) 1:76
The DUKW (popularly pronounced "duck") is a six-wheel-drive amphibious truck that was designed for transporting goods and troops over land and water and for use approaching and crossing beaches in amphibious attacks. The DUKW was used in landings in the Mediterranean, Pacific, on the D-Day beaches of Normandy, Operation Husky (the invasion of Sicily), and during Operation Plunder (the crossing of the river Rhine).
Bae Hawk 128/132 by Airfix (A03073) 1:72
The Hawk 128 is the new Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) for the RAF and Royal Navy. The Mk.128 includes modern LCD displays instead of conventional instrumentation, and allows preparation for flying modern fighter aircraft, particularly the all "glass" Typhoon. The Hawk Mk.132 trainer is being produced for the Indian Air Force, the first being delivered in 2007.
English Electric Canberra B(I)8 by Airfix (A05038) 1:72
The B(I)8 was introduced to fill the role of a night-intruder bomber or interdictor flying low-level missions in the European theatre. In the bomber role, the B(I)8 only served with the RAF's Strike Squadrons in Germany. In its bomber configuration, this Canberra mark was part of the UK's Nuclear Strike Force and carried a US made weapon (Project E).
English Electric Canberra PR9 by Airfix (A05039) 1:72
As well as a RAF bomber, large numbers of Canberras were ordered for photo reconnaissance duties culminating in the PR-9. This was unarmed, carried seven cameras under the fuselage, had an increased wing area, and was propelled by the powerful Avon jet engines, giving it a much higher operational ceiling. To ease production, the PR-9 was built by Short Brothers at Belfast, entering service in January 1960. It remained in RAF service into the start of the 21st Century.
Fleet Air Arm 100th Anniversary by Airfix (A50105) 1:72
The history of naval flying is one of the most remarkable over the last 100 years, and from the first flight by the airship 'The Mayfly' in 1909, the use of aircraft in naval warfare has been crucial. This set includes an 8 page booklet, 18 acrylic paints, 2 paint brushes and a poly cement.
Apollo Saturn V by Airfix (A11170) 1:144
The Saturn V was the largest operational launch vehicle ever produced. Standing over 363 feet high with its Apollo Spacecraft payload, it produced over 7.5 million pounds of thrust at lift-off. It enabled the crew of Apollo 11 and subsequent Apollo crews to leave the pull of the Earth's gravity and reach the Moon.And don't forget to make sure you add the 2009 Airfix Catalogue to your library. We still have a few remaining.
2009 Airfix Catalogue by Airfix (A78185)
The fantasic 2009 Airfix Catalogue welcomes you to the world of Airfix. Packed full of new models for 2009, there really is something for everyone!Gareth W's photo of a his beautiful completed USS Montrose...
- By: Tom
- On: 03/10/2009 09:23:12
- In: Projects Gallery
- Comments: 0
If anyone else has finished any projects recently please don't hesitate to send me a picture of your finished masterpiece so that I can share it with other readers of this blog. All you have to do is ensure the photo image is over 800 pixles wide, is well-lit and is in focus so that the detail can be seen.
