Scott asked about the modelling leaf cutter and what the 'leaves' looked like. I painted a piece of paper with a couple of shades of green and once dry, set to cutting out some leaves. I think it might be better for an autumn leaf fall but individual leaves can be glued to suitable 'branches ' to produce some camouflage for vehicles as well. I will use this for my next future Tiger build.

I confess to a lazy day yesterday where I did some modelling but otherwise I sat out in the garden and enjoyed the sun whenever it made an appearance. Tea, a good book and surrounded by happy cats set the scene. I made up for it today by clearing weeds from the raised bed, clearing more branches and rubbish from the back fence area and preparing for further clearance work tomorrow which should see it completely cleared and ready for fence work. A quick shower as hay fever reared its ugly presence and a bit more modelling done.

Yesterday whilst I waited for various glues and paints to dry I made a start on the next build, a Macchi MC 200 Saetta fighter plane, another Italian aircraft and a very cheap kit in 1/48 scale. It will be a quick build once the other two are completed. It will model an aircraft in Russia circa 1942 when Mussolini's visions of grandeur made him commit an army alongside the Germans in attacking the Soviet Union. It is another one of those 'What ifs?' of history if old bullet head had taken Franco as a role model and stayed out of the war altogether. Without his disastrous invasions of Albania and Greece and the failure in East and North Africa, the failed Austrian mediocre painter might have given the whole Balkan area and Africa a swerve and invaded the Soviet Union earlier than 22nd June and could perhaps have taken Moscow. But old Musso wanted a new Roman empire and it all came to a shambolic end.

This is the progress so far with the Dornier painted and mostly assembled and the little chopper has had some white glue placed in the small windows as glazing. When it dries, it dries as clear and is a much better option than the kit supplied thick pieces of glazing for those areas. With both, I will fit the last parts on, do another clear coat although the chopper requires a further paint touch up, apply the decals and then onto washes and weathering. The undercarriage on the Dornier is quite fragile so I will look at some further reinforcement there, perhaps a thin brass rod inserted as extra support. I have ordered some 1/72 scale WW1 aircraft as they were going very cheap and they are ones I haven't modelled before. Apart from the vehicles and WW2 aircraft in my stash I will now only buy the smaller WW1 aircraft if they are cheap enough and catch my eye. I do wonder if there was an Art Deco influence on the German aircraft camouflage?

Time for a cuppa and to sit out in the sunshine.

TTFN.