[WWI] New Year, New-Ports, etc.

[wed317]

 Listers,
         Well I hope that those that imbibed a bit much last night and had
thick heads this morning have recovered sufficiently.  This last year was a
good one for WWI a/c modelers, and hopefully this next one will prove
fruitful for WWI a/c modelers, and hopefully the ship and armor folks will
see some good kits come our way.  On a sad note this last year saw the death
of Peter Grosz, and IIRC Ian Stair left us as well, no?  Who will fill the
gap laft by those men of that generation, who have been doing this research
while many of the veterans were still alive?
     Sadly, also, this will be the first year in a great many that modelers
will be without Americal-Gryphon decals.  Dr. Merrill finally threw in the
towel, and I am sure his reason are sound from what little I know. I do not
think anyone out there will be willing to pick up this business as it was
not a money-maker, but a labor of love for him and his associates.  I know
that I spent a good bit of money that I should not have been spending in the
last couple of months trying to get some sets that I had always put off for
"one day, sometime later".  Still there are a few I did not get my hands on
with my limited budget.
   This last year saw the release of a 1/72nd scale injected Nieuport 17C.1.
Are these the end times?  In the words of Alfred Hitchcock when he was
knighted, "It's about damn time."  I was beginning to wonder how much money
was going to be wasted on injection molded crap like Flohs, Albatros Tripes,
and other one-off things with crosses.  (Incidently, Sqaudron is now sold
out of the 1/72nd Eduard Flyboys Nieuport.  April, and the advent of the
Nie.17 Profi boxing will not come too soon for me.)  Now, maybe we can get a
decent injected SPAD VII and some injected two-seaters in 1/72nd.  Hey, lets
wish big, let's wish for an injected Fe.2!
  I think this evening I will go light a big bonfire out back and toast
those that have "gone west" over the last year, and all of my list friends.

Warren

nl: The Byrds "Ballad of Easy Rider"
nr: VVS stuff