I had intended to take a smaller number of Antics models to the Wellow Show this weekend but, with help from my daughter Helen, I have decided to bring along to this show models covering the entire range of Albatros and CM from the Antics Warehouse. This may well be the last time that there will be such a wide range of new models on show as manufacturers and dealers attempt to streamline production and pick winners. Both versions of Lusitania (1913 & 1915) will be there, two versions of the troopship Olympic (1914 bringing troops from the British Empire and 1917 bringing American troops to the Western Front). The latter model is a limited edition of 25 world-wide in dazzle camouflage of the pattern and colours shown in the famous, contemporary, colourised photograph from above the stern of the ship. This British scheme was replaced in the US when a permanent repair of the damage to the bow from ramming and sinking a U-boat was carried out in USA and the colours were replaced with standard US camouflage colours of black, white, and shades of grey and blue only (as modelled by CM).
Some people have complained that fully finished models are too expensive these days, so Antics have worked hard to get a number of cheap kits in 1/1200 scale including the Atlantis Models US Task Force Combat Fleet. It has taken almost three years to get more of these particular plastic kits which consist of 12 full hull ship models at an average of £4 per ship. I am also bringing Revell 1/1200 ship kits of this year's warship production (New Jersey, Duke of York, Gneisenau & Yorktown). I have also located some new, old Fleetline and Scaledown kits for this show and there are also a number of old, new kits from Mountford from the warehouse shelves. I shall also bring some 1/3000 metal castings (mostly Davco British ships), some Kriegsschife full hull warships and there are Coastlines models in 1/1250 scale of new ships, lighthouses and mini-dioramas that have not been offered to collectors before. Look out for the shadow tanker Eventine, the Repeat M-class Destroyers with short funnels (1915) which were never made by Navis, HMS Queen Elizabeth in 1915 camouflage,and Dubh Artach and Chicken Rock lighthouses in waterline and diorama format. I have completed a mini-diorama version of La Vielle lighthouse for this show, all previous diorama models of this lighthouse were used in the development of illuminated models of lighthouses.
All this and free ginger biscuits exclusively for visitors to the show!