Daily archives: May 9, 2007

More belly tank inspiration

This entry was posted in Hot Rod inspiration on by

Hot Rod TV has a short clip on the early history of belly tank racers on the salt flats.

An extract from a history of belly tank racers. This disagrees with the video on one small detail. It says the first tanks used were from Mustangs, before moving onto Lightnings, whilst the video says they went straight to Lightnings.

The Monster Garage TV show made a belly tank racer from an F4 Phantom tank.

It should be possible to find a belly tank from the spares box if you’ve built enough Second World War era fighters, though it will probably be in a non-traditional scale for car modelling. A 1:48th speedster could be tended to by remodelled air crew, but a 1:72nd one would be tiny- though I guess that makes it more of a challenge.

Update There are belly tank racer models available. This online magazine (pdf) has a feature on one modeller’s attempts and the three resulting models.

For more inspiration-

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A call to arms for US modellers

This entry was posted in licencing military USA on by

The upcoming Military Toy Replica Act (pdf) will prohibit military contractors from requiring exorbitant licence fees for the reproduction of their products as models and toys. The amounts being demanded at the moment could keep a large number of subjects never being modelled, equipment that US taxpayers- at least- have already paid to have developed. The arrogance is just stupid.

The Hobby Manufacturers Association is organising the lobbying and wants model-makers to keep the pressure on the House Armed Services Committee.

via Scaleworld

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So Much To Answer For

This entry was posted in Fiction Lulu Lulu Products Manchester Products So Much to Answer For on by

So Much To Answer For is available through Lulu for only £4.25 (plus postage) or £1.25 to download.

Tommy Hill walked back into Manchester on the tail of a thunderstorm, promising easy money and atonement for his former sins. Joe Wilkinson doesn’t want anything to do with his former friend, but it’s not going to work out that way. Once again the Police think he’s involved, and some want revenge for Hill’s escape last time, and there are some dangerous characters who already think he’s Hill’s bag man. Can Joe stay out of jail and alive long enough to keep his name clean? And who is the mystery blonde who wants to buy his art? Originally published as a serial at the Spinneyhead weblog.

Whilst I’m unemployed I’m trying to up my output from at least one new product a month to at least one a week. The next piece of fiction available will probably be Ruby Red, which I’m working on at the moment.