AIRFIX Cloud Climber Glider!

I recently came across this AIRFIX Cloud Climber glider kit when moving some old TV's an was wondering if it is worth anything? I have tried to find a similar model on the internet and ebay, but with no success. Can anyone help?

As you can see it is still in it's original packaging and in good if not perfect condition. I cannot remember where or when I bought it and it could very well have been in the attic for years.

Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

Tony

Miniature Wargames issue 500 - Windmill

The latest issue of Miniature Wargames, issue 500, December 2024 features this scratch built windmill that was built and painted by me. It was commissioned as a celebration of Ian Weekley who built a similar model that was featured in the very first issue of Miniature Wargames, back in 1983. For more information, see this link. 

MW issue 500 which is now available to purchase which also includes a free sprue of Wargames Atlantic werewolves.

The model was inspired by the initial article and various illustrations found on the internet as well as images from various books on windmills.

Construction commenced with a simple cardboard box clad in scrap wood (old fruit packing cases) and a cereal box roof. The wooden support or 'post' was constructed from balsawood and textured foam on a cork and DAS modelling clay base. The old mill wheel was cut from 5mm thick plastic card and textured with a scalpel.

The sails were built from wood, card and plastic card while the additional detailing came from either card of scrap wood. The main body of the mill can be turned on the post and the sails revolve on a knitting needle and pen barrel axle.

The finished windmill was painted in less intense colours than I would have usually used as I once read that Ian Weekley preferred muted colours on his wargame terrain. The base has been decorated with static grass and ground foam applied over superglue.

It was a real privileged to be asked to build a model inspired by Ian and I would hope that he would have been pleased with the finished windmill. In addition I would like to thank robh of The Lead Adventure Forum for the help that he supplied in sourcing various articles and images of Ian Weekley's models and articles.

Tony

October 2024 - day 31

For my final post of October 2024 I have included this fantasy tower that was inspired by the cover of a novel that I saw in a shop window in Bruge last year.

But first I should repeat that all of the images posted this month are sketches done by me for the purposes of scratch building models for the wargame table or my narrow gauge railway layouts. I have many, many books full of such drawings and have in fact been adding to these during this month when I have been taking part in my own version of Inktober - drawing an image a day for the month of October.

This particular tower was seen on the front cover of a fantasy novel in a toy and book shop in Bruge. I spent some time studying the image while in the shop and then went outside to try and copy the tower from memory, as you can image this was not that successful. However as I stood outside with my sketchbook I saw that the same book was in fact on display in the window! This made it much easier to copy, although I sometimes wonder what the shopkeeper or passers by thought of me sketching book covers through a shop window.

I hope you have enjoyed these sketches and would welcome any comments or suggestions as to what model should be next on my schedule to build. Also if you have used any of the images to build your own wargame terrain, I would love to see them.

Happy Halloween

Tony

October 2024 - day 30

This chicken coup drawing was sketched in pencil following an illustration I found in a children's book. My intention was to model it in plastic card or balsawood and base it for use in my Flintloque/Silver bayonet games but I never got around to it.

I have modeled similar structures in the past and many have appeared on this Blog. Like all the earlier sketches these are structures/buildings from my many reference sketch books showing model making inspiration - that I have NOT yet built.

Tony

October 2024 - day 29

Do you recognise this sketch?

It is copied from a small image in one of the early Warhammer Fantasy Wargame rule books. I thought it would be easy enough to model from a large cardboard tube but so far it has remained one of my many 'too-do' pieces of wargame terrain.

As with all of these October 2024 sketches - these are models I have at one stage thought about scratch building and hopefully I will get around to one day - but as the saying goes,

"So many models, so little time!" 

My sketch books are a little like my own, personal paper 'Lead Mountain'.

Tony

October 2024 - day 28

I've included this particular pen and ink sketch for two reasons, Firstly; it shows how my drawing style has not changed that much since my early days of sketching possible wargame models. I believe that this building was inspired by an internet search and is a simple pencil sketch over-drawn with an artist's black pen (possibly a Faber-Castell Pitt pen). Secondly; I have been prompted to produce a number pen and ink drawings and pen and ink and watercolour wash drawings for Inktober where various artists produce daily drawings during the month of October. In fact it was Inktober that first gave me the idea for this series of drawings, drawings that I have in my collection and of sketches for wargame buildings that I have yet to produce.

If there is demand, I could included some of these October/Inktober drawings which have been produced with Pitt pens, Dip Pens and even a couple of Fountain Pens on this Blog, although they are sketches or ink drawings of trees, people and only a few buildings.

Happy Inktober.....

Tony

October 2024 - day 27

To show some of the variation I have in what inspires my drawings, this pencil sketch was copied from an image in Continental Modeller - the railway magazine and is of a building that appeared on one of the model railway layouts. The actual model was in the background and at quite an acute angle so a lot of the detail has been imagined rather than copied.

The building technique of a simple timber frame has lots of hallmarks of early German construction or 'Fachwerk houses' a style of building that I quite like and have copied or used on a number of occasions.

Tony