Farpro Japan Shiun ("Norm") - a dusty chestnut!

[Faust]

Sometimes, my love of esoteric subject matter and my almost perverse addiction to old, cruddy and more-or-less-completely-undesirable kits intersects in a cool, but ultimately painful way. A perfect example of this is when I encountered, and proceeded to snap up, a whole mass of Farpro Japan kits in a (now defunct) local shop.

These are the ancient Aoshima kits, but without the cool box art. That means they’re just dogs with mangy coats, I suppose. Still, the part of me that loves a challenge and roots for the underdog can’t help but want to see these 50+ year old gems built. I’ve already built one, and another will be underway soon. To get a feel for this next project, check out my Out of Box review for the Farpro 1/72 Shiun (Norm) recce floatplane.

Regardless of the badness of the kit, the Norm itself is a cool looking plane, and is rare for Japanese aircraft in that it has a counter-rotating propeller! I could have bought the newer, better and I’m sure less troublesome RS kit, but why, when I have this gem on the shelf!

Check it out here, and then survey your own stash of more modern kits and thank the modelling gods they don’t make ‘em like this any more!

Farpro Shiun Out of Box!

[harron68]

As a "vehicle fan" I've shunned enjoying other models, until the internet opened my eyes and soul to the many other forms. Even an early 1/72 scale plane really gets me going. I've seen the wonders of careful painting in bringing out the beauty of the models and the skills of the builders. Good luck, and thanx for something different.