A PMC Instruction Manual.....Sort Of....

Well, the voting for the DARS contests for 2016 has finished, and once again Plastic Model Conversion is to be featured at DARSTAR. This is, of course, no surprise, since it is featured every year. Therefore, this week's blog will focus on a resource that I have had laying about since the early 80's that actually is useful for the event.

The book is "The ETV Model Book," by Robert Schleicher. I picked it up at Half Price Books in the early 80's. It was published in 1979 by Chilton books.

Robert Scheicher wrote quite a few books for Chilton, mainly focusing on miniatures and hobbies. His subjects range from doll houses to Lionel trains to slot cars. In this particular book, he focuses on "ETV models," that is, models of Extraterrestrial Vehicles.

The book is a wonderful stroll down memory lane for modelers who were active in the 1970's. Both Estes and Centuri provided information and illustrations for it. That, however, isn't its main value.

You see, this book is a step by step instruction manual in building plastic models too! It shows all aspects of models from construction to finishing. It doesn't actually show how to convert a static plastic model to fly, but the modeling tips are still quite valuable!

Here are a few pages from my copy...

The good news is that although this title has been out of print for quite some time, it can still be found for very reasonable prices on Amazon! So, if you want a good read, a trip down memory lane, or some solid modeling tips, here is the book for you!

Until next time, fly 'em fast and high!