The Airscene Photographer of the Year competition is back once more.

Already the prizes have started coming on, and there are several more offers on the table.

Southampton based military artist Stuart Brown is offering up another copy of his print “Black Hawk – Special Delivery” towards the first prize pot. Stuart has been busy this last year or so working on commissioned pieces for various army regiments and the Air Force – to see more of his work please visit www.skipperpress.com

Ebury Publishing are providing the prizes for the first two themes… Each winner receiving a copy of the “Boys Book of Airfix” (RRP £20) written by Arthur Ward. For those who may be interested but unable to enter this years competition, more information can be found at http://www.eburypublishing.co.uk/viewbook.asp?isbn=0091928982

It has taken a little while to come up with this years themes but I finally did it. The themes are intended to be typical of the work carried out by a magazine photographer, along with a couple of creative themes thrown in for fun. The popular “Digital” and “Old Age” themes from 2008 have been included again this year.

For further information on this years competition and to take part, please visit http://www.airscene.co.uk/competitions.php

I look forward to receiving your entries,

Good Luck,

Ian

Strictly Come Visiting

If you are a fan of the Royal Air Force Museum as well as Strictly Come Dancing then you’re in for an added bonus this weekend when the Museum appears on the programme as part of a segment which demonstrates to the remaining couples how the Lindyhop should be danced.

The routine will be demonstrated by Ryan Francois and Jenny Thomas, resident dancers of the show, who have previously demonstrated the Charlston and a Rock and Roll routine to competitors.

If you would like to catch them and the Museum in action, tune into BBC1 at 18:45 on Saturday.

Spitfix!

To celebrate the launch of Arthur Ward’s The Boy’s Book of Airfix Ebury Press are staging an attempt to create a Guinness World Record for the largest number of model Spitfires made in a day, in conjunction with Airfix and the RAF Museum.

On Sat 19th December, hundreds of kids, parents and Airfix enthusiasts will descend on London’s RAF Museum to take part in a marathon kit-building workshop, enter our box-art competition, and hear expert Arthur Ward discuss the history of Airfix and of the Spitfire itself with two veteran fighter pilots (Lecture Theatre, 12.00-1.00).

We have been inundated with responses so please do pop along to talk to some of the children taking part. Arthur Ward, author of The Boys’ Book of Airfix will be on hand to comment, as will Darrell Burge, of Hornby – the company that rescued Airfix from bankruptcy in 2006. We are also expecting James May to make an appearance.

It’s a timely moment as James Mays’ recent BBC2 series Toy Stories has created unprecedented levels of interest in Airfix. Darrell Burge, of Airfix at Hornby, reports that sales of Airfix Scale Aircraft kits have gone up by up five-fold in most accounts as well as on their website, explaining that at one point, a week after the programme aired, they only had one Spitfire kit left in stock! Retailers similarly note James May’s programme as the driving force behind Airfix’s recent popularity with Colin, owner of Colin Bliss Models in Essex describing that ‘it is as if they have been re-invented’. Tracy Matthews, Lendons of Cardiff, said ‘the day after the Airfix programme was aired, we had so many customers in to buy plastic models. Most were wanting the Spitfire, but our whole wall was ransacked. It was an incredible thing to happen’.

As you can see, this is a national phenomenon. If you’d like more info on this and on our World Record attempt do get in touch… www.airscene.co.uk/spitfix.pdf

www.rafmuseum.com