Tubes of glue, tiny pots of paint and sticky fingerprints …yes, for young children the world over this was the joy of model making and I look back on those days with huge nostalgia. For many, the fascination with models is lifelong and with model kits becoming ever more sophisticated and costing well into the hundreds, it is a serious business.
For Flt Lt Claesens from the Air-COSPers team you could say that making models literally saved his life. I caught up with model making supremo to find out more.
The happy-go-lucky Flt Lt was bitten by the model-making bug aged seven; “I was a typical young lad, popping to the shops, buying a model and making them the same day, up to the point I discovered girls,” said the officer, cheekily.
As life progressed the hobby was shelved for a long time before being revisited. After fourteen years as a Part Time Reservist the model maker joined the Full Time Reservist Service (FTRS) cadre in 2001 securing a role in the Old War Office where he found himself in a large office with high ceilings and plenty of space to house models! Studying Former Soviet Union/Russian ground forces, he started to make models based on armour used in these regions, and the office was quickly filled.
During the Iraq war in 2003, the Flt Lt volunteered for the Iraq Survey Group. The ensuing stresses and strains of the position – “it was pretty grim…and I came back with a number of issues,” resulted in him being diagnosed with Post traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A suggestion from his doctor that he take up a hobby he enjoyed sent Andy back to his childhood love.
“I said I used to do some model making so the doctor suggested that I dusted it off and focus on that for a while. I ended up churning out about sixty or so models – all armour,” said the officer.
It wasn’t until he became the Adjutant for 606 Squadron at RAF Benson that the Flt Lt returned to his ’ – model building roots – aircraft, for which he produces up to twenty-five a year – “I found that this was a brilliant diversion to boost mental health. With armour you can make the odd mistake and cover it up with mud. But with aeroplanes you need to be more exact!”
With his current role in the Personnel Recovery Unit (PRU) the toll on mental health can be quite challenging as long-term sickness cases involving anything from cancer to PTSD are dealt with on a daily basis. “I never realised how badly it had affected me,” said the Flt Lt, candidly.
“I come from a generation where you never really talked about your feelings, and I just sat on it. SSAFA counselling was offered but I didn’t want to take that up. In terms of helping me to detox and deal with my personal thoughts, model making really does help me.”
Last year was a slow year for the seasoned officer and he produced only fourteen as opposed to his usual twenty plus models.
The model maker believes that it all comes down to focus. Attempting to fit in pieces as small as two millimetres into a tiny space can focus the busiest of minds. Currently building a King Tiger Tank which has eight separate pieces per track link, time for the model maker flies by in a flash.
So, what are the best skills and qualities needed to be a good model maker?
“Patience and the ability to follow instructions are the biggest qualities. Creativity is useful as sometimes you have to read between the lines with the instructions given, especially with some of the Chinese kits and ultimately your interpretation of the finished scheme. It can be quite a solitary hobby.”
For budding model makers out there RAF High Wycombe has its own Model Making Club which has a mixture of railway enthusiasts and a thriving social scene with numerous visits to exhibitions around the country. A member of many Facebook groups, he has a network of internationally based model making friends where advice and tips are freely shared.
Renowned model kit producer Airfix is still considered one of the top brands along with Revell. Prices often fluctuate as the majority of models are plastic and one of its main ingredients being oil.
The Royal Auxiliary Airforce celebrates its centenary in 2024 and to mark the occasion Andy hopes to build a combination of World War Two and post war planes – Spitfires, Hurricanes, Blenheims, Meteors and perhaps a Vampire for good measure. The models will be either mounted undercarriage down or in flight. Some will be created as motorised desk models. These will be auctioned off at the close of the year at one of the planned gala events to raise money for the Royal Air Force Auxiliary Foundation and the RAF Benevolent Fund.
The Flt Lt's models are so intricate and lifelike that he has been commissioned numerous times to build multiple aircraft by people fascinated by his work. Everything from First World war tanks, Chinooks to Type 23 Frigates have come across his desk. For the man who has travelled the world, met numerous members of the Royal Family and was a Parade Marshall at the late Queen’s funeral, it is the thrill of the build that gives him his greatest pleasure.
And if there was a holy grail of model kits, what would it be?
“For me, I would love to build a large scale SEPECAT Jaguar jet. I have built three of four in the past, but a large scale one hasn’t yet been released and would really grab my attention! Seven years on the Jag Force, including a back seat trip, established a love of the aircraft.”
What advice would you give to anyone who is starting out on model making as a hobby?
“Just enjoy it,” said the modelling enthusiast. “You could start with a basic starter kit with paint included, but don't get worried about the finish. When I started, I did not produce competition winning entries. We've all been there when we've had fingerprints on the models, and the painting looks like it has been applied with a yard broom. Don't worry about it - enjoy the hobby. It can be expensive, but it is addictive. In the model making fraternity we call it AMS (Advanced Modelling Syndrome). Often you may have several on the go at the same time because the next squirrel has come along.”
And there is no time length to how long it takes to complete a model. Some incomplete models have been languishing on his workbench for twenty-five years, his attention taken by yet another challenge. They will get built… eventually!
His hobby may have resulted in the dismantling of the bannisters in his Victorian cottage to make way for shelving to house his beloved models, but his wife is accepting of his model making passion:
"I've always said to my better half, I could be out gambling, smoking, drinking or womanising or sat here doing this. Your call, what would you prefer?” said the officer, with a twinkle in his eye.
