ALLON KIRA
We learn more about one of Israel’s leading armour modellers.
Takom, IDF Merkava 2B.
How did you get into modelling? What are your first memories in the hobby?
The first time I became aware of this hobby was back in the early eighties. I was about thirteen years old when my parents came back from a trip to the United States and bought me a plastic model kit. It was the 1/72-scale F-4 Phantom II by Monogram. It was a wonderful model with dark olive-green parts that I could not out down until I had finished building it. I was amazed at how the construction process progressed, and how suddenly from the strange, green plastic parts a complete fighter plane emerged with all its details, missiles and bombs. I was very proud of the finished model, which although not painted, looked perfect to me.
AFV CLUB IDF M109 Doher 1.35.
From that moment, until when I entered the IDF about five years later, I was principally interested in aviation, mainly in military aviation. In that period, I built and painted dozens of models of airplanes and helicopters. At that point I was 100% sure that when I joined the IDF I would become a fighter pilot. I was indeed accepted to the prestigious IAF flight school, but a short time later I was dismissed from it and sent to an artillery unit. I was acutely disappointed and over the years I abandoned modelling completely. Thirty years later, I bought my youngest son a 1/48-scale Spitfire model as a gift. And with his enthusiasm, mine grew as well. At some point he gave up, but I didn’t ...