Any scale modelers out there?

[Nathans_Dad]

Yeah I was a little bummed when I went looking for WWII planes. There is actually not much available in 1/32 which is the scale I would really prefer to build in. Everything is 1/48 so I guess I will do 1/48.

Funny thing is my son just wanted some airplanes to hang from his ceiling...of course that is just a silly idea, I have to build the best quality, fully detailed model out there...yeesh, I think I have a sickness or something...

[IROC]

The sickness metastasizes (sp?) when you start building what my Dad used to call "stick models" - those model airplanes made of balsa and covered in paper. I did a couple of those and finally decided that was just too much. I'll stick with plastic.

[Nathans_Dad]

Oh I have dabbled in R/C airplanes before. I have two R/C kits in the garage, possibly to be started this fall/winter.

My problem is I get too nervous when flying a model I have built. I guess that's why static models have always appealed to me, they offer a somewhat mindless and detail oriented activity and then when you're done you just put them on a shelf and ooh and aah at them...

[scottmandue]

You guys trying to tell me there are other uses for models besides stuffing them with firecrackers?

[nostatic]

Funny, I'm exactly the opposite. I used to fly the ones my dad built. I never had the patience to build them...I just wanted to fly them. Same with my car - I never wanted to work on it, just wanted to race it.

Oh, look...something shiny!!!

[tabs]

I just buy the real thing now...

[MichiganMat]

Originally Posted by tabs

I just buy the real thing now...

You were into model spoons as a child?

[Nathans_Dad]

Wow, Tabs has a WWII vintage Tiger Tank??

Suhweet!! Lets see pics!

[mikester]

Originally Posted by Nathans_Dad

Oh I have dabbled in R/C airplanes before. I have two R/C kits in the garage, possibly to be started this fall/winter.

My problem is I get too nervous when flying a model I have built. I guess that's why static models have always appealed to me, they offer a somewhat mindless and detail oriented activity and then when you're done you just put them on a shelf and ooh and aah at them...

So buy some premade airplanes to fly - you'll care less about them and build your flying skill enough to where you're more confident.

At this point I've been doing it so long that I don't crash very often. I also am confident enough and know that even if I do - it's just an airplane. I can make more.

[Nathans_Dad]

I started with an ARF trainer then went to built models. Currently I have a Four Star 40 in the box waiting to be started. This will be my 2nd four star, I've flown my trainer, a Four Star 40 and a Sig Somethin Extra. I also built a 60 size Chipmunk but never flew it.

The Four star is such an easy handling airplane I figured it would be ok as a "getting back into it" plane after about 2 years off of flying.

I still get the jitters when I fly though...

[mikester]

Every modeler should have a 4*40 (or 60, 0r 120), they are one of the finest planes out there.

I've had 3 in the last 10 years. I've got another 40 sized one in line on the building board next.

My favorite was my 4*120 which I got from an estate sale. It was already 10 years old when I got it and showing age but it flew wonderfully for many more years. I passed it on to another fellow modeler who needed it more than I.

Jitters come and go, I thought I was a rock until recently. I just finished a Sig P51 ARF and getting the first few flights in I had some radio issues. Since then I just have not been totally comfortable with the airplane but it gets better with every flight now that the radio is working right.

[techweenie]

Seems like an opportunity to revive this thread. With more time lurking at home, I've bought a pre-dreadnought battleship model to build...

Andyone else getting back to building scale models?

[oldE]

Tech,
Which pre-dreadnaught battleship?
In January I sold my HO train setup and stripped out the room and refinished it. I dug out some old kits I had stored, some Porsches (904, 914 & 959) and airplanes and about a dozen cars I had built when I was in my teens. I was amazed they survived.
The airplanes are balsa stick and paper. One is a spitfire , the other is an early model P 47. I am thinking I may try to modify it to a later production model with the cut down after fuselage and bubble canopy. I have also been toying with the idea of covering it with aluminum foil. Hmmm.

Best
Les

[techweenie]

I got the IRN Tsesarevich 1/350. Russian ship built by France(!)...

[astrochex]

I’m thinking about getting this model.

Need to run it by the boss first.

[911Ghia]

This guys SR 71 build is monumental
http://https://www.mmrca.org/lance/sledframe.html

Rich

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DQR5xrblVo

[wdfifteen]

When I was in college I built an example of all the planes used in the Battle of Britain. I got obsessed and put correct unit insignia on all of them. I don't know what happened to them all.

[fred cook]

Here are a couple of 1/8 scale models that I built years ago (1978-9!). Fortunately, I decided to put them in display cases to protect them. They are two of the Pocher Alfa Romeo 8C3200 cars from the 1930s. The Monza (race car) was the least complicated and it had over 2,000 parts! The Spyder (street car) has over 2500 parts! Door handles work, upholstery is leather, brake shoes expand when the brake pedal is pressed, on the Spyder putting the key in the ignition switch turns on the headlights, turn the engine crank and the pistons go up and down, the steering works as do the hood latches. On the Monza, the brakes work, steering works, the knockoffs for the wheels work and allow removing the wheel and brake drum, the steering wheel is leather wrapped and the exhaust is wrapped to protect the drivers arm. The wheels were assembled and painted and then disassembled and the spokes and spoke nipples installed. Each wheel has about 150 parts! The hood emblem is painted and has 7 colors like the original and I made a head gasket for the engine by using the bottom of the cylinder head and an ink pad. Once the ink dried, I cut out the circles to match the tops of the cylinders. I had some screws left over so I drilled out the plastic spark plugs, put a tiny screw through the head and added a small piece of white wire insulation. Makes for some very real looking spark plugs! Some pictures:

[herr_oberst]

The big news in modeling in the last few months, aside from the Airfix Hellcat in 1/24 scale(!) has been the 1/200 scale Titanic from Trumpeter. This thing is as big as the Titanic, ha ha!

Spendy, but it will probably take a long long time to assemble and paint.

Also, if you haven't heard, the Wingnut Wings company has gone toes up, so get your hands on any of those if you're a WW1 airplane modeler, because those are fantastic kits, and they ain't makin' them anymore.

[herr_oberst]