Finished the first Model airplane I've built since I was a teenager!

[madmikeb]

Today I finished the first plastic model kit I've built since I was a teenager. I've always had a soft spot for WW2 warbird and I didn't want to start on anything to difficult so I settled on a 1/32 F4F Wildcat. All in all I think it came out pretty good for a first effort, may have gotten a little heavy handed on the weathering and wear and tear but it was a learning process. It's been a 100+ here for the last couple months so inside projects are the order of the day!

 

[AudieMurphy]

thats really nice, I remember back in the day I built a battle ship and me and my friend took it back in the woods where there was a creek. To where we poured lighter fluid on it and set on fire....LOL geez! those were the days

 

[jeffrefrig]

Mine were all balsa wood, 15 cents, and went down in a blaze of glory out my attic window with lighter fluid.

 

[John in Yuma]

Wear and tear looks great if your going for that Cactus Airforce look. BZ

 

[Crazywader]

I built a similar scale of that plane 45+ years ago - it was my favorite! I seem to recall the kit was from Revell. Who made the one you built? You did a very nice job!

 

[madmikeb]

It is a Trumpeter kit. I've got a bunch more but wanted to start with an easy one.

 

[johnjohn]

Very nice. Like the weathered look.

 

[jeffsmith]

Not Too Weathered at all

Reminds me of the "Cactus Air Force"
on Guadalcanal

Excellent Job
Keep up the Good Work

 

[Rodan]

Looks great Mike!

I have a pile of kits I stashed away for 'retirement'... still haven't got 'round to them. LOL

I've always enjoyed the attention to detail in a well executed scale model. For quite a while I channeled my 'model making' into scale R/C aircraft, until the FAA ruined that hobby.

 

[SMSgt]

thats really nice, I remember back in the day I built a battle ship and me and my friend took it back in the woods where there was a creek. To where we poured lighter fluid on it and set on fire....LOL geez! those were the days

My childhood buddy and I used to build dozens of the Fletcher-class destroyers that had the battery powered motors. We'd take 1-2 at a time to the lake, set them for a circular course and fire at them with our artillery--Daisey BB rifles. We sank a bunch of them over time. One day I was swimming in the lake and dove down to see the bottom. It looked like Iron Bottom Bay with all the shot-up destroyers lying there.

I had to give up building models, too additive and trying to move around in the service destroyed too many.

 

[boykinlp]

My childhood buddy and I used to build dozens of the Fletcher-class destroyers that had the battery powered motors. We'd take 1-2 at a time to the lake, set them for a circular course and fire at them with our artillery--Daisey BB rifles. We sank a bunch of them over time. One day I was swimming in the lake and dove down to see the bottom. It looked like Iron Bottom Bay with all the shot-up destroyers lying there.

I had to give up building models, too additive and trying to move around in the service destroyed too many.

It's gonna be funny when years from now the lake is drained for building new housing or something, and the workers see your "handy work" for the first time. I bet some will be kinda confused!
Larry

 

[Tom S.]

Never got into airplanes much, but tanks and stuff were another matter.





Meanwhile, on the "other" side:

 

['79 Magnum GT]

I had Aurora Monster models from the early 60's. My mother helped me with them but they look no where near as nice as all of yours. I still have them in my basement though.

 

[Onomea]

Didn't build 'em myself, but used to display them in my office. They now reside in my bookcase at my house in Japan:





I bought them from the Smithsonian catalog back in the mid 90s. From the Philippines, I think. Carved wood, then painted.

 

[SMSgt]

It's gonna be funny when years from now the lake is drained for building new housing or something, and the workers see your "handy work" for the first time. I bet some will be kinda confused!
Larry

Worse than that. The entire neighborhood has been leveled and paved for a rental-car storage lot, lake an all. ALL OF IT!

 

[65-2x2]

Looks great Mike!

I have a pile of kits I stashed away for 'retirement'... still haven't got 'round to them. LOL

I've always enjoyed the attention to detail in a well executed scale model. For quite a while I channeled my 'model making' into scale R/C aircraft, until the FAA ruined that hobby.

What kind of restrictions have the FAA put on them?

 

[madmikeb]

Never got into airplanes much, but tanks and stuff were another matter.
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Meanwhile, on the "other" side:

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These are amazing! It shows me my skills have a long ways to go!

 

[Rodan]

What kind of restrictions have the FAA put on them?

Any R/C aircraft over 8 oz in weight is required to be registered with the FAA and have electronic remote ID transmitters unless being flown at specific FAA exempted sites.

 

[Kinman]

Good job....I remember putting a wildcat together back in the 60's, folding wings, the whole deal. I remember Monogram and Revelle were the nuts and bolts of model building. AMT put together a bunch of cars with steel axles, we used them for demolition derby and would load the front ends with modelling clay for weight to smash the other guys car. I ended up with a champion car that was a '64 Galaxy, all loaded with clay in the nose, smashed everyone with it.
As an adult while recovering from surgeries I got into a few WWII airplanes by Tamiya, very detailed and nicely designed, the last one I built was a wide wing Spitfire. I gave them to nephews.

 

[fordson]

I don't want to steal your thread, just add a comment on the enjoyment of model building. I've been building models since I was 12 or so. It's a hobby (possibly an obsession). For me, the research and history attached to the subject are as interesting as the actual building, some times, more so. These are just a few examples of what keeps me busy in these hot Florida summer days when it's too uncomfortable to go to the range :