My Modeling Adventures

After a 30-odd year hiatus I decided to get back into modeling - the plastic kind, not prancing down a runway in some new fashion creation! Along the way I discovered that quite a few things had changed, among them materials, techniques, resources, tools ... you get the idea.

In chronological order here are my efforts to date, with construction and research notes and photos of each:

• Victory ship, World War II Victory-class cargo ship, 1/700 scale resin kit;
• S.S. LaCrosse Victory, World War II Victory-class cargo ship, 1/700 scale resin kit;
• U.S.S. McInerney, Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, 1/700 scale plastic kit;
• B-25B airplane, World War II bomber, flown by Capt. Ski York of Doolittle's Raiders,  1/72 scale plastic kit, along with a Willys Jeep, also a 1/72 scale plastic kit.
• Fokker D VII airplane, World War I biplane fighter, flown by Hauptman Rudolph Berthold,1/72 scale plastic kit.
• U.S.S. Enterprise, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, 1/720 scale plastic kit.
• S.S. John Randolph, World War II Liberty-class cargo ship, 1/700 scale plastic kit.
• P-51 airplane, World War II fighter, as F-6A reconnaissance version, 111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, North Africa, 1/72 scale plastic kit.
• F/A-18C Hornet airplane, modern fighter/bomber jet, from VFA-86, the Sidewinders, as based on the U.S.S. Enterprise in 2007, 1/144 scale plastic kit.
• IJN Kimikawa Maru, World War II seaplane tender, Aleutian Theater, 1/700 scale plastic kit.
• DC-9-30 airplane, McDonnell-Douglas airliner, as Southern Airways N97S in 1970, 1/144 scale plastic kit.
• G4M1 Betty airplane, World War II bomber, 12th Air Fleet Unit, Paramushiro, Kurile Islands, 1942, 1/144 scale plastic kit;
• U.S.S. Lenawee, World War II Haskell-class attack transport, along with a 110-foot sub chaser and a fishing trawler, all 1/700 scale resin kits.
• Sopwith F-1 Camel airplane, World War l biplane fighter, flown by Flight Lt. Lloyd S. Breadner, 1/72 scale plastic kit.
• TBM-1C Avenger airplane, World War II torpedo bomber, as FT-3 flown by Ensign Joseph Bossi of the ill-fated Flight 19, 1/144 scale plastic kit.
• A6M2-N Rufe airplane, World War II fighter, 5th Kokutai, Kiska, Aleutian Islands, 1942, 1/72 scale plastic kit.
• US Navy Gato-class submarine, World War II submarine, and IJN No. 13 Class submarine chaser, western Pacific, 1944, 1/700 scale plastic kits.
• ECTO-1, customized Cadillac ambulance used in the 1984 Ghostbusters movie as the intrepid foursome careened around New York City, 1/25 scale plastic kit.
• A6M2b Zero airplane, World War II fighter, flown by Petty Officer Tadayoshi Koga during the June 5, 1942, attack on Dutch Harbor, Alaska, 1/144 scale plastic kit.
• U.S.S. Missouri, World War II Iowa-class battleship, as she appeared during the Korean War, 1/600 scale plastic kit.

Now that I've done this for awhile and still have all my fingers, I thought it was time to throw in a discussion about the modeling tools I've collected, because it's not truly a hobby unless you can buy some really, really expensive tools that are only good for one thing. At least that's what I keep telling myself. Dave Berry hit the nail on the head when he said, "There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness.' " *  

       To all the members of the US armed forces:    

Thank You! - for all you do for those of us on the home front. We support you!

 * Dave Barry, humorist, from 25 Things I Have Learned in 50 Years.