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Why aren't you building what you "really" want to?

I have really wanted to build one of my most favorite planes of the "Golden Era", the Northrop Gamma. The only offering is the WB 72 scale one and after a few attempts at guessing how things went together. So my idea is to scratch build one in 24 scale or maybe 32 since it is easier to get the engine components in that scale.
I have the schematics from an RC club and I would have to have some very thick styrene to laser cut and then I can assemble it as such. For the skin I would use the yard signs from Wally world.

Just in case anyone is wondering....

h87442f1.jpg


You could make the framing out of bass wood and cut the parts out yourself.

:hmmm


Nope, all styrene. I have some rather thick 4x4 sheets that would be perfect for the guts and skin it with yard sale signs.
 
Hmm... my first recollection is of buying some battle ships around my 7th or 8th birthday. As my main focus is 1/72 scale WWII stuff I guess my holy grail would be a 1/72 scale destroyer. Probably one of the early WWII Canadian destroyers but I have seen at least one 1/72 scale escort carrier built before. Maybe I could do HMS Nabob that was manned by the RCN but would probably attempt the destroyer first. More kids are going to have move out of the house first and take all their stuff with them. Then... and only then... I might be able to convince the boss that she wouldn't miss the space. :gogo :silly: :lol:
 
"Why aren't you building what you "really" want to?"

Because no manufacturer has bit the bullet and made a 1/48 Dornier Do.18 or Do.26 yet!!!!!!! :D


I have to say I am building what I want. It's a good time to be a modeler, lots of kits out there of good quality, AM stuff up the ying yang and online shopping!!!

Plus, my subjects have really changed since I was younger. I mostly modeled autos and the odd aircraft, armor, boat as a kid. Most of those don't interest me now. I don't think there are any kits I would want to build over that I made as a kid.
 
There know.

B)

I share with you about the BBs, I think a dream I have is to build one of the early class BBs of the Great White Fleet. I'd like to build one where it didn't have all the AA guns littering the decks.

I guess I was really luck in that I was able to commandeer the ping pong table and turn it into an HO lay out. The matt grass sheets was about all the scenery it got as it was more of a play set than a serious layout.

I have a book about those ships and there are some 1/700 kits out there for some of them.
 
After giving this some thought I am building what I want to build. Every kit I build comes from my stash and is there because I want to build it. That's not to say that over the years some kits in the stash have been disposed of because my likes have changed or newer kits of the subject have become available. Every kit I build for a campaign comes from the stash, I have never purchased a kit just for a campaign. The only real effect that a campaign has is that it occasionally reorders things and has me building something I had planned to do at a later date. This can be a good thing as it coerces me to start something I have put off for one reason or another. Yes, there are a few I would like to build that aren't currently available but I figure if I wait long enough they may yet be produced.

I too have a love of trains and tend to split my time between model trains and planes. I have two locomotives that I pretty much building from the ground up although using commercially available parts where I can. These are really long term projects and at least one of them is ten years old and still has a long way to go. I don't have any current photos of them but if anyone is interested I can get some.
 
Yep, that's it, I know it was big, over 400' long but you look at the crew on the rails it really doesn't look that big in comparison.

I didn't realize it was first in it's class.

One project I wanted to do as a kid of the Space Race was a full on Saturn V with launch pad.
 
Yep, that's it, I know it was big, over 400' long but you look at the crew on the rails it really doesn't look that big in comparison.

I didn't realize it was first in it's class.

One project I wanted to do as a kid of the Space Race was a full on Saturn V with launch pad.


I'm right there with you. Now that I have a Saturn V already finished in 1/72 scale; I'm hoping someone decides it's worth the effort to put out an affordable plastic launch pad and tower for me to put it on. Now that I'm also building the 1/72 scale Space Shuttle with Booster Rockets, I'd love to have a launch tower and pad for that as well!

As for other dreams of what I want to do; I have always dreamed of having a huge, massive layout where I can 'base' all my armor, troops, helicopters and aircraft; and possibly some of my 1/72 scale boats. I would of course have it separated by a battlefield/trench-line/FEBA so that my "axis" would be on one side and my "allies" on the other. It would also include the armored trains I currently have built/am building now. However, now that my collection has grown so massively, I doubt there would be space enough unless I rent/buy a warehouse! Since I won't ever have the funds for something like that; this layout would only remain a dream never to be fulfilled.

Another dream I have is to re-create the entire M*A*S*H 4077 compound in 1/72 scale, complete with interiors of all the main tents such as the Mess Tent, the Swamp and Major Houlihan's tent to name a few. I took some steps to start that some time back but it never got much past the preliminary stages. Maybe someday; although again; I don't have any idea where I'd put it as I am so short of space it ain't funny.

Another dream project I have is to do a semi-full sized SAM-2 site in 1/72 scale. I plan on making the spacing between the launch rigs shorter in order to allow the size of this to be more manageable while still trying to convey the size of a SAM site like this. I am closer to realizing this already since I have most of the components I need for it. I just need to acquire a 1/72 scale Fan Song radar system as well as four more SA-2 Guideline SAM launchers. Again, finding the space to display this would be quite a challenge so it will be an interesting experience pursuing this one.

Aside from all that; I'm hoping to achieve my goal of finally finishing 700 small scale vehicles which will probably happen in another few months. Then of course, I want to get a picture of the entire collection all one one tabletop. That just might happen and soon!
 
Yep, that's it, I know it was big, over 400' long but you look at the crew on the rails it really doesn't look that big in comparison.

I didn't realize it was first in it's class.

One project I wanted to do as a kid of the Space Race was a full on Saturn V with launch pad.


Class & type:

South Carolina-class battleship
Displacement:
16,000 long tons (16,000 tonnes) (design)

Length:

452 feet 9 inches (138.00 m) oa

Beam:

80 feet 5 inches (24.51 m)

Draft:

24 feet 6 inches (7.47 m)

Installed power:

12 coal-fired Babcock & Wilcox water-tube boilers
16,500 ihp (12,300 kW)

Propulsion:

Vertical triple expansion steam engines, two screw propellers

Speed:

18.5 knots (21.3 mph; 34.3 km/h)

Range:

6,950 nmi (8,000 mi; 12,870 km) at 10 knots (12 mph; 19 km/h)

Complement:

869

Armament:

8 × 12 inch/45 caliber guns
22 × 3 inch/50 caliber guns
2 × 21 inch torpedo tubes

Armor:

Belt: 12 to 8 in (305 to 203 mm)
Casemates: 10 in (254 mm)
Barbettes: 10 in
Turrets: 12 in
Decks: 1 to 2.5 in (25 to 64 mm)
Conning tower: 12 in

The launch pad would be cool with all that plumbing and wiring.

(y)
 
Yep, that's it, I know it was big, over 400' long but you look at the crew on the rails it really doesn't look that big in comparison.

I didn't realize it was first in it's class.

One project I wanted to do as a kid of the Space Race was a full on Saturn V with launch pad.


I'm right there with you. Now that I have a Saturn V already finished in 1/72 scale; I'm hoping someone decides it's worth the effort to put out an affordable plastic launch pad and tower for me to put it on. Now that I'm also building the 1/72 scale Space Shuttle with Booster Rockets, I'd love to have a launch tower and pad for that as well!

As for other dreams of what I want to do; I have always dreamed of having a huge, massive layout where I can 'base' all my armor, troops, helicopters and aircraft; and possibly some of my 1/72 scale boats. I would of course have it separated by a battlefield/trench-line/FEBA so that my "axis" would be on one side and my "allies" on the other. It would also include the armored trains I currently have built/am building now. However, now that my collection has grown so massively, I doubt there would be space enough unless I rent/buy a warehouse! Since I won't ever have the funds for something like that; this layout would only remain a dream never to be fulfilled.

Another dream I have is to re-create the entire M*A*S*H 4077 compound in 1/72 scale, complete with interiors of all the main tents such as the Mess Tent, the Swamp and Major Houlihan's tent to name a few. I took some steps to start that some time back but it never got much past the preliminary stages. Maybe someday; although again; I don't have any idea where I'd put it as I am so short of space it ain't funny.

Another dream project I have is to do a semi-full sized SAM-2 site in 1/72 scale. I plan on making the spacing between the launch rigs shorter in order to allow the size of this to be more manageable while still trying to convey the size of a SAM site like this. I am closer to realizing this already since I have most of the components I need for it. I just need to acquire a 1/72 scale Fan Song radar system as well as four more SA-2 Guideline SAM launchers. Again, finding the space to display this would be quite a challenge so it will be an interesting experience pursuing this one.

Aside from all that; I'm hoping to achieve my goal of finally finishing 700 small scale vehicles which will probably happen in another few months. Then of course, I want to get a picture of the entire collection all one one tabletop. That just might happen and soon!

Great ideas! You could do the MASH in smaller sections that could be put together. Make the "Swamp" and then move to another part of the camp. That way you can work toward the finished project.

(y)
 
Very good idea. My biggest drawback is finding the right accessories for doing all the interior bits for the inside of these tents. I will be revisiting this idea this year, hopefully with a little progress toward the finished project.
 
The idea about the MASH compound is sort of like what I'm working on now, I hoped to have it done for AMPS but that's not going to happen. Is the scene of where my Dad took the picture of the tank in Korea. I got the Tank done, got the Dozer almost done then I'll need a good jeep kit. Put them all on a base where the road was just cut by the dozer, jeep behind it and the tank in it's hull down position up front. To do this, I have to have a base that I can incorporate the several snapshots he took, I even have the camera that he used, not sure if I would display it with the piece.
 
As far as the South Cakalacky goes. that was a big ship and denotes the technology of the times. A Spruance class hull is not as heavy and complimented 500 less crew and was 563' fro, bull nose to transom. The new Zumwalt class can do twice the mission load with only 160 officers and crew. That is amazing at the comparison between the two.
 
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