Do You Remember Your First?

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You guys are waaaaay toooooooooooooooooooo young.

I started out on Cleveland balsa models when I was six and stepped into Monogram Speedee Bilt then the arly Lindberg plastic models.

In between I built a lot of Revell, Monogram, Hasegawa and Tamiya models when my sons were growing up.

I have a Guillows B-17 (Completely done prior to sheeting)g on the bench plus a Top-Flite P-51B (1/7) that I am making MAJOR modifications to - for the Fighter Aces Museum in Seattle.

I have to break through some major Don't Give a S%t barriers to finish them
 
I got my M60 kit around '72 or so...close enough though!

I thought the big IR spotlight on the mantlet was about the coolest looking thing I ever saw.

And the first time I saw the movie Battle of the Bulge, I spotted "my" tank rolling through the Ardennes with Balkan crosses on 'em...man was I confused...
 
My first model was a 1:48 f-18 "D'Skunk" I don't remember the manufacurer, I think it was revell or testors. It was my first by own (no dad's help) and was decaled without any paint. My first "real" model was testor's 1:72 black Camberra. This was for my birthday and christmas of 1986.
 
Airframes said:
How do you rate the Guillows B17 Bill? It's another that interests me for a static display model; with added detail of course.
Click to expand...

I'll take some pics and give you an idea. I found I had a fair amount of exacto knife extraction of ribs and bulkeads from the sheets and broke (repairable) some. The construction is straightforward and I have finished the airframe. I plan on sheeting it instead of tissue and dope.

If you have done Balsa/stick before it won't be a real trial. Patience is required

I am at the stage where I am trying to decide how much interior detail I want and whether to vacuform some of the clear plastic parts but actually they are decent. I am thinking of going to do B-17F and skip the chin turret, but that means open waist gun positions for sure and implies some interior work on an already framed fuselage..

I am at line of demarcation between attempting a really well detailed model a la Monogram quality or just pretty darn good.

Rivet detail I am going to skip for sure but probably will do panels. The Monogram series of 1/4 scale a little off but would still be probably OK for guns and crew -

Note: Just checked - no way as this model is nearly twice the scale at 7/16" to 12"
 
Thanks very much indeed Bill, the picture tells a lot. I reckon I could find a way to thin some of the internal structure sufficientlly to allow some detail inside the nose, cockpit and waist-gun positions, possibly the bomb bay too.
I'd really like to try it, as an ongoing, when time permits, project. Where the heck to put the finished model is another story though. It might have to be in 'flying pose', hanging off the ceiling!
Thanks again for the info.
Terry.
 
Terry - it would not be difficult for me (or you) to build to this stage then cut into Fuselage - rather than try to imbed the detail before putting all the stringers in place. However I have to do it all before I plank it - which is why it has not progressed in nearly three years.

I already know that I will completely cut out most of the forward nose bulkhead to get floor, bombsight, switch panels and the 50 cal guns/ammo/boxes. Wher I want to focus I may want a lighter OD in the interior.

I have looked carefully through the plastic radio hatch, pilot compartment, and waist gun area. Some care needs to be made to craft the larger details (like Ball Turret structure) and radios and floor but even those will be somewhat vague. Ditto tail gun.

What I will do with the ball turret is 'complete' the hidden half so that it will discernable from the radio gun hatch and serve to hang the structure for the twin 50's below, and cut the hole in the bottom of the fuselage after I plank it, and do the same thing for the top turret which can then be seen vaguely through the front and side windscreen.
 
Sounds like a good plan Bill. I'll have to think carefully about this, as I normally do my plastic modelling on my computer desk. Of course, the B17 would need to spend some time 'pinned down' whilst building, so I'll have to find room for the build, as well as where to display it. But I definitely think I'll be having a go at some time in the future. The pic you posted was extremely useful in showing the construction of the fuselage, and I reckon that some internal detail is definitely possible. It may mean employing thinner sections of longerons and stringers in places, but, as the model will not be taking any stresses, I think I can get away with it. Time will tell....
 
I have kept my first model actually. It is MiG-21 in 1:144 scale, unfortunatelly I don't remember the manufacturer of the kit. My father bought me this model when I was 7 years old and I insisted to build it alone but in the end I had to accept little of his help. Anyway here's a photo of it:
 

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Jeez, that was ages ago...*thinks*
As far as I remember, it was either an F-16, a Spitfire or a 109.
I do remember that the Spitfire and the 109 had that see-through plastic stand, where you could hook the plane on, and then position it on your desk or shelf. That was cool.

But I remember making one of these, too, and I must have been pretty young back then...a Space:1999 Eagle - Lord knows what happened to that one.



I do remember sitting for hours, painting little plastic soldiers in, what we kids thought were the proper colours, and getting totally dizzy from the paint fumes or the thinner that we used to clean that one brush we had each, so that we could start using another colour.
 
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