Future of kit building?

[DOUGRD]

Thats a great attitude Doug!

It strikes me funny sometimes when I'm at something aircraft related or hobby related and not that Im expecting special treatment but I get a real cold response to questions, that does not encourage people to 'join' if you like these hobbies. I guess I'm talking about the Rivet Counters........

Heinz I've had that happen to me too. More so at modelling events or modelling club meetings than say,at an airshow. I don't know what it is because sometimes I'm not asking a question but rather giving a compliment and I still get that sort of response. I thought maybe my 12 hour deodorant had timed out or something? You know if I had been the very first person to do something I might get a big head over it for a while (and hopefully someone will put me back in my place) but damn, we're talking hobbies here, not brain surgery or being the captain of a Nuke submarine, right. It's like "I'm so glad you just built the most exact replica of a Me-109 in 1/32 scale that has ever been done but in the overall scheme of life on this planet what's its relevancy?" It's a plastic airplane model-get a grip!

 

[Negative Creep]

I think much the same thing, that some people are way to obsessed with perfect accuracy. For me, a kit looking good is far more important than it having the right radio antenna or exact unit markings

 

[DOUGRD]

I hear ya N.C.! The number one person I built for is me. It was years before a good friend of mine, who I consider a better modeller than I, talked me into entering any of my models into a contest.

 

[Catch22]

Hell, they've even taken that away! Ah the good ol' days of Testors in the orange tube!!8)

I can still buy that stuff haha. (though they may have changed the chemical makeup)

I think my models turn out well. I don't have an airbrush, so I use spray paint when I can. But there are times when I have to brush on, but they still turn out good. I love going to bed and looking at all the planes hanging in my room, remembering the building of each one. Something happened during each build which was different from every other.

 

[obdl]

Hi, folks...

Goodness, some of your comments take me back, and not just a few years... !

I have just turned 46 years old, and have been making kits since I was 9. My earliest recollection of model aircraft were those of my father, a Church of Scotland minister, and his passion, as he would say, were 'real' planes (two or more wings... !) and ideally those from WW1. We used to have two flights of stairs in the old house, with a small landing in between each level. There was a large stained-glass window with a ledge in front of it on the landing, and my dad put his model kits there. It was so frustrating for a four year old like me, when I knew they were there, but I wasn't tall enough to reach them, take them down and look at them, but if I went up the next flight of stairs, I could look down on them and see them all very clearly, but was out of reach... only in later years did I fully understand why my father chose that location... !

My paternal grandfather was a Clydeside shipbuilder, my dad made models, I make models, and my younger brother works for an international airline maintaining Jumbo jets etc, so I suppose construction of some description is in our family. My elder brother was always the academic, rather than the DIY... !

Yes, kits used to be so inexpensive, but everything goes up in price these days, so should we really be so surprised... ? Yes, Airfix and a few others were great in their day, but other companies came along and bettered their efforts and so prices invariably increased for that reason also. But we do have greater choice nowadays. The Eastern Bloc, once renowned for not very good kits, has disintegrated and some of the best stuff on the market now originates from the Czech Republic and the Ukraine, to name but two. New names to conjure with, Zvezda, Special Hobby, Condor, in addition to the stalwarts like Revell, Hasegawa and still available in model shops in some places, Airfix.

I think that there is still a healthy following for model-making, and in as much as my father made kits before me, I can also remember being fascinated by his wartime books, Aircraft of the Fighting Powers, volumes 1,2 and 4 - I never found volume 3... ! And of course, the mystery and intrigue of 'the enemy' aircraft was always the attraction for me. Fw 200, He177, Ar232 and other Teutonic wonders caught and fired my imagination, if for no other reason, because they were so damned difficult to see even in a museum... ! Modelling those aircraft was the only way one could really completely envisage what they looked like. And I've always found Luftwaffe WW2 colour schemes to be the ultimate challenge at the end of a protracted period of modelling... just when you think you've done all the hard bits, along comes a wave-pattern colour scheme, which has to be replicated on both upper and undersurfaces...

One of the contributors here stated that now, there are more distractions for children, and another, that modelling is now 'easier' because of all the accessories that can be bought... paint masks, canopy masks, different types of filler and paint... does anyone else remember the triangular-shaped bottles that Airfix paint used to come in, or the orange-smelling glue they issued around the early 1970s... ? I have to admit that I think some of those paint masks defeat the purpose... whatever happened to learning how to paint freehand, either with a brush or a spraygun, as airbrushes were once called. Now, that is what I call a challenge.

Model shops are fewer nowadays, and mainstream department stores and shopping chains either don't stock models at all, or only buy in the kits that they feel will sell, hence the restricted choice on the shelves. The few High Street models shops there are tend to cater for a particular type of client who knows exactly what they're after, and I can only think of two such shops in all of Scotland at present like that. On the other hand, if you have access to the internet, models can be obtained from any outlet selling them... one doesn't even have to leave the house to join the queue for a particular model. A bank account or credit card with sufficient funds is usually enough to secure the kit you desire.

Yes, my friends, changing times, increasing prices and being spoilt for choice are all part of the modellers' circumstances, but would we really have it any other way... ? I doubt it. Modelling is our passion, and we will continue, I think, to indulge in it, enjoy it and pass on our enthusiasm for it to a younger generation.

 

[ccheese]

First of all, I am of the opinion you gents are talking about scale plastic
aircraft. I've never built any of them, I'm into flying models, balsa and
paper (which is really silkspan). Was in my favorite hobby shop last night
while the wife had her eyes examined. (Somehow... that doesn't sound right).

Anyhow, I saw flying, rubber powered models, up to 25" wingspan for $54.95.
Fifty-five dollars (USD) ! That same model, when I was a bit younger, was
probably about $9.95. Hot-fuel models were in the hundreds... sans engine !
And the guy has no problem selling them. I agree.... the prices have gone
out of sight..... for any modeller.

Charles

 

[Maestro]

Well, on my side it's getting better...

Due to the current weakness of the American dollar ($1.00 USD = $1.00 CND), and also due to the fact that local dealers are still selling their 1/48 fighter model kits around $50.00 CND, it is cheaper for me to order them directly from Texas... Where I can buy the same model kit for about $25.00 USD (+ approximately $10.00 USD shipping) !

Long live to Squadron.com !

 

[Negative Creep]

With regards to the rivet counters, as someone pointed out the other day, even the real aircraft wouldn't have conformed. There were countless field modifications, upgrades and bodges done to every single aircraft by every country. Would they have had someone there checking every aircraft before they took off 'No sorry, you've fitted the wrong design wheels and antenna. Mission is scrubbed.' Even 2 aircraft of the same squadron could've been completely different

 

[DOUGRD]

Well, on my side it's getting better...

Due to the current weakness of the American dollar ($1.00 USD = $1.00 CND), and also due to the fact that local dealers are still selling their 1/48 fighter model kits around $50.00 CND, it is cheaper for me to order them directly from Texas... Where I can buy the same model kit for about $25.00 USD (+ approximately $10.00 USD shipping) !
Long live to Squadron.com !

I will try to say this without sounding like a traitor...Maestro I'm glad to see there is finally parity between the U.S. and Canadian dollars. How times have changed....back in the mid '70's I lived in southern Maryland and once a quarter my best friend and I would make a pilgrimage to Washington D.C. to the Squadron Shop. Everything that they carried in their catalog was there, paints, Micro-Sol, Micro-Set, air brushes. It was like getting a fix. We'd spend all morning going from shelf to shelf, checking out the Micro scale decals (they were only about $2.95USD back then), the latest Hasagawa 1/32 FW-190. Ah, those were the days. Online is great but there's something missing and I miss it.

 

[Maestro]

Online is great but there's something missing and I miss it.

May be, but now everyone can take advantage of their low prices.

 

[Heinz]

I think i know what you mean Dougrd. The enjoyment of searching through numerous kits and finding one you've been after. Then going back home with your 'booty'

However looking online some prices are so good its hard not to consider it.

 

[grob]

I have been modelling since the 60s and have seen a big decline in the poeple taking up the hobby.My club has some junoir members but needs more as the average age is now in the 50s.I cant afford expensive models so tend to scratchbuild and convert cheaper kits.I think magzines has some blame in this as the way now is buy this kit ,add this etche kit use these extra tracks and this turned barrel making the kit far too expensive for many of us.Heres hoping for modelling to go back to being a hobby rather than a competition race

 

[Njaco]

I agree with you grob. I remember scratch building extras instead of buying an add-on. Made the experience richer. And its great that we continue to soldier on, but how do we get the intrest of the XYZ genreation? I've tried with my sons even getting them Gundamn Wind models, dinosaurs, etc. Nothing. How do you pass on to the youngers the enjoyment and time well-spent?

 

[Heinz]

Paitience is something that has been lost throughout the years. A very 'NOW' society which is disappointing. Fortunately for me I have older folks which have instilled older values and attitudes and to be honest I see people in my similar generation and roll my eyes.

Creating something no matter what is such a great experiece and people did more this I think they would find something more, I;m not sure what but its gotta be positive!

 

[Lucky13]

Greetings gentlemen.....

First of all, I was relieved when Hornby bought Airfix and Humbrol. I can't think of any model maker that bring back childhood memories as much as the name Airfix does, can you? My first ever model I build was a Chevy '57 from God knows who and was later followed up with Matchbox 1/32 Douglas Dauntless, whatever happened to them by the way? I'm trying to get back into this hobby once again, which is not easy when you have to buy everything new again....
I don't think that kids of today have the same patience as we had when we were kids....no pc, internet, games, xbox, playstation etc. etc. If we wanted to have fun we had to work hard to have it. Play indians and cowboys, war or whatever came to your mind. Kids today want to have fun NOW and something that gives that instant "fix".
I agree that some things has gone a wee bit too far like this with the paint thickness....wtf! Go on like this and the tables at the shows will be very empty. Nobody wiil have the guts to show their models, I don't mind accuracy and all that but come on...
One thing that I think have upset all this with prices etc are those limited run kits. I know that models of some of the more unusual subjects might have to made as a short run kit to make any money for modelmaker.
How much would a state of the art B-26, B-17, B-24 or B-29 cost today? I don't think that the model makers think that much about the future, do you? How many "starters kits" is there to be found?

 

[Soundbreaker Welch?]

I love going to bed and looking at all the planes hanging in my room, remembering the building of each one.

That's what I like to do too!

Monogram is one of the last companies left with simpler models to be built.

 

[bentwings]

Interesting replys here. I have 1 of 4 sons interested in modeling. 1 other is much into hotrods as I am too. The other 2 could give a rat's..... about either or any other hobby. Why do you waste so much time down there?? haha It's what I do.

There are still a few builders around and even some younger guys build nice planes. The same thing has happened in the streetrod game. Most of the "kids" prefer to just go buy a car already done. They may change a few things but very few do a "build". Building a streetrod from scratch is a very intimidating project and a huge money pit but lots of these kids have a lot more $$$ than I do. When I show my 41 Willys to some of these kids they just hang their jaw "you built this??" yeah. you can't buy this one. The same with the models. "how long did it take you to build this plane??" 2000 hours before paint. They say, " and you fly this?? Aren't you afraid you will crash it?" I reply "well if you can't afford , don't do it". I wish I could afford it but I do it anyway.

I flew my last Corsair (94 inch and 36 pounds) for 13 years. I have a 2 inch thick log book of flights alone so it was no closet queen. It had plenty of battle scars. While not a museum scale it had plenty of scale features. I got a kick out of the gun sight. It was totally made up of on the spot thoughts, no scale just what looked about right. I didn't even have a picture to go by. It probably got more good comments than any other feature of the plane. haha So much for scale realism and rivit counting. Scale modeling is about "deception" for most if it looks good it is good. haha

Part of the purpose of this plane was to honor the WW2 veterans and I flew at a number of memorials. It used to give me a shivver evey time I made a low pass over the field. I can't imagin what it was like during wartime battles. But it must have been something similar.
It was painted to represent a plane I had documentation on, however an interesting thing happened at one scale meet. An older gentleman came over and chatted with me for some time. He eventually said that he knew the plane well in WW 2 as he was a crew chief on the carrier and in the Pacific islands but I had some mistakes in markings. He carefully filled me in on them and I took good notes. I went home and repainted and marked the plane as he noted. Then I took pictures and sent them to him. I got a nice letter back saying how nice it was that I had chosen his group to represent with my model. I felt pretty good to say the least.

The time that my sons and I have spent building models and hotrods has been some of the most rewarding times of my life. I played sports myself and coached the other boys but it always seemed like I was on the other side of the fence. It was difficult to get across the concept of playing your best every time but not always putting the most points on the board and still be called a winner because you never gave up. Frustrating. I haven't given up on them either. They will catch on soon or later.

 

[otftch]

I think price has a lot to do with it also but I beleive the video and game revolution is really to blame.The kids now do not want to create something.They want to push buttons and everything must be quick.They don't want to wait for the glue to dry or have to worry about getting fingerprints on the model.My 8 year old grandson is almost done building an old Hawk kit and is excited about me displaying it on my shelves alongside one built by his mother when she was young.The hardest part with him was getting to wait for the next stage in construction.I think if not for my collection he would never have set still long enough to build it.If he were going outside to play football it wouldn't bother me,but alas....the one eyed monster is on again.
Ed

 

[JP Vieira]

I too think that it is a generation issue, that the current generation was brought up on the notion that everything must be immediate; sadly, for them (I think) they won't discover the pleasure of constructing something over time: that is something we learn from a hobby like this that translates itself to a very important life lesson.
However I am not all pessimistic about the future of this hobby: there will always be people interested in it and even today's youths might, as they grow older (and wiser) be interested.

 

[ccheese]

Hello Bentwings (aka Mr. Nelson)

I was wondering if you'd join the forum. Lots of wonderful people here, from
a lot of countries. Enjoy your stay. BTW, My lastest, the Fairchild 24,
is in the Modelling/Fairchild 24. Check it out.

Charles