Ultimate P-51 detailing

[Airframes]

Wow Marek, you've nearly caught me up in the ex-wife stakes!
My excuse was that I liked the marzipan on wedding cakes....then I found I could buy it in supermarkets!!!

 

[lesofprimus]

Marzipan in Supermarkets??? Where???? What country??? What city??? Must get there, now.............

 

[marek]

O.K Les! Come to Finland. We have it here in Supermarkets.

 

[N4521U]

Well, my fellow model builders, in those days Rodney was doing these on commission. I lived in the S.F. area in California a long time back and Rodney used to have monthly evening model building sessions at an airport in San Jose. Always about 12 people with their projects in hand. He did the most incredible work. I was doing a 32nd P-51B at thew time. He got me into doing super detailing. Hand made gear struts, cockpit parts, wing ribbing. I was doing a battle damaged piece. We would make a mold of the non-moving control surfaces, cast them and place flaps and ailerons in position, even the trim tabs. He made his own scale prop blades, we would make a mold and make multiple parts. He was the most generous man you could ever imagine. This was back in 1996. He mentored anyone brave enough to walk in with his kit. The last kit I saw him working on was an F86 for a client. Most were build times of 2 years, but they waited. He was retired and worked on his commissions full time. I have wondered if he is still around. Cheers, Bill

 

[N4521U]

Well my fellow model builders Rodney was from the San Francisco area. He used to lead a weekly model building session at an airport in San Jose, which I used to attend. He did the most fantastic work. He would help anyone brave enough to walk in with his project in hand. He was working on an F86 at the time I was there. Most of his work was on commission, as was the "Gal". I walked in with a P-51B, 1/32, he had me doing all kinds of things I had never considered doing. Hand made struts, cockpit, gun bays, ribbing, as I wanted a battle damaged plane. We used to cast some of the parts he made. To scale prop blades he used on the Gal. Drop tanks were hand made by him. I had two good sized tackle boxes, one with tools, the other with plane parts....... had them both nicked! He was the most generous people with his time you could ever imagine. I often wonder, as I am now getting back into this, where he is, if he is still around. He was in his sixties back then I am sure, retired and worked onhis models all the time. Cheers, Bill

 

[A4K]

Sounds like a great bloke, Bill!

 

[Trebor]

never in my life could I EVER do that....ever. I may have patience for modeling, but I could never have patience for doing all that stuff.

 

[Junkers88A1]

very very nice..but as some prvious here..why ??
because it can be done..ok..i see that..but then again.. not me..
i think i agree on building more models instead of one each year..hehe

 

[Pong]

I have lost the will to make more models.

Dang, that's some extreme detail, and I really like that cockpit!

-Arlo

 

[Colin1]

never in my life could I EVER do that....ever. I may have patience for modeling, but I could never have patience for doing all that stuff.

Don't go ruling a line underneath yourself at your age, fella
You've no idea what you're capable of - yet.

We should agree that we all take from our hobbies what we desire and that this individual is an outstanding modeller, he rose to a pretty demanding challenge to super-detail this P-51. We should also agree that there are some outstanding modellers among your (our) community.

 

[N4521U]

Some of you keep asking why? He supported himself for about twenty years building these as commissions. Look uo Rodney Williams scale models on google, he has retired from model building now. cheers, Bill