Choosing what to model.

[Plastic Hacker]

Todays events at Shoreham and those at Reno recently have raised a question in my mind about whether it is right to model aircraft that have been involved in fatal accidents?

Several years ago I had a model of the 208 Sqdn black Buccaneer, which was lost on a training exercise, on display at the Telford show and I was given "an ear full" by someone who thought it not an appropriate subject because of the deaths of the pilot and nav.

What do you think?

Alan.

[WolvoWill]

'Its only plastic after all' would be my take on it - honestly some people take things far too seriously when it comes to modelling subjects.

Personally I'd be inclined to build aircraft that still exist and/or are still flying, rather than one that crashed, though each to their own if you want to build a crashed 'un!

Nothing to do with it being morbid or anything, just I tend to think of ones that were lost as being less than the ideal example for a model - assuming the purpose of the model is to show off the aircraft, surely you'd want one that did its job and flew into a happy retirement or continues to do so, rather one that was somehow converted into a big smoking hole in the ground!

[David_in_Fremont]

Could the same argument not be made in reverse? As in 'how dare you model an daircraft that killed so many others'? Thinking of Memphis Belle or Enola Gay or many many others. These are war-time aircraft! It's always a terrible loss when a pilot is killed, but the reverse is true also. The most 'famous' pilots earned their fame by their victories in combat, most of which resulted in death for somebody else. They aren't shooting paint-balls out there!

[Guest cloggy]

What do you think?

I think that if we applied that principle to all modelling then there would be an awful lot of Spts, Hurricanes, Bf-109, FW-190, Lancaster, B-17, etc, etc models that would have to be taken out of the model shows or off of the shelves. If you apply the same principle to the art world, should we not listen to any music by anyone who died young, or watch the movie 'Titanic'?

I regularly display a model of Tornado 46+42 of 322sqn German Air Force (Flying Monsters); this aircraft crashed in 2003 killing the pilots and I mention this in the brief 'blurb' which I have as part of the display base which makes the model a kind of tribute. No one's ever grumbled, and they'd be in for a major debate if they did.

Edited September 15, 2007 by cloggy

[AnonymousA667]

I was given "an ear full" by someone who thought it not an appropriate subject because of the deaths of the pilot and nav.

That's their problem not yours. If the crew themselves could answer my bet would be that they would tell any jokers like that to get a life and not be so anally retentive. People who fly, either professionally or for fun tend to be pretty philosophical about accidents and death. Just read any books about pilots flying combat, tells you all you need to know.

peebeep

[AnonymousA667]

As an aside from this I get a lot of stick because I tend to model a lot of non British subjects (i.e. German Armour, vehicles etc). But this is a hobby right? and should be fun.

Yes and yes to the last two questions Daz, what you build is your choice and nobody has the right to tell you otherwise.

peebeep

[Stephen]

Build whatever you like.

Stephen

[entlim]

ROCK on Daz

[Plastic Hacker]

I regularly display a model of Tornado 46+42 of 322sqn German Air Force (Flying Monsters); this aircraft crashed in 2003 killing the pilots and I mention this in the brief 'blurb' which I have as part of the display base which makes the model a kind of tribute. No one's ever grumbled, and they'd be in for a major debate if they did.

Thats how I see it, modelling is a tribute to those men and machines we are interested in. I don't think anyone here would would want to glorify death or killing, we just want to express what interests us and pay tribute to those who fly the jets.

Alan.

[Ratch]

Build what you like chap

Sometimes I build because I like the look of a subject and sometimes in tribute to the men and women who worked on them. Should history be sanitised for those who cannot handle it (and that's a rhetorical question)

[phoenix]

raised a question in my mind about whether it is right to model aircraft that have been involved in fatal accidents?

Alan, all i'll say on this is 'it's your model, do it how you darn well please!'

In my past i have a family involvement with the Bucc that went in while at 'Red Flag'

Up shot is the guys were doing what they loved.

Paul

[GrahamEM]

Accidents happen, aircraft aren't built to crash so what's the harm, they existed for a purpose.

[Zed one]

If they stopped making models of planes that crashed there would`nt be any to build