Morantbay

I'm relieved that (it looks like) stick & string will make it. I've got a couple Wingnut Wings gems that positively deserve to be built; but as someone who rarely builds aircraft of any kind, I need all the support I can get to tackle those things. Other than Stick, none of my choices even came close! I seem to have a rare talent to pick 'em ... Luckily, I should be able to fit into a couple of the front runners without too much effort.

Well, it looks like neither will make it unfortunately. In any event both had my support from the word go, all I could do was withdraw it from others, to feebly undermine close competitors 🙄 Better luck next year, maybe the aircraft proposals will be less strong thematically and splinter the aircraft lobby

Ah - deception, camouflage and concealment. And they say modeling doesn't build real world military skills!

You may be doing it wrong. The key is to quickly make it so big that subsequent, incremental changes in size are basically undetectable to the human eye. You know, like a glacier or mountain. Sadly, you may also need to change partners to get it done right. The existing, huge stash gets grandfathered in with you and your other baggage (both literal and figurative). As it turns out this did the trick for me 😉 Now I only have to battle my internal demons about the stash ...

Still faintly cheering for Stick & String to make it. After getting pancaked in the early going, miraculously, it still has a chance. 50% of my small aircraft stash is concentrated here and my only strong interest in aircraft is WW1 ... so if anyone has a pity vote to spare ...

Indeed, there are so many, and I have so many of them, that I could field at least a squadron if time and my building speed permitted 🙂 The first challenge will be to choose.

Exactly and very well put

Yes, I agree with that too, and fortunately a couple of the top runners are inclusive enough that I can participate with an AFV kit, and even with some of the more "mainstream" kits in the stash. Others may exercise my creativity as @marvinneko suggests ... So, skim off the top, dig deep - or just let many go by and finish the top half of the 1/72 scale Sub, the bottom half of which has been taunting me from above the fireplace for the past 3 years 🙄

Looks like not a single theme that will not overwhelmingly attract winged subjects, will make it. As primarily an AFV modeler, I have to admit I find that a little bit disheartening. And I'm starting to suspect that maritime, figure etc. modelers will rarely bother to have a look at the whole group build section of the site!

I'm most envious of the beer prices in UK pubs. To get those prices in Canada I have to drink at home - sad and alone - or in a dive where surviving the night is part of the entertainment. As for the cheese, I admit I haven't done adequate research. Next visit cheese will be at the top of the itenerary.

As a Canadian who visits Britain a couple times most years, in different seasons, I have formed the opinion that Britain is never actually cold. Unfortunately it seems like it's never actually warm and never actually dry either 🫢

A small update - the first couple sub-assemblies of the boom-stick are done. This kit continues to be a study in contradictions. On the one hand, there is fairly refined detail throughout, the fit is largely decent, there is intelligent and blessedly sparing use of photo-etch; and even a turned aluminum barrel with rifling. And there are some quite advanced quality of life features that you don't always see even in Tamiya kits, like different size and/or shape of locator pins at different ends of the part so that you can't possibly put things back-to-front. On the other hand, every part has to be cleaned up extensively. And I do mean every, and I do mean extensively. And the instructions while mostly good, will abruptly degenerate to bad for a step or 2 - the pictures will show parts already attached that are not attached until later steps, display the front of the part which you are to blindly attach something (somewhere!) on the back of - exactly where is left up to your imagination and detective skills. And there are at least 2 rookie CAD errors where the designer clearly aligned the dimensions of a part to the (incorrect) near edge of something instead of the (correct) far edge. Oh well. Nothing (so far) that can't be overcome with some patience, but the kit could have been a contender

I've just been sorting through the stash myself. Seat # has not been a motivation, in itself, to buy a kit prior to ... But by chance there is a Stuka and not one but two tandem motorcycle kits gathering dust so I'm covered.

Cool Cats was one of my picks actually - and is showing some fight 🤞

It seems I know how to pick 'em. Pretty much everything I voted for is trailing badly 😂 If I want to GB in '26 I may need to expand my horizons ... Great excuse to ignore my gigantic stash and buy new stuff!