KRK4m Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 (edited) Yes, those were the days ... In the 1970s, my annual standard was 25-30 models. Between my first trip to the UK in 1972 and my 1980 wedding, I built 220 1:72 aircraft. Some of them still stand (more or less proudly) in my cabinet, but most were sold either through eBay or at various modellers' meetings. Then, in the 1980s, I built several 1:32 (Airfix and Matchbox) vintage sports cars, such as the Blower Bentley, Mercedes SSKL, Alfa 8c, two Bugattis, a.s.o. This led me to collect a few classic cars, but the scale became ... 1: 1. First was Volvo Amazon, then Renault Gordinis (R5 and R12), three Abarth-Fiats (595SS, 1000OT and Gp4 16v Mirafiori) and the Oettinger Beetle 1.6. And so my modeling activity was weakening year by year. For many years, I only built one or two models a year, then the standard annual production was zero. In the meantime, my stash became close to the four-digit number and one day I realized that I would never have time to build even 10 per cent of this collection. So I first introduced thematic restrictions, leaving only three topics: 1912-2012 military aircraft in 1:72, 1917-2017 AFV in 1:72, and 1901-2000 large warships in 1: 700. Then I introduced quantitative limits for each collection - for 150, 60, and 30 models respectively. All the other kits have been sold, and now a pile of just 200 (or a little bit more) kits doesn't look that horrible. And finally I started building models again. In 2019, I started 3 aircraft carrier kits in 1: 700, but to this day none of them can be called "finished". The same thing happened again in 2020 and now I have six 1: 700 aircraft carriers at various stages of completion with some hope that ALL six will be completed in 2021. Sent home from my daily work (at an auto parts store) due to the COVID pandemic, I started building 1:72 AFVs in March. To date, I have started 19 of them, but only a dozen are completed. Four of the remaining seven are waiting for decals, one for aftermarket tracks (the original ones fell apart a week after assembly, while the kit waited for the varnish coat after fitting the decals), and two (started in December) just for some time to complete the work. Nevertheless, the first to appear (in March) was a trio of two French Renaults and the US M3 light tank. You can find more pictures in the RFI threads there: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235070219-the-bovington-renault-ue-chenillette-in-172/ https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235070355-the-compiegne-museum-renault-ft-in-172/ https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235085946-the-laenzlinger-collection-m3-stuart-in-172/ Then, in April, three German vehicles (a tank and two tank destroyers) were built. The other three WW2 tanks were started in May but are still not completed for the reasons mentioned above. You can find more pictures in the RFI threads there: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235070476-jagdpanzer-38t-hetzer-by-unimodels-172/ https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235071304-the-afrika-korps-sdkfz-1611-pzkpfw-iv-ausfg-by-zvezda-172/ https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235071637-the-sdkfz1421-sturmgeschutz-40-ausf-g-by-unimodels-172/ The long evenings in May, June, July and August are the perfect time to do some 1: 1 classic car workshop work (I still do have an Abarth TC, Steyr-Puch 650, Escort RS, Fiat 124ST and Burlington Morgan to restore) and in September I came back to modeling. My T-34 STGB fruits were 3 Soviet types: a tank, a tank destroyer and a tiny tankette. You can find more pictures in the RFI threads there: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235079413-the-t-3476-m1941-by-unimodels-172/ https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235080010-the-su-100-tank-destroyer-by-unimodels-172/ https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235085701-the-t-27-tankette-by-shapeways-172-3d-print/ Since then, I have started another 7 AFV kits, but only three of them (the MTO GB) are completed for the reasons explained above. The three British tanks from the Desert campaign are here: You can find more pictures in the GB threads there: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235082611-still-one-more-matilda/ https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235082707-the-20th-century-middle-eastern-crusader/ https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235082860-my-funny-valentine-and-third-time-lucky-in-one/ And finally, let me take a quiz (though without prizes). In this blurry (misty?) photo, there are seven of my models waiting for completion in 2021. Try to guess what tanks they are 😉 Cheers Michael Edited January 7, 2021 by KRK4m 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desert falcon Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 Great story and some nice builds - thanks for sharing! Looking forward to see the 6 carriers in the 2021 yearbook 😁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 Nice set, however I feel dramatic lack of wings there! Regarding quiz - at 5 O'clock I suspect Sherman, on 12 Mark 1 maybe... I do not know too much about tanks, so the others remains mysterious... Regards J-W 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 Great collection of model AFVs , I reckon a Churchill at 2 o'clock. What a great collection of vehicles. I would love the Abart and Mirafori, but as you can see from my Avatar I am a VW fan so ghe Oettinger Beetle would have been at the top . Great work. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRK4m Posted January 7, 2021 Author Share Posted January 7, 2021 18 hours ago, desert falcon said: Looking forward to see the 6 carriers in the 2021 yearbook 😁 So do I - they're 1/700 models, so it isn't as impossible as it may seem. 17 hours ago, JWM said: Nice set, however I feel dramatic lack of wings there! Regarding quiz - at 5 o'clock I suspect Sherman, on 12 Mark I maybe... I do not know too much about tanks, so the others remains mysterious... You know my cabinet well, Brother - a year ago there were 100 models with wings (or rotors) in it. Plus 2 ships, and ZERO AFV. It was therefore a necessity to start modelling the AFV. Speaking of the quiz - two years ago I didn't know much about tanks either, so don't be shy. Moreover - you hit the WW1 Mark (IV) at 12.👏 Sherman is in this photo too - but not at 5 o'clock. 17 hours ago, bigbadbadge said: Great collection of model AFVs , I reckon a Churchill at 2 o'clock. Thank you, Chris. Churchill at 2 o'clock hit the spot! 👏 Thus we have: Mark IV on 12, Churchill on 2, and ????? on 4, 5, 7, 9 and 11. Cheers Michael 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRK4m Posted January 7, 2021 Author Share Posted January 7, 2021 (edited) 22 hours ago, bigbadbadge said: What a great collection of vehicles. I would love the Abarth and Mirafori, but as you can see from my Avatar I am a VW fan so the Oettinger Beetle would have been at the top . Actually I don't have enough space to keep 15 cars at the same time. At the beginning there were two of them, then four, then two were sold, then another two appeared, a.s.o. At the moment I have five of them (plus two for daily driving and a race car transporter), which I still consider "too much". Slightly OT, but I'll show you few of the already sold: The R5 Alpine (called Gordini in the UK) as raced in 2000 and 2001 seasons The Group 4 Abarth Mirafiori (IRS, 250 hp 16v 2.0) sold in 2008 to Tadek Myszkier and raced by him successfully till today. Especially for you, Chris: the 80 hp 1.6 Oettinger-engined Beetle (0-60 mph in 11s) as raced in 1998-1999. Cheers Michael Edited January 7, 2021 by KRK4m 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 Oh my word, back in the 80s I would have loved a Mirafiori especially the Abarth with the wide arch kit too. Would still love one today but mortgage and kids won't allow, notvtgat I am complaining mind . The Oettenger bug oh wow, to find one now complete would be great but they go for quite a lot of money. Thank you Michael for the images and some memories for me when I was a teenager . I have had VWs since 1993 two fasties, still got the 67. I also had 5 beetles a Bay window bus and several Mk2 Golf's, not all at the same time though. Got older and sold them all off and just kept the Fastback and a Leon now as I need something comfy too but I regret selling the bus and the last Mk2. All the best Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRK4m Posted February 1, 2021 Author Share Posted February 1, 2021 In one month (January 2021) I managed to finish FOUR tank models of the "Magnificent Seven" from the foggy photo above. Here they are: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235086655-the-m3-grant-mk-i-by-mirage-hobby-172/ https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235087306-the-sdkfz171-panther-pzkpfw-v-ausfa-by-dragon-172/ https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235087660-cruiser-tank-mkviii-a27m-cromwell-mk-iv-by-revell-172/ https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235087981-infantry-heavy-tank-mkiv-a22-churchill-mk-iv-by-dragon-172/ I'll do my best to finish the remaining trio in February. And then I'd like to move to the 1/700 warships... Cheers Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wulfman Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 A beautiful collection, I will be shamelessly be using your builds as reference ! Wulfman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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