Navy Bird Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 In 2020, even though I was indoors for most of the year, I only managed to complete three models. In 2021 I managed five! I call this progress, even at my advanced age. Especially since I took off the entire summer to enjoy spinal surgery number 10! Maybe 2022 will bring more - especially if I stay away from projects like the Privateer and my silly medical issues. I'm too old for that nonsense. 👴 So here is my staggering output from 2021: 1:72 Shorts Tucano T.1 (completed February 2021) Airfix 2020 was my "year of resin kits" - everything I built was resin. In 2021 I decided to return to my roots with injection moulded styrene and what better way than an old gem from Airfix, complete with those funky square shaped sprues that remind me so much of my misspent youth? (I could have made something of myself, but no - I was social distancing in the basement building models.) Anyway, this is the 1:72 scale kit of the Shorts Tucano T.1 and by my guess her tooling is pushing 30 years old. I used a lot of aftermarket resin bits from CMK, and by doing so made it pretty much impossible to add weight to prevent tail sitting. To remedy that, I added the wheel chocks on the port side, but then discovered that the main gear legs were flexible and she still tipped over. Ultimately I resorted to gluing her down onto one of those nice bases from Coastal. Click here for the RFI post for complete details and a link to the WIP. 1:72 QinetiQ Hawker Harrier T.4 (completed March 2021) Sword Raspberry Ripple time! This is the Sword kit of the Hawker Harrier T.4 in the scheme used by QinetiQ during some of the VAAC research. When I first saw photos of this aircraft I knew I had to make a model someday. So here she is! I won't go into the story of this research as it's widely available online. Some of it is highly technical (with graphs!) and it was beyond my classically trained brain. Hand me my copy of Ovid. Click here for the RFI post for complete details and a link to the WIP. 1:72 McDonnell Douglas (Don't You Dare Say Boeing) F/A-18C Hornet (completed May 2021) Hasegawa Back in the days before there was an Internet, Saturday Night Live ran a skit called "What if Napoleon had a B-52 at Waterloo?" (I'm sure you can find it if you use that newfangled World Wide Web thing.) Similarly, the US Navy, while celebrating the Centennial of Naval Aviation in 2011, wondered what might have happened if they had a supersonic Hellcat back in 1945. Accordingly, they painted one of their VFA-122 F/A-18C Hornets in a scheme used by VF-17 F6F Hellcats and shopped around for a time machine. I have to admit I like anniversary schemes, and if they're retro that makes it even better. I had the old Hasegawa F/A-18C Hornet in the loft, along with a bunch of aftermarket stuff (who - me?) and figured I'd give it a go. The resin bits from Aires and Quickboost presented more than the usual challenge (fully documented in the WIP) but I won in the end. Click here for the RFI post for complete details and a link to the WIP. 1:72 Grumman F-14D "Tomcat Sunset" (completed December 2021) Fine Molds This is my effort for the recent F-14 Tomcat Group Build. I acquired the kit by purchasing three issues of ModelGraphix magazine back in 2015. Kind of like the old days when you got a prize in the bottom of your Cracker Jacks, only this promotion packaged styrene sprues - but you didn't get them all unless you bought all three issues! The kit lives up to Fine Molds' reputation - I did not use any putty during the assembly. None. Detail is quite good for 1:72, although I did tart it up with a bit of aftermarket. I left the covers off of the avionics and cannon bays as they interfere with seeing what's inside. The markings are for the special VF-31 display aircraft from the official Tomcat retirement ceremony (a day that will live in infamy.) No weathering on this baby as she was freshly painted for the event. "Felix Rules" on the drop tanks are homemade decals - the artwork was done in Corel Draw. Click here for the RFI post for complete details and a link to the WIP. 1:72 Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer (completed December 2021) Revell/Matchbox I have only one resolution this year - to never build a kit like this again. It's not often that I dread going to the workbench, but it happened on several occasions with this project. Obviously, this is the old Matchbox PB4Y-2 Privateer re-boxed by Revell which is in itself not a bad kit except for its glaring errors. Specifically, the turrets, cowlings and props are a bit on the, er, wrong side. Being the fruitcake that I am (notice how I worked in some holiday cheer?) I decided to go rogue in the aftermarket store and procure the old Cobra resin correction set. This is where most of the problems came from. Read the WIP and WEEP. Boy, am I relieved to get this one off the bench. Not my best work by a long shot, but I suppose it looks good enough to stick in the display case along with the old Revell PB4Y-1 that I built a few years ago. Click here for the RFI post for complete details and a link to the WIP. Cheers, Bill PS. Maybe six for 2022? 22 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 Yes, what a waste of time that lot was. Five very good, clean, museum style models. Exceptional finishing throughout. Build quality consistently brilliant. Sharp as a pin. Difficult to pick a favourite but the finish on the Privateer sticks in my mind. I don't know why you bothered. 😉 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Kay Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 Bill, I think you are one of those that always downplays their own achievements. Each one of those models is a little gem, and I wish I had the patience to get the superb finish you always seem to manage. Don’t do yourself down. As for the Privateer, well, you know the problems, we know them because we read what you did, but to most people looking at it they would see another superb - and rather large - scale replica. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 Bill what you lack in quantity, you more than made for in quality, especially the Privateer. I can understand your pain on that one having gone through a similar experience with my 48th scale version and yours came out a whole lot better. Excellent job across the board! Here's to seeing if we can both up our game for 2022. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeroenS Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 Well.... if you have this down as a waste of time I'm curious to see what you can do when you feel you're on top of your game! I give this a "wow!" across the board, no exceptions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 They are all crackers Bill, great work on all, the Tucano is really sweet, they all look fabulous though. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnl42 Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 Nicely done! I quite like your CoNA F/A-18! That reminds me that I have Fightertown's 1/48 Navair Centennial Tri-Tone Trifecta with some WIF F-14s. Hmm... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Love the Raspbery ripple Harrier, good stuff! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunny Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Bill, Even if you had built nothing else, that Privateer would be up there with the top builds of the year. But you did. And they are all superb. Awesome work sir, and I hope 2022 is as rich, Cheers, Roger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Quality before quantity, nice selection! Alex 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maginot Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Well, I wish I could waste my time as productively as you did, Bill. I like the lot of 'em. The Privateer is a standout for the excellent finish against the odds of an apparent grind. But my favourite is the Harrier for its striking colours. Six in 2022? At this rate you're going to need a bigger display cabinet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Looks like an outstanding year to me Bill, really superb, each & every one. 👍 Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted January 4, 2022 Author Share Posted January 4, 2022 Thanks everyone, I appreciate the nice compliments. Cheers, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 Superb as usual Bill,....... I love them all,..... the VAAC Harrier and Tucano jump out at me,..... but the competition is very hard. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted January 15, 2022 Author Share Posted January 15, 2022 On 05/01/2022 at 18:25, tonyot said: Superb as usual Bill,....... I love them all,..... the VAAC Harrier and Tucano jump out at me,..... but the competition is very hard. Thanks mate. I figured you'd go for the Privateer, but I like the VAAC Harrier and the Tucano as well. It's those fancy schemes. I'm doing a Raspberry Ripple FG.1 Phantom right now, it will look good next to the Harrier. Cheers, Bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 (edited) 21 hours ago, Navy Bird said: Thanks mate. I figured you'd go for the Privateer, but I like the VAAC Harrier and the Tucano as well. It's those fancy schemes. I'm doing a Raspberry Ripple FG.1 Phantom right now, it will look good next to the Harrier. Cheers, Bill Like I said Bill,..... they are all superb,...... so hard to choose,.... looking forward to the Phantom,..... I used to see that one fly regularly from Boscombe Down as it flew over our barracks back in the day. Edited January 16, 2022 by tonyot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wulfman Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 Superb builds all, magnificent modelling ! Wulfman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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