Peterpools

Got ya

John OMG, What happened but more importantly why? Just sorry to see the 104 parked on the SOD. I've been there more then I care to remember and always wind up stripping the paint off nose to tail. Sometimes, the SOD is the best option and move on.

Rob Just catching up and your Corsair is looking fantastic. The big P&W loos brilliants and the Big Bird looks flawless as well. As I'm now back to work on the P-40, I'm thinking of breaking out another one of my Tamiya Corsairs for the next build. You and John surely are inspiring me to get on the Corsair bandwagon.

Carl Awesome choice for your build and I'll be buckled up and along for the ride. Details look fantastic and the pre-shading is working perfectly.

Thanks Carl .. absolutely true and down the road, I might just go that route. Just feels good to have the mojo back and to be able to sit and work at the bench again

I know the feeling ... my calendar is full of doctor appointments for my wife and myself - oh what fun getting old is. Good luck with your doctor appointments.

Hi Gaz Just starting to catch up after my absence from the forum and finally posted my first P-40 build update. Just blown away by your progress and attention not only to the details and those lovely rivets (I would never have the patience to even attempt them) but they look fantastic. Painting and weathering are brilliantly done - bleaching and paint wear looks so good.

Thanks Harv Much appreciated - just seems the older we get; life has a way of tossing more curveballs our way.

John Just catching up and as always, your progress is amazing. Holy smokes, hard to believe the primer peeled like that. I've pretty much settled on either Mr Color or Tamiya Lacquers gloss black for my NMF bases color and so far, no issues but I just know, there is always a surprise waiting around the corner.

John Terrific work on the front office ... looking so good and busy.

FINALLY UNDERWAY The Whirlwind disaster is behind me. As my mojo started to rejuvenate, life began to take precedence: Important doctor appointments and procedures to undertake. My wife Diane also has serious medical issues requiring numerous doctor appointments and procedures and her Mom passed away a few weeks ago; our emotional stress kept on accumulating. As all that we have faced together, we are now starting the resume our somewhat routine, take charge of our lives again, including time at the bench. At first, I was going to build the P-40 with the engine panels off so the Big Allison could be seen in all its glory. The more I thought about it, I nixed the idea. In my collection are three Tamiya Spitfires with the Merlin’s exposed, three Tamiya Mustangs with just one of the Merlin’s exposed and the Mosquito with both Merlin’s exposed. I’ve come to prefer the look of the engine panels closed up, as the aircraft looking ready for flight, so this was the new POA for the build. I jumped to the nose section of the build to make sure this really would work as there are a mess of parts and the instructions again, leave a bit to be desired with part placement and orientation. The nose is basically done, needs the Mr Surfacer 500 cleaned up and priming. Fit was good, with no real issues. Assembly and detail wise, pretty good but not quite up to par with Tamiya. Yes, I’m a Tamiya fan boy and proud of it. Starting now at the beginning of the instruction manual, it was time to build the front office and internal fuselage details. The only AM I’m using: Eduard 32997and Quinta 32116 cockpit detail sets, using what I considered the best of each. So far both sets equally contributed about the same number of details and I did settle on the Quinta set for the IP but it was very close, as either would have filled the bill. Still to be done; clear gloss, the remaining kit decals, seat belts, some weathering and pin washes to high light the details and the front office should be done. I decided to add all the internal fuselage details and assemblies but NOT to do any detail painting, as they do look great but what a gigantic waste of time. Once the fuselage is close up, almost none of it can be seen through the radio access panel. I just have no idea why manufactures add all this interior detail when most can’t be seen. Why waste all the time, engineering and R&D money on providing unseen parts, which in the end adds substantially to the cost of the kit for no good reason. Just glad to be spending time at the bench making some progress. Please excuse the crummy photographs, just wasn’t up to setting up my photo area for the first pics.

Harv Glad you're on board as the journey is about to begin

Mike I just reached a point I couldn't deal with the kit anymore - wasted countless hours for nothing. I decided to stay away from kits that I need a fight the whole way and work at getting my mojo up and back. Just see how it goes.

Absolutely so, especially when I'll be 75 in a few weeks.

Carl Now that's the way to do a paint test

Thanks Chris, very much appreciated. Sometimes, it just happens in the world of modeling and being frustrated and aggravated day after day and work session after work session, just isn't worth it. For me the kit became the opposite of what the hobby is all about and binning it became my best way of dealing with all the never-ending issues. When it ground my modeling mojo to a halt, it was time for the Whirlwind to go. Yup, I do remember your KH P-39 - another mojo killer and so poorly designed as well. I've been trying to get the modeling mojo working again with the P-40 but after working on the Allison engine, my mojo nearly went dry again. I thought the best way to get back in the saddle again is to go Tamiya and I'm now happily working on one of Papa Tamiya's 1/48 F-16C Viper kits and I can feel the juices starting to flow again.

Chris Terrific start on the Tamiya Me262, just nothing like the enjoyment of a Tamiya kit in my book. While I have started the GWH P-40 - I'm still having more then a rough time getting the mojo into play after the Whirlwind disaster. My cure: I just started a 1/48 Tamiya F-16C with the only AM being the addition of a Quinta 3D cockpit; talk about a mojo builder. I can feel the juices starting to flow again.

Gaz Holy smokes .. some fantastic work and the spinner mask look so good.

John Brilliant work - your flawless finish speaks volumes.

John I'm always in awe of your incredible and beautiful workmanship. Another beauty to the collection🏆

Scott Awesome progress on the tri-color paint scheme - looking mighty good.

John Simply amazing ... not even Superman could keep up with your remarkable pace for turning out perfect builds

Carl Fantastic progress ... some mighty good looking legs

Magnificent engineering and the bar that every manufacture should strive for. 🏆

Thanks Gaz Awesome photograph and the cammo sure looks like fine line - in scale should be close to a hard edge 😉 I've read many times Robert Scott's book: God is my Co Pilot and of course, I haven't seen it for years.