Special Hobby Whirlwind

[Peterpools]

Gaz

Great John Wahn movie and a s kid growing up, it was always at the top of my list. I've seen it so many times, I have the lines almost memorized

  

[DocRob]

Wow Peter, only some days away and disaster struck. You put so much effort into the beautiful Whirlwind, it's a shame to see it has been binned. I can understand your reaction, as some kits just push you over the line. I binned kits too, but I always try to calm down, before doing so and try to find a solution, like showing the bird with retracted LG in flight,...
There are kits, which are bad / delicate in some ways and some of them trigger my appetite to finish them, like in my case the MikroMir Fokker D.VIII or the Fly Arado 234, which is an on and off shelf queen, but I desire to finish it and then there are kits, which are utterly frustrating
Time is too precious to deal with these, maybe there will be something useful recycled from your Whirlwind.
This said, I have several Special Hobby kits in my stash and I hope the best, as SH has some really interesting subjects in their portfolio.

Cheers Rob 

[Bomber_County]

6 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Gaz

It sure does and for me there are three that are at the top of my list:

Twelve O'Clock High

Dive Bombers

Saving Private Ryan

Twelve o’clock High, one of the best movies ever made. The book was written by 100BG pilot and I have read that when airforce veterans were asked which film came close to reality most said 12 o’clock……..

[Peterpools]

Thanks Rob

Finally, the Whirlwind pushed me over the edge and for a few seconds, I couldn't help myself - just too many months of struggling and frustrations. For me, it's a hobby to relax with and find enjoyment in and when that's long gone and all I have been through the past few years, struggling with a model kit, isn't worth the time or effort. Literally life is too short and no reason keep struggling and literally having no fun at the bench. I've learned from the experience and am moving on:

The P-40 is now underway

   

 

[Peterpools]

Phil Absolutely agree and based on a true story. best role Gregory Peck ever played in my book.

 

[JohnB]

7 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Thanks John

It happens and I just didn't see it coming as I managed to square away all the other obstacles. For lesson learned and I'm sticking to the type of kit I enjoy and if it looks like a fight right from the start, at my age, might just be better to move on right there and then and build a kit I find satisfying and rewarding without the need to keep banging my head against the wall.

 

 

Agreed Peter. This hobby is supposed to be enjoyable (and therapeutic at times). Earlier this week I pulled my Fisher Twogar off the SOD to see about resuming working on it. I had put it aside a while back because of drooping wings. Thought I'd give it another shot but, try as I might, still couldn't get it straightened out. Hot water and hair dryer just did not help much. So it was back to the SOD. I'll find something else to do. Likely another P-51 racer I have in mind.

John

[Peterpools]

John

perfect solution.

 

[CANicoll]

I'm catching up to this and so sorry to hear of the final problems.  I definitely hear you on how some kits are just poorly engineered, and it just kills off any joy from the build.  But to have it happen at the end is so incredibly frustrating.  The Whirlwind looked great.  Also completely understand you binning it.  Sometimes that seems to be the only way to put it behind us.

I know you remember my own frustration with the Kitty Hawk P-39 several years ago.  So, you are not alone!  And somehow or another, I seriously doubt its your 75 years behind the problems.  Your work continues to be THAT good.

Hang in there my friend!

[Peterpools]

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. 

 

[nmayhew]

always sad to hear stories like this

my advice: build a Tamiya 1/32 next

life's too short to spend too much time on sh*t kits

[Peterpools]

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

 

[Landlubber Mike]

I just saw the bad news Peter, so sorry to read that.  Must have felt nice throwing it really hard into the bin though - I've been there more than a few times before but never had the courage to do that.  Hobby should be fun, not stressful!  

I'm working on the Special Hobby 1/48 Buffalo.  Needs a lot of extra care and attention as well.

[Peterpools]

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.

 

[Clunkmeister]

Sorry to hear about the bad ending, Peter. I build a lot of these short run kits, and quite honestly, pretty much every single time I need to just step away from it for awhile and eventually return to it. They just wind me up at times.

But I box it up and place it on the SOD, to be revisited at a later date. We all have our ways, but I just roll my chair back, cuss a few expletives, and walk slowly away. 
Too bad for your Whirlwind my friend, she was looking GREAT!

[Peterpools]

Thanks Ernie

Should have done exactly that but, I just lost it for a brief few minutes and that's all she wrote. Recovering from the Whirlwind, I dove into the GWH P-40 and as I am discovering, while not a limited production kit, it has a lot of the same vices. Making progress and dealing with some 'over engineered' assemblies as well and some bad design ideas in my opinion, which isn't always worth that much according to the Chief.