Cleared for Take Off
At the core of this site are the Aircraft Weblogs which contain brief overviews of my 1/48th scale aircraft model builds. I typically include; my inspiration behind the build; some helpful advice and a summary of the subject in general. Photos of the completed aircraft in The Hangar give you an idea of how well (or not) all the various construction stages ended up.
The creation of this website was a result of seeking a single place that I could gather all 250+ of my 1/48th scale aircraft builds. I wanted a place with easy public access, so I could share my long-time hobby with those who appreciate these sorts of efforts, as well as encourage others to get involved or continue in this hobby. I chose this direction as I had some experience building websites and was interested in the process, flexibility and control that it offered. Hopefully you find something here that keeps you coming back for more.
In hindsight, there certainly are easier ways to accomplish this task, with sites like iModeler and scalemates to name a couple. These types of websites allow users to share their work, view other model maker's projects, join in on discussions, as well as catch up on industry releases and happenings.
Age of Information (Overload)
In the Age of Information, one aspect to keep in mind when making a model of something is, "what is most important to me (the builder) at this time”. Reviews and opinions on subjects and kits typically abound or depending on the subject, are scarce or lacking. Certain aircraft kits that have been constructed by people who have worked closely with the subject, or are "superfans" with great access to resources, tend to have a lot more critiques. A former pilot or crew-chief who worked on the aircraft can pretty well tell you where the model inaccuracies are. If you like a subject and want to build a model of it, you have to weigh the pros and cons of the "knowns", realize there may be unknowns, as well as debatable opinions (not to mention new information that comes to light after you build your version).
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Just because one company may have the ultimate kit doesn't necessarily make it the only kit worth building (and you should be ashamed to admit that you built anything else :). There is also typically the factor of the cost of acquisition for yourself (with all the influences that come into play here... hopefully you don't have to sneak that new purchase past anyone ;)
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With all the now available information, (and many of us older model makers recall the days, before the Internet, when information was scarce) sometimes it can get to be too much. If what you originally wanted was to get charged up about building an aircraft, this may be the time when 'ignorance is bliss' applies. Always keep in mind at the end of the day, "You do You".
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I often look at other model maker's spectacular work, and for a moment get a bit envious, but then I have to remind myself, I have ambitions to build a lot of models (as I keep finding aircraft that I don't have in the collection or favourites that I want in various schemes) so, do I really want to make that kind of investment into one kit? Time wise and in many cases finance wise. All due respect to the builder on achieving that level, however at the end of the day it's best for what I want, to hedge things a bit and not overcommit myself. (I do want to keep that stash down to a reasonable level :)
Take the positive aspects of model sites away with you. The inspirational, that technique or component you may want to try, the 'I never thought of doing that' stuff. I have found the model makers I have met and continue to interact with, a great group of encouraging people who just want to enjoy the hobby in a way that suits them and encourage you to do the same - Cheers all!
Lest We Forget
WWII Sapper (Retired) Léopold Thibeault
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His message for youth is :
“If, early in their education, young people are exposed and clearly informed about the realities of war: the impact, the horror and the human cost of such conflicts, hopefully it will inform their decisions later on in their lives and lead them to avoid creating situations that lead to similar conflicts, to refuse to become engaged in situations that lead to war.”
