I recently found out that one of my co-workers likes building model airplanes. The type that are assembled from preformed plastic pieces, and can be painted and have decals to look relatively realistic. (As opposed to the vastly more expensive flying models, with engines and radio controls, but that is a different matter). My co-worker received some kidding about his hobby, so I decided to come to his defense, and admit that model building is not only for children or adolescents. I too build model airplanes.
I had built models as a child, but fell out of the habit until about twenty years ago when I received a partially finished kit of an SR-71 Blackbird. More out of interest in the plane (the most incredible plane ever built, in my opinion), I finished the kit. At around the same time, the first Gulf War was getting underway, and I saw images of many planes on the nightly news: Tornados, A-10 "Warthogs", F-15's, F-18's, F-117's, and B-52's, among others. I became interested in the history of (primarily American) aircraft, and started building models as a way of learning about the planes. I think my first purchase was the F-8 Crusader (Vietnam era), then the A-6 Intruder, F-14 Tomcat, and the pair of F-18 Hornets. Along the way I added a F-104 Starfighter, a UH-1 Huey, a U-2, and most lately, a B-17 Flying Fortress (with a gap of a number of years). The pseudo-F-117 Stealth Fighter is what Revell thought it might look like before pictures were available. Eleven models in seventeen years doesn't seem too obsessive to me.
I find model building relaxing, and enjoy the sense of finishing something tangible, as opposed to the things I do at work where I might never know the final results of my efforts. And when it is cold and wet in the winter, when outside projects are impractical, and garage projects too chilly, model building gives me something to do in the evenings.
The problem is that building time far outstrips my interest. I have a stack of uncompleted models in the closet that I hope to get to working on some day. I think the Flying Wing interests me most at this time. Maybe that will be next.
1 comments:
wow, :D Thanks
The models look pretty good, there is clearly much work on those. As you said I started back to my aircraft hobbies.
I remember reading all the aircraft books falling in my hands since I was 12 years old.
I had start building up staff using TENTE (the spanish version of Lego, but mainly military models), and starting building my aircraft models even an RC model which I never finished due to a lack of resources (read money, I needed the engine, the servos, the radio, for a 13 years old boy...).
It also helps me in relaxing and focusing, and like the thing of touch something made by myself.
again, thanks.
Jorge
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