154 articles · 8.1K karma · 34 friends · active 3 years, 8 months ago

Retired, Ocala Florida resident since 1978. I build 1/72 and 1/48 aircraft primarily, but delve into 1/144th. 1/72 (or close) Boats, 1/24th cars, 1/32-35th and assorted stuff, fill in the gaps, and prevent "burn-out". I'm a member of IPMS since 1983, a currently an officer in our local chapter. My current collection is over 400 on the shelf, and an equal number in my stash. I'd like to be able to share "the good, the bad, and the ugly", with my fellow modelers.

The Legend of "Mighty Mouse"

"Mighty Mouse" started its "life" as an M-3 Stewart (light) Tank. It was one of 280 Stuarts that were part of the famous lend-lease program, originated by Franklin D. Roosevelt, to aid England in their on going battle [...]

The "Topaz" an 85 ft. 1960's Yacht

My Covid 19 project (everyone has one) was to convert an old Lindberg Coastal Patrol Boat (USCG) into something a little different. I had already done the original version (50's), and a PG Patrol Motor Gunboat (70's) , and had a spare [...]

"Hemisphere Dancer"

Monogram 1/72 Hu-16C Albatross with Red Pegasus Decals "Hemisphere Dancer" This is the old, basic Monogram kit (minus most the rivets) , with aftermarket decals for Jimmy Buffett's famous "Jamaica Mistake a" [...]

Heller 1/72 Lockheed EC-121 "Warning Star"

BIG ! This is a large, old kit, that shows both it's size and age. There are several aftermarket kits, for those who want to upgrade. Mine is straight from the box. There are few parts, but a lot of plastic, and it takes a lot of [...]

Lindberg 1/72 Coast Guard Tug Boat

This ol' girl has been around for decades. Not to be confused with the the Lindberg 1/87 Diesel Tug. (pictured last, and in an earlier article). It's a relatively simple, almost toy-like build. The instruction sheet has "color [...]

Glencoe Models 1/74 World War One 110 ft. Subchaser

This is the old Glencoe Models kit in 1/74. I did a little research on Scalemates only to find this kit was older than I first thought. It also brought up the names of a couple model companies that I'd never heard of. Apparently this kit [...]

1/72 Airfix RAF Rescue Launch ("Whaleback")

This is the OLD Airfix kit which has been around since the 60"s. It's been reboxed many times, but the molds are the same. It's small next to the Vosper, and PT Boats, but has a unique shape, giving it the "Whaleback" [...]

Monogram 1/48 Vought Kingfisher

The ancient Monogram Kingfisher is still a very nice kit. The boxart on Revell/Monogram's last re-issue is an artist's conception of the aircraft in the photo, I discovered well after I had started my kit. My interpretation of the same [...]

My contribution to the Lewis Jaime Joe trilogy...

My contribution to the Lewis-Jaime-Joe trilogy from last week. As you can see, most are "detail shots" of the various aircraft we were privileged to get near. If there are any questions about what you're seeing, please refer [...]

1/48 Piaggio XSP-2 “Super Veloce” (1938)

Piaggio started in the aeronautics field in 1915. As with most Italians, racing was in the blood. The 1920s served as an important time in the company's history when, Piaggio Aero brought on Giovanni Pegna and Giuseppe Gabrielli, two [...]