A Monogram Holiday portrait, my latest Blue Box find, and a Phantom update
Happy Holidays iModelers! Here is the family portrait of my Monogram kits, many of the originals were added this year, including the DO-335, B-29, B-25H, P-39 and Typhoon, the Typhoon I just added today, still in the cello wrap! On to the Phantom update. One of the hardest things of modern USN aircraft is those darned red edges to the landing gear doors, well I bought a fine tipped Gundam marker, easy peasy! I added pencil lead rubs to the turkey feathers, and I think I got the metal part of the tail down pretty good. Paint went on well, I mixed and matched Furball decals for VF-142s CAG bird from 1968. No multi colored tail on this one, so that was easy! Eduard's Sparrow, and decals went together nicely. I also have a bomb set and 'winders! I probably wont get this one done before the end of the year, so stay tuned for the finish in '19!
VERY cool, Rob! I have almost all of these in my own stash - just waiting for me to get my butt in gear and build some!
You're going to have a lot of fun with all these classic kits.
More and more I find I love the old kits, Monogram engineered them well, fit can be off a bit now and again, but mostly pretty good. I passed up an original 1961 boxing of the 1/32 F3F-3, molded in silver, red and chrome yellow, came with thread for rigging. Price was a bit too steep for me given the shape of the box contents, good, but a lot of parts off the trees. Man is was beautiful though. Would have had to build it SOB with no exterior paint, just that great Monogram colored plastic!
Brilliant post, Rob.
That B-29... pure jealousy!
I also wish for happy holidays, I have very nice memories for these Monogram models when I bought them as a young modeller on the black market in times when the Communist Party ruled. It's gone. The phantom is wonderful, I'm just going to one, and thank you for the idea with the Gundam maker.
Looks more like a shrine or alter... add a little red wine and some incense...
Of course a modeler would drink a beer and pull out a scalpel and read the instructions. Then feel that Zen moment. Being one with the model and experience the peace of mind from the benefits of doing.
I've always loved the art work on Monogram kits. The Typhoon and the B-29 are prime examples. You can still buy those kits and Revell charges a pretty penny for that B-29 these days. The B-25H that kit is something of a collectors model. You can find them but, it doesn't looks like they will be issued any time soon. Love the Classics. Thank you for sharing.
Very cool Rob, and that Phantom is looking great.
Nice stash! Phantom looks Phabulous, nice tip on the doors.
I love Monogram. I did a 1/72 Phantom and still have a couple in the stash. Stored, but I definitely have the B-29 with X-15 and a spare X-15. I have a 1/48 Crusader and maybe a F-105 or two. Maybe a Harrier? and a Supercobra. Great kits except for the raised panel lines. The only kit I remember as being bad was the F-111; evidently based on an Aurora monstrosity. I think I chucked it.
All Hail Monogram!
Still have several, Black Widow, 2 Tomcats, F-106 Delta Dart, F-8 Crusader, P-38, B-36, Kingfisher and several car kits.
BTW love the Ice T, built one of those when I was a kid
Thanks guys! The originals always amaze me with how clean the molds are. I built a re-issue of the B-17 last year, still a great kit, but the molds are showing their age with fit and a bit of flash. And yes Revell re-ssues of the B-29 can be almost as much as I paid for this original mid-70 issue. I think I paid $90, I have seen the new releases go for $70-80