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david leigh-smith
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The New Year kiss of death on my 2019 modeling plans…

January 2, 2019 · in Uncategorized · · 34 · 1.9K

Other than completing the following builds (gosh, I’m sorry, Paul and Jaime - I will bring these Group Builds home, I promise)...

https://imodeler.com/groups/nose-art-group-build-1917053956/forum/topic/uss-princeton-and-vf-27-redux/

https://imodeler.com/groups/imoder-at-the-movies-1964926360/forum/topic/space-the-final-frontier-these-are-the-voyages/

https://imodeler.com/groups/100-years-of-the-royal-air-force/forum/topic/i-fell/

...I’m hoping to complete on this lot. I have a grand plan to try and take a more disciplined approach to the hobby (the ‘On This Day’ series is very much a mental practice/training for this). We’ll see.

‘Special project’ TBM-3

This Typhoon has been on my radar for a while. For some time if you shook a tree ten of these would fall out, but it’s an amazing model and haven’t seen one in a while now. . That said, this is the one likely to get mothballed.

Have a nice diorama planned for this 262.

This will be my second ‘Orca’ scratch made boat from the movie, ‘Jaws’- can’t wait to get started.

My ‘Big E’ from last year will be entering dry dock for something of a refit.

A MiG-15 for the upcoming Group Build.

All this said, if my projects end up anything like this I would, quite frankly, be utterly incredulous.

Good luck with your own projects.

Reader reactions:
4  Awesome

34 responses

  1. Now those are quite big time projects Dave. The Orca reminds of an acquaintance that scratch built one back in 1978. It ended up being in Fine Scale Modeler Magazine it was awesome. Looking forward when you start that project. The other kits are awesome as well large scale means more details. You have a lot of work coming up and have fun doing it. Good stuff!

    • Thanks, Chuck. The Orca will be the foundation project for the whole year, nice to work with wood for a change.

      I got all the kits out last night as I was posting this. The Orca plans (from the Floating Drydock) are outstanding in detail. The rest will be tag along (Enterprise just needs cosmetic changes and a new base; I want to get her under Perspex), two of my builds from last year are almost done, and the Typhoon is ‘under consideration’ - has been for about three years!

      So, there’s only the Avenger, Schwalbe, and MiG that are ‘new kits’ - of course this all comes with the usual caveats of New Year’s resolutions...

  2. Wow David...I did several hours of research on building a version of the Orca, but didn't get any good vibes since I didn't run across any plans. This will be outstanding for sure.

    As I was discussing with Paul B the other day, my modelling efforts pretty much halted the last 3 months. My daughters wedding took a toll on my free weekends and the I changed jobs at the end of November, the latter being a very good thing. Hoping to be back on pace in the next few weeks. I will complete my started projects and then proceed into those we discussed for iModeler at the Movies. After that, I have two very special projects to start and hopefully complete before the end of this year.

    Cheers,
    James B

  3. These are all interesting builds and I'll be looking forward to the end result(s).
    Perhaps you should consider "shelving" the 'On This Day' series and devoting your time to completing this [somewhat] daunting task of projects you have planned.
    Jus' sayin'... 🙂

    • The thought did cross my mind, Craig. However, I spend about three hours a day commuting and the ‘on this day’ series is about the only thing that keeps me sane. There about twice the amount of people living in London than the city is made for. It’s not pretty.

      Appreciate you time and comments, Craig. As always.

  4. Hey David, looking forward to seeing these builds completed, you are going to have a busy year.

    • Marc, my biggest intention this year is to reduce the workload and have more fun. If I’m busy modeling, then come Christmas 2019, that’ll be ‘ job done’. I missed one important deadline with modeling last year (the ‘lit up’ Enterprise 1701 was due to be a gift but work commitments shelved it. I need to get way better at saying “no” and prioritising fun. After all, the clock’s a-tickin’.

  5. David, you have some very ambitious plans for yourself, but ... I'm sure you can do it! I wouldn't be too surprised if you tackle something else that hasn't occurred to yourself as of yet! I'm sure the daily series takes up plenty of your time. Can you say yet what "something of a refit" means or is that still only on a "Need To Know" basis?

    No kisses of death here! Just kisses of joy.

    Oh .. wait a moment ...

  6. As I said to Craig, the daily series is a filler, keeps my brain awake when normally I’d veg out in front of TV, or stand on a train, or sit through meetings that I don’t need to be at in the first place.

    The Big E? Want to get her tidied up, stick on some new PE, re-rig, and get her in a display case, long term, I want a Hornet to sit alongside her on a shelf somewhere I can see ‘em.

    Thanks for dropping in!

  7. I know exactly what you mean David, planning anything concrete is a little pointless given 'life the universe and everything'.

    I'm not going to start a new thread promising the Earth, I am far too much of a coward, but here's the run down of what's happening in the back of my head for 2019, about 15 builds (although some include multiple subjects - and could/will turn into dios)- and it is admittedly a set of 'big hairy audacious goals':

    A handful of Hueys for Hollywood GB
    A P40 and a Lee M3 for Hollywood GB
    Two 21s for the Mig anniversary GB
    Albatross (Von Richthofen) and DH2 (Lanoe Hawker)
    Post War Grumman Avenger
    And a quick and dirty build for Hollywood GB to clear the air after finally walking away from RAF100 - to be confirmed!

    Apart from the WNW stuff in the cupboard in 1/32nd, I have a stash of 1/48th kits - I am sorely tempted to up the scale where possible from this point on. I am also resolved to adhere to a very strict build three before you buy one policy! Mind you, resolutions are about as binding as year plans as far as I can tell!

    Best of British, David, I hope you have blast in 2019!

    • Build three before buying one? Paul, that resolution will last until you attend the first model show of the year. Been there, done that, have the T-shirt. Good luck buddy.

      • Cheers Tom, I laughed out loud I have to admit. I have three things in my favour:

        1. I am physically out of room!
        2. I have all of the above kits already - assuming I am disciplined enough to put them together without something else coming along.
        3. Even though Tamiya have their new Spitfire out I will very soon need a bit of a rest from The RAF!

        Weighing against all of that are a complete lack of will-power when a scatter-brained idea pops up, and the total inability to say no to a GB of any type!

  8. Great resolutions David, I wish you all the best of luck and a happy 2019! I'm looking fwd to your next build post already! Thanks also for the friendship on this site!

  9. Ambitious, but attainable, go get em Doc.

  10. Nice, eclectic line-up! Happy glue-sniffing!

  11. Excellent plan David best of luck, well done for posting!

  12. Well, David, if you post a build plan, it sets a marker. You set a marker, it defines a whole new set of aims to unfocus, objectives to completely ignore. Targets to miss. Goals to scoff at. Intentions to pave the road to hell with...

    That said, in response to Greg’s (@gkittinger) build plan posted two years ago (WHERE does the time go to?) when he posted a ‘build plan’ in ‘17 - I posted a response with six proposed projects - amazingly four got made.

    • I would say go for the Orca and the Typhoon - oh and what about that 1/24 Mustang ... keep the others as 'side' projects!

      • Ah, the 1/24 Airfix Pony...the model that, in 1976 (alongside Julie Miller) broke my heart.

        @davem

        ...and if you look closely there’s the venerable 1/24 Hurri also. You see how easy it is to distract me?

  13. Looks like a plan.Happy modeling, David! Every time I says to myself, build one ,or two before you buy...well you know what happens.

  14. I didn't get nearly as much done as I would have liked last year, but then I got sidetracked by a couple of big RC projects I hadn't planned on. That said, the big one for this year will be the Z-M 1/32 A-1 Skyraider in Air Force markings. I got that one as partial payment for one of the big RC birds and the major decision is just how much of the detail to actually build into it, as they provide damn near the entire airplane inside and out. Then I have to find room for it...

    Also made it a goal to build some of those newer kits; the Eduard 1/48 Hellcat I won here a few years ago comes to mind. And one of these days I need to get started on my movie group build B-25. There will be distractions as well - I've been informed that there is a 120 inch span B-24 in my future...

    I sure don't need to buy any more kits, but there might be an impulse purchase or two. Or three...Or...

    Good luck, everyone!

  15. I'm cheering you on David. You can do it!

  16. David, I have the exact TBM kit...I'm so jealous that you'll be able to tackle it...

    I have lots going on, and envy your ability to do these things, but also admire your moxie. Best wishes for a successful execution of these projects!

  17. Good luck David. I could never be so ambitious.
    I made the exact same Accurate Miniatures Avenger when it was first released.
    I posted some photos on iModeler should you be interested.
    I remember how impressed the modelling world was when Accurate Miniatures released their Avengers. Superb kits.

  18. I'll be cheering you on from the side lines David !

    You can do it... 🙂 This looks like an excellent line up for 2019.

  19. THat's a pile of builds my friend. I've always wanted to build an Orca. So iconic. Good luck with them and hope to see some great work from you this year.

  20. hello David, thanks for your phrase "take a more disciplined approach to the hobby"...this is exactly what i want / need to establish this year in order to finally finish anything 🙂 (more precisely there are at least five on my imagined building-wishlist...huh, always those big plans...)
    good luck for this impressive bunch of planned builds, i'm looking for seeing them here. cheers, milan

  21. Milàn, I’ve come to appreciate the delicate balance between relaxed enjoyment of this hobby and the desire to improve. This year I’m going to work on pushing myself a bit more; try to model when I don’t particularly feel like it and raise the bar a little. I feel my modeling has reached a plateau and though I enjoy it hugely, there’s some tension in the knowledge I can do better. As I say, a delicate balance.

    Thanks for the comments.

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