Kovozavody Prostejov 1/48 Marchetti SF260
It's been about 15 months since I quit smoking after 23 years of addiction. Consequently I found hard to spend hours sitting in one place assembling models, so I made a year long break from modeling. Whole this time this bird's been sitting in my stash waiting for my nerves to get strong enough. So this is my comeback build - Belgian Air Force basic trainer - very nice plane but very difficult kit to handle. It took about a week of time and a lot of putty.
13 additional images. Click to enlarge.
Spiros Pendedekas said on July 28, 2021
This is a wonderful result out of this challenging kit, Boris.
Love it sitting by the Cessna.
Good to see you back!
Boris Grgić said on July 28, 2021
Yak-18t and Pilatuc PC-12 will accompany the parking lot soon.
George Williams said on July 28, 2021
Very neat work, Boris, and well done with breaking the niccotine habit, definitely liked.
George Schembri said on July 28, 2021
Well worth the wait Boris, great work.
It’s like seeing a Belgian flag ready to fly, with teeth!
Gary Brantley said on July 28, 2021
Great work @grgast! And congrats on kicking the smoking habit as well. That is worthy of celebration in and of itself; that you're back to building scale models is even better! 🙂
Bernard Bedeur said on July 28, 2021
Hi Boris.
Being Belgian, I am partial to making Belgian Military models ! As well as a few other themes...
The Marchetti is a real performer and your model shows the sleekness of this machine. Well done.
Quitting bad habits like smoking is tough. I started model making again in part for the same reason. Giving the Addictive brain a break from excesses. In my case having too many Beers ! I model for an hour, when I can , around cocktail hour !
Boris Grgić said on July 28, 2021
Yeeeaaah...beers...I'll deal with that some other time XD. If you ask people in Croatia what is Belgium most known for, 90% will answer - Stella Artois, my favorite foreign beer.
Greg Kittinger said on July 28, 2021
Great looking model - love the scheme, especially the shark-mouth (or wolf?) on a trainer - that's a first (for me, at least). Nicely done.
Boris Grgić said on July 28, 2021
Thank you Greg. Generally I prefer taking rest from military aviation from time to time and jump into civilian aviation. This paint scheme belonged to "Hardship Red" Belgian aerobatic display team, formed in 2008, renamed to "Red Devils" and repainted in 2011. Not sure what's the connection to the wolf/shark.
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
John vd Biggelaar said on July 28, 2021
At least during this build you had your nerves perfectly under control, Boris.
You turned this challenging kit into a beautiful build.
Congratulations on stopping the smoking habbit.
Stephen W Towle said on July 28, 2021
Congratulations on beating your addiction and coming back to another . . . modeling that is. Which is better for your health. Some say its therapy.
Like the Marchetti SF260. It always is a sexy Italian aircraft and Boris you have done a good job of bring the best out of this kit.
Two thumbs up.
Boris Grgić said on July 28, 2021
Thx Stephen...I'm into plastic modeling since I was a teenager and last 7 years I'm into airsoft, so I guess I have a thing for expensive addictions. Not sure this build was better for my health considering I was dealing with enamel paints and thinner XD. I must agree; Marchetti SF260 is one of the sexiest little machines I've seen, glad to have it in my display case.
Tom Cleaver said on July 28, 2021
Nice work on this Boris. I have the Special Hobby take on the SF-260 to do here.
As to cigarettes, 31 years ago this month, after having had three cases of "bronchitis" in a year, with the most recent one lasting six weeks, I woke one morning, went to the writing office with my coffee and lit a cigarette. Started coughing immediately and this time there was blood. Went to the local ER, where they took an X-ray. Then the ER doctor gave me a guided tour of the "areas of inelasticity" in my lungs. "This is the incipient emphysema. If you stop now, it won't get worse, but it's unlikely to get better." Thoroughly chastened by that, I went to my car to go home, and tossed the pack of cigarettes on the seat. Haven't smoked since.
What I found was a good way to keep myself on the straight and narrow was a rule that, for each month I didn't smoke, I got to spend that money on something I really liked doing - in my case, models - but it had to be spent that next month, no "saving up," because tobacco is a "I want it now" immediate gratification addiction. With the prices of tobacco products being what they are these days, you should have no trouble affording any of the modern "super kits." 🙂
Oh, and it turned out the ER doctor was wrong about it not "getting better." Just had the annual run-through with my doctor and blood oxygenization is 98%.
Boris Grgić said on July 28, 2021
Sorry to hear about your experience, in most cases developing health problems is the only way to make an addict quit. My father didn't manage to quit even doctors suspected lung cancer few years ago (fortunately turned to be just pneumonia). Fortunately I didn't come that far, I actually really enjoyed nicotine. Then one day last spring I was looking at my two little daughters (2y and 4y) and felt ashamed for turning good part of my salary into smoke instead of spending that money on them. I smoked one for good bye and never smoked since. Now we use that money to go for family trips few times per year. Whatever the reason for quitting, it's great achievement for any smoker.
George R Blair Jr said on July 28, 2021
Nice build, Boris (@grgast). Nice to see a plane with something other than camouflage. Habits can be tough to break, and I am glad that smoking is one I never started.
Dan Lee said on July 29, 2021
Always nice to see a colorful well made model.
Bob Torres said on July 29, 2021
Great job on your build, a very attractive looking plane.
Robert Royes said on July 30, 2021
Very nice and a great color scheme!