207 articles · 13.8K karma · 36 friends · active 3 days ago

Retired US Navy Senior Chief working as a production supervisor in Seattle.

Happy New year! Let's get started!

So here are the first 4 kits I intend to build this year. They are all gifts from my wife and kids, who have always supported my hobby. I decided to start with the Pan Am Clipper from 2001. A simple kit, just a few pieces, but as with [...]

My 2018

Only 2 completions for the year, Monogram TBD Devastator and my recently completed Academy F-4B. Of course most of the year was dominated by the damnable RFM Panther G. I guess I will try again on that thing late this year...

Nosing across the finish line just before midnight….

Well...a few days before midnight! My goal was to finish my VF-142 F-4B before the New Year and I made it! The Academy kit is over all pretty good, there are a few well documented areas that need addressing, but overall it is a fun build [...]

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 [...]

Noseing closer to the goal line!

Double pun! NCAA Football today, AND today's update is a lot about the hard to fit nose of the Academy Phantoms! First, GO DUCKS BEAT THE HUSKIES. For those who need reference, maybe it's like England Playing France in the world cup, or [...]

Rocktober Fest! Academy Phantom update

Ninkasi brewery in Eugene Oregon brews a very nice Oktoberfest, and that is this updates beer. Very much like the beers I drank when I visited Germany many years ago. The Academy Phantoms have been bashed many times for the fit of some [...]

Intake and exhaust

It's FALL! Ok, pumpkin ales are not everyones cup of tea, but this is a good one from a local brewery here in Seattle. Moving along with the Academy kit. The kit has intake trunks that use a "forced perspective" to get their [...]

Seats gentlemen…..

Here are my hybrid Eduard Brassin/Wolfpack Mk5 seats. I think they ended up far better than any Mk5 seats on the market as the Eduard Mk7 seats are little kits in themselves, and adding the Mk5 parachute housing to them makes them an [...]

Pits, seats and Fall brews

Started plugging away at the Academy Phantom. I am using the Eduard self adhesive PE interior set, and a combination of Brassin and Wolfpack seats. The Eduard set is very nice, and speeds up the process of correcting some of the areas [...]

Box it up...I'll take it...or a modeler's rant...

Ok, first the RFM Panther is a great kit. Some disappointments yep, but really wow! Second, I WANT TO THROW IT AT THE WALL! So it's time to take a break, as I really want to do the kit justice, but daayyyyuuuum. So my conundrum? I [...]