I love it when a plane comes together!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Trigger Warning!!!1! :

"Should we turn on the runway lights now?"
"No, that's exactly what they're expecting us to do."

[klr]

Trigger Warning!!!1! :

"Should we turn on the runway lights now?"
"No, that's exactly what they're expecting us to do."

On a tangentially related note: Hunting for tiny kit pieces that have flown off into the surrounding countryside is part of any modeller's life. I have attempted to develop a mathematical formula to predict how far a piece can travel, based on the following factors:

S = Size. Inversely related to distance. As in, the smaller the part, the further it will travel.
I = Importance. Directly related to distance.
R = Replaceablity. Inversely related to distance. If you have spare parts, or it's easy to fashion a replacement, it won't go far.
C = Contrast. Inversely related to distance. The less the part colour contrasts with the carpet, the further it will go. Transparent parts (which are often very important and hard to replace) are of course the champions in this particular contest.
D = Shag pile depth. Directly related to distance.
T = sTupidity. Directly related to distance. The more stupid your actions in losing control of the part in the first place ...

And so on it goes. It'll be a bit like the Drake Equation ...

[Thinking Aloud]

Hunting for tiny kit pieces ...

Mrs TA was once building something complex and delicate, and the important bit, which was very small indeed, went 'ping'.

It was not on the carpet.

It was not under the table.

It was not on any of the shelves nearby.

It wasn't on our socks.

Or in the adjacent rooms.

And believe me we searched.

It was inside a box in the most difficult to get at corner of the bookcase.

[klr]

Hunting for tiny kit pieces ...

Mrs TA was once building something complex and delicate, and the important bit, which was very small indeed, went 'ping'.

It was not on the carpet.

It was not under the table.

It was not on any of the shelves nearby.

It wasn't on our socks.

Or in the adjacent rooms.

And believe me we searched.

It was inside a box in the most difficult to get at corner of the bookcase.

I can certainly believe it. The polystyrene God moves in mysterious ways. Removing parts from the sprue is often the danger phase, because no matter how delicate you try to be with a small part, you're still going to be exerting a huge amount of force/stress on a very small part/area, and when it breaks free - wheeeeee ....

[Thinking Aloud]

Hunting for tiny kit pieces ...

Mrs TA was once building something complex and delicate, and the important bit, which was very small indeed, went 'ping'.

It was not on the carpet.

It was not under the table.

It was not on any of the shelves nearby.

It wasn't on our socks.

Or in the adjacent rooms.

And believe me we searched.

It was inside a box in the most difficult to get at corner of the bookcase.

I can certainly believe it. The polystyrene God moves in mysterious ways. Removing parts from the sprue is often the danger phase, because no matter how delicate you try to be with a small part, you're still going to be exerting a huge amount of force/stress on a very small part/area, and when it breaks free - wheeeeee ....

I should add that the box was closed.

[klr]

Hunting for tiny kit pieces ...

Mrs TA was once building something complex and delicate, and the important bit, which was very small indeed, went 'ping'.

It was not on the carpet.

It was not under the table.

It was not on any of the shelves nearby.

It wasn't on our socks.

Or in the adjacent rooms.

And believe me we searched.

It was inside a box in the most difficult to get at corner of the bookcase.

I can certainly believe it. The polystyrene God moves in mysterious ways. Removing parts from the sprue is often the danger phase, because no matter how delicate you try to be with a small part, you're still going to be exerting a huge amount of force/stress on a very small part/area, and when it breaks free - wheeeeee ....

I should add that the box was closed.

Steady now ... you're not a Catholic anymore. Miracles are out.

But I too have had mysterious experiences that I could not rationally explain. Such as Airfix sending me an X-Wing Fighter kit (complete with separate RD-D2) when all I wanted from them was a replacement wing part for my Republic F-105.

[Thinking Aloud]

But I too have had mysterious experiences that I could not rationally explain. Such as Airfix sending me an X-Wing Fighter kit (complete with separate RD-D2) when all I wanted from them was a replacement wing part for my Republic F-105.

Reminds me of the time I bought my first VC-10 tanker kit - the engine moulding was incomplete, so I wrote off to Airfix to ask for a replacement part. After I'd done that, I took the kit back to the shop. The shop replaced it, and Airfix sent another, so I ended up with a pair of tankers - hence one in Aeroflot livery.

[klr]

But I too have had mysterious experiences that I could not rationally explain. Such as Airfix sending me an X-Wing Fighter kit (complete with separate RD-D2) when all I wanted from them was a replacement wing part for my Republic F-105.

Reminds me of the time I bought my first VC-10 tanker kit - the engine moulding was incomplete, so I wrote off to Airfix to ask for a replacement part. After I'd done that, I took the kit back to the shop. The shop replaced it, and Airfix sent another, so I ended up with a pair of tankers - hence one in Aeroflot livery.

Sheesh, in all the years I've been buying kits, I've never once gotten the retail outlet to do customer service. Maybe I should have asked ...

Anyway, kit of the day time. The Revell (Hasegawa) Mosquito B.IV - one of many Mossies in my collection. I do believe you might see another one in a couple of days ...

[klr]

Hunting for tiny kit pieces ...

Mrs TA was once building something complex and delicate, and the important bit, which was very small indeed, went 'ping'.

It was not on the carpet.

It was not under the table.

It was not on any of the shelves nearby.

It wasn't on our socks.

Or in the adjacent rooms.

And believe me we searched.

It was inside a box in the most difficult to get at corner of the bookcase.

Well, it was my turn today. I had some small parts removed from their sprues, cleaned up and attached to a piece of masking tape, waiting to be used at some time in the near future.

Then, as I was moving things around today, I somehow lost the thing. How can you lose a piece of masking tape about 3" x 2" with several plastic parts attached? It can't be more than a few feet away.

So I've had to start on a long-overdue spring-clean of a very untidy room. This could take days to do properly, seeing as I'm also searching for something. At least I have a few weeks before I'd planned to resume work on the affected kits, and I might be able to find/make replacement parts. But it still annoys me ...

[klr]

Hot off the workbench, another Mosquito, this time an Airfix kit of an RAAF (Aussie) Mk. VI fighter-bomber:









I originally intended to build this with the undercarriage down, but then changed my mind. I'll re-use the completed undercarriage assemblies the next time I build this kit. I have four more, all earmarked for different versions. And then there are other Mosquito kits ...

[klr]

Hot off the workbench, an Academy F4U-1 Corsair:











The pilot is one P.C. De Long, a Marine ace from VMF-212. His full name name is Philip Cunliffe De Long. Cunliffe? No wonder he went by his initials ...

He scored two further victories in Korea. Now that would make for an interesting kit subject.

This Academy kit is by far the best kit of a WW II-era Corsair, discounting the Tamiya kits that cost an arm, a leg, and a few other body parts.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Do you do your own stencils?

[klr]

Do you do your own stencils?

Christ no. They come on the decal sheet, and sometimes in a depressingly great quantity. I'll post scans of some decal sheets for modern jets later, and you'll see just how bad it can get. Applying masses of stencils is one of the very few things about this hobby that I don't like. Of course, it wasn't like that when I started.

Another Corsair kit that I'm currently finishing off supplies some stencils in black and white versions, and it's not at all clear which should be used in some cases.

Actually, here's a decal sheet right now, for a Revell kit of the Panavia Tornado GR.1:



There must be close to 600 decals on this. As well as common decals, there are masses of separate stencils and other markings for each of the two RAF schemes in the kit, plus for each of the various stores options. I reckon a single kit might need some 300 decals applied, and I budget about two minutes per decal ...

[Gawdzilla Sama]

May I just say at this point "You're nuts." That is all.

[klr]

May I just say at this point "You're nuts." That is all.

I have three of those Tornado GR.1 kits, for they are truly wonderful. But because of all those decals , I've yet to start any of them. I reckon I could build maybe five, six or even more WW II fighters for the same time and effort as one of the Tornados.