Planes,boats or tanks?

Rich Yankowski · Post by **Rich Yankowski** » 30 Dec 2002 02:35

Planes,boats,or tanks?Which do the majority of us prefer to build?I prefer AFV'S,mainly tanks.I've done the occasional boat and plane,but find tanks far easier to build.Plus,one can hide 'mistakes' far easier on an AFV model than a plane or boat model.IMO!

David C. Clarke · Post by **David C. Clarke** » 30 Dec 2002 04:37

Hey Ric, we build ship models (unless it's the new Revell S-100 torpedo boats). Lately I buy anything that interests me, but the Tank lobby has had all the luck this year. I had to scale down my purchases (no pun intended) and bought Tamiya's T-55 and Dragon's Late Panther A. So I missed out on the real prize--the new Dragon Nashorn! Apparently this kit is superfantastic!
But I think you're right on your major point, if you do make a mistake, it's easier to correct or hide on a tank. This is my guide to modelers:

Airplane builders: "Where's the new nose art decal? I want my Mustang to be unique."
Ship Modelers: "They never give us what we want to build and, when they do, they it's totally inaccurate--anybody got some photo etch railings?"
Tank Modelers: "All I want is a metal barrel and aftermarket tracks".

When I'm really stressed, I build a ship. When I feel like a killer, I build a tank. When I want to be an artist, I paint a plane.
Cheers,
David

Galahad · Post by **Galahad** » 30 Dec 2002 10:36

I used to build all sorts of stuff, but those days are gone. The only models that have interested me for years are ships, especially battleships.

My latest kit is a Revell one, the liner QE 2. I'd thought they were phasing out their 1/1200 Miniship series, but that doesn't seem to be the case. They've released the Finnish cruise liner Aida, and, a couple of weeks ago, the Queen Elizabeth 2, and both are superb little kits.

Since they seem to be going for liners, I have my fingers crossed they will release a Normandie. And maybe an Aquitania.

On a side note.....I am officially po'ed at Revell. Revell of Germany released a remake of Revell's early 60's kit of Brunel's monster, the Great Eastern.....but only in Germany.

THERE, you can buy it for about 15 Euros.....HERE you can't even buy it. NO FAIR!!!

Alex Vasilewsky · Post by **Alex Vasilewsky** » 30 Dec 2002 12:34

I began width modern planes like Mig29, F16, Tomcat, Su27, etc...
After 2 years I just started it to find it dumb. So then I made my first tank T72M2. From then, I make 1:35 ground forces from all periods.
Tanks seem to be maybe the most inspiring.

Boats seem a kind of silly... I made 2 carriers - Saratoda and G. Washington, and it was the dullest work I had in years.

My favorite part of modelling is paintwork.
What about you?

Zachary · Post by **Zachary** » 02 Jan 2003 03:23

Since they seem to be going for liners, I have my fingers crossed they will release a Normandie. And maybe an Aquitania.

I agree 100%! I have always had an interest in ocean liners.

My vote goes to ships, as they are the only main models I have, I only have a couple planes and no tanks

My ships include my first model, the RMS Titanic, the Queen Mary, the Queen Elizabeth (started over a year ago, never finished) the Lusitania, the Bismarck, and I want the QE2. I've seen other liners too, like the Canberra but I always liked those "classic" ones.

You know the Titanic's sister, HMHS Brittanic, a hospital ship? I wonder if you can make a Titanic model into a Brittanic model.

A Normandie model exists at some website. Unfortunately it is around $2000. I'll try and find the website. In fact they have lots of other models- Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, the Rex, etc.

Regards,
Zachary

Galahad · Post by **Galahad** » 02 Jan 2003 09:56

Hi Zachary.....ltns.....So you like ocean liners, do you? In that case, you'll drool over what I got Sunday. On eBay I picked up mint copies of the original release of Airfix's 1/600 kits of the Queen Elizabeth and the QE2.....at $29 for both.

I think the QE2 is currently in production by Airfix, for around $22, and the rerelease of the Queen Elizabeth is still around, if not still in production, for about the same price. If you want a QE2 for less, ask your hobby shop if they can order you the Revell Miniship QE2 in 1/1200.....it'll cost about $5 or $6 and it's really a nice little kit. It was only released about 3 weeks ago.

BTW, Airfix has a nice 1/600 kit of the Lusitania's sister ship, Mauretania, out for around $13.

I've seen a couple of Normandies, but one was the Minic diecast metal model in 1/1200 and it sold for over $100--beautiful model, though. The other was a resin kit and it sold for considerably more.

What I'd LIKE is a nice plastic kit at a price a bit less than astronomical. ARE YOU LISTENING, HELLER? Especially since you bloody bought Airfix.

You can indeed make a Britannic from a Titanic model. Basically all you need to do is fabricate new davits for her, and then paint accordingly. Or you can get VERY lucky and find one of the 1/1750 diecast Gilbow Britannics done up as a hospital ship--owned by someone who doesn't know how scarce they are. Though they are kind of scarce. They were special made for Gilbow by Breger, out of Australia, and Gilbow only ordered 2500. The only one I've ever had a chance to get sold for just under $250. Needless to say, not to me; my limit was reached at $200.

On the other hand, Gilbow also did a Britannic in Cunard colors, and those can be had for around $20 or so. All you'd need to do is repaint it.

The picture is of the Gilbow model I mentioned.

Cheers!
Rob

Zachary · Post by **Zachary** » 02 Jan 2003 22:04

Wow thanks Galahad for that quick, nice reply.

Yes I do like ocean liners, every summer you see I have an interest (last summer was teh Third Reich, hence my joining) the summer before that was ocean liners. My favorite by far is the Normandie, who unfortunately is gone, as most are.......

Well that is a great deal! I wish I still shopped at eBay, but my parents, you know, don't like it for some reason. Oh well. Anyway that seems like a great thing to buy! I have the Queen Elizabeth, just unfinished. The QE2 is on my want list, though I don't think she is as beautiful as the rest because of her funnel. In my opinion it is untraditional of Cunard Line to ahev a funnel like that. (On a side note they put a funnel like that on their new ship Queen Mary II, released I think in 2005)

I actually don't like the 1/1200 scale, in my opinion its too small. All my ships are either 1/570 or 1/600. Actually only the Titanic is the former.

Yeah I meant Mauretania, not Lusitania! I have the Mauretania. I dunno if they have the Lusitania in production these days. (I bet I could paint the Mauretania kit like the Lusitanic, there only only a few differences between them.)

I too wish for a Normandie model, she was such a beautiful ship!

A 1/1750 model? Must be really small! Thats okay, still must be nice. Yeah I like the ocean liners better though than the hospital/warshipsm though she was meant to be a liner.

Regards,
Zachary

Galahad · Post by **Galahad** » 02 Jan 2003 22:26

There's a plastic Lusitania kit on the market, by, I think Entex. But it's a big one (something like 1/250 or 1/300 scale) and costs something like $70. Lovely kit, though.

I agree on the 1/1200 size; I prefer larger, too; I like 1/400, 1/600 or 1/700. But the Revell Miniship is a gorgeous little kit, and you can't beat the combination of detail and price. And, unfortunately, 1/1200 is the only scale you can find in plastic kits of some ships, for example, the Italian battleships Roma, Impero and Vittorio Veneto.

sniper · Post by **sniper** » 24 Jan 2003 01:16

I've made tons of modern planes cause the thing I like the most it's to paint them and detailing them, but the model I'd liked the most was a bf 109 with verlinden pieces It was a really piece of work itself. I made a tank but I wasn't good enough to build a good model

and lots of figures from carrier crews, vietnam to ww2.