Month: December 2020

December 7, 2013 – How I got hooked on WWII…?

Pierre LagacéLeave a comment

This is what I wrote seven years ago on the original My Forgotten Hobby.

December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy…

hickham-field

Click on the image.

How I got hooked on building model kits?

B-17 Lindberg

1/64 525-249 Lindberg Boeing B-17G Bomber by Paul Lindberg
NM+   Injection Molded old

From the late 1950s. Fantastic condition kit with dramatic box art by Ray Gaedke. Colors and box top are as new with brilliant colors and gloss. The only flaw is a slight and even dishing in of the box. Inside, the kit has never been started and is inventoried 100% complete with all parts, decals and instructions. Features complete crew, movable control surfaces, rotating and elevating guns, retractable landing gear and clear adjustable display stand.

This is where I retrieve this information that was etched in my mind since 1958.

Click here.

I am not selling anything, but I thought I would give this person a little publicity.

So what about the story behind this model kit I have never built even though I built hundreds and hundreds?

B-17 Lindberg

I will tell you next time because you remembered what I told you before…

Only short stories on this blog.

That’s what I had written seven years ago about short stories. Since then there were more than 575 posts written on the original My Forgotten Hobby, then there was My Forgotten Hobby II in 2016 with more than 350, and My Forgotten Hobby III with more than 225 posts.

When this will stop. I have no idea but I am well prepared for the future on My Forgotten Hobby.

Click here.

Last Saturday night I watched “Air Force” one more time. It was a propaganda film of course but I did not know it at the time. However the scenes where the B-17 is shown still bring me back to that a church basement on a Saturday morning in the mid-1950s.

More about where the movie was made…

https://www.tampapix.com/tampa1940s6.htm

Remembering December 6, 2013…and the F-86

Pierre Lagacé1 Comment

 

This is the original post if you have not click on the link above. It was probably the shortest post I wrote…

What’s your favorite hobby?

Mine is writing blogs. Before, this was my favorite hobby…

Building model kits. Why not combine both hobbies, one from the past with this one? While you are pondering over this, you can visit this blog about an amateur  airplane model kit builder whose motto is Let’s build!

Click here.

As for the progress report on my build, it will appear here only, not on future posts. You will have to come back sometimes to see what is happening.

F-86 – Day 1

 

Instructions

 

Some parts…

 

 

 

 

Tools…

These are the first two steps.

Here is the decal sheet which will probably be useless… I will make a copy on my inkjet printer using decal paper.

 Day 2

Joining the fuselage halves…

 Day 3

Joining the upper and lower wings…

Rock solid with a piece of masking tape to protect te pitot tube.

Parts left…

 

Fuselage…

Nice fit all around.

Day 4

Landing gear

Figurine posing…

Few parts left…

Testing the landing gear…

Rock solid…

Day 5

Landing gear doors glued and all the side panels also.

Day 6

The F-86 will have to wait for painting and decals as the decals are probably useless after 40 years.

 

 

 

Intermission – Second basecoat and more – Day 5

Pierre LagacéLeave a comment

I am now full confident I can use my airbrush inside during winter. The second basecoat has been done and I know the yellow coat will soon be following.

 

 

I know it because the yellow coat was done late Thursday afternoon.

 

 

Decals will wait for airbrushing a clear coat. The F-4 Phantom got also a white basecoat on its underside.

 

It will be set aside for now until I spray some light gray to another model kit. This can wait, but not 40 years. I don’t think my airbrush will last that long…

Next in line will be the Me 109 with its canopy masked off with Tamiya tape in October.

 

 

I will have to mask more, decide which camouflage I will be using and mix the proper shades with homemade acrylic paint I will eventually use with the He 111H-3 some day.

My Forgotten Hobby is mostly a waiting game and writing about it.

 

 

Intermission – SnapTite F-4 Phantom – Day 4

Pierre LagacéLeave a comment

This might explain why it is sometimes hard to choose my next build.

Plane Dave had written this a few months ago on his blog.

Lockheed P-38G Lightning

This is the Tamiya kit.  It’s currently their newest kit.  My one word review is: WOW! I think I said that word every five minutes while building it.  The engineers at Tamiya are artists.  This is simply the best scale model kit I’ve ever seen in my life.  Make no mistake, any good thing you think when looking at these pictures is to Tamiya’s credit.  I’ll accept the blame for any shortcomings; that is, any place I didn’t do this masterpiece of a kit full justice.

Plane Dave was so convincing I had to buy it.

However the “WOW” Plane Dave had used was quite intimidating to say the least. How can I be up to the challenge with Tamiya P-38?

Reflecting on how to choose my next build last week, I found this model kit hidden somewhere in the basement since the early 1980s.

Source Scalemates

Why in the world I had bought it I can’t remember. I remember I had built Fujimi F-4 in the early 1970s as well as their A-6 Intruder. Japan was starting to invade North American markets.

Source Scalemates

Source Internet

Why I had bought this SnapTite F-4 Phantom? I had no idea, but now I know why. It was not at all intimidating.

Finding it in my workshop sitting there for almost 40 years, it was partly built. On the spur of the comment I decided last weekend to finish it instead of throwing it away in the garbage. I had no instructions and I forgot to look on Scalemates which had them on their website.

Anyway I did not need instructions to finish it and adding a quick coat of homemade acrylic paint and sticking the decals on.

I also had this Monogram SnapTite SR-71A model airplane in 1/110 scale which I did also in the 80s.

The stand and a tail cone are missing, but I will keep it anyway.

This 1/72 scale Arado 240 by Revell was built in the early 2000s while on vacation. 

Source Scalemates

 

 

If you look closely you will see I had used Scotch tape for framing the canopy. I keep those model kits simply because I had built them and I want to remember the good old days.

All my collection of built model kits are in 1/48 scale except two Tamiya 1/700 scale aircraft carriers.

What I will do with all my collection is probably what other modelers are also thinking about their collection.

I have been given some away. One was a gift I had intended to give to the niece of Gérard Pelletier, a Boulton-Paul Defiant air gunner who is still missing off the northern coast of England since September 3, 1942. I can’t give it to his niece right now because of travel restrictions due to the pandemic.

One more model airplane was given two years ago as a gift to a virtual third cousin-in-law who had researched a P-47 pilot killed in 1945…

One more, a P-61 Black Widow, was given to a friend blogger whose father was a paratrooper during WWII.

I wish I could give more away but sending them by mail is very risky business. 

One of my two sons has two. A P-47 D and a P-38. My other son had asked for a Me 109 two years ago. I still have to find the time to give him one. My grandson has two but I took his Monogram A-26 Invader and his Monogram A-6 Skyraider back to put them on my wall for safe keeping. 

It’s hard to let them go sometimes, but giving them is what I found best to have more space for the new ones. My brother has several German planes: Fujimi Me 109G, Monogram Me 262, Monogram B-25J, Monogram Ju 87G and Monogram Do 335. He has his eyes set lately on my ICM He-111H-3.

Sweet dreams…

The problem he will have is where to display it. Maybe I will just take a picture, put it on a frame and…

About what’s next in December?

I will be compiling the results of your suggestions dropped in the comment section for my next build. Your comments will be approved but your suggestion will not appear so no one will see what followers wrote. On December 14 the result will be known.

I just can’t wait… Waiting is what I do best before choosing what next to build. Until then I will hit the pause button on My Forgotten Hobby III and be practicing my airbrush skills on my SnapTite F-4 Phantom using this as reference.

I have modified my workbench yesterday and discarded my homemade spray booth which I found too cumbersome.

Who knows I might even finish up the Harvard. 

Intermission – Using the airbrush indoors – Day 3

Pierre Lagacé5 Comments

Last winter I had felt a little dizzy after I had used my airbrush indoors. That was the reason I was working only outdoors during the summer months.

I gave it another try indoors Tuesday afternoon with a mask on, an opened window and a running fan.

This is the same homemade spray booth I have used. I took this picture after my airbrushing session with just a little dizzy feeling again.

My North American Harvard had been waiting since early 2020 for its RCAF decals. I had found some leftover decals but I was not happy with the result as well as the shade of yellow I had used.

This would have been the shade I wanted.

So I decided Tuesday to repaint it. This is how the Harvard looked in June when the spurious decals were removed. 

 

 

After I had masked the Harvard, I sprayed a white basecoat to cover the yellow.

However it did not cover as much as I first thought.

It is now sitting there with a homemade batch of yellow waiting for a second basecoat.

I wonder if my airbrush will stay idle more than just one day,

I am also thinking about my spray booth set up which will be completely useless for painting my large He 111H-3 once I get there.

Intermission – What’s next in December? – Day 2

Pierre Lagacé6 Comments

What’s next in December?

Your comments fuel this blog. I have decided to let my followers more voting days. I really want your input on what to choose next since I have no idea. 

My ICM He 111H-3 is now on hold.

I want to use my airbrush but I want to do some testing before.

So I am reposting what I wrote yesterday.  One follower has already commented. I have deleted his suggestions so not to influence others.

Thinking about what’s next on My Forgotten III, I was looking at my list of unbuilt model kits and I have decided to let you decide.

Simple isn’t. With 19 followers I should get some most interesting suggestions.

Just write a comment in the comment section and the reason why you are chosing it. You don’t need to add a reason.

The model kit which gets the most votes will be built. In case of a tie both will be built one after the other leading us to 2021, and boy do we need to get to 2021!

Model kits in red are off limits for now since they have been already started, some even 30 years ago. The result of the votes will be known on December 14, 2020.

Now for the list…

Helicopters (3)

Monogram

AH-1S (almost completed 30 years ago)

 

Bell Huey Hog (bought many years ago)

AH-64 Apache (very little has been started 30 years ago)

Planes (72)

ICM (5)

Ju 88 A-14 (bought it on January 20, 2020)

Do 17Z-2 (bought it on January 21, 2020)

Ju 88 C-6 (bought it on January 21, 2020)

He 111 H-3 (bought it on January 22, 2020 and almost completed)

Me 109 F-4 (bought it on January 28, 2020)

Airfix (4)

Boulton-Paul Defiant (bought two in 2018, built one as a gift)

Battle of Britain and Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 (bought it in 2018)

Battle of Britain and Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 (bought it in 2018)

Messerschmidt Me109E (bought in 2018, almost completed)

Eduard (12)

P-39 (bought it in December 2019)

Spitfire Mk IX (bought it in December 2019)

F6F Hellcat Weekend edition (bought it in January  2020)

Spitfire Mk XVI Weekend edition (bought it in January 2020)

Me 110 E (bought it in January 2020)

Me 109 G-4 (bought it in February 2020)

FW 190 D (bought it in March 2020)

Me 109 E-3 (bought it in March 2020)

FW 190 A-8 (bought it in March 2020)

Hawker Tempest Mk V (bought it in June 2020)

P-51 D (bought it in June 2020)

Hawker Tempest Mk V Weekend Edition (bought it in June 2020)

AMT (1)

A-20 (bought it many years ago)

Tamiya (13)

Bristol Beaufighter Mk VI (bought it many years ago)

Hawker Harrier (bought it many years ago)

de Havilland Mosquito (bought it in 2018)

P-47 M (bought it in 2019)

F4U-1/2 Corsair (bought in August 2019)

F4U-1D Corsair with tug (bought in 2019)

Me 262 (bought in December 2019)

FW 190D (bought in January 2020)

IL-2 Sturmovik (bought in February 2020)

Bristol Beaufighter TFX (bought in June 2020)

P-38 F/J  (bought in June 2020)

P-51B

P-47D Razorback

Revell (2)

B-29 (vintage 1950s) (a gift)

B1-B (bought many years ago)

Monogram (31)

North American AT-6 (Harvard – almost completed)

Wright Brothers Kitty Hawk (a gift from a WWII veteran)

de Havilland Mosquito (bought many years ago)

de Havilland Mosquito (bought many years ago)

Hawker Harrier (bought many years ago)

Hawker Typhoon (bought many years ago)

SBD Dauntless (bought many years ago)

Vought Kingfisher (bought many years ago)

A-26 B Invader (bought many years ago)

B-24 J (bought many years ago)

B-25 J (bought many years ago)

B-26 (bought many years ago)

B-58 (bought many years ago)

P-38 (bought many years ago)

P-39 (bought many years ago)

P-61 Black Widow (bought in August 2019)

F4 Phantom (bought many years ago)

F-8 Crusader (bought many years ago)

F-9F (bought many years ago)

F-80 (bought many years ago)

F-84 (bought many years ago)

F-86 (bought many years ago)

Mig 15 (bought many years ago)

A6 Douglas Skyraider (bought many years ago)

A7 Corsair (bought many years ago)

F-100 (bought many years ago)

F-101 (bought many years ago)

F-102 (bought many years ago)

F-105 (bought many years ago)

F-106 (bought many years ago)

F-117 (bought many years ago)

Mig-29 (bought many years ago)

Hasegawa (3)

P-40 E (bought in 2018)

Douglas Dauntless (bought in 2018)

Zero Type 52 (Minicraft/Hasegawa) (bought many years ago)

Trumpeter (1)

Vickers Wellington Mk III (bought in February 2020)

Ships (7)

Trumpeter (4)

Canadian HMCS Huron 1/350 scale (bought in 2019)

German Z-30 Zerstorer 1/350 scale (bought in 2019)

USS Lexington 1/700 scale (bought in 2019)

USS Saratoga CV-3 1/700 scale (bought in 2019)

Tamiya (3)

USS Hornet CV-8 1/700 scale (bought in 2019)

USS Yorktown CV-5 1/700 scale (bought in 2019)

USS Saratoga CV-3 1/700 scale (bought in 2019)

Intermission – What’s next in December? – Day 1

Pierre Lagacé10 Comments

What’s next in December?

Thinking about what’s next on My Forgotten III, I was looking at my list of unbuilt model kits and I have decided to let you decide.

Simple isn’t. With 19 followers I should get some most interesting suggestions.

Just write a comment in the comment section and the reason why you are chosing it. You don’t need to add a reason.

The model kit which gets the most votes will be built. In case of a tie both will be built one after the other leading us to 2021, and boy do we need to get to 2021!

Model kits in red are off limits for now since they have been already started, some even 30 years ago. The result of the votes will be known on December 14, 2020.

Now for the list…

Helicopters (3)

Monogram (3)

AH-1S (almost completed 30 years ago)

 

Bell Huey Hog (bought many years ago)

AH-64 Apache (very little has been started 30 years ago)

Planes (72)

ICM (5)

Ju 88 A-14 (bought it on January 20, 2020)

Do 17Z-2 (bought it on January 21, 2020)

Ju 88 C-6 (bought it on January 21, 2020)

He 111 H-3 (bought it on January 22, 2020 and almost completed)

Me 109 F-4 (bought it on January 28, 2020)

Airfix (4)

Boulton-Paul Defiant (bought two in 2018, built one as a gift)

Battle of Britain and Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 (bought it in 2018)

Battle of Britain and Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 (bought it in 2018)

Messerschmidt Me109E (bought in 2018, almost completed)

Eduard (12)

P-39 (bought it in December 2019)

Spitfire Mk IX (bought it in December 2019)

F6F Hellcat Weekend edition (bought it in January  2020)

Spitfire Mk XVI Weekend edition (bought it in January 2020)

Me 110 E (bought it in January 2020)

Me 109 G-4 (bought it in February 2020)

FW 190 D (bought it in March 2020)

Me 109 E-3 (bought it in March 2020)

FW 190 A-8 (bought it in March 2020)

Hawker Tempest Mk V (bought it in June 2020)

P-51 D (bought it in June 2020)

Hawker Tempest Mk V Weekend Edition (bought it in June 2020)

AMT (1)

A-20 (bought it many years ago)

Tamiya (13)

Bristol Beaufighter Mk VI (bought it many years ago)

Hawker Harrier (bought it many years ago)

de Havilland Mosquito (bought it in 2018)

P-47 M (bought it in 2019)

F4U-1/2 Corsair (bought in August 2019)

F4U-1D Corsair with tug (bought in 2019)

Me 262 (bought in December 2019)

FW 190D (bought in January 2020)

IL-2 Sturmovik (bought in February 2020)

Bristol Beaufighter TFX (bought in June 2020)

P-38 F/J  (bought in June 2020)

P-51B

P-47D Razorback

Revell (2)

B-29 (vintage 1950s) (a gift)

B1-B (bought many years ago)

Monogram (31)

North American AT-6 (Harvard – almost completed)

Wright Brothers Kitty Hawk (a gift from a WWII veteran)

de Havilland Mosquito (bought many years ago)

de Havilland Mosquito (bought many years ago)

Hawker Harrier (bought many years ago)

Hawker Typhoon (bought many years ago)

SBD Dauntless (bought many years ago)

Vought Kingfisher (bought many years ago)

A-26 B Invader (bought many years ago)

B-24 J (bought many years ago)

B-25 J (bought many years ago)

B-26 (bought many years ago)

B-58 (bought many years ago)

P-38 (bought many years ago)

P-39 (bought many years ago)

P-61 Black Widow (bought in August 2019)

F4 Phantom (bought many years ago)

F-8 Crusader (bought many years ago)

F-9F (bought many years ago)

F-80 (bought many years ago)

F-84 (bought many years ago)

F-86 (bought many years ago)

Mig 15 (bought many years ago)

A6 Douglas Skyraider (bought many years ago)

A7 Corsair (bought many years ago)

F-100 (bought many years ago)

F-101 (bought many years ago)

F-102 (bought many years ago)

F-105 (bought many years ago)

F-106 (bought many years ago)

F-117 (bought many years ago)

Mig-29 (bought many years ago)

Hasegawa (3)

P-40 E (bought in 2018)

Douglas Dauntless (bought in 2018)

Zero Type 52 (Minicraft/Hasegawa) (bought many years ago)

Trumpeter (1)

Vickers Wellington Mk III (bought in February 2020)

Ships (7)

Trumpeter (4)

Canadian HMCS Huron 1/350 scale (bought in 2019)

German Z-30 Zerstorer 1/350 scale (bought in 2019)

USS Lexington 1/700 scale (bought in 2019)

USS Saratoga CV-3 1/700 scale (bought in 2019)

Tamiya (3)

USS Hornet CV-8 1/700 scale (bought in 2019)

USS Yorktown CV-5 1/700 scale (bought in 2019)

USS Saratoga CV-3 1/700 scale (bought in 2019)