BigSkyModeler

These are all very informative posts as I too have recently returned to our hobby. Never used BMF before, but Squadron had a sale recently on BMF so I purchased ultra bright chrome, new improved chrome, matte aluminum, and gold. I have yet to use any BMF yet, but I do have some build candidates for it. I have a Kenworth W900, a Peterbilt 359 flat-top, a '62 Impala, and an AMT Opel GT. All could be good candidates for BMF I imagine. I also have some 1/48 scale aircraft that could be foiled like I have seen in Finescale Modeler..... but not for a while. For those, I think I will give my Paasche H or VL the nod.

Thank god it's not another IJN battleship kit! LOL

Welcome to the party Anthony.

The planes the AVG began with were 100 P-40B's (actually Curtis Hawk 81-A3's) that were originally bound for England under Lend-Lease. :gray-plane:

I just happen to have a Revell AVG P-40B in my stash.

A real nice build. Sounds like a great model to get back into gluing my fingers...... uh.. building again!

Excellent! I am looking forward to participating in a group build. It is just the thing I need to get me "up and running" again.

I know keeping my workbench "uncluttered" is a full time job!

Welcome Sean.

It is excellent for clear parts. I dip my aircraft canopies in Future before I do anything. If there are any minor scratches in your canopy (or car windshield or windows) the Future will make them disappear. A good tip is to touch a corner of the part you have dipped on to a paper towel or other absorbent material. This will remove any excess Future so you do not have "lumps" when the part has dried. Another good idea is to place the part in some kind of covered container once treated with Future. This keeps dust and other materials from sticking on the treated part.

Very nice model. I have a couple of float planes waiting to be built. I ordered a couple of Airfix kits from Squadron. A Kingfisher and a Grumman Duck (both in 1/72 scale). I have an Accurate Miniatures 1/48 F3F-2 partially built. It was one of the first kits I started when I got back into modeling. I really was not ready for such an undertaking. The plane is not beyond hope and I am sure I can finish it.

I agree, we definitely need more 1/700 scale WW2 Destroyers, not just Fletcher class. You cannot find hardly any early war destroyers in 700 scale. I know of one 1/700 scale Tamiya "waterline" series USS Hammann (DD-412). I really want to build a "Coral Sea" diorama with the Lexington (CV-2), the Minneapolis (New Orleans class CA), and the Hammann steaming in formation. The Lex is no issue. Neither is the Minneapolis. The issue is the Sims class destroyer. I really do not want to have to build all three as "waterline" kits just because of the Hammann model. What about a nice styrene model of the Alaska class CB's? I would love a mainstream USS Alaska or USS Guam.

Welcome Steve. I just recently joined IPMS/USA as well. I am a Navy vet myself and I was home ported in Norfolk most of the time.

Thanks to all for the information. I built a couple of cars last year (an MPC 1976 Chevy Impala and a Revell 1971 Barricuda) to get back into the swing of things. I even built a "Pirate Ship" model my kids got me for Christmas. I took some creative license on that one. I will post some pics on the appropriate forum topic soon.

I am really hoping I get the latest journal listed. I have the 1/48 Academy MH-53E Sea Dragon in my kit stash. I managed to get it on clearance about a year ago, but I wanted to "get back in the game" a little more before I tried to build it. The article "Detailing a Dragon" in that issue is just what I need to give me some ideas for building it. If I do not receive that issue, is there any way to obtain back issues?

Thanks for the welcome!

Hello fellow modelers! My name is Bill, I am 46 and I live in Billings Montana. After a long hiatis I have returned to modeling. I will build just about anything, but I mostly build aircraft, naval ships, and cars/trucks. I am a disabled veteran with 2 teenage children that I raise by myself. You can imagine that finding time to build is a challenge but I have more time now that the kids are older. I found out about IPMS/USA while reading an article in Finescale Modeler magazine. I thought it would be great to connect with fellow builders. Billings is pretty big (population around 105,000) but it is still pretty remote out here in Montana. Of course I would not have it any other way! I am not building contest quality models (yet!) but I have been building up my workbench for a couple of years and I have a small "kit stash" to build on. I am looking forward to "speaking" with others in the community that enjoy our hobby.