Ralph Nardone

While I haven't tried it, a friend of mine swears by plastic Easter Grass. He uses it as his padding material. I put mine in boxes, pad them as best I can, and wing it from there. I figure I can fix anything that breaks when I get to my destination. Ralph

I managed to get the Classic Castings BT-13, but (as Maxwell Smart would say) "missed it by that much" on the A-17 and P-26--the Peashooter was Sold Out and he just sold the last A-17 when my order came in. His Tigercat came out close to the release of the AMT kit, IIRC, and you know what that means. In any case, he was a true gentleman and stood by his product. I don't know what became of him, but I believe he's still in Alabama. Funny story--Farris must have pulled the wing that wound up in my BT-13 kit and put it right into the packaging material, because the staple he used to close up the light foam sheet punched two neat holes right into the wing. They're easily fixed, but I did drop him a line to let him know. He offered to send me a new wing, but I told him that a bit of microballoons and soem CA would fix it nicely. I'm with you--I'd buy a 1/48 A-17 and an A-17A if it was a decent quality kit that didn't empty the bank account--two things, incidentally, that made Classic Castings' kits so attractive. Chris Etzell apparently isn't doing the cars any more. Shame, because he did kits of some of the legendary Indy cars. His stuff (both aircraft and automotive) were very, very nice indeed. I read something on one of the car digests that Chris now keeps a low profile.... I still have fun going through back issues of Scale Modeler and FineScale Modeler--you can gauge from the ads when the aftermarket stuff really kicked in, and you can see when the companies started to come out with someof the less-mainstream subjects by the disapearance of the "cottage industry" kits of the same subjects. It can be fun to read ads that don't have a URL in them somewhere. Also, the old Squadron ads were truly a time capsule--between the art and the prices, it makes you kinda nostalgic. R

Boy, that is true. A friend was moving from Ft. Lauderdale to Kentucky a while back (1997 or so), and he had this huge box in the U-Haul that he was filling with books. Fortunately, the box was in the U-Haul as he was filling it. He tried to move the half-full box, and it wouldn't budge. I took a red marker and wrote on the side of the box, "Not Even With A Crane!". When we had to move in 2000, I had the fortune of being able to use some past-their-prime gyroscope boxes. The only proper way to ship a gyro is to place the instrument in a well-padded box, then place that box into a larger box with foam elbows that suspend the inner box. Well, we had some not-up-to-par inner boxes and I used them for the books. Worked well--so well, that those same boxes were used for three more moves! I used to fret about built-ups--I went so far one time to place each model in a bag, inflate the bag, and then place it into a peanut-filled box. I still wound up with broken parts. The avionics industry came to the rescue again--most manufacturers shipped their tech manuals in boxes that were just big enough to hold one or two 1/48 scale WWII fighters. I plopped the models in, and they made the 800 mile trip to SC with no casualties. In fact, the only casualty I've had has been a lost nose gear door on a Hobbycraft Caribou, lost on that same 800-mile trip. Alas, most aerospace tech manuals are now only available as downloads--good for the shops (no huge library to worry about keeping current), but bad for modelers.... The Squadron Shop stories are great-I went to college with a kid from Wheaton, MD, and he knew about the Squadron Shops. By the time I got serious in the hobby, the shops were closing and all I had was the Mail Order line, which had just moved to Texas.... Ralph

Yep--I subscribed for 10 years (1978-1988), by which time you could get more out of the article by reading the photo captions. There were some minor improvements after that, and for a while in the early 1990's there was some good points--the regular vacform articles and conversions were nice to see. I do remember some of your articles--War Eagle A-4B or A-4C conversion, one of Farris Brown's Classic Castings kits, and a (IIRC) Wings BT-1 to name but a few. I came into a stack of back issues from the early years, and I am still amazed how the hobby has progressed from sticking the parts together to painting then sticking the parts together to sticking them together, filling the seams, and then sticking them together. Some of my favorite authors were Jordan Ross and Lee Scow--they had a way with model building that appealed to my tastes. It served to open my eyes to the advanced techniques that, once you learn them, become second nature. By the time they shut the magazine down, they were repeating articles with alarming frequency. R

I regret that I have never seen them live in concert--I would have loved to have see them around 1980 or so, although I understand that their more recent shows are fun, too. R

I'm Ralph Nardone, I'm a modeler and stash builder....also an out of work avionics technican, but I'm working on correcting that. I'm currently living in the Upstate/Midlands area of South Carolina with my model-building wife and our rivet-counting feline. I was 8 or 9 years old when I was introduced to the hobby by my father--we built a Revell 1/32 F4F Wildcat on the kitchen table over the course of about a week. Dad built models--wood models--as a kid, he was bedridden with rheumatic fever and the models helped pass the time when he wasn't doing school work (I guess that means he was more or less home-schooled). He wasn't a fan of plastic models ("no challenge", he said), but he showed us (me and my younger brother) how to build 'em--and boy, did we build 'em! My brother built models for a while, then graduated to BMX and RC boats. I stuck with plastic, although I built a large-scale Guillow's Spitfire in around 1981 just to show the old man that I was capable of building a "real" model. My first "serious" model was a Monogram 1/72 B-52D that I got as a 10th birthday present in 1974--dang thing took TWO days to build! I discovered what "serious" models were in 1978 when I read my first issue if Challenge Publications' Scale Modeler. Before that, I had no clue about putty, airbrushes, and decal setting solutions. I had my eyes opened further in 1982, with the advent of FineScale Modeler. I went to college the same year, but built models throughout my 6 years of indentured studentude at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. I first joined IPMS/USA in the mid 1980's, but left when it became a matter of roof over my head or IPMS (this happened again in the early 1990's). I joined IPMS/Flight 19 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL in 1988, and by the time I moved to South Carolina in 2001, I had served as Chapter Contact, Chapter VP, Chapter Newsletter Editor, and Chapter President for seven years. Of course, with my duties as a Chapter Officer, I re-joined IPMS, and I've been a member (with small breaks in service of one or two months when I forgot to renew!) ever since. My first contest was an event my college roommate and I put together at E-RAU in 1983. I placed fourth with an Otaki George--the judges were the Officer Cadre from the AFROTC Detachment, so I didn't fare well against all the F-15's and F-16's on the table (First lesson--know your audience). I attended my first IPMS National Convention in 1999--I missed the Miami Convention in 1990 because I got called in to work on a 1:1 PBY. I think I'd have rather been at the convention. I've attended the Nationals when I've been able ever since. My interests are fairly cosmopolitan--in other words, I'll build pretty much anything as long as the subject intererests me. My main focus is aircraft of all kinds--1/144 and 1/200 airliners, 1/72 and 1/48 war planes, 1/24 and 1/25 automobiles, 1/700 and 1/350 ships, and 1/35 armor. I've been known to tackle a miniature or two as well; I tend to stick to the larger (90-120mm) sizes for those and most of mine depict combatants from the American Civil War (aka The War of Yankee Aggression :) ). On the bench at present is a 1/48 Revell A-10A, a 1/48 Hobbycraft A-4N, a Special Hobby 1/48 Macchi C.200, an Italeri 1/48 OH-13, and a 1/700 Dragon CVL-24 Belleau Wood (CVL-24) that I'm building as the USS Cowpens (CVL-25). The funny thing is that I mostly build jets and helicopters in 1/72 and ships in 1/350! The A-10 is for a former Myrtle Beach AFB Crew Cheif, and the Bell 47 was done for a former work landlord. The Cowpens is in 1/700 because I wanted to build a ship model without a lot of fuss. On deck are a pair of Tamiya 1/48 Block 52 F-16's for former work colleagues who serve with the South Carolina ANG. Ralph Alive and Well and Living In.... (let's see who gets that reference....)

Thanks for the coments. The Hasegawa kit has a lot of fine details, but it isn't a fall-together kit. There are some minor issues, but nothing that can't be overcome.... As far as the job hunt goes, I'm doing okay--something will break soon, even if it isn't in aviation. With the free time, I have been building models--other than the Horten, Skyhawk, Corvette, and F-84 that I've already posted, I have just completed a Trumpeter 1/35 Ariete C.1, and am closing in on the final touches to the Revell A-10 and Hobbycraft A-4. The Macchi is close behind, and I may even get a ship model done, too. The down time from work has been an up time for models.... Ralph

As I said, anyone who successfully completes a Pioneer kit has truly accomplished a lot--particularly one of their early efforts like the Horten. Nice work, Mark. Ralph

Hey, anyone who can make progress on a Pioneer kit is no slouch. I remember when that kit hit the market--a friend of mine is school wanted a Horten really bad. I don't know whether he ever got a kit.... The Revell AG decals were stiff, brittle, and super-matte. I had to resort to Future under them to get them to lie down. There's still some silvering under a few, but I decided that enough was enough. I look forward to seeing yours finished. Ralph

Thanks. The model was a fun build I started back in 2005. It was nearly complete when I had to pack it away to move out of the last rental house we lived in and into our own house. As for the job search....Well, it's going.... I'm an avionics technician/installer by trade, and when the bucks get tight, the owners don't make discretionary purchases--99% of the avionics business is retrofit and repair, and if they can live without it, they do. There is only one thing an airplane owner is required to do by the FAA, and that is to have the altimeters, static systems, and transponders certified every two years. In South Carolina, like a lot of places, the industry is flat at the moment. It doesn't help matters when the failing auto manufacturers fly their Gulfstreams to Washington with their hands out begging for money (if they were going to Tokyo, I could see the use of the airplanes--but from Michigan to DC?) and are labasted in the press for doing so. Anyone in the business world knows that corporate aircraft are business tools, but to the layman it is seen as an extravagance--and then the backlash arises. The various trade organizations (NBAA, AEA, GAMA, and others) and the manufacturers (led by Cessna and Bombardier) are blitzing the aviation media with their own sales pitches, but the damage has been done. We're not looking to relocate--the wife is tenured in her position as professor at the local college, and I doubt we'd be able to sell the house--we are literally out in the sticks (you have to take a dirt road to get to the gravel road to get to our dirt road), to the point that we're still on dial up with no prospects of getting DSL or cable. I also have resumes out to places looking for technical writers and editors and I also have friends in the industry keeping an ear to the ground. Most of the contractors have slowed down with their hiring, too, so it might be a long wait for something to open up in aviation. Right now, the technical writer/editor gig seems to be the best bet for anything paying more than minimum wage. Of course, I'm really hoping that the application I have with the FAA pans out--that would be sweet. I have a progress review later today at the SC Employment Securities Commission office, and a follow-up interview tomorrow for a retail sales position. So, until something comes along, I'm making progress on a lot of projects around the house. I'm also losing a lot of the stress I've accumulated over the past 20 years, which surely has to be a good thing. Ralph

I don't think that would work--you'll have to get rid of the grainy texture before you can do anything, and spraying something on top without smoothing the surface may actually magnify the graininess. Try polishing it as James suggested. If you rub through to the black primer, mask the affected area at the nearest panel line and re-spray the Alclad. Ralph

Tamiya's spray cans are acrylic lacquers, and the gloss black works well under Alclad II. My wife built a Tamiya 1/72 P-51D and used that combination, and the finished product was quite nice indeed. Ralph

Agreed, and with the warps, the left wingtip actually does exhibit some washout. More luck than intention, but... :) Ralph

I usually use Tamiya tape for masking duties. The canopy was masked with Tamiya tape, the inner frames were brushed with Acryl Aircraft Interior Black, then the canopy was tacked on the model in the closed position with white glue. The white primer (Tamiya, straight from the spray can) was sprayed on and allowed to dry. It was then only masked where the fin cap and the slat wells were before I shot the Light Gull Gray onto the model--the separation with the white was done freehand. I used the Chinese knock-off version of Silly Putty (Magic Putty, Wonder Putty, or some such name--it certainly isn't Silly Putty. that's for sure!) to outline the slat wells for the red--I used Acryl Insignia Red.The anti-glare panel was done by placing Tamiya tape on the area, the shape drawin onto the tape with a pencil, then I removed the tape and cut the stencil. The stecil was reapplied and the Dark Gull Gray was sprayed on. I must be living right--I have never had Acryl lift due to a tape mask, but I have heard horror stories to the contrary, and I believe them. In all the years I've used acrylics (since 1982), I've never had a problem with them lifting when a tape mask was removed--either a mask for a canopy or a mask for camouflage. I don't do anything special--in most cases, I spray right onto the plastic with no primer. I used the Tamiya white primer on the A-4 simply because theer was a lot of white to paint. Be sure to wipe the model down with some Isopropyl Alcohol (or wash it with water and a little dish soap) before you paint, but other than that I use acrylics the same as I used to use enamels and lacquers. I have used Scotch Tape, drafting tape, blue painter's tape, masking tape, and vinyl tape to mask for acrylics. Never had an issue. I probably won't use the putty again for masking--it doesn't stick well, and tends to creep a bit. I'm finishing another model where I'm planning to use the Office Depot equivallent of Blu-Tac to mask the camo scheme (an Italian WWII "Poached Egg" scheme), I'll let you now how that works... Ralph

I'd love to do a whole VA-46 collection, but finding decals is tough. According to Jennings Heilig (the guy who did the art for the Victory sheet), this scheme almost made him go blind and insane. Ralph

I think the kit was recently reissued. It really is a quickie build--the only bug I found was the the wings tend to warp and/or twist, even after they are assembled. One of the tips on the model twists down, the other twists up. Even so.... Ralph

I believe it was Revell AG--I bought the kit when it first came out in the mid-1990's, started it, and put it back into the stash for a move. Fast forward 15 years and I dug it out and finished it. The box says "Made in Korea", and I don't recall Dragon doing a 1/72 Horten. I could be wrong, I frequently am.... ;) Ralph

Photos, as promised. After I finished mine, my wife decided to build a Corvette of her own with mods to make it closer to the race article than the show car. I built the #63 OOB, she built the #64. Both depict cars raced at the 2005 running to the 24 Heures Du Mans.... A rear shot showing some of the differences. The big mod was the diffuser and side windows. I will add the side windows and the small paint details (side marker lights, position lights, and fuel receptacle) sometime in the next week or so. I don't know whether I'll fix the diffuser, though.... Underside shot of diffuser as the kit portrays it: Modified to look something like the actual deal: The wife's model: Both models were painted with Tamiya's rattle can Chrome Yellow--it is a close match for the Velocity Yellow that Pratt and Miller used. If you live near a GM dealership with a friendly parts department, you might be able to get a can of the actual color. It goes by many names (Millennium Yellow, Slingshot Yellow, Sunburst Yellow), but the paint code is 79/423G and the part number is 12378082. It may be easier to obtain a Romanian baby on the black market, though--when my wife tried to get a can, she had to jump through all sorts of hoops to get it--they wanted a VIN, which she didn't have (at least not for a yellow 'Vette). A service tech knew what she wanted (he refinished die-casts), and knew what she wanted. The Tamiya paint goes on like a dream staright from the can, and 99.999% of the people who see the model won't know the difference. Ralph

Hasegawa 1/48 A-4E OOB with Victory Productions decals. Paint is Tamiya white primer and Testor Acryl Light Gull Gray. Cheers! Ralph

Finished last week: Paint scheme is conceptual 74/75/76, I used PollyScale for the 76 and Testor Acryl for the 74 and 75. Kit decals are typical mid-1990's Revell AG--thick and very matte. I had to wrestle them a bit to get them to lie down--I was 99% successful. Ralph

Very nice--good on ya! I build a few airplanes (Tamiya F4U-1, AM TBM-3 and AM SBD-5, all 1/48 scale) for my uncle (a Mud Marine veteran of Okinawa), and he treasures them--he won't let anyone else dust them. Good feeling to have, knowing you've made someone's day. Ralph

That's the one (Tempest) I was thinking of instead of the Sea Fury. Close, no cigar for me.... Ralph

That's the one I was thinking of instead of the Sea Fury. Close, no cigar for me.... Ralph

There were only three or four--I know they did a re-release of Heller's Mirage 2000N in 1/72 scale, and they may have done a Sea Fury, I can't remember.... Ralph

You must use a different Rubber Cement that I have, since the one time I used it to mask a Future-dipped canopy I was left with a mess. Ralph