rbeach84

James, did you find some plans/ drawings? The Paul Matt drawings are probably the best (there are two volumes published of his plans that you should be able to find on Amazon - lots of cool stuff in 'em.) I found several drawings under Google Images that looked useful - I long ago found the RC crowd has some excellent research going on that results in some of the best plans around, even if you have to ignore the 'stick & tissue' information. Regards, Robert

Eww-Whee! As Shaggy would say - Zonks! I thought Pocher kits were "challenging", this must have been something else. Great job! Regards, Robert

Chris, I'm a bit confused by what you're proposing. If I understand what you're saying, you are considering that there be (either in the Genre forums, or as a separate forum) WIP-only forum(s)? Doesn't this make things more complex rather than less (because you now have *more* sub-forums to deal with...) You mention user-friendliness as an issue. Are there specific complaints regarding the Forums organization? (Seems pretty standard to me, I guess...) Since most folks may, as I do, view "stuff" via the 'New Content' filter, does the organization really play a big part to forum members? I suppose when starting threads, it does come up, but from a 'read & reply' standpoint? As I see it, new stuff comes up, I see it via 'New Content', check it out & if I post a reply (usually when I am interested in following later), it automatically becomes part of My Content which I then am checking when I first come into the Forums for any updates. Pretty easy. If you are proceeding with this 'WIP Thread Consolidation', I'd recommend the WIP's stay in the associated Genre forums. Regardless, you really need a bigger vote "sampling" to have a decent cross-section... Just looked over at Britmodeller, they have the WIP subforum in each 'interest area'. Works okay... generally clean layout, but then they don't really have to deal with 'business' issues either. Regards, Robert

Very nice, PG! Great finish, excellent animation, flawless execution of that sea state... you should be very happy with the results. Regards, Robert

Appears that HELP is now moved down to the bottom left - at least in my Firefox! ;^P R/ Robert

Charles, if you can't find one, take an image off the Web of a cat 'in profile', print it to scale on a piece of cardstock then transfer to a piece of sheet styrene. Cut out, and then 'flesh out' with some epoxy putty or Sculpey. The profile will make a quick, proportioned armature for the 'figure', and a toothpick can help give the tiny details... really nice work, mate! R/ Robert

Oh, yeah! That UMM-USA multi-tool is great! I recently picked up one of the smaller ones and have found it extremely useful, too. I still marvel at how the 'push' scriber works. I can do free hand push scribing by 'inching' the tip along, sort of a 'two steps forward, one step back' movement along the line makes a nice, fine line, which I can then followup with the 'pull' end of the tool if needed. And the scraping edge does much of the work I used to do with a #10 Exacto blade, thinning wing trailing edges or reshaping contours by scraping. You can even flip the larger tool on it's side and use the 'push' end as a chisel if needed. John V. @ UMM really has a winner there! I think everyone should have one, truly a 'what did I do before this' kind of tool. BTW, The B-47 is looking great, Gil! Say, what are your thoughts on the markings? R/ Robert

Great discussion! I for one think it would benefit the Society to look very hard at the concept of going over to a digital edition of the Journal on a member by member basis (as Jim Deck suggested, offering a reduced membership rate for those getting their pubs digitally.) The cost of Journal production is an eye opener for sure -postage alone is a killer! The impact, however would be that the overall costs would be lowered and I suspect the savings would be significant enough to allow more of the Society's resources to go to other initiatives. But again, a lot of variables would come into play, including the increased printing cost of the Journal if it drops below certain volume. In short, if we conduct a cost/benefit analysis (I volunteer to help!) & publish the results to the membership, then we can make a collective decision on the matter. It may come down to just some percentage below 50% would opt to go paperless but I see the capacity to do so must already be in place - as noted, the Journal masters must be digital to begin with before going to the printers, so one short step further to publish it in PDF format - the savings would be immediate and essentially low cost (I know reliable & fast hosting would be an issue - in short, the actual mechanism of delivery wouldn't be entirely "free"...) Think of the possibilities diverting some of the Journal overhead would offer. For example, it might allow for an annual decal sheet, or production of an annual Society 'research project' publication covering areas of interest. What if we could produce a digital archive of past Society pubs so all 'pre-digital' content could be purchased by the membership? (I could do with the possibility of clearing out some filing cabinets - though I would want to look very hard at the reading interface!) To the point, the Journal's content is what it is, regardless of the format in which it is distributed. We would be silly to ignore the possibilities of current tech when creative leverage of the available tools can benefit the Society by allowing us to expand our 'reach' through easier access (for some) and more affordable membership costs. As was discussed at the Webmasters' Gab Breakfast, the goals are the same just some of the tools have changed. To deny this reality is equivalent to wanting to go back to using a brush after mastering the airbrush... Regards, Robert

Hey, what is the source for those figures? R/ Robert

Charles, I saw the bicycle and thought he was nearby... caught in the crossfire, as it were. Although a 55 Gal drum wouldn't stop any rounds, it would certainly be like a kid to hide in one... really amazing what you've done with pink EPS foam! R/ Robert

Nice job on a challenging kit - and subject! Regards, Robert

You said you added a 'kid'? Is he hiding in the 55 Gal barrel? I 'second' the other comments, your landscaping talents are wonderful. The composition is outstanding, too. R/ Robert

Mark, you're in luck! I was asking about your experience since I know a couple of guys in the club here who are working on - or will be - a Dora. If one were made in 1/48 scale, I'd be on it toot-sweet. Alas...! Regards, Robert

Ha! Hey, I resemble that statement... ;^P What!? No, I didn't pet a turd! Perhaps a bird, but... In fact, 'e-pub' functionality is mirrored by the forum and the NATS website content. They are all outlets that require access to the internet (via some device, not just a computer...) So in effect, much of the content is already digitally distributed. I like the paper Journal because it is more 'reading room' friendly than my laptop (sploosh! Well, there goes that mouse!) but it is more important for those who are offline by choice or otherwise. R/ Robert

Mark, thanks for sharing the goods on your build. Sorry we won't be seeing you at the Convention...wait, that *was* you, right? Regards, Robert

Richard, try inquiring with Flight Decs (as Mark indicated) out of Canada. Sometimes it is difficult to get a good answer but you should try since they have at least one sheet with Laotian markings : http://flightdecs.ca/A_crosswind.htm Ah, now looking at it, the one sheet is for a 1/72 scale 'Criquet' (aka 'Storch'.) Sorry! Looks like you'll have to draw and print your own. OpenOffice has a vector drawing tool ('DRAW') included; download the entire office suite for free from: https://www.openoffice.org/ Good tool, and vector graphics are fully scalable with no distortion or pixelation. Robert

Gil, looking really good. Given a few more weeks, it may have made it to the CON - another Vac kit victorious! Next year, perhaps. I might even be there to 'swap punches' with my P4M! R/ Robert

I set afire an Iowa class battleship in a 'crick' one day (in my rock & dribbled sand harbor.) A Revell kit as I recall. It burned rather realistically (at least in my memory) down to the waterline and then "ploop!", sank & extinguished in an instant. Wonderfully thick black smoke, styrene makes, hmmm! Better even than the balsa flyer, one wing alight flying along under rubber power until it careened into the ground. Fortunately, my firebug tendencies proved weak & faded away... kids today don't know what they're missing! R/ Robert

Yes, what Dennis says. Tripod is very important! Low or semi-low light levels and long exposure make shake a real problem when hand-holding. I tried my "sniper" skills on pix taking and it just doesn't work - the camera shutter is 'open' for too long. Not quite like pulling the trigger... R/ Robert

Hey, what do you mean, "wish had soldering skills"? Of course you have soldering skills, undeveloped though they might be. Anyone who can gin up assemblies as you have already demonstrated can figure out what it takes to do soldering, certainly you have the dexterity to do so. Like Rob Schneider's character in 'Water Boy' - "You can DO IT!" ;^) Robert

Cool! Thanks for the update Tom. I suppose having packing materials on-site would be the big challenge, since all the shippers pickup on site already if scheduled (especially USPS during their regular mail deliveries...they're there anyway.) Regards, Robert

Gil, you're rocking on this "thang", dude! Say, looking at your gear reminds me of soldering tips on our club website (one is a link to Scale Modeling Guides (dot) com, I think... http://hamptonroadsscalemodelers.com/heres-a-website-link-for-soldering-of-photo-etched-model-parts/ Anyway, this is looking great. Gonna have a scale Jimmy Stewart to fit on that ladder! Regards, Robert

Looks really good, Dick. Academy kit perhaps? See you next week! ;^) Regards, Robert

Really nice work! Your technique is similar to another I have used - but overcoated with Durham's Water putty. With the 'pink' foam, the grain is seems to be fine enough to look good under just a coat of paint. Regards, Robert

Below are some location maps for nearby shipping 'resources' to include FEDEX, UPS & USPS (the post office is actually just a few blocks off...) These may be useful if you are bumping up against your baggage limit for a flight out. Used Google Maps to obtain these screen grabs, as you can see. The "Pinewood Plaza" location is for a UPS Drop Box. I also must assume that all three services can do pickups from the Embassy Suites or even at the Convention Center (and I'll try and confirm this...) Regards, Robert USPS: UPS: FEDEX: