66Foxtrot

I remember reading about this a month or so ago....John Bonnani was spearheading the project (Thank you, John). Looking forward to the results.

This is a great idea.

Traveling is as much a Gastronomical adventure as anything else, therefore, I would ask of Mr. Pillhofer and company to put forth their best local restaurant recommendations. I understand how subjective food is, so no static. Where would you suggest for the: Best Authentic Mexican Best Italian Best Steakhouse Best Seafood Best Vegan (My wife is Pescatarian..maybe you are, too). I'm asking locals for local recommendations. Believe me, I've looked at Trip Advisor. I believe about 30% of what they say.

Very cool, Duke!

Me too.

Which other hotels are going to be convention hotels?

I was banned from Brazil for 22 years, but I’d go back.

2nd VP John Bonanni has sent out surveys to all attendees, requesting feedback on how to improve the process. Last I've heard, over 300 respondents so far. He stated all results will be made available to the membership. I'm pretty sure BKB will be addressed. If you perform a craniorectal inversion, your hearing will probably improve.

Thanks Rusty, I'm not a member of any club. No interest in bidding on anything outside of EBay. Just found the report fascinating. I don't get out much.

Just read the proposal for the 2024 Convention. I found it fascinating to read about the inner machinations of bidding for a show. And, I learned my buddy Jeff Herne is the Convention Chair… it’s gonna be a great show, brother!

Thats spectacular, Gil. Gonna have to re-start mine one of these days.

I had such a great time at that show!

I helped my oldest son build this, back in the day. I remember it being a bitch to complete, but he did well with it. Yours is fantastic. First model in 35 years, and you illuminated it?? Bravo.

Me too....

C'Mon, Columbus....!!!!

Gorgeous. I love the antennae work.

The usual, outstanding work I expect from you.

I don’t know which is correct, but I’d lean towards yellow. The kit had red stickers, though. I like the way it looks.

Virginia Beach in 2008 was good. Columbus 2015 was fantastic. They’re both drivable for me.

Five Bf 109 E-7s were acquired by the Japanese in 1941, without armament, for evaluation. While in Japan they received the standard Japanese hinomarus and yellow wing leading edges, as well as white numerals on the rudder. A red band outlined in white was painted around the rear fuselage. They were used in comparison trials by the Japanese Army Air Force with the Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa, Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki and the Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien. As Japanese were interested in the DB 601 engine and license-built it for their Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien fighter, they had little interest in the Bf 109 itself. The Allies, expecting to encounter Japanese Bf 109s in combat, assigned a code name of “Mike” to the Messerschmitts. None were flown in combat by the Japanese. Funny story...About 2/3 of the way through this kit, I thought to myself "Damn, those Finemolds guys really knocked it out of the park with this one...it's literally falling together like a Tamiya kit." Up to that point, I'd been having an odd familiarity about the whole process, which I couldn't quite place. Maybe an hour or two after having those thoughts, I noticed something molded into the lower left hand corner of the sprue I was holding: TAMIYA 1996. Well, I had a good laugh at myself at that. I thought this was a new-tool kit when I saw the announcement late last year, and put it on my Christmas list. The Queen got it for me, and I dug in a few weeks ago. I last built it 18 years ago. I distinctly remember putting the finishing touches on it the night before I deployed on 30OCT2004. Anyways, there goes the odd familiarity. Having said all that, it's a relaxing, enjoyable build. Finemolds contributed a small sprue containing an airfield workshop (Pilot, Mechanic, Table, Stool, Machine Gun, Oil Drums), a parachute pack for the seat pan, and a set of their "Nano" seat belts. The decals are very Tamiya-like, in that they are thick and don't respond well to setting solutions (Micro-Sol & Mr. Mark Softer). I've no idea who sourced them. You should build one.

That's gorgeous.

Because this was yet another decision made by the few in charge without consulting the paid membership body. This should've been voted upon by the membership.

Great stuff! I especially like the Monogram Sopwith.

Thank you, Gentlemen.

I managed to complete 15 kits this year, which is a personal best since 2009. Having three months off of work for a partial knee replacement certainly helped, as did a new studio. Here they are, warts and all. 1/48 Tamiya P-38F Lightning "Texas Terror/Mad Dash". I added an Eduard seat harness and E-Z Line antenna. 1/72 Airfix Heinkel He-111H-6 "Motorhead Bomber". This was advertised as a recent release, but I swear it's the 1979 release, right down to the blobby aircrew. People online have disputed me, but there's no way this is a recent kit. One of the worst kits I've ever puttied together. Sweet 1/144 P-51B built OOB. This was an exercise in weathering techniques. Sweet 1/144 P-51B built OOB. This was an exercise in weathering techniques. Antenna is stretched sprue. Revell-Germany 1/144 BaE Harrier Gr.7 OOB Sweet 1/144 Type 96 Carrier Fighter (A5M4) Tamiya 1/48 P-51B Mustang OOB with Kitsworld decals that basically ruined the project. The kit decals shattered in water. Airfix 1/48 P-51D Mustang OOB Tamiya 1/48 Focke-Wulf FW-190F-8 with Eduard seat harness and E-Z Line antenna. Tamiya 1/48 Kawasaki Ki-61-ID Hein (Tony)with Eduard seat harness. One of the nicest, sublime kits I've ever built. Airfix 1/72 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.1a OOB with wine bottle lead foil Sutton harness. Eduard 1/48 Focke-Wulf FW-190A-5 OOB. E-Z Line antenna. Airfix 1/72 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat built OOB. Wine bottle lead harness. Airfix 1/48 P-51D Mustang OOB. Tamiya Craft Tools Electric Handy Drill. It's a power tool that you assemble after removing parts from sprues. It's nice and slow, drills perfectly, and is noisy as Hell. I love it.