Hello Everyone:
Well, I finally took the advice of a good friend in the modeling world, and signed on. I am an retired CAF pilot, with 32 years service in the Canadian Air Force, and now I am attempting to build every, or as many as possible, aircraft that saw service with the RCAF/CAF. All models are to be in 1:48 scale, and to date, 26 or 27 have been completed. I was a novice at this to begin with, but I am told my skills are getting very good now, although I am still my own worst critic. Looking at pictures of what many people here are turning out, I find your skills fantastic. Some of you people should be working in the aviation industry, as your skills are better than the guys that design the real things. I will probably be on a number of times seeking advice from the “experts”, and maybe this old fart can offer some tips or give advice also. I may have flown allot of different types, but it is a whole new game trying to build the as authentic as I remember them.
Welcome to the forum, Winco7. I don’t know much about the CAF (unless you count watching James Cagney in “Captains of the Clouds” too many times !)
Have fun & enjoy this great site !
Welcome to the forum, Winco7. Lots of us “old farts” here, myself included at 61yrs old, and a modeler since 1950. And an ex-Canadian on top of that, now in California since 1959. Where are you from in Canada? I grew up in Westmount Quebec and hung out a lot at Sqdn 401 RCAF Aux in town. Fifty cents for a double scotch at 17 years old are my kind of folks!
Tony Ryan
Thank You all for the warm welcome. I do feel like a rookie here though.[8D]
WOW ! So many questions, and comments about the CAF. We’ll, first off, Canada is not as militarily weak as some would suspect, nor do we only have outdated Sea King helicopters[:D]. We like to say we invented “stealth”, as we don’t flaunt what we have or how we are able to use the equipment. One exception is our demonstration team, The Snowbirds, who show millions yearly what the average Canadian pilot is capable of. I enlisted in 1968, and started my basic flying in deHaviland CT-120’s, your basic Chipmunk. From there to CT-114 Tutors and CT-133 Silver Stars. In active service, I piloted CF-100’s, CF-101’s, CF-104’s and lastly, the CF-18A. My last flying was in 1991, and I retired in 2000. I now live in Windsor Ontario. Hope that covers it all. [:I]
Winco7, welcome to FSM and the forums. You’ll find quite a few ex-military types here, myself included. Enjoy the forums. I’m looking forward to your posts. - Ed