I was an enthusiastic modeler until my kids started to break 'em faster than I could build 'em. I have 9 kids and 5 grands so it’s been hard to find the space or time to indulge. My dad passed a few years ago. He was an air crewman on TBFs and TBMs in WWII. I thought I’d restart my hobby by building one of those planes.
We’re blessed to live near the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon. They have a fine flyable TBM-3 and I was able to take kids still at home over there to take a look. Their staff and volunteers are incredible! Anyway, I’m going to start my build as soon as I round up some additional reference materials. I bought an Accurate Miniatures 1/48th scale TBM-1C but I may pick a Revell or other easier version to start. Part of me wants to super-detail a great kit like the AM but another part of me is concerned that my skills aren’t up to that and I’d be better off crawling before walking. Any thoughts?
Welcome Grant! Wow! Having the museum right there close to home will be a plus for you! Glad to have you on board and don’t forget to post pics of your builds.
Thanks! Yep. They have the Spruce Goose, a B-17, Ford Tri-motor, DC-3, TBM-3C and many other great aircraft, a number of which are flyable. Most are indoors with some newer planes outside. They also have an indoor water park with a 747 on the roof (yes, on the roof. Weird huh?), an IMAX theater and a space museum with some interesting stuff. In the air museum, upstairs, the also have a decent gun collection with arms from about the 1850s on. It’s about a 40 minute drive but well worth it.
I just told the wife that we’re moving to McMinnville, Oregon. [:P] [proplr]
Wow!! Sounds like the air museum there is top-notch. I would love to visit there one of these days. I’ve been to the air museums in Dayton, Pensacola, Macon, Seattle, and even in Pigeon Forge, TN. I would love to see the real Spruce Goose up close & personal.
Thanks for the link, Steve. I will definitely have to go visit that some day. Last time I was in San Diego was in July & August of 1992 for USMC Recruiting School (I can hear the groans now from the former DIs now…). Didn’t get a chance to get off base for anything due to the tight scheduling of all the classes.
Another good air museum is the one at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Visited that one about 6 years ago. Very nice. They even have the first C-130 ever built, and it was converted to the first AC-130 gun ship (at least, that’s what the placard on it says), which is how it’s displayed now.
I have friends in Temecula and get down there every 20 years or so. If I’m in the area I’ll definitely check it out. There is a nice display not too far from you in Riverside. It’s the March Field Air Museum. Have been out there? Most of the planes are outside and you can get very up close and personal with a B52 among others. I went there years ago and spend a few hours enjoying their collection.
McMinnville is a sleepy little town in the Willamette Valley wine country. Tell her it rarely rains in Oregon. We call it “liquid sunshine”. I haven’t made to to many others but I did have the chance to check out the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field almost twenty years ago. It was spectacular. Is that the one you went to? One of my sons lives in Everett and I’m hoping to check it out again. Now that I think of it, I have another son in Florida. Sounds like a good excuse to see the museum in Pensacola. Road trip!
Yep, it was the one at Boeing Field. I visited there back in 2009. One of the best air museums out there. Paul Allen has done an outstanding job on that place.
Wow. A road trip from Oregon to Florida? THAT will be a long drive! Of course, you will have to make plans to drive through every town with an air museum along the way…
There’s another thread around here somewhere where everyone gets to tell about how they came up with their screen name & avatar. I believe it’s called “What’s In A Screen Name”. Check it out - very interesting & funny stories. Also check out the one where everyone posts their pictures. Make sure you’ve had your coffee first, though…[proplr]
