Quick question for the pros out there (and amateurs like me). What draws you to the aircraft that you build? Is it just the lines of the plane, the plane’s beauty? A childhood memory of seeing it, or some association? The challenge of something new? Also, is building a major hobby, or one of several? Thanks.
jayzee -
first, I build mostly WWII aircraft as I was exposed to a lot on them as a child including my dads models of them… I have a tendency to look for kits he built for me (then I broke) and such… secondly for several reasons I am particular to WWII USN Pacific craft since returning to the hobby… in particular the SBD Dauntless as my uncle was a tail gunner on one and he has passed away some years back before I could really talk to him about it…
The modern stuff will catch my eye now and then but I have a leaning to the WWII stuff…
oh, and besides this, if you consider it a hobby, bird watching (more like bird welfare feeding it seems as I buy about 5 10 pound sacks of feed a week!) and boating are my other 2 main sources of pleasure!
Most of the models that I build are chosen because of some association with the full scale version. This is from my military career, my dealings with airplanes since becoming a civilian or because of someone else’s interest in a particular plane. Modeling for me is a two part hobby, building and flying radio control flying models and also building the plastic scale models. A second (third) major hobby for me is photography. Models are of course, are frequently the subject of my photography.
Darwin, O.F. [alien]
I’ve had a life long interest in Aviation & a particular interest in the WW2 era, although I build a few more modern occasionally & a few WWI for the challenge. Modeling is my main Winter time Hobby. In warmer weather I spend more time with Golf, Gardening & Photography.
Regards, Rick
Fascinated by the technological advancement circa WWII. Biplanes to jets in roughly a decade. Amazing. Pick US planes only to prevent myself from buying hundreds of kits.
I try to build mainly 1/48th aircraft, any era. But, if a particular subject is too big in 1/48th, I’ll go for 1/72nd. I’ve recently started building tanks, and I’m surprised at how easy they are to build compared to aircraft.
But, the I’ll build an aircraft kit because of it’s interest to me, regardless of its beauty or ugliness to someone else. I build it because it interests me. I like the Northrop Flying Wings because they look cool. I like the F-100 because my dad worked on them. I like the Corsair because Pappy Boyington flew one, and because it’s one bad-ass plane. Many reasons. Hard to pin it down to just one or two. The biggest reason I build, though, is to enjoy it and relax.
A combination of aircraft history and looks. That’s why I build mainly WWII A/C and some fifties and sixties jets. The modern stuff in 6 shades of grey doesn’t do anything for me.
two words: Shark’s teeth.
I like the look of planes from almost any era. Tho, modern ones (1950 - present)
are more prevelant due to the time frame of my life.
I do what I like and I like what I do - zen enough for you all?
Being that I have a huge interest in military history, it is only natural that I build historically significant military aircraft.
I think that the reason that I build what I do (WW2 Bombers) is because of the history behind them, the courage, sacrafice and herosm that are the stories behind the machines forever with the men that flew them, the greatest generation ever. I think that is why I build. Also to try and do my part to preseve a little piece of history so that there stories shall not be forgotten or lost to time. and now also to perserve it in the current generation who most unfortunetly have never heard about somthing as significant as the Enola Gay and thuthfully could care less. I think that sums it up for me.
The skies the limit,
V.A.
I mainly do post war RAF jets , brings back old memorys of seeing Vulcans.Victors , lightnings , FGR’S , all the greats from my younger years that sadly dont engrace the British skies anymore
It’s a really hard question to answer -
Mainly I build models of aircraft that interest me - for whatever reason that might be - either they’re historically significant, or I think they just look really cool - there’s no real hard and fast answer to that one.
I particularly like the oddities - the Goblin, Northrop Flying Wings, X-planes, and WWll props - I’m very interested in the era where pilot input made ALL the difference, instead of computers doing the fighting for the pilot.
Yeah, it’s very hard to put into words. I suppose I choose aircraft based on appearance as well but there’s also a lot of personality inherent in the performance record and historical role of the aircraft. There’s a certain romance to the P-40s that served in the AVG, or to the Hurricanes that fought in the Battle of Britain, for instance. For me I guess, I try to choose an aircraft that helps me connect with the drama that it represents. When I build a P-47, I can see it escorting bombers across the Channel. When I build a Hellcat, I can sense the pilot trying to resist the urge to turn with his opponents.
It’s way hard to explain.
I also tend to stick with the World War 2 setting for a few reasons. First, I really like the way the planes look. There’s also a lot of variety there and plenty of kits to choose from. It also helps to limit my purchases somewhat.
Modeling is still just a hobby with me. I also love video games, guitar and traveling.
Because I can.
I build mostly jets planes NOT operated by the US - Migs, sukhois, mirages, british jets and any American planes flown by non-US forces. I especially like modern Russian jets because 1) anything Russian used to have this mystery quality to them, and 2) most Russian jets have camo paint jobs where their Western counterparts have boring grey schemes.