I'm not a plane guy but....

I gotta get me one of these eventually...

http://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/kits/hb/kit_hb_80366.shtml

I've always been a F-14 nut but this looks like it blows everything else out there completely out of the water, the bigger issue no pun intended is finding a spot on the shelf for it since Tomcats can be pretty big in 1/48 which is why I haven't built my Monogram B & D pair.

Looking ahead

With the move coming up in three weeks, I haven't had any time at all to get to the workbench. As a matter of fact the whole thing is torn down and now resides in a couple of large Rubbermaid storage tubs. In a way I can't help but think I might have acted prematurely with packing all my hobby items away but really who am I kidding with the myriad of other stuff I need to do to prepare the absolute LAST thing I need to do is widdle away time hacking at plastic. Knowing me if I still had my stuff set up I would end up with three hours to go and not a damn thing packed in a box of any sort, cursing my procrastination.
Boredom aside, not actively building gives me some time to plan ahead. Thanks to the group build subforums on Finescale Modeler and Scale Plastic & Rail 2013 (provided we survive the impending apocalypse) will be the first year nearly every project I will build has been planned well in advance. Starting off with the tail end of 2012 I will get back to work on my M1A1 that was suspended for our relocation. December also kicks off "Weekend Madness 2012" a GB where participants have 48 hours to build a model from start to finish and the 1/25 Mobieus Batman is looking good for that. My Kawasaki ZX-14 that is built up to the point where it's nearly ready for the body panels needs completion for "No more excuses 2012". December also signals the start date for "My first time" a build devoted to the first kit you ever built which I will be building the Lindberg Jurassic Park velociraptor that was issued in 1992. Working in to the new year is Hasegawa's F-117 Nighthawk for the "Stealth GB", then unless something pops up my schedule is pretty clean except for my B-29 for the 1943 70th anniversary GB until July when "Operation Overlord' and the "Neil Armstrong memoriam GB' kick off. I have the Italeri 1/35 DUKW for the former which is based off the D-Day invasion and Revell's LEM moon landing diorama for the latter. Beyond that is anyone's guess, my worry is actually being able to get these 8 projects done with the other little things in life that go on from day to day. Be interesting to see how this all shakes out...

W.I.P. SERIES: Academy M1A1 Abrams Part I Lower hull fills and beginning details

My latest endeavor will be the Academy 1/35 scale M1A1 Abrams main battle tank for the Finescale Modeler community "Gulf Wars Group Build 2012". The particular vehicle I'm modeling (tentatively) is a USMC Abrams known as "War Pig". It should be noted that the "War Pig" seen in COD4 is incorrectly modled as a M1A2 which the USMC never used, only the Army has batallions of M1A2's. Several pictures I have seen of "War Pig" show it ith the mine plow attached which the kit does not include, hence I may model a different vehicle and save the WP decals for a Tamiya or Dragon with the plow.

W.I.P SERIES: AMT 2009 Corvette coupe Part II Interior Details

I've gotten the interior parts base painted. Since this is going to be a box stock build there will be no carpets or other goodies beyond what you see here. I sprayed all the parts Tamiya TS-6 Matt Black and let it dry overnight before i brushed the accent color in Model Master acryl Dark Ghost Gray. The aluminum trim is MM metalizer aluminum. All that's left for this assembly is the detail painting and glue it all together.

W.I.P SERIES: AMT 2009 Corvette Coupe Part I Introduction And Body Paint

I recently purchaced a pair of AMT's new "Showroom Replicas' 2009 Corvettes. The breakdown of the kits is aimed at the beginner, or experienced modeler with little time on their hands. They are very well done from the box, however seperate front and rear valances and a seperate hood add to the parts count uneccessarily in my opinion. The only other problem I encountered is that the seats are molded in black yinyl which will make painting a chore. Stick to acryllics here as enameels wil never dry on these surfaces. Thumbs up to AMT however for including two of each deacal on the sheet in case you foul one up theres a spare. Perfect for a beginner. When I purchesed the kits, I brought home a coupe and roadster. Both kits are exactly the same with the exception of the bodies and one is listed as a 2009, the other 2010.

The first body I prepped and painted was the coupe. I wanted something odd so I chose code 51U Gold Mist Metallic. I'm not entirely sure if a Vette was ever issued in this color but it's different and looks kinda classy in my opinion. After the coupe recieved two coats of Tamiya white primer, I sprayed 3 mist coats and 2 wet coats of Tamiya champagne gold followed by 3 coats of clear 48hrs later and set it aside to gas out (I typically leave a body 30 days before polishing).

While the coupe was gassing out, I moved on to the roadster body. All went well through sanding, primer, and 3 mist coats of Tamiya chrome yellow until.....the Santa Ana winds rolled in nullifying any chance of painting. So there it has sat through two weeks of miserable 7-day forecasts with yet another week of wind, rain, and just plain horrid weather on the horizon. I suppose if I want to make any progress at all, espescially if I'm able to make it to Modelfest Ventura the most I can do is polish the coupe, prep parts and pray...