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General Aircraft
This forum is for general aircraft modelling discussions.
Other Interests- What makes modelers tick ?
Removed by original poster on 12/09/17 - 04:17:30 (GMT).
heavyjagdpanzer
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Georgia, United States
Joined: February 17, 2013
KitMaker: 173 posts
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Posted: Friday, December 08, 2017 - 09:23 AM UTC
https://www.amazon.com/photos/share/Ed8x4T8X5CsMNPo3I86yMqxPV4MK4bxjzrtszpqO5cc
The old car I am working on is a 1968 Mercury Cyclone GT
rdt1953
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New Jersey, United States
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Posted: Tuesday, December 12, 2017 - 05:39 AM UTC
Thanks Bill for sharing your thoughts and pics - Again , I can't state enough how much I am enjoying everyone's responses . Please keep them coming one and all !
Cheers - Richard
Joel_W
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
AUTOMODELER
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New York, United States
Joined: December 04, 2010
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Posted: Tuesday, December 12, 2017 - 09:53 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Thanks Bill for sharing your thoughts and pics - Again , I can't state enough how much I am enjoying everyone's responses . Please keep them coming one and all !
Cheers - Richard



Richard,
If I ever had the time and the funds to restore a classic car, it would be a Porsche 365 Coupe. I've been in love with that car since I 1st saw one when I was 15 or 16 years old back in the mid 1960's while reading Car & Driver and Road & Track.

Joel
rdt1953
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New Jersey, United States
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Posted: Tuesday, December 12, 2017 - 10:27 PM UTC
Joel - I'm with you on the 356 - almost bought one B.C. - ( before children )
But repairing the floor pan on those cars is a tough job . They are still high on my fantasy list though. Top of the list is an E type Jaguar roadster. In reality I wouldn't mind an MGA as they are very affordable but It would be one more vehicle I would have to worry about every time the tide comes up too high and that seems to be happening much more frequently as the years go by. I currently have 3 Nortons and a Honda ST 1300 so my plate is kind of full .

Happy modeling AND motoring ! Richard
Joel_W
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
AUTOMODELER
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New York, United States
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Posted: Tuesday, December 12, 2017 - 11:47 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Joel - I'm with you on the 356 - almost bought one B.C. - ( before children )
But repairing the floor pan on those cars is a tough job . They are still high on my fantasy list though. Top of the list is an E type Jaguar roadster. In reality I wouldn't mind an MGA as they are very affordable but It would be one more vehicle I would have to worry about every time the tide comes up too high and that seems to be happening much more frequently as the years go by. I currently have 3 Nortons and a Honda ST 1300 so my plate is kind of full .

Happy modeling AND motoring ! Richard



Richard,
You're a man after my own heart. I've been a Sport car junkie since I fell in love with the 365 Coupe, but I'm just not a fan of the convertible which fondly reminds me of a bath tube on steroids. I owned a 67 MG-B (heavily modified for street/track), and a 67 MG-Midget. Worked during my college days at Rascal Racing which sold used European Sports Cars, and I was a mechanic on their Race team from time to time. Fastest car they ever had was a 322 ci Genie Ford for the Can Am. a true back of the field car by then. But I did also crew at Daytona & Sebring a few times on a Ford GT40 MkII ex factory car. I got to drive it once and a 600 hp 427 Cobra. Both pinned my butt the seat in a straight line.

Those MGAs like the Bs had a unibody; no chassis to speak of, which once started to rust was almost unfixable unless you had a body shop. Rebuilt many 1600 & 1800 engines to various specs. As for the Jag E's I still remember the 1st few clutch jobs we did on them. It took 24 hours to pull the engine out, so we cheated and cut the transmission tunnel so we could pull the trany out from the inside !!Then we had to wield it back when done.

Those cars compared to what we have today were a true tuners joy. Not so any more.

Joel
md72
#439
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Washington, United States
Joined: November 05, 2005
KitMaker: 4,950 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 - 02:13 AM UTC
Great stuff folks, thanks for sharing. I've been modeling on and off for over 55 years now. Might get the hang of it sooner or later. My dad was a WWII USAAC vet and a model RR guy. I think he gave up the model RR before I was born, but he did watch all the WWII shows on TV. "12 O'clock High", "Victory at Sea" and the like. He parlayed his experience and the GI Bill into an engineering degree, so we were mostly well off. He introduced me to plastic models when I was around 7, IIRC it was a Strombecker F9F kit, with straight wings the the pilot molded into the fuselage. Grew up during the space race so flying things were always on my mind. Built a lot of planes, cars and ships as a kid, almost none of them got painted. At least one of the older neighbor kids was a modeler and helped me build a few kits. Started actually painting kits and then got my first airbrush around 13 years old, still trying to master that tool. Sadly I got over being young, , and went on to be come an engineer myself.

I proved in elementary school that I don't have any musical talent. Though now, I do play a mean radio . I do have a reasonable talent for designing stuff and have designed and build wooden toys and furniture for the grandkids.

As a design engineer I do enjoy designing stuff, but having to work to deadlines, and doing it the boss' way does take some of the enjoyment out of the process. But seeing the final product usually cures that. I found that model building gave me that joy back, so I got serious about it around the time the kids left the house. I generally get to do it my way, without schedules, except for campaigns (might be why I have so many hanger queens).

Russ, you sound like you might be a member of NWSM, what part of the Puget Sound do you call home?
Berwickboy
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England - East Midlands, United Kingdom
Joined: April 27, 2013
KitMaker: 450 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 - 02:54 AM UTC
My main interest is my family, wife and 2 sons, 1 at home and 1 living with his girlfriend. The latter is a Formula 1 engineer so that is another interest, in fact my wife is more of a petrolhead than me. We also follow Moto GP,, World and British Superbikes and Alpine skiing (especially the Ladies )

Modelling is a little bit on the back burner at the moment as we try to tidy ready for Christmas. I do spend time each night on the computer, well known to friends on Facebook. I like researching my family history, surprised to find there is a convict in my tree so there is an antipodean branch I know of but don't know.

Aviation is of great interest, my local airfield is home to the Grace Spitfire and Spits are more common in the Summer months than the RAF. Where I live used to be alive with jets flying to the Welsh ranges, Hunters, Jaguars, Harriers, A10's, F111's at medium level, Hercules, and Phantoms, RF4C's from Alconbury in particular.

Finally, for the last 26 years I have proudly been a Freemason. I was Master of my Lodge Nov 2000 to Nov 2001 and have also been Principal of my Chapter.

That is a little potted slice of my life. Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year to you all
Joel_W
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
AUTOMODELER
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New York, United States
Joined: December 04, 2010
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Posted: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 - 03:03 AM UTC

Quoted Text

My main interest is my family, wife and 2 sons, 1 at home and 1 living with his girlfriend. The latter is a Formula 1 engineer so that is another interest, in fact my wife is more of a petrolhead than me. We also follow Moto GP,, World and British Superbikes and Alpine skiing (especially the Ladies )

Modelling is a little bit on the back burner at the moment as we try to tidy ready for Christmas. I do spend time each night on the computer, well known to friends on Facebook. I like researching my family history, surprised to find there is a convict in my tree so there is an antipodean branch I know of but don't know.

Aviation is of great interest, my local airfield is home to the Grace Spitfire and Spits are more common in the Summer months than the RAF. Where I live used to be alive with jets flying to the Welsh ranges, Hunters, Jaguars, Harriers, A10's, F111's at medium level, Hercules, and Phantoms, RF4C's from Alconbury in particular.

Finally, for the last 26 years I have proudly been a Freemason. I was Master of my Lodge Nov 2000 to Nov 2001 and have also been Principal of my Chapter.

That is a little potted slice of my life. Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year to you all



Mike,
Nothing like another gearhead on Aeroscale. Which F1 team does your son work for?

Joel
md72
#439
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Washington, United States
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Posted: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 - 03:47 AM UTC
England and America, two countries separated by a common language.

Mike's wife is a Petrolhead, Joel is a Gearhead.

If it wasn't for "Top Gear" I wouldn't know what Mike was talking about.
Berwickboy
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England - East Midlands, United Kingdom
Joined: April 27, 2013
KitMaker: 450 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 - 06:37 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Mike,
Nothing like another gearhead on Aeroscale. Which F1 team does your son work for?

Joel

He works for Mercedes AMG High Performance Power Trains, in other words, Mercedes, Force India and Williams or the power behind the cars.
Joel_W
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
AUTOMODELER
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New York, United States
Joined: December 04, 2010
KitMaker: 11,666 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 - 11:22 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Mike,
Nothing like another gearhead on Aeroscale. Which F1 team does your son work for?

Joel

He works for Mercedes AMG High Performance Power Trains, in other words, Mercedes, Force India and Williams or the power behind the cars.



Mike,
Now that's a dream job for someone like me. Of course the only position I'd be qualified for is general maintenance

Joel
rdt1953
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New Jersey, United States
Joined: February 06, 2015
KitMaker: 1,098 posts
AeroScale: 900 posts
Posted: Thursday, December 14, 2017 - 06:52 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Mike,
Nothing like another gearhead on Aeroscale. Which F1 team does your son work for?

Joel

He works for Mercedes AMG High Performance Power Trains, in other words, Mercedes, Force India and Williams or the power behind the cars.



Mike,
Now that's a dream job for someone like me. Of course the only position I'd be qualified for is general maintenance

Joel



I might be qualified if their F 1 cars were powered by 500 cc long stroke singles with built up crankshafts spinning cast iron flywheels - all balanced using knife edges and a postal scale - and putting out 25 hp at the crank and whole lot less by the time it got to the ground via primary drive / clutch / gearbox / rear wheel.
Somehow I think their technology is a little more advanced than that - 😄
Ha - Richard
Joel_W
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
AUTOMODELER
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New York, United States
Joined: December 04, 2010
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Posted: Thursday, December 14, 2017 - 11:06 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text


Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Mike,
Nothing like another gearhead on Aeroscale. Which F1 team does your son work for?

Joel

He works for Mercedes AMG High Performance Power Trains, in other words, Mercedes, Force India and Williams or the power behind the cars.



Mike,
Now that's a dream job for someone like me. Of course the only position I'd be qualified for is general maintenance

Joel



I might be qualified if their F 1 cars were powered by 500 cc long stroke singles with built up crankshafts spinning cast iron flywheels - all balanced using knife edges and a postal scale - and putting out 25 hp at the crank and whole lot less by the time it got to the ground via primary drive / clutch / gearbox / rear wheel.
Somehow I think their technology is a little more advanced than that - 😄
Ha - Richard



Richard,
Now that's impressive balancing by hand. Even back in the late 60's I sent my cranks out for balancing to Port Washington automotive.

Joel
kevinekstrom
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Illinois, United States
Joined: December 08, 2017
KitMaker: 82 posts
AeroScale: 27 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 11, 2018 - 11:29 PM UTC
I have quite a few hobbies and all keep me extremely busy which I would imagine is the point of having a hobby.

I'm a voracious reader and book collector. You can find me on Goodreads.com.

I'm a musician, I have been playing guitar since age 12.

I like to sketch. although I will admit I am not very good at the art but that doesn't stop me from drawing when the mood hits.

I'm a photographer. I love to play at Gurushots.com.

I build models and collect kits. I only collect kits I would like to build someday, not for monetary value.

Here's a sketch I was working on. This is not a flat scan, it's a photo taken at a slight angle, so a bit of distortion to image. I couldn't fit the drawing in my scanner for a good flat scan.



Here's one of my many guitars.










phantom_phanatic309
#372
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United Kingdom
Joined: March 10, 2010
KitMaker: 2,568 posts
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Posted: Saturday, March 31, 2018 - 04:00 PM UTC
Something I've been back into lately (and something I hope doesn't keep me away from the workbench for too long) is retro video gaming.
Despite the appeals by my parents while growing up, I never got rid of any of my old computers. Over the last couple of months I've rescued from the loft and cleaned an Atari 2600, 65XE, Sega Master System and Mega Drive with a rare 32X expansion. And all my old games for them. I was very surprised to find that they were all still working after more than 20 years since they were last used.

At some point this week I'll be going back to pick up the Amiga 500 and CD32. Those machines are now worth a bit if money and I have some cool things planned for them.
phantom_phanatic309
#372
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United Kingdom
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Posted: Monday, April 30, 2018 - 11:58 AM UTC
My next project

Found it, a joystick, 2 light guns and a box full of games in my partners parents loft. Still need to find the power supply though.
I have a lot of fun mucking about with these. Something very nostalgic about getting redundant technology working again and makes me a little more grateful for what we have now!
In the case of my Amiga CD32, I completely transformed it with the addition of an expansion board with an 8gb internal drive containing hundreds of games. If someone had told me I could do the in 1994, I wouldn't have believed them!
Still on the hunt for an Amiga 1200.
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