Greetings from Long Beach CA! I'm returning to model making after a 40 year hiatus (if you consider college, working, two marriages and three kids a hiatus). I've been collecting die-cast planes the last few years, but wanted more custom and hard to find models. So I've decided to build them again.
I work a couple of days each month at the Lyon Air Museum in Santa Ana. We have a B-17, B-25, A-26, C-47 and DC-3 in the museum. The B-17 is named Fuddy Duddy. I'm hoping to build at some point a scale replica of it.
I also like Russian planes, as I have family in Russia and travel there every couple of years. My first model projects are Russian planes. I'm currently working on a Mig 1.44 and Yak-40. Upcoming is a Tu-154 and Tu-334.
The Mig 1.44 is my prototype for working on my model making techniques. I'm currently trying to master filler and sanding. Next challenge is masking the canopy and learning to use my air brush to paint.
I'm hoping for lots of feedback from the more experienced builders here.