Being away from the bench sucks - miss you guys/gals

Hans, I'm not familiar with CFS 2.

Microsoft's  Combat Flght Simulator II...  WW2 PTO aircombat simulator... Contains a few stock fighters and bombers that will immediately make you want to download and add-on other fighters and bombers you can fly, missions, and campaigns, you can build, entire air battles you can take from history and re-write yourself..

There're litterally thousands of user-made add-ons out there...  Nothing like flying "your" very own plane into combat, man...

Well, I gotta go clean my room to keep it in inspection order.

Now's when you'll discover the true, intended use for Future..

oddmanrush

Well, I gotta go clean my room to keep it in inspection order. Such is life!

Now thats where i find modelling a great help. When ever an officer walks into my room they are so distracted by the stash on top of my cupboards and the model being built they forget about checking the room.

Works every time.

Fortunately the Air Force gives me enough to stay busy during the week that the withdrawal isn't too terrible. I've taken up going to the gym as well, to stay fit and for something to do. 

Whenever I'm in the hangar looking at the different aircraft I do find myself wondering how I would scratch build this detail or that detail. Now I'm also getting a better understanding of what those 'fiddly bits' actually do in real life. 

I've seen paper models before and they look quite interesting. The only problem there of course is that I don't have access to a printer. I guess I can't simply ask the NCOD if I can borrow his printer for a hobby fix...probably wouldn't go over well. 

Hans, I'm not familiar with CFS 2. I'll have to check that thread out. Otherwise, I'll keep hacking away. I'm picking up on my reading. I'm into two books at once at the moment, An Army at Dawn by Rick Atkinson and Generation Kill by Evan Wright. Both good books even though they're written in different styles. 

Well, I gotta go clean my room to keep it in inspection order. Such is life!

Has any one dealt with such an absence from the hobby?

Yupper..  TDY and two deployments put a damn-damn on doin' styrene..  I "painted" planes in CFS 2 instead.. All I needed was a laptop and a couple CDs to store 'em on...( And CFS 2 of course) It wasn't quite the same as puttin' glue to styrene, but it kept my "Modeler's Eye" excercised...  Didn't keep me quite as satisfied, but at least I didn't go through "withdrawal", lol... Kinda like "Methadone for Modelers", I reckon..

Plus, I got to "fly" the completed models, lol..

See the "Computers in Modeling" thread...

Or you could try paper models . They may not be as pretty but they still let you build something.

I was beginning to wonder what happinst to ya! Glad to know all is well.

I was "off" for a couple years (06-09), due to flight school. I was pretty pre-occupied with my studies though, and didn't really have the desire to build / distract myself. The depression from a huge debt. and lack of getting work with an airline/charter/cargo (even as ground crew), was what brought me back...with a vengance!!! For the rich, there's pills and therapy....for the rest of us, there's models!

One thing you could do (as I had planned if I had gotten a flying gig), is to just put some parts together. Parts that don't need paint or any surgery......wing halves, bombs, tailplanes and whatnot. All you'd need is your knife, glue and sandpaper. It would at least give you a headstart on projects for when you can actually "work" on them.

Ye, i know the feeling. I've been in the army 22 years and done a few 6 and 3 month tours. I usually thought i would get home and be rearing to go once i got back to the bench. But i often found it hard to get motivated again.

But your two thirds of the way there, it will soon go and you will soon be home again.