Stopped off at Squadron this afternoon...

Man, post some pics of this thing when you get it done, it sounds like its gonna be sweet!

Roger that, Johnny ... and since you're learning the real-world switchology of those same panels, you should have some pretty interesting insights on the kit.  Is the throttle beeper on the cyclic or the collective?

 

BTW - How is your training progressing?  What's done and what's left to do?

Hey Bob!  Been meaning to email you!  Got the CDs and I've only been able to look through two of em.  WOW!  That's all 5th Reg!  Great stuff.

I just finished Phase I which is JOPD (pretty much a waste of 2 weeks, but I think it was just to get us acclimated to Rucker) and got my "up slip" saying I'm fit for duty.  On the 3rd, we start 2 weeks of Aeromed, then 2 weeks of simulator time at Warrior Hall and then its out to the flightline!  I should be done with Instruments by the end of May and then its off to Hanchey Field for Apache school!

Hey Jon,

 

Wished I would have known you were going to Squadron before you left the Wiregrass. I would have for sure hunted you down and given you a long shopping list and a blank check. After a not so satisfying first experience with Great Models I may be sticking with Squadron (among a few other modeling sites I have had success with in the past) from now on. Then again I did get an e-mail from Great Models yesterday that did cause me to add a site (kitlink.com) that they refered to and looked promising, to my favorites list.

 

Enjoy the rest of your leave,

 

Keith

I've heard many people complain about Great Models, yet I've only experienced positive results. All of them (so far) has to do with the time it takes to get the order shipped. One caveat is that they will accept orders on items they don't have in stock, and won't fill the order until they get it, or a portion of the order after a certain length of time. Kitlink is a new business model they are trying. Basically it only lists those items that ARE in stock, thereby shortening the order processing time. If time isn't an issue I order with Great Models. If I need the items very quickly I'll try Kitlink. I haven't felt the need to be under a time restraint. Yet!

I find Great Models pricing and selection top notch, and try to only order those items that they list as "in stock".

I am also lucky enough to have a fairly decent LHS nearby. They don't stock a lot of AM parts, but the kit and paint selection is pretty good. I can get to, buy something, and return to home within a half hour, for those gotta have it now moments!

Keith,

Sorry about that!  I stopped by Squadron the other day to give them an update on the walkaround book.  Picked up some cool stuff while I was there, but I wish I'd gotten a few other things too... I'll be back at Rucker on Tuesday, so I'm hoping I'll be able to get out to Hanchey some time during the week

 

 

Let us know when your book is due out

John,

Right now its about 80% done.  I should be able to finish it by next week and once everything is printed out, I'll send it off to Squadron.   After that, I figure it'll be out next September, but don't quote me on that.  Next week should be kinda intense, but I think I'll be able to finish it. 

 

On my list of books to get, will watch for it

Hey Bgrigg,

 

Thanks for the info. After searching for info on other sites about Great Models I have been getting better info and found a lot of what you said to be true. I just don't see why you would show an item on your site that has not been in stock for over 3 years ( I got this info from the girl I talked too later at Great Models), ie a particular Hasegawa 1/48 scale F-14 Tomcat kit, that I have been looking for, for almost ten years. So I called them the other day cuz the not in stock Tomcat model brought me $3.80 below their free shipping ($200 or more) and when I talked to them I was told by the girl on the phone that I would have to add something or pay for the shipping. So I doubled up on an Eduard photoetch item($3.95, ha ha only $.15 over the free shipping vs. more then $40 for the Tomcat kit, I got them) and asked her to keep looking for the Tomcat model and ship the rest of the order. Well as of the time of writing this, over a week after the phone convo, and 2 weeks after the original order was made, my order is still showing as being "Processed" at the sites order status, cuz the way it looks they don't have a second one of the Eduard photoetch sets I asked for.

 

Guess I have just been spoiled in the past by experiences with other internet hobby supplies companies Two Bobs, Squadron, and Meteor Productions just to name a few. A phone call to them always resulted in action right away. I mean recently I had placed an order with Meteor Prod, trough their site, on a Fri (I think) and called them on a late Sat (I know for sure cuz I didn't expect anyone to answer) to get a couple of fixes for a resin upgrade that they had put out earlier and they didn't include these parts in the first few sets. Well not only did someone answer, but it was Dave Klaus (hope I spelled that right Dave) the president of the company. We had a really great convo about our times in military aviation and just a few days later I had my original full order and the extra items I called and asked for.

 

As you said in your post "Buyer Beware!"  Guess I will get off my soapbox for now, but thanks again for the info.

 

Jon,

 

No biggie! Should have figured when you said you were going back to TX for leave and our previous talks about you getting to Hanchey for pics for your "Walk Around" book you would end up at Squadron. Just guess I am having "hobby shop envy" with the above problems going on and living in the modeling abyss that you and I share currently.

 

Thanks guys,

 

Keith

Update to the above. Called Great Models ready to cancel order if they had not shipped the order but the young lady that assisted me yesterday (04 Jan) was very helpful. She told me that it had been shipped and got my FedEx tracking number and brought it up on her computer and it showed that the order was on a truck in the area. Delivery was made at 3:50 CT and alot of the sting went away when I opened the box and saw one really big 1/32 scale Trump MIG-29 kit dwarfing everything else in the box. Also got a good chuckle when I saw the 1/285 scale OH-58D Kiowas, which is what I fix for the Army, now that's a small scale. The Tomcat items were great too, an OIF Tomcat book, and a 1/48 Hasegawa F-14B, which is what I fixed while I was in the Navy (all models of Tomcat not just the B).

 

Feeling much better with new kits in hand,

 

Keith

Keith,

You couldn't get em to drop off MY Great Models order now could ya?! 

Just finished day 1 of AH-64 Dunker.  TOO COOL!

 

Jon,

All I think you have to do is fill out one of those FedEx forms and they will leave it here. But I do not gaurantee the box or any kits inside to be closed upon my delivery.

I did the dunker once in the Navy, was cool!

Keith

Yep, I'm waiting on a box of Sabres from Great Models.  Who knows when it'll get here...

There's just something odd about hanging upside down, underwater in an AH-64 cockpit.  It was fun, but I'm praying I never have to do it for real!