random rant

I never heard that.

I always thought it was the MPC Darth Vader kits.

If Only You Knew the Power of the Dark Side

Why do you say Armor kits are the Dark Side?

planes are usually the "light side" as there are far more, they get more attention, they look all shiny and that... I build 'em all though!

Boba Fett

planes are usually the "light side" as there are far more, they get more attention, they look all shiny and that... I build 'em all though!

more than car kits?

It started years ago in the forum as something of a joke really. I don't think there has been a definitive answer. i guess it might have more to do with weathering then anything. Planes are usually lightly weathered and armor very much so. Since the airplane forum is the most popular with post count, that makes armor a little bit of an underdog.

tigerman

It started years ago in the forum as something of a joke really. I don't think there has been a definitive answer. i guess it might have more to do with weathering then anything. Planes are usually lightly weathered and armor very much so. Since the airplane forum is the most popular with post count, that makes armor a little bit of an underdog.

thanks.

I always presumed cars were first place (  " light side " ) from the numbers on hobby shop / Hobby Lobby / Michaels shelves

Yeah, I heard that somewhere too? I love buidling them all as well. Sometimes armor is a good break from planes and helos!! You can get really crazy with the weathering....not to mention the dio possibilities!!! I have several armor kits in the stash. Once some of my backed up GBs are done I plan on getting at least one built!!

Travis

Aircraft modellers tend to use the term to descibe a member of their brethren who decides to build "targets".

The builder of model armour subject might say "I've turned to the dark side"

I get both as I am or was primarily an aircraft modeller, but I also get called a "glove box modeller" by armour builders within the club. My models are small enough to fit into the glove box of a car At least I share that label with another club member!

On reflection, I haven't built armor since exiting the hobby due to prices.

I'm sorry I disposed of my old 1/48th scale ( Nichimo ? ) and Tamiya 1/35 th scale kits.

1/48th scale aircraft ( Revellogram ) kits are much cheaper and that probably gives aircraft the edge.

I have recently  purchased

some ( 1970s era probably inaccurate ) Tamiya at 40 pct off  1/35th scale armor at Hobby Lobby.

Recent discontinued kit sales at Hobby Lobby did let me buy a Char B1 Bis  and Trumpeter USMC LAV-R  at reasonable prices

Sprue-ce Goose

On reflection, I haven't built armor since exiting the hobby due to prices.

I'm sorry I disposed of my old 1/48th scale ( Nichimo ? ) and Tamiya 1/35 th scale kits.

1/48th scale aircraft ( Revellogram ) kits are much cheaper and that probably gives aircraft the edge.

I have recently  purchased

some ( 1970s era probably inaccurate ) Tamiya at 40 pct off  1/35th scale armor at Hobby Lobby.

Recent discontinued kit sales at Hobby Lobby did let me buy a Char B1 Bis  and Trumpeter USMC LAV-R  at reasonable prices

I picked up the Nichimo Nick fighter-bomber. It looks pretty cool and was a lot cheaper then the hasegawa kit. I might have to do the same with their Kate.

Armor builders draw on their hate, anger and passion to become more powerful in wielding the Force.

DoogsATX

Armor builders draw on their hate, anger and passion to become more powerful in wielding the Force.

or, if they buy the big, heavy metal tank  kits:

welding the Force 

Armour is the dark side due to the lack of windows - aircraft have nice clear canopies!!!

VanceCrozier

Armour is the dark side due to the lack of windows - aircraft have nice clear canopies!!!

..only in a Future world....!

BTW...do armor builders of modern kits have transparent vision periscopes on the kits?

disastermaster

I find your lack of zimmeritt... disturbing....

Your statement leaves me totally tankless........

The original "Dark Side" in modeling actually refers to those who build 1/48 scale aircraft as opposed to the more traditional 1/72 scale aircraft. The tongue-in-cheek term has been used in modeling forums and before that, USENET newsgroups, for well over a decade.

Those original newsgroups and modeling forums were mainly aircraft modelers with 1/72 scale being called "The One True Scale". Everything else was the modeling "Dark Side."

Here is one of the older rec.models.scale talk of the dark side as it pertains to 1/48 scale aircraft modeling.

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.models.scale/browse_thread/thread/cbef29c36ad3adb/ba10ddf7d44fe9ca?lnk=gst&q=%22dark+side%22#ba10ddf7d44fe9ca

It has since come to define any modeling genre not 1/72 scale aircraft but more recently refers to armor modeling.

As someone whos mostly lurked on the forums for the past 5 years, I would have to say that I find the armour guys a much tighter, niche sort of group.  There is a hard core of really experienced builders that churn 'em out at a pace I could never match, then a larger fringe group that posts a build every few months or so, and then the lurkers (like me)

I find the aircraft section to be a lot less well defined, with a lot of people passing through for a few weeks before disappearing again, and a less well-defined "core" of builders.

I've seen the term used by car modelers to describe those who build other things, although usually self described "I went to the darkside and built some (planes, tanks etc)".

Wirraway, the aircraft forum used to be much more active with a lot of regular posters, but after the great disturbance somewhere 2004-2006 ish, many left and it still does not seem to have recovered.

The great disturbance?

...there is a great .....

Sprue-ce Goose

The great disturbance?

...there is a great .....

Back probably 5 or 6 years there was a big broohaha over (If I remember correctly) the removal of the off topic forum and a bunch of the active members left. It was kind of like the recent software change but it must have chugged a few Red Bulls because quite a few members actually left for good and the forums took a few years instead of months to recover. I wasn't a big aircraft builder at the time, but the aircraft forums seem to have been hit particularly hard, and never have returned to the pre-broohaha levels. 

Sprue-ce Goose

The great disturbance?

 

...there is a great .....

 

I'm at the office - sound turned up as loud as it can go - I plan on answering all of my incoming calls today with a Jawa greeting...

Aircraft modelers, for some reason, tended to be a very loud, nasty, boisterous bunch on the web. Going back to the ARC and HyperScale in the 90s, flame wars were common and and brutal.

Armor modelers are more sedate, probably because their presence on the web postdates dedicated aircraft sites so armor model site webmasters were able to learn from the aircraft modelers mistakes and moderated with a heavy hand from the beginning thus minimizing altercations.

The aircraft forum here is most likely less active because there are several well established aircraft sites that have been in place for over a decade and a half.

Rob Gronovius

...Going back to the ARC and HyperScale in the 90s, flame wars were common and and brutal...

Flame wars... over what kind of models someone is building???

As my 12yo daughter says come to the dark side.... we have cookies

Just build it, & they will come.....

but don't give in to the dork side

VanceCrozier

Sprue-ce Goose:

The great disturbance?

...there is a great .....

I'm at the office - sound turned up as loud as it can go - I plan on answering all of my incoming calls today with a Jawa greeting... 

You say that like its a bad thing.  Pardon me whilst I add more kittens to the blender.

It's because aircraft modelers only use their powers for good.  That, and airplanes are simply far cooler.  They're easier to remember and talk about, too.  See?  Watch this:  "Mustang".  I can say that.  But how on earth do I pronouce "StdKfgZFkSkg" or whatever those Nat-zee tanks are called?

Eric

echolmberg

It's because aircraft modelers only use their powers for good.  That, and airplanes are simply far cooler.  They're easier to remember and talk about, too.  See?  Watch this:  "Mustang".  I can say that.  But how on earth do I pronouce "StdKfgZFkSkg" or whatever those Nat-zee tanks are called?

Eric

That's why the germans lost the war...

The american general could say: "Move the M4's across the bridge and attack!"

The German general had to say: " Move the 7.5cm Pak40/2 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II across the bridge and attack!"

Meanwhile, the americans were busy turning the tanks into shrapnel while the german commander was trying to designate his tanks...