Taking the Collection to Town. The Flight Home.

Wow, thanks Gang! I always think of the thousands of incredible models hidden away. We sometimes see them breifly on our Forum or at shows. I'm an evolving modeler and I get better with time, experience and help from other modelers on our Forum. A master modeler I'm not but the collection does show the history of flight and modeling with 31 aircraft with brief explanations covering a century. Hopefully it will influence someone in some way. It also shows my evolution as well with some good models and not so good ones. It's a good visual refrence representing history and modeling.

The display also made me do something. Planning, mock-up, logistics, research, execution and revealing a hobby of fun, learning, history, problem solving that I have enjoyed and benefited from. I can't think of a minute I've wasted both building and displaying my works. 

Hmm, I still trying to think about the benefits of this endeavor. Wow! Thirty-one aircraft out of our house. I think I might paint the Museum (really just my office). Another plus is models that hung in high or obscure places have been dusted, repaired and re-furbished for a new life. All good, although we'll need a couple of pitot tube repairs from multiple transits. Minor stuff.

Well the hard part is over and I'm calming down to a point of enjoyment and satisfaction.   Thanks again to all of you for your support and input. Encouragement does drive me along! I'm off to paint the Museum. (really just my office).

Max

Hey Max, I don't know how I missed this thread. This is very cool. Congrats! 

Wow!! Now that is freekin' neato right there! Way to go Max!!!!!!!!

This is really neat on so many levels.  Cool models, cool models on display, inspiring young folks, old folks becoming reinvigorated.  Young folks looking forward to accomplishments, old folks looking back to accomplishments.  You working with your wife to accomplish a goal.  You seeing your past models, showing you how far you have come, and at the same time reinvigorating you toward future projects.  There are also, I'm sure, far reaching effects from this display that you may never become aware of, yet can probably be attributed to directly back to this event.  Profound stuff.  Congratulations. 

An ongoing report here. We are chasing down a few typos and are finding more local people who flew these things. A few more props (so to speak) added like my favorite SR-71 hat. We shot the media pictures for an article in the local newspaper to promote the display. My wife is also a writer with a Jounalism degree and good at this stuff. She tutors me in all my ravings. Here's a few more shots, a couple showing the entrance to the Library. I seem to be getting back in control and it's fun again!

Max

Thanks again Gang! You guys do drive me along. One cool experience so far is that models that hung from high places in the house and office seem to have a new life. Dust removal, re-furb up-date and being seen close-up again is exciting to me at least! The Blackbird and B-47 now can be viewed from inches. Wow! Yikes! I can also see early model builder's flaws that we all start with. Part of model building and the experience I guess. At least they are alive again!

Max

Awesome opportunity to share the greatest hobby interest experience ever recorded in human history. Ok, maybe an exaggeration but true anyway.

The composition layout is complimented by the text graphics.

Well done.

Great set-up Max.  to you and the Mrs. for a job well done. 

Jim  

Thanks for all the comments Gang! Your support alone has made this endeavor worth the effort!

Max  

That is a really fine display, Max!  This is the kind of thing I wish I could have seen at my local library when I was a kid.  Like a moth to a flame.  Come to think of it, I would love to see this now, still like a moth to a flame.  Maybe some day I will have enough completed kits to do this.

I am sure this will inspire some folks to pick up the hobby.

Very well done, and kudos to the Mrs.!

very nice max , you should be proud .

This is pretty neat!

I'll have to check with my local library, and maybe do the same thing. We have the "moving wall" V-nam memorial come through town every year, along with a Huey, selling rides. This all takes place in the field next to the library. I think that would be a great time to do something like this!

Long day. What was I thinking? On the other hand, anything worth doing is worth doing right. A full day for two of us and the display is ready. Over thirty aircraft with explanations of each. Locals who flew any of these craft were mentioned in the description. The Library people were super help. Kinda fun but a good days work for two. Probably some fine tuning to do but should fool most people. Just kidding, we gave it our best shot. lol. Here's three quick shots as we left tonight. I must say that my wife is a good sport!

Max and Eweleen

Hey thanks Scott! Today is transfer day to the Library. The mock-ups in the garage have been photographed for reference and packed for transport. It's darn cold outside but we should be operational tomorrow. Only one pitot tube knocked of so far but I do have the repair kit on board! LOL.

Max

I'ts looking like a swell display Max, I look forward to seeing it.

Scott

Things are falling into place for the Parsons Public Library model display. Yesterday the wife and I hung the big B-36 and B-52 in a outside facing display window and today I'm mocking up the last of the flat cases. Everthing feeds in the 30'' x 60" x 8" case through a 28' x 8" side panel. If you don't have it planned before you get there, you'll be in trouble. At least I'll be semi-prepared. We'll see I guess.

My sweet graphic artist wife has been instrumental in tagging and info type. I owe her!

Report!

Max

I hope you'll be able to post some pictures of the display.  Our club keeps a display in the LHS and a Canadian Tire Store.  The displays are rotated (some what) monthly.  The owners of the stores say that they are much viewed.

Just keeping you informed of the ever changing plan. I don't want to arrive with 30 models and juggle them around in a public place. I've mocked up the case sizes in the garage and somewhat planned the placement. Each model will have a brief description card to hopefully add interest to the display. These pictures ought to make things work smoother.

I've discovered a motion sensor above the cases which halts any ideas of hanging things from the ceiling. Bummer. I had envisioned the big B-52 shadowing all of this. There's still plenty to see in the display area and the idea of hanging B-52s and B-36s wasn't all that appealing.

My graphic artist wife is printing the last display cards as we speak. I'll keep you posted on the somewhat daunting, but fun, endeavor!

Max

That's great, Max, a very nice thing to do for your community. Once some of the kids, (and their Dad's,) have seen this display, I'll bet it will spark some interest in trying the hobby.

Good for you.

Patrick

I look forward to visiting it hopefully sometime around the 13th.

roony

I'm sure the results will be worth the pain.  One suggestion, if you haven't already thought of it, is that there should be a label, identifying what the model is of.

 

Yep, I have my graphic artist wife working as we speak!

I'm sure the results will be worth the pain.  One suggestion, if you haven't already thought of it, is that there should be a label, identifying what the model is of.

Yikes, the  February 5 display date is approaching! What have I gotten myself into? I've looked, measured and scouted the four cases and surroundings at the Library several times. All the cases have sliding glass doors which are less than half the size of the side. The B-52, if used, will have to hang from above. I need to have all the positions of the models figured out before I go as I need to poke them in the case openings one at a time. No sympathy huh. lol.

That's the report for now. Today I'll set up some saw horses and plywood in the garage and actually position the set up for each case. I can then photograph the mock-up and be prepared when I set up the real thing. This feeding models in through a small hole is awkward at best. I shall overcome!

Max

It spreads too. That same little girl talked her mother into getting me to teach her girl scout troup of 8 yr. olds how to build models. Her mom is the scout leader. I've got the models and equipment ready to go but I'm waiting for her to tell me where and when. 

Jim  

Thanks Jim. You've mentioned all the great reasons for civic duty, the main one being exposing and influencing the young people who replace us. Cool that you've done your part and reaped your rewards of actually influencing the future. 

Max

Congrats Max! Great project.

I got drafted last year for one of those art shows at a local grade school. I didn't want to do it but the little girl across the road talked me into it. Ended up having all the kids hanging out near my tables so they could watch me do a little work on an Opel Blitz truck. They also loved the stories behind some of the builds. Their favorite was the "White Rose of Stalingrad" 1/72 Mig 3. A week later the little girl gave me a large manila envelope with all kinds of thank you notes from the kids. Some of them had drawings of their favorite models. Also got a leter from the school thanking me for doing the show and asked to have me back this year. The little bit of work to do it is really worth it. Might make some new friends and meet fellow modelbuilders.

Jim  

I did the display years ago but only had one 28" x 59" flat case. The first thing I noticed was kids with their nose on the glass. Even big kids like me. Since it was a Library, Aircraft history books were entermingled to suggest that visitors could read even more.

This time I think I'll use one of the smaller cases to show about modelling with an unassembled and a finished specimen. I do have a boxed and finished 1/48  F-104 that might work. Still thinking on this but looks good to go.

Today I'm headed to the Library to try and figure out how to hang the B-36 and B-52, the awesome ones to kids like you and I. I visualize them hanging just out of reach above to two flat cases which at this point anchoring is unknown. We'll see.

Max

Hodakamax

 

 

tempestjohnny

That's cool. Maybe it will inspire a new modeler

 

 

 

 

That's the plan!

 

Hopefully, it'll inspire a few.  

Sounds like a very cool thing.

Congrats and have fun with it, Max.