Completed Zoukei Mura 1:48 Horten HO-229 with final set of stamps

I stayed up until 2:00am.  I just couldn't sleep.  I had just installed both the Mk 103 cannons into the 229 frame work.  Again, it's like trying to weave styrene plastic which is the only way I can describe it.  I first had to identify what constituted the parts of the Mk 103, I then AB it still attached to the spruce, and finally cut each part out for assembly.  

Toshi

On September 2001, I sat at home with Mrs. Toshi watching both towers fall due to zealots flying a jet through the twin towers.  I was a head chef at Rancho Las Palmas of Marriott in Palm Springs CA.  A few days later, I was given a layoff notice due to the terrorist attack.  No one wanted to fly at that point and since the industry that I was in depended on vacationing clients, Rancho Las Palmas became a ghost town.

My only choice was to go back home to Honolulu, Hawaii.  Up until then Mrs. Toshi's sister invited us to relocate to Ashtabula, Ohio.  I took that invitation as I felt that my two children would greatly benefit in their education.  Hawaii was for the most part a bad place to raise children with no hope of a good job after graduating.

Today, Mrs. Toshi's sister and family will be spending their day with us.  I'm making Kalua Pig (Shreded smoked pork) and chicken long rice.  For dessert, Mrs. Toshi made a coconut pudding called Haupia.  I always look forward to their visits with us since I'm incapable of long distance driving.  This means my bench time will be a minimum at best.  

My point here is that the most simplistic gestures is priceless.  Here on FSM forums, I've found that FSM forum members are family to me, while members also encourage me, it makes me a very motivated individual.  I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your caring and understanding attitude.  The world would greatly benefit from you all.  I just wanted to let everyone know how important it is for me to be able to meet members from all over the world.  What a fantastic community this is.

Toshi

Toshi,

I wish you and your family a delightful day of family interactions and feasting!

I also watched the first tower ablaze and the hit on the second tower just before leaving for work that morning. I was living in Altadena/Pasadena and teaching special ed. classes at Eagle Rock Jr./Sr. High School back then.

Do try to get some sleep once in a while .

Mike

1943Mike

Toshi,

I wish you and your family a delightful day of family interactions and feasting!

I also watched the first tower ablaze and the hit on the second tower just before leaving for work that morning. I was living in Altadena/Pasadena and teaching special ed. classes at Eagle Rock Jr./Sr. High School back then.

Do try to get some sleep once in a while .

Mike

 

As for sleep?  It'll either catch up to me or Mrs. Toshi will scold me if I don't go to sleep.  There's one threat that Mrs. Toshi uses that always works.  "Go to sleep or I will take away all your model kits and supplies"!  LOL!

Toshi

I am so ashamed of myself this evening.  I had Mrs. Toshi's family over for dinner of which was a successful evening followed by some Starbucks coffee outlet right by my condo.  Everyone not only enjoyed the hand prepared dinner as they end it with a nice cup of coffee brew.

Onc they were on their way back to Ashtabula, I went straight to the bench. The first item on my list was to retake my photos and fix my Dorneir Arrow. I drooled all over the Arrow while trying to show Mrs. Toshi's family the unique nature, resilient, and stance of this kit I ended up breaking my Arrow into to pieces.  

So that this evening would not fall and cause any more stress, I immediately shot several shots of the HO 229.  You can view my work below.

Thank you forum members, please view the photos below!  Thank you ladies and gentlemen.  This is the he first time I as able to do these shots for my year book.  

So more photos will be added shortly.  Thank you so much ladies and gentleman!

Toshi

Here is the 229 Horton.  

Looking good Toshi!Looks like it is going well!

philo426

Looking good Toshi!Looks like it is going well!

 

As you can tell by my timeline in posting on my threads, I have yet to sleep.  I'm trying to find a way to excel my modeling growth.  I'm at the point in my builds that I know I must pursue and accomplish my builds quality, for me, this is only the next logical step for my growth.  As M.Brindos clearly stated; "I must now step out of my comfort zone and not imitate but to innovate in my projects".  Luckily, I feel I have the greatest wife in the world, she does nothing but to help me and encourages me with my new hobby to be a successful builder.  

I'm very fortunate in that not only do I have the personal support in my home from Mrs. Toshi and my two very adult children but I have this very same support from you and other forum members on this world wide community at FSM forum.  I can't nor do I want to guarantee perfection in my next build, if I do, then I'm having visions of grandeur!  LOL!  I can only promise that every time I open my FSM magazines in that I view such inspirational artistic renditions, that I try to apply what I've read, heard, and or experienced a technique that I can apply myself every time I pick up a bottle of styrene cement, while looking at my assembly booklet to know that it's not just as simple to understand what my steps are but to be able to grasp what the end results should look like!  philo426, thank you so much for keeping contact with me during this very important build for me.  This act means so much to me; "Priceless"!  Is the only word that comes to mind! 

Toshi

I've had a couple of those "oops" moments myself, which is why I show my models with them safely tucked away behind glass. I don't even like handling my builds after they are done. When I was younger I dropped a Hasegawa Dauntless that I put alot of work into showing a friend of mine. What a catastrophe! It never went back together right. Then when I was just a kid I showed my grandparents this cool car that I built and my sweet grandma reached out and tried to turn one of the front wheels.............and it broke off. She didn't mean it and I got over it but I've learned not to "reach and grab" when showing anymore. lol

Great progress on the 229 bud.

My embarassment always materializes when  attempting show  to off models to others as well Toshi.  When transporting my B-26 ( my best model ) a mere two blocks, to show it to a neighbor, I broke off a wheel, one cowling fell off and a pitot tube launched itself into the wild unknown never to be found again. Isn't that always the way ?  So you're not alone my friend and I certainly can relate to your inglorious mishap.

Yes our models are fragile and mishaps occur,but nothing that we cannot fix as long as we do not back over the model with our car!

Sorry about your Arrow accident. As Joe said, our models are very fragile and handling them is always a risky thing.

I've always wondered how you end up in Ohio, coming from Honolulu. Thanks for sharing that story.

I can't imagine how you can tolerate our midwest winters after having been raised in paradise.

Glad you had a nice visit.

mustang1989

I've had a couple of those "oops" moments myself, which is why I show my models with them safely tucked away behind glass. I don't even like handling my builds after they are done. When I was younger I dropped a Hasegawa Dauntless that I put alot of work into showing a friend of mine. What a catastrophe! It never went back together right. Then when I was just a kid I showed my grandparents this cool car that I built and my sweet grandma reached out and tried to turn one of the front wheels.............and it broke off. She didn't mean it and I got over it but I've learned not to "reach and grab" when showing anymore. lol

Great progress on the 229 bud.

 

I now know the only way to fix this is to purchase another Revell of Germany Dornier Arrow and start all over again.  As for showing my models off to visitors, that's something I can't stop as this point in my life, that's all I have.  It's like a little kid showing off his new toy!  LOL!  Thank you for the read and reply.

Toshi

Jay Jay

My embarassment always materializes when  attempting show  to off models to others as well Toshi.  When transporting my B-26 ( my best model ) a mere two blocks, to show it to a neighbor, I broke off a wheel, one cowling fell off and a pitot tube launched itself into the wild unknown never to be found again. Isn't that always the way ?  So you're not alone my friend and I certainly can relate to your inglorious mishap.

 

Toshi

philo426

Yes our models are fragile and mishaps occur,but nothing that we cannot fix as long as we do not back over the model with our car!

 

Toshi

Greg

Sorry about your Arrow accident. As Joe said, our models are very fragile and handling them is always a risky thing.

I've always wondered how you end up in Ohio, coming from Honolulu. Thanks for sharing that story.

I can't imagine how you can tolerate our midwest winters after having been raised in paradise.

Glad you had a nice visit.

 

I'm here in Ohio as I was told the winters here are nice and balmy.  It exceeds the weather in Honolulu, Hawaii!  LOL!  Here's why Mrs. Toshi and I decided to leave family behind and to never look back.  Our children's future is what we decided that was the most important facet and that we can sacrifice our lives for and it would be the best investment ever!  To sum up simply life in Honolulu, Hawaii;

1)  Bad education.

2)  Job opportunities are only in the service industry.

3)  Short sighted mentality.

4)  Only so many people can live on a volcanic rock 3000 miles from anything.

5)  It's extremely expensive.

6)  It's extremely expensive.

7) It's extremely expensive.

8)  Higher education is almost non existent.  What will my son and daughter major in at the University of Hawaii?  Surfing and hula dancing?  LOL!

9)  If I purchase milk, eggs, and bread in Streetsboro, Ohio, I pay less than $5.00 to $6.00.  

10)  If I purchased milk, eggs, and bread in Honolulu, Hawaii, it will cost you $15.00 to $20.00.  I'm talking generic items, not name brand products.  This is not paradise.  This is Dauntes hell!  

Let me be honest, at first we struggled like crazy trying to better the lives of our children, never thinking of ourselves.  Twenty some odd years later, my son is a the youngest store manager for a world wide corporation.  My daughter just graduated from Kent State and is looking into working to get her masters.

Back in Honolulu, Hawaii, these things are unobtainable let alone non-existent.  Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful in where Mrs. Toshi and I grew up.  But the price to pay for that small percent of paradise is not worth it at all.  The locals are so destitute, many are on drugs and are in some type of trouble with the law or at least knows someone close to them that are in trouble with the law let alone trying to literally scrape by just to survive day to day. 

This false identification of life blinds people's vision in Honolulu, Hawaii and does not allow for physical, mental, and most important, spiritual growth.  It stymies such advancement.  Thank you sir, you've strenthen my determination and resolve to continue to move in one direction only.  Forward!!!

Toshi

Some work that was accomplished last night.  I want to thank you forum members for allowing me to present to you the frame work and the two Jumo 004 Turbo Engines.  I hope members enjoy this as much as I enjoyed presenting this to you all!

Toshi

super job on a very complex model

crown r n7

super job on a very complex model

 

Ditto that.

And that is an interesting perspective on real life in Hawaii, thanks.

Yes!Toshi seems to have good eyesight ,a steady hand and lots of patience! 

crown r n7

super job on a very complex model

 

Toshi

Greg

 

 

crown r n7

super job on a very complex model

 

 

 

 

Ditto that.

And that is an interesting perspective on real life in Hawaii, thanks.

 

 

When I was growing up in the late 60's early 70's in Honolulu, these things that you see in brochures are authentic and available for a price.  Again I reiterate, for a price!  I continue to tell people of which falls onto deaf or ignorant ears back home that the biggest issue that I toute is that this volcanic rock literally in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 3000 miles away from any type of land mass is only capable yet barely I should say capable of sustaining 150,000 to 200,000 people.  Maybe less than that!  There are now over a million people on that island.  Stress, drugs, crime, and anger are the norm of society now.  

There is no industry there to sustain a livelyhood, production of any kind is non-existent, and most importantly the real key fact is where or I should say what kind of life would your children have to look for?  Growing up, all I wanted to do is play jazz music.  Everyone thought I was crazy.  Hence I left home at seventeen to San Fransisco, California.  That was the best thing I've ever done, I invested in myself!  

Toshi

philo426

Yes!Toshi seems to have good eyesight ,a steady hand and lots of patience! 

 

Thank you sir for believing in me.

Toshi

I hear ya Toshi!at 51 my eyesight is not as it used to be (Thank goodness for my Optivisor)and I have to force myself to have patience especially at the end of a good build.My hands are still steady.

Toshi,  this is looking great, but the song Tubular Bells keeps running though my head when I'm looking at your pictures.  

At this stage of your build that sort of, kind of, reminds me of Anakin's pod racer. lol

philo426

I hear ya Toshi!at 51 my eyesight is not as it used to be (Thank goodness for my Optivisor)and I have to force myself to have patience especially at the end of a good build.My hands are still steady.

 

Toshi

knox

Toshi,  this is looking great, but the song Tubular Bells keeps running though my head when I'm looking at your pictures.  

 

Toshi

allan

At this stage of your build that sort of, kind of, reminds me of Anakin's pod racer. lol

 

 

 

Toshi

I also live in a tourist area ,Daytona Beach ,and when the economy is down so is the tourism ,hence the jobs are few and far between, maybe somewhat similar to Hawaii.

I'm very impressed with your build so far Toshi. It looks so very complicated and your patience in the assembly of it is paying off.

This really appears to be quite a complicated little kit. I am enjoying watching you build this. Keep it up Toshi.

BK