Well, some more progress.  Main fuselage, tail,  wings, and wing tip tanks are completed, I also started the landing gear which will not be installed until after paint.  Lots of shaping and gap filling to do on the top.  the fuselage separated a bit as it dried for some reason so I need to re-open a seam and re-glue a small section of it just aft of the cockpit.  Then a few small gaps here and there.  All in all, the kit hasn't given me much trouble at all.  Although they could have designed the landing gear pieces a bit better.  But it's moving along.  The only other spots that are going to need a tiny drop or two of putty is the intakes.  They just need some evening out.  Here are some images.

The nose wheel.  A bit of paint touch up and a bit of sanding are still needed.

The wing tanks.  Some smoothing and minor gap filling still needed once they dry.  I really don't think I have ever put together a set of tanks that haven't needed any work.. lol

Looks pretty good to me.  The detail inside the air brake housings isn't all that great, so I might put them on closed.  Which would make for a whole lot less exposed and highly fragile parts to get broken.  You can see where some shaping is needed around the cockpit and the top of the fuselage, as well as the intakes.  I really have to say though.  the nose on this kit is probably the best fitting nose I have sen to date.  It's not going to require any gap filling or shaping.

That's it for now folks.  I'll keep you all posted.

Oh Yeh, Ken, Dom, we really need to settle on a firm date for the Museum trip.  I can do it on a weekday if necessary except Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Deb volunteers at our local hospital on those days.  Let me know what you think.

Rich

Hi Rich,

That is looking pretty good!  I hope you are staying cool with all the heat we are having.

As far as the date for a trip, I would leave that for Dom.  If he is up for doing the camping thing we might want to wait for cooler weather.  Camping in 100 degree heat is not fun, especially when it only cools down to around 76 degrees at night.

I went to the Indianapolis Air Show last weekend and had a blast!  I took a bunch of pictures and I will post some of them later.  What is really cool is that there were several historical societies with WWII planes that FLEW there and had them on display before the show, then flew them in the show.  And you could tell that they were very proud of their planes.  All of them were kept very clean and the larger ones they would let you inside to tour and answer any and all questions about them.  I will be back again next year for sure!

SoMM (the other Ken)

Hey, can you use my latest photos as done? I wont be doing any more on it for a while. I dont want to add any more bits to it untill ive got a cover for it so i dont break anything. And thats likley going to be 2 or 3 months away.

No problem Mikey.  I will update the front page.  Most fitting that you were the first one to post and now the first one done.  Are you planning on building anything else?

Ken

SoMM Ken: The air show sounds great! I love those.

Is Dom still around? He stated he didn't like the new format and was going to leave. I hate to see him go, he's a great guy.

BTW: Super hot here too, I may end up arriving on your doorstep down there Mike asking to crash on your couch

Lol we have a spare room for such circumstances. So bloody cold here today. Went ten pin bowling last night and now my right shoulder is comprised entirely of PAIN!.

As for building anything more. I might do. I want to get a couple of my other builds finished first.

What the heck happened to the message bases??? 

Anyways...   We have the central AC installed now, which is good because it's been in the upper nineties to over 100 (F) most of the week. 

Camping would be difficult for me.  I haven't been able to acquire any gear other than a couple of propane Coleman Lanterns.  I just found out I mave a pretty good case of Osteo-Arthritis in both knees and shoulders.  So I am not able to walk as much as I have been up until now.  Camping would be complicated. 

I saw a couple of them fly at the last airshow they had at the ANG base at Toledo Express Airport, back in 2004.  A B17G, some P51s, a Texan, a Corsair, and even a sabre and a couple of MIGs (15 and a 21).  Some flew and did some aerobatics.  They had a P38 there but it didn't fly at the show.  I haven't been able to get to an airshow since.  Just too expensive to travel and they just don't seem to come around here anymore.

I have been waiting on p[aint for that F104, which arrived today, as well as some for my F20.  The Sabre is slowly progressing.  Too much sanding and my hands cramp up.  I felt like something different so I started an old classic 1/48 Revell MIG15.  It's almost ready for paint.  A two day kit at most.  I may use it as an experimental bird for the Alclad before using it on the sabre.  I'll send up some images when I can.  I didn't think to take any images up til now on the MIG, but shes still not completely assembled so I can still get a few WIP images up.

Have a great weekend.

Rich

I haven't heard from DOM in a while.  Which worries me because we used to be in fairly consistent contact.  Maybe I'll try and call him if my Mom in Law says it's OK.

Gee guys guess I should stop complaining, loosing my hair but otherwise generally healthy.

Mike: hope you arm feels better and Rich hope you're feeling better too.

I don't understand why Dom would leave because of the new format?  It took me by surprise this evening when I got on but it isn't all that different.  In fact it seems to have a bit more in the way of options.  Did he give any specific reasons?

Ken

He did a whole thread on it. I think he left more in frustration than anything else.

cs.finescale.com/.../148145.aspx

Thats his abandon ship speech.

I must admit im contemplating leaving for a couple months while they get the bugs fixed.

Okay, now I am bummed.    I just found out that WingXL is no more. They were supposed to be a new company planning on producing an 1/32 scale A-26 Invader.  They just announced that they have thrown in the towel.

Hey Dom, if you are still receiving these emails, I hope you stay with us.  It won't be the same without you.

Ken

Hey gang, I posted this over at the Rhino build, but copy it here as well, as there are many I consider friends in this build as well, though I never got around to participating:

"Hello gang.

Just thought I would let you all know what has been going lately. I mentioned before, I spent a lot of time looking after my elderly mother and the fact that she had serious health issues. Early this month, I hospitalized her with an extremely bad case of pneumonia. She progressed though several stages, at first being delusional, paranoid, with hallucinations and more, then overnight became very lethargic and almost comatose. The bug she had was an antibiotic  resistant bacteria, and it rapidly became apparent that she was not responding to treatment. With the pneumonia, her age, and in an advanced stage of COPD,  (emphysema) she declined quickly and died on June 10th. She was 81.

I pretty much looked after her through the whole thing, while my sister barely even visited her, and I ended up having to make all the funeral arraignments on my own (not to mention the fact that I was the one who had to make the decision to end her medical treatment and allow her to go!) I alone sat with her though the night until it was time for the mortuary to come for her. It will be a June that I will keep with me for a long, long time.

The nightmare continues now as I begin to settle her estate, with the above mentioned sister believing she should move into the house, but as I am the Trustee and sole executor of her estate, she will have little to say as to what I do. The  house will need to be sold in order divide it evenly as Mom's will and the Living Trust she had established dictated.

I do piddle a bit here and there with the models, when I have the heart for it, but it may be a while yet before I have time or desire to worry about hobbies.

I haven't even looked over the progress you have made, but soon I will have to back and look at all the old posts.

Jim"

Thats a real shame Jim. Its rough losing a loved one, especially when your so close to them. And then to have selfish siblings on top of that. That really does suck dude. You look after you and yours. My thoughts are with you.

Jim,

I am so sorry for your loss.  I had no idea.  I don't get around on this site, just hang out here.

That is so terrible that you went through all of that alone.  That is the worst part.  Don't stay alone buddy.  You need to find someone to talk with.  You can send me a private message if you would like.  And like I said before, you don't have to be building something to be able to just come here and chat.

Ken

Hi Everyone,

Here are some of the pictures from last weekend's Air Show.  Since most of these are World War II vintage, I do not know what they are for sure unless they had a sign:

 Okay, now this next one I know is a Mustang.

Okay, that is enough for now, I will post more later.

Ken

Hi Everyone,

Here are some more pictures:

 Okay, I DO know what this one is:

Those chinese marked aircraft are Nanchangs. The last ones a piper cub from the looks of it? And just to state the obvious. That mustangs not a real mustang. I thinks its a T-51 Titan.

There was a real one there.  I might have a picture of it.  But in the mean time:

Ken 

Here is some more:

Okay, I do know the next one.  An O-2 Cessna Skymaster.

Hi Everyone,

More pictures:

This one is for you Mikey, a Corsair!

Ken 

lol cheers Ken.

More pictures.  This next one is a Skyraider.  I almost missed it.  I only had a small opening to the runway to see them taxi by:

 Here is that Mustang that I promised:

 P-47:

Not sure what this one is:

 Another shot this time in flight of the Skyraider:

Hi Everyone,

Okay, here is the last of them. (There are more, but I won't subject you to ALL of them    )

 And finally, the "Blue Canoe", Cessna 310:

Ken 

Wow, i didnt realise how big the spads were. They kinda make the P-47 look like a toy. Amazing shots. Wish id been there. Dont get to go to nearly enough airshows.

Jim: So sorry to hear about your mother, please hang in there. My thoughts and prayers to you and your family.

Ken: Those are great photos, looks like you had a heck of a time. Interesting there are two P-47D painted in the 'Hun Hunter' markings in the Pigeon Forge Aviation Museum in Tennessee. Wonder if this is one of them or yet a third fighter in these markings.

Gamera

Jim: So sorry to hear about your mother, please hang in there. My thoughts and prayers to you and your family.

Ken: Those are great photos, looks like you had a heck of a time. Interesting there are two P-47D painted in the 'Hun Hunter' markings in the Pigeon Forge Aviation Museum in Tennessee. Wonder if this is one of them or yet a third fighter in these markings.

Hi Cliff,

I really wish I could answer that question.  I know that a majority of the aircraft there were from different organizations from around the state of Indiana.  But that is all I know.  But I had such a great time I am planning on going all three days next year!  Here is a link to this year's event that gives the description:

http://www.indyairshow.com/ 

Ken

Hi Jim;

Sorry to hear about your mom. Sounds very similar to what my mom went through.

You worked very hard looking after her, you stayed with her to the end, and that is the most important thing. You will never have to second guess your decisions, you did the right thing. That's the only comfort you will get from all of that, all the rest is pain that slowly gets pushed into the background. it never goes away, you never move on, it is always there. All you can do is learn to live with it. I'm still working on it.

I was with mom and dad when they died. I had to make the decision to send dad to the hospice, he lasted 72 hours. The hospital gave my mom a super-bug, no-charge, while putting a small cast on a badly sprained ankle, and it took a year to kill her.

She died soon after my dad, and you are right about being put off for doing hobbies. It is very tough having to give the Do-Not-Resuscitate instruction. My mom died June 15th, 2010. Dad was May 10th.

Maybe that's why i got so grumpy, I still can't understand why I blew my top like that. I've been trying to get back and build but then always fall short. I spend more time looking at threads than replying, and more time looking for kits I do not need than building. It is slack, but that's just how it is.

Anyhow Jim, don't blame yourself for anything, you sacrificed for your family, you were loyal to the end, just take it easy.

Dom

Hey Ken,

Great photos, I hope you don't mind if a snag a few for my aircraft file. Those T Birds are real pretty, i can hear them ringing in my ears.

Dom

Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

Unfortunately that seed of fear is whats sewn when someone close to us dies.

Let go of the fear, let go of the hate. Suffering will soon leave.