Need I say why I've been absent? I didn't think so…but I will tell you that we're overflowing at work, and we're trying to swing a deal for more work space.
I have noticed more military activity lately, though. The past several months have seen visits by Army Kiowa Warriors, Blackhawks, a few Apaches, at least one Chinook, several USMC Cobras and Hueys, and several USMC V-22 flybys. It has kept things interesting…
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On the model front, I'm still doing massive research (when I have the chance) on the Italian campaign of World War The Second. See, I have this StuG IV that wants to be a 190th Pz.Abt. vehicle of the 90th Panzergrenadier Division in Italy. Well, therein lies the rub–the 90th was more or less a reserve division that was divided up piecemeal and sent wherever Kesselring needed them. Funny, since my research so far shows them as being the only Panzergrenadier Division to be completely equipped with StuG IV's (the others fielded a mix of StuG III, StuG IV, and other varieties of SPs and light armor). Well, some of my references say they were present during the Anzio breakout. SOme refs show them at Monte Cassino. Others show them on the eastern side of the Appenines. So, what to do…
I think I'm going to simply build it, mark it, and put it on a generic "Italian countryside" base and call it good. For now. I will probably include at least one figure as a scale yardstick, but that will probably be as far as I'll take this one.
Meanwhile, I'm frustrating myself with poached eggs–the WWII Italian air force variety, that seemingly simple camouflage scheme of a green base with sand yellow spots with a small red-brown spot in the middle. Yep, the Macchi 200 has finally hit the paint shop. I've been going back and forth on the painting every time I get five spare minutes, and I hope to soon have something acceptable to post for all to ogle. Until then, I keep working at it…
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At the same time, the local shop is having a kit sale, so I've been availing myself of more future SIDNA. I mean, how many Tamiya Storch kits does one need? Ahhh, but when one finds that kit for $30, why not buy a second copy? I've also picked up a few kits that I've wanted for a while, but the price put me off–Moebius' Moon Bus kit, for one. I had an Aurora Moon Bus, but sold it years ago. I was happy to see Moebius re-engineer it, but when it came out at $50, well, I could wait. But the same kit for $20? Sold, American. Same for the FineMolds 1/48 scale X-Wing fighter, the most expensive (at MSRP $99) Snap-Tite kit I've seen. While still a bit steep, the $40 price tag was more to my liking…
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We did have a chance to get to the annual Atlanta airliner collectibles show. Delta has unveiled their plans of the museum, and I have to say that they are not planning on anything but top-drawer for the renovation/expansion. It will be interesting to see it once it is done–Delta says the new museum will be open for business in May, 2014.
At said airliners show, I picked up a Revell 1/115 P-3A Orion kit with a 1964 copyright date. This issue hails from the day when Revell had box art wraps rather than printed box tops. I was surprised to see that the contents were still in fabulous shape, given the age of the kit. I've toyed with various build scenarios in my head: converting it back to an Electra (not likely, since I have Minicraft wings and Welsh fuselages for that), bringing it up to P-3C standards (again, not likely, especially since I got another Arii 1/144 P-3C from the same vendor), or simply doing one of the early white-over Engine Gray schemes, which I really like. We'll see…
I also snagged another orphan ATP 1/144 Convair 340 kit. This one is the radar nose kit with North Central decals. The kit itself in interesting–the fuselage is cast in Polyurethane foam, with some injection-molded parts (props, landing gear) included. A superdetailed kit it most certainly is not, but it is a 1/144 scale Convair-liner. Why the bigs have missed making kits of the Convair-liners (and the Martinliners–the 2-0-2 and 4-0-4) is still a mystery to me.
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Speaking of orphan airliners, I have laid eyes on the new Roden 1/144 Boeing 720 kit. Yes, if you've read the rest of the Interwebs, you know the engine nacelles are oversized. But the aftermarket is coming to the rescue with that issue. The rest of the kit? Nice. Not perfect, but a much easier path to Boeing's first "short haul" airliner than trying to cut and paste a Revell 720/707/KC-135 kit, for sure…
Well, that's all I can think of for now. Hopefully nest time I'll have a few Macchi photos, and maybe some other stuff to share.
Thanks for reading. As always, be good to one another and I bid you Peace.