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As often happens, early
childhood activities come to an abrupt end when puberty and so
many other responsibilities and interests become all consuming.
So it was that my early model collection was retired. The last
model I built as a kid would have been over 55 years ago. But
the interest often lurked in the back of my mind over the
ensuing years. I’ve had a lifelong fascination with the history
of the World Wars I & II, particularly the air wars and as a
kid I drew and painted many of the iconic aircraft of the Great
Wars and built many as models. My interest in military subjects
may seem incongruous to those who know my love of nature and
have followed my artistic career for so many decades. My being
among the wave of the post-WW II baby boom and the fact that my
father was a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force no doubt had
some influence on my interest in aviation, especially since I’d
seen so many air shows as a young boy. My father was actually
not a flyer, but a professional musician who taught and played a
variety of wind instruments, saxophone, clarinet and more. He
was a member of the RCAF orchestra and later had his own dance
band. He also had worked as the public relation officer for the
orchestra and transcribed much of their music when they traveled
the world over in the days when the band was comprised of many
of the best musicians in Canada.
But
back to the models; Bringing myself up to date on all the latest
developments in the world of models was, and still is quite a
steep learning curve. Learning the use of an air brush was
a first and that is pretty much a requirement if one wants to
aim for the best results. I can recall the days when ever I
could scratch 75 cents together I’d rush out to the Woolworth
store and choose a model for a weekend build with some friends.
As we all know, those days are history.
What is available today for modelers is truly a smorgasbord of
tools, kits and techniques. Instructional guides abound on the
internet for anyone who is interested. What follows here are a
series of photos of the builds I’ve done during the past couple
years. The types of models I’ve show here are not the sort of
thing that can be done in a weekend. Typically, they can range
from a couple weeks to a couple months to complete, especially
for some of the 4-engine bomber types. I like to fabricate a lot
of my own details and especially enjoy the build, but the final
paint work and weathering details hold the greatest interest and
satisfaction which I hope to improve upon. Also included are a
few shots of the work space I’ve set up – it does require a more
or less permanent work space and some special accommodations for
a paint station with proper ventilation and safety precautions.
Over the years I’ve built up a fairly extensive reference
library which is an invaluable source for so many details and
again, the web is also a great reference source. All the models
shown in the following pages are 1/48 scale. To see a short
series of photos of each aircraft, just click on the link. Each
aircraft is accompanied by a text with various descriptions and
details. For any modelers out there who wish to comment or
critique my builds, I'm always open to your ideas or
suggestions.
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