The 2019 Dream Kit List

Happy 2019 everyone!! I hope you made it out of the silly season in one piece and that you are ready to tackle 2019. Ahh the “Top-5” wish list; Its been done before but hey, it has not yet been done here. And though I have a plenty of kits to build there is always […]

The Absolute Supremacy of Japanese WW2 Movies

I think most modelers are also movie buffs. That is certainly the case with the builders I know. And, with us modelers, our level of movie fandom is typically beyond “casual interest” and probably somewhere at the “Film School Drop Out” level. I love movies and I love modeling subjects relating to the Pacific War. […]

We are in the Diamond Encrusted Platinum Age of Scale Models

Since getting back into the hobby around 2007 I have constantly heard about it’s impending demise. There are a variety of reasons given and they seem to recycle a few times a year on modeling forums, facebook or in casual conversation at the local hobby shop (or LHS). Just picture this guy saying one of […]

Requisite “End of Year” and “New Beginnings” Post

So the theory goes that as you close out the year on a model blog, you must reflect on the year, your builds and perhaps look forward to the new year and the promise that it brings….modelwise at least. I am usually not one to conform to convention but it makes sense to reflect on […]

Stash Porn!

Its the end of the year and the holidays are now upon us. What better way to sit and anticipate the season of receiving than to scroll down a blog entry about model stashes? And if there is one surefire way to get views and responses on a forum then just invite people to post […]

I’m All About The Base – But What works?

Ask any armor modeler and they will tell you: Armor models look far better on a base. Any kind of base – from a simple piece of stained wood all the way to a fully scenic miniature field or forest. Take a tour of any contest and you will see the majority of armor models […]

Finish Your Damn Shelf Queens!

No matter what your intentions are, no matter how much you promise you will never become one of “those guys”; At some point you end up with a shelf queen. For those who are lucky enough (or deluded enough) to not know what a shelf queen is, the term is a derivative of “Hangar Queen” in […]

Two Visits to the Commemorative Air Force Museum (Mesa AZ)

Sure the big draw in our hobby would be the Pima Air and Space museum in Tucson – but if you are in the Valley of the Sun, you really should make your way over to the Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum. It has a great collection stuffed into two hangars. And for those who like […]

Enough Luft love! Embrace the Pacific War!

Most of the modelers in my area, if they are interested in WW2 subjects, are focused on producing scores and scores of grey mottled aircraft. Others like RAF roundels on delicate and somewhat homely planes. Sure, as a kid, tried my hand at a Spitfire, a 109 and a 190. But there was no ‘draw’ […]

A trip to the Pima Air & Space Museum

As much as I like building them, I also like to see airplanes up close. You can’t get much closer than at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson AZ. With almost 300 planes stored outdoors and inside 5 ridiculously large and impeccably maintained hangars – I had long been looking forward to returning […]