Hi folks, brand new here, and I see that you have a section for modelers. I am brand new to building airplanes, as I built cars in the past. I think I may have built a couple airplanes as a kid, and built an H-53 while I was in the Air Force a bunch of years ago. I have raced cars for over 20 years, but after this years accident at Reno with The Galloping Ghost, I have found myself obsessed with the Reno Air Races, the planes and pilots. I guess I do in fact like anything that goes fast and turns left. Its a horrible tragedy on so many levels what took place at Reno this past September, Ive never been there (though I live an hour away) and I certainly did not know Jimmy Leeward. But he and his airplane have really had an effect on me. I have been frequenting AAFO.COM as the photos and the conversation have been great there. Anyway, to my models. I decided to build a 1/32 of The Galloping Ghost #177 and spent the last 3 months of and on building it. Its finally done, and since have started a 1/24 of the Ghost as well, but not in flight. Here are some pics, of them.
Starting of the 1/32 Hasegawa kit
More work on the canopy and scoopectomy
Painted the fuselage, and designed my own decals and will use the Testors decal printing kit.
The completed model....
Thanks to some folks on AAFO for paint codes and great photos, its all done, the decal kit worked great, and fabbed up my own home pylon from scratch.
Now I am working on the 1/24 Airfix kit. Have heard many horror stories regarding this kit, but figured I would chance it. It does need some finessing, but it has plenty of built in detail for my lack of skill. Plan is for it to be parked with engine cowlings removed, canopy open, drooped flaps and elevators, a bit of work in the wheel wells, and of course all the mods that gave The Galloping Ghost its sleek appearance.
Here is the kit as compared to my first build of the Galloping Ghost in 1/32
The engine nearly done
Some of the modded cockpit
My attempt at the instrument panel....not real great, but gets the point across
Lots of work smoothing the fuselage, and building the canopy and turtledeck
I have few other builds I have collected the kits for, that I am looking forward to starting in the near future. TBA
Thanks for looking in, and looking forward to my time here at WIX....