I Feel Soooo Accomplished

I wear bifocals. I discovered I needed them - oh, say something approaching twenty years ago. I'd been a lousy model builder as a child, but with big plans that never panned out. Then, I got older and decided to check in on the ol' hobby. At that time, the thinking was "Now that I'm an adult and can afford to buy some of the detail goodies to make 'em look real, I can go to town. I also have the patience to do it right - fill in cracks and low spots with body putty, proper painting, and care." So, as I was trying to simulate spark plug wires on a SBC (1/24 or 1/25 Z28 model), it became painfully obvious I couldn't see well enough to do that kind of detail work. Even after I got bifocals. Even with magnifying glasses on articulated arms.

So, I ended up collecting some die cast models. Not the same.

During a Woot Off before Christmas, one of the things that came up was the Alpha Force WWII Aces or Modern Aces - Six Pack. Either six WWII fighter plane models in 1/100 scale, or six modern fighter planes in 1/144 scale. Whoa. Too Cool. The Bachmann Mini Planes have always tripped my trigger until one has to actually, well, pay for them. So, hey, here are some model planes that promise to be highly detailed, just require a little glue, and most importantly, cheap! $11.99 plus five bucks shipping and handling cheap. If you are a Wooter, you also know that you could actually buy three sets and get them all shipped for the five bucks S&H.

What can I say - I succumb to impulse buys once in a while. I ordered two before Woot ran out. Two each of the WWII planes. I've got a good friend who is about as bad as I am when it comes to neat stuff for "decoration." His office is lined with memorabilia - truck models, old toys, swords, guns, sports goodies, Cohiba boxes - just a lot of good, manly stuff. It's his Man Cave - I have a whole house for that. I knew he'd appreciate the WWII planes. We're both old WWII memorabilia and history buffs. We can watch a History channel presentation about P51s and get misty eyed. We're emotional that way.

So, the six models are of the pictured FW190, Me 109, Spitfire Mk. Vb, Mitsubishi A6MZ Zero, P 47D Thunderbolt (a truly manly fighter), plus the all time fave - P 51D Mustang. It just doesn't get any better than that - all the major players are represented, and you'd really need more than six slots for cool WWII fighter planes. I could see the P47 knocked off for a P-38 (edited) Lightning, and I'm sure there are others that could be successfully argued.

So, how did it go together? Wow. Did I mention these things were 1/100 scale? And I'm about blind to tiny crap like this? Did I? I'm not sure, they say memory is the first thing to go. I dunno about that - it might be seeing things super up close and personal. Not only is the memory going and the eyesight not so useful - but there are other things that irk me, too. Whoever said after you're a teenager the zits go away lied. The hair on top of my head has migrated to my eyebrows, my nasal passages, my ears, down my back to my butt. You are what you eat - I must have eaten too many Rice Krispies as a kid - all my joints snap, crackle and pop. Oh, wait, I was talking about building a model. Sorry 'bout that, seems like I get sidetracked easily these days...

Other than needing to be about thirty seven times larger, it was really surprising to me how well this thing went together and how fine a degree of detail it exhibited. Tampo painting has come a long way, baybee. The only major flaw was a pretty good seam opening on the bottom of the fuselage, but on display it's not visible. I can tell you for a fact that the paint scheme shown would be impossible for me to apply. Also, not surprisingly, it's very very fragile. I suspect that open display of this model with a cat in the house may lead to one upset tubby trucker.

And just think - I've only got five more to go!

And one more thing - my pal is about as blind as me for close stuff, too. Bwaaaa haaaaa haaaaa haaaaa!