Author Topic: Happy to Be Aboard  (Read 975 times)

Offline MightyHood

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Happy to Be Aboard
« on: January 29, 2023, 01:06:53 AM »
Many thanks for allowing me to join your forum.  I’m not sure if anyone is interested, but here’s a little background information on me:

As my online name implies, a great deal of my interest lies in warships history with a particular speciality in H.M.S. Hood.  I helped start and run the actual ship’s veterans/family/enthusiast website at http://hmshood.com and am EXTREMELY knowledgeable with regard to the ship’s configuration changes.  Yes, I knew Ted Briggs and men from the Bismarck (that question always comes up). I helped Flyhawk develop an extremely accurate model of the ship as sunk too.  In short, If any of you ever wish to build an accurate model of Hood, I’m the guy to talk to (oh, here’s one starting pointer:  DO NOT USE the Kagero 3D book…toooooooo many errors)!

The funny part about the above is that I’m actually ex US Air Force (NCO)!   How did I get involved with a naval organization? It’s a long story, too long to put here,  and besides, I don’t wanna bore anyone more than I already have, LOL!  As an Air Force guy I’ve also had a lifelong love of aircraft, with a particular fondness for the “old stuff” (I’ll take Sopwith over MiG/Su trash any day).   I periodically visit Old Rhinebeck (not too far from here) and of course have spent MANY hours at the Smithsonian locations (even the old Garber facility back in the day), RAF Hendon and numerous other small museums in the US, UK, etc. 

I’ve always liked to build models, but I never paid much attention to detail, and I never really honed many of the most important skills.   There were boats, planes, spacecraft and figures (I'm slightly eclectic) most of which have ended up destroyed.    When I got into my 50s a few years ago, I started up again and those kits are still with me.  Some stink, some are decent.  I've attached a poor quality shot of a few “survivors” and more recent attempts…those that my wife allowed into her curio cabinet for display, LOL!



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For the last couple of years, I’ve focused on WWI aircraft.  To date I have built the following:

Meng 1/32 Fokker Dr.1 (built predictably as 425/17 in its final configuration)
Dragon/DML 1/48 SPAD XIII (built as the Luke machine…I used to be stationed near Luke AFB)
Eduard 1/48 Fokker Eindecker E.II (built “kind of” like one of Udet’s machines).
Eduard 1/48 Albatros D.III double build (one built as “Le Petit Rouge” of course and the other as Voß “heart” craft).   You can see all but one of these in the attached photo.

In the works or in the stash (at the time of joining the forum):
Revell (it’s actually Eduard of course) 1/48 S.E.5a (doing the wood grain now and Paying very close and attention to the RAGIII article!)
Eduard 1/72 (YIKES!  Hard, hard, hard!) “Du Doch Nicht” threesome and “Fokker Fokker” (wife is choosing which ones)
Eduard 1/48 (thank goodness…enough of the 1/72 madness) Camel and Co Sopwith Camels (REALLY looking forward to this one!)
Meng 1/24 Fokker DR.1 built as either Jacobs’ GOTNW  or perhaps as Voß’s F1 103/17 (I suck at scratch building but it’s taking a long time for the Aviattic set to come out…I’ll wait a while longer though!)
Meng 1/32 Fokker DR.1 (I had extra parts someone gave me and actually have enough for a second plane…I might actually make this one up as F1 103/17 instead of the big monster Meng Dreidecker).  Either way, one will be black and the other one will be blue green, plaid or whatever the heck color the prototypes were, LOL. 

I am happy with my work, even though I know it’s nowhere near perfect… I think I’m getting a little better.   I am definitely nowhere near as good as most of you folks here are though! The work I’ve seen here is out standing!  I’ll try to post some photos of my stuff in the applicable places and would be most grateful for any tips or suggestions you may!

Thanks to all who read this admittedly overly long introduction!  I’ll try to be brief in any future posts, LOL!

Many thanks!

Frank (MightyHood)[/img]
« Last Edit: February 01, 2023, 03:18:16 PM by MightyHood »

Offline KiwiZac

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Re: Happy to Be Aboard
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2023, 06:12:08 AM »
Welcome, Frank! It's great to have you here!

Offline Dirigible-Al

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Re: Happy to Be Aboard
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2023, 06:15:51 AM »
Hello Frank.
That looks like a pretty impressive display case you have there. Is that a Clockwork Orange figure I see inside it? The Albie, Tripe, Eindecker and Spad look great.
Alan.
I heard that it all started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich 'cause he was hungry!

Offline MightyHood

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Re: Happy to Be Aboard
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2023, 07:17:35 AM »
Welcome, Frank! It's great to have you here!


Many thanks for having me!

Offline MightyHood

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Re: Happy to Be Aboard
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2023, 07:21:07 AM »
Hello Frank.
That looks like a pretty impressive display case you have there. Is that a Clockwork Orange figure I see inside it? The Albie, Tripe, Eindecker and Spad look great.
Alan.


Many thanks Alan!  Yes, that is Alex (minus his murder instrument…the wife thought would be a bit too much because of its lgeneral appearance”) standing between Erik the opera ghost and Graf Orlok of Nosferatu.  Alex and the vampire are my oldest surviving kits (both are from the mid 1990s…moving whilst in the Air Force destroyed my earlier builds).


The curio is nice, but not nearly large enough.  I have more aircraft, ships and spaceships to display!  Need a second one…but just for models!

Offline Rob_Owens

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Re: Happy to Be Aboard
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2023, 03:50:15 PM »
Frank, Your rendition of proper tire/tyre colo(u)r and prop laminations alone on the WWI builds speaks volumes of your skill and attention to detail. As for the rest, I’ve always thought eclectic modeling keeps the creative juices flowing.
Welcome from a retired Zoomie E-7,
Rob