Author Topic: Jeff from USA... in Bangkok.  (Read 2082 times)

Offline Jeff K

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Jeff from USA... in Bangkok.
« on: May 15, 2017, 09:04:56 PM »
Blame Duncan Grinnell-Milne...

SHORT VERSION: back into modeling after a few decades away, currently reading pilot memoirs obsessively and planning some 1/32 WWI builds.

LONG VERSION:I wouldn't expect anyone to read the long, rambling version, but if and when I post something odd or (hopefully) interesting, it's here for reference. In other words if and when you wonder what planet I'm from here's the map:

When I was a kid I was, like a lot of young modelers, obsessed with World War 2 aircraft. I picked up a copy of Wind in the Wires by Duncan Grinnell-Milne. This was followed quickly by more reading (notably, Ernst Udet's book) and a string of Revell 1/72 biplanes (no rigging), and a failed attempt at Rickenbacker's Spad XIII from the Revell 1/28 kit.

Flash forward a few decades...

I was teaching Art and Design at the time. In Bangkok, Thailand.

If you were in my class, you could pitch any sort of project you were interested in, and if you persuaded me it belongs in Art and Design, you'd get a green light, and that would be your classwork. Some students built radio control drift cars, others build Gundam (mobile suits, not giant robots I'm told). I also had young filmmakers, one of whom was obsessed with WWII.

In helping the students develop their skills, the itch to build miniature stuff started to need scratching again. And World War II crept into my reading list, especially the Battle of the Atlantic, the air and naval war in the Pacific, and CBI (I live in Thailand).

So a few months later I've got a stash of all 1/72 kits, including some intended for radio control (a Flower-class corvette and a Gato sub). At this point I was utterly dogmatic about sticking to 1/72 scale, as I hope to one day build a radio control destroyer (HMS Walker, Hesperus or Bulldog). However, I couldn't help notice the spectacular kits Wingnut Wings was making.

Then, I followed Amazon's recommendations down the rabbit hole...

and bought an old used copy of Wind in the Wires. A few hours after it arrived I stumbled onto this site and commenced lurking.

Now, a few months after Grinnell-Milne shooting me down a second time, I've got a spreadsheet of aces, their aircraft, and whether figures are available. 54mm figures.

So yeah, over the next few years I expect to bring more obsolete aircraft to Thailand than the RTAF...

Offline Des

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Re: Jeff from USA... in Bangkok.
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2017, 09:15:11 PM »
Hello Jeff and welcome to the forum, I'm looking forward to your participation with the forum and its members, BTW, I read the long version, very interesting.

Des.
Late Founder of ww1aircraftmodels.com and forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com

Offline lcarroll

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Re: Jeff from USA... in Bangkok.
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2017, 10:15:12 PM »
Welcome to the Forum Jeff. Wingnut Wings and Wind in the Wires is a pretty strong brew.......... add the stuff you've seen here and you're hooked! Enjoy your stay and I look forward to your contributions.
Cheers,
Lance

Offline IanB

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Re: Jeff from USA... in Bangkok.
« Reply #3 on: May 15, 2017, 10:59:16 PM »
Welcome aboard Jeff.
 Looking forward to seeing some of those projects come to fruition.

Ian

Offline coyotemagic

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Re: Jeff from USA... in Bangkok.
« Reply #4 on: May 15, 2017, 11:47:15 PM »
Welcome aboard, Jeff!  Interesting back story.  How on earth did you end up teaching in Thailand?  You may be the one responsible for the recent flood of requests from Thailand to join a few of the WWI modeling pages on FB.  Good on you, sparking interest in modeling in these kids.
Cheers,
Bud
"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream in the dark recesses of the night awake in the day to find all was vanity. But the dreamers of day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, and make it possible." -T. E. Lawrence

Offline Monty

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Re: Jeff from USA... in Bangkok.
« Reply #5 on: May 16, 2017, 04:19:31 AM »
Hi Jeff, Welcome! I did enjoy the long version... In my youth the seminal book I studied was "Flying Fury" by James Mc Cudden! But get building soon, there's a great world of miniature wood, wire and linen aircraft out there! (OK lots of it is fake effect, but it looks good!) Regards, Marc

Offline bobs_buckles

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Re: Jeff from USA... in Bangkok.
« Reply #6 on: May 16, 2017, 06:12:56 AM »
Hi Jeff,
 Welcome to the forum.
You sound like a fun-guy type of bloke and you can never have enough of those in and around this forum.

Enjoy!

Von B  ;)



https://www.bobsbuckles.co.uk/

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Offline Jeff K

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Re: Jeff from USA... in Bangkok.
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2017, 04:02:54 AM »
coyotemagic, i ended up teaching art in Thailand the way everyone does... i set out to make a movie in China, missed by a wide margin, ended up getting hired to ghost write a book in Thailand, finished, ran out of money, needed a job...

i doubt i'm responsible for the surge of interest in WWI from Thailand, i currently repair and install servers and switches in data centers and only teach one 13 year old student. he is, however, totally obsessed with both world wars, so maybe he's doing all the requesting.

Battlefield One is already really popular here, i suspect the game is driving the surge of interest.

not quite got my workshop converted to a workshop yet, but one of the benefits of divorce is that i now *have* a workshop. large one too.

after i get back into the swing of building i'll probably build some big stuff like a radio control bird. i'll not build a sticks and tissue bird until i've spent enough time with the trainer that i'm confident i won't destroy it (like i did my free-flight Guillow Camel when i was a kid).

got some non WWI in the queue to do before i dive into 1/32 WWI planes. most important is i'm building the Hasegawa P-3C Orion as a bird my cousin served on, making a diorama for him. then i've got some local interest birds--Flying Tigers, Singapore defenders to build..

my first WWI bird will most likely be Nieuport 17s (Academy and/or Italeri), Collishaw's tripehound, and Rickenbacker's Nieuport 28. my LHS doesn't have any Wing Nuts kits, and i'm going to grab these from him on the cheap.

even after i build the Black Maria i'll still be wishing for a Black Flight reboxing from WNW. Raymond would probably like a reunion i figure...

Offline Jeff K

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Re: Jeff from USA... in Bangkok.
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2017, 11:09:21 PM »
Coyote magic, can you point me in the direction of those Facebook WWI modeling groups?

PS it is officially too late to turn back, just pulled the trigger on the Encore/Roden McCudden Se5a. Guynemer surrenders his place in the reading queue to Flying Fury.

Offline RAGIII

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Re: Jeff from USA... in Bangkok.
« Reply #9 on: May 20, 2017, 10:54:32 AM »
Jeff,
Sorry I am a bit late in my Welcome. You certainly have an interesting History! I am looking forward to your contributions. Also feel free to share that Orion in the Time to Relax section ;D We would love to see it.
RAGIII
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