7 years back....

[BarryW]

In December it will be exactly 7 years since I returned to this hobby after a 20 plus year break for kids/career etc...

I deal with statistics and figures all the time in my job and I have been recording my buiilds on a spreadsheet (yeh..... I know)

Some stats that have emerged from this.

Over these 7 years I have only really built aircraft (I am excluding one experiment with 1/35 armour after a trip to Bovington, this kit put me off doing more armour....)

So far
1/72 scale - 1
1/48 scale - 9
1/24 scale - 1
1/32 scale - 39 (includes the current build that will be finished soon, before December)

Total 50 completed builds.

The following 6 (all 1/32) were not completed.
2 builds not completed due to, one a missing part that I could not source (a turret on a Avenger) and one that I dropped onto a concrete floor, wrecking it.
3 builds abandoned as I did not enjoy the experience from Special Hobby, revell and Kitty Hawk.
1 build I simply cocked up, entirely my failure from not following the instructions.

Thats it - average 8 kits per annum.

I have 6 kits in my stash (see signature below)
A wish list all 1/32
ICM Gladiator - awaiting release
Zoukei Mura FW190 - news awaited
Wingnut Wings Lancaster (wiil I or won't i...)
Trumpeter Frogfoot and Flanker (available not bought)
Hong Kong Models F4 FAA Phantom.
Kitty Hawk Jaguar (maybe...)

Kits I am longing for in 1/32
A decent Harrier
A decent Hurricane
A decent Bucanneer
A decent Eurofighter Typhoon
Absolutely any new 1/32 release from Tamiya....

Any other wish lists...

[AlanG]

I'd go for the HK Lanc personally. At least it's here now. WNW seem to be putting it back again.

[Jason Crausby]

Well done Barry....now you’ve got me thinking...

[BarryW]

I just did a 'sort' on my spreadsheet (yes, I do like to fiddle around at work when I get a few spare minutes, the priviledge of running your own business and getting to the office early....)

I found that the number of kits built of each manufacturer, including 'failures', are as follows with stash in brackets....
Italeri - 1
ICM - 1
Eduard - 1
HKM - 1
Dragon - 2
Kitty Hawk - 2
Academy - 2
Zoukei Mura - 3 (1)
Hobbyboss - 3
Special Hobby - 3
Airfix - 4
Revell - 4 (1 - well its Dragon really, the bf110 reboxing as Revell)
Hasegawa - 6
Trumpeter - 8 (2)
Tamiya - 15 (2)

You can see where my preference lays, to a large extent the Tamiya/Trumpeter bias is driven by my preference for 1/32 scale as well as the kit quality....

Manufacturers ranked in order of the quality of fit and engineering.
Tamiya (obviously, but their decals are awful)
Dragon (but their instructions are awful)
Hasegawa (but a bit basic)
ICM (little beauties)
Hobby Boss (awful decals)
Trumpeter (awful decals)
Zoukei Mura (unique, challenging)
HKM (some great subjects)
Eduard (their one 1/32, the bf109, was excellent but too much p.e. for me)
Airfix (new builds very good, manufacturing problems though, low quality plastic, pity they dont do 1/32)
Academy (good ones are very good)
Italeri (fit issues)
Revell (made to a price, low quality plastic)
Special Hobby (short run, can be problematical)
Kitty Hawk (careless, poorly produced)

[boatman]

HI Barry can I ask where you keep all the 1/32 that you have built ? is it possible if you can put on a pic of each of them as I would love to see them remember im a fairly new member an I did not see most of them when you done your builds please
An im lookin forward to seein the F16 build an the F14 plus the F18 builds
chris

[Dave Ward]

Barry,
did you see the ICM news?
Your scale....................
Dave

[BarryW]

Barry,
did you see the ICM news?[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1107851[/ATTACH]
Your scale....................
Dave

Eagerly awaited - Telford release, I wonder...

[BarryW]

HI Barry can I ask where you keep all the 1/32 that you have built ? is it possible if you can put on a pic of each of them as I would love to see them remember im a fairly new member an I did not see most of them when you done your builds please
An im lookin forward to seein the F16 build an the F14 plus the F18 builds
chris

Hi Chris.

Some are in a school museum others have been given to people and some have been thrown away. I had a clear out when I moved house 3/4 years back.

here is a pic of most of them, one of each...

well, only 20 at a time will load...


next batch

[BarryW]

[BarryW]

some more..


Thats all I have avialable....

[boatman]

Cor many thanks Barry one word from my point of view to describe these models an that ;s FANTASTIC im gonna sit later in the evening after SWMBO gone to bed an sit an study them again many thanks for posting them pics :thumb2: but for now ive got a ship to build
chris

[Peej]

Some cracking builds there Barry.

[colin m]

some have been thrown away

So, you have started the cull. I'm not there yet, but one day, it will happen.

[Ian M]

That was some collection. A pity that some have to go but the ugly truth is we all get to that point.
I have to choose what to build next by size. I really need to have a clear out and make some room for more. This is when you see the problem with building "sets"...