Man. Somehow, it’s already late August. 2015 is just about two-thirds of the way done. And what do I have to show for it so far?
Two completed builds. Just two. And one of them was mostly done in 2014…
Granted. I’m rather happy with both..but still…two stinkin’ completions is pretty weak.
WTF Happened?
So. What’s happened to this year?
First, work has been extremely busy and the frequency with which I’ve had to put in time on nights and weekends has kept me away from the bench for a lot longer that I’d ever anticipated. Like…for a significant chunk of July.
Second, I’ve had a string of false starts – which never got too far but still stole time all the same. There was the Mirage 2000BG, the Mirage 2000-5, the Airfix EE Lightning…a very brief flirtation with a Revell F-15E Strike Eagle, and so on.
Third, I’ve got a fair number of kits “in progress” that have either taken far more work than I’ve anticipated, or that I’ve had to put on hold for various reasons. Such as:
The Takom Leopard C2…on hold because I ran out of steam and still haven’t finished the various tools.
The Meng Leopard 1A3…another where I’ve just run out of steam.
The massive 1/32 Trumpeter A-6E Intruder, which had to be mothballed when the spiders started their annual summer “get into everything” festival (the 1/32 tadpole is too big to tuck away in a drawer overnight)
The Hasegawa F-4G Wild Weasel – on hold while I work through a deadline build for a magazine…
The Hobby Boss A-6E Intruder…also on hold for the magazine build
I guess at least I’ve been busy…but I’ve spent a lot less time with the airbrush that I’d really have preferred this year.
Meanwhile…what’s on the plate? Kinetic’s F-5B Freedom Fighter, which I’m building for Model Aircraft magazine.
So far it has been a…frustrating kit in many ways. But it has a deadline…and now that I’m getting close to paint I’m finding some of my excitement returning. I’ve got an awesome scheme picked out…good chance to have some fun with fading and weathering.
After the F-5B is put to bed, I’m looking forward to getting some of those jets off the back burner, and to getting something with a propeller or two spun up. It’s been too long since I’ve played with a WWII subject.
Filed under: Build Reports, Rants
