I know when I'm outclassed!

[major_clanger]

On the way to meet a friend at the Princess Louise yesterday evening I walked past ModelZone (the huge model shop on High Holborn opposite My Old Dutch) and glanced in the window.



OMG! Airfix (who have apparently been reincarnated yet again) have re-issued their rare TSR-2 kit - and not in the original 1/72 scale, but a whopping 1/48!

Had the place been open, I would have struggled hard not to buy one on the spot. (Even at the price of firmly outing myself as a hopeless geek to my beautiful and intelligent dining companion for the evening. Mind you, she's probably worked this out by now.)

Alas, I now find myself cooling on the prospect. Why? Because I am not worthy of this model. At 1/48 scale, it's nearly two feet long. That's the sort of size where it demands a level of attention and detail far beyond what I'm capable of. It's not a question of getting the paint job and decals right; at 1/48, you're adding detail like panel fasteners, maintenance warnings and the scuff marks from the groundcrews' boots.

And I wouldn't want to build the base model of the one I've seen sitting in Duxford. With my alt-history interest, I'd want to do a TSR-2 in Desert Storm (or rather Op GRANBY) camo. Or Boscombe Down 'Raspberry Ripple', like on the cover of this book. Or USAF colours, in a really bizarre parallel world where they cancelled the F-111 and bought TSR-2 instead. And I'm clearly not alone in this - you can even get third-party decal kits!

Alas, A Man's Gotta Know His Limitations. I should probably stick to this sort of thing instead.

Comments

[non-trivial.livejournal.com]

I bought a copy of a modelling mag purely because it had a detailed build review of that model, but I have refrained from buying a kit itself because I don't have anywhere to work on my stash of unbuilt kits at the moment. Oh, for a shed...

[gummitch.livejournal.com]

Personally, I couldn't resist the temptation, and got two (one to squirrel away for sale when the limited edition runs out). And that's despite the fact that I haven't built a model since 1979. I've spent weeks just putting together the necessary tools, knives, paints, glues, and solvents, before touching the thing.

Never mind decal sets, there's a whole bunch of added detail extras.

You know, I had a feeling that you'd be someone who'd have distinct views on the TSR-2...

[swisstone.livejournal.com]

I knew I'd seen someone with one!

[gummitch.livejournal.com]

The really mouthwatering prospect is the 1/24 Mosquito. Dimensions: 585x617mm, yike!

[nojay.livejournal.com]

Here's one I made earlier...

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee12/nojay_photo/Odds%20and%20Sods/yamato800.jpg

This is a 1:10 scale model of the Yamato in a museum in Kure near Hiroshima. The detailing level is crazy when you see it up close.

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

And that's despite the fact that I haven't built a model since 1979

You too?

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Alas, A Man's Gotta Know His Limitations.

Pfffft. A man's reach should exceed his grasp, etc. Do it.

[swisstone.livejournal.com]

It's beyond your capacity now. But you could always buy the kit while it's still available, and then work yourself up to the requisite level of skill on things like this.

[swisstone.livejournal.com]

Or perhaps, given your preference for planes that go whooooooosh, something like this.

[zotz]

Or even . . .

A good summer for reissues, it seems.

Nobody tell CJ.

Seriously.

Nobody. Tell. CJ.

He's been vaguely after a Valkyrie kit for at least the last several years.

[nmg.livejournal.com]

Damn your eyes, I'm going to have to get my credit cards out now.

[sbisson.livejournal.com]

Damn damn damn.

Wooosh!

[zotz]

There's a page here with some entertaining postulated paint schemes . . . including one for an aerobatics team.

[gummitch.livejournal.com]

There goes my bank balance...

[percyprune.livejournal.com]

A TSR-2 kit?

YES! YES! YES!

[timill]

You will only know your limits by going beyond them. You should do it.

[vicarage.livejournal.com]

Pah, you should have bought one and started assembling the tail assembly in the pub in front of her!

[andrewducker]

Naah - they should have bought one together! It's like buying a cat, only easier to saw in half when you separate!

[autopope.livejournal.com]

I am grinding my teeth now.

Back when I was a wee thing I made lots of kits.

But since my detached retina in 1989, not so much. I don't have true binocular vision any more; can't thread a needle, can't do fine detail work either (due to my left fovea being interestingly distorted by the surgical repair). And now I can add presbyopia to the list: I can't focus on small fiddly things at short range any more.

Basically, model making is right out for me -- just when I need a relaxing finger-centric hobby to give me an excuse to get away from the keyboard, and can actually afford it!

[non-trivial.livejournal.com]

Given how much high-end modelling is aimed at the older consumer (who, as you note, can afford such luxuries as £100+ worth of kit and resin detailing sets a pop,) I'd have thought there must be devices aimed at helping modellers with non-20/20 vision. I know there are various magnifying stands, and other devices available.

[gummitch.livejournal.com]

Airfix (who have apparently been reincarnated yet again

Coincidentally, that Modelzone is Beatties reincarnated.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Now, if they made a 1:48th model Concorde too you could build the Laundry's special ops flight...

[brixtonbrood.livejournal.com]

You may Know Your Limitations now, but once you start on cardboard aeroplanes, things may lead here.

(I know that there are 1:33 models of the Hercules, the Vulcan and (gulp) the B-52 available, but I can't find size details for them...)

[sharikkamur.livejournal.com]

Posting links to paper models is EVIL EVIL EVIL!

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

The TSR2 is a lovely thing.

I adore the story about it being 'mislaid' at the back of the hanger when the order came through for its destruction.

Just who is trying to sell the engine on ebay, then?