I know when I'm outclassed!
Jul. 24th, 2009 12:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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.
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.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-24 11:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-24 11:58 am (UTC)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...
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2009-07-24 12:03 pm (UTC)Pfffft. A man's reach should exceed his grasp, etc. Do it.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-24 12:05 pm (UTC)(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2009-07-24 12:23 pm (UTC)YES! YES! YES!
no subject
Date: 2009-07-24 12:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-24 01:08 pm (UTC)(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2009-07-24 02:02 pm (UTC)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!
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2009-07-24 02:50 pm (UTC)Coincidentally, that Modelzone is Beatties reincarnated.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-24 03:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-24 07:41 pm (UTC)(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...)
no subject
Date: 2009-07-24 10:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-03 12:09 pm (UTC)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?