THAT PLANE SURE SPITFIRES

Late last week I was watching a show on SBS where the host James May got a bunch of schoolkids to make model Spitfire planes. Making model planes was still pretty popular when I was a lil kid but video games have seen an end to all of that, which showed in the less than enthuiastic responses from the kids on the show once they were shown what it was they would be doing.

One comment during the show that stuck out from all others was that if you went into a model shop these days you will find it packed full of 35 - 55 year old men. So I figured I'd drop into Stanbridges Models which is only a few minutes from my place and see if this was true. Wow, was it ever true. Grown men everywhere scouring the shelves for the exact model plane, tank, car, motorbike or ship that they were after. There were a couple of kids hanging with their dads and I had to laugh at one exchange

Kid "Dad, dad, hey dad come look..."

Dad waving the kid off as he stared at the shelf in front of him "Yeah yeah just a minute I'm jus....."

hahaha the kid doesn't stand a chance with that sort of competition.

So I started trying to remember what it was like building models when I was a kid, I kind of remember it being fun, so I thought what the hell lets buy a spitfire model just like on the TV show and build one. Could be fun. So I looked around and found what I thought was a clever bargain, a spitfire kit with paints included for around $30. Ha, it's the all in one for me. Oh plus a pair of snips and some brushes, all up $65 or there about. Hmmm getting a bit more expensive

So first up I pulled everything out of the box and made sure it was all there, check.



Then I saw a heading "Read Before You Start" so I did, except it was in 15 different languages.

First thing I noticed was that even though this kit came with three types of paint you actually need 8 types to complete it. Riiiiight, so back to the model store and another $18 on the 5 paints. This is now officially an expensive plane. No matter, I said I'd do it, so I'm doin it.

Right, just one more important part of the puzzle needed....

First task was to put the cockpit together and then glue both sides of the body together, this was by far the hardest part of the entire process. They say don't use too much glue but man o man that's hard to not do. I had glue goin everywhere trying to keep everything in place. I finally managed this....

It was lookin pretty good I thought to myself, just need to add the wing to the body and clip the wheels in place, can't be too hard right?



Look it's even standing up on it's wheels (note this would be the first and last time it ever stood up on it's wheels)



Paint job next, note the absence of any wheels, wheels which by now had started to shit me no end



Paint job finished, crappy as it is



Decals go on and we're all finished



Note that the wheels are now glued to the undercarriage in flying mode and that's where they'll be staying

So all up I was pretty impressed with my effort, I'm sure it gets cheaper as you reuse the same paints again on something else. But I'm not sure how much spare time I would be able to lend to this sort of a task, especially as I lagree entirely with James May statement "I used to make lots of models but then I discovered girls and beer"

She's a beaut, good times.