Fun w/ the little guy

[Jet]

Many years ago, when I was the age Kolya is now, I spent a few weeks in the hospital as doctors did a series of procedures to correct an ongoing ear problem. As kind of a reward for toughing out a fairly miserable ordeal, my Dad took me out to a local store and allowed me to pick out my first model airplane. He was having second thoughts when I picked out a huge (to me) box with the ridiculously high price tag of $12.99  :hairraising:. Nonetheless we headed for home and began construction of the world famous British Supermarine Spitfire. It was one of my all time great childhood memories. It was the beginning of a hobby that would bring hours upon hours of enjoyment over the next ten years or so. Sadly, the original Spitfire met an untimely demise when Mom inadvertently smashed it into a million pieces  (but that's a story for a different time).

A week before Christmas this year, I wandered into a local hobby shop looking for a small part to fix the little train we usually set up around the base of the Christmas tree and couldn't believe my eyes  , there on the top shelf, in the back, all dusty, was MY Spitfire! The box was exactly as I remembered it from 35 years ago. Only the price tag had changed, $41.95 (now I understand that look on Dad's face). So, Kolya (and I) got one more present than we expected this year  . We're having a blast working on it a little each night, and he's already inquiring about when we might go select the next one, because he enjoys the time together so much  . Family stuff like this is what it's all about, it makes life worth living...

[I/O]

Not just a "Feel Good" story, but a story that leaves one with a "Good Feeling".  Very good in fact.

Thanks for sharing.

I/O

[jb]

Jet,

Did I ever tell you the story about the time I flew a Spit?  Compared to everything else I've ever piloted, the Spitfire was a real rocket.  Your model picture bring back some very fond memories.  Somewhere in a dusty old box in the attic there are some photos, I'll have to dig them out one day, scan them, (of course) and send them to you.

[Rvrwind]

Put a beard on that little guy in the cockpit & you could even imagine its jb, LOL.

[BillyB]

I built lots of models when I was a child. Lots of fun. KIds feel good after accompishing the task of putting together a model. Building ships and airplanes from the WW2 era were my favorite.

[SANDRO43]

Kids feel good after accomplishing the task of putting together a model.

.. and sniffing a lot of glue in the process. I can still remember it gave me a rather dreamy feeling, and that some difficult pieces would suddenly become VERY easy to install .

[Jumper]

Jet-

very cool 


 i have a somewhat similar kit dinosaur project build scheduled to begin in the *am* ,

and i'm sure the *project director*
 will begin my day earlier in the *am* than i was really  planning ..LOL

[Jet]

Well, after a long grueling week this project has come to a close 
Even though we haven't gone into the finer points of weathering and super-detailing I think it came out pretty darn nice, and he can't wait to send the pictures to Dedushka.

Put a beard on that little guy in the cockpit & you could even imagine its jb, LOL.

I dunno Rvr., this guy looks wayyy more nervous than jb ever gave the impression of being!


As a side note, Kolya eagerly suggested "Hey, maybe we could build one for him too!" 

[BillyB]

 Jet, I have a feeling you had big hand in that excellent paint job taking some of the fun away from the little guy.

Sandro, At your age, you probably don't purchase models anymore for fun, just the glue. Some stores where I live will check your ID. They will not sell certain glues or paint thinners to kids due to more and more kids sniffing causing brain damage.

[jb]

LOL,,, Oddly enough, I stumbled up on a hanger full of rebuildable airplanes here in Goodland, KS.  Most would qualify as antiques, one hanger has 4 early 50's vintage Cessna 195's in it.  Any one of them would be a project I'd have welcomed pre-9-11-01.  Unfortunately, private aviation has fallen on hard times these days.  That, plus 100 octane Av gas is currently selling for a little over $4.00 a gal. and if I recall correctly, those old 10 cyl radial Jacobs engines didn't get real good gas mileage.

Here's a picture of what they used to look like.

[Jet]

Billy,
He's a maniac with a spray can LMAO! 
Actually we did a real simple deal with scissors, a few sheets of printer paper, and some scotch tape. He shot the green/tan/white himself, I just masked it off.

[SANDRO43]

Sandro, At your age, you probably don't purchase models anymore for fun, just the glue.

BillyB, my aircraft model-building stopped when I was about 13. At my current age, I'd be more interested in models of the pre-assembled variety, where you may sniff perfume, not glue, although brain damage is still a possibility .

[Cold Warrior]

Messersmitch and Spitfire in the Imperial war Museum in London

[rasdave]

Excellent post Jet! Excellent! And the plane came out nice too. Good detailing in the cockpit. Now you need to work on some russian planes and throw in a german plane too and hang them in his room as if in a dogfight.

I mostly did WWII tanks when I was a kid since I was never good at painting planes or cars.

[Gator]

I am still getting around to reading posts made in my absence.

This is a good one Jet!

Kolya has got a great smile.  I am sure he makes you smile too.

The Spitfire was very revolutionary, one of the great marvels in the history of war.  Its developer was dying of cancer? as he worked fervently to launch this new concept - which the Nazis thought was cute but not a fighter.  Think about what if the Nazis had developed the jet fighter at the beginning of the war instead of at the end.

In my youth it seemed implausible that the Brits were capable of developments such as the Spitfire, radar, etc.  because my exposure to British engineering was limited to those confounded Austin Healeys, Jaguars and Lucas electronics.

[jb]

because my exposure to British engineering was limited to those confounded Austin Healeys, Jaguars and Lucas electronics.

Had to laugh at that one, Gator.  I owned two Healys and one Jag in my youth.

BTW, it was rumored that the reason the Brits drank warm beer was because Lucas Electric made their refigerators.

[SANDRO43]

For those of you interested in the development of the Spit, here's an interesting book written by her test pilot, Jeffrey Quill, and published in 1983 by Arrow Books.

[Mir]

Cold Warrior

That is not a Messerschmidt but a Fock Wolf FW 190.

Gator

Well the Me 262 could have been operational as early as 1942 but was delayed due to sheer stupidity (for example Hitler wanted it to have dive brakes like the Stuka,so lot of time was waited in modifications etc.)

[Mir]

Sorry Fock Wulf FW190!

[SANDRO43]

Sorry Fock Wulf FW190!

Wrong again, you probably meant FockE-Wulf Fw 190 .

[Mir]

Yeah that one
Just came back from the pub so my senses are a little dull he he

And who said we in Britain drink warm beer?

[SANDRO43]

Just came back from the pub so my senses are a little dull he he

You DID seem to have something else on your mind, jockeying around that first word .

[Jet]

... because my exposure to British engineering was limited to those confounded Austin Healeys, Jaguars and Lucas electronics.

ROFLMAO 

Yep, being the onetime owner of a TR-6, MG-B, and 2 Healeys including the incomprehensibly irritating '67 Sprite with a 12v positive ground configuration, I have to agree whole-heartedly! (Yes, I was somewhat masochistic in my younger days  )

Thanks for the kind words everyone, and for those interested in the subject matter, our next project looks like it's going to be the Soviet Lavochkin LaGG-3.
This plane was built in Kolya's home region (N. Novgorod) so perhaps a little history lesson will ensue as well