Joe Hegedus

I'm gonna go with "less expensive to operate". Follow the money...

The serial on the tail says it's not a D-5. 42-72xxx would be D-20 or D-25 (depending on the last 3 digits).

What is "normal"?

I don't, either. That's why I have the 10 containers of finished models stored away... 😞

I typically finish between 20-30 models a year; since 2011 I've averaged 30 models per year with a low of 15 and a high of 57. Those aren't necessarily all started in the year I finish them, but many are. I build mainly for colors and markings, mostly OOB. I don't care for open panels and prefer closed canopies so I don't usually spend a lot of time on interior stuff, and I prefer clean finishes to emphasize the markings, so I don't usually do much weathering (there are a few exceptions though). The kits I have in the stash now are starting to skew toward larger, more complicated kits that will take a bit more time, hence the 5-year estimate (several large-scale resin biplanes, a couple Tamiya 1/32 kits, and a few large Monogram bomber kits, for instance, vs. 1/72 and 1/48 WWII fighters). I also generally have several projects ongoing at once, usually things that will get similar colors, and if I'm painting a particular color that is common to several things I will pre-paint several kits to speed the process later. For example, if I'm building a P-47 and I have the green out to paint the interior, I'll paint the interiors of all the kits I have that will use that color while I have it out, whether or not those particular kits are the current project.

My stash hovers at around 60-80 unbuilt kits; enough to last about 5 years if I don't buy any new kits - I figure there will be at least a couple new kits coming out each year that I'll want to get as well. This is down from a high of approximately 800 a few years back. A refocus on what I wanted to have in my collection, along with reasonable assessment of what I could realistically expect to build at my normal build rate before I exit this mortal world, led to a series of purges to get rid of the extraneous subjects. I can fit my current stash on 1 3' x 6' utility shelving unit, with some space left over (it doesn't all currently reside on 1 shelf unit, but it will all fit there). Should the worst happen, that's not too much for my family to deal with. The 10 storage containers of completed models, plus the 2 almost-full display cases are a different matter...

Those are probably the EASIEST parts to mask with plain Tamiya tape - straight lines and flat panels. Really, the only problem children mask-wise on the B-17 are the turrets and maybe the waist windows. The rest are pretty simple

No other aircraft in USN/USMC inventory uses an ITER for heavy bombs, so I doubt you'll see them on anything other than a Harrier. USAF has their own version of the Hi-speed TER for smart munitions on the F-16s.

Do tell, why?

Just curious, but what exactly would a an F-4 squadron be striking in the Med in 1972?

Thanks, I was unaware of that. 🙂

I think it really depends on what specific B-25 you want to build. Both the Monogram and Accurate Miniatures are excellent kits, but are not in direct competition with each other, as Monogram molded the late-model B-25H and J, with the top turret located behind the cockpit, whereas Accurate Miniatures molded the early B-25B/C/D (and a conversion to make the cannon-nose "G") that had the top turret located aft of the wing root and a slightly different aft fuselage shape. There was also an old molding of the early B-25 from Revell (not a Monogram kit), but that one is from the 60's, maybe early 70's at the latest and probably isn't what you'd be looking for in a kit.

It likely would have sold better if they hadn't screwed up major parts of the basic shape. Once the magnitude of the errors became generally known, thanks to those who were the initial purchasers, I suspect a lot who would have purchased the kit (myself included) decided it wasn't worth the time, effort, and expense to correct what should have been right from the get-go.

The Bubbletop "D" kit only has the unfilleted tail; the P-47M boxing includes all the fin fillet options, including no fillet.

Nice!