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Darren Roberts

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Everything posted by Darren Roberts

  1. There was always a latent air-to-ground capability built in to the original design. There's a picture of a pre-production jet with a belly full of Snakeye bombs slung underneath. The phrase "Not a pound for air to ground" came from a disdain for the bombing mission. That was back when you had dedicated aircraft for each specific role. The F-14 was a "fighter", and it was going to be used that way. Looking back, it was a very short-sighted approach, given that just 10 years later everything would change and the focus would be on multi-mission aircraft. But, as they say, hindsight is 20/20.
  2. The F-14B cockpit was essentially the same as the F-14A from a modeling standpoint. When LANTIRN hit the fleet, both the A and B received the square PTID screen. The D cockpit is a completely different animal.
  3. Do you need A-4's? A couple years ago I bought a box (12) of Monogram Hi-Tech A-4's with the intention of doing Adversaries with the Fights On decals. I used one kit out of the dozen, then sold the decals and the box has sat in the closet ever since. I've moved and downsized, so I'd be up to making space and getting rid of the box. PM if interested.
  4. I see what you did there. "Barely scratched the surface" on a thread that involved scribing raised panel lines.😄
  5. This is very eloquently stated, and I would suspect many, many modelers feel the same way. My modeling epiphany occured when I was preparing to do a seminar at the Omaha IPMS Nats a few years back. I was presenting the History of US Navy ID Markings and wanted to have physical examples. I decided to build all of the Monogram Navy kits to show all of the different markings. Because of the time crunch, I built them OOB and didn't worry about accuracy. It was the most fun I've had in years, and it came close to capturing that joy I had as a young child. Since then, I don't enter contests and I do
  6. Even the Blue Angels protect their name. When I was making masks, it was highly recommended to me to leave off the crest and the script. Otherwise, I'd have a knock at the door and a cease-and-desist letter handed to me unless I got permission.
  7. That is very kind of you. Thank you for the support. As long as you enjoy what you're doing, that's all that matters.
  8. I think the framing is different. With that said, the framing on the Monogram kit is wrong, so you could sand off the framing and polish the canopy, then use the mask to paint on the correct framing. That's what I did the Monogram F-14.
  9. You are spot on Bill. Where it goes off the rails is when comments are made. We've all heard them. "This kit is a piece of garbage that should be tossed in the trash. In fact, I did throw it away because it was unbuildable." Or, "Just stop complaining and build it. Be glad a kit manufacturer even made it." I'm going to dive deep philosophically for a moment. As humans, we tend to seek out validation. That validation many times can be found in like-thinking groups. Human nature is to congregate with others we perceive as similar to us, whether it be values, appearance, interests, etc. I think t
  10. Thanks for the input GW. Your $0.02 are worth quite a bit more.
  11. When you see something you want, buy it, because when you go back for it at a later date, you won't find it.
  12. What disturbs me (and should disturb the powers-that-be) is that a fire on board could cripple this ship (and possibly cause it to be scuttled). What happens if a missile hits it in combat? The Forrestal, Enterprise, and Oriskany had much more serious (as far as what we know at the moment) fires than the Bonnie Dick, yet those were all saved. What's going on with this one that they aren't able to get it under control?
  13. In addition to this excellent advice, you have to consider that on any given day, a specific model will (or won't) do well. I entered an 1/48 F-4 Phantom at a local show and place. A few months down the road I went to IPMS Nationals and entered it and took 3rd. You just never know what the judges are looking at.
  14. Do whatever you feel comfortable with or what you enjoy. That's what the hobby is about. That's why it kind of bugs me when modelers look down on those who don't rescribe.
  15. Actually, I kind of get what echolmberg is saying. I don't think dai phan meant anything negative from his title. However, echolmberg has a legitimate gripe. I've had personal interactions with other modelers at contests who've asked me why I didn't rescribe the lines on my Monogram Tomcats. I said it took too long, and a good result could be achieved with the raised lines. I was told that a "serious" modeler would have rescribed the lines. I kind of thought I was a serious modeler, being that I write for Finescale Modeler and have won awards at the national level. I guess I'm not serious eno
  16. Good question. If you mean highlighting the panel lines, many used pencil, painting, or lightly sanding the line to get the plastic to show. They are essentially the same techniques used today. It's interesting to note that while engraved detail can be used to produce a very artistic finish, most of it isn't realistic. Engraved lines are simply easier to work with.
  17. You're right. That's probably a better example.
  18. I can actually see it now that I know what to look for, but it still (at least to me) isn't that big of a deal. It's comparable to the AMK Tomcat rear end. Yeah, it's there, but whether it's a deal-breaker is completely up to each person.
  19. I've shut down Steel Beach and closed the website, so the pictures aren't available anymore.
  20. The best advice I can give is be careful cutting. Make your cuts smaller than needed and then gradually increase the area until the resin piece fits. I would also recommend using the resin parts to make a tape template. Trace around the part on Tamiya tape, cut it out with an X-Acto, and place it where it needs to go.It's a be it of work, but it's not hard. If I can do it, anyone can! I wish I could have done the entire fuselage, but my casting abilities weren't up to that. Good luck with the project. I'm glad you found one. Hopefully some day I'll be able to restart SB and bring that set back
  21. I'm putting the decals on an F-16A and wondered why the warning stenciling is in orange. Every other US aircraft is in red or yellow. What was the thinking behind using orange?
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