How many on-going projects and unstarted kits do you have?

[David Davis]

About fifteen or twenty years ago I bought a model, a Brian Taylor Harvard off an old boy from Somerset. He'd made a lovely job of it. Post war RAF colours, two pilots, retracts etc, but I've never flown it. I'm waiting for my landings to improve! Over tea and cakes he said that all aeromodellers were hoaders.

Yesterday I was considering how to cover my latest build, Dr Walt Good's "Big Guff," one of the very first models designed for radio control and dating from 1938, when I realised just how much stuff I'd acquired over the years and that at seventy-one I would be unlikely to finish everything before my date with the Grim Reaper!

This is the list of "projects."

1. The Big Guff to finish.
2. A 1/6 scale BE2e to finish.
3. A little Sharkface to finish.
4. The WOT 4 XL to re-cover.
5. My Senior Telemaster to re-cover. The fuselage needs a little work too it's too flexible.
6. My late best friend's Flying Flea to finish off.
7. My Uncle Ivor's Keil Kraft Outlaw to renovate.
8. A WOT 4 Classic to renovate.
9. A Dave Smith Models Aerostar patternship to renovate.
10. The elderly gentleman's T6/Harvard which needs the radio and engine installing.
11. A Majestic Major that needs a new fuselage, repairs to the wing and a complete re-cover.
12. A DB Sport and Scale Auster to finish off.
13. A friend's Bristol Blenheim to complete
14. My double size Tomboy which requires a new fuselage and fin!

Then there are seven unstarted kits as follows:

DB Sport and Scale SE5 1/4 scale.
Fokker DVII 1/6 scale.
Supra Star patternship.
Another WOT 4 Classic.
Hawker Hurricane.
Stampe Monitor
Another Practical Scale 1/6 scale BE2e.

If I am typical, the old boy must have been right, we are all hoarders! What do you think?

Perhaps I should sell some!

[Don Fry]

Guilty. Not saying how much.

Thank you for your shopping list.

[Gary Clark 1]

Hi David,

Thats an impressive list of stuff you have there!! I have 4 or 5 waiting to go and 3 on the bench just now but most that are finished never get flown because i prefer the building element!

i know many guys who are much older than you and are still outputting models much quicker and to a better standard to most of the younger guys so i'm sure there are many many years of good building time left!!

Ive found selling some of mine to focus on less motivates me more or i feel snowed under and can't be bothered starting any of them!

Gary

[Bob Cotsford]

That list has made me feel quite good as I only have two current projects (including one that's been sitting for two years waiting for a coat of paint), plus 5 kits and one ic to electric conversion tucked away.

[Geoff S]

Not counting unstarted kits, I have 3 started but, as yet unfinished models on the burner.

1: DB S&S 60" Sopwith Pup, which is very much on the front burner and actually being worked on almost as I write (waiting for glue to set )

2: Quarter scale Airsail AOP9 which hasn't beem touched for about 5 years. I was struggling to find a suitable engine and both petrol engines I tried wouldn't fit the narrow cowl (Zenoah 26, now in a Maher's Thunderbird and a Mackay 30, now in my GP Super Stearman). If I restart it, it'll be electric as a motor will be easier to get into the cowl.

3. Not an aeroplane but a boat. - a 1.2 metre long Thames spritsail barge. I've just about completed the hull, fitted a sail winch and sprit adjustment serv as well as a rudder servo. The lee boards are made as is the 'cheat' fin (but not the lead weight) and the rudder. I have to make all the simulated deck gear (winches etc), the 2 masts and the sprit. Then there's the 5 sails (main, top, mizzen, and 2 foresails) which is a bit daunting. One reason it's on hold is that I can't think where to sail it once finished. Lack of convenient model sailing water is what got me aeromodelling. I started this after a few aeromodelling misfortunes put me off the hobby for a year or more. The plans, DVD, and CNC cut hull frames etc ended up costing me nothing because Traplet refunded my £90 because the CNC cut parts were totally wrong - I did manage to bodge them to make a fine looking hull in the end though I say it myself.

Unstarted kits are a Blasacraft Hurricane, a Warbirds Hurricane, a set of Dennis Bryant parts, drawing etc for a 54"ws SE5a, a competition 2m glider designed by a club mate and a small model of the Wright Flyer I bought at Kitty Hawk as a memento. I think that's it. Ah, there a tiny SE5a kit I got from Banggood for indoor.

Geoff

[J D 8]

Ongoing is repairs and maintenance of fleet.

Unstarted for twenty years plus a Cambrian F86D Saber. Ongoing' DB Tigermoth E and an OD mini Focke-Wulf 190.

[leccyflyer]

25 in the workshop for repairs/maintenance - some very minor repairs, others much more extensive rebuilds.

17 kits at various stages of completion, several just needing painting/gear installing. The bottleneck is typically the painting.

17 airframes being refurbished - these are models that I haven't flown yet, a few are IC to be electrified.

49 kits in their boxes not started, including short kits, trad kits, artfs and foamies/PnP types that just need a few hours assembling.

[Peter Miller]

One model under construction. Another that gets worked on between the plan projects. No kits but a stock of wood.

I know from past experience that if a model is not built from start to finish it will never get done with very rare execeptions.

[Jon H]

i cant remember my full list but a few highlights are:

97'' 1/4 scale La7
Warbirds 80-90 inch - Hurricane, Spitfire MkI, Spitfire MkXVI, P51, A6m Zero, P40
Warbirds 60-80 inch - Yak 3, Yak 3 but bigger, Fw190, Bf109, Another Bf109 but smaller
WWI - 1/4 pup x3 (dont ask), 50 ish inch fokker Dr1, Nieuport 17 and Pup
1/4 stampe... cant remember the rest.

I know that i worked out recently that if each model not currently finished had a service life of only 5 years i would still have about 200 years of flying ahead of me :/

I also have over 50 engines not currently in airframes. Everything from 1cc PAW Diesels though many enya, saito, OS and Laser 4 strokes.

I am trying to thin things out, but the problem is as soon as i sell something i have both the money and the space to buy something new!

[alex nicol]

I guess the answer is far too many, thing is if you put a slight spin on the question to read 'how many unfinished projects is SWMBO aware of ? I bet the number would be significantly less ;o)

My to do list

1. Precedent fun fly to renovate/refurb

2. Phoenix 1/5 scale Pilatus PC21 to finish off gear instal

3. Pilot 1/3.5 Bucker Jungman half covered

4. Chilli Wind scaled up to 80" to get on the building board.

5. Flair Christen Eagle light U/c damage to repair and sell

6. Falcon Aviation Eurobat to re maiden after fuselage rebuild.

7. Numerous ideas I'm fighting to keep locked away until the previous items are dealt with

Alex

[Nigel R]

I'm with Pete M in this one. I have no ongoing projects at this point in time. A few minor repairs to do and a workshop tidy.

Sadly that does not mean my shop is clean or neat!

I do have a box of engines that I'm unlikely to completely use.

[reg shaw]

I like threads like this as it shows I'm fairly normal! Have a few new builds, a few refurbs and a couple of kits to keep me going, when I get the time to find the enthusiasm!

new builds

1/4 scale Boulton Paul Defiant

1/3 scale Albatros DVa

1/3 scale Roland C.II Walfisch

1/3 scale Minimoa 2a two seater

1/3 scale Grunau Baby

1/2 scale Druine Turbulent

Refurb projects, either old models or ones acquired as projects

1/4 scale Vickers Wellington

1/4 scale Polikarpov I16 Rata

1/3 scale Sorrell Hiperbipe

1/3 scale L4 Cub

1/3 scale Supercub

2/5 scale As K8b sailplane

1/2 scale Stits Skybaby

Kits

1/2 scale Fournier RF4d

1/3 scale Pfalz DXII

plus a few indoor scale kits for rubber and or radio.

Flyable

1/2 scale Flying Flea

1/3 scale Sopwith Pup, should be in projects as I had a mid air with it a month or two ago.

1/8 scale Handley Page HP42

1/4 scale Mitsubishi Zero

1/7 scale Junkers Ju52M

Jiant Jabberwok

plus a few other bits of projects etc, whether I do them or not, they're not coming to harm, there's no rush!!

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Geoff S]

plus a few other bits of projects etc, whether I do them or not, they're not coming to harm, there's no rush!! plus a few other bits of projects etc, whether I do them or not, they're not coming to harm, there's no rush!!

Reg: When you're my age there IS a rush

You never mentioned your narrow boat. Doesn't that need some work?

I know you built a super new workshop a couple of years ago but that 1/4 scale Wellington must take up a huge amount of space, to say nothing of the rest.

Geoff

[David Davis]

Posted by Nigel R on 09/11/2019 20:34:45:.

... I do have a box of engines that I'm unlikely to completely use.

Oh yes, I'd forgotten about the engines. I've got forty of them ranging from a Mills 75 to a Laser 155.

Only six of them are currently installed in models!

[Chris Walby]

Glad to know I am heading towards normality being a late starter in the hobby! Although I did get a negative comment from Sue about the number of models in the dining room (6 models and 2 kits)!

Unfinished or on the building board

1. Top secret Focke-Wulf project
2. TN DC3
3. BH Mosquito needing new wings and nacelles due to my slow flying stupidity
4. Fun Fighter ME109 rebuild, all bits in one carried carrier bag
5. TN Ta 154 after vertical entry in to the ground (I have a mostly undamaged wing & a carrier bag of bits)

Kits and ARTF to build

1. Extra Slim Twin
2. Tiger Moth ARTF with Laser 80
3. Warbirds replica hurricane needs Laser 80 from the above
4. Grumpy Tiger Cub (electric)

As for installed engines

6 engines in 4 models and a pair of engines waiting to go into another model....do I have a problem?

[GrumpyGnome]

1. Make my taranis bind............... VERY frustrating!

2. Fix the airborne radio install in my Ultrastick 10cc (to use the OpenSky Rx from 1. probably....)

3. Finish small Tiger Moth

4. Remove warps from small DR1

5. Make radio work in UMX A10 so I can put it back together following purchase of new fuselage

6. Replace tailerons on UMX F16 - needs Horizon Hobby to actually make replacement tailerons that an be used first ......

7. Touch up umx SS Cub

8. Fix ailerons on C-Ray

9. Stabilise wings on Wots Wot-E - they're a little loose after several hundred flights

10. Build Micro Aces Fokker DIIV

11. Build SFM SE5

12. Build SFM spacewalker

13. Tidy workshop!

14. Decide what to do with the dozen or so 'benched' planes that live in eaves and will most likely never be used

15. Decide what's on Xmas list!

GG

[Cuban8]

For years I managed to stick to my rule of one build at a time. Unfortunately, I have fallen into the trap of having three projects on the go but all nearing completion and first flights. Precedent Druine Turbulent (complete, covered but needs engine) Dennis Bryant Chippy (at the covering stage, not decided on engine at the moment) & Revolver II autogyro (finished but needs setup to be finalised).

Only one unstarted project, a Seagull Silence Twister. No plans to get that one going at the moment.

I rarely fly during the winter these days, nothing used to stop me in the past but I really don't see the point of making oneself cold and muddy for the sake of it. My local club's field is all but unuseable because of poor drainage and is suffering with all the recent rain - doesn't stop a few putting up with the mud covering everything - themselves, models and cars.............not for me though. Plenty of building time and opportunity for doing other household tasks that need attending to. Hopefully a clean sheet for next year.

Edited By Cuban8 on 10/11/2019 10:14:55

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Old Geezer]

BalsaNova* - covered, engine, tank & servos in - nearly there.

Galaxy Wizard - covering half done + installation. (Putting in my first glow motor, an OS25, bought 2nd hand in the 70s, still starts first time and runs like a Swiss watch.)

Unstarted kits: Junior 60, Black Magic, Sharkface. Balsa Cabin mini-glider.

Needing a full service: :Bogey (leccy Correx combat jobbie) - needs bigger motor and stronger servos to allow it to express it's full hooligan DNA.

* Old USA design aerobat ( see The Outerzone ) airframe in the raw balsa bought some 20 years ago but it's taken this long for me to find a Round Tuit for it.

[Chris Freeman 3]

I too have far too many airframes, projects and kits. I went on a buing spree 6 years ago after the house burnt down and I lost all in the fire. This spree was also componded by the fact that many of my retired mates cannot afford to build new models so I wanted to ensure I had stuff to do when I retire in a few years time. The demise of Top Flite and Great Planes also resulted in me buying kits second hand when they came onto the market as kits are getting very scarce. Many of these kits came at great prices which made it even harder to resist.

I am very lucky to have a son who loves the hobby as well so if I do not get around to building it he will build them. I have over 60 kits but I think the exposure to glue fumes, balsa dust, dope and spray paint has affected my judgement so I will still buy more should the right opportunity present itself!

Some of the kits are:

TF 1/6 Mustang

TF 1/5 Mustang (2 kits)

TF Stinson Reliant (2 kits)

TF 1/6 Thunderbolt

TF 1/5 Thunderbolt

Pica 1/5 Trojan

Pica 1/6 Waco bipe

Marataka 1/5 Peashooter

Marataka P38

ESM KITS: B25, 110, 109, Mig 3, P47

Projects include a 1/3 Balsa USA Cub, 89 " Chipmunk, 120" DC3, TF 1/5 Mustang bought half built and a TF Mentor.

I also have too many plans and magazine for new ideas for the next project. I do like to Scratch build!