Woot. I didn't know there was a smaller scale forum on here!

[astronut1885]

Hello guys! I've been creeping in the 1/18 scale forums for about 8 months now, completely oblivious to the fact that there was a "-n-smaller" forum on here. I'm a diehard 1/72 collector, and now I have somewhere to keep up with the hobby. I'll be sure to get pics up ASAP of my collection, and I'll soon be starting on several plastic model kits that I can keep the boards updated on as I learn and build. I pretty much collect Navy / Marine jets, for example my Xmas presents included a Easy Model VMFA(AW)-225 F/A-18D (not bad for $20, needs armament though), a Falcon Models F9F-2 Cougar, a Corgi VF-111 F-4 Phantom (kinda disappointing) , A Hobby Master VF-111 F-4 Phantom (Much better!) and a FOV VF-111 F-14A Miss Molly (worlds better than the POS first edition VF-84 FOV Tomcat I have thank God!). I also got a crapload of Hasegawa and Fujimi kits including S-3A Viking, F4D-1 Skyray, EA-6B Prowler, A-6A Intruder, S-2 Tracker, E-2A Hawkeye, F-8 Crusaders (VF-111 to go with the diecast), and a RA-5C vigilante (by trumpeter!) to name a few.

My current diecasts (with what details I remember off the top of my head):

Century Wings F-8 Crusader "Checkmates" Flaps/Slats version (sitting on a Dragon catapult diorama that came with a superbug)

Dragon Hobby Lobby Exclusive VF-2 Bounty Hunters F-14D Tomcat NE100

Dragon Hobby Lobby Exclusive VFA-2 Bounty Hunters F/A-18F Super Hornet NE100

Dragon VFA-2 Bounty Hunters F/A-18F Super Hornet NE101 with Catapult Diorama

Witty Wings VF-124 F-14A Tomcat Miramar Bicentennial scheme

Witty Wings "Blue Diamonds" F/A-18C Hornet (love the flag/flame paintjob)

Corgi "Rampant Raiders" A-4F Skyhawk

Corgi VF-111 F-4J Phantom CAG jet

Hobby Master VF-111 F-4N Phantom #201

Forces of Valor VF-111 F-14A Tomcat Miss Molly

Forces of Valor VF-84 F-14 A Tomcat (with the crappy retracting "landing gear" and thick flight surfaces)

Easy Model VMFA(AW)-225 F/A-18D Hornet

SunStar Air Command VMFA-232 F/A-18C Hornet

Falcon Models NAS Pensacola F9F-2 Cougar

Sky Pilot SH-60 Seahawk (might be 1/60 scale, but it's close and a souvenir from a trip to USS Midway)

Sky Pilot SeaKnight (I think 1/50 scale, same as above for reason I have it.)

and I have a JSI 1/18 F-14A Tomcat VF-84 Spotcat, hence my creeping in the 1/18 forums.

Anyway, Hi.

[astronut1885]

Edit: Dragon "Cyber Hobby" exclusives for the two Bounty Hunters birds.

[snake]

You really didn't know that the "smaller scale" forum was here?

Sounds like you have a pretty varied collection, with at least one model from the major manufacturers, in the jets you collect.

Century Wings are the "premier" manufacturer, in my opinion, but they are expensive, particularly the F-14. But you have an F-8, so you can see how well they do. They also do the A-7 CorsairII, A-6 Intruder, F-14 Tomcat, and SR-71.

Hobby Master has a large selection of jets that you would be interested in, with good quality, and reasonable prices, although they are starting to climb. And they pump out a good number of models on a regular basis. Almost too fast. And have done about 30 different F-4's. Just released the F-18, F-101, F-102, and F-106.

Dragon are pretty decent, although are getting old now. But they can be had fairly cheap, and are better than Witty. Only complaint is lack of weapons.

Witty are getting better, and now offer gear up options.

Falcon are a new manufacturer, and although not top quality, they do some aircraft that nobody else does.

Century Wings homepage.

http://www.centurywings.com/model_72.html

Hobby Master homepage. Click on Military Aircraft.

http://hobbymastercollector.com/

Hope this helps, and good to see you "discovered" the smaller scale forum.

[astronut1885]

Nah, I never noticed it, I was too busy drooling over the 1/18 stuff, though I did think it was weird a Small Scale HQ would neglect anything but 1/18....Guess my first dealings on the board about the JSI Tomcat really tunnel-visioned me. I'm dying to get my hands on a CW Intruder, either the Last Flight bird or the KA-6D version. I'm also digging HM's new Hornet, but I already have so many on the shelf or in the works as model kits ( planning VMFA-225 black/grey jet, VMFA-225 Low Viz jet, VMFAT-101 low viz jet, VMFA-232 high and low viz, and who knows what else...) that I really can't justify any more bugs. I'm trying to build jets that have some personal significance, like ones I have seen fly or something. I lived near MCAS Miramar for 3 months Nov 2009-Jan2010 and watched VMFA(AW)-225, VMFA-232, and VMFAT-101 tear up the sky almost every day, so that's why there's so many from their squadron. Same thing with VF-2/VMFA-2, I spent 2 weeks down at NAS Oceana with my dad as a kid and I'm pretty sure we watched the Bounty Hunters do touch and go's in their older Tomcats all day long, and since the die cast guys offered more from that squadron (super bugs), I figured what the heck, history of the bounty hunters time...Unfortunately that extended to the Miramar squadrons, VF-111, etc... I like making "sets" of things, even if I invent the "set" myself, like a bunch of VF-111 birds from various decades.