My collection

[astronut1885]

Hi guys. I've been slowly collecting for about 2 years now, and in the last few months 1/72 diecast has become the focus of my collecting. I've also got about 40 1/72 US Navy aircraft plastic kits that I will be starting in on soon. Anyway, I hope you like what I've got going. All of the tractors and small figures were painted by me, the catapult diorama came with a Dragon VFA-2 Super Hornet. I'm not going for psychotic levels of accuracy, for example I know an F-8 doesn't belong on a Nimitz catapult, and I know VFA-2 never carried jamming pods, that was a what-if for fun. Sorry about the less than stellar pics, had to use my Droid X because the wife has "misplaced" the digital camera

My two large shelves:


1/18 JSI VF-84 F-14A Tomcat- eventually to be repainted as VF-101 Grim Reapers AD160 circa 2004


Unimax FOV F-14A Tomcat VF-84 (original crappy edition) and 1/60 Sky Pilot SH-60 Seahawk. Behind them is a large Weapons of War DVD set.


A plastic kit battle damaged A-1D Skyraider, Falcon Models F9F Panther NAS Pensacola, Corgi Models A-4F Skyhawk "Rampant Raiders", Century Wings F-8E Crusader NP101 takeoff configuration on Dragon catapult.


Witty Wings F/A-18C Blue Diamonds and Witty Wings VF-124 F-14A Tomcat Bicentennial NAS Miramar


MRC Easy Model VMFA(AW)-225 Vikings F/A-18D, Corgi VMFA-232 Red Devils F-4J Phantom, SunStar Air Command F/A-18A Hornet VMFA-232 Red Devils




Revell F-14B Tomcat VF-101 AD101 "Tomato", Altaya/IXO VF-101 AD163, (and dying to get a Century Wings VF-101 for this shelf too!)





My smaller shelf:


Dragon Wings Cyber Hobby exclusive F-14D Tomcat VF-2 Bounty Hunters NE100, Dragon Wings Cyber Hobby exclusive F/A-18F Super Hornet NE-101, Dragon Wings F/A-18F Super Hornet NE100, custom figures.




Corgi VF-111 Sundowners F-4J Phantom NL200, Hobby Master VF-111 Sundowners NL201, Unimax FOV VF-111 F-14 A Tomcat "Miss Molly"




Sky Pilot 1/55 SeaKnight with FOV marines and APC (diorama in progress)

[Axis Nightmare]

Very nicely displayed

[snake]

Nice collection of Navy jets, astronut1885.

And quite a few different manufacturers represented.

Thanks for posting.

[[CAT]CplSlade]

Did the F9F come in the Pensacola scheme, or did you do it yourself? I ask because I grew up across the bay from the base and although I collect WWII have a notion to someday start on jets/props that would have been in service in my area - both PNAS and Eglin AFB.

[YT]

Very nice, you obviously don't have small children!

[[CAT]CplSlade]

Very nice, you obviously don't have small children!

The trick is to have shelves higher than the kids are tall.

[gouchy]

Very nice display Astronut

Its almost like a convention, all the major manufacturers represented

I like that its not cluttered, very carefully thought out. Do you have more planes boxed up waiting for their chance at their T.O.D (Tour of Display) rotation?

[Cat]CplSlade, That F9F is from a company called Falcon Models, diecast 1/72 scale, its relatively new, released last year I think, still plenty available in the market now.

http://www.flyingmule.com/products/FA-FA721003

Hobby Master has one in 1/48

http://www.flyingmule.com/products/HM-HA7203

[astronut1885]

Yeah, no kids yet. 27 and freshly married over here. No diecast are currently waiting display, they go out as I get them. I actually just got my Altaya VF-101 Reaper in last evening. Not quite up to par with a Dragon or even Witty model, and certainly not for the accuracy lovers out there, but it's a passable Reapers jet and I'm happy with it. It's the first Tomcat I've gotten without articulated wings, too, which is a bit lame, but again, this is the WalMart of model companies here. Most of the manufacturers are up there because at some point they covered a subject I have some kind of connection to, or they were on a good sale . I'd prefer to have all top shelf models like CW, but sometimes something like the EasyModel VMFA-225 F/A-18D is the only way to get that squadron into the collection without building one myself, and my skills just aren't there yet.

CplSlade- Gouchy hit it right on the nose, that F9F is Falcon Model's NAS Pensacola version that comes exactly how you see it (- the ladder and figure). I got it when the Flying Mule did a huge winter sale a few weeks back along with the Sundowners Phantoms and Tomcat. It's a nice model, very heavy with the diecast, and is a nice early jet age example for a collection. I like it better than the blue combat paint scheme one they had, for some reason I like Navy jets so much better in grey than the old school blue.

[astronut1885]

Oh, and inside the drawers on the cabinets are 40+ plastic model kits I plan on doing for the collection. Stuff ranging from Navy X planes like the pogo, flying pancake, Ryan FR-1 Fireball, and TFX/ F-111B navy version to movie planes like an A-6E with "Flight of the Intruder" markings, F-14As with decals for Maverick/Goose and Iceman/Slider from Top Gun, an F/A-18C with markings for Will Smith's jet in Independence day, and several planes from the squadrons already represented like VF-2 (I have a nice retro scheme F-14D to do with PE, resin, rubber, and all kinds of goodies, a very early F-14A, and a low viz F-14D), VF-111 (a few crusaders), VF-124 (Miramar Tomcats), some A-6Es/KA-6Ds/A-6As all to be marked in VA-196 to match the Flight of the Intruder model, and then some Navy greats like a Vigilante, Prowlers, Tracker, Hawkeye, Skyknight, Tigercat, Corsair IIs (even a 2 seater), and lots of tractors/figures/accessories (verlinden resin- a whole new learning curve there!). I just hope the built kits come out on a level of quality that makes me comfortable adding them in and showing them off. I'm definitely going to need more shelf space going forward, but I want to keep clutter down to the minimum.

Also, on my diecast wish list right now, I'm looking for a Witty VF-111 Sundowners Low Viz, a Corgi VX-4 F-4J Bicentennial scheme, a Witty VA-93 A-7A Bicentennial, a CW F-14D Reaper (my holy grail), and at least one CW A-6 intruder. I keep adding as hobby finances allow. I just liquidated another of my collections, Transformers from the movies, and got a few hundred bucks to dump into this collection.

[astronut1885]

The build stash:

[Light.Inf.Scout]

very cool

[snake]

Those kits should definitely keep you busy for quite a while.

While the CW Grim Reapers might set you back some bucks, you may want to consider an A-6, or an A-7 from them. Some of these can still be had for a reasonable price, and as you know from your F-8, the quality is great. And they both come with lots of ordinance hanging off them.

That is quite the navy collection you have there, astronut1885.

[astronut1885]

Hey man. Thanks for the compliment. I plan on getting at least one CW A-6, probably the last flight bird. If I get the chance I'll get a retro-schemed one too. As far as their A-7s, I'd love VA-93 NF301 to go with the bicentennial Witty A-7A I plan on adding to the bunch.

[astronut1885]

Score another one for the collection. Just won this for $40 shipped on Ebay.

[ketelone]

Nice collection and display. What is the scale on your latest acquisition? I am so impressed with your display of your planes because it is neat, orderly and it is not "cluttered."

[astronut1885]

That's a Witty Wings A-7A Corsair II VA-93 USS Midway 1976 Bicentennial scheme.

[snake]

Nice collection and display. What is the scale on your latest acquisition? I am so impressed with your display of your planes because it is neat, orderly and it is not "cluttered."

1/72 scale, ketelone.

A good scale for jets. Not too big, and not too small. Easy to display, and ever increasing types of aircraft done.

[ketelone]

You are so right, but sadly I am addicted to 1/32...