Adams Savage of Mythbusters YouTubes

I loved building model aircraft right up into my teens. Only the last couple of models did I have an airbrush and that was a total game changer. Then graduated and went to work and models went away. But I still feel that old pull when watching Adams stuff . Was in a hobby shop for the first one in decades and wow did it take me back.

This is very common on the modelling websites which are dominated by older modelers. People started as kids, then put them aside to adult for a while, then in their 30s, 40s, 50s or even later come back to it one way or another. I built models as a kid, but my friends and I found other interests. After I got married and had a kid I bought a couple of models and that was that, I was back in. It is very common that a random encounter with a hobby shop re-ignites the spark.
 
Is there some kind of modeling resurgence? The thing that got me out of models was it was getting really hard to find good kits. I loved the bigger planes that were kind of oddball. Like Henkel 219 Owl, P-61 Blackwidow, or something super detailed. Mid 70’s most hobby shops went away or didn’t have aircraft. It was all cars :( I was surprised how many cool kits I saw in the hobby shop we went into. Spent a lot of time digging through what they had. Do most guys buy their kits online now?
 
I have over a dozen kits stored already. The nearest shop is an hour away, 60 miles. The last one in my area closed a good 5-7 years ago. Their specialty was trains, but naturally had cars, planes and military stuff. They were a small Michaels like store on one side and models on the other.
 
Is there some kind of modeling resurgence? The thing that got me out of models was it was getting really hard to find good kits. I loved the bigger planes that were kind of oddball. Like Henkel 219 Owl, P-61 Blackwidow, or something super detailed. Mid 70’s most hobby shops went away or didn’t have aircraft. It was all cars :( I was surprised how many cool kits I saw in the hobby shop we went into. Spent a lot of time digging through what they had. Do most guys buy their kits online now?

Yes the modelling hobby has had a big upswing. Technology has been good to the hobby making it easier for people to find stuff and easier for small kit makers and aftermarket sellers to make and sell their stuff.

Unless you are in a major city most people buy online. Eastern Europe has become a new (past 20 years or so) major player, the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Russia in particular. China as well but that probably isn't surprising. There have been some shake ups and consolidation of the US kit makers, but most the brands are still on the shelves but consolidated ownership.

Large scale aircraft have also become popular, there are several very large kits, like 1/32 scale 4 engine bombers (B-17). I don't know where people put behemoths like that, I have enough trouble finding room for 1/72 scale aircraft.

I don't know what you like, cars, aircraft, armor, ships but here are a couple of online shops I'm comfortable recommending. If nothing else it can give you some idea what is out there and prices.

Megahobby Good general shop

Sprue Brothers Heavy on aircraft

Hobby Linc Good general shop

Model Round Up Mostly car models

Hannants Big seller in the UK, shipping can be an issue but good for some of the smaller European / UK stuff hard to find in the US

Hobby Link Japan Big Japanese seller, great selection and prices on Japanese kits


Here is a quartet of 1/72 triplanes I built. Old Revell Sopwith triplane, new Revell Fokker DR1 Manfred Richthofen (red), Eduard Fokker DR1 Lothar Richthofen (yellow) and Roden Fokker F1 (DR1 prototype) of Warner Voss (olive streaked).

more triplanes.jpg
 
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Some of the kits I have tucked away for my resurgence in models. Some are newer than others. Interesting that the two versions of the P-38 use the same artwork but different scale models. Also have two versions of the SR-71.
Pierre
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Yes the modelling hobby has had a big upswing. Technology has been good to the hobby making it easier for people to find stuff and easier for small kit makers and aftermarket sellers to make and sell their stuff.

Unless you are in a major city most people buy online. Eastern Europe has become a new (past 20 years or so) major player, the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Russia in particular. China as well but that probably isn't surprising. There have been some shake ups and consolidation of the US kit makers, but most the brands are still on the shelves but consolidated ownership.

Large scale aircraft have also become popular, there are several very large kits, like 1/32 scale 4 engine bombers (B-17). I don't know where people put behemoths like that, I have enough trouble finding room for 1/72 scale aircraft.

I don't know what you like, cars, aircraft, armor, ships but here are a couple of online shops I'm comfortable recommending. If nothing else it can give you some idea what is out there and prices.

Megahobby Good general shop

Sprue Brothers Heavy on aircraft

Hobby Linc Good general shop

Model Round Up Mostly car models

Hannants Big seller in the UK, shipping can be an issue but good for some of the smaller European / UK stuff hard to find in the US

Hobby Link Japan Big Japanese seller, great selection and prices on Japanese kits


Here is a quartet of 1/72 triplanes I built. Old Revell Sopwith triplane, new Revell Fokker DR1 Manfred Richthofen (red), Eduard Fokker DR1 Lothar Richthofen (yellow) and Roden Fokker F1 (DR1 prototype) of Warner Voss (olive streaked).

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Thanks for the links Sprue Bros had some very cool kits with price tags no kid is ever going to afford :) Several years ago I got back into computer flight sims just as they were resurrecting the old IL2 Sturmovik franchise and that was a whole world I had not a clue about, Russian WWII aircraft. I have no idea why. I guess it’s like the only fighters anybody knows about is Spitfire, Bf 109 and P51. I was really glad and surprised to see a Yak 9T and Yak 3 in the offered kits. I didn’t get all the way through so there might have been others. They are the ultimate in odd aircraft you don’t see often. Oh and of course there was an IL2 and 1-16 Rata.
 
Anybody else watching Adam Savage Tested YouTube channel? Been hooked on these over the last couple weeks. Good stuff
Pierre

Myth busters should be called, “it ain’t true because we can’t figure out how it happens”. I quit watching when they ‘proved’ resonance caused by people stepping in time, couldn’t possibly bring down a structure, yet engineers design for it and have sighted it as a cause of several failures.
 
Myth busters should be called, “it ain’t true because we can’t figure out how it happens”. I quit watching when they ‘proved’ resonance caused by people stepping in time, couldn’t possibly bring down a structure, yet engineers design for it and have sighted it as a cause of several failures.
Yeah, i came to the same place when they said you couldn’t be shocked by peeing on an electric fence. I personally proved it when I was 6yrs on my grandpa‘s fence. Woke up flat on my back with my pants around my ankles. Never did that again!
 
Myth busters should be called, “it ain’t true because we can’t figure out how it happens”.
yep, entertainment first, fun builds second, witty repartee third, science ....

But fun to watch for the first couple of goals listed.
 
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