Starfighter's Model Blog

My Kind of Guy

2009-11-19T21:53:00.001-05:00

Although I don't have to be suffering from H1N1, I might have done this at least once.

Impressive. . .

2009-01-25T01:37:00.001-05:00

A Nimitz-class CVN, with air wing made out of Legos.

Lego Super carrier USS Harry Truman

Who Knows What Evil Lurks...?

2009-01-25T01:33:00.001-05:00

You Are 32% Evil

A bit of evil lurks in your heart, but you hide it well.
In some ways, you are the most dangerous kind of evil.

How Evil Are You?

Cynical? Moi?

2009-01-25T01:30:00.001-05:00

You Are 68% Cynical

You're a full blown cynic... and probably even skeptical of these results.

You have your optimistic moments, but most likely, you keep them to yourself.

How Cynical Are You?

Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head

2009-01-25T00:58:00.004-05:00

I don't think I will be able to take the Carnivore Challenge. But it sounds like a tasty pizza. I'd like to try it in one of the smaller sizes.

An Embarrassment, and Damn Proud of It

2009-01-25T00:56:00.001-05:00

I'm an embarrassment to Barack!

I only scored 14 on the Obama Test

First Completions of theYear

2009-01-24T23:14:00.010-05:00

These are the first two models I've competed this year.

Italeri 1/72 scale B-26K/A-26A "Counter-Invader": This kit is a hold-over from last year. Kit decals. Finish is rattle can and Airbrush, then touched up by hand. Camouflage colours are Testor's Model Master and Polly-scale acrylic. Black is spray can from Wal-Mart. OOB except for True Details resin B-26K wheels and Minimeca stainless steely hypodermic tubing for the nose gun barrels.

Revell 1/78 (Box scale) B-57B "Canberra": The first kit started and finished this year. Original molds for this kit go back to the late '50's. Currently available as an SSP release. This is a 30 year old "Air Commando" series kit bought from the sale table at the LHS. Previous owner had carved the pilot figures out of the one-piece cockpit. Cleaned up seats, added decal parachute harnesses and instrument panels. Some putty and sanding needed to fill seams at wing roots and tail.

Basic black paint again is rattle can from Wally-World. Decals from Italeri (yellow flash on tail) and Airfix (all the red markings)1/72 B-57 kits. The Italeri kit reds were not opaque enough and went almost invisible against the black. National insignia were Microscale. Gloss finish was several coats of Aeromaster clear semi-gloss applied with brush.

A Wife's Perspective

2009-01-07T21:08:00.000-05:00

Why Scale Modeling is a Great Hobby

Moving Maps

2008-10-30T22:56:00.001-04:00

Animated maps of battles from the "War of Northern Aggression" ;-^) and World War II (Currently, Pacific War only)

History Animated

The Original Dungeon Master Makes His Last Throw

2008-03-04T22:42:00.002-05:00

I started playing Dungeons & Dragons when it was still three digest sized books. I still have them. This was my introduction to role playing and fantasy games as I had been playing board wargames since my middle teens. In a way, gaming helped me though late adolescence and early adulthood by giving me an outlet for my imagination. Gamers like SF fandom allowed me to discover that I was not alone, there were other folks who were like me. I spent many nights exploring new and different worlds. Good times.

with a Hat tip to Jerry, who got it here, here's my tribute D&D character:

You Are A:

Neutral Good Human Wizard (6th Level)

Ability Scores:
Strength- 10
Dexterity- 14
Constitution- 11
Intelligence- 14
Wisdom- 13
Charisma- 12

Alignment:
Neutral Good- A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because because it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Class:
Wizards- Wizards are arcane spellcasters who depend on intensive study to create their magic. To wizards, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding art. When they are prepared for battle, wizards can use their spells to devastating effect. When caught by surprise, they are vulnerable. The wizard's strength is her spells, everything else is secondary. She learns new spells as she experiments and grows in experience, and she can also learn them from other wizards. In addition, over time a wizard learns to manipulate her spells so they go farther, work better, or are improved in some other way. A wizard can call a familiar- a small, magical, animal companion that serves her. With a high Intelligence, wizards are capable of casting very high levels of spells.

Web page and journal code: Copy and paste the following:

I Am A: Neutral Good Human Wizard (6th Level)

Ability Scores:

Strength-10

Dexterity-14

Constitution-11

Intelligence-14

Wisdom-13

Charisma-12

Alignment:
Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because because it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Class:
Wizards are arcane spellcasters who depend on intensive study to create their magic. To wizards, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding art. When they are prepared for battle, wizards can use their spells to devastating effect. When caught by surprise, they are vulnerable. The wizard's strength is her spells, everything else is secondary. She learns new spells as she experiments and grows in experience, and she can also learn them from other wizards. In addition, over time a wizard learns to manipulate her spells so they go farther, work better, or are improved in some other way. A wizard can call a familiar- a small, magical, animal companion that serves her. With a high Intelligence, wizards are capable of casting very high levels of spells.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

Detailed Results:

Alignment:
Lawful Good ----- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (23)
Neutral Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (24)
Chaotic Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (19)
Lawful Neutral -- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (19)
True Neutral ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (20)
Chaotic Neutral - XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (15)
Lawful Evil ----- XXXXXXXXX (9)
Neutral Evil ---- XXXXXXXXXX (10)
Chaotic Evil ---- XXXXX (5)

Law & Chaos:
Law ----- XXXXXXXX (8)
Neutral - XXXXXXXXX (9)
Chaos --- XXXX (4)

Good & Evil:
Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (15)
Neutral - XXXXXXXXXXX (11)
Evil ---- X (1)

Race:
Human ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXX (13)
Dwarf ---- XXXXXXXXXXXX (12)
Elf ------ XXXXXXXX (8)
Gnome ---- XXXXXX (6)
Halfling - XXXXXXXXXX (10)
Half-Elf - XXXXXXXXXX (10)
Half-Orc - XX (2)

Class:
Barbarian - (-2)
Bard ------ XXXX (4)
Cleric ---- (-2)
Druid ----- (-6)
Fighter --- (-4)
Monk ------ (-25)
Paladin --- (-17)
Ranger ---- XX (2)
Rogue ----- (-4)
Sorcerer -- XXXX (4)
Wizard ---- XXXXXXXX (8)

Godspeed Dungeon Master. From here on out, may you always make your saving throws.

Oh, Really?

2007-08-05T12:41:00.000-04:00

Don't know what I answered differently:

Find out your Harry Potter personality at LiquidGeneration!

Not Too Bad

2007-07-17T20:36:00.001-04:00

create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide

#2 Has to Try Harder

2007-07-17T20:32:00.000-04:00

That's MY Story, and I'm Sticking to It

2007-05-18T22:07:00.000-04:00

Nope, don't know anything about THIS. However, it's not a true scale model. Doc's using a single big motor as the booster instead of the prototype's four motor cluster.

Proud to be a Geek

2007-04-24T23:31:00.000-04:00

81%

If I'm so Smart, Why aren't I Rich?

2007-02-05T20:41:00.000-05:00

Hat Tip: Daniel

Rockets 'R' Us

2007-01-28T00:21:00.000-05:00

Marietta IPMS had their monthly meeting today. Since the meeting was on the 39th anniversary of the Apollo 1 fire, it was decided to have a "Everybody Build a rocket" theme. At the October meeting, Mike Idacavage, James Corley and I came up with a plan. We had another motivation. The club has one member, Mack Cobb, who for some unknown reason, has a problem with rocket models. It has gotten to the point where he puts a special line item in the meeting agenda "for the rocket geeks" (as opposed to the "real modelers", I suppose) and he is always going on about "not another rocket". Mack Coaches High school football, so he misses the meetings during the fall. So we planned to get everyone to build some sort of rocket model and have the "all rockets" meeting on the first meeting he made after football season. Also enlisted in the conspiracy was Dr. Bob, the club secretary, who sent out meeting reminders to everybody but Coach with reminders about the theme.

Here are the models I brought. I built 6 of them especially for this meeting.

From left to right: 1/200 Apollo 7 Saturn 1b (AMT), 1/72 Project Blossom V-2 (New Ware), 1/144 Juno II (New Ware), 1/144 Thor-Agena (New Ware), 1/72 V-2 (MPM), 1/144 Delta 4 Medium 5,4 (Real Space), 1/200 Gemini-Titan and Mercury-Atlas (AMT), 1/48 Redstone (Cutting Edge/Glencoe), 1/110 Redstone (Revell), 1/48 Jupiter C (Glencoe), 1/300 Jupiter C (Glencoe), 1/200 Mercury-Redstone, (AMT), 1/35 Mercury-Redstone (Estes), 1/40 Nike Hercules (Revell)

Left to right: Mike's Delta 4 Work in progress, Estes Spaceship One build by one of Bob Morales' Sons, Mercury-Redstone and Atlas, James Corley's Saturn 1B, Modified Saturn Vs, Estes X-Prize rocket, Atomic City 1/12 Mercury capsule, Atlas-Agena, and severla 1/700 Shuttles (both Russian and American), Delta 4 Heavy, Araine 4 & 5, Suyuz, Proton, Mercury-Redstone, and X-34. Most of these are still works in progress.

James' modified 1/144 Saturn Vs

Bob Morales brought this Diorama, "Rio, We have a Problem", which was inspired by a news report of an Bazilian launch attempt.

A couple of non-rocket Models.

P-51D Mustang

1/72 Revell of Germany (Not Italeri) A-26B Invader

I was unable to get pictures of the Klingon Test Vehicle, Vector La-5Fn or MiG-21PF that were also brought.

The victim, captured as he came in the door and saw the "Rocket Garden." To add insult to injury, in a flurry of ballot box stuffing, my Nike Hercules won model of the month, and Mack won the door prize, an Apex 1/144 Sputnik kit, which he then gave to one of the boys.

A "MUST SEE"

2006-12-31T00:14:00.000-05:00

For Christmas, Linda bought me a copy of One Six Right, a 2005 documentary about Van Nuys Airport, the busiest General Aviation airport in the country. The overwhelming thread that runs through the film is that local airports are a precious non-renewable resource that is being depleted at the rate of one a week. The Los Angeles area has gone from fifty-some small airports to nine. Special note is made of the fate of Chicago's former lakeside airport, Miegs Field, which was destroyed in the middle of the night when Mayor Daley ordered bulldozers to cut large X-shaped trenches in the runways with out warning anyone and in violation of an agreement the city had with the FAA. Several nearby former airports are shown.

The majority of the film is composed of wonderful footage of all sorts of airplanes that operate from the airport. Everything from piper cubs to Classic biplanes. Cessnas to helos. Warbirds to big bizjets. The airport was the center of aviation in California. Aviation records were set and movies, including Casablanca were filmed there. Marilyn Monroe was discovered working an a plant there. There is archival footage going back to the opening of the airport in 1927, through the 30s, 40s, 50s through the present. Manufacturers including Aero Spacelines and Air National guard operations are covered Lots of local pilots, including celebrities and aviation pioneers are interviewed. All accompanied by a wistful original piano/guitar soundtrack.

Its a rare film that gets me choked up. Its even more rare that a documentary brings a tear to my eye. One Six Right did both. Highly recommended.

It will be showing on Discovery HD on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and Several times in January.

Check out the website, One Six Right: The Romance of Flying

And if you find the password to the "Secret Hangar" section of the website, let me know what it is.

THUDs Forever!

2006-09-27T21:25:00.000-04:00

THE F-105 site. Graphics, movies (including the Thunderbirds), Mission audio, and more. You can even design and print a picture of your very own "Thud." WAy cool and very bandwidth intensive.

Craig Baker's F-105 Site, The Awesome Thunderchief

ARRRGGGHHHH!

2006-07-23T20:07:00.000-04:00

Finally boke down and upgraded my OS from Win98SE to Win2000 Pro. had to track down and load drivers for the Nvidia video card, Download the latest version of Firefox, and re-activate DVD xCopy. The most frustrating thing is the system will not recognise my Soundblaster Live 5.1 card. I try to load the cd and windows BSODs and if I download the driver file from Creative it states that "There is no Sound Blaster card installed in the system. ARRRGGGHH!

What Superhero Are You?

2006-06-30T22:02:00.000-04:00

I am Green Lantern

Funny, I never was much of a DC fan, I always preferred Marvel.

Green Lantern		70%
Spider-Man		65%
Superman		60%
Robin		55%
Catwoman		45%
Iron Man		35%
Hulk		30%
Supergirl		25%
The Flash		20%
Batman		20%
Wonder Woman		15%

Hot-headed. You have strong
will power and a good imagination.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

Sabres Forever!

2005-11-03T23:07:00.000-05:00

An extensive tribute to North American's F-86 Sabre. Tons of good stuff.

Duncan's F-86 Sabre Website

So Much for My "Inner Child"

2005-11-03T22:57:00.000-05:00

You Are 31 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

COOL!

2005-11-03T22:44:00.000-05:00

Electric outlets that rotate to allow you to plug in two wall-warts in the same outlet.

360 Electrical

Hat tip to: Murdoc Online