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Old 06-18-2014, 02:49 AM
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Puma Cat Puma Cat is offline
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Default The scale model bug has gotten ahold of Puma Cat!

I appear to have been badly bitten by the scale model bug.

It all started when a buddy of mine, who is a general aviation pilot, bought me a Gemini Aces model of a Spitfire MkIX in desert beige flown by the USAAF in North Africa by Lt. Ohr.



The Gemini Aces series of WWII warbirds by Gemini Jets are 1:72 die-cast models that are beautifully made and constructed with really superb detail, crisp lines, and extremely accurate paint, insignias, and lettering. Almost all of them are now "retired", as the saying goes, by Gemini Jets because they sold so well. Really, these are some of the most beautifully done die-cast 1:72 models I have ever seen.

That beauteous little 'Spit really got me hooked, and I also bought the camoflaged clipped wing Spitfire MkIX that flew attack sorties on D-Day, complete with the tell-tale black and white stripes on underside of the fuselage and wings (the clipped wings provided better and more nimble handling on ground attack runs).



Then I bought the Adolf Galland Messerschmidt Bf109F. Galland is famous for being one of the most successful aces in the history of air combat with something like 104 victories. His plane is being chased on my model shelf above the stereo by the two Spits, but in real life, he'd probably be the one doing the chasing.

Then, as some of you may remember, I bought the 1:18 Flying Lizard Porsche GT3 RSR cars that ran in LeMans in 2011. These resin-cast racing cars by Spark Models are so beautifully detailed and executed that I took several shots of them to play with my lighting technique and table top photography; trying to light them such that one might have a hard time telling if they were the actual car or a model.



Then, last Sunday, I got bitten by the model bug again, and went over to Wine Country Motor Sports and bought a beautiful, die-cast 1:18 scale model made by Auto Art of the Porsche 908/02 driven by Steve McQueen and Peter Revson to 2nd place in the 1970 Sebring 12 hour endurance race. I also shot this car, and found it's execution and detail to be absolutely lovely to photograph when using the right lighting and post-processing techniques (this shot was rendered using a Fujifilm Astia Adobe Lightroom preset by Replichrome)



Now, I'm badly hooked, and have been spending the last two days perusing the die-cast and high-end scale model car and plane web sites. I just ordered a 1:43 scale HPI Models Porsche 956 Le Mans prototype and the Audi R18 2011 Le Mans winner on Monday. Today I ordered a 1:18 Jaguar XKSS that was also owned and driven by Steve McQueen. This model is out of production, but is also made as a die-cast by Auto Art and looks to be absolutely gorgeous (note: not my photo below):



To top it off...I also orderd three more Gemini Aces models, a P-38, and two more RAF Spitfires in different camo schemes.

Help me...before I buy models again...gaaaahhh!
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Old 06-18-2014, 08:39 AM
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Yamaki Yamaki is offline
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Default

My model addiction is 1/18th scale high end cars from Burago, AMT, Franklin Mint, Kyosho, Bruder and others...

I also have some larger scale WWII and Cold War era aircraft models.

I won't be able to help you with your newly formed addiction...
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Last edited by Yamaki; 06-18-2014 at 08:45 AM.
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Old 06-18-2014, 02:36 PM
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Puma Cat Puma Cat is offline
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yamaki View Post
My model addiction is 1/18th scale high end cars from Burago, AMT, Franklin Mint, Kyosho, Bruder and others...

I also have some larger scale WWII and Cold War era aircraft models.

I won't be able to help you with your newly formed addiction...
Yeah, I'm afraid it's becoming an addiction, all right.
__________________
Lumin P1 streamer/DAC/preamp, Constellation Inspiration integrated TT: Michell Gyro SE MkII, SME V, Koetsu Urushi Vermilion, EAR324. Harbeth 30.2s, REL R-305, Shunyata Alpha V2 ICs, Alpha V2 SPs, Sigma XC, Sigma NRv2, Omega QR-s & Alpha NRv2 PCs, segmented Altaira SG stack w/ Alpha & Omega CGCs, Everest 8000 PD. Remote Server Room: Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark Master Clock & LPS, Alita, Battle Angel, (Akasa NUC Roon Core), iFi DC Purifiers (for SMPS used for Alita & router), Shunyata Gemini combo power distributor & Altaira-type CG GP-NR hub, Venom & Alpha CGCs, Shunyata NRv14 power cords for digital components.
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