Brushing off the dust

I didn't think I'd get much of a chance to slip into the modelling room while I was recuperating from the first of two surgeries. However, since around Christmas I have been feeling pretty good, so I snuck into the vicinity to see if there was anything there that didn't have 3" of dust on it.

First of all, as a medical update, I have a second surgery coming, which has been rescheduled to 1-27. This is to complete work on the implanted pacemaker/defibrillator that was put in on 12-9. Apparently this is a lesser job and will not require full anesthesia (just lots of good drugs to fuzz me out and make me not really give a rip what is going on). This device has 3 leads, two of which were installed in the first surgery (though they do want to re-position one of those) and one that they were unable to install to the surgeon's satisfaction, even after 8 hours of OR time.

While in the surgeon's office the other day, they were doing some tests on the device, and were able to speed up and slow down my heart rate wirelessly from across the room. It is more than a little disturbing to realize that your heart now comes with a remote control.

Anyway, I went to scope out what modelling projects were in the queue. I am not one of those fellows that builds one kit at a time in a linear manner. I generally have a large number on the boil at any one time, filling in the spaces for glue drying and paint curing with work on another project.

I think I have mentioned that I have picked up the last two Xtradecal RAF special schemes sheets, both of which come with Eurofighter squadron anniversary markings. At this point I am just putting together the two cockpits. Both are the Revell 4317 kits - not the Italeri rebox. I really do like the kit; it has decent fit and detail, and is not overly complex except in the places that you would expect, like the ventral intakes. So work will be continuing on these two.

I've also started a little side project I've been considering for a while now: a big display of aviation ordnance. I rarely ever put a bomb or missile load onto the planes that I build. The models are there to highlight the aircraft itself. So I have boxes of missiles and other things that have collected up over the years. Why not build and paint them and put together a little history of aircraft equipment. The items themselves tend to be simple - at most a few parts - and the hardest part may be finding decals for some of the newer types. There has been a huge explosion in aftermarket production of ordnance in the last decade. A Model has a whole range of big Soviet items, Hasegawa has their (nine?) weapon sets, ICM has a couple of their own, and many kits come with at least a basic representation of some sort of loadout.

So I have the first three assembled and I'm working on paint. These happen to have come from kits, not solo weapon sets, and they are positioned with the Eurofighter cockpits.