Production statistics for 72 Land in 2017

I would now like to look back at the production in 2017. It was a fairly busy year, with 35 models crossing the finish line. They weren’t all aircraft, as was the case in every year 2015 and prior. It broke down like this:

17 aircraft

15 military vehicles (trucks, tractors, bomb transport carts)

3 ordnance (bombs, missiles, etc)

In detail and in order, these were the models completed in 2017. As far as the color coding goes, white listings are aircraft, peach are ordnance, and purple are vehicles.

Scheuch Schlepper 2

Hawker Hurricane F1 (Luftwaffe)

Bae Hawk T2 (Bae Systems demo 1997)

BAC Lightning F2A (92 Sqdrn RAF)

Hawker Hurricane F1 (Hawker Aircraft demo)

RAF 8000lb bomb

RAF bomb transport carriage

Republic P-47D bubbletop ("Eight Nifties")

USGOV F-4 370 gal tank dolly

Ford military tractor (Vietnam era)

RAF 4000lb bomb

Hawker Hurricane F2C (352 Yugoslav Sqdrn RAF, Libya 1944)

Republic P-47D razorback (Rattlesnake)

Clarktor 6 Tow Tractor

USGOV trailer

Standard Mfg MJ-1 lift truck

EADS Barracuda (Luftwaffe)

Republic P-47D razorback (Pride of Lodi)

Republic P-47D razorback (Passionate Patsy)

USGOV ammunition trailer (Vietnam era)

SOVGOV Tsar Bomba trailer

General purpose trailer (Vietnam era)

Hydraulic lift trailer (Vietnam era)

Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 (Red Arrows whif)

Yakovlev Yak-130 (prototype)

GLDS M1126 Stryker (US Army Germany 2015)

Hawker Hurricane F2C (Egyptian AF, 1943)

Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 (9 Sqdrn RAF 100th annv)

Beech Starship ("Starship Reliant", 1987)

Volkswagen Schwimmwagen (Western Desert 1942)

USGov Mark 7 Thor nuclear bomb

Messerschmitt Me-163B (French postwar glider)

USGov Mark 7 Thor nuclear bomb transport cart

McDonnell F-101B Voodoo (Maine ANG 1974)

GMC DUKW (US Army, western Europe 1945)

So how does this compare with prior years? It actually beat 2016 by 1 completion. Since I opened up the ordnance category (in 2015) and the vehicle category (in 2016), these have started to make up a larger percentage of completions. They are relatively simple kits, often a single color, and are not difficult to finish in just a few days. Of course both 2016 and 2017 beat the dead zone year of 2015, where I didn’t manage to finish a single item. That was a tough year medically, but by the end of it I was questioning whether I could even call myself a modeler in the absence of any completions. Thankfully, the mojo has returned in strength.

Now, the depressing stat. I have nearly 1500 1:72 models in the garage stash. And I turned 61 last November. Do your own math on that one.

When your interests vary as widely as mine do, there are a lot of new releases that appeal to me. So I do continue to buy, even though reality says that a lot of those kits will be my heirs’ problem, not mine. One thing I am going to concentrate on in 2018 is not doing as many multiples of a given aircraft type. Well, I will always do the occasional Hurricane and Eurofighter (with all those special color schemes), but I will at least try to make different variants rather than just different paint schemes. That explains the Trent Meteor that is entering my construction queue this week. This allows me to do subprojects (which I enjoy) but still concentrates on varied types.

So, once again, the generalissimo of 72 Land extends to his subjects wishes for a productive 2018!