first post - and pics of completed kit 2004 PBY Catalina

[heywooood]

Hello all - So happy to have found this forum

I just completed the PBY and thought I would post a couple of pics.

the other completed models I have seen posted here are outstanding so I hope I do not embarrass myself...

The model is sheeted in 1/32" thick balsa and covered with monokote film in a pre-war scheme

[sawingman]

That is one beautiful plane. Outstanding workmanship and your details are superb.

[ADW 123]

thats a nice model. ive always stuck tissue covering and following the guillows instructions/building with no major mods. im not sure why. but...

i like your signature. im still laughing

[heywooood]

@ sawingman - thank you for the encouragement, much appreciated

@ ADW - I always used the silkspan in the past but I wanted a real, aluminium look on this model and since it is almost entirely sheeted with balsa I thought I would try it.

as to my sig...that is a direct quote - its what my wife says every time

[jensheydel]

Spectacular !! pretty good what you can do with that box of sticks

Jens

[ADW 123]

and you got that look. nice work.

[Supercubber95]

Wow. You're embarrasing me! You are a pro-like everyone else on this place except me.

[oldflyer2]

Great job Heywooood. You sure did'nt embarass yourself.

[heywooood]

well I really appreciate the compliments I must say - thank you all so much

I had forgotten how relaxing and conversely challenging these balsa models are...but I still think the best part of it is when you open the box the first time and go through the parts and plans and there's that wonderful smell of fresh cut wood - and the formulation in your mind of how to go about it - and what it should look like when its all finished....provided you can keep from snapping and tossing it all in the trashcan.

been there, done that, tossed the t-shirt in after it.

[cliffm]

Very nice build. I'm with you on that opening the box thing, it takes a good 20 minutes of exploring the contents to stop that giddy feeling and then I can stare at the plans and seemingly find something new nearly every time I look at them. The cat was my second guillows build and I enjoyed every minute.

[BillParker]

Very nicely done, sir!

I call it the "staring at the plan phase..."

Sometimes takes a week...

[heywooood]

Wow. You're embarrasing me! You are a pro-like everyone else on this place except me.

well I doubt thats the case...however -

I have been at this a long time - started when I was a kid with the plastic and didnt build a balsa kit (Guillow Stearman) until I was 20 something. I wanted to fill my sons room with them, all hanging from the ceiling...so I built a few of them including a Pitts Special, a couple of other Stearman bipes and a Great Lakes 2T-1A

there were some that turned out ok and some that didn't - but I'm still building them at 50 and probably wont quit anytime soon

the point (if I have one) is, if you like building them then keep going - its a learning process that never ends

[heywooood]

@ Cliffm and BillParker

.."the staring at the plan phase"... I'm calling it that from now on and yes it can take a week or more here too.

I usually have to make a buy list once I get it all out of the box - paint, blades, covering (if not the silkspan) wheels maybe, props (unless I decide to make) etc...and I usually miss something