The Phoenix Build

[John Howling Mouse]

During the past few years, several of us have had specific, past "monster" projects in progress, our personal creme de la creme subjects.  But for one reason or another, we have simply seemed to burn out on them.  You know who you are.       The project starts, you impress the heck out of us, teasing us with the promise and vision of just how amazing the finished product will be.

Then you hit one snag or another.  For me, it is usually some piece of the puzzle I can't figure out.  Sometimes it's the sheer trepidation about the magnitude of what you've taken on.  Or "real life" gets in the way at the most inopportune time and the work in progress gets shelved.

Shelved indefinitely, in many cases.  

Well, I'd like to revive those builds and make it interesting by turning to the group as well as a "carrot" for motivation.

What I propose is a friendly group build thread where the participants volunteer their one (or more) pre-existing monster project that died somewhere along the way.  As group motivation to ourselves, we agree in advance to a single, shared (reasonable) deadline for us to all get our respective projects completed once and for all.   Such a deadline could be six months away or more, even, but you'd still know that some friendly (but persuasive) scrutiny is out there among your Whiffer friends to help motivate you toward continued progress and, ideally, genuine completion.

As each of us likely already had a thread going for our respective builds, we would simply return to this new, Phoenix GB thread in order to post the link to our respective in-progress build thread each time we complete any personal milestone that we figure is worth sharing with the group.

It is my belief that the camaraderie experienced during the 2006 1WGB will boost each of us to completion of these worthy projects that otherwise might never see their completion.

Only real "rules" I propose are:
1. each participant's project in question shall have been a What If subject that was already in progress (partially painted and/or assembled but not completed) and has already been posted complete with photograph(s) showing its degree of partial progress on this website prior to today (August 18, 2006).  
2. conceptual drawings or text descriptions are not eligible.
3. eligible participants shall have been registered members of this Website prior to today.
4. If a Deadline Date cannot be determined by What If group input, I reserve the right to arbitrarily assign a Deadline Date.
5. final winner shall be that project which receives the maximum number of votes by members who are currently registered as of today from this Website (I can have the listing pulled and made available).

We'd have a vote after the deadline for those projects considered complete by their individual modeller and I will gladly donate as a prize:

one complete Dremel rotary tool model 395  c/w case and accessories (or close equivalent, subject to availability).

http://www.dremel.com/en-us/tools/kit-deta...=69724&KI=66202

[Joe C-P]

Rats! I have several that would have counted but I hadn't photographed their partial progress.  

I already have a nice Dremel, though, with accessories from Micro-Mark. Therefore I shall audit this group build, joining in but not for credit.  ^_^

I have a Glencoe NS Savannah that, many moons ago, I began to build as a USN AORN. I have the hull put together, and many parts assembled, but it has been sitting there, in my closet, for years. I still need a couple parts, but I have most of what I need to finish it.

I'll snap some shots and post.

JoeP

[Eddie M.]

Since I have at least three out there, I propose an idea. Let the person's build be a request of the others. For example, I like to see a certain Morsair see the glorious light of day.  B)
   Eddie  

[anthonyp]

Well, I've got my mutant Sonic Cruiser thingy still sitting in the pile.  I've taken one pic of it, and that's of it after roughing it in.  The other projects I never finished, I never took in-progress pics of, so there's no proof I've been working on them a while.

[nev]

Lemme see, I got a Black Prince, an A380, a Mirage 4000......


I guess because of your liberal use of the word "monster" I should concentrate on the A380

[SinUnNombre]

Man, when I saw the "Phoenix" in the tagline, and I thought this was a Flight of the Phoenix tie-in. I've got a spares-box bash that could use that kind of motivation.

Jon

[retro_seventies]

*sigh*

that BLOODY vg phantom.

[Brian da Basher]

Awww fudgesicles!!! I seem to eventually finish everything I start.

Rats.

Inelligibly yours,
Brian da Basher

[John Howling Mouse]

Lemme see, I got a Black Prince, an A380, a Mirage 4000......


I guess because of your liberal use of the word "monster" I should concentrate on the A380

Heh: Enter them ALL, Nev!!!  The more the better.  

I'm hoping this GB and its prize can motivate each of us to get over whatever presents our own personal obstacles for as many subjects as possible.  If the Dremel doesn't fit the majority of the contestants' desires, I can come up with a worthy kit prize instead.  

For myself, some of the stuff I'm petrified to finish include:
- Morsair
- Sentinel
- First Biplane
- World's Ugliest Helo
- WUF Little Version
- My "Top Secret" Gloster Meteor project (posted here but without a lot of details yet)

I certainly do have a list of favorites I'd sure like to see others finish, too, but I don't want to put undue pressure on guys who, for one reason or another, may NOT be able to resume their builds.

[retro_seventies]

...and the other two of the vg phantom's RAF trio - the twin engined RAF a-7, and the RAF intruder/prowler hybrid (2 seat prowler, rear cockpits faired, tornado gr4 greeblies).

[BlackOps]

Well, I can for sure add my X-wing Gripen to this build. Boy did it turn out trickier than I thought  :dum:  

[nev]

- World's Ugliest Helo

And He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"





Oh, and I mustn't forget my RCAF VC-10..........

[gooberliberation]

The ironic thing about this picture is that the two builds furthest from completion in this picture(second from left and center) are not only complete, but the ONLY ones that've had any progress since this picture

The Swiss F-29 and Iraqi Flanker are cases of "I can EASILY finish that whenever I damn well want to!"

My "masterpiece" is the Su-47 that's been in the works since I began whiffing, lol. It's appeared in pictures before but I don't think its ever had its own thread.

[John Howling Mouse]

My "masterpiece" is the Su-47 that's been in the works since I began whiffing, lol. It's appeared in pictures before but I don't think its ever had its own thread.

Close enough.  As long as the What If community here was aware of it being in material (not just conceptual) progress before yesterday.

All I'm trying to avoid is new, um, "Outsiders" suddenly popping up on our board and revealing that they had "xyz" What If project on the go, etc.  They would always be welcome to display such works on the appropriate thread but this Phoenix GB is specifically targetted to help those existing Whiffers on the board get motivated to complete their own, personal "Mona Lisa(s)."

(And I agree that Su-47 IS a masterpiece, btw)

[MMM]

Can I finish a missed-deadline project from another group build for this one? I'm still working on my "Firebat" from the Secret Santa build...