AN-12BKM Civilian Gunship ***FINISHED***

[zenrat]

Warning!! Philosophical Musings Ahead!! Warning!!

Thing is, when you look at what we do, we're all a bit crazy by 'normal' modeling standards.  Most modelers are somewhat defensive of their hobby at the outset, well aware that most non-modeling adults are humourously tolerant, regarding model kits as 'something I did as a kid".  So they seek acceptance by slavishly pursuing the 'ideal' of the model appearing to be an actual aircraft/tank/car/whatever written small.  To this end they wrax their eyes over tiny bits of bent metal, spend endless days in research for the exact shade of "Non-Specular Tropical Malaria-Survivor Flesh", and the tread patterns of replacement tracks for a prototype armored car made in a "found yesterday" secret bunker in the south-eastern end of the northern Silesian Forests.

'Course, most of them (normal modelers) follow the instructions provided with the kit.  Many of them just use what's in the box, with a resin add-on or two, perhaps a canopy mask or an etched metal wotsit, and then subtly shade/weather/oil stain the heck out of it.  But - they follow the instructions.

Now, we, on the other hand, may do all that - but mostly we seem to regard boxed kits as parts supply for other builds; builds that bear only a passing resemblance to an actual aircraft/tank/car/whatever.  When most of us build a model, we're not following any instructions other than those in our fevered imaginations, or at most, a scribbled sketch on a paper napkin. 

We're the ones keeping the modeling putty industry in business -  for example, just this past weekend I had to purchase a new 1lb Aves Apoxy putty set, and two tubes of Evergreen putty, and I shudder to think of Tophe's putty bill.    We're the ones who attempt to build the Three Stooges ATV
- but with Captain Nemo's Nautilus and Mi-6 rotors.  We have no sacred cows, no boundaries, no taboos - we're mad. 

Well, obviously!

Nicely put.

Brad C.  This is a marvellous build.  You, my friend have perseverance up your wazoo.  Well done mate.
I may be sending my more complicated paint schemes over to you for masking in future.

[NARSES2]

That's come out really well mate 

[TheChronicOne]

a Superb,Kick Tail Build! i Could almost hear Either "Ride of the Valkyries" or "Gimme Some Loving" as that Planes Shows up to Carry Out it's Mission! was it an RPIA to Do the Paint Scheme? Keep up the superb Work Dan

Thank you very much!!!

Honestly, it was a bit of a pain but it wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting. My anxiety about doing it was worse than actually doing it. There is a LOT of it and doing things like the logo can be tedious but I bought a bunch of really good masking tape already cut to ridiculously small widths which helped out a great deal. Also, the fact that I personally am getting better at it finally is starting to have benefit as well.   

[TheChronicOne]

Thanks, you guys!!!  I'm glad people like it. Not so popular on Facebook yet...    It's a strange concept.

Well, yeah - the concept is a bit mad, unless you'd already seen pics and/or flicks of US Forestry folks using recoil-less rifles on potential avalanches; or Six Wives for Six Brothers.

All that said, your execution of - let it be said - a very difficult kit is sterling, and I applaud you.  Bravo, sir, bravo!

Warning!! Philosophical Musings Ahead!! Warning!!

Thing is, when you look at what we do, we're all a bit crazy by 'normal' modeling standards.  Most modelers are somewhat defensive of their hobby at the outset, well aware that most non-modeling adults are humourously tolerant, regarding model kits as 'something I did as a kid".  So they seek acceptance by slavishly pursuing the 'ideal' of the model appearing to be an actual aircraft/tank/car/whatever written small.  To this end they wrax their eyes over tiny bits of bent metal, spend endless days in research for the exact shade of "Non-Specular Tropical Malaria-Survivor Flesh", and the tread patterns of replacement tracks for a prototype armored car made in a "found yesterday" secret bunker in the south-eastern end of the northern Silesian Forests.

'Course, most of them (normal modelers) follow the instructions provided with the kit.  Many of them just use what's in the box, with a resin add-on or two, perhaps a canopy mask or an etched metal wotsit, and then subtly shade/weather/oil stain the heck out of it.  But - they follow the instructions.

Now, we, on the other hand, may do all that - but mostly we seem to regard boxed kits as parts supply for other builds; builds that bear only a passing resemblance to an actual aircraft/tank/car/whatever.  When most of us build a model, we're not following any instructions other than those in our fevered imaginations, or at most, a scribbled sketch on a paper napkin. 

We're the ones keeping the modeling putty industry in business -  for example, just this past weekend I had to purchase a new 1lb Aves Apoxy putty set, and two tubes of Evergreen putty, and I shudder to think of Tophe's putty bill.    We're the ones who attempt to build the Three Stooges ATV
- but with Captain Nemo's Nautilus and Mi-6 rotors.  We have no sacred cows, no boundaries, no taboos - we're mad. 

Love it. Thanks!!!!

Yes, I like the part about the kit merely being more parts of the build and not THE parts. This brings me back to my Sea Eagle F-15 that has parts from no less than 7 kits and the decals came with another kit that was purchased just to GET the decals so maybe that's 8 different things.

I like being mad. More nutty builds to come. 

Thanks!

[Tophe]

Congratulations for the Finished An-12BKM!
Maybe this is the very first time (since I am 15 years old) that I clap my hands for an airplane with huge guns... but this is very different here, without human victims but just dangerous snow amounts having to be kept safe (for humans, saved...).  

[TheChronicOne]

Brad C.  This is a marvellous build.  You, my friend have perseverance up your wazoo.  Well done mate.
I may be sending my more complicated paint schemes over to you for masking in future.

Thanks!!! Yeah I dunno why I keep getting into the ultra-complicated terribad kits like Eastern Express and F-RSIN when I initially wanted to start my civil/airliner model career with SIMPLE builds. Oh wait, yeah I do.... because these kit makers make very appealing subject matters that I really like! And the masking.... wooo....      All this mess is forcing me into learning how to be a better modeller and I was under the mistaken assumption that airliner type stuff would be easier than military and boy was I wrong. It's all a very good thing in the end! In my own head space I've started calling it "Airliner Academy" because there's less building going on and more learning at times. 

[TheChronicOne]

Congratulations for the Finished An-12BKM!
Maybe this is the very first time (since I am 15 years old) that I clap my hands for an airplane with huge guns... but this is very different here, without human victims but just dangerous snow amounts having to be kept safe (for humans, saved...).  

Thanks, bud!!!! You nailed what I was going for, "how in the world can I make a civilian GUNSHIP that SAVES lives and is not military in any way?"  A mixture of two worlds that was also flipped upside down somewhat. I always thought it was a really fun concept. I don't think many other people have travelled down this road so it's fun to do/have something unique.

[TheChronicOne]

That's come out really well mate 

Thanks, hoss!!!!   These types of build are sucking me in and in danger of converting me completely. I realized last night that every build I had going and had planned were airliners.      I had to force myself to go find something military to start and snagged an F-111 from the stash but even IT I chose to do the paint scheme that looks like an airliner.     I may be a lost cause. 

[Old Wombat]

Nope, just a whiffer with a vision on a mission!

[TheChronicOne]

That's the spirit!!!       

[zenrat]

There is no compulsion to do military builds.  I'd like to do more civilian ones but it's hard to find 1/72 kits of the smaller civil stuff.

[Scotaidh]

There is no compulsion to do military builds.  I'd like to do more civilian ones but it's hard to find 1/72 kits of the smaller civil stuff.

I'd dearly love to build a line of Cessna light craft - from the 140 - 207, but all I can find, in plastic, is 150s and 175s.  Resin opens it up a bit more, but only a bit and tends to concentrate on the twins, of which only the 337 appeals to me, and that I can get as Airfix's O-2.

My aviation background is growing up in British MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship), which operated mostly Cessna 180s, 185s, 206s, and one 207.  (In Sudan we had a 180 on floats; in Chad, a 185 on amphibian Edo floats.)  My dad was one of the engineers who kept them flying.  He once had to rebuild a float that struck a hippo who chose a bad place and time to come to the surface of the Nile.    Another time the aircraft capsized (in the Nile) and he had to get it flying again.


So, those are the aircraft I'd like to have in my display case.    But I've found civilian paint - sprayed on smooth - to be much harder to do than military camo - daubed on with a brush and rough as an African bush road.  I don't have that skill, so I admire those who do.

[TheChronicOne]

Yes.... I've been wanting a 177 Cardinal. These types are an underserved segment of the community and even the stuff we do have is pricey and harder to find. I have a special section of my stash for my collection of Arii stuff.

[Weaver]

Excellent stuff - the livery looks really good!

Those huge cutouts in the fuselage would need some serious bracing frames around them, but they do it for airliner freighter conversions so it should be feasible (with LOTS of care and double-checking of maths...).

See I'd be perfectly willing to build a civilian gunship designed to do good and make peoples' lives better... but then I'd feel obliged to write a backstory where it got hijacked by terrorists who used it to drop the education minister and a party of disadvantaged school kids a couple of thousand feet onto a hospital and a puppy sanctuary in the valley below...

[zenrat]

Excellent stuff - the livery looks really good!

Those huge cutouts in the fuselage would need some serious bracing frames around them, but they do it for airliner freighter conversions so it should be feasible (with LOTS of care and double-checking of maths...).

See I'd be perfectly willing to build a civilian gunship designed to do good and make peoples' lives better... but then I'd feel obliged to write a backstory where it got hijacked by terrorists who used it to drop the education minister and a party of disadvantaged school kids a couple of thousand feet onto a hospital and a puppy sanctuary in the valley below...

Noooooooo, not on the puppies...