Other modeller's attitudes to Whiffing

[PR19_Kit]

I went to my 'local' model club meeting last night, that'd be the CPAC (Cardiff Plastic Aeroplane Club) for the first time in ages, and met quite a few new (to me...) members. Naturally I took some of my latest masterpieces    ( The IAC KMD-11 and it's SAAB Gripen progeny, the Hunter PR16, the Supermarine Defender and three projects in build, the Tornado F6, the Swift F10 and the Swallow) with me and had them on display. The old timers there are well used to my flights of fancy, but the new guys were fascinated, intrigued, mystified and confused, sometimes all at once. 

I had to explain my thought processes in building both the display models and Whiffing in general, and the story of the PR19 itself reduced them to hysterics, specially the phone call from the CIA. 

None of them exhibited the JMN's attitude which we're so used to at shows, I'm pleased to say, and one of them even looked up the PR19 on his smartphone to see what I was talking about. I thought their attitude was quite refreshing after some of the responses we've seen. 

[Pellson]

Spreading the gospel! 

[NARSES2]

I didn't know you could speak Taff Kit ? 

Seriously, it's good to hear that they were receptive. I think things have been changing for a while now. Even some of the "reputable" magazines are featuring the odd Wiff 

[Weaver]

My impression is that the old JMN attitude has been dying out for a number of years now. Couple of things that might be contributing to this, outside our own efforts:

1. Real world military hardware development has mostly slowed down to a crawl since the end of the Cold War, reducing the amount of interesting new factual material that magazines and books can provide: how many articles about the F-35 or the Spitfire can you read without going mad? This has lead to a general interest in digging up obscure aircraft and forgotten projects from the past (the SWOTL and Tony Butler books being the pioneers here), and this naturally leads to what-if questions being asked about how the designs might have performed and what they would have looked like. The books and magazines need to be illustrated, so what-if models and CGI have been hung in front of a lot more eyes, leading the nicely to...

2. The culture in general, and the internet and CGI technology in particular, have made it vastly easier to be exposed to, and generate, what-if ideas, both physical and virtual. Mainstream science-fiction has included more and more 'alternative universe' concepts ever since The Matrix came out, and the Marvel Universe pretty much depends on a 'multiverse' of alternative timelines. Anybody with an affordable PC and the will to learn the software can turn the ideas in their head into professional-looking artwork or 3D printed models now, AND post them on places like DeviantArt or ConceptShips to show them to a wide audience, maybe even getting paying gigs as a result.

[PR19_Kit]

I didn't know you could speak Taff Kit ? 

I'm the 'Notional Englishman' in CPAC Chris.

There's also a 'Notional Scotsman' and even a 'Notional Frenchman' too, but no 'Notional Irishman' as yet' 

[NARSES2]

but no 'Notional Irishman' as yet' 

Probably hasn't got past the Corgis in Pembrokeshire 

[zenrat]

It takes away a little bit of the fun if you are not upsetting someone.

[NARSES2]

It takes away a little bit of the fun if you are not upsetting someone.

There are other ways of doing that 

[jcf]

My impression is that the old JMN attitude has been dying out for a number of years now

Or dying off, as the case may be. 

[zenrat]

It takes away a little bit of the fun if you are not upsetting someone.

There are other ways of doing that 

Yeah, but why limit yourself?

 

[NARSES2]

November's SAM dropped through my letter box at lunchtime and interestingly Paul Lucas's Colour Conundrum this month is the first of a 2 part article on what the RAF's F.111K's might have looked like during their service.

[PR19_Kit]

I bet the F-111K's wing span question comes up yet AGAIN! 

[kerick]

There is still one guy at my club that looks at whiffs and shakes his head. He's not rude or crabby about it, it's just not his bag. Others are pretty good about it.

[Pellson]

November's SAM dropped through my letter box at lunchtime and interestingly Paul Lucas's Colour Conundrum this month is the first of a 2 part article on what the RAF's F.111K's might have looked like during their service.

Oooh. I'd really have liked to see that article.. 

[rickshaw]

November's SAM dropped through my letter box at lunchtime and interestingly Paul Lucas's Colour Conundrum this month is the first of a 2 part article on what the RAF's F.111K's might have looked like during their service.

Oooh. I'd really have liked to see that article.. 

As would I...