Just opening the box and sticking the parts together is something you do when you are eleven and have just returned from the shops, having blown your pocket money at the nearest model emporium.
Forty years (+) later, and things have changed a bit. I still return from the shops - although these days I'm more likely to be carrying a 6-pack of dog food, toilet roll, cornflakes and a packet of aspirin. The model emporium is almost no more, so my box will have winged its way to my door via the internet, but the feeling when I take the lid off remains the same, that excitement that accompanies the first riffle through the contents.
Before the side cutters can come out, though, there's more work to be done. Reference photos must be examined and compared. Information must be gathered. Books must be pored over, and the internet trawled. Researching your project is always a good part of the job, always fascinating.
For me, a significant part of this is the men and their exploits. Reading up on historical background gives you an intimacy, a familiarity that gives your imagination free reign when the build is in progress. Here are some photos of my latest project, the Fletcher Class Destroyer in 1/144 scale. As you can imagine, it's a big build. Before I could start it, I spent considerable time on pure research. The kit offers two vessels - the USS Fletcher, and the USS Chevalier. During my research, however, I came across the USS Nicholas D.D. 449, a Fletcher Class destroyer of the same period. It has an impressive war record, ending at the signing of the Declaration of Surrender in Tokyo Bay in 1945. After careful study, I think it will make an excellent alternative to the box options.
I'll return to this project over the next few months, with more photos of this lovely build.
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