Then, about two months ago, my affinity for 1:72 started to wane and I started eyeing FM again after a long time of abstinence. For some bizarre reason there are lots of good deals on ebay and even around the 'net on FM models, which generally carry a high MSRP and are not supposed to be discounted.
So, the "make hay while the sun shines" saying took over and I switched my sights back on 1:48, starting with the "small stuff" -- P-47s, '38s, etc. Then, a fellow zinc addict and bud -- Black6 -- gave me a call about a "going out of biz" sale at a certain hobby shop we both knew. Seems FM stuff was all %40 off -- more if you bought at least 3 models. He also owed me a few clams so taking that off the top, a B-24 would be about $50 to me....I've never been one to pass up a good deal, so I went for it. I got the Dragon & His Tail, which I've always been a fan of.
So he picked it up for me, and I immediately was struck with buyer's remorse -- I mean how the heck would a sneak a bird in the house that came in a suitcase?? Literally -- the box is as large as a typical suitcase and comes with a built-in carrying handle even. Why would I want to sneak it...well, let's just say Mrs. Ace is starting to lose her patience with this hobby of mine, and let's leave it at that. I must say, it took a while as I've been at this for 10 years.
So I immediately owned up to the purchase using the "too good to pass up" deal and that I would hold true to our agreed "one in, one out" plan from here forward. (If I buy one, I sell one... but a 1:1 weight ratio was never part of the agreement. So I would sell a 1:72 something or other and be true to my word.)
Then the remorse disappeared when I saw The Beast, which Black6 had aptly coined "Bombzilla". What a hunk of metal! And the artwork is very well done. And once I got over the massive packaging (something FM should really work at reducing), the model wasn't really all that crazy large. Yet, I really didn't have room for it. It was too big for either display case, too large for a shelf really... so I bought a small table for my office and it resides there, with the B-26 keeping it company.
FM catches a lot of flak, and rightly so, for many of its sub-par molds. This one does NOT fall into that category. If you've ever considered one, you should go for it. I'd rather have one of these, than 3-4 Corgi's at 1:72. This is a model with a serious "wow factor" that I feel is just as well done as the pooch's in 1:72, if not better. (And it doesn't have that nasty gap on the chin, either.) If you like metal content in your models, these can't be beat -- I'd say it weighs about 7lbs or so, and is almost entirely metal, the fuselage, wing, and even props are zinc baby.
Just don't think for a second that you can sneak it past "the boss". You've been warned!
