Inspired out of a slump

It’s been months since I spent any time at the workbench. Or at least, it had been until recently when I was inspired to get back to building after I experienced the joy of the hobby from the perspective of a firsttime modeler.

Inspired in part by FSM’s video series, Building with ShuShu, Michelle LaPinske, the buyer for Kalmbach Media’s retail websites, had expressed an interest in building something. First, she tackled Bandai’s Pac-Man, a simple kit with parts that pushed cleanly out of the trees. Then, looking for something a little more challenging, she acquired Bandai’s 1/1 scale Cup Noodle kit (No. 5060591). While the parts are molded in color and push-fit together without glue, it did require sprue cutters to remove them from the trees and there was some sanding and trimming for fit.

She had a blast building the kit — and it is amazing how real it looks — and developed a few new skills, including applying washes along the way. And before she was even finished, Michelle was looking for more kits to build, which as a modeler and the editor of FSM, delighted me.

More than that, watching someone get a kick out of the hobby that has been a part of my life for, well, most of it, reignited the spark in me.

I finished the Kinetic Pucara that languished nearly completed on my bench for weeks and started a 3D-printed figure.

If you are struggling, try introducing someone to modeling. You may get as much out of it as they do, because enthusiasm is contagious.

By the way, you can read Michelle’s review of Bandai’s Cup Noodle at FineScale.com.

Modeler seeks liaisons

When, oh when, will a model company finally issue a legit 1/48 scale Piper J-3 and L-4, as well as a Stinson L-5? U.S. liaison aircraft are woefully underrepresented in 1/48 scale, and it’s time for kit producers to look beyond tooling for yet another P-51, Bf 109, or F-16. Allied liaison aircraft would, I’m sure, be well received by the World War II modeling community and open up more possibilities for dioramas and competitions. Of course, there will always be those who assemble a Cub or Sentinel just for the “L” of it!

Thanks for what all of you do at FSM to keep the hobby alive, vibrant, and relevant!

- Morgan Montalvo

San Antonio, Texas

Ed.: Ha! For the “L” of it. I see what you did there, Morgan. You raise a good question and hopefully someone out there is listening.

Loving the magazine’s variety

I have to commend your choice of variety in articles.

The January 2021 article regarding finishes on U.S. Navy jets came along just as I was finishing an F/A-18F Hornet.

Then, the April issue with Kyle

William’s article about a damaged rebel Y-wing fighter came along just as I was needing to build something different.

I agree with Aaron Skinner about the stash problem, and I just happen to have Bandai’s 1/72 scale Y-wing kit on the shelf in my modeling room. Kyle’s build has sparked my imagination, and I want to build that kit in a scorched and scarred condition undergoing maintenance. The spacecraft has so many conduits and cables that need colorization and context, along with some open panels. I may not be able to put it on a base as elaborate as Kyle’s, but I have to credit your article with stimulating some creative concepts and prompting me to build something that I haven’t tried before.

I love your magazine and have been reading it for 20 years. I’m a retired U.S. Army physician and modeling keeps my imagination active and my fingers busy creating. Your magazine is filled with information that I put to use every time I build. I want to thank you for the wide net you throw around modeling and the broad assortment of informative and instructional articles you publish.

Please keep up the great work!

- Steven Puderbaugh

St. Joseph, Missouri

Ed.: You are welcome! The FSM staff enjoys putting together the selection of stories in each issue. The goal is always to show the variety and scope of modeling no matter the subject matter or genre.