Softscience in 2022 and Beyond

[KellerModeller]

Nieuport went in the garbage today. UC broke again and one of the struts just went all cattywampus. I have better things to do with my free time than polishing a turd.

Sorry to read that! But you are right, it's a hobby and first of all supposed to be fun!
How about re- visiting the garbage bin and adding engine, prop, gun, wheels,.. to the spares box? (No, I'm not a hopeless parts collector, just being curious..)
KM

[B4en]

Nieuport went in the garbage today. UC broke again and one of the struts just went all cattywampus. I have better things to do with my free time than polishing a turd.

Well dammit! That was looking so good. Hope you'll keep at the biplanes though - they are not always so frustrating and you can feel extra proud when you do finish one.

[iggie]

That's a big shame, as it was looking really neat... but, if the fun has gone, there's not much point in continuing

[Softscience]

Thanks for the words of support. And yes. I will stick to the biplanes and have stripped it for parts.

I have no qualms about binning a model once it stops being fun. I know that's hard for some of you to hear, but that's just how it is for me. I pay for the joy of the build. If there is no joy, then why build?

And nothing drains my joy more than having a strut connection point turn into a gluey mess because it keeps coming undone even thought there is not discernable reason for why or how.

Also roden plastc is not very robust.

[Andy Dighton]

That's a real shame about the Nieuport. I agree with your philosophy regarding enjoying the hobby.

[Migrant]

I have no qualms about binning a model once it stops being fun. I know that's hard for some of you to hear, but that's just how it is for me. I pay for the joy of the build. If there is no joy, then why build?

I tend to agree, although I've also found that putting the model aside for a few weeks/months can work too. When I go back to it, what seemed an insurmountable obstacle at the time can appear quite straightforward. I guess it depends on how much money/time I've invested, whether to trash or keep. However I've 'put aside' several kits for years, so maybe it's time for a cull.

Sorry about the Nieuport though, it was looking good.

[AndrewR]

Pity about the Nieuport, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

[Lone Modeller]

That is a real shame about the Nieuport, but as you write, Roden plastic is not always the best. (I have built one of their kits).

I hope that the Wildebeast does not go the same way.

[Softscience]

WIldebeest is more of a passion project, so I'm being more careful with it. The Nieuport was always intended to be a school-ship of sorts. The kit was inexpensive and I really hadn't invested much time into it, so discarding didn't sting too much.

Ok, it did a LITTLE! But when I broke that UC frame the third time I knew it was done for.

[B4en]

Also roden plastc is not very robust.

You're not wrong there.

But when I broke that UC frame the third time I knew it was done for.

Sometimes a kit just refuses to work.

[Softscience]

I'm having a much more positive experience with the walfisch. I don't know if it's because of the scale or the better quality of kit. Maybe both? Most of the interplane rigging has been done, just some control linkage wires outboard of the struts then touchups and remaining decals.

[KellerModeller]

Obviously the designers at Roland had future modellers in mind when fixing the top wing directly to the fuselage and two massive flat interplane struts
The Airfix kit was also pleasant to build, so it might be neither scale nor kit quality but confirming my above theory about the polite Roland designers...
The build is looking great so far!

[Softscience]

Lol. They were very kind. They even designed the plane to come in left and right halves, so mid-sagital seam is on the real thing.

But you're right. This is about as easy as things can be on a biplane. It almost feels like cheating.

[ShaunW]

The Roland is looking good, Ralph. I find rigging is more of a test of patience than being overly difficult. Getting the top wing on a biplane and properly lined up is the thing I usually find most difficult. Although the Nieuport was looking good, some builds seem to be jinxed almost from the outset and when I get one nowadays I usually take stuff like seats, props and wheels for spares, together with the decals if they look OK and can the rest.

[Lone Modeller]

The Roland is certainly coming along well. It is a relatively easy biplane to make, but still worthwhile as it is much closer to a real aeroplane than most!