Like many modelers I have a stash. It’s not gigantic (I know of one that counts in the thousands of kits!) nor is it small with about 300 kits. I’m pretty sure I won’t build all of those kits, but I’ll certainly add to the stash some kits I fully intend to build. Having just started my second career I suspect I have between 25 and 30 years of modeling left. At that rate I need to finish at least 10 per year, so my production goal is 1 per month.

In 2010 I easily exceeded that goal with 17 models completed if memory serves me. As I pass the 75% point of 2011 it’s time for me to assess my progress for the year. So far I’m doing well: 5 Spitfires, 3 Hurricanes, a BlackburnShark, and a USS MIDWAY (CVA-41). I’ve still got another 5 Spitfires in various stages of build and hope to finish at least 3 by year’s end.

My local club sponsors, sort of, a monthly theme. We’re not real strict and no competition or anything but of the roughly 20 modelers who show up, 5-8 bring a subject that is theme related. The others bring something unrelated or nothing at all but we always enjoy ourselves talking about the kit’s pluses and minuses.

At any rate, I personally try to align a Spitfire to each theme, but I’m not always successful. It’s tough to find a Spitfire subject that can fit into a “Hasegawa F-4 Phantom” category. This month though, the theme is “Canadian Bacon” – any subject related to Canada so I’ll bring a model of Spitfire Mk IXc, MA585/KH-B, 403 Squadron RCAF, Pilot Officer George Beurling. It’s the Airfix new-tool Mk IXc corrected a bit to reflect MA585; I’ll post a description of the build soon. He’s the highest scoring Canadian ace of the war and I wanted to model both his Mk IX and a blue-grey Mk V from Malta (that build is in-work).

The 2012 Theme list has been approved by the club and I can easily align a Spitfire to half of them if one is a Seafire. None of the themes require I purchase another kit, but I probably will anyway. I’ll certainly need some decals for one of the themes, maybe two. If 2012 is successful I should be able to make 12 or more models.

Thank you for reading.