What Car/Aircraft model for an 87 year old!
Discussion
My father is 87. He's an ex-engineer who has spent his entire life building, restoring and maintaining three 1920's cars. In the last few years he has started to feel his age and is no longer able to tinker constructively with the cars anymore. He now takes stuff off them but can't put them back together, so one car is on axle stands with the gearbox disconnected and the other car's dynamo is on the bench and not working.
This leaves him with a lot of time on his hands to fiddle with things other than the cars, these other things he doesn't understand. I then have to spend my time repairing or replacing them. I am therefore looking to direct his idle hands to something that he can do.
In my youth he did build a few model aircraft (I recall a Hawker Hart he built as he considered it one of the best looking aircraft). I'm looking for models that would be relatively straightforward, I guess of a reasonable size (although his eyesight is good). I think aircraft, of the WWII era, would be a reasonable starting point but cars, boats etc. would also interest him. The key thing is that they are not overly complicated for his first effort.
Are there any specific models or brands that fit the bill? Cost isn't a primary concern.
This leaves him with a lot of time on his hands to fiddle with things other than the cars, these other things he doesn't understand. I then have to spend my time repairing or replacing them. I am therefore looking to direct his idle hands to something that he can do.
In my youth he did build a few model aircraft (I recall a Hawker Hart he built as he considered it one of the best looking aircraft). I'm looking for models that would be relatively straightforward, I guess of a reasonable size (although his eyesight is good). I think aircraft, of the WWII era, would be a reasonable starting point but cars, boats etc. would also interest him. The key thing is that they are not overly complicated for his first effort.
Are there any specific models or brands that fit the bill? Cost isn't a primary concern.
I’d seriously consider getting a Matchbox kit:
http://www.matchboxkits.org
No longer made, but widely available for peanuts on EBay. Some have been re-issued under the Revell brand.
They are very simple kits, used good quality plastic and almost always went together beautifully. Surface detail was often a bit heavy, but some (particularly the biplanes) still stand comparison with more modern stuff with a bit of effort. They did 1:72 and 1:32 scales for aircraft, and a very good range of small scale tanks and armoured vehicles. The cars were also ok, but often spoiled by spoked wheels which were way too thick.
My kids have built a few recently - MIG 21, Gnat, Zero and this Skyservant. All very simple but look fine:
http://www.matchboxkits.org
No longer made, but widely available for peanuts on EBay. Some have been re-issued under the Revell brand.
They are very simple kits, used good quality plastic and almost always went together beautifully. Surface detail was often a bit heavy, but some (particularly the biplanes) still stand comparison with more modern stuff with a bit of effort. They did 1:72 and 1:32 scales for aircraft, and a very good range of small scale tanks and armoured vehicles. The cars were also ok, but often spoiled by spoked wheels which were way too thick.
My kids have built a few recently - MIG 21, Gnat, Zero and this Skyservant. All very simple but look fine:
Andy 308GTB said:
Thanks very much - that's a great help.
I plan to buy one (possibly the Auto Union 1930's F1 car) and all the bits necessary to build it and just casually leave it lying around where he can't miss it. I think he'll bite!
I built that decades ago! It's not the easiest of the lot, but if he's interested in the subject, fair enough.I plan to buy one (possibly the Auto Union 1930's F1 car) and all the bits necessary to build it and just casually leave it lying around where he can't miss it. I think he'll bite!
Don't discount the 1:32 aircraft kits. Obviously, the main parts are bigger, and by modern standards, the detatil is quite crude for the scale, and you might need some filler here and there. This is the Spitfire:
I rebuilt mine years ago after it had been hanging (and dropped) from the garage ceiling - it was such a nice shape I couldn't face binning it:
It was re-released by Revell, which is where I got the new decals from:
That Spitfire is magnificent, fantastic work.
I have to say that I could see myself being drawn back into model making - but I have no doubt it takes many, many years of experience, hard work and dedication to even get close to the standard of that aircraft.
I've also seen a Matchbox Bugatti Type 59 that would also be right up his alley. I figured that cars might be more straight forward than aircraft?
Live steam. I could see that interesting the old man. But he would want to machine up the parts himself! If he did not have the old cars, I have no doubt he would have been a member of a model engineering club.
Lego Technic - I didn't realise quite how technical this had become. I found some of the marketing videos on YouTube, I need to see some showing normal punters.
I have to say that I could see myself being drawn back into model making - but I have no doubt it takes many, many years of experience, hard work and dedication to even get close to the standard of that aircraft.
I've also seen a Matchbox Bugatti Type 59 that would also be right up his alley. I figured that cars might be more straight forward than aircraft?
Live steam. I could see that interesting the old man. But he would want to machine up the parts himself! If he did not have the old cars, I have no doubt he would have been a member of a model engineering club.
Lego Technic - I didn't realise quite how technical this had become. I found some of the marketing videos on YouTube, I need to see some showing normal punters.
Andy 308GTB said:
That Spitfire is magnificent, fantastic work.
I have to say that I could see myself being drawn back into model making - but I have no doubt it takes many, many years of experience, hard work and dedication to even get close to the standard of that aircraft.
I've also seen a Matchbox Bugatti Type 59 that would also be right up his alley. I figured that cars might be more straight forward than aircraft?
Live steam. I could see that interesting the old man. But he would want to machine up the parts himself! If he did not have the old cars, I have no doubt he would have been a member of a model engineering club.
Lego Technic - I didn't realise quite how technical this had become. I found some of the marketing videos on YouTube, I need to see some showing normal punters.
Thanks! The Spitfire is full of filler, and the panel lines were drawn on in pencil after painting, so it’s not very refined at all, but still a nice shape.I have to say that I could see myself being drawn back into model making - but I have no doubt it takes many, many years of experience, hard work and dedication to even get close to the standard of that aircraft.
I've also seen a Matchbox Bugatti Type 59 that would also be right up his alley. I figured that cars might be more straight forward than aircraft?
Live steam. I could see that interesting the old man. But he would want to machine up the parts himself! If he did not have the old cars, I have no doubt he would have been a member of a model engineering club.
Lego Technic - I didn't realise quite how technical this had become. I found some of the marketing videos on YouTube, I need to see some showing normal punters.
Cars vs aircraft kits? Depends on the standard you’d be happy with. Assembly isn’t much different, but getting a perfect finish is more difficult with gloss than a matt military aircraft. All depends on the kit and how far you want to go with finish.
If you or your dad wanted a higher level of refinement, then a Tamiya 1:48 Aircraft or 1:24 car kit would be a good call IMO. The fit and surface detail would be better than Matchbox (to what extent depends on the specific kit), but the downside is there would be far more small detail parts to deal with.
ETA I’ll have a look in my stash tomorrow and see if I’ve got anything suitable. I know I have a new tool 1:72 Airfix Mitsubishi Zero (complete parts, but unboxed and no decals) which I’d be happy to donate f.o.c. Again, more parts than the equivalent Matchbox Zero, but nothing to lose I guess?
Edited by dr_gn on Monday 20th August 00:15
dr_gn said:
If you or your dad wanted a higher level of refinement, then a Tamiya 1:48 Aircraft or 1:24 car kit would be a good call IMO. The fit and surface detail would be better than Matchbox (to what extent depends on the specific kit), but the downside is there would be far more small detail parts to deal with.
I've always liked Tamiya, largely thanks to their radio control stuff, but they are good quality, and the company has always been run by people with a real passion for the subject material.If you ever find yourself in Shizuoka (it's a convenient stop for the common tourist route from Tokyo to Kyoto), they have a small museum at their factory with prize-winning model builds, and the quality/detail of those is astounding.
If you haver the excuse of having him build something for grandkids or whatever, try one of the cute Hasegawa "egg planes"
e.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hasegawa-Plane-F-15-Eagle...
If you want to see what is involved in Lego Technic kits, then you can download the complete instructions for most of them from the Lego site.
e.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hasegawa-Plane-F-15-Eagle...
If you want to see what is involved in Lego Technic kits, then you can download the complete instructions for most of them from the Lego site.
Troubleatmill said:
I've been looking at those. Very cool, but for me, none of them have got that last bit of 'need' factor.A company called meng make a 1/48 scale p-51d. It’s meant to be a great kit and can even be built without glue.
You could also look a some of the revell 1/32 scale models. I recently built a p-51 and there’s is a build thread on here for it. They also make lots of other aircraft including a spitfire. They are great value for money.
You could also look a some of the revell 1/32 scale models. I recently built a p-51 and there’s is a build thread on here for it. They also make lots of other aircraft including a spitfire. They are great value for money.
Pleased to hear he's still with us and with it at 87. Same age as my dad who is now starting to suffer the early stages of dementia.
Your dad is old enough to have gone through WW2 as a lad and may also have done national service around the time of Korea. Maybe a warbird of some kind where he can also do a bit of research whilst doing the build. For me, this made the build even more fun especially with something like a Spitfire with all the attached history. 1:72 would keep costs down but going up in scale might be easier for him to handle.
Hope it goes well and he is around for many more years to come.
Your dad is old enough to have gone through WW2 as a lad and may also have done national service around the time of Korea. Maybe a warbird of some kind where he can also do a bit of research whilst doing the build. For me, this made the build even more fun especially with something like a Spitfire with all the attached history. 1:72 would keep costs down but going up in scale might be easier for him to handle.
Hope it goes well and he is around for many more years to come.
GJB said:
Pleased to hear he's still with us and with it at 87. Same age as my dad who is now starting to suffer the early stages of dementia.
Your dad is old enough to have gone through WW2 as a lad and may also have done national service around the time of Korea. Maybe a warbird of some kind where he can also do a bit of research whilst doing the build. For me, this made the build even more fun especially with something like a Spitfire with all the attached history. 1:72 would keep costs down but going up in scale might be easier for him to handle.
Hope it goes well and he is around for many more years to come.
My father is also going through the early stages of dementia. It's only in the last year or so that it's started to have an impact - it's quite sad to see someone who was so mechanically capable, struggling with relatively simple tasks. He's spent the last 60 odd years building/restoring/maintaining a pair of Twin Cam Sunbeams and he now needs me to help him put stuff back together.Your dad is old enough to have gone through WW2 as a lad and may also have done national service around the time of Korea. Maybe a warbird of some kind where he can also do a bit of research whilst doing the build. For me, this made the build even more fun especially with something like a Spitfire with all the attached history. 1:72 would keep costs down but going up in scale might be easier for him to handle.
Hope it goes well and he is around for many more years to come.
He certainly has an interest in WWII aircraft. Money isn't an issue, over time I plan to put a selection in front of him and see if he bites on one of them!
Thanks very much for you kind thoughts.
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