What makes a good blog post?

I’ve been wondering about this as I’ve watched the traffic numbers for this blog ebb and flow.  I really am not greatly concerned with traffic as this blog serves as much as a place where I keep notes on things I am interested in.  However, visiting the blogs of modelers like Jeff “Inch High” Groves, Jim “Cranky Canuck” Bates and Tommy Thomason, I realize that my stuff just doesn’t have the same quality.

Each of those blogs, and many others are different in their own way, but all have a mark of quality.  They make me muse on what makes a good (modeling related) blog post.  One thing these sites all do is make use of photos.  I don’t do that enough.  Also, all of these sites go deep on history in many of their posts.  Those are some of the best posts.  I’d like to find more time to devote to posts like that, but until I get better organized, I don’t know if that will be possible.

 

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Another one for Jim

As Washington State’s leading libertarian lawyer, I am surprised that superlawyer Jim Bates is not heavily involved in this litigation.  I think an amicus filing is in order.

Happy 2019

2019 is here.  As far as the blog goes, 2018 was a good year. After viewership trending downward for 5 years, the number of page views went up substantially in 2018.  No where near the high reached in 2012, but a start on the road back. (BTW, I’ve been blogging since mid-2008, so I am going on over 10 years of this.)  I am hoping with the inspiration of friends like Jeff Groves and Jim Bates that 2019 will be a banner year both in modeling and blogging.  Come back often.

Notes on the MXY-7

Having been shamed by Jeff “Inch High” Groves and Jim “Crazy Canuck” Bates, both of whom have great blogs with actual content, and not just link farming, below is some research related to the Brengun MXY-7 Ohka I’ve been building.

I was surprised at how little period material is available on the MXY-7.  There are lots of shots of dubiously restored aircraft, (according to wikipedia there are at least 14 survivors) but very little in the way of contemporaneous photos. There are some famous films of Ohkas discovered on Okinawa and a few after the war still shots in Japan.  Below is a selection of shots from the internet with some notes.

 

This is a still from a color film on Youtube of the Ohkas on Okinawa.  What is interesting in this shot is the very light gray at the wing root.  The Okinawa Ohks are usually depicted as being overall light gray, but in this shot it appears that they are more of the RLM 02 type color usually seen on early Zeros.  Jim Lansdale has illustrated the Ohka as having the brown-gray body and light gray wings.

There are two retractable tube one on either side of the Ohka windscreen.  This photo, from the same film, shows one pulled out in the extended position.  I suspect these were used for something when attached to the mothership. (If anyone knows for sure, let me know)  The circular panel around the tube appears to be painted a different color.  I thought it might be red, but I am not sure.  You don’t see these tubes on all Ohkas.

Here is a screen capture from a grainy black and white allied intelligence film of the same aircraft. Note the tube in the retracted position and the darker circular panel surrounding the tube.

Here is a shot from a color film of a display of captured German and Japanese aircraft after the war.  Note the color of the fuselage and wings.  This supports Mr. Lansdale’s interpretation of the Ohka color scheme.

I’ll have a follow on post with more photos soon.

 

 

 

Neat find

Jim Bates sent me this link, in which NASA provides us with files for a lot of 3D printable models.  If these things are scaleable, and I don’t see why they wouldn’t be, then this opens up a bunch of opportunities for 72nd scale space modelers. (Post in memory of Mike Nofsinger)

For Jim Bates

A post just for Jim.

2018 Modeling #26

Date: 04/30/2018

Time  9:35 p.m. to 10:38 p.m. (1.05 hrs.)

2018 Total time: 31.83 hrs.

The April collapse.

As I feared, the April collapse has occurred.  It was worse than in years past.  This happens around this time every year.  I’ve had a good modeling run in January, it slows in February and March and then just falls off the table.  The accident on the way to Dayton made it worse this year, as did starting a new job, but it happened nonetheless.  I spent this night working on the seams of the T-33.  I am on a deadline to finish this for Jim Bates and crunch time is coming.  I have to finish this.

More Northrop Delta news

According to intrepid model sherpa, Jim Bates, Special Hobby will be releasing a RCAF/USCG version of the Northrop Delta in late 2017.  Oh happy days!

Magazine review: IPMS/USA Journal Vol.28 #6

The latest issue of the Journal is out.  Frankly this is the best issue in a number of years.  This has nothing to do with my having a book review in the issue and one of the other articles has previously appeared in MMCL’s Tactical Notes.  If you aren’t a member, join IPMS/USA now.

Magazine review: RT Vol.38 #3 (Fall 2016)

The latest issue of RT rolled in a week or two ago and though I read it right away, I’m just getting around to doing the review.

Heck, these reviews of RT could be on autopilot now.  Every one is the same.  It’s a great magazine; you should join IPMS/Canada.

Well, it is true for this issue as well.  We get part two of Jim Bates Canadian Hurricane article as well as decals to make a few of the aircraft profiled.  There is also a nice build of a series of Canadian Sherman variants.  As I’ve said so many times before, it is a great magazine; you should join IPMS/Canada.  Plus, free decals!!!