I actually have about 10 kits out in the living room right now. I'm trying to decide what to build next.

Well Matt, you've come a long way since the days of vowing to build the perfect Dauntless! Just about every compliment I could use has already appeared in this Thread, let me just say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading through your Build Log here, and am totally blown away by this beautiful Model. She's got it all; great detailing, flawless construction, and a magnificent job on the finish, a model to be proud of and truly "Museum" standard. I wish everyone here could have experienced watching his Nephew progress from the 8 year old cobbling together a basic Mosquito to the production of a masterpiece such as this 22 years down the road, makes me proud!
You'd best choose the next Build soon before Vicky vacuums the living room. I'd vote for one of your "Tyffies", even some of my Stringbag obsessed Buddys have bought one as it's got to be a "barnburner"!
Well done Matt, now do one for yourself!!
Cheers,
Lance

Hi, Matt,

Well, you've got all three of your uncle's "stringbag" friends here now. He sent us the link to your Mossie build, and I'm very happy that he did. I've been in the hobby since the '50's, and I picked up three new tips just from the first three pages of your thread. An excellent build and an excellent result: Well Done! I'll be watching for your next build, once you take a bit of a break from this beauty!

Lance tipped me to your Mossie and am I ever happy that he did. This is an extraordinary build log. The tips and techniques you've shared here will go a long way to improving my next project. You should be extremely proud of what you've accomplished here. She's a real beauty. Well done!

Cheers,

Chris

P.S. I'm the fellow that Lance mentioned who bought the Typhoon. Guess who will be avidly following and learning from you as you build yours.

Hi Matt, a hard edge camo would be the norm; I do understand where you are coming from with the dislike of hard edge.

Joel, Yes, Matt has been keeping me very well informed. This bird has already made it down to Kentucky overnight and is expected to be delivered to Florida by Wednesday afternoon.

What is now the "crown jewel" of my collection, has successfully made its way down from Canada to the Florida coast in one piece. It is with great admiration and appreciation that I take this opportunity to personally thank Mr. Matt Odom for the truly outstanding job he did on this build. Having faithfully watched each and every post he uploaded here, I thought I would have been prepared for seeing the Mossie up close and personal. I was dead wrong! After spending what seemed like an eternity, gingerly removing peanuts and packing from the shipping container, marveling over his packing skills as well, the Mossie was freed of her confines. I sat there totally dumbstruck on the sheer level of detail that no photo can do honest justice to. I felt like a little kid at Christmas again, after opening that one present that you had prayed you would find under the tree. Now here, sitting on my desk, in her full majesty, was an absolutely eye-watering rendition of my favorite aircraft. Matt, you are indeed a master craftsman, she is a thing of pure beauty in my eyes. For the rest of the afternoon, I peered over her, trying to absorb the nuance of each and every little detail. It was hours before I could pull myself away. I now have to begin the task of building the proper display area for her, as merely sitting on a shelf or the corner of the desk does not do her any justice. I will post a picture when she is properly sitting at her new home. Thank you again my friend.

I'm sure that you'll be quite thrilled with Matt's work. Up close and personal is the one thing that online can't ever provide.
Joel

Thanks Mal!

I have always enjoyed this image - I interpret it as a soft line on the disruptive and a hard line between upper and lower. It's just what seems pleasing to me - especially in this scheme where the difference in colour is so stark.

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Thanks Mal!

I have always enjoyed this image - I interpret it as a soft line on the disruptive and a hard line between upper and lower. It's just what seems pleasing to me - especially in this scheme where the difference in colour is so stark.

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Mmmm, yes that is definitely soft edge, I take back my statement about hard edge being the norm In fact, until I started producing paint masks for RAF camo I always free handed it. This photo actually "proves" my long held theory of the way that the camo was applied; you can see where the green was outlined before being filled in. I'm convinced that many claim the use of rubber mats for painting the camo because they are unable to free hand the pattern Can you imagine just how cumbersome rubber mats would actually be, especially when they are covered in paint!
Your packing skills are as exemplary as your modelling skills

I'm convinced that many claim the use of rubber mats for painting the camo because they are unable to free hand the pattern Can you imagine just how cumbersome rubber mats would actually be, especially when they are covered in paint!

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I'm convinced that many claim the use of rubber mats for painting the camo because they are unable to free hand the pattern Can you imagine just how cumbersome rubber mats would actually be, especially when they are covered in paint!

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Actually it comes from talking to people who used them, saw them being used, and manufactured them. One witness said that two people were able to manoeuvre them into place, and another said how, on Hurricanes, they used to flip them over, easily, to do the mirror camouflage.

There's also an order, dated early 1940, telling RTOs to start to use mats, instead of "blending."
Still, everybody knows you can't trust eyewitnesses, who were there, don't they?