I'm a geek and I'm proud (Model Kit Building in general)

Member Name: pussycat

Product:	Model Kit Building in general
Date:	24/08/00 (99 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Absorbing hobby, no mess, learn a lots about aeroplanes, keeps my husband occupied

Disadvantages: Its addictive and you lose all your storage space

My husband is a dedicated builder of model aeroplanes. Let me just define the word 'dedicated' for you in this context.

He has five sheds and a lock-up garage full of built and unbuilt model kits. Every spare piece of storage space at both our home and his poor long-suffering parents' house is filled with unbuilt kits. He takes up floorboards to use as storage and we even have a stash inside the bath panel.

This, admittedly, is excessive but he's done it all his life so he's not about to stop now so there's no point in me trying to stop him (after all, I'm obsessed with prisons - but that's another story!)

The model aeroplace kits are generally less than £10 although more expensive ones are available. There is an immense range of kits available ranging from the earliest days of flight to the most modern fighter aeroplanes and passenger aircraft. The kits are graded in skill levels with 1 being an absolute beginner and 4 being the most advanced. You have to buy glue and paints although a few kits do come with everything that you need but these are usually more expensive for what you actually get.

It takes my husband anything between three hours and a week to build a model depending on its complexity. He sits there quite happily, cutting, sticking and painting, almost oblivious to the world around him (although he does say 'mmmm' occasionally if you prod him hard enough. Seriously though, its is a very absorbing hobby and one which can involve as much or as little effort as you choose. My husband has an encyclopedic knowledge of all aircraft as he researches each model prior to building it to ensure that it is as authentic as possible.

There are competitions on a regular basis which are actually quite fun to attend and the standard of the models which are produced is astounding. You would never know that they came from little £5.99 kits that you can buy from a toyshop
- they look like display items.

Most of our friends make fun of my poor husband (we've heard every geek and anorak joke going) but its actually quite a good hobby. From my point of view, it doesn't involve me having to stand in the cold pretending to watch him playing some sort of sport that results in muddy kit to wash. There are frequently little plastic bits all over the carpet but this is pretty harmless.

Anyway, my recommendation is based upon personal experience as I made a model and really enjoyed it. I didn't think I would and only did it to please him but it was rather fun - very absorbing and rather therapeutic. So, dig out your best anorak, get on down to your local toyshop and get building!

Summary: