Greetings all from Annapolis, MD! I've been building models for over 30 years and I'm coming back after a 10 year odd hiatus. My interests are eclectic but have been primarily 1/48 scale post-WW2 aircraft with a preference for two-seaters.

My other is a weird range of 1/35 armor. I'm feeling the urge to do a few projects I've had on my shelf for 10 or 20 years. As odd as this sounds, one of my favorite armored vehicles is the M551 Sheridan. Another is the Panzer III.

So I'd like to come back in and build a few vehicles. I really want to do them with visible interiors and engine compartments. A lot has changed since I last picked up my airbrush and based on some of the work I've seen, I suspect I'll pull off little more than valiant attempts.

But I want to learn again. Looking to start with a Panzer IV I have sitting around with a resin interior set and some PE detail. Then move on to my dream vehicles of superdetailing an M551, Panzer III Ausf.N and an M109 howitzer. I know, eclectic tastes...

Matt

Welcome aboard, Matt! It looks like you have some good projects ready to go. I don't think it is weird to like the M551. There have been some excellent builds here, and all of us have one preference or another. With Academy revisiting some of their old kits to retool and improve them, maybe the Sheridan will get some attention in the future. As for the Pz. III, the past few years have provided many new kits. You should be well provided for.

Thanks! I have a bunch of old Tamiya kits I've had in storage that I am going to start with. I have a Panzer IV Ausf.D I think is going to be my first attempt at a composite build with aftermarket details since it isn't an outcome I am attached to. I can practice skills on it and not feel too bad on not having it turn out as well as I might like.

I'm not really anal about perfection in a kit. Most of my aircraft are out-of-the-box. Given a recent trip to the hobby store nearly killed me since I don't remember kits costing $60-$120 for one subject. eBay is going to be my friend for a while and stick to the hobby shop for tools and paint.

Matt,

Welcome aboard and back to modeling too! I am part of a local AMPS Chapter which meets once a month near Laurel, Maryland and you are certainly welcome to join us. We are a building club, in that each of the guys attending usually brings some armor kit they are working on and build while we all sit around and chat. We then have a brief "show and tell" where guys bring in figures or armor subjects they completed for the rest of the club to see. Sometimes there is a very brief administrative announcement or two, but most of the time we are building, chatting and sharing stories. We have several guys who are pretty darn good scratchbuilders and readily share their knowledge. We are low-key and no strong personalities or guys with "better than thou" attitudes. Let me know if you think you might have an interest in dropping by our January 2015 meeting in about 2 weeks. There are no club fees or other requirements.

Cheers and hope you have a great New Year 2015!

chuck willis