Tombp36.jpg (JPEG Image, 640x480 pixels)

Dammit. This annoys me.

Got into an online contest at modeling madness ("Build the same kit." Happened to be a kit of an aircraft I love - the P-36.) What wins? Not my natural metal bird, or the other two I entered... no, it's this POS. That looks like its a cast aluminum aircraft (that is NOT a "natural metal" finish, that's a "Collided with a Reynolds Aluminum truck" finish,) and is flat out WRONG in many areas (just off the top of my head, US aircraft didn't use the "stick" antenna - which is too big anyway, there are no antenna wires anywhere - and they're easy to add with this kit, and US aircraft did NOT have the four wing guns... at least not this one, or most P-36A or Cs that the USAAC used. It was tried as the XP-36D, but not adopted.)

Hell, it's not like there are ACTUAL PHOTOS of this aircraft anywhere to see HE'S WRONG. Or for HIM to see he's wrong AS HE'S BUILDING IT. The "runners up" in the category are just as wrong in at least as many areas.

Guess people don't judge on anything but "oooh, it pretty, shiny, lot of colors." So online contests - here at least - are a fucking waste of time. So much for actually putting EFFORT into getting anything right, or getting a decent, realistic natural metal effect without either (a) looking like a solid piece of metal or (b) looking like a patchwork quilt.

Damn, I'm pissed. It's like taking a classic Dusenberg, working on it for years to get it meticulously detailed and perfect, and having people tell you the spraycan-painted Pinto (in flaming hot pink) is "better." Now I know why I normally don't get involved in this BS.