The Man Himself

1) How long have you been modeling? How long have you been a TCAH member?
I have been modeling for 42+ years, since I was 5 years old. Of course I had a little help from my dad in the beginning. I joined TCAH in February of 1972. I was the youngest member at the time and found out about the club through a local hobby shop in Bloomington called Hobby Hut, run by one of the club members at the time.

2) What was the first model that you built? What do you remember most about it?
The first model I recall building was an Airfix DO-217. It was molded in silver plastic and I remember painting the drop tanks, tail-cone and other areas in dark blue paint. As a youngster I always was drawn to the Airfix kits because of the cool box art they had at the time.

3) What was the last model that you built? What do you remember most about it?
The last model I built is a Hasegawa BF-109G-10 in 1/48th. Nothing special about the model other than it is 109 #59 in the collection as of 2/1/03.

4) Do you have a theme (or themes) to your modeling collection?
As to the theme of my collection, one thing is constant and that is the fact that 95% of the models I now build are of WWII in subject. Mostly fighter aircraft (take up less room!) with a large section of those models being Luftwaffe.

5) What's your favorite aircraft and why?
My favorite aircraft is the BF-109. My moniker 'Mr. 109' was giving to me by the club due to the many ME-109 models I have built over the years. Since 1979 I have built 59 1/48th scale 109's. Why is it my favorite airplane? Well, my favorite variant of the 109 is the E-4 as used in the Battle of Britain and those aircraft were colorfully painted compared to the Allied aircraft. The same holds true as the war progressed. Many of the Luftwaffe fighters were more 'interesting' in regards to paint schemes than the Allied counterparts.

6) What has been your favorite kit or model that you've built? Why?
As to my favorite kit I have built, well there have been many over the years but the most recent was the 1/32nd scale ME-109G-6 by Hasegawa. That was the most fun I have had building a model in a long time. Partly due to the scale and ease of assembly. It was just a refreshing change of pace.

7) How many kits have you built?
As to the number of kits I have built, that would be impossible to even guess at. In the words of the late Carl Sagan......'Billions and Billions....."

8) How many un-built kits do you have?
I have around 50 unbuilt kits. I have some collectible/nostalgia kits that I do not plan on building but those number less than 20.

9) Is there anything else you'd like us to know?
I consider myself an all around modeler. I have built many different subjects. From the Aurora Movie Monsters to Formula One Racing Cars. As kids I think we tend to build whatever sparks our interest, whether its because of neat box art or the latest monster movie we saw on TV. As adults, I think we tend to settle on something that makes us comfortable.

10) What other hobbies do you have?
My other hobbies involve the shooting and history of firearms, the Old West, Formula One Racing, Books, collecting fighting knives amongst other things.

Tom's Shelf of Doom

Tom's Workbench

The Library

The Display

Here's a sample of Tom's Work


BF-109G-10 of 2/JG 300 1/48 Hasegawa
BF-109G-6/R6 of 6./JG 53 1/48 Hasegawa
BF-109T of JG 77 1/48 Hasegawa

BF-109H-V1 1/48 Hasegawa/Missing Link
BF-109D-1 of 2./JGr. 176 1/48 Hasegawa/Hobbycraft
BF-109E-1 of IV/JG 132 1/48 Hasegawa

BF-109E-3 of 4./JG 26 1/48 Hasegawa
BF-109F-2Z of JG 27 1/48th Hasegawa
FW-190 and BF-109G 1/144 Eduard

FW-190D-9 of JV 44 1/48 Tamiya
FW-190A-6 of 2. JG 1 1/48 Tamiya
FW-190A-4 of JG 1 1/48 Tamiya/DML

Macchi C.202 'Folgore' 1/48 Hasegawa
Albatros D-III (early) 1/48 Eduard
ME-410B-1/U2 of I./ZG 26 1/48 Pro-Modeler

Lotus Coventry Climax 25 1/20 Tamiya
Grumman Martlet V of 1832 Sq. 1/48 Tamiya
F-84G 'Thunderjet' 1/48 Tamiya

Hawker Hurricane Mk.I of 73 Sq./Hawker Hurricane I Finnish A.F. 1/144 Sweet
Mitsubishi Raiden 'Jack'/Nakajima 'Tojo' 1/144 Fujimi
Boeing B-47 1/144 Hobbycraft

Junkers JU-52 1/144 Eduard
Kawasaki Ki-45 'Nick' 1/48 Nichimo
Two Kawasaki Ki-45 'Nick' 1/144 Hasegawa

Avro Lancaster B.Mk.I 1/144 Mini-Craft
Macchi MC.200 (Africa)/Macchi MC.200 (Russia) 1/144 Sweet
JU-88A-4 & BF-109F 'Mistel' 1/144 Academy/Eduard

Nakajima 'Oscar ' Type I 1/48 Nichimo
P-47N 'Thunderbolt' of 318th FG 1/48 Academy/Mini-Craft
P-51D 'Mustang' of 52nd FG 1/48 Hasegawa

P-47D 'Thunderbolt' of 78th FG 1/48 Hasegawa
P-47D 'Thunderbolt' of 348th FG 1/48 Hasegawa
Nose art close-up of #29, P-47N Microscale Decals and oil paint touch up

RAF Mustang Mk.III of 316 Sq. 1/48 Tamiya
Spitfire Mk.Vb of 52 FG 1/48 Tamiya
Spitfire Mk.Vb of 2nd Polish Fighter Wing 1/48 Hasegawa

Nakajima Ki-44-II 'Tojo' 1/48 Hasegawa
Fokker Dr.I flown by Paul Baumer 1/28 Revell
Grumman F4F-4 'Wildcat' of VMF-223 1/48 Tamiya

A6M2 Type 21 'Zero' Pearl Harbor attack 1/48 Hasegawa
Field Marshal August von Mackensen 90mm Superior
Waist Gunner 8th A.F. 1943 120mm Verlinden