Scale models

My brother, who was killed in a car wreck when I was only 11 years old, used to spend hours building model airplanes. These were very nice models, and all were of military aircraft. I, of course, was not allowed to touch them lest I should break one. I didn't understand it at the time, but of course I do now.

He also built an airplane that had a motor and would fly. He'd take it over to the airport and join other hobbyists there. They'd fly those planes and do stunts with them. My brother's plane was made of balsa wood and paper. He painted it himself, and motorized it. He did the whole thing from the ground up, which I thought was pretty impressive. Still do, as a matter of fact.

I wonder, though, why he never tried building model ships? They are beautiful. Maybe the cost was prohibitive, since we just weren't real well off. He could find model airplanes of the sort he enjoyed at pretty low prices. Model ships, on the other hand, have lots of rigging to add and tend to be higher priced. Even "back in the day" they were bound to be pricey.

For a child, these sorts of model ships aren't practical. Besides the price, they take quite a bit of dexterity to put together properly. For the older collector, though, especially the person who has everything, these would probably be a unique and delightful gift.