Incomplete Gamer

The paint’s almost dry on our fifth Toy Stories Challenge.  If you’ve been paying attention (our web traffic would indicate you have), then you know that we’ve been inspired by the James May documentary series Toy Stories,  to reconnect with the toys of our childhood.  The cynical among you might have thought we were merely trying to occupy the minds of Incomplete Gamer junior during the school holidays and you’d be partly right.  James May himself wanted to know if the toys and hobbies of years past could still hold the attention of the young kids bought up on a steady diet of video games with a side serve of video games.  To answer that  question ourselves, we’ve asked incomplete Gamer Junior to tackle all six of the Toy Stories Challenges.  Today we’ve sent him to the lab with an Airfix model of the Republic P-47D Thunderbolt.  Just how well did he micro manage his latest micro challenge you’ll just have to read on.

Incomplete Gamer Junior here.  Let the record state that so far I have loved every one of the Toy Stories Challenges, but I’ve got to ask just what was Airfix thinking when it created the impossible thing that is an Airfix model.  Really it should be called Airbroken, Sure, the little plastic pieces might all come attached on a moulded plastic frame, but you’ll have to break them all off before you can begin to build the plane.  Now these models aren’t cheap either, not in Australia anyway.  The starter kit I bought was $24.95.  for that price you’d think the kit would be preassembled and gold plated.

I think for a plastic toy, it was pretty well made in the sense of how you assemble  it, but it was just so frustrating.  At one point I considered dropping it off the top of my roof just to put an end to the challenge.

If I had to fly  my Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, I just know it would be a disaster. For starters, there’s a problem with the landing gear.  No matter how much glue I threw at it, it just wouldn’t stay put.  So basically the only way you are going to safely land this bird would be to put it down in water.  I’ll need to recruit Chesley Burnett “Sully” Sullenberger III to pull off the miracle manouver, and even if he’s free, there’s the whole problem of shrinking him to fit.  It may just be simpler for me to take a commercial flight.

Airfix – it was fun while it lasted, and it lasted a good four hours, but I just don’t think Airfix is for me.  How would I spruce it up for today’s generation?  Easy.  Make the kits preassembled.  Let’s face it.  We all know kids today only have five second concentration spans.

This is Incomplete Gamer Junior signing out..