There's more than one way to build a model airplane. Every project I do is done, somehow or in some way, different from the last. Even if it's the same airplane, I want it different than the last.

     By different I mean "better." Is that an arrogant state of mind? Perhaps, but there are modeling friends of mine who share the same ethic; I have outside professional friends who use this methodology also.

     I find that pushing myself a little further with every project makes the hobby worth the effort and the lessons valuable to my daily life. As stressful as the effort might be sometimes, the reward is that much sweeter. Much of my success is owed to my family and friends who, after all, put up with me when hobby projects get frustrating.

     The "push" seems like a natural occurrence, though; the project takes on a life of its own and what that spawns is often more than ever imagined. That's one of the rewards, not just for myself, but for others as well. My experiences sometimes become lessons for others. My success turns into their success, and that's something to take pride in.

     Gary Webb builds Scale models in a profoundly detailed manner, and they aren't hangar queens. His P-51 project took on a life of its own just because he wanted a vibrant color scheme for it.

     His story about "What Modeling Can Do" reviews his journey into a project that took him beyond why the tails of the Tuskegee Airmen's airplanes were painted red. Gary already had a lot of pride in his models, but his walk down the path of heroes and legends propelled him even further.

     More or less, half the fun of a Scale project is the story behind why we get jazzed about a particular subject. For me, I've got my mind set on an F4U Corsair, because I used to love watching stories of Pappy Boyington on TV. I'm so thrilled with the Curtiss Jenny because of the movie The Great Waldo Pepper with Robert Redford. The Piper Cherokee 140 is special to me, because that's the airplane my father gave me my first airplane ride in.

     Your fascination with an airplane might be different, but surely after you share stories learned about history, no one will think your project isn't cool.

     We have some wood for you to work with in this issue. Not only is Gary Fuller's A-20 a fun and rewarding project, but Roy Day and Fred Randall also show us some great how-to ideas we can use on projects we are working on or intend to build.

     The A-20 project came to MA with lots of extra building photos—a bonus we don't see that often. As many of the build photos as we could fit are in these pages, but for the whole story, plus the rest of Gary's cool tricks for building this model, we put the entire project on our "Exclusive Online Features" section of the MA Web site.

     Roy Day's article about molding leading-edge sheeting is a technique that can be applied to just about every kit- and plans-built model out there; size is no object. I like his method, as it eliminates the unsightly glue joint between the leading edge and aft sheeting.

     Making that part of the wing strong and seamless above the covering is always a major task when I build. I wish I knew about this idea before.

     Coincidently, Bob Hunt's CL Precision Aerobatics column details his method of molding leading edges. Roy works with a wood wing, and Bob with foam. You can read both procedures and find out, like I did, what a smart building method they've brought to us.

     Since his Golden Era 60 construction article was published in the May 2008 MA, Fred Randall has been working quite a bit with this editorial staff. As challenging as each idea has been, Fred never backed down and our conversations have always been colorful or enjoyable. The friendship we have now is very rewarding.

     We're thrilled to bring you Fred's method of building wood cowls. You'll recognize the model in the photo as the Golden Era, but the intent is that no matter what the airframe, his methods will adapt to just about any airframe. Wooden cowls are often many times more durable than fiberglass; and for one-off projects, this building knowledge is pretty much required.

     The 2008 Nationals is in the bag. If you like Jay Smith's coverage of the event, don't forget to check out your favorites on the AMA Web site in the pages of NatsNews. Despite the gas prices, the Nats is just as popular as it has ever been. Jay's words spell out just how rewarding competition can be. MA