The Modeler's Craft

A friend sent along an e-mail this morning that was chock full of amazing photos of aluminum scale models of the P-51 Mustang and the F4U Corsair... two of my all-time favorite aircraft.  I was impressed with the photos... greatly impressed... and googled the modeler's name to see if he has a web site.  And sure enough, he does.  Well, the site isn't his, technically... but it IS devoted to the modeler and his work.

Here's biographical detail on Mr. Young Park from that site:

Young Park seems amazed that his work is admired by other craftsmen. Like a skilled sculptor who feels inadequate looking at the work of a great painter, he fails to see that the painter is equally in awe of his skill as a sculptor. He admits that his work is unusual and unique, but when comparing it to that of a precision machinist he sees many faults in his own work. Because of this, he has been hesitant to share his accomplishments beyond his local area. Every part of his plane is completed to his personal satisfaction, and he did not build it with any intent beyond creating something that was pleasing to him. He did not build it to enter in shows or contests. He says that it is less important that his parts be technically perfect than it is that they “look and fit right”. In fact, it is in the fit of all the complicated parts where his art really comes to light.

When you consider the number of actions that must take place at once when a wing folds up, a landing gear rotates into position or control surfaces move when the stick in the cockpit is moved, his model is truly amazing. A microscopic inspection of each part will show that most are not technically “perfect”, but the completed airplane with all its complicated, interrelated mechanisms and moving controls is an accomplishment almost too grand for most model craftsmen to contemplate. Taken as a complete metal sculpture, it just looks completely “right”. Somehow, the fact that some of his hand work on each part is still in evidence gives the finished piece a character that would be lost if a real Corsair had been shrunken down to 1/16 size. It is the difference between a good technical photograph and a painting of great skill. The photograph contains all the correct information, but the painting has a quality that will cause you to want to look at it again and again, finding a new pleasure each time. Young C. Park is truly an artist in metal.

Until these models were displayed at the North American Model Engineering Society show in Detroit in April, 2002, Mr. Park had shown them to only a few friends and a local model club. He was a little apprehensive about showing them to the machinists, metalworking craftsmen and hobbyists that attend a model engineering show. In reality, the craftsmen at this show were among those best qualified to appreciate the skill it takes to scratch build a model to this level of detail with no dimensioned plans to work from. The reception was one of overwhelming approval, and we thank Mr. Park for making that long trip and risking his models in the shipping process to share them with those who could really appreciate what he has accomplished. He now recalls the weekend as one of the most enjoyable of his life, and I'm sure many who were able to see his models will agree it was special for them because of his attendance.

Here are a few pictures of the man and his work:

Go look... and be amazed.