Indianapolis, Indiana citizen Colin Tabb is a pilot, building hours toward a commercial ticket and an airline career. I’ve known him since his dad David introduced us, and we’ve been long-distance friends. He als0 serves on the AeroKnow Museum board of directors.
He visited AKM while his charming better half Heather attended a local friend’s baby shower.
scoping the models in the WELCOME Room downstairs
Colin and his dad David are a modeling tag team. They built the first model to be crafted by donated talent, of which they have plenty: a 1/48 Monogram A-7A.
Tippicanoe and Corsair II
He and David had visited this collection at my home in earlier years, and this was the first visit by a Tabb to the airported incarnation — inplaneation, if you prefer.
holding an Airfix B-29 in the Upstairs Operations (UpsOps) Room.
The more time I spend at AKM, the more I want to add a room filled to capacity with built models on shelves like those in the WELCOME Room and nothing else. One reason why is that the downstairs WR should be the only the appetizer and, for AKM supporters and serious enthusiasts, the upstairs should be the meat, potatoes and dessert! The B-29 Colin is holding is finished with decals that include the lettering “P W SUPPLIES” which was painted on several Superfortresses when the cessation of hostilities was announced in August 1945. Crews of these aircraft, at considerable risk, dropped desperately needed provisions to prisoners of war who had almost starved to death while in captivity. This is a story that needs to be shared with people who care emough to WANT to know it. The model will soon be displayed downstairs, but my goal for a new room upstairs needs to become REALITY as your support, and the support of others, permits. Just after posing with the Boeing, Colin received a cell call from Heather, that it was time to return to Springfield and head for home back east. So we did a whirlwind tour of the Research Room, super-secret Storage Room, the Periodicals Room and in the Books and Miscellaneous Files Room we were surprised to find this . . .
the fate of the fallen
Something had to give . . . way.
Time was not of the essence because no liquid was flooding the room. All that was going to happen here had happened whenever it happened. So Colin and I finished the tour . . .
considering an E-3 Sentry. . . . NOT a major priority, but one that will be built
It was an excellent visit, but as 99 percent of visits, it concluded with a rush to depart the premises and a promise to come back when possible.
The next day, Colin e’d offering the tag-team Tabb’s services in the building of another model, kit provided, as before, by AKM. I offered him his pick of a Frog Gloster Javelin, a Monogram Panavia Tornado, both 1/72 OR a 1/48 Monogram AH-64 Apache. If YOU have a hankering to build any of those, comment your preference here, and I’ll contact you.
Thanks to Colin for a fine-but-over-too-soon encounter and donation from the holiest of places, his checking account. Colin found AKM to be worth his time. I hope you will too. Come see the museum.
Fly safe!
Abe Lincoln's Air Force 