Project Walt completed

Steve T · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2005 11:06 am

Hi all--

Except for a couple figures I want to add, Project Walt (my 1:72 diorama of part of Walt Soplata's place ca.1982) is finished.

By request I am removing the link to the photos; I think pretty much everyone who would be interested in seeing them, has done.

Cheers

S.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11319

Steve T wrote:

Except for a couple figures I want to add, Project Walt (my 1:72 diorama of part of Walt Soplata's place ca.1982) is finished.

Wow! That is quite a project. Good job. Seeing that makes me feel a whole range of emotions. Some of it makes me laugh (the subject of the diorama and the "Farmer Brown" shelters), some of it makes me sad (the obvious decrepit condition of the aircraft). Glad to see these aircraft weren't all scrapped though.

mrhenniger · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2005 11:57 am

BTW... I have an update to the Soplata list. It doesn't look like Scott has had a chance to post it yet. If any one is interested in the history of the Soplata collection and can help clarify when airframes arrived at Mr. Soplata's farm (or first spotted dates) and when they left (last spotted dates good as well) I can email you a copy.

Mike

AirJimL2 · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2005 1:47 pm

Great job Steve!!!

Jim

wendovertom · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2005 1:56 pm

Excellent job! so are you going to add the B-36 area :wink:

Tom P.

CorsairFreak · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2005 3:08 pm

Very impressive!! Are you going to finnish the rest of his collection?

Ollie · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2005 8:42 pm

Amazing Steve!

You're da man!

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2005 9:40 pm

on the contrary. very disrespectful of walt soplata, his wishes, & what is rightfully his. you can't make a diorama of countless other topics?? let the man have his privacy, enjoy his stuff regardless of it's disrepair or neglect in his waning years. soplata has breathed new life into the warbird restoration movement decades before anybody even cared. regards, tom

Steve T · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2005 10:26 pm

Hi Tom--

I can see your point...but I intend absolutely no disrespect to Walt, on the contrary the building of the diorama was/is a reflection of the delight I felt at seeing the collection, and conversing with Walt, all those years ago. As I have said many times on WIX and elsewhere, we're all very much the richer for the foresight shown by the all-too-few Walt Soplatas of the world. Be assured that giving Walt trouble is the LAST thing on my mind!

If I can I will remove the link to the photos. They have now been seen by most who would be interested, in any case. Scott--if I cannot remove the link, will you kindly remove the thread?

S.

Steve T · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2005 10:33 pm

All--

Have edited out the link. Scott--if you think it is prudent to do so, go ahead and delete the thread. Incidentally, no, I have no intention of "expanding" the diorama to include representations of the B-36 or anything else...

Apologies if this has been upsetting. I certainly did not anticipate that, nor was that remotely my intent.

S.

Scott Rose · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2005 10:53 pm

tom d. friedman wrote:

on the contrary. very disrespectful of walt soplata, his wishes, & what is rightfully his. you can't make a diorama of countless other topics?? let the man have his privacy, enjoy his stuff regardless of it's disrepair or neglect in his waning years. soplata has breathed new life into the warbird restoration movement decades before anybody even cared. regards, tom

I would look at Steve's devotion to this project as nothing but complimentary. Steve is an avid fan of Mr. Soplatta as are most of us here. The diorama was a tribute and in no way represented anything negative. Personally I would like to see Steve replace the pictures in the thread.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11319

I found the diorama to be thought provoking and I'm glad you did it. I would like to see a similar diorama of the Victory Air Museum. It would bring back a lot of memories.

Steven M. Dennis · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2005 10:55 pm

Steve T wrote:

All--
Apologies if this has been upsetting. I certainly did not anticipate that, nor was that remotely my intent.

S.

Steve,

I think you did a great job! Unlike you, Tom, Randy, and a few others that have been able to meet Mr. Soplata and/or see his collection, I probably never will. And with so few photos available of his fantastic aircraft, your diorama really helps us visualize what it was like.

I think you and Mike H. have helped educate us all a little more about this amazing gentleman with your efforts to document what he has helped save. I certainly appreciate all of the hard work you put into this display, and I am sorry that you felt you had to remove it from public view.

Kind of negates all that time and energy you put into it if you can't show it to anyone.

Keep your chin up my friend!

Steve :wink:

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Steve:

I just entered to visit this thread for the first time, and I find out that ONE negative comment, has made you remove the link and / or the photos.

Would you please count the number of favorable comments that you have (please add mine to that list) and re-post your data?

Saludos,

Tulio

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2005 11:46 pm

steve i feel you are a gentleman, & reacted as such, not because that is what i hoped you'd do, but in the spirit to alleviate a nice old guy & his wife of alot of b.s. from nay sayers. in regard to their passion & in their enthusiasm, they have taken alot of people into their confidence by allowing them a rare & priveledged look at 1 killer collection of aviation history. if you've been to the soplata's place you will find they are about as gracious & enthusiastic hosts as you would want!!! to the rest of the gang... i was not looking to manipulate or push anybody's buttons to tick anybody off, i don't like the condition of some of the stuff, but we are all better off for how they are regardless, as opposed to being smelted decades ago. walt saved a chunk of history, we should all thank him bottom line. thanks, tom

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