My non railroad hobby has always been Airplanes. I never get tired of B29s, P51s, all of that. Unfortuneately all my model aircraft meet unfortunate ends. ironicly, almost all of them where crushed under giant boxes on 3 seperate occasions. I just recently finished a B29 that i need to decal for the "Big Time Operator".
I've seen just about everything after I went to the air force museum. I've actualy spotted flying over my house, a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber ( i was young and i thought it was a UFO. it was out in broad daylight!), a B17G, B24M, TBM Avenger, and a P51. Occaisonaly i'll see some A10s, F16s, and lots of KC10/KC135s. I may have seen a P47 and a Corsair out and flying, but i'm not entirely sure. I'd trad a cabride in a 4-8-4 for a chance to fly in the last flyable B29.
personaly i think the airplanes prepared me for trains. I got some good modeling skills, and i know what to look for in identifying things. now instead of how many engines, its how may radiators ( or wheels on a steam engine) and i know what to look for in a seconds notice
I've also built 2 model ships, a USS Iowa, and the Tirpitizs. I'm starting on my biggest ever model, a 1/350 Tamiya USS New Jersey. I