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I have tried dozens of times and it NEVER let me create a new account. I never had one with them before. I have posted about this before in an earlier thread and got nowhere with that either. I always meant to call them, but with the time difference between Denmark and California, I never got around to it. Like I said, SleeperService was able to help me out and I got the decals that I wanted earlier this year. I haven't used any yet but am looking forward to it. For now there is nothing I want to order but in the future you never know! Later, Dave

Therein lies the rub. IF you do not have an existing account with them, YOU CAN NOT CREATE ONE! I tried a bunch of times over several years. Numerous e-mail messages were sent asking for assistance, but I NEVER GOT A REPLY! Finally Sleeper Service, who may check in on this thread, took pity on me and ordered the sheets I wanted along with his order and I paid him back through Pay Pal. I can't garauntee that he will make the same offer, but that is how it is with Stoppel. Later, Dave

OK, I'm intrigued here. Why is a BUFF more "Christmasy"? Is it because of Linebacker II, the so called Christmas bombings of North Vietnam in `72? If you are thinking of NORAD tracking Santa, then one of the deltas, either the F-102 or F-106 would be more "Christmasy". Later, Dave

Found a decal sheet for the CH-3C at the Wolfpak Decals site. It is sheet 72-075: http://www.millcreekconsultants.com/WP72-A075.html One thing though. The decal sheet has the serial number in white, whereas the photo clearly shows it in black! Should be simple to make my own decal for the serial number. Hope to have this sheet on order within the next day or two. They also list the color as FS 16087. Later, Dave

If'n I do buy one or two, it will be Drone Director markings for me! Hey Hannant's, there is an area for you when you come out with decals for these things! Later, Dave

I have several other Sword kits in the stash, to include two Harrier T.4s , the two seat Lightnings, and of course the AEW Gannet! Hopefully these will go together easier than the T-33! Later, Dave

I don't expect Hasegawa or new Eduard or Tamiya quality. I do expect that when you attach the wings to the fuselage that you will have the correct amount of dihedral, or no dihedral, what ever the case may be with the actual aircraft. The SH P-59 kit ended up with anhedral. When they have locating edges for the cockpit floor, I would also expect it to fit correctly, not droop because the floor is too skinny, or be up at an angle because the floor is too wide. Their BT-9 has the floor too narrow, and the NP3B had it too wide. Lots of sanding to finally get it to fit properly. The aft shelf in the BT-9 kit will go where ever it damn well wants to, not where it should be. There are no locating edges or pins or anything of the sort. So now on my completed model it sits low and to one side. I have bought a Pavla resin cockpit for the next one I build even though it will be a little short in length. I will just make a cut and add some plastic sheet to get it to the right length. Now then, did SH really do a test build to make sure things would end up where they are supposed to be? As far as I can tell from the kits of theirs that I have attempted to build and actually finished, HELL NO! After trashing about four or more kits because of impossible engineering (think LeO 37 with myriads of struts and mere dimples to suggest where they are supposed to go, or Nieuport-Delage 621 with main struts that will never, ever, allow the top wing to go into place as on the actual aircraft). The NP-3B is over engineered with way to many pieces for piddling details better served by one part with the little details already on the part. It was also the first SH kit I have been able to actually complete! Once I got the fuselage on the BT-9 buttoned up things went a lot smoother and it was finished as a Swedish pre-war trainer. I have had far fewer problems building AZ kits, but I still buy some SH stuff for the diversity of kits available that no one else has done or will do. A Model is another company that makes you wonder if they ever do test shots of their kits. Lots and lots of sanding and filling on their TU-128, and I have at least one fuselage compartment wall on the Piaggio Avanti that will need some work before the fuselage can be buttoned up. So excuse me if I want to wait for reviews and WIPs to come out first before I plunk my money down on the Sword Furies. Later, Dave

Special Hobby announced an FJ-2 years ago (it is still listed as a future release and Hannant's), and I have not had a lot of luck with their stuff either. I did manage to see a sprue shot of the FJ-2 and based on that it looks a lot better than the T-33. As to an F-80, I'll go with the Airfix kit I have in the stash along with the Airwaves etched brass set. I also have etched brass sets for the Hasegawa T-33s. As far as Furies go, I have both the Valom and Rareplanes kits of the FJ-1, and the Emhar FJ-4B. With a detail set and lots of sanding in the rear I should be able to get it to look like a straight FJ-4 instead of the FJ-4B. Nobody has announced a new FJ-4 kit and you can't get there from the FJ-2 or FJ-3. Later, Dave

The only Sword kit I've built so far was the T-33 and I will never buy another T-33 from them. Major sanding required on the upper wings at the root in order to get the fuselage and wings to fit anywhere near where they are supposed to. The coaming over the pilot's instrument panel was a separate piece and that was a pain to get to sit right as well. The whole front end engineering was rather strange and illogical. I have the old Hasegawa and Heller kits and now also the Platz kit and the engineering in the area as far better. Hopefully they have learned something from the way they did the T-33, but I will hold off a bit before buying any of the promised Furies. Later, Dave

I planned on leaving off the box as that was used only for an exercise. I'll have to check for the color used on Army C-21s since that would have been the color used. I recently acquired the old Revell kit so that started a search for possible finishes. Besides knocking down all the rivet heads, I will also have to get rid of the stub wings on the sponsons since the early aircraft did not have them. Thanks for the info. Later, Dave

I'm hoping someone out there can give me a definitive answer, or a place to look for one, on a couple of helicopter coloring questions. First one, a UH-1N at Misawa, Japan most likely during an open house and air show: https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=uh-1n&hspart=att&hsimp=yhs-att_001#id=29&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vaq136.com%2Fmisawa%2Fmisawa-082b.jpg&action=click The lower color is most likely FS 16473 as that is what was called for in 1-1-4. What is the upper color? I'm thinking either FS 16081 or 16118. I'm leaning towards 16081, but would like something more definitive. Next is a picture of a CH-3C taken in the early 60s: https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=ch-3c+helicopter&fr2=piv-web&hspart=att&hsimp=yhs-att_001#id=1&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.helis.com%2Fh%2Fh3_63-9690.jpg&action=click It looks to me to be in FS 16081 since the Air Force originally got their H-3s from the Navy. Dark Gloss Blue, FS 15045 is also a possibility as that was the original finish of Air Force UH-1s. Army gloss OD is also a possibility, but it looks more Seaplane Gray (FS 16081) to me. Here is an example of H-3As operated by the Air Force after transfer from the Navy that were definitely in Seaplane Gray: https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=ch-3c+helicopter&fr2=piv-web&hspart=att&hsimp=yhs-att_001#id=108&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.helis.com%2Fh2%2Fs-61_usaf.jpg&action=click Thanks for your help in advance. Later, Dave

Not really an expert from what I have read in the air-to-air realm it didn't really what matter the aircraft was painted because after a certain distance everything looks like a black speck. Natural metal aircraft and those that were experimentally covered in a clear covering material (one of the WW I combatants, I think it was the Germans who tried it) show up a little earlier from the sun reflecting off of their surfaces. In an air-to-ground scenario a camouflage finish would be of greater advantage for the aircraft down in the weeds. Of course nowadays nearly everybody likes to go with grays so who knows for sure. Later, Dave

I got a reply from "Army Bob" about how he remembers them being painted. Of course we are talking about over 45 years ago, "I remember the YO-3A as being one solid color, kind of a OD green and off grey color. Kind of green/grey or something like being in the forest at night with the trees and having a half bottom full moon. Remember, that it was in the air at night with little to no moon light." The colors quoted earlier from the Quiet Aircraft Group also sound right based on what is at Pima. Later, Dave

Here is a link to my picture of the YO-3A at Pima in October of 2009: To me, it definitely appears to be two different shades of gray. Maybe something like FS 36320 and 36118 although at the time it was in operational use, I don't believe either one of those colors were around. I know somebody who worked on them and I'll ask him about it. Later, Dave

Trumpeter is supposed to be bringing out a new Fiddler kit so hopefully something more easily buildable will be here within the next few years. Still waiting for their 72nd MiG 19. Later, Dave