Drakenheart

Field Green as applied to the original UH 1N was a very high gloss paint. the Model Master Enamel is a close match. when Marine squadrons were doing corrosion control. The available touch-up paint came in spray cans was a flat color somewhat lighter. Modes 406 shows evidence of this paint on the panels of the rear fuselage aft of the cargo door. When the N models were produced for the Corps the original "Marines" on the tail boom was a gloss white. All other markings were gloss as well. When I left the corps, that was the way the N was painted. There may well have been a transition to black at a later date. Your best bet is to search out a photo of the bird you wish to model.

The Frog kit I purchased in 1966/67 in the U.S. Had an upper turret moulded in clear plast. there were no machine guns provided in the kit.

The A26 tankers used in the movie were owned and operated by Lynch Flying Services out of Billings, Montana. The tanker numbers and registrations were real. I cannot tell you if the nose art was on the aircraft prior to the movie. I would bet it remained on the aircraft after the movie! All the Lynch tankers were sold years ago. One was retained for a time painted as a Vietnam Nam era A 26K. It too was sold and flown out of Billinga perhaps four years ago. I watched them fly while in college, and a max performance T/O was an amazing sight.

I believe the Marine natural metal FJ's were all the -2

Do you still need the dimensions? I have a Monogram kit that I bought in 1968 that I can get my hands on easily. Contact EMail: Drakenheart at aol dot com direct.

The Skyshark was a totally new airframe. It was significantly higher/thicker fuselage and a much thinner wing. I am no expert about the missing propeller situation if it existed, but I do know that the gearbox had a nasty habit of throwing gears in many directions or seizing up altogether. The convair Tradewind series of seaplane transports had the same engine combination. I cannot be sure of the gearbox congigurations. In any case it suffered a short service life due to similar problems. The airframes were good, power plants very bad.

The conversion in Finescale Modeller was of the Hasegawa kit. The only factory parts needed were the early J79 afterburner cans, which came from a donor F4 kit that has both styles in the kit. the rest of the surgery was straightforward. the biggest problem wii be the total lack of available decals. Many RA5C squadrons flew the A5A, and in some cases tail codes and flashes stayed the same. Adapting RA5C decal sheets should be possible.