datguy

Thanks Anthony. A great help to me too

That's perfect, Dave. Exactly the information I was hoping to find. Thanks! - David

Photos of this aircraft from April 1945 show a strike camera/gun camera in a nonstandard fairing on the midline of the nose just above the machine guns. I have some questions about this fitting. Are there any drawings or detail photos available that show the size and shape of the fairing, and how it was fitted to the nose piece? Is it known whether this camera arrangement was first fitted as part of the trials with the tiered rocket launchers and drop tanks, or was it fitted to this aircraft for use in documenting the Strike Wings' attacks? Thanks for any information you can share. David

I agree that the Monogram 1/72 F8F belly store is close to the proper shape and dimensions for the 150 gallon tanks. A long time ago in a galaxy far away, I made resin copies to put on the Monogram F7F. David

Me too. My copy arrived in the States straight from Japan earlier this month. The plastic is lovely, but painting some of the more exotic local schemes, especially the yellow ones (or dare I say white and purple a la Newcastle) will be a challenge. The main body is cast in a rather lurid red, with gray and black sprues for chassis and mechanical bits. DG

I concur with Steve. Use a Klear/Future/Whatever-they-call-it-now gloss coat, put a drop on the model where the decal will go (diluted is fine) and apply the decal. The "setting" drop seems to dissolve the underlying gloss coat and pull the decal down into the finish as it dries. DG

This may help a little: B-45 centerline cutaway

"Patience you must have, my young padawan" - Yoda You need to give the internet a bit more than 6 hours on a Sunday to solve an existential crises over a color scheme from over 45 years ago. That being said, Google took me here in 5 seconds: Aztec Decals: Soccer War Corsairs

It sounds like you may have the Minicraft boxing of the Hasegawa EA-6B plastic. Sprue shoots are here: Hasegawa EA-6B review. You'll see some pods with a wide flare along the lower edge. Those are the "low band" pods of the ALQ-99 system. There are also pods with parallel sides and no flare at the bottom. Those should be the same outline and size as the ALQ-76 and therefore suitable for the ERA-3B.

The ERA-3B carried ALQ-76 pods. Pods on the EA-6B were part of the ALQ-99 system. Their internal fit,operation, and performance were very different. That being said, the external shape is generally similar. You can't do better for A-3 information than Tommy Thomason's Tailhook Topics blog: The Mighty Skywarrior

The wheels and tires of a PR Hellcat from 888 Sqn FAA in 1945 are illustrated in a photo from post #10 in this this thread: Forum topic: FAA Corsair IV pilot It shows the combination of diamond tread and flat spokes a depicted above. DG

Oh no! I feel the first of many lost evenings coming on. Thanks, Jessica! What is it about ramp photos? What are they so addictive? David

There are 1/72 side view drawings in Model Aircraft December 2013, Vol 12, Issue 12 that illustrate the tank and the EMI pod. Measurements from those drawings confirm 102mm for the EMI and 90mm for the centreline tank.

The EMI pod is VERY big. This photo should allow you to scale out the correct version. https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6040/6344395476_a748eb73ab_b.jpg A prior BM thread, that I can't locate right now, also suggested the Matchbox pod to be the better size match.

I agree. A lovely product, and I plan to use it. However, since USAF and USN are both mentioned in the labeling it is probably most appropriate for the post-1970 period, when the USN and USAF painting instructions call for the same color, FS595 12197. Prior to 1970, the painting specifications called for different colors. The Mr.Paint product color would be appropriate for the Navy/Marines from the introduction of non-day-glo hi viz markings through the present. At least on the Navy birds I've seen, the modern formulations of 12197 seem remarkably resistant to fading.* DG *now awaiting the deluge of photos showing heavily faded Navy hi-viz schemes