Kari Lumppio

Hi! https://www.avialogs.com/ has AN 01-5E-2 Erection and Maintenance Instructions for B-24D,G, H and J No horizontal tail incidence given that I see, but it's airfoil is symmetrical NACA 0015. So if the angle of attack is positive, so is the tail lift (up). Wing incidence 3 degrees and from NACA war time report L-677 Fig 4 airfoil (2d) zero lift angle of attack is -2 degrees or so ( https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19930092770/downloads/19930092770.pdf ) Maybe Liberator just flew tail high? But why? Cheers, Kari

Hi! Connected to the Liberator longitudinal stability. What was the horizontal tail angle of incidence (numerical value)? And did it change during Liberator evolution? Looking images from side it looks if Liberator had lifting tail instead of the usual downard force. HT seems to have large positive incidence - rudder hingeline is tilted backwarfs. I assume rudder hingeline was perpendicular to HT chordline. I may have it all wrong. Do type specifications for the various Linerator versions exist? Cheers, Kari

Hi! I remembered and found an old Britmodeller thread Underbelly camera ports on PR Spitfires. Flush or not? https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/72024-underbelly-camera-ports-on-pr-spitfires-flush-or-not/#comment-789194 There was a mud flap covering system for the vertical cameras. Late Edgar posted Supermarine technical drawing for the mud flap system. Sadly the image has gone as is Edgar. Has anyone saved the drawing image? Cheers, Kari

Tere! Very nice model! I remember seeing a set of excellent photos of this aircraft at Fotis (Estnonian film and photo archive) and then wondered if the nacelles were red or blue. You seem to come up with red, that is good looking. Cheers, Kari

Hi! Somewhat idle recent (at the time of writing this) postings in this thread: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235123204-all-your-il-2-questions/ I guess A-14 may have varied somewhat. cheers, Kari

Hi! Whatever it is worth, Humbrol 5 Dark Admirality Grey was closest Humbrol/Revell match to the Soviet A-14 sample (Albom Nakrasok), only gloss. On WW2 section at the moment there is some discussion going on about it. Cheers, Kari

Hi! I should have been more specific. The Jõhvi photos appear in some two- three books at least. I am not lookig books or other publications. The photo series(es) are official PK photos and are in German archives. In ECPA too? It is the photo archival codes I am looking for. Thanks anyway for reaction. Cheers, Kari

Hi! These photos do show NSGr 11 Heinkel 50s at Jõhvi, Estonia early 1944. Only the taxiways were planked wood as much as I remember from veterans' books and stories. If anyone knows archival code(s) for this/these photo series(es) I very much would like to know. Been latently searching for them from like 1996 or so. Cheers, Kari

Hi! Model number 14. An Il-2 "07" from 566 ShAP. On one side of fuselage is "Za hristenko" for fallen comrade. Hristenko was KIA April 1945! There was no Leningrad Front any more then. 566 ShAP was somewhere in the Baltics with 1 VA IIRC. 566 ShAP had two white rings around rear fuselage during 1944 (June, post Vyborg operation). I think one can see overpainting of those on the original subject photos. For what it matters. Cheers, Kari

Hi! My guess from glimpsing through majority of the Banff Mosquito squadrons' ORBs Sep 44 to May 45. 25 lb AP to sink vessels 60 lb HE for flak suppression (235 Sqn role often). I may have it wrong. Cheers, Kari

Hello! There is that old saying: If you think safety is expensive, try accident... Cheers, Kari

Hei! Like I already wrote there is more to it. One detail. Wooden high vertical tails were lightened in colour (overpainted. squiggles. In RLM 76?) already in Germany. Study carefully period photos! When in Finland the second overpainting on vertical tail did not stand out as much as for example on wings. My thinking is that wing paint surface was smoothed and overpainting shows because of the surface texture (spray roughness difference), not because colour. Same for fuselage. Cheers, Kari

Hi! I and as far as I know no- one else has found archived documents which would list the paints used for the overpainting of German markings and stencilling of Bf 109s. Like you said the overpainting does not show, so logical assumption is the German Luftwaffe paints were used. But no documentation for that. Summer 1944 the State Aviation Factory (Valtion Lentokonetehdas - VL) sent detachment to field (Lappeenranta) which took care of all of the incoming Bf 109 inspection, including change of markings plus stencilling and placarding in Finnish. Professionals with lots of repetition af the same task performed the overpaintings. I think that is a factor of the apparent neatness. There is more to this for different periods of Bf 109 career in Finland. Late Summer 1944 paint material conservation was ordered. IIRC among other things German paint thinner/ activator stock was shrinking with no resupply in sight. Unnecessary painting was to be avoided. That is why for example MT-431 received only the black part of the Finnish war paint ( green & black top). Cheers, Kari PS MT-437 (yellow "9" and lynx head on fin) and MT-439 were the first HLeLv 24 Bf 109 G-6 to be painted in Finnish markings. On the very same day.

Hi! For once weathering is only where it belongs to. Kari

Hi! Canvas covers over whole empennage? Cheers, Kari

Hi! I quite liked this build video: Greg's models - Airfix new 1/48 Gannet (with a few mod's) https://youtu.be/JMP_Cr3UxfM?si=DQI4J_tGfe8UtLzX Not a reference I admit. Cheers, Kari

Ciao! I like the model very much and not least because the choice of the unit. Where one can find photos or info about winter camouflaged SG 3 G Stuka? I don't remember seeing such ever. Thanks for very interesting posting. Cheers, Kari

Hi! Very nice model! Sad to hear that also Netherlands is not friend of seaplane operations. Although I have not many hours in Super Cup, I've managed to fly the type on wheels, skis and floats. Classic. Cheers, Kari

H! The "attachment^ is tow bar. For the aircraft. On ground. In a magazine article this was presented as aerial tow device. Which it is NOT! I know the article author quite well and this misidentification is still too delicate to talk about. HC-465 did fly target flights but did NOT TOW anything ever. In Finland at least. Cheers, Kari

Hi! A kind of sequel to my earlier Spitfire FR XIV NH903 Q-Queenie question. 2 Sqn ORB: 3.6.1946 "F/L Thornton took aircraft 'Q' to U.K. to collect forward facing drop tank". Summer 1946 seems to have been busy "forward facing" training season for the squadron. What kind of system was this "forward facing drop tank"? My googling provided few hits (one or two here at BM) and no pictures whatsoever. The camera (or two?) were built into 90 gal slipper tank? Objective had to be on side because of the engine air intake? Cheers, Kari

Hello! Managed finally to purchase SAM Camouflage & Markings No 5 RAF Fighters 1945-1950 Overseas by Paul Lucas. On page 13 it has photo of Spitfire FR XIV NH903 OI-Q in 1947. Is NH903 in PR (Low Flying) scheme? The booklet describes the scheme but presents it only as provisional for the 2 Sqn Spitfire FR XIVs. Published in 2002 more understanding has been collected since then? That was my question and rest is some data gathered together by googling and 2 Sqn ORB (AIR/27/2388/2) . NH903 was first with 414 Sqn Mk.XIV as RU-Q from March 26 1845 to 2 Sqn April 5 1945 (or August 9?) to 1 B..R.D.S July 18 1946 (is that some kind of depot? Cannot find any exact answer by googling) 2 Sqn ORB 1.11.1946: "...W/CDR. PIPPET*s aircraft 'Q' has been returned to the squadron's Strength" Back from some depot maintenance? That Wing Commander connection would explain the letter Q which is 17th alphabet while the squadron's establishment was 16 planes. A Flight - Tac/R (Low flying") seems to have codes A to F or higher though usually only handful of planes were serviceable. B Flight - PR (High Flying) had letter from rear end of alphabet. 2 Sqn ORB 23.1.1947 "The only Spitfire XIV to fly was a "Q-Queenie" which was taken up on air test by F/O Stuff". 2 Sqn ORB 28.3.1947 (Gatow detachment) "...F/L MOWBRAY flew 'Q' - Queenie, but returned almost immediately with excessive engine vibration..." 2 Sqn ORB June 1948 "b) Accidents (i) One Spitfire XIV was categorized E.I when a tyre burst on take-off, the pilot, F/O Lee was unhurt" 28.6.1948 was when the flying career of NH903 ended. Cat.E1 Aircraft is a write off but is considered suitable for component recovery. So in 1947 NH903 had changed squadron once (code overpainting?) and had gone through major overhaul or something? Would it still be in the PR Low Flying scheme in 1947 in the booklet photo? I kind of hope so. BTW 2 Sqn ORB 27.2.1947 "...Blue skies enabled 'B' Fligth to fly, 'A' flight's machines being grounded and preened up for the BERLIN show." What would the preening include? Cleaning and waxing, painting? This could also explain the different look in photo(s)? But back to the question. Is more known today about the use of PR (Low Flying) scheme? Cheers, Kari

Hello! You could try Aviation Shop (Helsinki). They do have the book and I have bought mine from there: https://www.aviationshop.fi/kolmosten-siivill-p-4075.html The homepage is in Finnish only (Google Translate may help?). Contact address is: [email protected] I do not know what is their attitude towards foreign orders. If you live in Euro currency country, payment should be easy (by EU Regulation). I have no other affiliation to them than being an happy customer. Cheers, Kari

Hi! Liked the video very much, even the music which is a rarity for me. Are the Mk II D modifications same as for Mk IV Hurricane? I am still unsure despite many discussions also at this forum. Keep up the good work, Kari

Hi! Is there Mk III IFF sntenna under the Hurricane fuselage? In the photo Blimpyboy posted above. Cheers Kari

Hi! Finnish AF C-47s had civilian interiors from Aero (later Finnair) era. Passenger seats could be changed to indigenous paratroop benches along sides. In other words not a thing to do with ordinary military interior. White and grey interior from memory.. cockpit (brunswick-type edit Dull Dark Green?) green Just now I am work trip and it will be next week before remote change to check things at home. One can find dated photos of Finnish AF C-47s at airlines.net. From memory there are photo(s) of DO-7 without the red tail beacon there (installed about 1967?). And no ILMAVOIMAT text either. Propeller tip colour/markings have varied (yellow / red-white). There are more knowledgeable persons on the type than I. Google images OH-LCH, although it does not bring the Finnish paratroop bench image DO-1 to DO-3 were DC-2 type. Cheers, Kari