Vietnam Combat Search and Rescue Team 1/72

[Mario]

Hello everybody!

Today I would like to present you some of my older builds. All models are made from old and rather basic kits. The HH-3 Jolly Green Giant is an old Revell model from the early eighties, I built it as a child. About two years ago I found two of the missing rotor blades by chance and decided to restore it. I opened the fuselage, gave it interior details and added some pilots a pararescue jumper and a lucky rescued jet pilot. The clear parts were polished and a lot of extra details like navigation lights, antennas, winch and wipers installed.

The decals came from the spare box and some were self printed.

As I thought that to a Jolly there belongs a Sandy I picked one of my old Airfix Skyraider kits and built one parallel to the helicopter. Except for the weapons load, the decals and some scratchbuilt details it was straight from the box.

The Bronco is the oldest model (dating back to 1997). It was made from the old Hasegawa kit with other weapons load and some scratchbuilt details.

The Cessna O-2 is one of my favourite models. It was built in 2003. Back in the nineties these ARII kits were very cheap and easily available, so I hoarded some of them. The detailing was quite low and the clear parts not the best but I found it honorable that a manufacturer did these subjects.

I improved the fuselage by adding clear stryrene for the upper windows, made new pylons and antennas and scratchbuilt some minigun pods from sprue. The sources for the decals once again : Sparebox and my printer.

I hope you like the models.

Best regards:

Mario

P.S. My little Sabre will we back this week!

Edited August 21, 2017 by Mario

[PZRGREN]

Loving your work!!

[Haydn]

Like it !

[russ c]

Great collection Mario and really nice work

[Dermo245]

Awesome collection!

[ancient mariner]

Loving your work!!

Wot E said.

[Mario]

Thank you all for your compliments!

Regards

Mario

[Learstang]

Very nice collection of Vietnam War models!

Regards,

Jason

[Mario]

Thank you very much Jason - and thank you once again for your kind comments on my lunar landing diorama! I appreciated it very much!

P.S. Did you have rain in Texas meanwhile?

Regards

Mario

[Luis Alfonso]

Hi Mario:

Without a doubt you were very busy those days. Watching your nicely done masterpieces, I remember when in 1982 a friend and I did something like that but not with high quality as yours. BTW all my models were rescued to be restored one day: (1) Jolly Green Giant was rescued with missing parts, had a Brake fluid bath and fortunately completed with many spare parts to be restored, even tough I would like to have a new one, I have all the pieces and am considering use a new set rotor from a Lindberg HH-3 variant i have new for the planned reconstruction; (2) Airfix Sandy was also cleaned the same way and stored complete, (3) the old Hasegawa Bronco is nearly completed, had a treatment in the exhausts, some antennas and other details added, a little work in the cockpit and the only parts in which i have trouble are the replacement of the missing wing pylons, (4) Airfix O 2 was in process too, and (5) an ARII I have given by a friend was reconstructed as a Guatemalan Air Force Cessna 337 with armament pylons in the wings but has suffered an accident after an exposition participation. Watching your work I am begining to think I have to be a very serious modeler if I really want to have a decent collection like yours.

I have a soft spot in my heart for the Cessna O-2/337 as even now when anyone of the five/six here is flying, the unmistakable sopund of this little bird makes me leave anything I am doign to search the sky for her; and have more than ten of them in the stash: Airfix, Us Airfix, Arii, Entex, Eidai Grip.....well, it deserves a family portrait to show something later.

Thank you very much for sharing and giving the high degree of inspiration to finish something soon.

Cheers,

Luis Alfonso

[louiex2]

Excellent work and nice collection. My former boss did two tours flying both the OV-10 Bronco and O-2 Birddog in Vietnam. Great guy with a lot of great stories. Looking forward to seeing more.

[HL-10]

Nice little themed collection!

I like the Jolly Green, and the Bronco especially

[Learstang]

Yes, Mario, we finally go some decent rainfall here in South Central Texas! Everything is now nice and green (for the moment). Mind you, the green on the lawn is mainly small weeds, not real grass, but green is green. By the way, last week I picked up a Hasegawa A-1H with Special Operations markings. I might do a diorama with that and my B-26K (A-26A) Counter Invader if I ever finish them. You did a great job with that old Airfix Spad - I hope I can do an equivalently good job with my A-1.

Best Regards,

Jason

[Sir T]

A very nice collection - It's realy nice to see an O-2 built up.

Great work!

Cheers

Stuart

[cardiff guy]

An interesting bunch breathing life into old kits well done

Glenn.

[Mario]

Thank you once again to all of you! Never estimated so many compliments for those antiquities.

To Luis Alfonso:

Your stash of model kits seems to be as high as mine! You know a lot about these old kits, their brands and reboxings. Interesting you mentioned the Lindberg kit of the Jolly Green. Before I decided to restore my old model I tried to get it somewhere, but never succeeded. I think the Revell kit was a reboxing of the Lindberg one, but I´m not sure.

The O-2s of Airfix and Arii are very similar, too. But Airfix has the upper windows for the fuselage, better weapons load and parts for a psywar version.

Does Guatemala still operates the O-2? I did a bit of research and found out that your country also operated the A-37 Dragonfly? Would also be an interesting build.

To Jason:

Interesting that you are planning an A-1H built. I thought you were more interested in Russian aviation of World War Two. The Hasegawa kit is said to be very good, but I found it quite expensive. Italeri`s Counter Invader is also on my must-do list. It is said that the model has flaws regarding cockpit and wheels (originals had the ones of KC-135s I think), but this should be nothing too serious. I have the model kit, the Squadron Signal Publication of the Invader in action and their publication about the 56th Fighter Group. In this book you find a lot of Skyraiders, Counter Invaders and other exotic airplanes operating from Nakom Phanom and other bases. It inspired me for a Royal Lao T-28 build I would like to present in the near future. It also covers the Second World War with lots of Thunderbolt pictures.

Best regards

Mario

[Learstang]

Mario, my present area of specialisation and interest is GPW VVS aircraft (and British aircraft), but I've always had a great interest in the piston-engined aircraft of the Vietnam War, of which there were many. In addition to my A-1H and B-26K, I also have an AC-47 Spooky to build. I used to have an O-2 Skymaster, a DeHavilland Otter, and an AC-119K Stinger. I have a built-up C-7 Caribou which I need to repair, and an EC-121 that I need to finish, also. In addition to these, I have two mostly-built (I have many mostly-built models, unfortunately) Vietnam War Neptunes - the OP-2E and the AP-2H. I also wouldn't mind doing some Air Commando aircraft, such as the AT-28D and an unmodified B-26B Invader, and maybe even a C-46 Commando. Somewhere I might even have an old Hasegawa Marlin lurking, so as you can see, I have a lot of Vietnam War aircraft. Regarding the flaws on the Italeri B-26K, I do know that the cockpit is missing the control column for the co-pilot on the right side. I didn't know about the wheels; all I know is that it looks like a B-26K and so far it's built up nicely. I'm not really a rivet-counter so if a model doesn't have any glaring inaccuracies, I'm usually prepared to live with a few minor ones.

Regards,

Jason

Edited October 7, 2014 by Learstang

[Mario]

Jason, I agree with you completely. I try to built my models as accurate as possible, but I´m always trying to find a good balance between quality and quantity. And I have no problem building older kits as I like scratchbuilding and exotic subjects.

Regards

Mario

[Luis Alfonso]

Thank you once again to all of you! Never estimated so many compliments for those antiquities.

To Luis Alfonso:

Your stash of model kits seems to be as high as mine! You know a lot about these old kits, their brands and reboxings. Interesting you mentioned the Lindberg kit of the Jolly Green. Before I decided to restore my old model I tried to get it somewhere, but never succeeded. I think the Revell kit was a reboxing of the Lindberg one, but I´m not sure.

The O-2s of Airfix and Arii are very similar, too. But Airfix has the upper windows for the fuselage, better weapons load and parts for a psywar version.

Does Guatemala still operates the O-2? I did a bit of research and found out that your country also operated the A-37 Dragonfly? Would also be an interesting build.

To Jason:

Interesting that you are planning an A-1H built. I thought you were more interested in Russian aviation of World War Two. The Hasegawa kit is said to be very good, but I found it quite expensive. Italeri`s Counter Invader is also on my must-do list. It is said that the model has flaws regarding cockpit and wheels (originals had the ones of KC-135s I think), but this should be nothing too serious. I have the model kit, the Squadron Signal Publication of the Invader in action and their publication about the 56th Fighter Group. In this book you find a lot of Skyraiders, Counter Invaders and other exotic airplanes operating from Nakom Phanom and other bases. It inspired me for a Royal Lao T-28 build I would like to present in the near future. It also covers the Second World War with lots of Thunderbolt pictures.

Best regards

Mario

Hi Mario:

Yes my friend, I have a high stash but referent to the O2 I also have bought the Hobby Craft (Korean "Idea" Reboxing) and also lost my mind when I found a very cheap Old Aurora and won she on Ebay very cheap together with a Jet Commander.....About the Old Lindberg Jolly Green Giant, I have a partially complete one and two new in the stash, and there are not the same as Revell one, have the same concept and operating parts but the drop tanks are slim and the nose profile suffer a little but I like the model as is.

Unfortunately Guatemalan Air Force's number 684 Cessna Skymaster was an EX Nicaraguan FAN that escaped from the Sanidinista Coup d'etat to Somoza in 1979/80 and landed here, but after were not claimed by the government and was subsequently repainted and used to FAC in the country's lowlands against guerrilla, and some two/three years later traded to the Contras Air Force to fight against nicaraguan Sandinista Air Force and suposedly destroyed in Honduras as a pictorical evidence has seen. Here in Guatemala there are operational Dragonflies but not flown too much as a economy meassure, We have had 13 and attrition was high in the combat against leftist Guerrillas, they were modified by Cessna Technicians in phases as the factory indicated and have had a current standard to the USAF/ ANG units except the nose refuelling probe. Is a pity today we have no more than three/four operational. BTW my brother was Dragonfly Mechanic and flight line chief AND I have enjoyed a nice moments each time when I went to the La Aurora AFB. I can share pics of those little but feared plane in Guatemalan Colours.

ALSO TO JASON TOO:

For a little improvement in B26K/A26A wheels, just ask to someone or if possible buy the Squadron 1/72 KC 135 wheel kit, you can watch it, to know about what i am talking this at

http://www.squadron.com/1-72-True-Details-KC-135-TD72002-p/td72002.htm

Or maybe someone in the club has the same desire as you, and could share with you the Three wheels to embelish yours, the improvement is instant.AND for the proppeler Viet Nam era lover, also the Squadron Signal's Gunship is a must.

Cheers

Luis Alfonso

Edited October 8, 2014 by Luis Alfonso

[Mario]

Hi Mario:

Yes my friend, I have a high stash but referent to the O2 I also have bought the Hobby Craft (Korean "Idea" Reboxing) and also lost my mind when I found a very cheap Old Aurora and won she on Ebay very cheap together with a Jet Commander.....About the Old Lindberg Jolly Green Giant, I have a partially complete one and two new in the stash, and there are not the same as Revell one, have the same concept and operating parts but the drop tanks are slim and the nose profile suffer a little but I like the model as is.

Unfortunately Guatemalan Air Force's number 684 Cessna Skymaster was an EX Nicaraguan FAN that escaped from the Sanidinista Coup d'etat to Somoza in 1979/80 and landed here, but after were not claimed by the government and was subsequently repainted and used to FAC in the country's lowlands against guerrilla, and some two/three years later traded to the Contras Air Force to fight against nicaraguan Sandinista Air Force and suposedly destroyed in Honduras as a pictorical evidence has seen. Here in Guatemala there are operational Dragonflies but not flown too much as a economy meassure, We have had 13 and attrition was high in the combat against leftist Guerrillas, they were modified by Cessna Technicians in phases as the factory indicated and have had a current standard to the USAF/ ANG units except the nose refuelling probe. Is a pity today we have no more than three/four operational. BTW my brother was Dragonfly Mechanic and flight line chief AND I have enjoyed a nice moments each time when I went to the La Aurora AFB. I can share pics of those little but feared plane in Guatemalan Colours.

ALSO TO JASON TOO:

For a little improvement in B26K/A26A wheels, just ask to someone or if possible buy the Squadron 1/72 KC 135 wheel kit, you can watch it, to know about what i am talking this at

http://www.squadron.com/1-72-True-Details-KC-135-TD72002-p/td72002.htm

Or maybe someone in the club has the same desire as you, and could share with you the Three wheels to embelish yours, the improvement is instant.AND for the proppeler Viet Nam era lover, also the Squadron Signal's Gunship is a must.

Cheers

Luis Alfonso

Hello Luis Alfonso,

very interesting first hand information about the A-37 operated by your country. Motivated me to look under the dust for my old Hasegawa dragonfly. It was one of my first airbrushed models and dates back to the early nineties. I have also the Academy kit in my stash.

Talking about the B-26 K I found the wheels you have suggested. They are 7,95 EUR here in Germany. As I could equip two models with the set I´m really considering to buy it. When I dug out my Invader in action action book I found out that Guatemala also operated Invaders until the 1970s and one of the aircraft taking part in the Bay of Pigs operation landed in your country. Very interesting!

Regards

Mario

[pascal JMW]

Very Nice collection !

[Learstang]

Thank you, Luis, for the link to the KC-135 wheels! I might pick that up. Regarding the Gunship book, I bought that many years ago and have been recently looking at it again.

Regards,

Jason

[stevej60]

Great collection from an interesting period,the Jolly green Giant kit dates back to the early seventies I built it along with a Huey from Revell

about 1973/74 also with Airfix,s Sheridan tank,and Airfix,s Skyraider and navy Phantom so I could "play" out the war I was seeing on my

television.Sadly too young to realise it was,nt just a TV war film.

[thomastmcc]

stunning work..

[Luis Alfonso]

Thank you, Luis, for the link to the KC-135 wheels! I might pick that up. Regarding the Gunship book, I bought that many years ago and have been recently looking at it again.

Regards,

Jason

Hi Jason:

Its a real pleasure to help,and as Mario Sez, you could have enough wheels for at least two kits. Also, you can watch at Ebay as there are some people selling cheap many kits, decals, resin parts and other accesories for planes. I have bough many things there. AND BTW, the unused Italeri wheels could be used in an Airfix kits to help improve over the kit wheels too.

Cheers!!!

Luis Alfonso