Ken O'Brien

Up until the mid 80's when we finally got the new combustor cans inside the J79-17's in the F-4E, we threw a bit of smoke on the alligator skinning under the stabilator. The nozzle feathers seemed to have some whitish areas, but the titanium sections looked like dark stainless, where they weren't sooted up. As always, work off a color photo if you need that detail. Heck, up over North Viet Nam, we called "smokers" for friendlies. Never could remember the code word of the day when you needed it. The Phantoms and Thuds smoked (Thuds not nearly as bad as the ol' Rhino), the Migs didn't.

Check out your model railroad shops, they may have something to use.

Kooks like you've got it wired with the centerline MER & M117s. Those bombs were a Viet Nam era load (pre-1972 for me), never saw them afterwards except in picture books. We used the Mk 80 series, mostly 82 & 84, though I did haul some Mk 83s in SEA. And all the laser kits, too. Mostly on the Mk 82s. Once upon a time I did run one Weapons exercise at George AFB & we expended anything they'd give us to load out. My load crews loved it, they got to use everything in the book! An I shot Mavericks, dropped CBUs and Rockeye, on top of the LGBs. I'll have to peruse this post from home, so I can see the pix. My office computer blanks alot of the pictures.

That was one of the most amazing raids I've ever read up on. Nothing like a good low-level sortie to get the adrenilin pumping!

Gentlemen, thank you both!

Franck, thanks or should I say Merci? Please decode/decipher/translate your abbreviation for MIS. I'm unfamiliar with that one.

Paul, Wow, that was a page & a half, just printing your list. I'll tuck that in the "to be built" file along with the 2 1/48 Hunters I have so far for 92 Squadron. All I need now is a tub in 1/48. I have a Wolfpack conversion for a Mk 4 in 1/48, don't have the number handy, though. HTH.

Paul, That's awesome! Do you have anything like that for a Lightning or Meteor in 1/48 scale.

Thanks, lads. Appreciate your selections. This site is an outstanding resource! Wonder if there are any web-sites like ours here, for Luftwaffe modelling? Any ideas? I know we have discussion threads, but are there any dedicated modeling sites, too. Guess if SWMBO decrees I can't build, then I can plot and plan.

Delving into a propeller thing, not labeled Spitfire. Looking to add a few books and such to my library, so when I clap the kits together, I'll have some pix to go by. Looking for your suggestions, please (or should I say bitte?) Guess I'm a sucker for that stretched out appearance of those late war birds.

I'd hazard a guess that it must be NATO standard. Practice whatever the ordnance was, was marked in blue. Sometimes all blue, sometimes only a stripe. least-wise in Uncle Sam's AF. Live stuff was usually OD with a little yellow near the front end. Same for the LGBs. Our practice "bombs" were steel casings filled with a mix of concrete and styofoam pellets. That was to match the weights of the real ordnance. Tritonal explosive is lighter than concrete.

What a sleek machine! The Hunter has the best lines of most any jet fighter this old aviator has seen. Paul, very nice job. Now I'll have to get a Revell Hunter to do a tub up right. Well, I'll be trying to do my level best to single-handedly jump start our economy.

Over on SteelNavy.com, there was an item about commercially available masking tape. The product is sold under the Shurtape brand ( item author says its a European based company). Product label is Razor Edge Gold Premium Masking Tape. It comes in several widths. The tape seems to be the same as the Tamiya tape, but at a better price. The only drawback is you may have to cut your strips to size. It sometimes pays to check out those other sites.

Nice work! Probably my favorite Luftwaffe crate. It just looks fast.