vppelt68

This one ok? http://www.modelmaker.com.pl/d72206-croatian-rafale-generic-set/1703/?i=en This one might be even better: https://www.syhartdecal.fr/references.php?lang=ENG&ref=Syhart 921&page=description

Is it an opinion... or an obsession

Yes, I think heritage/historic flight etc. equipment should be left outside of this, as the museum pieces of pre-NATO era stuff too. Now if someone wants to build the specific Jaguar that's on display in Hendon, or anything like that, they should be OK. 75 years of the Alliance means there's plenty of eligible subjects already in various museums. Not in Finland and Sweden, though . If the museum piece depicts an operational livery/camouflage and markings, why not? V-P

This was discussed in the Chat phase. France has never left the Alliance. It did step out from various command structures to better retain and protect their national interests, but remained as a committed member as it was before. V-P

That happens more often than occasionally, I know it! There's plenty of time to change your mind, though, if you miraculously find a vacant spot in your build calendar 📅 . We'll be here until late July! V-P

Welcome, you're the first one! V-P

Are we there yet? Yes, we are! Welcome to The Britmodeller Forum NATO 75th Anniversary Group Build! When: 4.4. - 28.7.2024 Host: vppelt68 - or just V-P for short Eligible subjects: Anything military from any NATO member country since the year that specific nation joined the Alliance is an eligible subject. In the Chat thread there's a little flag of each country in front of a BM member's name. They don't mean you'd have to build your model from that country, but it'd be great to have all of them represented! If in doubt, ask. Museum only- pieces are not good, they have had to be in operational use/readiness during the membership of the Alliance. If your name is not yet on the list, so what, it was gathered just to get this GB going in the first place. Just open your build thread and hop in! Scale and material: Of your own choice. While there is the traditional 25% rule with regard to how far progressed any project is at the start of GBs, let's treat this as an optional guideline rather than a rule. Better to get a completed model on display than another stalled project on the shelf of shame. All we ask is that you post the completion photos in the Inspiration Gallery rather than the main Gallery thread. Build (WIP) thread: All builds must have a work in progress- thread. In my opinion, builds based on recently online-reviewed kits need not document the kit more than in a general view of what you´ve got – unless You wish to do that, of course. Should you use aftermarket stuff like decals, etch, resin… please show us what you got! Multiple builds in one build thread are welcome. Gallery thread: Each post should contain just one build per entry and no more than five photos. All comments should go in the subject´s build thread only, let´s keep the gallery neat and tidy! Swapping: Any parts/decals/kits etc. that you want to buy or sell must be posted in the Buy/Sell area only. We can inform fellow members if have something of this subject in the trading area. Poll: There will be one when the GB concludes, for all the completed models only. Please don't canvas for votes. Recommendations: Have fun! Regards, your Host and a big thanks to Enzo again for setting this up and running these for us . V-P

You'd have to find something unknown to anyone so far, to prove an RAF Typhoon not eligible

Hello Jari at 10 miles away from my home They'd both be perfect subjects for this group build! Build one of them first and then the other? A pair of Aviano F-16C Block 40E:s was on display at Turku Air Show in 2015 - why not build one of those with our local interest in them? I have enough pics of them to detail them, and I believe DACO/Astra has a decal set ASD7208 for 510 FS "Buzzards" 89-2026, if not for 89-2030 flagship. The Tamiya kit should be perfect except maybe the Block 40 has the larger WAR HUD - but the difference in 1:72 scale, eh? They had very nice loads too; AN/ALQ-131(V), AN/AAQ-33, wingtip AIM-120:s, an AIM-9X, a travel pod... ...and this captive AIM. V-P

Sorry, can't help. Interesting airplane, though.

Battle Colors, by Robert A. Watkins, says:

Enzo will approve that attitude

Thanks, this is a great clip! I think the inner wing structure was steel and thus required anti-corrosion treatment (paint) regardless of the aluminium airframe finish. Ball turrets, and chin turrets, came from subcontractors and had Neutral Grey finish long after the fuselage painting was dropped. Seattle built B-17:s had the staggered waist positions added at assembly line since block G-50-BO, and staggered and bulged cheek positions since late G-60-BO block. In the film the planes got both, so that dates it in late April -44 as earliest. The planes don't yet have the later tail gun position, which came in late block G-80-BO or early G-85-BO, depending on sources, so that again dates it at mid July -44 as latest. My guess is G-60...65 blocks, April to May -44. V-P

Pat will love it, then

Alexey, in your opening post you wondered about Kuivalainen photo etch. By Eduard, but not Eduard. Mr. Martti Kuivalainen ran for decades the best hobby shop in Finland. He produced several etch and decal sets for Finnish AF specific subjects, and subcontracted the PE job at Eduard. He then sold all the sets exclusively at his shop in Helsinki, and on-line of course. That was probably ten or more years ago, when Eduard was not yet the current megamodelmaker Eduard. I wasn't back at hobby yet. Then Martti retired and sold the shop a few years ago. It didn't last many years in new hands before capsizing, unfortunately.

NATO = Nordic And Twentyseven Other countries

Done.

F-16 is NOT a Twin . But I can't keep away from this one, so please add me to the list, gents . V-P

Not helping Alexey with his search for prototype, but as the SCW was again mentioned, I think we better stick with this ruling done in the Chat period

Started as part of a triple-build thread, now separated from this one. I have planned to model Lt. Bert Stiles's last mount since I read his "Serenade to the Big Bird" - highly recommended - and then learned of his death in combat flying a P-51D on his second combat tour, not much later than he had written the book. The new Airfix kit boxing makes it almost too easy to decal bash 6N*C Pauline to 6N*X Tar Heel, from the same fighter squadron, that Lt. Stiles flew when he was killed in action over Germany. The name in the nose will need to be printed by myself, close but probably not 100% accurate. See the original thread (link above) for boxing and sprue pics, and some more details of them. V-P

No matter how balanced, that stance of a bomber has a very grim look carved into it. Too many real life prototypes did just that.

Not much of an update, but a kind of a big step for me... I decided to try filling the panel lines of one of my kits, the old mold one, as a test mule. All that black is not pre-shading, I just marked those grooves I should NOT fill with a black marker! I'm not sure if that's 100% correct but it's my attempt at it. It's all still wet, it's just sanded and drying. I have also painted the wing spar and tail wheel housing with Hu 81 matt pale yellow, in all three kits. All three have also their control sticks attached, two of them from two pieces . Oh, and I decided to split the three builds to separate threads, in one way or another. V-P

The build list is updated. Yours truly has been busy with helping SWMBO who started the spring cleaning, but I have managed to advance the Zerstörers too ☺️. Thanks James for keeping the GB host flag up! V-P

Oops I'm sorry, it's corrected now - but I kept your previous forum name on that list, mr. Magnificent Matrix! Also, everybody from the second Latvia forward was lifted "one flag" upwards, but as they are only for decoration, it shouldn't matter.

I must admit I have got lost with who I've already listed and who not. The flags in front of the names are just for decorations, and anybody can build from any nation anything military since that nation joined the Alliance. Welcome! The flag you got is 🇩🇰 Indeed! And the BIG news of today is the joining of Sweden as the 32nd member of the NATO. Everything in use by the Swedes starting this day will be eligible in the GB. Välkommen kära grannen! Quoting major Gale "Buck" Cleven, "what took you so long?" Maybe our so called new friends in Türkiye or Magyarorszák should... (self censored the rest, not wanting to be blocked from the non-political forum, but you get the idea ). The Swedes started the Nordic Response 2024 Exercise as partners and end it as full members of the Alliance, nice timing V-P