ReccePhreak

Now if they will issue a photo-reconnaissance version, I will get one. Larry

If I am able to make a photo-recce version from the parts in the kit (except for the cameras & camera windows), I may just order one. At my "Glacial" rate of building, by the time I get around to it, there just may be aftermarket cameras available. Larry

You are right about the Eduard 1/48 Mirage IIIC & IIICJ kits, as the have both the finned 625 Liter tanks, as well as the unfinned 500 Liter tanks. All I have to do is find a scheme that used the 500 Liter tanks and I can "reallocate" the 625 Liter tanks. I can't say whether the Hobby Booboo Mirage IIIC has those tanks, as I try to avoid their inaccurate kits, if at all possible. Larry

That's what I figured, concerning the fuel tanks. I am not going to raid my Airfix Etendard IVP, because then I wouldn't have fuel tanks for it when I build it.

Hi Antoine, I just checked the dimensions of the KH Etendard IVP/IVM tanks, as well as the Airfix Etendard IVP tanks. KH Length - 4.276" = 205.248" long Diameter - .533" = 25.584" Airfix Length - 3.246" w/o fins = 155.808" long Diameter - .410" = 19.68" How do those numbers compare with your listed figures? Cheers, Larry

Hi Antoine, My Kitty Hawk kit is at my friend's house, which is where we are working on them together. I plan to bring my Airfix Etendard IVP kit there tomorrow, to compare fuel tanks. Do you have the actual dimensions of the tanks? Just looking at the Airfix tanks, they seem smaller in both diameter & length than the Kitty Hawk tanks, but they do have the correct fins. I think I have the paint covered, because I was able to order some discontinued Testors Model Master French Light Blue Grey (# 2109) and some discontinued Testors Model Master French Dark Blue Grey (# 2105) off of ebay. I bought two bottles of each, just in case. I also plan to order some discontinued Testors Model Master Dark Gray (# 2036), as it is supposed to be close to one of the Super Etendard colors. That should give me enough paint to test mixtures with, in order to get just the right color (In my eyes, that is). Cheers, Larry

Antoine, thanks for the very informative replies. I am not surprised that Kitty Hawk "mixed up" the Etendard with the Super Etendard in their instructions. They definitely show three pylons under each wing on both the IVP and the IVM. Good thing I have only drilled the holes and have not glued the pylons on yet. It'll be easy to fill the holes. So I think my friend will just go with the 18 SNEB 68mm rocket on the outboard pylons and the fuel tanks on the inboard pylons. Of course, we will have to correct the fuel tanks that Kitty Hawk includes in the kit as the fins are totally wrong. They are slanted down and do not have the end plates. I will bring in my Airfix Etendard IVP kit to use as reference. Thanks also for the info on the paint colors. I am sure we can find a match for EDSG with the Mr Color line that my friend uses. I still use Model Master enamels, so will have to find a match for the 2-color upper camo with them. Cheers, Larry

Antoine, thanks for the confirmation that the Etendard IVM did NOT carry the Barracuda or Phimat pods. As far as weapons are concerned, we are mainly interested in what is available in the kit box. (No aftermarket) According to Cybermodeler's first look at the kit, it has the following weapons in the box: 2 x Magic 2 AAM 1 x Barracuda ECM pod 1 x Phimat chaff dispenser pod 2 x 68mm rocket pods 2 x AS.30 4 x 250kg bombs 2 x BL755 2 x twin ejector racks 2 x external fuel tanks (Note by me, these tanks are incorrect for the Etendard IV) (There are a BUNCH more weapons in the kit, but they are not shown on the instruction sheet as being used) https://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/kits/kh/kit_kh_80137.shtml I think we are pretty much set on using modified/corrected fuel tanks from the kit on the middle pylons, and a 68mm rocket pod on each outboard pylon. It would be nice to have something on the inboard pylons, as long as it was used operationally. The only store for the centerline pylon is the Douglas Refueling Pod. I don't know if an armed jet would be carrying one of those into combat, unless it was also carrying some AAMs. Regards, Larry

Jari, Thanks for that link to some really cool photos. Unfortunately for my friend, they are all of Etendard IP & IVPM aircraft, not the IVM, which is what he is building. They are really useful for me though. Now if I can just figure out what the colors are for the camo paint scheme. Kitty Hawk's "instructions" are not very helpful, as usual for them. Larry Unfortunately, I have not found any photos of the Etendard IVM carrying the Barracuda or Phimat. Regards, Larry

Jari, thanks for that link. Since I doubt the Sidewinder was a common fit, I think we will just go with the rocket pods under the outer pylons. Larry

My friend and I are both working on the Kitty Hawk 1/48 Etendard IVM/IVP. Obviously, I am doing the Etendard IVP recce version, while my friend is doing the Etendard IVM version. We are trying to find out what underwing stores the Etendard IVM used/carried. The kits have a BUNCH of interesting underwing stores, many of which weren't even around when the Etendard IVM was in service. The only pics I have been able to find online of it carrying underwing stores, are the centerline refueling pod, rocket pods on the outboard pylons and of course the fuel tanks on the inboard pylons. Does anybody have any info on what other weapons they might have carried/used? Photos would be cool, especially if we could make out the markings. Of course, we're still trying to figure out what colors the planes were actually painted, and corresponding modeling paints to use. On a final note, the kit is over-engineered, and has many fit issues. The "instructions" are pretty lame, and it's obvious that Kitty Hawk hasn't mastered slide-mold technology yet. Larry

Thanks for that info and GREAT picture. I guess I can sell my Israeli Ophir LOROP pod, and stick with building a "stock" Turkish RF-4E. Larry

Thanks Laurent & Mike! Great photos of the F-5Gs, especially the closeup on the nose. I kinda figured that they would be natural metal, that late in the war. I will have to practice on doing a natural metal plane, before I attempt my F-5G. Larry

I finally got a Hasegawa 1/48 P-38L kit, to use my Paragon F-5G conversion on. Now my decision is what markings to do it in. A Google search for F-5G photos proved pretty fruitless, most of the F-5 recce Lightning photos being the F-5E. That is especially true for aftermarket decals, with NONE for the F-5G, but many for the F-5E. Does anybody here have any profiles or photos of an F-5G during WW2? It seems some of them were modified after the war to be used by photo survey companies. I do not want to do one of those. Larry

That's GREAT news! I was almost getting ready to sell my 1/32 Turkish RF-4ETM decals, as well as the Isracast Ophir LOROP pod. Is this the type pod they used? https://www.scalemates.com/kits/isracast-32031-ophir-reconnaissance-pod--248024 If not, I can still make a Turkish RF-4E, using one of my Revell 1/32 RF-4C kits. Larry