72modeler

The reason I didn't paraphrase the camera mounts/positions stated in the Ginter book in my post was because the camera doors were always closed until just before the photo run, so wouldn't be visible on the ground. BTW, thanks for all the information and diagrams you posted- that took a lot of time and effort. Mike

A real Cadillac of a weenie cooker! Surely the most elegant delta! Thanks for sharing, Keith! Mike

I agree DC-3, PBY. Beaufort, or Sunderland props from an R-1830 powered variant will work. I also think an A6M5 drop tank half cut appropriately or other suitable drop tank will get you the carb air intakes. Looks like DC-3 wheels have the same hub pattern. Going to do a Vichy gaily striped scheme, knowing how you like red on a model! Mike

Yep- it's the Hawk kit; the only chopper kit that I ever built! Actually pretty nice for its time, and the intermeshing rotor blades were fun to play with! I recall seeing a build a long time ago that super detailed the cockpit and interior that you might try to find. Even in 1/32, it wasn't a very big model. I think maybe Aurora did one in 1/48 in USN markings- most likely from the Helicopters in Industry molds that they acquired. See the link to a very nice walkaround from IPMS Nederland that should be helpful. Mike https://www.ipms.nl/walkarounds/walkaround-helicopters/2709-walkaround-kaman-huskie

Know what you mean- I also had forgotten I had the Aircraft in Profile on the Do-215, but it didn't have any photos or drawings that showed the inner fins. I say, unless a former Luftwaffe erk sees your model (highly unlikely!) and remembers how those structures were painted, who's gonna know or dispute you? Good luck- the 215 is a mighty handsome airplane! Aren't the ICM Do-17/Do-215 kits outstanding? Maybe someday they will do the Do-217K's and N's! Even better would be a state of the art He-219, since I don't think Tamiya is ever going to get around to doing their 1/48 kit in our scale. Mike

Mark, I had a chance to look into both of my Do-215 monographs, as well as the Monogram Color Guide to Luftwaffe Colors and Markings, and there were no drawings or color illustrations that showed how the inner fins were painted. The Classic Publications book did have the factory paint diagram for the top and both sides, but nothing that showed the inner surfaces of the fin/rudder. That being said, after looking at all of the photos in both references, it appears that the inner surfaces of both fins and rudders were painted solid in RLM 71, which is also the same color that is adjacent to them on the horizontal stabilizers. If you want to pm me with your email address, I can take a photo of the factory paint diagram and send it to you, but it won't show how the inner fins were finished. My guess is that they were both solid RLM71, as what would be the reason to have a two-color demarcation on the inner surfaces, since they would not be seen, and also because that is the color of the pattern on the horizontal stabilizers where they meet the fins/rudders. Best I can do with what's in my references- hopefully somebody else will be able to help- sorry! Mike

That is a gorgeous 'stretched' Herk, Tony! That's just too darned pretty to weather or soot up! Your usual outstanding workmanship on the conversion and the paintwork. I'm beginning to see a pattern here... Like you and many others, I am awaiting the release of the Zvezda kit with great anticipation! Mike

Failing that, you could get a bunch of IJN figures and have them pulling the dolly! Mike

Mark, I've got the Kagero and the Classic Publications monographs on the Do-215; I'll check them to see if there's anything on the paint demarcation of the inner fins- will let you know if I find anything definite. Mike

Yep, I realized the typo after I posted, so I have corrected the error- thanks for keeping me honest, WIP! Mike

According to what I could find, Mosquito KB267 was a B Mk XX flown by Guy Gibson, in which he lost his life on 19 September, 1944; it was coded AZ-E. The B XX was a Canadian-built equivalent of the B Mk IV, so I don't think it had a bulged bomb bay. I could not find any evidence of a Mossie serialed KB627- did you by any chance transpose the serial in your post? See the link below for the loss report. One of our resident Mossie mavens can most likely give you more information. Mike https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/50036

@tonyot, What a magnificent collection of models, Tony, and a wonderful tribute! Like the others, hard to pick a favorite, as they are all done to your usual high standard, but I think the Stirling and Albemarle are my favorites. Re Market Garden- Monty should have been removed for the Market Garden debacle, just as MacArthur and Brereton should have been for the Philippines...so many brave men's lives wasted unnecessarily. Mike

According to the J-Aircraft website, in late 1943 or early 1944, Mitsubishi-built A6M5's had both the spinner and prop painted with red-brown primer, with Nakajimi-built examples following suit, but it was mentioned that one Nakajima subcontractor continued to supply spinners that were painted aluminum. You might try going to the Aviation of Japan website and asking Nick Millman, as he is an acknowledged expert on IJA/IJN aircraft colors. Mike

According to The Official Monogram US Navy & Marine Corps Color Guide, volume 3, MIL-F-7179 dated 4/16/51, specified that interior structures such as bomb bays, baggage compartments, and other structures formerly painted with tinted or untinted zinc chromate primer were now required to be painted with primer to be tinted to match nonspecular interior green, which was FS34151. The landing gear struts seen in photos of P2V-5's in the overall glossy sea blue scheme had aluminum painted landing gear struts. P2V-5's in the seaplane grey/white or gull grey/white scheme had glossy insignia white landing gear struts and wheel bays. P2V-4's and earlier versions had sea blue landing gear struts, as seen on the famous P2V-2 Truculent Turtle on display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at Pensacola. See the Neptune website link below which has a lot of useful information, in case you don't already have it. Hope this helps. Mike https://p2vneptune.com/v135.shtml

@Troy Smith Just to set the record straight, I am NO Hurricane authority- certainly not even in the same zip code as you! That being said: In my defense, I didn't state that the Mk IV's carried a 40mm cannon as one of the asymmetric loadouts, I just stated the combinations that could be carried- the only combination I have seen photos of in actual operations is the rocket/external tank combination, Re the Rotol prop, what I meant, but didn't state very well, was that the Rotol prop had wider chord blades than the DH prop- I have the photos/drawings/text that you and others have posted here on spinner and prop types saved; I should have referred to them instead of sticking my nose into areas in which I am not well-versed. Re the rocket/external tank combination- I vaguely recall seeing photos of that combination on Burma-based Mk IV's, but having no interest at that time in modeling a MK IV at that time, I didn't save it...dumb, dumb, dumb! I have seen a photo of an illustration that purported to show a No. 42 Squadron Mk IV, coded AW-H, with the rocket/external tank loadout, but no serial was visible, and I have no idea if the illustration was based on an actual photo or not. I apologize for the misinformation and confusion I might have caused by both of my posts. Should have just tagged you and sat back! Cheers! Mike