72modeler

Wow- that is one beautiful model! The finish on the prop and struts is incredibly realistic, as is the finish on the undersides of the flying surfaces. You have every right to be proud of this one! As the others have stated, the PC12 looks spot-on! 👍 Mike

Nice one! Which kit- Heller or Azur? Mike

Very nice Buc! Love the red-painted radome! You made some very nice improvements to an old kit, and it shows. Well done! Mike

Fuad, Nice to see you're back! Very, very nice Trojan in a very colorful and distinctive scheme. Hoping you and yours are safe. Mike

Tom, I'm not aware of any manufacturer that offers RAF interior green in a spray can. There are paint supply stores, especially those that cater to automotive paints, that can put paint that is supplied to them in spray cans; I have used an automotive paint supplier where I live to put some enamels/lacquers that I use for touch ups/restoring auto parts, and I don't see any reason why the same couldn't be done with your choice of RAF interior green paint; might be fairly costly, though! Maybe one of our resident paint authorities knows if this color is available in a spray can. Mike

I seem to recall reading that another blindingly fast jet, the XF8U-3 Super Crusader's top speed was limited only by the heat limit of its windscreen. The F-105's engine and planform were perfect for going really fast down in the weeds- very stable at full speed; couldn't turn worth a darn, but once the burner was lit, it was hang on for a wild ride! Mike

I thought I felt a disturbance in the Force! CCFFU didn't give me his usual heads-up, so I will look over his or Martin's shoulder and take notes, as I have both Meng Deuces and two Hasegawa kits, as well. That silver lacquer scheme is the bee's knees- going to have to keep that one in mind, as I think it's prettier than the SEA scheme. True Details makes a very nice resin set for the F-102, and they are pretty reasonably priced. Hoping you and yours are safe, Nikolay! Mike

Solder comes in a variety of small diameters and is easily bent and curved to fit the desired location and configuration; in addition, pulling the wire from old electric motor armatures will also give you a lifetime supply that is also easily bent to the desired shape. If you have an electrical/electronics shop nearby, you can almost always get a lifetime supply of old cables and wires for the asking! Mike BTW- I'm all over this build! The Crusader is one of my all-time favorite classic weenie cookers! Can't wait to see the RFI!

Hence the derivation of the Olde English phrase "Balls out!" (Ya-know, if somebody could see fit to install an airbrush in the naughty corner, I could get some serious modeling done!) Mike

Pilot's notes for F6 takeoff: Release brakes Engage reheat Retract undercart Disengage reheat Start looking for tanker Mike

According to Dana Bell's Air Force Colors, volume 2, trials of s sea search scheme began in 1942, with neutral grey uppers and oyster white (a mixture of insignia white and black) being the most effective; however, it appears that in February, 1943, the scheme of OD uppers and white lowers was adopted, as it involved less painting over existing factory finishes and saved weight. Mike

@Blimpyboy, What incredible photos! I knew the Chinese Nationalists flew some P-38's, but had no idea they also used F-5E/G's! Thanks for sharing this wonderful reference with the rest of us! 👍 1946 appears to have been a pretty good year for unusual colors and markings on well-known aircraft! Mike

They better be low-flow flush toilets or you-know-who will send somebody knocking on your door, Claudio! Don't forget the obligatory mandated grab bars, either! On a more serious and on-topic note, this is going to be one incredible model! (I would love to see what you could do with the interior on a Combat Models 1/72 vacuform Boeing 314 Clipper! Multiple toilets and powder rooms on that puppy!) Mike

@Blimpyboy, An incredible post! What a horrible time for the Allied airmen and sailors as the IJA and IJN were running amok in the early days of 1942! One can only imagine the bravery and desperation as they fought to patch airplanes together and to try to delay the inevitable as they attempted to evacuate the civilians caught in the middle. Those NEI airmen and ground crews were so brave and resourceful, and the more I read about their exploits in accounts like the Goodall one you posted, the more I am astounded by the sacrifices made by of all the allied personnel, but especially the Dutch airmen and sailors. Thanks so much for posting the account. Mike

Don't know if this will help, but the few completed models I still have are in fairly shallow cardboard boxes that are filled about halfway to the top with the shredded polyethylene bags that come over your clothes when you get them from the dry cleaners. The shredded bits act as a cushion, and the models settle down nicely around the props, undercart, underwing stores, etc. and the boxes can be jostled quite a bit with no damage to the models. This is how I carried my models back in the old days (When dinosaurs ruled the earth and the planet was still cooling- this according to my so-called modeling buddies!) when I was an active builder and contest entrant. Works much better than shredded newspaper (What's a newspaper?) or styrofoam peanuts! My models are all in God's Own Scale, so the boxes don't have to be very big- this method also keeps dust out. Hope this helps! I found the very best boxes were the ones that had a top that slid down over the bottom- IIRC radios and other small electronic devices came in them- I had a modeling mate who worked for Motorola and all of their stuff came in those boxes, which they threw away; he shared enough with me to last a lifetime at my current build rate! Mike

Hoo, boy- he's on a roll! (...and it's back to the naughty corner for me!) Mike

Just a thought- looking at the two photos of C-39 VH-CCH, in the first photo compare the light tone of the undersurface color and the tone of the national insignia compared to the second photo; same airplane and most likely the same colors, but perhaps a different film/filter used? I, too would suggest the underside color was most likely neutral grey, especially considering how hectic things were at that time and how little time and resources might have been available for a major repaint. Mike

Dayam! You nailed the colors, and your painted markings are incredible! This one s going to be a beaut! Can't wait to see the RFI photos! Mike

John, Just heard back from my friend- the other John! He said his uncle flew Hurricanes in the CBI until 1944, when he underwent a 3-month training course on the Thunderbolt, flying with No. 79 Squadron until August, 1945, when he rotated home and finished his flying service with No. 695 Squadron and the Spitfire XVI. John is retired from being head of BAE North America, and has lived in Ft. Worth, TX for many years. His Dad worked for Hawker and John was an apprentice there. The man LOVES Hurricanes, Tempests, and Hunters.....once a Hawker man, always a Hawker man! Best wishes to you and yours! Mike

I don't recall, might have been No. 30 or 79 squadron, but I will ask him. He also flew Tomahawks and Neville Duke was his instructor. My friend said his uncle really liked the P-47. After the war, he was with 695 Squadron and flew Spitfire XVI's, IIRC He's trying to match serials/code letters for his uncle's P-47s, a few of which I have been able to find photos for. I think he has his uncle's logbook. Will get back to you as soon as I hear from him. Mike

Add me to the Tamiya fan club, along with Chris, MDriskill, and Chuck. The versions they have released so far are the best in scale for fit and detail; as good as the new-tool Hasegawa and Fine Molds kits are, the Tamiya kits are even better. I have all of the ones they have released so far, as well as the Fine Molds and Hasegawa kits, and the Tamiya kits are superior and cheaper. So far they have released: A6M2b A6M3/3a A6M5 A6M3 Each one is currently in stock and lists for 8,51 GBP from Hobbylink Japan. As MDriskill has stated, there is no Tamiya Rufe, but the floats and ventral skeg from a Hasegawa or JoHan kit can be fitted to the Tamiya A6M2b kit. For the A6M5c, Hasegawa would be the kit of choice- I agree with the stated faults of the Academy kit and would also add it has excessive wing dihedral. IIRC, one of the aftermarket firms has announced a resin conversion to do a 1/72 Rufe, but I don't recall who it was-sorry! Hope this information will be useful. Mike

Very nice CBI Jug, John, and a wonderful tribute to your Dad; I have a very good friend whose uncle flew Hurricanes and then P-47's in the same theater. Sure do like Jugs in those colors! Mike

Do these help? Canopy doesn't look right to me, compared to photos of actual aircraft. Mike https://finescale.com/product-info/kit-reviews/2013/08/azur-dassault-mystere-iva https://modelingmadness.com/scott/korean/fr/my4.htm https://pimaair.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Dassault-Mystere-IV.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Mystere_IV_Musee_du_Bourget_P1020159.JPG

Nice one, Mike! Looks like the Sword kit is just as difficult, in many ways, than the Emhar kit. That's a very nice trio, too! Tamiya Ford and Fujimi gutless Cutlass? Mike

What the others have said, and it sure does look different in those colors and markings. Not the best kit to work with, I have heard, but you have made a real gem out of it! Mike