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72modeler

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  1. Jeez, Louise- how did I miss my typo? I am soooo ashamed, but thanks for catching it- I have edited my post to correct the info. Mike
  2. Too true! Looks like every tractor plant had its own mix! Funny that the Russians never bothered to steal an FS595 fan deck or Methuen chart it would have made things so much easier for Soviet aircraft modelers! Mike (I know-back to the Naughty Corner!)
  3. Amazing references, Geoffrey! I defer to your greatness! Thnaks for sharing! I didn't notice that my post was actually part of a larger reference site! Mike
  4. I may be wrong, and I usually am, but I don't think I have ever seen photos or read anything about P-38L's being delivered in anything other than bare metal. There were some F-5E's that were modified P-38J or P-38L airframes that were delivered to the Nationalist Chinese AF in OD/neutral grey, and I have seen a list of the serials of the F-5E's delivered to them, but the serials are not broken down by which were modified J's and which were modified L's. You would have to modify the Monogram kit into an F-5E in any case. If you wanted to do an OD/neutral grey P-38L, you could do a 'what-if' of the P-38L on display at the United States Air Force Museum that is painted to represent former AFM curator Royal Frey, who flew a P-38J with the 55th FS, It is a very colorful P-38, and would let you model a P-38L in camouflage, and is the best I can do- sorry! Mike https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196280/lockheed-p-38l-lightning/
  5. While doing my nightly recon for modeling references, I came across this document that lists all of the major USAAC/USAAF/USAF recon aircraft accepted. Each aircraft has its specs, description, and serials built listed. I thought this might be a useful reference for PR modelers. Mike https://usmilitaryaircraft.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/airf-r.pdf
  6. OK, I tripped over another really interesting video earlier today, and after looking at it a couple of times, I decided to post it. Some very neat and rare footage that I have not seen before, especially Lysanders fitted with smoke marker floats and dinghy packs. I hope you haven't seen this one before. Mike
  7. Good luck, Justin! You might not be so pleased once you start working on it, unless they have revised the tooling- the nose was pretty bad- not symmetrical,,and the cylinder head fairings were also pretty bad, IIRC That being said, it;s the only ball game in town in 1/72 scale, with the possible exception of the OOP CMR resin Mk XII kit, which did have some errors, imainly a rear fuselage that was too short, (Thanks, @Graham Boak) but it was still better than the Xtrakit release. Mike Unless somebody can twist Neil's arm to re-release that outstanding Paragon XII conversion, XII fanatics (and there are many!) will have to content themselves with bashing the Xtrakit into an accurate model! or a lot of crosskitting, which seems to be the way the majority has decided is the way to go until we get a state of the art kit. (Are you listening, Mr. Eduard? Just give us a new fuselage and prop/spinner- you already have all the other bits; just put the relevant sprues from your other kits in the box with some new decals, and how do you say it on your side of the pond...oh, yeah- Bob's your uncle!)
  8. I stumbled upon this footage just now, and I thought it might be of interest to those of you who are RN aircraft modelers. The engine on that Shagbat running up sounded likea very big sewing machine! Enjoy! (Makes me want to break out my Matchbox Walrus kit!) Mike
  9. See if the attached video helps you; it looks like the skids are not flush with the surrounding surface, but protrude sllghtly proud of the surface. https://youtu.be/S9JlWWRbUkA Osprey Publishing did a monograph on the X-2 in their X-Planes series- it was number 6. There might well be some good detail photos in it of the skids. IIRC, Aerofax also did a monograph on the X-2, but it;s long ago OOP. Perhaps one of the resident BM'ers has one or both publications and could be of more assistance- best I could do, sorry! Mike
  10. I think that the deicer boots on B-17's were installed before the aircraft were painted, as you can see in many period photos of OD/neutral grey B-17's that have had the boots removed the bare metal areas where the boots were, as well as a series of small holes where the pipes ran that supplied the air pulses that caused the boots to inflate and deflate to break the ice.. You can also see the same bare metal areas on some of the early production OD/neutral grey B-29's that had the boots removed. Mike
  11. VT, The Academy kit that you have can be built as an F-86F-30, which as you discovered had a non slatted wing that had the wing chord increased six inches at the root, tapering to three inches at the tip- henceforth known to one and all as the 6-3 wing. It also had a wing fence on the upper wing at about 2/3 span. The Academy kit is correct in this regard.As you mentioned, the kit speed brake bay and speed brake were rectangular in shape , which is not correct- the bottom edge of the bay and the bottom edge of the speed brake should taper from the front to the rear, with the widest part forward and the narrowest part aft- pretty easy to correct, actually. (Some modelers who have the old Heller F-86F kit cut the rear fuselage of the Academy kit forward of the speed brake and graft on the corresponding section of the Heller kit fuselage, as the Heller kit is one of the very few 1/72 Sabre kits that has the shape of the speed brake bay and speed brake correct. The fuselage halves of both kits match almost perfectly. The rest of the Academy kit is very, very good. The Fujimi Sabre kits all have the same speed brake/bay issues as the Academy kit, and IIRC, most all boxings l have F-40 wings, which are 6-3 wings like the Academy Sabres, but have a wing span extended one foot on each side. Bear in m ind that the Academy Sabre can only be built as a 6-3 non slatted wing aircraft. Academy/Hobbycraft also released a 'Korean War' Sabre with positional slats, but they put them on a 6-3 wing, so cannot be built as a Korean War F-86F-10, which is the most popular variant to Sabre modelers. This is a topic that has been discussed at length here on BM, along with some very detailed instructions on how to modify existing kits to build the desired variant. You can look for them. In addition, we have our own Sabre authority on BM @Sabrejet and he would be the man to ask. It has been so long ago that I was one of the participants , I might have gotten some of the above wrong, but Duncan can confirm/correct. Good luck! Mike
  12. Nice Jugs! (You know everybody was thinking the same thing!) Seriously, very nice work on all of them. Mike
  13. What the others have said, and in the experimental scheme it looks like a contemporary aircraft. Very nice build! Mike
  14. Brushpainted? Seriously? Now yer just showing off, Giampiero! All kidding aside, that's one of the best Stuka models I have seen in a long time, and I am saving your WIP for future reference! Mike
  15. A little goes a long way, Marcel! When you think you haven't done enough, stop- you've probably done too much! I would also suggest you practice on some old or scrap wings and fuselages, if you have them. Spray with primer, and then try weathering on them. For coolant/oil stains, use dark brown or black, highly thinned, then using an old brush with almost all the bristles removed,, streak the highly thinned paint in the direction of the airflow, darker at the point of origin, and lighter the further you get away from that point. In 1/72 scale, it's very hard not making the wash too dark, so experiment with the paint/thinner ratio. (I paint with enamels and use mineral spirits to thin, as it flows better and doesn't dry immediately..) Try to find photos that show where stains/leaks usually occur, as well as the pattern of the flow. After a while, you will get the hang of it! There are a lot of modelers here on BM who are masters of the technique, and you can learn a lot by looking at their builds and asking them questions; I know I have! Hope this helps! Mike Well-known photo of a Mk XII that probably illustrates one of the dirtiest Spitfires ever! But note how the coolant and oil stains follow the airflow. Photo via Reddit photWell Here's another example- there were lines that carried the coolant or oil to and from the engine on the Spitfire, so that is why the belly area got so messy. These are two extreme examples, but you get the idea. photo from WW2aircraft website.
  16. She looks a lot better than when I last saw her! She was at the Abilene airport from 1960-74, and as you can see in the photo, the number 3 engine mount mount had been damaged and you can see the engine/cowling drooping. They didn't do a very good job on reproducing a chin turret, but at least she's on base now and not being vandalized. See the link below. Mike http://www.warbirdregistry.org/b17registry/b17-4485599-2.html
  17. Thanks so much, Mark, for taking the time to share the photos and histories! When I tried to visit the base, in the 90's, where we were stationed form 1960-65, to see my old stomping grounds, our base quarters, and the linear air park, I was turned away at the gate because I did not have a current DOD ID or somebody on base who could vouch for me, Sounds like it is possible for a civilian to take a guided tour of the air park now- is that correct? If so, is there a contact to make a reservation or get details? (I used to get inside the DB-17G that is now on display in the air park that previously was on display at the Abilene Airport, but due to damage from hailstorms and vandalism, was moved to the air park.) Mike
  18. Very nice model and tribute to a very good airman! It's to each his own when it comes to weathering and wear and tear, but most Spits were notorious for oil and coolant stains on the belly from the lines and or fittings on them. Not a criticism, as your model is better than I could do, but maybe a suggestion as to taking an already excellent build up another notch towards being a replica, not just a model. Mike
  19. @Troy Smith and/or @Chris Thomaswould be the ones to ask, I would think! Mike
  20. You got that right! We do miss you, Neil! I have your Paragon Spit prototype conversion, the XII conversion, the B-26K upgrade set, , and the Mosquito XVIII conversion, and they are all incredible! Thank you for all the wonderful products, and I wish you and yours nothing but the best! Mike
  21. The reason that the cuffs were not scuffed in the photo I posted is because they were made of a phenolic material that was molded in black, so there was no paint that would be abraded away. Just some Mustang trivia! Mike
  22. So, so many things to like about this build! You nailed the subtle distinction between the painted wings and the bare metal; areas; you are one of the few that I've seen get the late production wheel bay colors correct, (Bet it was fun masking and painting those stiffeners!) and the fact that the two antenna masts were wood, not metal. Unless the prop had been overhauled or replaced recently, you might want to consider scuffing up the leading edges and remove a lot of paint from the backside, as that coral dust worked like sandpaper at Iwo; just a suggestion on how to take an outstanding model up one more notch! I am sooo jealous! Mike Just one example: https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/P-51/Iwo-20AF/images/44-72560-P-51D-Mustang-20AF-506FG462FS-603-being-pushed-onto-the-taxi-way-prior-to-engine-start-at-Iwo-Jima-1945-01.jpg
  23. Dayam, Chris- that's one luvverly Seafire! What the others have said goes double for me! Beautifully weathered finish, and brush painted, you say? Somewhere Tony O'Toole is smiling! Mike
  24. I remember reading in one source a while back, that unfortunately I can't recall, that the refracted light through the plexiglass causes the underlying OD paint to appear lighter; you can see this same effect in photos of the quarter windows on P-40's and birdcage F4U-1's. Thanks, as always, @Tbolt, for the outstanding reference photos! Mike
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