Jure Miljevic

Interesting, although I doubt the second time around is going to be any different. Cynicism mode off while running for cover. Cheers Jure

Hello, Julien I was referring to "invariably marked with black edged yellow bands" part, which is not quite correct. Otherwise, Sabre yellow bands specifications are useful to me too, thanks. Cheers Jure

Hello I do not want to nitpick but early during Korean war (for about a year and a half) Sabre quick recognition markings had been black and white stripes: I found the photo on this very informative webpage, which I highly recomend. Cheers Jure

Hello, perdu In summer of 1988 two Mi-8 helicopters landed in our barracks. One was in usual medium green (no idea about standard, but Humbrol 114 comes very close) and the other was in FS 34079, the same colour license build Gazelles had been painted with. At the time I thought she must have just came from the overhaul and somebody in a paint shop made a cardinal error, but years later saw a photo of another Yugoslav air force Mi-8, painted in the same colour. Now I am more inclined towards an experimental paint scheme, perhaps to test it against darker Alpine terrain. Cheers Jure

Hello I doubt it. VVS used Hurricane as frontline fighter, operating from grass and unpaved runways, hardly a surface suitable for treaded tires. Cheers Jure

Hello, Knight_Flyer From the document, Matthew1974 provided in above mentioned thread: Accordingly, a new color was developed for aircraft. This was a lighter, browner shade than the standard Olive Drab then in use by both aircraft and ground vehicles. By late 1966 this color was being applied to rotary wing aircraft. Markings were changed as well. The large ARMY and the full color national insignia were eliminated, to be replaced by “UNITED STATES ARMY” applied in lusterless black on tailbooms. All other markings such as serials and data stenciling was likewise done with lusterless black. This change in the overall Olive Drab color for aircraft created a situation in which there were briefly two shades of FS 34087: the new, lighter color for aircraft and the older, darker OD. In 1967, the color chip for FS 34087 was changed to the new lighter color. Needless to say, this caused some confusion, as there were still lots of existing stocks of the “old” FS 34087! However, this all went away in 1974, when Olive Drab FS 34087 was eliminated altogether from the FS 595. This shuffling was due to the introduction of the MERDC camouflage scheme for ground vehicles, which used FS 34079 as the green element. The new, lighter aviation color was then re-designated as FS 34088, as it remains today. Thus, the correct, current FS595 color for Army rotary-wing aircraft from 1967 until the change to the current colors is FS 34088. As I understand it early Vietnam era OD was greener and darker and switch to lighter brownish shade coincided with the change to low-visibility national insignia and other markings. Cheers Jure

Hello, Knight_Flyer Perhaps this thread will help: Cheers Jure

Hello, Shaun This question has been discussed recently here: I hope it helps. Cheers Jure

Hello, Alain I would expect that the single Ju 86 K-2 interiour had been painted RLM 02. It is a bit more complicated with converted airliners Ju 86 Z. According to Michael Ullmann's book Luftwaffe colours 1935-1945 (Hikoki) Lufthansa had cabins of their Ju 86s painted in Ikarol Grau or 015V166. I understand this paint had also been used in export Ju 86 airliners, unless South African Airways specified their own. The only photo of Ju 86 cabin in SAAF service I found was in Steve McLean's book Squadrons of the SAAF and their aircraft 1920-05. The interior may well have been painted light gray, but it is difficult to tell for certain from a b/w photo. Cheers Jure

Hello, Heather You can check and download instructions for Pandora aerial mine kit here. Cheers Jure

Hello, Mike Special Hobby kit here includes decals for spurious US scheme while the plane had been evaluated by USAF. Prior to being loaned to Americans she had been test flown by JRV in natural metal, stripped of paint and all markings. Unfortunately I have no idea about markings in Romanian service. Cheers Jure

Hello, Tempestfan I also have two Airfix Mustang kits you mentioned in my stash (you begin to see the pattern ...). Unfortunately both propellers have too short chord. Thinned down Heller kit blades would probably look better, although the work would be tedious. Cheers Jure

Hello again, Madalo I think spinner is fine, although propeller blades are a bit thick. Replacement canopy should be in one piece, preferably including top part of fuselage around it to ease conversion. Cheers Jure

Hello, Madalo As a kid I built three Heller's Mustangs and still have two in my stash. The kit has many issues, but a quick way to improve it would be to replace its wheels, exhausts and canopy with AM product. The most important step would be to replace kit's canopy, as it is way too large. Cheers Jure

Hello, Gordon I am glad you found information useful. Cheers Jure

Hello, Gordon Direction was the same across the whole span. Description for lower surfaces says that "presumably" it matches upper surfaces orientation. Also: "Possibly it ran at 90° to the topside pattern, or may have been parallel as noted on at least one D.IV." If it helps, I can send you a photo of D.IV 3082/18 I mentioned, which (possibly) shows spanwise application. Just PM me your e-mail address. Cheers Jure

Hello, Gordon According to Windsock booklet it is five colour lozenge pattern, applied at 45° on upper surfaces of the upper wings and spanwise on upper surfaces lower wings. Spanwise application on upper elevator surface, too, but in opposite orientation to lower wings. Windsock refers to photos of D.III 8341/17, which confirm this description, as do photos of D.III 8346/17 and D.III 1620/18 in Aeronaut book. However, a photo of D.IV 3082/18 in Aeronaut book seems to show spanwise application on upper wing surfaces. Cheers Jure

Hello, Will You could, but I believe Smer kit is a re-pack of the old KP kit, and the fuselage of that kit has too large a diameter. Far from mission impossible, but you are in for some work. Cheers Jure

Humbrol used to have Clear Doped LInen in their Authentic Colour range, which looked like light sand/light yellow/dark brow-nish cream. Have no idea if it is still being produced or to which paint corresoponds these days. Cheers Jure

Hello, Mark There is Smer re-pack of the Heller Storch available on Hannants. Cheers Jure https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/SR833?result-token=qS2gN

Hello I agree with you, Giampiero Piva. I have both Academy and Heller kits, and I built the latter decades ago. Fabric on Heller kit looks slightly overdone, but is still far more convincing than Academy's rendition, on which fabric looks totally artificial. Also, congratulations on your WIP Storch build. Cheers Jure

Hello, Peter I think covers remained throughout Bf 109 production. Here is the photo of Hendon Bf 109 G-2 by Luc Colin, found on Prime Portal: Cheers Jure

Hello dnl42, working in capacity as described at Grumman sounds like very desirable job to me. I know this was before your time there, but I always wondered, how much Robert (Bob) Hall influenced design of Grumman aircraft. In his early days Hall designed Granville Gee Bee model Z racer, which was basically the most powerful engine available, pilot's seat and little else. IanC, I think that under circumstances German aircraft industry did very well indeed. Short of manpower and every raw material imaginable, their industry being bombed day and night, their transport system under ever increasing pressure, and without any source of fuel after February 1945 (loss of coal mines in Śląsk/Slezsko/Schlesien region, which supplied coal to synthetic fuel plants) it is surprising that even in the last year of the war production rates had been increasing until just before the end of the war. What I was talking about is deliberate reduction of quality not to waste resources. Also, think about the low key production of He 219 night fighter against mass produced Ju 88 variants. Admittedly, there were also other factors at work there, but while excellent He 219 stood realistic chance of catching relatively low numbers of Mosquitos, it was average, but still adequate Ju 88, which did most of the fighting against slower, but much more numerous RAF four engined heavy bombers. Cheers Jure

Hello, Dave The scheme is not questionable, I believe Canberra PR.9 aircraft had been painted in this way throughout their service in Chile. It is less clear whether the aircraft arrived in Chile in April or October 1982. Take a look at this webpage with two photos of Canberras in CAF service and rather interesting article(s). Other photos also exist, but I could not find them on the web: https://spyflight.co.uk/operations/#Falklands I have a Canberra kit slated for a model in Chilean air force colours. Needless to say, I would prefer the one with Snoopy nose art. Cheers Jure

Hello Bear in mind that in WWII aircraft were not expected to last. I think Mustang had had design limit of 800 hours. I also remember reading in one of the books about SAAF that Liberators in their bomber squadrons had been struck off charge after 500 hours. No doubt, some good machines had been scrapped before their time, but not many lasted that long anyway. Still, such numbers pale in comparison with late war German production. There is an old anecdote about Bf 109 G fighters Switzerland bought in 1944. Allegedly they complained about a component, which failed after 16 hours. In the laconic answer from the manufacturer it had been explained, that it was designed to fail after eight hours. This is exaggeration, of course, but there is a cold calculation behind such thinking. Why waste man hours and raw material on planes, designed to serve for years, when attrition and obsolescence would eliminate them rather sooner than later. Cheers Jure