Kari Lumppio

Hi! In the manual figure it looks like gear door end of the retraction strut has a sliding connection? If so, moving the door side end fitting back-forward the effective length of the retraction strut changes and thereby also the door "hanging" angle? Hard to explain in words. Cheers, Kari

Hei! From Jyrki Laukkanen's book MiG-21 about MiG-21F-13 painting: General exterior finish: base coat AK-113F clear dope top coat AC-16 clear dope with 7% PAK-4 aluminium powder added High temperature resistant paint KO-814 on part of rear fuselage and other relevant areas. Finish over milled skin panels/plates: primer FL-086 mid coat clear dope 170A with 10% PAK-4 aluminium powder added top coat AC-16 dope (= overall) Radome and other glass fiber covers green EP-225 epoxy paint. I interpret the darker areas on the MiG-21F photo posted by Ray_W to be milled surfaces (load carrying areas with stronger/thicker alloy). FL-086 is high temperature resisting phenolformaldehyde primer of non-standardized yellow colour according this: https://chameleon.ru/special-coatings/heat-resistant-materials/gruntovka-fl-086.html BTW I have painted thin layer of yellow strontium chromate primer on bare (= not alclad) al7075 aluminium alloy and the resulting colour was oliveish green! This site says enamel KO-814 is prepared by mixing 100 parts of KO-85 varnish and 5 parts of aluminum powder: https://termika21.ru/product/termostoykie-emali/ko-814.html I think with 5% al powder the enamel is translucent. The "uniform grey" finishing system: During MiG-21F overhauls if corrosion status so dictated the plane was treated overall with uniform tone finish of: primer KF-030 clear dope 170A 10% PAK-4 aluminium powder added top coat AC-16 High temperature areas KO-814 paint as usual Laukkanen lists "uniform" tone has been on: MG-48, -61, -63, -65, -79, -91 and -92. So no natural metal for MiG-21F. These were Soviet finishes! Search with with cyrillic paint codes may reveal more (Yandex, if you dare). For example primer Кф-030 is pentaphtal (an alkyd) primer available in two colours: grey-green and yellow according: https://smetdlysmet.ru/gruntovka/gruntovka-kf-030.html Cheers, Kari The book mentioned

Hi! I am aware at least three injected Mosquito NF radome noses in 72nd scale kits: Matxhbox Mk XXX Airfix (Swedish J30 ~ Mk XIX) Tamiya Mk XIII/XVII Which of these is the most accurate in dimensions and shape? This actually incorporates also the cross-section correctness ahead of windshield. And where to find the accurate data for the original? Any reliable drawings, dimensions in books, magazines? I have many Mosquito books, but most are about other variants: Mk VI, XII and bombers. Mikael Forslund's J30 book does not have actual to scale drawings. Cheers, Kari

Yet I maintain that you seem not have any grasp of Finnish politics nor the HX-selection. What you wrote has nothing to do with the HX issue. Please explain why should Finland choose third or forth best fighter for our purposes? Are you wearing Z-underpants? Kari

Let us just say You seem to know nothing about the Finnish HX-selection and politics. The price was just a pleasant surprise which did not effect the choice of type. Perhaps, and likely it affected the number of planes to be purchased Gripen would have been the political choice. Typhoon would have been surprise. Rafale. Well, I would have suspected blackmailing if it was chosen. Though I quite liked the landing straight from top of immelman at Kauhava Air Show Summer 2021. F-18 and F-35 simply were the best fighters in the competition, period. Personally, I was expecting F-18 to be chosen. Two engines provides survivability of it's own kind. But the evaluation points for the planes did show chrystal clear winner. BTW Italian AF F-35 are/were based at Ämari AFB, Estonia. Are there any good articles for modellers about them? Cheers, Kari

Hi! John, I got my Finnish Glider Licence with most of the flights with Bocian OH-336, later sold to UK. I googled for the registration and found this for G_DFLL: http://airsoc.com/articles/view/id/60aab81fc4263cda548b4567/bocian-g-dfll-the-last-from-krosno ). I learned some new things about the individual. but they have the Finnish registration timeline backwards. It was first OH-KBP (never seen it as such) and later OH-336. The plane may have had other UK registrations, too? Yes, I am still in Finland. Cheers, Kari

Hi! Not a fan of red stars right now, but good choice to do the "line" version of this plane and not the "parade" one. Question about the marking on rudder top. What is it? Is that marking of some repair facility? On cowling I thought should be the "ф" marking? Not sure if the stencil stood out so much on the rear fuselage. The semi-gloss - "not matt" finish is good and the exaust shield weathering. Propwash should turn the exhaust stain somewhat upwards on left and downwards on right? Too lazy to look for pictures. BTW 324 IAD fought against us Finns. They (over)claimed heavily: 10-20 times over. More than there was Finnish planes in the sector Summer 1944. Cheers, Kari

Thank You! I envy you. We have feet of snow here, still. I think I have more time on the front end of tow line than on gliders. Noticed you have variometer with Knots scale! Had to transform it to meters per second to comprehend. 9 KTS = 4.6 m/s. You do have a very sporty Super Cup (180 hp?) or were you flying in thermal at the time of the picture? Or I may have twisted memory of Super Cup performance from my couple of hours with it. Anyways thank you for the pictures. They made me feel better during this dark period of world. Cheers, Kari

Answers: 1. It IS picture of Russian Su-35S in SEAD configuration. 2. It does have improved shape. Kari

Hi! Duralumin is obsolete trade name for copper-alloyed aluminium. Cu-Al alloys are designated 2000-series today ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duralumin ) "The 2000 series most documented vulnerability is corrosion from pitting attack. As expected, the 2000 series alloys possessing high percentages of copper alloying exhibit the most severe corrosion" Quote from US Army Research Laboratory report ARL-TR-4937 https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA516812.pdf . Just one of the myriad possible sources (first in my Google search in this case). That is why Alclad was invented in 1930's (for US NAVY, IIRC). The pure (> 99% Al) aluminum layers mangled on "dural" surfaces act as sacrifying layers, compare zinc in galvanizing. Aluminum dope, especially over zinc chromate primer works almost the same. D.520 had not cladded aluminum as far as I know, so dope/paint was required for long service life. Aluminium corrosion has been small part of my working life for over twenty years. Not an expert, though. I am also interested in these D.520s. Cheers and peace, Kari

Hi! As the title includes "more countermeasure questions": Did Aeronautica Militare fly Selenia ALQ-234 with any of their aircraft, like F-104 and Tornado? Cheers, Kari

Ukrainian SU-25s and Su-24 have bombed columns in the Bucha-Irpen area 2.3.2022 or so. There was video of the Su-24 somewhere. Kari

Hei! Perhaps FinnAF TiedLLv taxied straighter than HävLLv 31 before parking their MiGs? Rudder is direct mechanical system to pedals IIRC. Cheers, Kari

Hello! Me? Not. But I got help for HSoZ in another forum: http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=61349 Cheers, Kari

Hi! Airfix 1/72 Fw 190D wing does also have the correct wash-out (geometric twist). An aerodynamic detail often missing even otherwise extremely accurate kits. I've built one as JV 44 "Parrot" aircraft. The kit looks quite good with shut cooling gills (filing, scraping, sanding and scribing) and main landing gear robbed somewhere else (like Italeri 1/72 Dora where MLG is the most useable part). IIRC Airfix Dora tail wheel had excellent hub detail (or was it the old A-8 kit from Airfix?) All in all very good model can be built out of Airfix 1/72 Dora. In my opinion. Do-it-yourself scribed panel lines needed. Cheers, Kari PS I am talking about 1972 kit most likely. Did not know there was some jurassic Airfix Dora, too.

Hello! 260 Squadron RAF in ORB records their Mustangs systematically as "P51c"s. Can this mean their Mustangs were in USAAF configuration? Examples of 260 Sqn serials: FB272, FB281, FB282, FB314, HB583, HB880, HB900, HB919, HB922, HB929, HB943, HB958, HB960, KH459, KH460, KH463, KH522, KH560 KH573, KH583, KH592, KH609, KH629, KH853, KH919. The list is by no means exhaustive nor complete. Cheers, Kari

Hi! Regarding the nose art of on 69 Sqn aircraft. Quote from Summary of Events, 69 Squadron, August 1944: "Many of the aircraft now bear strange and interesting insigns, designed by the combined efforts of the aircrafts crew and very ably executed by one of the fitters L.A.C Bishop, who has given much of his own time to the work, and A.C. Benson, who assisted him. Worthy of mention is the Squadron's mascot, a small brown spaniel, of doubtful pedigree, who answers to the name of "Wimpey"" Later on no mention of nose art in ORBs. 69 Squadron flew August 1944 with following Wellingtons: 128, 280, 291, 381, MF397+, 584, JA628, 629, JA631+, HZ761, 762, 769, HZ796, 863, 886, 384, 762, 887, MF130 and 755. ME950 and HZ758 were gained during August. ORB gives codes usually as numbers only. I have added letters when clear from other ORB files (not completed work). I have not been able to find any 69 Sqn nose art picture from Internet or otherwise. Cheers, Kari

IWM photo collection has one (https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205211731😞 "Corporal T A Jackson of Barlow near Bakewell, preparing a cluster of 4.5-inch Reconnaissance Parachute Flares for loading into a Vickers Wellington Mark XIII of No. 69 Squadron RAF at B58/Melsbroek, Belgium, for a night photographic-reconnaissance sortie." Addition: seems user XV107 has found this picture already in 2010 (link not working any more). So my post perhaps no unnecessary. Yes I know this is several years later. Found the photo while searching something else and googling using the caption information brought me here. Thought it does not harm to answer. Cheers, Kari

Moi! I have serviced FM-45 as conscript ground crew man first half of 1986 at Kauhava AFB. Should have some crappy photo of it. I am pretty sure -86 was the last year Fougas flew as trainers there. Helped MaxDecals with the Finnish stencils and some little else, too. You have put them in to good use. Good model! Cheers, Kari

Hello! From Ken Merrick´s book Luftwaffe Camouflage and Markings Vol 1: (of the first 50 Fw 190 with unpainted undersides, page 102) "... only the primer filler has to be applied on the bare sheet metal ... the deletion of camouflage paint has to be particularily noted." (the first communication letter dated 4.7.44 - "Fw 190 abolition of camouflage paint on the aircraft underside", page 102): "... For the priming of bare sheet metal we have considered the putty 119 D from the Warnecke & Böhm company, which we ordered on 16.7.44 by telex..." (the second document on page 103): "...Therefore it is not necessary to obtain special paints for this large-scale test other than the already quoted putty 119 D from the Warnecke & Böhm company" So, filler/putty/primer 119 D use is documented in connection Fw 190 with unpainted undersides. Is it too far out to assume the 119 D could have been the finish we see on Fw 190 D wing leading edges upper and lower sides? If we stretch even further could the same substance have been used as the Me 262 aerodynamic filler? NASM Me 262 "Yellow 7" fuselage side primer on has been identified as Munsell 10 Y 7/1 https://images.myperfectcolor.com/repositories/images/colors/munsell-10y-71-paint-color-match-2.jpg The purpose of this posting is not to state anything but to create discussion and provide perhaps new food to the late Luftwaffe aircraft underside finish ponderings. This is slight reiteration of 2005 vintage discussion at TOCH forum: http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=3916 Cheers, Kari

Väga tubli! (very good) Kari

Hi! "We doo'd it" decals are available in 1/72 Authentic Decals sheet: https://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Rev6/5501-5600/rev5567-Authentic-Decals-AD72-44/00.shtm May need some hunting. Cheers, Kari

Hi! Great info in this thread. All I can add is that if you paint corrosion inhibitor only on one surface it should be the more noble one. That way a scratch in the inhibitor does not mean fast corrosion rate. If a scratch reveals small area of less noble material to large area of noble surface the result will be very fast corrosion on the scratched area. I think that is why the stainless steel scuff plate was painted with zinc chromate primer. Spot welding was perhaps factor, too. Though the primer would be in between either way to disturb the welding. Cheers, Kari

Hello! This CMPR page may help some: http://www.cmpr.it/MN - Manuale MC 205 V/man.mc.205.htm Fusoliera: http://www.cmpr.it/MN - Manuale MC 205 V/Manuale Istruzioni Macchi C205V 1944_Pagina_233.jpg I am not sure what to make of the rear fuselage length given in the picture linked above. Cheers, Kari