Rob de Bie

I've updated my web site with a tutorial on vacuum resin casting: https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/casting.htm. I've been using this technique for many years now, and the results are perfect 99% of the time. Shown below is the result of a full day of casting - quite satisfying! Still need to add photos of the equipment though. Rob

I often wondered about this photo too: did the S-model really have structural provisions for bomb pylons under the inlets? I checked the Structural Repair manual for the G-model, and it doesn't have them. But maybe the S did? Well spotted that there's a seventh bomb on the centerline pylon, I hadn't seen that before. Rob

The genesis of this kit is more complicated. I hope I got it right in this summary: Nitto as a regular 935-77, probably 1978, three issues. Nitto went under in 1985 Esci-Ertl as a 935 Baby, 1985 issue or later AMT-Ertl as a regular 935-77, 1991 and 1998 issues Italeri as a 935J, 2007 issue Italeri as a 935 Baby, 2020 issue I think this is the most travelled 935 model! As mentioned, it lacks a number of Baby features, so I condider it a 935-77. Rob BTW: I just added an in -progress report of the Nunu 935-K3 to my website, read and weep: https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/kremer-k3.htm

Giampiero, thanks for the information about Jet&Prop. One of my last hopes was the 'Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie' archive, but that seems a fruitless search too. It seems there aren't too many options left to figure out the way this hangar was constructed. Rob

Sorry for the delayed reply, I was out of action for a week, and I'm still not running on all cilinders. The cooling system also appears to be broken 😞 I haven't done much airfield archeology apart from Volkel. I have vague plans to go see that arched hangar at Venlo, on the German side of the border. And long time ago someone informed me of some Komet-related buildings near Twente. Rob

Here's another one, Schiphol: https://beeldbank.nimh.nl/foto-s/detail/a0741838-c90f-2c63-4450-202bfb72fbb6/media/41d466d1-98be-1026-e6b3-fac5bd204057 There are probably more in this very large photo base, see yourself: https://beeldbank.nimh.nl/ Rob

Long time ago I started, but never finished a model of E0234, in yellow: https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/e0234.htm Maybe I still have the mould for the exhausts. Rob

I hope that reviving a three year old thread is no problem! Recently I made an extensive summary of this thread, and added subsequent finds. But the answer is still not found.. https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/hangar.htm Rob

To all who participated in this thread, one more time a big thanks!! I would never ever have been able to sort this out on my own. And as mentioned earlier, I'm very, very happy to have good captions for this club member's models, since this is exactly how he approached scale modelling. Rob

Thank you for the P-40 kit research! I found the club meeting report, with the P-40 in question pictured first: https://ipms.nl/regios/regio-zuid-holland/regio-zuid-holland-artiklelen/regioavond-zuid-holland-juli-2022 The model description reads, translated: “My Curtiss P-40N Warhawk is from the Mauve brand in 1/48. I built the model straight out of the box with no problems. The entire aircraft is painted with Olive Drab on the top and Natural Gray on the bottom. Everything in Valejo paint. The box had been in the closet for 25 years and therefore the decals were no longer that good. I threw them away and made another version." That explains nearly everything. Here's a photo of the real 'Rosie the Riviter' that proves it had a white tail: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/flying-tigers-40-rosie-riveter-133428206 Therefore the model is a bit fictional, and I think we'll leave it out, since I can't make a decent caption. Rob

Troy, many thanks for the multiple answers, much appreciated! Grey and Ewen, thanks for the comments on the Corsair - I think we best leave this one out of the planned photo book since it's so confusing. Kari, thanks for the sharp eye regarding the text on the fuselage! I found a photo of this machine, it seems to model matches it well: https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/ussr/vvs/il2/il2m3-566-shap-44/ Fukuryu, thank you too, this is the type of information I would never have found! Toryu, thanks for the Mauve link - I'm still researching this one. The second Mauve kit has the serial numbers of the model, but different nose art. Maybe it's a hybrid, decalwise? I've uploaded an updated version: https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/various/fk-models.htm Maybe press F5, or do a refresh of the page. Rob

I did a lot of homework, and there are 4 left now that need some more information to make a decent caption: 20 FAA Corsair: is it possible to find a squadron that would use the 'XZ' code? What version does it resemble? 27 P-40: I cannot find a kit with the combination of nose art and serial on the tail 28 D-520: is this from the time of the German invasion, or later Vichy France? 36 A5M2a: it is possible to identify a unit and a year? Here's the updated webpage: https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/various/fk-models.htm Thanks in advance! Rob

Excellent! Page is updated accordingly. Rob

200 more??? Please noooo... It was a full evening of work just to photograph them, and I think I spent at least another full evening on the caption game. It was fun though, I did not expect such a response! And I love the results, because this is exactly how this modeller approached the hobby, strongly from a historical perspective. Forgot the mention Lingen: probably not. For me, 280 km times 2 is a bit too much for a model show. I guess my limit is a lousy 100 km.. Rob

Thanks! I updated the page accordingly: https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/various/fk-models.htm I hope to work some more on the captions during the weekend. Rob

Wow, what a contribution, fantastic! That filled up the table real nice. I've got only one other photo of #23, does it help? As the photographer, I had to 'economise' with the number of photos I could take, to keep up with the three club members that selected the models, cleaned them, then waited in queue for the photos to be taken.. I've started work to write photo captions for each model, which was the goal of the whole exercise. I split the table in three, at the top the captions that could use some more information, then the ones that are OK, and lastly the ones still waiting to be processed. https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/various/fk-models.htm Thanks again to all for your invaluable help! Rob

Giorgio and tempestfan, thanks one more time! What a result in 6 hours, amazing.. I updated the page accordingly: https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/various/fk-models.htm Rob

Troy, tempestfan, thank you for your contributions! The 'Heller' F4U is a strange one indeed, but this is what I found in a report of an an old club meeting. I added some bits and pieces myself too, now that I know type + kit manufacturers. Ideally, we would like to write a caption for each model, roughly like this, but in Dutch: "Savoia-Marchetti SM-84 of 205 Squadriglia / 41 Gruppo, based at Gadurra airport (Rhodes), 1941. (SEM Model)" Thanks in advance for more kit and especially markings identifications! Rob

Bentwaters81tfw, Giorgio N, Graham Boak, Bozothenutter and alt-92: thanks for the wonderful help! I've updated the webpage with your comments. BTW, all kits are in 1/48. https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/various/fk-models.htm Rob

In our club, IPMS-NL regio Zuid-Holland, a member fell ill last year, and now has just a few more months to live. He transferred all his built WW2 models, around 250, to the club, to hand out to club members, or to donate to small museums. Yesterday we photographed a small selection, to make a photo book for him. Problem is that we don't know much about these models, and we don't want to bother him too much. So: we need your help! Can you please take a look here, and see whether you recognise some kits, and maybe know more about the decals, unit, year, etc. We can use that to make texts to go with the photos. I've already filled in maybe 20% based on reports of our club meetings, where he showed part of the models. https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/various/fk-models.htm I'll try to update the page continuously with your comments, so there will be the least amount of double reports. Many thanks in advance! Rob

It's saved on the Wayback Machine: http://web.archive.org/ You have to be patient when you click on one of the decal links, it takes a few seconds to load. Rob

I've experienced the swelling of seals myself after cleaning with lacquer thinner. I just left it for a day, so the solvent would evaporate, no problem. But 'corrosive' is not the right word for that, glad we solved that. Rob

CA worked quite bad for me, until I discovered a great trick. Put some vinegar in the microwave until it boils. Then dip your p/e part in it for a few seconds. This etches the p/e a bit, and then the CA glue holds really well. Rob

SpotModel prints your custom decals with individual decals films. I guess they have a printer cartridge with something similar to Microscale's Liquid Decal Film. A completely different solution is to run your decal sheet with a continuous film through a plotter-cutter, like a Silhouette. These things can recognise alignment markings on the sheet, to ensure accurate cutting. Never tried that myself though. Rob

Chris, is 'corrosive' the correct word for what you're trying to describe? I've never ever heard that about these strong solvents. Do they cause corrosion of metal parts?? 'Aggressive' maybe? Rob