Blimpyboy

I’d be surprised anyone missed it!

Soviet ace Ivan Kozhedub is claimed to have shot down two P-51s over Germany at the war’s end, but I don’t know if that’s been confirmed… German ace Erich Hartmann is also often claimed to have been involved in an interception over Romania, in which Soviet and US aircraft shot at each other (https://migflug.com/jetflights/final-interview-with-erich-hartmann/) but, again, I don’t know if there’s any truth to that story! Otherwise, this engagement occurred over Yugoslavia in 1944: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niš_incident and https://www.reddit.com/r/Warthunder/comments/7ss6ax/til_a_small_dogfight_between_vvs_yak3s_and_usaac/

There are a few out there... This sheet, from VFA, is excellent but I daresay it may be a little hard to find! http://decals.kitreview.com/decals/images/VFA_A4_1.jpg and http://decals.kitreview.com/decals/images/VFA_A4_2.jpg There are also sheets from Malaysian companies Rangsangmas Hobby (https://rangsangmas-hobby.blogspot.com) and Nubs Modeller (https://www.facebook.com/Nubsmodeller/), which are on sale periodically on the Malaysian ‘shopee.com.my’ internet marketplace website (look up vendors 'RangsangmasHobby' and ‘Nubs Modeller’, respectively - alternatively just do a basic search for "1/48 TUDM A-4 decals”). https://shopee.com.my/1-48-TUDM-RMAF-A-4PTM-SKYHAWK-DECAL-i.88027677.4369577119 You could also try Malaysian company ‘Cktan Plamodel Shop’ - they sell all sorts of Malaysian military decals (via shopee.com.my and their Facebook site - https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064229945638). Otherwise, the Hobbycraft A-4C kit HC1434 had decals for a Malaysian jet, in the initial (delivery) scheme:

If you simply must make an Eastern front bird, this sheet from Colibri (72041) is worth looking for: http://scalemodels.ru/news/11886-decal-kolibri-1-72-Hs-123-oer-USSR.htm . There's a 1/48 version, too, if that's your scale.

Some Nationalist Chinese birds have groovy-looking spotty/stripey camouflage - way more interesting that Russian front greens! 😉 https://i2.kknews.cc/ppMvCTxyBdZfbpdoeCZ5RbymKPNYTioC4w/0.jpg https://i2.kknews.cc/8my_CZp2CfN8ZHDRfRqKnZHcGizsq0WuPA/0.jpg

While not a comprehensive guide to German WWII airborne radar systems, this Swiss document is, nevertheless, interesting in its discussion of the FuG 202 and FuG 220 radar fit and function (which includes information drawn from the study of at least two Bf 110s impounded in 1944): https://www.wrd.ch/triboni/store/21_Lichtenstein_airborne_radars.pdf?mthd=get&name=wrd_store1&sign=lflF87WA0ELBdTaf3BPaoQ%3D%3D&id=hyuemmxdhaaaaaaablrv&fmt=application%2Fpdf And, if you're inclined to make a model - or diorama - of at least one of the Bf 110s mentioned in the above document (in original German and subsequent Swiss markings): https://www.jets-are-for-kids.ch/egalerie/messerschmitt_bf110/bf110g4_5547.html

Lovely, thank you - this is inspiring me to dig out and finish off my own Irish CN-235 (the Scratchaeronatics kit)!

Ugh, tell me about it. My brain loves to add its own unique take to my distant memories, too! 🤦‍♂️

Max Decals sheet #7216 (1/72 Irish Air Corps Update 2004) suggests FS 15177 as the main blue colour. No suggestion for the cheat line, ‘though! https://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Rev1/801-900/Rev833-MaxDecals7216/00.shtm Otherwise, this thread on the IPMS Ireland site (https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/ipms_ireland_forum/iac-casa-cn-235-colour-t2244.html#p13583) says: “according to Joe Maxwell's book the colours are as follows: FS 15177 Medium Blue overall, FS 15450 Light Blue Cheatline”.

I see what you did there… 🤔

And, because why not, here's another Spanish single seater Mirage F.1 with a wing-mounted gun pod! https://www.aircraftslides.com/auctiondetail?id=2320277

Well, I'm a day or so away from painting a 1/72 Mi-35 in Iraqi Army colours, using the Begemot decal sheet (http://www.begemotdecals.ru/showpos.php?lang=2&id=115) Begemot suggests 'Flat Sand' and 'Flat Light Brown', which is indicative, but not as precise as I would prefer (does that make me a lazy modeller?). Noting that these are probably Russian paints (unless the Iraqis specifically asked for particular colours), does anyone have an idea as to what these colours might be - or suggestions regarding a likely recipe? To help with the cogitation, some pictures: Thanks in advance for any help, BB.

You might find something in this thread 😉 From the colours mentioned in that thread, I daresay Modo/Neo M-522 might be the one you're looking for, especially if you’re after a ‘freshly-applied’ look. I do like your choice of Nurgling Green, which I reckon imparts a good ‘slightly used’ and weathered look, but it does seem to lack that brightness factor!

Thanks, @Seawinder! I must admit, I can’t really see the shade differential on the lower cowl in the better-quality photo (but if I squint hard and think about it, maybe I can). Still, I will say that I am well overdue for an eye test and, perhaps, a prescription update for my glasses… I can sort of see how the white portion of the fuselage cross is less distinct, due to over-painting, in the photo. Is it possible to find out how long Migge’s bird spent, in operations (including local servicings/repainting), at the unit? That may go some way to working out the difference in markings in the two photos (assuming they’re of the same aircraft).

Reviving yet another old thread - and looking for information to help with finishing my own 1/72 FW 190 (A8) off as Migge's bird. I wonder if Migge flew more than one 190 A8, or had his bird touched up over time. In comparing the following two photos, I notice a few things: 1. The top photo shows a black and white fuselage cross, with no thin black edge. The bottom photo shows what is - to my eyes - a black-and-white cross with thin black edging (I can't tell if the wing crosses have the same characteristics, respectively). 2. In the top photo, the bottom of the unit insignia touches a panel line on the cowling. In the bottom photo, there is a gap between the bottom of the unit insignia and the same panel line. 3. In the top photo, the bottom of the cowling appears to be a light colour, much like the rest of the fuselage underside. In the bottom photo, the same area appears to be a much darker tone (possibly yellow?), neatly following the lines of the cowling's lower panels. I note that most profile artworks of this aircraft show no yellow cowling panels (the chief exception being this one: https://luftwaffeinprofile.se/Fw 190 Migge.html - although interestingly, the yellow cowled aircraft in Mr Sundin's artwork is shown with the same style of markings on the aircraft in the top photo). 4. The aircraft photos in the link provided by @Nick Nichols in post #2 are claimed to be of W.Nr. 429210, even though some of the photos show a different aircraft (or possibly the same aircraft at a different time, with different markings). Mr Sundin's profile artwork indicates the aircraft is W.Nr. 171646. Discuss...

I don't suppose you recall the colours you used for this lovely bird, do you?

This thread - with now sadly-defunct links - says "All photographs are courtesy Canadian Forces Joint Imagery Centre, Ottawa", and mentions this bird (stated as being WH344 in this source and WN344 in my other references, below) specifically. In the first post, I get the impression that the photo is referenced RE68-1768 (if that's the case, here's hoping it may be different to the one in the opening post to this thread): This web page - https://www.key.aero/article/fairey-gannet-anti-submarine-capability - says: "That June, WN344 was sent to the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Central Experimental and Proving Establishment at Namao, Alberta, for cold weather trials, with another to Khartoum, Sudan, for warm weather evaluation in November." Page six of this article - https://www.faaaa.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Gannet-Aeroplane-Article-13Jul56.pdf (reprinted from The Aeroplane of 13 July 1956) - contains the following: "Other incidents of note in 1954 were the departure for Canada in May on WN344 for winterization trials (which have now been completed)...". This page - https://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/gannet/history.php - says: "A single Gannet deployed to Canada for trials with the RCN but though impressed with the aircraft, the Canadians decided not to buy any and chose the Grumman Tracker instead." But... For all that, nothing really adds to what you have described in your opening post! With regard to @Graham Boak's comment "Note the red wingtips. Similar red tips have been seen on other (all other?) RAF types at least from the Hastings", I'm wondering whether the red outer wing panels could have been painted by/for the CEPE, as part of the winterisation trials (similar to the wingtips on RCN Sea Fury TG117, as seen on this page: http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/seafurycandiancolorsjh_5.htm). Given the CEPE-related trials aspect and the associated Polar Bear zap on the nose (often pasted to aircraft in the North and/or undergoing cold WX trials), I wonder if there isn't a little more information - and, hopefully, pictures - hiding in the RCAF/National Defence archives... Happy hunting!

That’s true and infinitely preferable, but… You can only use what you have to hand when the balloon goes up - when responding to situations like this, you can’t cry foul and put a war on hold ‘til you’re ready to fight it on your preferred terms!

If it's the cost of some AMRAAMs vs the cost of re-routing maritime traffic - and subsequent impacts to trade and the economy - then the missiles are probably cheap at the price! Also, if an AMRAAM can stop a drone from sinking a ship or from targeting a platoon for destruction by artillery (and preventing my mission success), I'd happily pay the money. Bank accounts are important, but once the shooting starts in high-intensity (and many other) wars, you're not really using monetary cost comparisons as a major metric for success!

Ugh, tell me about it - I wish I’d read more before making a Dominican bird, which may have had light grey interiors instead of the black I used! 🤦‍♂️

I'm about to start painting an old ESCI C-47, in South Arabian colours. I'm going with grey undersides/wings (instead of the natural metal suggested by some sources), but am at a loss for which grey to use. So, the most common Britmodeller question comes into play - which shade of grey was likely to have been used on these aircraft? I presume the aircraft were supplied by the British, and were - perhaps - painted in British paints. Thoughts (thanks in advance)?

The photos on this page may not be of Vietnamese birds (they could be Vietnamese crews training in the Soviet Union, standing in front of Soviet Gulls), but my money's still on a lightish grey... https://danviet.vn/thuy-phi-co-sat-thu-tau-ngam-cua-viet-nam-trong-qua-khu-20210722063654191.htm Likewise with this page: https://soha.vn/quan-su/sat-thu-tau-ngam-manh-nhat-cua-khong-quan-hai-quan-viet-nam-20150117230052408.htm This page gives a potted history of Vietnam's use of the Be-12, in both Air Force and Navy units (you might want to use a web translator): http://m.tinbiendong.com/tin-quan-su-quoc-phong/mong-bien-be12-bao-ve-truong-sa-nhu-the-nao_t12-c005-a136-m7.html

Plenty of discussion, wherever one looks! https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/78584-f-51-korean-war-mustang/ https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/hyperscale/korean-war-mustang-cockpits-color-question-t161216.html https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/hyperscale/mustang-interior-color-confusion-help-t190059.html https://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/168024.aspx http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?/topic/309732-forgotten-war-mustang-f-51d-in-korea/ https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/81166-a-few-p-51-mustang-cockpit-questions/ https://www.saairforce.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6439&view=previous Good luck!

I was thinking solely of the 326 line, including the Xavante and Impala - you know, the Gen X-ers, with little change to the basic design. The 339 line are fancy-looking johnny-come-latelies - practically the Millennials of the family - and dont count, in my book! 😉 Speaking of operational 326 line jets, I think Cameroon might still have some Impalas, as in my earlier picture (but that could be debatable, given the increasingly crumbly state of that air arm, now) - but, Imp IIs are, technically, 1-2 years shy of 50… (Probably) 50- year old Impala Is are also still used by the NTPS: https://www.ntps.edu/aircraft/aermacchi-mb326m-impala.html

These sites have little more to add, but are interesting, nevertheless: https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/129784-where-did-the-buffalo-roam https://www.warbirdforum.com/belgian.htm http://www.ascalecanadian.com/2015/07/canadians-and-brewster-buffalo.html?m=1 https://www.destinationsjourney.com/historical-military-photographs/brewster-buffalo-in-belgian-service/?amp https://ipmstoronto.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/buffalo-ipms.pdf https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/29326-belgian-brewster-buffalo/ Does anyone out there have some concrete info regarding the colours these ‘planes were delivered in? Most sources (including some threads on this site) refer to the colours simply as being dark brown/earth and dark green - or variations/versions of the colours used on Belgium’s Fairey Battles. I assume they would have been U.S.-produced approximations of existing Belgian colours - emphasis on assume!