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Hello everyone … Im presenting my 2nd build from the Prototypes, Racers, Research, Record breakers, Special schemes megaGB. It is the 1/72 Italeri F-6F-3 kit built as an F6F-3K drone from N.A.S. Atlantic city in 1946. Please feel free to comment or visit the build thread. Dennis

Hello everyone this will be my second build thread in the group build. I will use a 2nd hand 1/72 Italeri F6F Hellcat to make an F6F-3K drone. Here are the required sprue shots. The kit was a gift from a member in a trade a while back. If Im missing any parts (doesn't appear like that) I have 5 Eduard kits Im sure I can rob from. Please feel free to ask questions or post comment's. Dennis

Hi All Those who know me on Britmodeller, know my passion for all things Short Sunderland That passion of course runs deeper for RNZAF Sunderland's, having grown up on an RNZAF Sunderland base. My topic is one that I have wanted to do for some time, and that being one of the RNZAF Short Sunderland' Mk III's that arrived brand spanking new from Britain toward the end of 1944. In 1944 the then British government approached the then New Zealand Government, and offered them four (4) brand new Short Sunderland Mk III's configured in a transport version. There were unarmed, having been stripped of all offensive/defensive armament, and were a basic transport version of a Sunderland, but not a Hythe Flying Boat. The 4 Sunderland's left Britain late 1944, and after an epic journey arrived in New Zealand between late November and Christmas 1944. These then plied the waters of the South Pacific between Auckland/ RNZAF Base Lauthala Bay, and of course operational bases further a field in the Pacific. This is a photo I found some time ago, I suspect it's RNZAF Official that has been cropped, showing NZ4101 at Lauthala Bay, Fiji (Used for Illustration Purposes only) Post WWII they continued to serve, having been stripped of their camouflage as in these photos from my collection Yes that a Natural Metal Sunderland!!! Over the years I have seen the odd model rendition on Internet forums, and the occasional article. Some will read either the Air Britain Ocean Sentenial Short Sunderland (information provided by RNZAF Museum), Or others will have read, is the one printed in this Book/Magazine. The Article written in this publication was written by someone who has little or no research on RNZAF Sunderland's, on the 4 Sunderland Transports the article writer wrote the following These are the types of articles that annoy me tremendously - If the article writer actually knew any history, the crews were those 490 Squadron personnel who were in Britain to train on Sunderland's, and these four, were brand new airframes. If you look at the link below, it is a page out of a log of one of the Pilot's and shows the dates when left (see upper left hand corner - see 1944) and where the aircraft flew to during their journey - they didn't start in West Africa. RNZAF Sunderland Transports Air Movements One of my treasured books in my collection, is this book, well read and thumbed It's filled with excellent text and photos, and one which is below (being RNZAF Official) which I plan to build my model and associated diorama (Used for illustration purposes only) The Mk III in the above photo is being "Warped" into a Braby at Lauthala Bay in Fiji - Yes the Braby is a real thing, used to moor aircraft like the Sunderland on the water. I have actually walked on, and boarded Sunderland's on/in the Braby at RNZAF Hobsonville, here in Auckland. The Aircraft were delivered in the TSS (Temperate Sea Scheme) of EDSG/DSG/Sky, which is what my model will wear. One day I would like to do a Post War Mk III in all natural metal. The box top - I really hope that it is only the artists rendition that shows the wings at quite the angled Dihedral of the wings (which should be 0 degrees) OK, More in a few moments, as I will fill the next post with the model parts etc Thanks for looking in Regards Alan

Another COVID build of the Italeri 1/72 OH-13S. Italeri really makes great helicopter kits. They truly are little jewels. I added an M-60 machine gun in the cockpit, seatbelts and tail rotor control cables. My Commanding Officer was a 19 year old gunner/observer serving aboard one of these scout birds in South Vietnam. He was badly wounded in 1966 while flying a recon mission when a Vietcong guerilla shot him at close range with an AK-47. His pilot was a young Warrant Officer about his age, who flew him to a ground cavalry unit, where a medic stopped the bleeding and evacuated him to a field hospital; then on to Japan. He later recovered and went on to serve 40 years as a helicopter pilot and Colonel. I hope you enjoy the pics! Found a picture of the actual Sioux, same tail number, as the model. Note the landing conditions.