bar side Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 I have been planning to build an Spangdahlem F-4G for some time and got a set of decals for this. The pack included a set of Sharmouth decals for the other half of the mid 80s hunter killers pair, the F-16C block 30. Now I have built a few F-16s in the last year or so and had saved one kit with a view to using these decals. Equipped with Shrikes and Aim 9s but before the full on block 50 Weasel F-16s, this is how she turned out Now the kit. It’s an old ESCI A model. I took off the rear stabilisers and replaced them with the standard larger ones and tilted them up. I opened the airbrakes, scratch improved the cockpit and wheel wells. Plus various other little bits. Decals are a mix of ESCI kit stencils and Xtradecal Spang set. The ECM pod is the best I could find. I seem to have mislaid my ALQ 131 pod - it will turn up at some point. Hope you like it - thanks for looking 27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viperchief Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 (edited) Nice Viper! Spent three years (06-09) at Spang as a crew chief on the "Stinger" Block 50s. Sadly only one squadron remains and the A-10s are gone now as well. Thanks for sharing! Edited July 30, 2021 by viperchief 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 Cool diorama! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 Cracking work! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted July 30, 2021 Author Share Posted July 30, 2021 3 hours ago, viperchief said: Nice Viper! Spent three years (06-09) at Spang as a crew chief on the "Stinger" Block 50s. Sadly only one squadron remains and the A-10s are gone now as well. Thanks for sharing! Thanks - still figuring out how equipment would be position & what would be there. I can do you an A-10 in the HAS too. It’s a WR coded Bentwaters one 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthspud Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 Now that's a spanking pair of Vipers. Love the HAS & gse. Shame it's not available in 1/48. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelh Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 Great stuff. Fond memories of the 'Spang' F16s arriving for an an airshow near where I worked. I actually see the F16 as the modern equivalent of the P51. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted July 30, 2021 Author Share Posted July 30, 2021 6 minutes ago, darthspud said: Now that's a spanking pair of Vipers. Love the HAS & gse. Shame it's not available in 1/48. Yes had to build the HAS and adapt other vehicles to make the step van and tanker. There is the Hasegawa and ESC ground equipment sets, plus the Shunkmodels Harlan tug & weapons trolley. You can get diecast pickups but mainly in the US 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted July 30, 2021 Author Share Posted July 30, 2021 11 minutes ago, noelh said: Great stuff. Fond memories of the 'Spang' F16s arriving for an an airshow near where I worked. I actually see the F16 as the modern equivalent of the P51. I got a t-shirt with the prototype on at an early 80s Mildenhall show and have been a bit hooked since. But F-15s, A-10s, F-4s - all good with me 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthspud Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 The Hasegawa gse is ok, the panel van is great but not available in 1/48, shame. Kinetic/ Skunkworks do weapons trollies but they are like rocking horse poo in UK. I built some of my own in 1/48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted July 30, 2021 Author Share Posted July 30, 2021 Yes @darthspud I converted an old diecast van in to a step van. It’s actually a viable older model step van but I was after the more squared off front. Shame Hasegawa never upscaled their van and the lighting unit. I scratch built the light unit. Took ages to get a weapon trolly off eBay at a price I would pay. Maidstone do nice diecast pickup trucks but they are mainly in the US. Rarely come up in the UK. I want to get another one to cut up & make a bobtail from. The Skunkmodels tanker is good but only for post 89 ish, so I scratched a Mack tanker from a Corgi diecast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthspud Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 Maybe too niche for a model maker to do this stuff in 1/48 rather than yet another Spitfire/Sherman/Tiger. The Airfix Bomber Command & USAAF support sets are great but need scaling up for SWW officianadoes who do 48 scale, and modern stuff is very hard to find (1980-2010) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted July 31, 2021 Author Share Posted July 31, 2021 13 hours ago, darthspud said: Maybe too niche for a model maker to do this stuff in 1/48 rather than yet another Spitfire/Sherman/Tiger. The Airfix Bomber Command & USAAF support sets are great but need scaling up for SWW officianadoes who do 48 scale, and modern stuff is very hard to find (1980-2010) Yes very true. I wonder if the size of 1/48 puts people off airfield dioramas. I hope people like Videoaviation and some of the 3D printers might fill the gap for niches like this. Keep meaning to get some videoaviation stuff to try it out. Looks a lot less fiddly than Flightpath’s etch stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthspud Posted July 31, 2021 Share Posted July 31, 2021 There is a company that does Land Rovers/trailers (UK Stuff) but i've deleted their shortcut. Resin/3d printed stuff These guys do stuff but it's not cheap http://www.asam.co.uk/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted July 31, 2021 Author Share Posted July 31, 2021 Yes lovely vehicles from ASAM but pricey. I think you need to want a model of the vehicle as the star, not as a supporting vehicle for a diorama. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod bettencourt Posted July 31, 2021 Share Posted July 31, 2021 Very cool!!!!! Thanks for sharing. Rod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viperchief Posted August 4, 2021 Share Posted August 4, 2021 On 7/30/2021 at 12:44 PM, bar side said: Thanks - still figuring out how equipment would be position & what would be there. I can do you an A-10 in the HAS too. It’s a WR coded Bentwaters one Very cool! Happy to help if you have any questions! Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted August 4, 2021 Author Share Posted August 4, 2021 3 hours ago, viperchief said: Very cool! Happy to help if you have any questions! Rich You might regret saying that Rich! A few questions to start. In the UK where HAS sites are in active use the inner sides of the HAS floor is painted to show where different equipment is to be kept Are US shelters kept in a similar way? Also, RAF shelters in the 80s had specifically made racks nearer door to store drop tanks - again anything similar? Now the A-10 photo above has the ESCI tractor and weapons trolley. The tractor is probably about right for 70s / 80s in Europe. I saw tractors around the peri track at Lakenheath & Mildenhall last week. The trolley is wrong but I do have the Skunkmodels weapon trolley that is a lot better. But I also saw a 6 wheel trolley in use. An these seem to be pulled quite often by a bobtail pickup, or maybe even a standard pick up. Not likely to be owed by a Harlan tug or similar? That’s the first questions that sprung to mind! Just for a quick pic of an F-15C outside a Lakenheath HAS last week. I was watching the tanker & weapons trolley moving around with interest! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sierra Mike Sierra Posted August 5, 2021 Share Posted August 5, 2021 On 30/07/2021 at 17:03, viperchief said: Sadly only one squadron remains and the A-10s are gone now as well. Thanks for sharing! Indeed, now there is a gap to fill at Spang. Since the relocation of Ospreys and tankers from Mildenhall is still on halt, we still can only hope for occasional rotational deployments of USAF/USANG aircraft to Spangdahlem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted August 5, 2021 Share Posted August 5, 2021 Lovely looking F-16 that, turned out great! That diorama is brilliant too, really looks the part. You need the F-4G now! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted August 5, 2021 Author Share Posted August 5, 2021 19 minutes ago, Lord Riot said: Lovely looking F-16 that, turned out great! That diorama is brilliant too, really looks the part. You need the F-4G now! its in the queue! Oh and the Blackbird too. Mind you I can’t decide between the F-4G in Euro One (yours looked good) or Hill scheme 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viperchief Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 On 8/4/2021 at 1:41 PM, bar side said: You might regret saying that Rich! A few questions to start. In the UK where HAS sites are in active use the inner sides of the HAS floor is painted to show where different equipment is to be kept Are US shelters kept in a similar way? Also, RAF shelters in the 80s had specifically made racks nearer door to store drop tanks - again anything similar? Now the A-10 photo above has the ESCI tractor and weapons trolley. The tractor is probably about right for 70s / 80s in Europe. I saw tractors around the peri track at Lakenheath & Mildenhall last week. The trolley is wrong but I do have the Skunkmodels weapon trolley that is a lot better. But I also saw a 6 wheel trolley in use. An these seem to be pulled quite often by a bobtail pickup, or maybe even a standard pick up. Not likely to be owed by a Harlan tug or similar? That’s the first questions that sprung to mind! Just for a quick pic of an F-15C outside a Lakenheath HAS last week. I was watching the tanker & weapons trolley moving around with interest! Sorry for not getting back to you sooner! The shelters at Spang have spots at the left rear for storing external fuel tanks and a "dog box" shelter at the right rear. We used them for data entry and aircraft form maintenance as they had a desk and data terminal (and heat). To both sides you can see orange racks used to store captive training missiles while the jet was undergoing maintenance. http://village.photos/images/user/c160e5a7-a01c-4a65-9245-4a6dcdad3cef/de72a7b4-8cac-4051-9fa1-c9c173fb0343.PNG http://village.photos/images/user/c160e5a7-a01c-4a65-9245-4a6dcdad3cef/a1b7fb29-37a8-405e-925f-4ae829365f3f.jpg http://village.photos/images/user/c160e5a7-a01c-4a65-9245-4a6dcdad3cef/1c25bca6-43c0-466a-8527-1a254a080cdb.PNG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted August 11, 2021 Author Share Posted August 11, 2021 Cheers @viperchief great inside pictures. I struggle to find good photos in a HAS because most people are focussed on the jet and I am going ‘what’s that on the wall or in the corner?’ The Dog Box seems a common feature with RAF HASes too. Almost a containerised office. In fact I think the RAF have been known to put a shipping container at the back of the HAS as a store room. Although through the door to the side the RAF HAS has an annex and fuel store. Obviously they are the later type HAS & not the Clam Shell door type at Spangdahlem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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