Ventura RCAF OTU 34 interest from Toronto

[marvinneko]

Greetings from Toronto.

 

My great uncle trained in Venturas as part of the first class of Wireless Operator / Air Gunners (WOAGs) at 34 OTU Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick, Canada in 1942. I have his class photo and records of two of his training crashes in Venturas.

 

My wife surprised me with the Revell 1/48 Ventura Mk II kit for Xmas and I am searching for info. I ordered the decal kit from Aviaeology for OTU34 and found the article from 2018 in Airfix Model World about building a variant using those decals.

 

Would love to have more info... including the RT magazine series from vol 35/36 etc. 

 

I've looked through aftermarket parts from Quickboost and Eduard and while they seem very nice I don't think they are worth the cost for me. I haven't built models since I was too young and impatient to do them properly so I don't have any materials. Trying to get up to speed on everything re cement, paints, masking, brushes, etc. 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by marvinneko

[Steve86]

Hello and welcome along from the UK, sorry can’t help with the Venture info but I’m sure that there are many on here who can. Take your time when building the model and as long as you are happy with the final result that’s all that matters.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello marvineko …  from the other end of the great lakes from you in Chicago. I salute your uncles service and yours if you have served. Im mostly a military aircraft modeler myself. 
 

Dennis

[dogsbody]

This Ventura crashed about 20 miles from where I grew up. My Mum talked about it, as she only lived about 5 miles from the crash site.

 

 

 

 

There are a few more pages to this article, if you're interested?

 

 

 

Chris

[dogsbody]

I also have those RT issues, if you'd like scans of them?

 

 

 

Chris

[rob Lyttle]

OK @marvinneko, welcome to the madhouse 😎

I'm a keen Lockheed builder - I was lucky enough to get a kit of the little L10 Electra, the forerunner of all these Lockheed Twins, which I'm now working on. 

The big Revell Ventura kit is a great box of fun and I've done a couple of them. So good luck with the build. 

As a starter project, I'm a bit hesitant. Wondering if you should get a couple of easier kits under your belt, just to get your hand in. Not that it's a difficult job, but just big and involved compared to a little Airfix 1.72 build. Sounds like you want to make a good looking result. 

Can't offer you any information on the squadron etc - I'm more Civil Aviation. But I certainly wish enjoyment doing this 👍

[Tony Whittingham]

Hello @marvinneko,

 I have been building a Ventura, and have some details. Glad to hear you have the bomber version, it’s best!

 I am located in Mississauga.

 

TW

[marvinneko]

17 hours ago, Steve86 said:

Hello and welcome along from the UK, sorry can’t help with the Venture info but I’m sure that there are many on here who can. Take your time when building the model and as long as you are happy with the final result that’s all that matters.

 

Thanks for the welcome! 

 

5 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Hello marvineko …  from the other end of the great lakes from you in Chicago. I salute your uncles service and yours if you have served. Im mostly a military aircraft modeler myself. 
 

Dennis

 

Thank you as well. He was a schoolteacher who taught in tiny towns in the north during the Great Depression. Joining the RCAF was a huge adventure though it turned out badly for him. As he had no descendants, this is part of my way of remembering him.

[marvinneko]

5 hours ago, dogsbody said:

This Ventura crashed about 20 miles from where I grew up. My Mum talked about it, as she only lived about 5 miles from the crash site

 

There are a few more pages to this article, if you're interested?

 

 

 

Chris

 

Thanks so much for sharing. Yes of course I'd love to read it.

 

My great uncle's crashes were much more mundane... hard landings in the middle of the night after night flights collapsing the rear wheel. Are you familiar with Christian Larsen's work on Pennfield at rootsweb?

3 hours ago, Chrissywines said:

Welcome Marvinnko 🙂

Thanks for the welcome!

[marvinneko]

2 hours ago, dogsbody said:

I also have those RT issues, if you'd like scans of them?

 

 

 

Chris

 

I would be so grateful if you could share them! I was trying to find some way to access them all yesterday. I'd love to read those articles!

[marvinneko]

2 hours ago, rob Lyttle said:

OK @marvinneko, welcome to the madhouse 😎

I'm a keen Lockheed builder - I was lucky enough to get a kit of the little L10 Electra, the forerunner of all these Lockheed Twins, which I'm now working on. 

The big Revell Ventura kit is a great box of fun and I've done a couple of them. So good luck with the build. 

As a starter project, I'm a bit hesitant. Wondering if you should get a couple of easier kits under your belt, just to get your hand in. Not that it's a difficult job, but just big and involved compared to a little Airfix 1.72 build. Sounds like you want to make a good looking result. 

Can't offer you any information on the squadron etc - I'm more Civil Aviation. But I certainly wish enjoyment doing this 👍

 

Thanks very much. I suspect I'll be ok. I do lots of other complex stuff in other hobbies. Also my wife works in a professional model building business for architecture. They do some amazing stuff and one of their guys does RC model planes and runs the paint shop there. I appreciate your suggestions.

[marvinneko]

34 minutes ago, Tony Whittingham said:

Hello @marvinneko,

 I have been building a Ventura, and have some details. Glad to hear you have the bomber version, it’s best!

 I am located in Mississauga.

 

TW

 

Greetings! My kit came from a Mississauga shop apparently.

 

Did you buy some of the Eduard and Quickboost stuff? I admit I'm already sliding back toward wanting to get them. This kit build is being driven by a historical and family connection so I feel like I should put in the extra stuff... especially given he was a radio operator/gunner and I'm familiar with the pilots and observers he trained with... so it would be cool to outfit their stations if they could be seen through the windows.

 

Any tips so far?

 

I've been thinking to go through the site and make a post of links to the past stuff to find it easier, like an index.

Edited December 27, 2022 by marvinneko

[Tony Whittingham]

15 hours ago, marvinneko said:

Hello, Marvinneko,

 I have a WIP on Britmodeller, which I am about to re-start. Search for  my name in the WIP forum. I don’t generally buy aftermarket, other than decals. All else I scratch-build. More fun for me, and less cost. In the case of the Ventura, I did obtain props for my PV-1 build.

TW.

15 hours ago, marvinneko said:

Greetings! My kit came from a Mississauga shop apparently.

 

Did you buy some of the Eduard and Quickboost stuff? I admit I'm already sliding back toward wanting to get them. This kit build is being driven by a historical and family connection so I feel like I should put in the extra stuff... especially given he was a radio operator/gunner and I'm familiar with the pilots and observers he trained with... so it would be cool to outfit their stations if they could be seen through the windows.

 

Any tips so far?

 

I've been thinking to go through the site and make a post of links to the past stuff to find it easier, like an index.

 

Edited December 27, 2022 by Tony Whittingham
Correction to PV-1

[marvinneko]

3 hours ago, Tony Whittingham said:

 

Thanks. I've seen your name pop up looking back a few years re Ventura builds.

 

I'll check out the WIP,

[rob Lyttle]

Precious little can be seen internally. You can cut the side door open I guess but the kit doesn't facilitate this. 

Frankly not much to see in the engine cowlings either unless some maintenance panels are off and that's another hatchet job. The kit engines are one piece items, but they're good enough for me. 

Looking at the photo references above, you may have to blank off the top turret opening....? 

Bomb doors are a nightmare to pose open, but maybe closed for your purpose?

Just thinking out loud.... 😇

[marvinneko]

2 hours ago, rob Lyttle said:

Precious little can be seen internally. You can cut the side door open I guess but the kit doesn't facilitate this. 

Frankly not much to see in the engine cowlings either unless some maintenance panels are off and that's another hatchet job. The kit engines are one piece items, but they're good enough for me. 

Looking at the photo references above, you may have to blank off the top turret opening....? 

Bomb doors are a nightmare to pose open, but maybe closed for your purpose?

Just thinking out loud.... 😇

 

Thanks for the tips!