Leon,
There's no doubt about it, you done an excellent job on the kit, in fact, you used one of my old Art/Painting tricks, of determining how many alterations are needed simply by showing what you got! Asking 500 questions about the same details is not only time consuming, but sometimes unrewarding..... but, when you
show your interpretation, those familiar with your subject will name out every little thing that's not exactly accurate.... then you just sit back take notes as you go because the fine detailing information will flow in, and itsn't that
exactly what's needed to start with?
Hmmm....
Mel, what was the tail # and type of your bird? I have access to the VHPA database, and may be able to give you a rundown on it.
As an example:
My Uncle, "Max" Grose, recently attended their (147th Hillclimbers) reunion in Nashville, spending most of one day at Ft. Campbell, at the Chinook Unit on the airfield. The two "D" models they had pulled out to sit in front of the hangar were not picked at random.... they were in fact former Hillclimber "A" models in Vietnam that had been upgraded (a fact discovered in the VHPA database), one of which, him and fellow Vet Sam Taylor almost bought the farm in one night in '68. *read their chilling story: *
http://www.147thhillclimbers.org/AnNhutTan.htm
After reading their account, you'll understand why their emotions flowed freely as they were taken back on board their old aircraft by it's current Flight Engineer. Here's some pictures made that day.
The experience bonded them, and they've remained in contact throughout the years.
Take care,
Frank