cc-130 in somalia

No clue on the AVGP markings.  For the runway tarmac, it could be either asphalt or concrete.  If concrete, 12' squares are the norm.  That would be 2" squares in 1/72, I'm assuming that is what you are shooting for.  Sqaures can be made on poster board with the joints painted on with thick acrylic paint to represent the tar used to seal them up.  Verlinden also makes a runway/tarmac section in 1/72 as well.  You can add taxi markings in either yellow or white with a home cut mask and an airbrush too.  Good luck.

Not that thirld world.  Somalia used to be an Italian colony and had a very western European influence.  It is/was very modern.  The capital of Mogadishu, where the UN operated out of, was pretty built up.  The Mogadishu International Airport was quite modern with concrete/asphalt tarmac etc.  Check out the Movie "Blackhawk Down."  It is a pretty good representation of the airport at "The Mog."

Here is a pic of the airport.  Looks like 2 C-130s sitting on the pad there.

More pics of the city here.

The part of the city where the Ranger/Delta raid (officially called Operation Gothic Serpent) occurred is called the Bakara Market.  It is the oldest part of the city (not much more than a slum) and had been torn apart by warring tribes and warlord malitias, such as Mohamed Farrah Aidid's.  The rest of the city was pretty much still intact.

Gino is pretty much spot on with respect to the tarmac at Mog International.  I spent a little time in Somalia (5 1/2 months) and can tell you this...you could see that at one time, Mogadishu in particular was a beautiful city.  Picture that and then picture the movie Road Warrior.  I don't remember a single structure that had not been blown up, shot up or burned up is some way.  The streets were apocalyptic with moounds of drifting dirt, etc.  Picture junkyards all over and shanty towns of huts with corrogated tin.  It was like you went to another world. 

So, you can see that yes...there were at one time some pretty nice airfields.  But during JTF Provide Relief, JTF Restore Hope, UNISOM and Gothic Serpent (which was the entire operation that TF Ranger deployed for), the airfields in Somalia ran the spectrum of pretty nice (Mog) to austere dirt strips with maybe some prefab matting.  At one time some of these military strips/airfields had been fairly nice but they really went to hell during and after the civil war and famine.  You could do your diorama however you wanted.  A dirt covered strip (red dirt) like Bardera or even Baido or Giallassi.  Or semi nice like Kismayu (concrete parking pad, but still pretty dirty (if Kismayu, you could even include the old Ethiopeon Canberra that was sitting off to the side of the ramp).  If Baidoa, you could even do the control tower which was built out of wood scraps on top of a copuple shipping containers. You could even do the AH-1W & UH-1N QRF birds sitting on the side when the Marines had security there (Baidoa) before the Aussies took it over.  I vividly remember the talcom powder sand/dirt at Belet Uen where the Canadian parachute regiment were based.  I always made it a point to do some ration swapping with them...shepards pie, yum, yum.  

Whatever you do, make her dirty.  Just about every Herk I remember was stained to varying degrees with that redish dirt that I became some dang fond of.

Or, you could have them parked on the prestine ramp that they operated out of at Nairobi.  I always wondered about that.  All the other Herks operated out of Mombasa (USAF, Belgians, USMC tankers, Southern Air Transport, Swedes, Brits, GAF Transalls, Kiwi Andovers), but the Canadian Herks operated out of Nairobi....go figure.    

I feel like a goob for asking but avgp markings????

The Canadian Paras were at Belet Uen, not Mog.  Lotsa dirt/dust/sand.  You can press with what ever you want to do, but I'm just telling you how it was.  They did fly humanitarion stuff into Mog though.  If you want pics of Belet Uen (or any other Somali strips), I may have a few.

Just tryin to help.

I'll take a look around.  In the mean time.......

CC-130 departing Baidoa.  Actual airstrip was much like Belet Uen, except the trees are taller and the runway was better at Baidoa....more like a reconstituted concrete or compacted crushed rock type deal.

CC-130 offloading Canadian troops at Belet Uen.  Lots of scrub brush, but you can see what the airstrip looks like.

This is a CC-130 at Belet Uen.  This was taken shortly after the Canadian Para's and 10th Mtn Div took secured the airfield.  We had tried to work a Somali jump (Hollywood) in with the Canadians, but unfortunately US Dept of Agriculture said we would either have to have our chutes inspected by them after the jump (no way they were gonna fly to Somalia), or leave them there when we left.  Neadless to say we didn't do the jump.  Did the Canadian Para's????  I'll never tell. 

CC-130 landing at Belet Uen.

This is a US Herk and I'm pretty sure it's at Bardera (at least that where it looks like).  Anyway, it's fairly representative of the strips at Belet Uen and elsewhere in Somalia.

US Herk at Oddur, but sure does remind me of Belet Uen.

Gaf C-160 landing at Belet Uen.  Notice the crushed rock type runway, and the control tower to the right.

Canadian 2nd Commando Para's hoisting their battle flag with a CC-130 in the background.

Anyway, these are DOD photos.  Like I said, I'll see what I can come up with from my personal photos.  I specifically remember a shot of me standing in front of a USMC KC-130 at Belet Uen.  I'll see if I can find it.

curtis remington wrote:

thanks, thats all need for the airport now i just need pictures of  cougars, grizzlies, and huskies that our airborn used i know the paint scheme was white but the markings are hard to find.

I wouldn't bet my bottom dollar on it, but I'm pretty sure the vehicles were not painted white.  The Somalia mission was not a UN Chapter 6 mission, so no white vehicles, and no blue helmets.  I'll have to check to make sure of the paint scheme, but I know the mission was not a Chapter 6 mission.

Oops.  It's a good thing I hung on to my bottom dollar.  The vehicles were white

It's amazing to see how Third World the Canadian Forces looked back then. OD combats, webbing from the 80s, STEEL! helmets. Good thing the CAR was our top of the line troops, so their professionalism (the overwhelming majority, anyhow) and skill made up for the kit deficiency.

curtis remington wrote:

we still use the same pattern for our uniforms (exept where the rank slipon is) and we still use that webbing in training. if i get a c9 issued to me i'm gunna use my old 80's style webbing instead of the tacvest because it can carry more ammo and water as well as the famos "butt pack" for extra kit. on the helmit issue the new ones are better (lighter) than the old pots (i have an old one and it's at least 10 pounds).

Raventutor11 wrote:

curtis remington wrote: we still use the same pattern for our uniforms (exept where the rank slipon is) and we still use that webbing in training. if i get a c9 issued to me i'm gunna use my old 80's style webbing instead of the tacvest because it can carry more ammo and water as well as the famos "butt pack" for extra kit. on the helmit issue the new ones are better (lighter) than the old pots (i have an old one and it's at least 10 pounds). Your just iching to get your hand on the trigger on a C9 arent you buddy LOL anyways why not use some the "sugar sand" from the beach did you get any when we were down at the condo? I can't remember. I am sure your diorama will turn out great Curtis.

 it's a different shade and textur steve.