I swore off them Hawses (along with Bf 109s, FW 190s and A6M-anything) ten years ago, but after seeing this latest one from Rick, along with Pix's A-36, somehow I just can't wait to dive into one (pun accidental, Pix). But it would have to be something totally weird. I wonder how I could get plans and do the mods needed to build "The Stars Look Down"? For those who haven't seen it, it was a specially modified two-seat B-model made specifically so Gen. Eisenhower could look over the Normandy beaches following the invasion. I wonder whatever happened to the real airplane after the war. Anybody know a source of photos of this unique bird?
BTW: The offer's still good for any of you who are building 357th FG Mustangs. I have one of those Pro-Modeler sheets which are amazingly well done, and have uncommon subjects on them, not to mention the fact that when they are on sale, they practically give them away, so I buy them all whether I'll ever use them or not. Anyhoo, this sheet -- by Scale-Master/Detail & Scale, has three of the lesser known ships (P-51B's), and is in perfect register, very fine and thin printing. It has Capt. J. Storch's "The Shillelagh," (OD over NM), 1st Lt. A.J. Roberson's "Passion Wagon," (OD over NG with full invasion stripes) and "Pregnant Polecat," the mount of Capt. Glendon V. Davis (OD over NG, eight kill markings, no invastion stripes). The makers are to be commended for doing what other decal companies (some of them, anyway) don't do: they point out that the famous red and yellow checks were far from being uniform from plane to plane, and that each plane had slightly different sizes and numbers of checks. Also, the red and yellow bands of each plane's spinner was a little different. So, for all three planes they provide separate checks and spinner stripes.
I could have saved all this verbage and simply said: If you are one of those who's building this group, and is serious about it, I'll gladly donate the sheet. Just drop me an e-mail and they is your'n.
TOM