The Officially Shameless PBY/Halloween '09 GB

Anyone know of any 1/72 window mask sets? Squadron has zilch and there are a few pieces of glass on this bird.

Josh

Seems I been relegated ta holding barfing Marines over the sides on the flights again, Sir!

Fine and dandy I say and with 23 years on deck, being made a Chief it's about time.

Beggin yer pardon Sir, but how I work for a living, there's rats in the hull and I've got to go get 'em with the .45.

Minding my business Commodore, but as Chief of this outfit, I'd like to remind you that it's a 1/72 PBY-5a from Airfix that will be modified fore and aft and in the engines to be a Super Cat, as used for fire fightin'.

Yours, CWO Luther B(illis)ondoman

My ref about seating the PBY cockpit floor has other options. You might 'notch' the floor sides to fit over the offending brace....or slip a peice of thin plastic sheet behind to take up the slack between seats and stringer.

This will just serve to keep things 'level'. Should you choose to just scrape the offending stringer off, I suggest the drilling tip I offerred earlier....drill thru the rear bulkhead and let the seat rails seat into the holes....otherwise the seats might sit 'pigeon-toed'. Just enough to offend the discerning modeler. (I had to fix it)

The cockpit seats are very tall......the molded belts.....very very thin.....tough to paint.....I will look for PE belts for next build. With closed canopy they should pass, but I'm embarrassed to photograph. (though I have done so).

Kit instructions are too pedestrian with color recommendations.....(everything chromate green primer) I mixed it up with 3 shades of green with some gray and some tan and some white as I saw it in my b/w refs. 

I've shot pics and hope to have them up this weekend.

Thanks

FastasEF wrote:

"Those Navy Guys and Their PBY's - The Alleutian Sollution" By Elmer Freeman. Here is a picture of the cover of the book. A bunch of them on Amazon for around $7 used. http://www.pby.com/Books/tngtpbys.gif Josh

Josh.....er, PC Josh.....fine job with that Aleutian Ref Book! It will be appreciated here!

I deem it appropriate to advance you to the title of Plane Captain.....rank will follow as earned. Nice work! Amazon beats my favorite Alibris in price in this case!

Bad part is.....NOW I NEED TO BUY ONE!

FastasEF wrote:

"Those Navy Guys and Their PBY's - The Alleutian Sollution" By Elmer Freeman. Here is a picture of the cover of the book. A bunch of them on Amazon for around $7 used. http://www.pby.com/Books/tngtpbys.gif Josh

Thanks for that info Josh, much appreciated!

I have a real soft spot for the men of the Aleutian Campaign, and MUST HAVE THIS BOOK!!!  Appreciate the head's up!

NAM/BVD/LT- You're well on your way to a most successful GB Sir!

Oh, about her ... well, i'm not one to be mean. She's not a looker but she is a very nice person, and her legs ... they looked like jeans, lol.

Josh

"Those Navy Guys and Their PBY's - The Alleutian Sollution" By Elmer Freeman.

Here is a picture of the cover of the book. A bunch of them on Amazon for around $7 used.
http://www.pby.com/Books/tngtpbys.gif

Josh

Daywalker wrote:

sfcmac wrote: BVD? isn't that underwear? That's EXACTLY what I was gonna say! Thank you, oh Benevolent Dictator, for the generous rank.  I shall do my best to set a good example, Sir.

Your LT and Benevolent Dictator has taken appropriate consonants as a quick tag that we don't mind.....if Darren can be CAG.....I should be able to be BVD......or Nam....as you slacking Sgt's see fit!

Josh has just become the Plane Captain, rank tbd.....good eye....heady moves.....and stuff we can use!

Your rank may immediately move upward if you can identify the Author AND publisher! (So that others may acquire it!)

Truly....thanks for that great input!

What were her legs like?

Was at work today and noticed that one of the ladys there brought in a book with a plane on it so I snuck over and took a closer look. Low and behold it had a PBY on the cover! I asked her about it and another twist, her dad wrote it! So we got to talking and it's an autobiography about his stint in the military. (I managed to get a copy to keep from her and haven't had the pleasure of reading any of it yet), but from the pictures and captions, it looks like he flew PBY's, P-40's, and PV-1 Ventura's. TONS of great info and pictures to boot too! Hopefully I can get an USB cable and finally use my printer than i'll scan some of the flicks and post them up!

Had to share that story!

Josh

sfcmac wrote:

BVD? isn't that underwear?

That's EXACTLY what I was gonna say!

Thank you, oh Benevolent Dictator, for the generous rank.  I shall do my best to set a good example, Sir.

 Wow I am a Lt(jg) SFC who is a retired 1SG. Say that 5 times fast!

No identity issues here!

BVD? isn't that underwear?

I will be building a 1/48 PBY. I have the newly released, re-engineered kit. I will be building the version on the box art (the big side ), from 1948.

I just got the kit today, and I'm really surprised at how large it is. It looks really good in terms of detail and quality, and the instructions are awesome (I think..). I'm sure I'll be asking for lots of advice along the way - I've never built anything this large, and this will be my first ever Revell kit. At the same time, I'm considering switching from acrylics to enamels. I always gotta have some excuse why my build doesn't look perfect..

Rich 

The Front Page has been updated with assigned (and well explained) member ranks.....we'll take it from there!

I gave much thought to this.....any conflicts....you will find holes in yer pontoons! (but we will provide waterproof tape).....

I dast ANYONE to brew some "Torpedo Juice" in a pontoon for the SQD to enjoy!

Your BVD

Bondo PM inbound.

Read the list of planned builds and honestly can't wait to see them all take shape!!!!!!!

namrednef wrote:

Dates, as noted, are 11:59 pm 10/30/08...... to Halloween 10/31/09, 10 months..... Bondoman! 1/72 PBY-5A Academy modified to Super Cat, from "Always".

Next- can anyone explain the tail? It seems to be unique to the Stewart Davis Co. which also creates aircraft mods for movies. I can eyeball scratch it, but any info is MOST welcome.

my project:

B-25:

Randie, Jeaton, other worthies?

fjs3 wrote:

Hi Freddie from LI here,  I would like to join this group build, I have the Monogram PBY-5 from the original relase.  I will be doing the ship flown by USN Lt's Howard P Ady and Steven "Snuffy" Smith on 4 June 1942 at Midway.  Lt's Ady and Smith were the first PBY to spot the Japanese on the morning of the battle.  Decals will be from the spares box.  Thanks for the opportunity to participate again in a fantastic group build.   Regards, Freddie from LI

Welcome Freddie! Thanks for your contribution! That one should be interesting!

Page one will be updated in a minute.

Hi

Freddie from LI here,  I would like to join this group build, I have the Monogram PBY-5 from the original relase.  I will be doing the ship flown by USN Lt's Howard P Ady and Steven "Snuffy" Smith on 4 June 1942 at Midway.  Lt's Ady and Smith were the first PBY to spot the Japanese on the morning of the battle.  Decals will be from the spares box.  Thanks for the opportunity to participate again in a fantastic group build.

Regards,

Freddie from LI 

Very nice tribute Aaron! (I'm the guy about one inch from the upper left corner!)

Thank you for the book ref also! I love refs!

Cool pic Aaron, that's what I am building!

Here's a couple of pics Haligan and I took last year at the USAF Museum in Dayton, OH:

Sorry for the poor quality, but thought I would share 'em anyway.

namrednef wrote:

Gentlemen! There is on thing I want you to remember, no so and so ever built a PBY by dying for his country! He built it by making the other poor so and so die for his country! I know some of you are scared with the start date approaching, but I can assure you that you will all do your duty! Just think! Years from now when your grand babys ask you what did you do in the Great PBY group build grandaddy? You won't have to tell them," well I shoveled horse dump in Louisiana. Or snow in Wisconsin as the case may be. Now you sobs, you know how I feel. I will be proud to lead you wonderful guys in this GB, anytime Anywhere! and that's all.

He didn't really say that but he wanted too!

Great tips and warnings Nam! Should come in real handy when we get started on this GB NEXT WEEK! gosh you just gotta love him!

All hail Sir Nam!

On the serious side I found a PBY pic in the Aleutens that you may not have seen just yet. From a book called Steichen at War. Some incredible photos in there! A real good ref for any WWII Navy and Marine Fan!

The PBY I bought and am starting for the Pearl Harbor GB (Same as this GB) is #85-5617....copyright 2008.

Cockpit tips: Step 2....pg. 3....instructions show completed seat assy's fitting to cockpit floor and rear cockpit bulkhead in no particular order. Beware!

Rear bulkhead (part 71) has a transverse brace (an arrow in the instructions points right to it) that must be trimmed flush with the bulkhead......do this 1/4" each side of the hatch....otherwise the floor will not seat properly. Then attach the floor(#39).

Do this first and THEN attach completed seat assy's. Use CA to attach the seats! They each have 3 glue points....two in the floor and one in the bulkhead.....that is still not enough for solvent glue.....they want to sag.

Drill all the way through the bulkhead glue points so you can add/apply glue from behind.

But trim those spots I mentioned......it will save you a big headache!

RichardI wrote:

He he, this will be by far, the biggest model I have ever built. Soooo, I'm wondering what you guys will be using as references - just whatever you can find on the 'net? I'll be building mine strictly OOB (the kit itself was expensive enough ) so it'll be whatever version is in the new kit box.   Rich

KingThad: Your recent post has been noted on page 1.

Rich: The issue I just received is very much like the kit I built in the 80's. However, there are parts in in this -5 kit I've never seen before. My previous Revell issue must have been no later than a -4.....no retractable LG before -5. That's the difference between a Flying Boat and an Amphibian!

I have the Squadron "Catalina In Action" book and have sent for a couple more refs. I use Alibris.com, a used book clearinghouse that is EXTREMELY reasonable!!! Give them a try! Regardless of how Alibris rates the book condition all mine have been close to 'like new'!.....and they ship FAST!

Nam I'm fine with the early start and yes my PBY is the new boxing Revel kit.

Thad

http://books.google.com/books?id=2WFte4vtdcgC&pg=PA233&lpg=PA233&dq=robert+schlaefli+slafco+inc&source=bl&ots=nkYQ-zYNTb&sig=Vxa-x0honqSKkcjnLp5kVnL9hZM&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA236,M1

I did not find my airframe in this link: VERY surprised- but it is a GREAT read and worth your time.

My Super Cat is a CANSO Catalina- meaning built for Canada, and thats a whole interesting subject of which I had NO IDEA, my friends. She has R-2600 engines, ok. She has a unique tail that is a product of a rebuild program by "Stewart-Davis": more later.

The post WW2 PBY opportunities far outweigh, or maybe are quirky alternatives, to blue over blue. For instance, there's a Revell PBY-6A out there called the "Calypso", complete with the no-turret nose and tall tail, plus"Phillipe in the Zodiac" and dive platforms under the blisters!

I hunted for it for a couple of hours until I kenned onto the Stewart-Davis line.

bondoman, That Super Cat should look awesome. I think it will be exciting.

Yes sir, nam sir. A Halloween start would be just fine sir. I might be starting later though because I think I won't get a PBY until Christmas time.

bondoman wrote:

Sounds fine, and WOOHHOOO I got my decals for the Super Cat today. Ritchie and I are gonna work a trade, his -5a for a -5 of his choice. I've got a bead on a conversion set- she needs a new rudder, tailplanes and a forward deck w/o the turret. looks to be a fun time.

Sounds awesome! Can't wait to see you tackle that Super Cat, Bondo!

Oh, and even though I'm a day late and a dollar short, I'm fine with a Halloween start date... I just may not start right away.

Kevin