68GT and Theuns the front page has been updated, and Theuns your new badge is ready.

Randy: I remember now you'd mentioned what your family is going though. My apologies, it slipped my mind at the time. My thoughts and prayers that things improve.

I'm already hosting one GB and have gotten involved in way too many more or I'd offer to pitch in and help- sorry guys.

Sorry to hear about all your troubles. Yout have let none down! best wishes for your future my friend.

Finally made it here so I can post jeeze. Seems I was running 4 versions of java at once but thats all fixed now.

And a thank you goes out to Kermit for helping me out. I owe ya buddy !!!

GT your F-105 build is in If it goes a bit past the end date no worries I will extend it a bit for ya.

Now for, well the news. Some of you guys know we have had a drug problem in the house for the last 2 years, the bad news is it continues to be a serious issue. My sister and I have now taken custody of her Grand Daughter and the baby's mother is well in state custody. So all this takes my time and mind away from modeling and such, I can barely manage to keep my little business going. I havent given the group the attention I should be giving it like I have in the past, this bothers me a lot. I do plan to finish the B-29 but wont even come close to making the end date for my own group further letting you all down. I have only finished 1 model in the past year. So with that said unless things in real life change in the next couple of months I dont think hosting round V would be fair to you, the builders. I do apologize to all of you.

If one of you wishes to continue the group please step up, let me know and keep it going. The builds have come a long way in 4 years and personally I would hate to see the group die.

I will try and get the front page updated with 68GT's new build and get Theuns newly finished P-47 posted and new badge done this evening. Oh and LOL yes Theuns you did enter it in the group quite a while back

Thanks for the update, hadn't seen him around that much and was wondering if he'd migrated to the other site.

Just had contact with Vetteman our gracious host.... He is having trouble posting anything for four days now he says. While he is sorting that problem out with the mods he asked me to give you the go ahead 68GT!

I wonder if Randy will go for a fifth consecutive term. Good question

if not is there a follow up build to this one?

I have a Hasegawa F-105B in 1/72 scale that I just started painting the pilot on.  I would like to join up and band this one out.

Theuns- the more I look at that 47, the more I like it!

Randy- How's your 29 coming along?

Hey wow, how did I miss her Theuns!?! I love how the different NM panels came out, looks great in the photo!

Here is my shameless "punt" post. I don't recall if I entered this Otaki 1/48 Jug in this GB.

It is in a "what if the SAAF 2 SQN" Korea sceeme. They flew F-51's ,but if the USAF had more F-47's there I am sure they might have used them for ground attack.

I tried to simulate an "acceptable" NMF with various silvers , but next to Alclad I failed dizmally!

From now on, only Alclad for my NMF planes LOL!

Theuns

Rich: WOW! How did I miss your finished photos!?! Gorgeous work!!!

Randy: Thanks!

I must be getting old, or something, did I enter my 1/48 Otaki P-47 in this build Vetteman?

If so I will post some pix of the silver paint asap.

Theuns

Wow...thanks for the kind words all.

Here is a close up of the custom nose art and tail I failed to include...

Complete set of build: https://picasaweb.google.com/desilucysplace/FSMWIP?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKGLkvHknc7pxwE&feat=directlink

Guess its been a long time for me guys. Seems I have forgotten how much work a new born can be But I am tellin ya this Gruncle dont do diapers no way !!!!!!!!

Z Square 8 I am at a loss of words for your build man ! So I was sitting here looking at your finished pictures trying to decide which to use on the front page and for your badge. My sister walks in tellin me its my turn to watch the little one and sees the pictures of your build, so I will steal her words.

"Oh my !!!!! Would you look at that ? Its beautiful who built it ?"

So I told her the story behind your build. she said.....

"His Uncle Bob has to be seeing this and must be very honored and proud, it looks so real !!!!"

Very well done sir

Italian Starfighter, Gamera and Z Square 8 the front page has been updated and your group badges are there also. I want to thank you all for sharing your builds with us

Z square - that looks superb,  <3

Incredible use of Metalizer paints and a meticulous build! Thanks for the inspiration!

Wow! 

(Not much else to say about such a meticulous build!)

Gary

Thanks guys ! The little one still has the house upside down but she a sweetheart for sure, and healthy after all the nonsence. Yeah I am wrapped already, she loves to sleep on Gruncle Randy's chest. Oh Gruncle is Grumpy Uncle pit together by my sweet, bless her heart, Baby Sister. Kinda my fault cause I call her Granny now LOL an she's only 43 hahahahaha

Oh heck yeah Randy, big congrads! I was thinking about what I was going to say and plum forgot about you comment about your the new baby!

Hey Randy, CONGRATULATIONS on the new family addition!!  Hope mom and baby are doing fine!

Randy: Thanks! There are a few issues but for the most I'm quite happy with how she turned out. I'll be buying more Tamiya P-47s in the future for sure.

And I'm cool with the photo, I was fooling around with the settings on Photobucket and really like how it turned out.

Well all its been busy as all get out here on the home front. My niece finally popped and gave birth to a 5lb 2 oz baby girl and my little start up business is starting to take off. All that and 4 birthdays in the family all at once..........jeeze I need a rest.

Eatthis I dont recall your Starfighter being in this group or the last one. I will say that chrome alclad is bright for sure on your Lightening !!!!

Dogfish I am happy to see your monsdter P-51 back opn the bench again Love the detail on it, the engine, gun bay, and that figure ! I really like it.

Gamera yes those new pictures are great man ! Hey if you ever get tired of Gladys let me know I would put her on my shelf in a heart beat. The finish is flawless from my point of view. However you may...... well I hope you dont mind but ummmmm well ? I used the picture with the funny color on the cowl . I just couldnt get past how good it looks with the figure and the old black and white kind of thing going on in the picture and the background. I just couldnt pass it up.

Italian Starfighter whowa man !!!! That is one nice looking pony ! Those hand painted checkers really add huge to the detail of the build, they look so much better than decals. A sweet build sir.

Z Square 8 GREAT SAVE on the paint mishap man !! She is lookin really really good ! I am afraid I am going to have a rough time keeping up with your Superfortress.

I have my figures about ready for paint once I get that done I will post some pictures. I went through almost my whole collection of figures just to come up with 4 for the flight deck that I think will do

The front page has been updated with your finished builds guys. If you can allow me the weekend I will get your badges finished and posted for ya.

Nice! Though I'm not sure most people know enough about the serial numbers to tell that it's wrong for the B-29 you're building!!!

I started with completing the build last night > then moved to adding decals....

I have to wait a day or two for more printer ink to arrive before I can complete decal work...  

Remaining "to do's":

1. clean glass

2. print and apply custom decals and underside decals

3. engine exhaust wash

4. touch up detail paint 

5. install two port side pitots-waiting until after the Mission to Albuquerque custom decal is applied so I don't have to fight around them to get it on.

I'll hold off on posting many shots until completed...but, for my own personal enjoyment of "antsy-ness",

Here are a few shots of one of my "creative latitude" efforts in customization that I could not resist in getting a pic of: (The mission credits-bombs, do not appear in any image I have of Z-8, but in the true fashion of honoring her and her crew...I'm giving them to her). The third of four Z-8's in the pacific theater was credited with 7 missions and was lost on her eighth mission on 17 March 45 over Kobe. No credit was given for this last mission...

for the last image today...the writing next to the mission credits is barely visible under a 3x magnifying glass, but my camera picks it up well from 8' away! (it has a 250mm zoom lens on it).

I cut the rest of the text off because the next line was the serial number for one of the two kits you could build OOB and did not apply in this custom kit build.

Looking forward to completing her soon and thanks for looking!

hi Z...good B29 I see......came on with the decals!!!!!!!!!!ciao Enrico.

Rich: Hey looks great to me!!! I just sprayed my small B-29 all the same colour other than the cowlings. A huge plane like this looks better with the NM broken up a bit- very nice work!

Here we go...

Wing before:

Wing after:

Her cladding:

I think the first image of cladding (after the wing before and after shots), is the best of the cladding as it shows more of the true shading because of lighting adjustments.

I failed to get an underside shot, but it looks slightly better than these because of limited surface work I had to do on it. You'll get a chance to see that after the assemblies have been secured in place.

Thanks for looking.