Before They Were Aces-The First Aircraft of the Aces

Mr Hans von Hammer your trouble shooting skills never cease to amaze me, thats great news buddy.

Ok, I'm just getting started with the Special Hobby 1/72 F3F-2. This looks like a nice clean little kit, it includes some resin and PE so has more detail than the old AIrfix and Monogram kits I've been doing lately.

I'll be using the option to build the aircraft Robert Galer flew for VMF-2 in 1940. He went on to become the squadron leader for VMF-224 during the fighting at Guadalcanal and was credited with 11 kills. He also commanded a Marine Air Group in Korea during the Korean war.  

vetteman42

Mr Hans von Hammer your trouble shooting skills never cease to amaze me, thats great news buddy.

Heh, I was geting to the point where I was going to carve down a stab from the scrapyard, turn it into a damaged P-39 stab and cook up some storyline about Anderson flying too low and suffering a bird strike or something...

Satch,   Thanks for the info on Don Gentile's MD-T/ BL255.  I've seen pictures of that craft.  I had caught wind that he flew two other numbered Spitfires with the MD-T personal markings.  I also knew that he flew the last Spitfire for only a few weeks with the two kill markings and British Roundels, before being absorbed into the USAAF's 4th Fighter Group.  I found a picture in a 4th Fighter Group Book that showed Gentile's British Roundelled Spitfire bearing the number BM355.  The location of the squadron/personal letters on the starboard side of the fuselage created a problem where the aircraft number is partially covered by the squadron letters.  I didn't like it at first, but I tried it and it looks kind of cool.  I've seen it on other aircraft, but I'm not absolutely sure that it is dead on correct.  I had to piece the aircraft number together from three different sets, and I had some silvering difficulties on the Squadron Code.  I've touched all that up and need to do some weathering.  I may try to put  together in a little diorama, but for now I'd like to finish up the aircraft itself.  I'll probably submit a couple of pictures this week of the progress.  Thanks again for looking out for me.  Isn't all this research fun? 

Rick

I've made some more good progress on Gentile's Spitfire.  Covered with Model Master Enamals and a national brand glosscoat.  Decals really took some work, especially trying to duplicate pictures that I found.  Its funny to see things I still have to fix when I scrutinize the photos, but this has been a blast.  I thank Hans for for the Group Build.  I'm still going to put together a diorama .  But there is still plenty to do on the aircraft.  In between paint and decals, I've got a good start on a Pro Modeler P-40E.  I'll put a few pics of that on the Aircraft Page this weekend.  Rick

Very nice.  I've got 3 Spits on order. 

Fiery Ginger is done.  Some weathering with pigments to dirty it up a bit, then glue on the canopy, guns and aerial and here she is.  A walk around;

Comments and critiques are welcome. 

Don

Very nice job on Gentile's Spitfire, Wabash.  Great background for the photos. 

Don

Rick, the Spitfire looks great, nice work.

Don, Fiery Ginger came together very well.  I'd like to see the pilot a bit higher in the cockpit when taxiing the airplane, but it looks fine as is.  Nice wear and tear.

Don, Great looking T'bolt. I've seen some about Kearby on the Military Chanel lately.  That always makes for some interesting  building.  The white tail paint looks great.  Is that a flat white with some weathering?  I've been leary of putting white on the exterior.  I haven't been able to make it look right.  Watching your build has me fired up to make Gentile's "Donnie Boy"  (another Before He Was an Ace Build).  I think Super Scale made the sheet, but I think it is out of production.  I'll keep an eye out for it on ebay.  Great work, I'll keep an eye out for more.   Rick

Wabashwheels

The white tail paint looks great.  Is that a flat white with some weathering? 

Yes, Tamiya flat white oversprayed with a very dilute 1:1 mixture of the body color and Tamiya Buff, then some weathering with pigments and sealed with a light coat of Testors flat coat.

Don

"Old Crow" has hit a stopping point until I can get some dry-transfer numbers & letters ordered, and some color printer ink...

Meanwhile, The diorama base construction begins..

And just for a "WW2" look:

Regarding the diorama base... I'm at a crossroads here.. The one that's pictured is just a bit of plaster that's painted brown, but I like the effect that the tracks made with the shiny parts.. Those were quite by accident, but it got me thinking.. So many dios are done on nice, neat grass strips, concrete, or PSP'd runways &  hardstands, how about a muddy airstrip?  Keeping in mind that this takes place at Tonopah Army Airfield in the early fall of 1943, I imagine that Anderson at least ONCE must have landed on an auxilialry strip nearby that got the occasional rainstorm...

I'm not familiar with the terrain there though, so I don't know if it's more like the Mojave near Fort Irwin or if there's even a chance for mud... If you have any ideas, sound off..

Tonopah is high desert country on the lee side of the Sierra Nevada.  It can get rain or snow but not usually heavy because the mountains wring out most of the moisture.  Most of the time it is dry, but there can be the occaissonal rain.  Mostly dry washes and alkali though.

The annual average precipitation at Tonopah is 5.84 Inches. Rainfall in is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is March with an average rainfall of 0.69 Inches.

from some random weather site.

Is the terrain sand or dirt?

JEaton said;

Don, Fiery Ginger came together very well.  I'd like to see the pilot a bit higher in the cockpit when taxiing the airplane, but it looks fine as is.  Nice wear and tear.

Well, as you know, the bane of the Crew Chief was the Jug, because he had to lie on the starboard wing, one hand around a gun barrel (oh stop it) and the other waving like mad to the pilot until they got to the takeoff point. Then jump in the truck. I'm told by very reliable sources that this was universal torture.

When F-in-Law got out of Beaufighters, his pilot who'd been betting his life on Don for 4 years got a -47 and asked him to come along. "not 'nless there's a backseat in that ugly POS".

2 months later Atwater died in a landing accident.

I've got a Republic prop job in the stash waiting for the time to do her right. Hint: R4360.

HVH I've been out of town for a while but I'd like to do Scat 3 if it's not too late.

Hans von Hammer

Is the terrain sand or dirt?

satch_ip

Hans von Hammer:

Is the terrain sand or dirt?

 

Desert Caliche (calcium carbonate and limestone) and some dry lake bed sands as well.

Now Caliche, I know.. I'm from Texas.. Thanks, SaTch...

bondoman

JEaton said;

Don, Fiery Ginger came together very well.  I'd like to see the pilot a bit higher in the cockpit when taxiing the airplane, but it looks fine as is.  Nice wear and tear.

Well, as you know, the bane of the Crew Chief was the Jug, because he had to lie on the starboard wing, one hand around a gun barrel (oh stop it) and the other waving like mad to the pilot until they got to the takeoff point. Then jump in the truck. I'm told by very reliable sources that this was universal torture.

After JEaton's comment, I've been looking for a 1/48 prone figure to mount on the wing.  No luck.  If anyone has suggestions, let me know.

Don

Hans von Hammer

Regarding the diorama base... I'm at a crossroads here.. The one that's pictured is just a bit of plaster that's painted brown, but I like the effect that the tracks made with the shiny parts.. Those were quite by accident, but it got me thinking.. So many dios are done on nice, neat grass strips, concrete, or PSP'd runways &  hardstands, how about a muddy airstrip?  Keeping in mind that this takes place at Tonopah Army Airfield in the early fall of 1943, I imagine that Anderson at least ONCE must have landed on an auxilialry strip nearby that got the occasional rainstorm...

I'm not familiar with the terrain there though, so I don't know if it's more like the Mojave near Fort Irwin or if there's even a chance for mud... If you have any ideas, sound off..

I don't believe Nevada gets monsoons like Arizona does in July, but afternoon thunder storms are not unusual during the late summer thoughout most of Nevada, so I'm sure you could find some mud to land in at some point. 

If you have ever been to the great basin it is all pretty similar whether its Nevada, Southern Idaho, or Eastern Washington, lots of sage brush, pinyon juniper, grass and jackrabbits.

bondoman

JEaton said;

Don, Fiery Ginger came together very well.  I'd like to see the pilot a bit higher in the cockpit when taxiing the airplane, but it looks fine as is.  Nice wear and tear.

Well, as you know, the bane of the Crew Chief was the Jug, because he had to lie on the starboard wing, one hand around a gun barrel (oh stop it) and the other waving like mad to the pilot until they got to the takeoff point. Then jump in the truck. I'm told by very reliable sources that this was universal torture.

When F-in-Law got out of Beaufighters, his pilot who'd been betting his life on Don for 4 years got a -47 and asked him to come along. "not 'nless there's a backseat in that ugly POS".

2 months later Atwater died in a landing accident.

I've got a Republic prop job in the stash waiting for the time to do her right. Hint: R4360.

HVH I've been out of town for a while but I'd like to do Scat 3 if it's not too late.

I found a diorama of this over at a UK site.   There are several more photos there too.  http://aeroscale.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=106545&page=1

HVH I've been out of town for a while but I'd like to do Scat 3 if it's not too late.

Go for it...

Hans, having spent all that time you did in the Army, I will bet you've been to NTC a couple or three times at least. The terrain and topography from the California coastal mountains until Utah, is pretty much all like that. Tonopah will fall in that general description.

Lots of great work guys!!!! Didn't know Gabby Gabreski flew a Spit at one time. Learn something new everyday. Well Done chaps!!!

..I will bet you've been to NTC a couple or three times at least..

I asked ealier about that, might notta clicked because I said Fort Erwin.. Oh hell, yes I know the NTC well...  Now I now exactly what it's gotta look like...  Scratch the muddy brown look, for sure...