Wow, almost a month of no postings here. Self serving bump! I am reading "The Coldest Winter" that somebody in here mentioned awhile back. An excellent read giving the best deep background material on every conceivable aspect that I have yet read on the Korean War.

Wow, has it been that long? I did get some turned brass ammo rounds in for the M40. Soon as the replacement treads come in I'll have everything I need except time. Hopefully when I get my Tiger done.

Btw: picked up Squadron's 'Air War Over Korea' book and was reminded that US astronaut Gus Grissom had flown missions there, gee now I wonder if can find decals for his bird....

Probably me thaty mentioned "The Coldest Winter".  AWESOME book!  Even though it only covered the first ten months of the War.  The next book you should read after that is "The Final Crucible:  US Marines in Korea, Vol. 2:1953".  Lee Ballanger is the author.  TOTALLY awesome, describes the trench warfare north of Seoul and Uijeongbu.  Stay away from anything by Cummings, the guy is an apologist and really doesn't understand the war, IMHO.

I've been sorely distracted by family and health problems m'se'f, I've only gotten as far spray painting the Dragon armoured jeeps.  I _HAVE_, however, started assembly on my Academy F-89J Scorpion.  I'm trying to decide whether or not to scrap off the cockpit detail and use the Photo Etch.  Tempting to go both ways.

I'll post pics when I can...

The HO3S/R-5 had a Pratt & Whitney R-985 engine.

Gamera, good luck on finding decals for Gus's bird. I would love just to see a profile at least. I am looking forward to seeing that M40. That is one imposing looking beast of a SP gun!

Draken, you are quite correct on "The Coldest Winter". What is great for me is that for 2010 Christmas, my second daughter gave me "The Hawk and the Dove", a dual biography of sorts on Nitze and Kenan, who are mentioned so prominently in the US political background chapters. Having read that book last year helped put a lot more perspective on this current read. I do gotta say that David Halberstam does not like MacArthur and conservatives in his book. After this one I may go back and re read John Toland's "In Mortal Combat". And maybe see if I can find "American Ceaser" somewhere secondhand...

John, I hope your information on the engine for the HO3S is put to good use for here.

And of course ya gotta love web searches for bits of KW inspiration...

from Life magazine, this beautiful view (post cease fire in 1960) of an M46 from 1st Cav dug in overlooking the Imjin river

or this image of the bones of fallen Chinese soldiers and other battle debris taken in 1960 at some place called "Massacre Valley" in Korea

And from YouTube, this nice tribute video made with some additional opening captions and the title sequence of the Clint Eastwood film "Heartbreak Ridge". Great footage of various combat actions that works quite well to the music.

... and the real "Heartbreak Ridge" in 1960

SP: Great photos there! Sure looks peaceful, at least till the shooting starts.

Looked around the internet and only found one painting of Gus's F-86, I'm not totally sure it's correct, I'm going to have to do more checking. All I'm sure about is it was named Danny after his newborn son. Funny he flew over a hundred missions and never lost a fighter, the first 'ship' he lost was Liberty Bell 7.

Thanks for the tips on the books guys, will have to check those out!

Well Korea's nickname is "Land of Morning Calm" But when three of the worlds major powers and a lot of smaller nations as well are warring in a confined space like Korea... well...

Just a posting of some of my recent work on those Bronco Commonwealth tank crew figures that I had not shared here yet. I got their "pixie" suits and shoes painted.

Nice work on the tank crew SP, looking forward to seeing how they come out. 

Me too! Hopefully one of them will fit right in the turret of my Centurion...!

Well, here is a good note to bump this thread up with- Last night was the first IPMS local Chapter meet that I had been able to attend in three months due to my work schedule. Of course I took along some of my latest builds to enter in to the monthly contest.The category in which I enter was a tough crowd last night with lots of really good builds. Much to my surprise  my Bell H-13 MASH medevac chopper took 3rd place in Master category! Yay!

On a side note, my current read, "The Coldest Winter", just keeps getting better. I really do need to start another KW build project.

Hey congrads SP!!! My Jeep took second place in our monthly club show but it was only out of six-seven models so I didn't get too excited over it but kudos to you sir!!!

BTW: where did everyone go???

Congrts to you and your jeep Gamera! This month the "master division" seemed to have an extra amount of entries and any month even placing is hard enough.

Well Helo is off the air here due to family issues currently and Draken should be up and running soon after his return to the land of the big PX from the Hermit Kingdom. I am kind of in a holding pattern with starting any new projects due to issues with my landlord. Since I have been reading "The Coldest Winter" I am really wanting to start a new armor build. A M4 or M46 in particular. Talk about inspirational reading material.

Yeah I just hope John's ok and Draken Andy seemed kinda bummed out, hope he feels better soon.

I'm going to have to get a copy of 'The Coldest Winter' I've heard a lot of good word about it from others too.

And btw you probably saw this but Bronco is coming out with a Korean War version of their M24 with tiger face decals as well as a post war version with decals for South Korea, Japan, Free China (Taiwon ), Pakistan, and a few other nations. Looking to pick up the KW version if I can get a good price on it.

Well it has been a bit over 10 days since we have had any postings here. And then I stumbled across this photo. Not directly Korean War related, but since Helo/John was doing some heavy drop stuff, I figured that this would be good for a bump and a chuckle (a loud guffaw on  my part when I saw it)

this is what happens on heavy drops when the 'chutes don't quite work properly...

 I think it was a 3/4 ton weapons carrier... love that Ridgeway cap 

Reminds me that the USMC in their advance in a different direction from Chosin had seven bridge sections dropped, three were usable.  

I've always wondered what the unusable ones looked like??? 

Wow SP, was that the first low-rider???

the_draken

Reminds me that the USMC in their advance in a different direction from Chosin had seven bridge sections dropped, three were usable.  

I've always wondered what the unusable ones looked like??? 

Gamera, I think that is about as low rider as you can go!

Draken, when I read Bravo Two Zero, many years back,  one line from that book that stuck with me was, " one is none and two is one" in regards to equipment in the field. When it was my turn to go overseas later in life for real, I tried to follow that rule. 3 for 7 of heavy air dropped critical items in a combat situation is pretty good.

BTW, I finished up The Coldest Winter a bit over a week ago. Great book!

Gamera

And btw you probably saw this but Bronco is coming out with a Korean War version of their M24 with tiger face decals as well as a post war version with decals for South Korea, Japan, Free China (Taiwon ), Pakistan, and a few other nations. Looking to pick up the KW version if I can get a good price on it.

Cliff, you could make my day by telling me that Bronco were releasing a Chaffee, any Chaffee, in 1/48. I saw the 1/35 post war version you mentioned at a club meeting last weekend, but wasn't lucky enough to win it in the raffle.

John - if you're reading this, I hope you're OK mate.

Cheers

Tony

Tony: I'm not even sure Bronco does 1/48th scale AFVs. AFV Club is supposed to come out with one too but I don't think they do anything but 1/35th. Funny no one makes one in 1/48th, I've always thought it was one of the best looking US tanks of the Second World War.

Hi Cliff,

You're right about Bronco and 1/48. AFV Club have done a 1/48 Sturmtiger, an SD KFZ 251/1 Ausf C I think, and several TigersI think the Tigers may have been originally molded by Skybow ???? The Sturmtiger is a nice kit, I've had the pleasure.

Pretty much it's Tamiya, Italeri and recently Airfix (Land Rovers) that have carried the day in 1/48, with a few odds and ends from other manufacturers.

I built the old Matchbox Chaffee as a youngster, and tried to reprise it a few years ago before losing interest and moving to 1/48. I'd love to do some post WW2 ones.

Cheers

Tony

Just about finished [FINALLY!] with my stinking 119th FS (Happy Hooligans, ND ANG) Academy F-89J kit.  It's been kind of a debacle.  Parts fit, accuracy, bad photo-etch (shoulda just used the stinking kit parts!), and more.  I'm not even going to go into the paint issues!  Anyway, as soon as I finish I'm wanting to get back into KW kits.

I'm looking at decaling the Scorpion tomorrow evening, presuming all goes well during the day.  Having finished that, I'm gonna dive feet first into possibly the toughest kit of my life, the Airmodel C-124 kit.  I've been reading up on it (web reviews/builds and otherwise) and it's no easy thing.  I've got some spare decals to use, plus I'm pretty decent at scratch building.  I've even found a possible source for metal landing gear!!! 

Wish me well, folks, and I'll put up a pic of the Scorp when it's done!

Looking forward to the photos Draken Andy!

I've started on the C-124 vac-form kit.  So far:  the nose wheels one horizontal stabilizer and an air scoop are glued together.   Filling and sanding will commence when I've done the second horizontal stabilizer.  I've found two really good build reviews of the kit:

http://www.usaf-sig.org/index.php/component/content/article/81-airmodel-c-124-alex-hunger

http://modelingmadness.com/review/korean/us/usaf/attard124.htm

I'm following the first more closely because I do want to build the kit with the loading doors open, and I think that, even if I don't build the elevator in the down position, I want to have the rear doors open as well.  At some point I'm going to have to invest in a punch and die set (or make my own) to make the majority of the windows.  Or else figure out how to use Micro-Krystal-Klear...

When I get them uploaded to Photobucket I'll also post a pic of my Scorpion, even though it's not gonna go to the front page. 

Micro Krystal Klear is VERY easy to use.... far easier than a punch & die

Yeah, as long as you follow the instructions and build up light coats, don't put a huge glob down like I did in my Jeep headlights- it will take a couple of million years to dry... 

making small porthole type windows is very easy with that stuff. just use a nice sharp toothpick to spread it around the edges, then draw it across in a film. Now using it for more solid things like tank vision blocks and periscopes pretty much sucks... Then you have that long dry time and sinking/settling to deal with...

Don't know if any7one's posted this link yet.  Surfing for pics of the Globemaster II I found someone's Flicker pages of Korean War Memories!  IMPRESSIVE collection of color and B/W...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmclean2009/sets/72157619026844615/detail/

WELL POOH!

Doing some work on the Globemaster II today, working on the second horizontal stabilizer and doing some filling before I start cutting out more parts.  I start looking for what to cut out next and realize that the nacelles end at the back of the engine, there's no cowling.  Remembering that the cowls have the engine fronts, which I hadn't yet located, I start looking harder.

I'm missing the engine cowls!!!

AAAARRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! 

I REALLY want to continue on with this and finish it, I'm planning to do the cargo bay interior and make it look nice, but what's the point with no engines???

Anyone out there that "can help out a fellow American who's down on his luck?"

And now for some C-124 parts...

And here's some shots of the F-89 Scorpion that is finally completed: