Didn't know the ROK used Soviet/Russian hardware either!

John: Nice job there, those are some nice looking models- looking forward to seeing you work your magic on them.

Well, Dragon's website has now announced that the gun crew I've been waiting for the M40 is available, Funny they list them as Vietnam era but they look like early to mid Second World War footwear to me! I'd have to modify the boots for Korean War vintage I'd think...

You have been waiting a while for those figures to become available Cliff . Have you finished putting all those links together for the tracks on the M40 ?

I discovered a couple of "minor" issue's with the Mi-24 and  Chinook builds . I was thinking of adding a little bit of weight in between the rear cockpit and cabin area , even though Italeri make no mention of needing any , I thought perhaps I still should add some

Where I suddenly thought I made a mistake was with the exhaust placement . italeri's instructions show the exhaust fitting with the ends facing the rear

I glued mine with the ends facing forward towards the intakes . At first I thought I stuffed-up but I had been looking at Hasegawa's and Zvezda's Mi-24 instruction sheets during the past couple of day's and both those kits show the exhaust ends facing forward , so happily I got mine correct , quite by mistake . Of course once the fuselage top section gets glued on along with the intakes you won't see any of this !

Another issue which is a little embarrassing  is the Academy ROK Chinook just arrived and when I opened the kit to look at the instructions and painting guide , I discovered that Academy make no mention of using the larger sponsons that are included in thier kit

In my usual frantic haste to start another build did I presume wrongly about using the larger sponsons ???

Also , Academy's paint instructions don't mention which colours are used

Only the front page has the paint colours listed

The Gunze H-317 is the only grey coloured listed but this would be too dark when looking at the box art photo . The grey looks closer to H-308 (FS36375)

I guess I'll make a start on the Academy ROK Chinook !

I really should do a little more research on things before I fly off into "panic mode"

A quick search around google lead me to Luck Model's web site which has the 1/72 Wolfpack resin larger sponsons available to update a standard Airfix/Italeri CH-47 Chinook kit .

http://www.luckymodel.com/scale.aspx?item_no=WP-72057

So it appears that my current build is okay .

 I've managed to calm down now !

Another minor issue is with the Sky-High Mi-2 . Dry fitting the cockpit/cabin floor in place shows that its about 3mm too wide . I had to get out the Hobbyboss Mi-2 Gunship kit to compare with the Sky-High version as there is some issue's with the console panel as well

I'll see if I can make a new console like the grey coloured one on the left below

The white one is way too big anyway .

Just a couple of small issue's that shouldn't be too difficult to fix ...... hopefully .

I have a couple of reference books on russian rotors

The book above has some pic's of the Mi-2 under construction which show the cockpit console not covering the lower chin wndows

wikipedia suggest the KPAF would have some 57mm rocket pods fitted . Another pic from the book above shows some similar pods as to what is in the Sky-High kit

There are two external fuel tanks in the kit but I would have to make my own support brackets if I wanted to use them . Another reference book has some colour photo's of Polish and Czech civillian Mi-2's

At this stage I think I'll go with the rocket pods .

John: Yeah the tracks are finally on the M40. I figured I'd have to convert some infantry figures for the crew so this set coming out now makes me no end of happy! Converting the boots is a little annoying but no where near cutting and filing off all the webbing from infantry figures though!

Nice work there! I don't know much about choppers except that Mil-2 is going to look pretty badass with rocket pods! Shame they don't fit any better though. And the Chinook, love the camo scheme there though it looks like a bear to paint.

Gamera, you will probably have to modify the unforms as well. The wool service uniform those gun bunnies are wearing went away between WWII and Korea. In the summer it would be HBT (Herring Bone Twill) cotton fatigues, and in cooler months, field pants/field jacket, or parka/arctic pants. All of those uniforms had cargo pockets on the thigh sides. Marines still used leggings with shoes in 1950, but they seem to have adopted the combat boot with the buckle top collar later in the war.

Helo, you rotary wing collection will be most welcome. I dont think that Dark Gull Gray looks too dark for the ROK Chinook camo. That scheme reminds me of what the US Marines used on their helos in the late 80s thru the early 90s, the "temperate land scheme" of field green, black, and gray blue. Very similar, and quite effective in places like there

Thanks SP, I've been looking though some of my reference books. I'm not sure if it would be easier to modify these artillery guys with their wrong uniforms, modify the infantry I have in the right uniforms but wrong poses, or pull a Doctor Frankenstein and mix and match parts from both!

I need to finish off my Tiger II for Tigerman's GB and then get the M40 painted and then I'll start worrying more about the figures.

Not much of an update on my helo builds

I glued the stub wings onto the Hind fuselage with no issues . I've puttied the seems on the Mi-4 and filed down the floor and console on the Mi-2 .

While looking around on Hannants web site last week I discovered some nice 1/72 North Korean Mig-29 decals .

Once the helicopter builds are done , I'll start the Mig and Falcon next

Those are cool John, looking forward to seeing how they come out!

For what it's worth, I've got a MiG 29 in teh works as well, but using the Microscale decals which are NASTY!  Horribly out of register and not recommended at all.  I really like that dark green paint scheme, though, I think I'll use that with my decals rather than the annoyingly vague grey/grey camo.  I like to see some COLOUR in my lineup once in a while!

Ouch, sorry to hear that Andy. You must have gotten a bad set, I've been using Microscale/Superscale decals for years and had excellent luck with them. I don't think they're as detailed as Zotz, Aeroscale, or some of the other companies but I've never had out of register ones. Guess you couldn't send them back and ask for a replacement set?

For the most part Microscale is awesome.  I've only ever had two sets that were out of register, and this is one.  And it's one of those things that everyone in the world seems to know except me.  The other that was out of register was one for the ND ANG F-4's in SEA camo.  The decals that i needed were fine but another group on the same sheet were bad.

I've been told that there was a period of production that everything was bad, and they never went back to replace the bad output.  I have no idea, just a rumour that went around on rec.models.scale about a decade or so ago.  

At any rate, the DPRK roundels aren't as bad as the Romanian stars are...  It's the yellow that's the worst of it, and the red/blue isn't as bad as the rest.  They're "usable" but not pretty...

Interesting Andy, I wonder if it was around the time the two brothers split up to change Microscale into Microscale (railroad) and Superscale (military).  

Boy that was a LONG time ago when Superscale split off from Microscale. You're right about the quality of Micro/Super Scale against the other brands for sharpness/detail. But they have always been quite dependable in their quality control for adhesion and conforming to contours.

The Dear Leader will be preased that you are building so many of his minions Helo. He won't be so ronery. I really like the look of that green Fulcrum.

stikpusher

The Dear Leader will be preased that you are building so many of his minions Helo. He won't be so ronery. I really like the look of that green Fulcrum.

oooh , Hoplite , Hound , Hip , Hind and whaaaat a Hinook ........

indeed Helo....

well my current project is A Korean War star, but I am doing his WWII Brother... a Dragon T26E3 Pershing... almost done...

Yay! Looks good SP, I really need to get some more done with mine... I hope hoping after I finish the Royal Tiger I'll be able to get back to the M40 but I've been playing a M18 Hellcat in World of Tanks... and yes I had to go out and buy one then start on building it......

Not only that but now I am flirting with The Dark Side since I am now playing a PLA T34/76 on WoT too... 

Great work on the WWII Pershing Stik 

Unfortunately no progress on my builds these past few weeks as I injured my arm slipping down some stairs .

I may have aggravated it even more yesterday when I had to get the extension ladder out and fix a piece of fibro that had come loose under the eaves on the house . Usually it would have an easy little job to do but my arm was quite sore last night and this morning ........"Bummer"

Anyway , todays paper had this photo inside

The paper claims it was a USMC CH-53 , although from what's left after the crash it's hard to tell what type of chopper it was . Anyone have any additional info , sometimes the media get all types of military aircraft mixed up

I would agree from the debris that it is indeed a 53... the canted tail, fuel tank, and landing gear say probably a 53E. Defintely not a 46 or something smaller. I had read about the crash this morning here. At least no one was killed.... Thanks for the kind words about the Pershing. Tomorrow I may get a gloss coat on in preperation for decals and washes. All my other prep painting work on the tank is now doe. Still working on TC figures. have not had too much work time at the bench lately but hopefully that will change here soon...

Hey John, hope you arm gets better soon. I'm getting choked up with pollen so I'm not doing that well either!

SP: Looking forward to the Pershing! Dunno when I'll get back to my M46 and M40- I've got a Sherman Mk V I'm experimenting on now with colour modulation, dot filtering, etc, etc, etc - aka all this new stuff. Happy so far, hopefully if it turns out well I'll try painting them the same way.

BTW: My little Korean War Jeep won second place in a local car show! I put the photos up a month ago and forgot about them weirdly enough. Funny, it's better than I've placed in an armour category in a show in years! 

Congrats to you on the jeep's win ;-)

Yes indeed Cliff , congrat's on taking second place with your Korean War Jeep .

Well done Sir !

John .

OK folks, we are now in June 2013. This GB closes next month. I hope we see a few more completions before the Cease Fire date next month...

SP: I'd like to finish off the M40 and the M26 but I've got so much stuff piled up now there's pretty much no way. Sorry

Btw: I did pick up the Korean War version of the Bronco M24 Chaffee on a Memorial Day sale. Pawing though the sprues looks like a really nice kit.

Yes, I am gonna at least try to get my F-86 finished up. I understand about your projects Gamera. If you already started them, you can post them here when finished ;-)

Cool, looking forward to seeing the F-86 SP. Don't know when I'll get back to the M26 and M40 but I will take you up on that offer though!

I need to get the putty sanded on my modern Helo builds I was doing , it's been over a month so the putty should be well and truly dried . Hopefully I can three or four more builds added to the front page . I hope you get the  F-86 done Stik ; That's one aircraft I missed on doing for the Group Build .

John .

Well, we have 8 weeks left until the end date as of yesterday. I think between all of us here we all can get a kit or two in under the wire before then... Draken? LOL!