I've been fancying those colourful Hellcats for some time. Hasegawa marketed their 1/72 kit with decals for them at one stage, and I have some aftermarket decals in the stash for some more. If needs be, I can drag out the brand and item number. I think some were involved in the atom bomb tests, from memory.

Cheers

Tony

I was thinking of just using some Gunze H-14 Orange for the Hellcat build although I realise Andy is correct about the gloss sea blue for the radio controlled drones but the overall orange is certainly different .

Another idea I had was trying to build one each of the Skyraider variants used during the Korean War and I went searching for a 1/72 AD-4W . All I could see so far was that RVHP produced a AD-4W/AEW-1 resin conversion but I couldn't find any available . So after reading some more through the WarbirdTech Douglas Skyraider book I discovered that the Royal Navy sold 12 AEW-1's to Sweden in the 1960's .

The Swedish stripped the aircraft and converted them into Target Towing Tugs.

Hannats actually have a 1/72 all resin/white metal Swedish Target Towing Skyraider

I have a spare vacuform belly radome and I guess I just need to make some of those small fin lets for the tail planes .

I ordered the Magna Models Skyraider kit , hopfully my idea will work out and I can build a AD-4W version .

John .

John: That orange Hellcat is cool. From what I can tell the plane is slightly more orange than the red in the national insignia.

Actually, it was neither.  The TARGET drones were an orange red colour, but the 'guided weapon' drones were over all gloss sea blue.  I found this picture, but it's not the one that I've saved on my home computer.  

www.flickr.com/.../6157990448

I'm using the academy kit for my F6F-5K, putting a 2000 pound bomb under one wing and the radio relay pod on the other.

Is the F6F drone orange or red? Compare the red in the national insignia and the red on the piece of equipment in the background. In any case those should be some cool builds!

Last night I was looking around ebay to see what other Airfix aircraft kits were available that have the wing fold option and were used in the Korean War .

I saw an Airfix F6F Hellcat and a Frog TBM Avenger with both kits having the option of wing folds . So I bought these two ancient kits and I'm now thinking of building the Hellcat as the overall orange F6F-5K Drone aircraft ;

Gregbbear kindly traded me a canopy to suit the TBM-3R Avenger , so I'm hoping the Frog kit will be suitable

While searching around and looking at aircraft with wing folds , I suddenly remembered that I had started a Fujimi AD-4D Drone controller build and I went searching through the storage box's and found the kit

Here's a pic from the Warbird Douglas Skyraider book of a AD-4D Skyraider

I have already cut the wings to fold on the Fujimi kit and I'll use the Airwaves PE set . I also forgot I had made a rear consol panel for the two crew and there's a couple of woodern ECM pods that I forgot I had made as well .

There's also a partially started Monogram AD-5N but I didn't cut the wings . I think I have another Monogram kit in the stash somewhere and I would like to start again and do one like this next pic

I just seem to have a thing for wing folds of late .

John .

BTW , I don't know what happened to my Korean War Group Build Badge and I can't remember what to do in how to add it to my posts ?

Cliff , nice score on the M40 and Howitzer . The big scale armour is alway's impressive when built .

I really like the A-Team van as well , a nice bit of TV nostalgia there .

Andy , sorry to hear about the heat , I can understand how difficult it can be trying to work on models when it's just to dam uncomfortable .

Australia Post also frown upon customers trying to use their own (recycled supermarket) box's for postage ; I've noticed plenty of times if I buy a box from the Post Office they practially fall over themselves wanting to help with the address lables and postage , go in with your own box and they just shove the form at you and tell you to come back when it's filled out correctly .

Anyway , I hope your sending all your resin "Milicast" armor builds back home . being quite expensive to buy I wouldn't be leaving them behind .

Good luck with the dio , I'm sure it's going to look great as does all your builds . I still look at your Korean War First Aid Station dio often , it's copied into the computer ....awesome stuff .

John .

BTW at the show I didn't see the Bronco M24 but I did grab a AFV Club M40 and their limited run 8 inch howitzer (plus the awesome vintage BA Baracus van and the Ho-229!)

Also I was musing the other day, is there anything I can add to a diorama to indicate that it's Korea instead of the Second World War? I have some Hornet African heads that when I get around to building something will replace some of the GIs heads with since I understand that by Korea the US Army was integrated again unlike WWII. Other than that plus tiger faced tanks and knocked out T34s I'm not sure what would scream 'Korean War!' though.

John: I dunno, the fogging doesn't look too bad in the close-up. Still the windows came out neat and clean, I'd be afraid I'd wreck the whole thing.

Draken Andy: Know what you mean about hot! Plus you do still have the photos of your models on your website. I haven't checked it for a while, I've got you bookmarked on my home PC and will have to look it over again when I get home.

EPIC building John!  Dang, I feel really bad here.  I haven't even TOUCHED any of my kits in over two weeks, save to move them out of my way on the desk.  I'm still working on my Thunderjet diorama.  I've got the base coat on the figures done, the bomb carts painted, and the fuel truck built.  Now to find some wire that's the right diameter for fuel hose...  Maybe this weekend I can get back to working on models.  Lately it's just been too bloody hot here in Korea.  I need to have a fan on me when I'm working but that makes all of the paint dry too quickly.  Thus, I can't do any painting, which, as you all know, is pretty integral do working on models.

We shall see...

In other news, it's less than two months before I go home.  I _REALLY_ need to stop at the PO and get some boxes (Korea Post only lets you use THEIR boxes) and start mailing stuff home.  I'm leaving all of my models that are built at the school.  I'll be sure to take good pictures of them before I go.  I'm only going to finish the two in progress builds and give away my paints and supplies to the local MWR hobby group.  At least SOMEONE will get something out of them.  Sad thing is, I've got a LOT of unused spray cans, at $12 each...  I will finish up my Thunderjet dio and the Privateer, get pictures of them in my class room, head home, and finish a bunch more kits in the US!  

Keep building guys!

Well suprisingly , the S-51 (No.1) re-build might actually work out ...

It wasn't a difficult as I thought removing most of the windows , pulling out the guts and cutting open another door ;

I'll clean up the window openings with a light file using some fine sanding sticks and then cut some clear sheet for new windows . I'm quite sure Mr Roony is pleased that he and his copter haven't been relegated to the spares box .... It's awefully dark in there !

John .

Thank's Cliff ; It's nice to be able to finish off builds , especially when they were started so long ago

I went back and looked through the first twenty pages of the Korean War Group Build and found this pic Bondoman posted

I also found some of my original posts regarding the Mach 2 S-51 build . As it turns out the finished S-51 I posted was the second build and the one I had cut open the cabin door was the first one I started .

Here's a couple of close-ups of build 1 as it looks at the moment

The front canopy is probably okay , it's really just the two windows on either side of where the pilot sits which are badly fogged . I'm thinking of removing the front canopy and then try and pull the cockpit floor and rear bulkhead out through the front . Perhaps cut open the starboard side pilots door and just replace the four windows I mentioned earlier . I might give this a go first before I send a request to Mach 2 for some replacement clear parts , I have some clear sheet plastic which may be suitable to use for window replacements . It would be nice to be able to salvage the first S-51 build and have her sitting next to build 2 , especially when they cost about $25 each .

John .

Ohhhhhh, nice work there John on those beautiful blue planes! And the Firefly doesn't look too shabby either

Yeah too bad about the fogging on the Dragonfly, I'm wondering if the recovery guy looks anything like Micky Roony!

Here's the 1/72 Hasegawa/Minicraft F9F-2 Panther , USMC VMF-115 , K-3 Pohang Korea , 1953 .

Well , I finished off three on-going builds this weekend , I guess that's a nice change for me . Along with the Firefly on the bench , I dug out the SHQ M4 Tractor , M2 155mm Gun and the two M40 SPG's . All four only need a few bits and pieces attached to each and I'll have some more finished pic's to post .

I also spied a partially started HO4S-3 USMC Chicasaw , so I placed her on the bench next to the Firefly .

All these previously started builds are long over-due to being finished ; Staying focused this week !

John .

Here's the Mach 2 Sikorsky S-51 / HO3S-1 Dragonfly ; Embarked on HMAS Sydney for Plane Guard duties .

Ironically this was the first kit I started when tthe Korean War Group build kicked off in 2010 . I'm a little embarrassed it's taken this long to complete . there is a pilot inside but he's difficult to see through the thick clear windows . I think I'll write away to Mach 2 and see if I can buy from them a set of replacement clear parts to fix my second S-51 build . I will need to drill and file out all the side windows as they were super glued in position but if I can obtain a new set of windows I'll make the effort and fix the second build . Especially since I cut the side cabin door open on No. 2 .

John .

It's been quite a while since I posted any finished pic's of my builds , So i'm calling the Airfix Skyraider done .

Douglas AD-3 Skyraider VMA-121 at K-3 Pohang , February 1953

John .

Oops , I forgot to mention the most important part of the Airfix Firefly kit and yes Stik , it has the option of folded wings .

The wing fold on the Airfix Skyraider is quite basic but it looks good none the less .

I'm thinking of trying a basic scratch-build  wing fold on the Airfix F2H Banshee , I've stripped back the paint finish for the second time and touch up some of the seams and I'm feeling a little brave and crazy at the moment and just might break out the razor saw . Airwaves have a PE set for the F9F-2/5 Panther and with a couple more Panther kits in the stash and some Airwaves PE , I could have some nice finished builds with wing folds .

John .

Oh a wingfold option!!! I built that kit way back when and completely forgot about that...

You are a machine John, you are just ripping through some really interesting subjects at an amazing rate. Wish I could match it.

Cheers

Tony

Here's a look at the 1/72 Airfix Firefly Mk.5 kit

The decal sheet has yellowed a little and they look kinda thick , so I was thinking of masking and airbrushing the black and white strips anyway

I did some preliminary airbrushing on the fuselage insides with Gunze H-58 interior green and some chromate on the wing pieces , with a little silver on the landing gear struts and some flat black on the wheels and cockpit control stick

Next I glued up the wings and fitted the cockpit pieces inside one of the fuselage halves

There wasn't a cockpit instrument panel supplied so I just cut one from some sheet plastic

I must say for an ancient Airfix kit everything so far has fitted together quite nicely and I only needed a few bulldog clips to hold the fuselage halves together

The inner wings were a perfect fit into the fuselage lower sides

As were the rear stabilizers/tail planes

So far everything has gone really well with the build and in between coats of paint and glueing I've managed to get the decals onto the Airfix AD-3 Skyraider and the Mach 2 S-51 Dragonfly

Next I'll putty the seams on the Firefly fuselage and wing edges and start the decals on the F9F-2 Panther.

John .

Youre very welcome Tony. Are the markings in the photo the same as on the decal sheet?

Ohhhhh, more nice stuff there John!

Our club show is tomorrow, going to look for some more Korean War kits, hopefully an AFV Club M40 SPG and the new Bronco M24 Chaffee in 1/35th. Thanks Stikpusher, as if I didn't have enough WWII subjects in my stash now you've seduced me into wanting a bunch of KW stuff too!

Thank you very much Stik, that photo is very much appreciated.

Cheers

Tony

Thank's for the kind words and thoughts everyone regarding my father and I extend my best wishes to your wife's mother , Stikpusher .

I have the AD-3 Skyraider , F9F-2 Panther and one of the S-51 Dragonfly's on the bench and I've cut the decals from the sheets and are set to finish these three off today

Here's some reference pic's as to markings in Korea

The S-51 was a plane guard embarked on HMAS Sydney . The AD-3 Skyraider will have makings from VMA-121 from K-3 Pohang airfield and the F9F-2 Panther of VMF-115 is also from K-3 Pohang .

I'll also make a start on the Airfix Firefly and paint the fuselage inside's and cockpit pieces and post some WIP pic's later today .

John .

taxtp

I have Microscale sheet 72-289 already, which has markngs for three aircraft but doesn't indicate whether they were operational in Korea. The aircraft were FU-877 from the 8th FBW, FU-467 from the 322nd FDG and FU-698 from the 50th FBW.

Here's a few shots of 8th FBW F-86s in Korea...

Thanks Gamera, considering the situation, she is handling and going thru it remarkably well.

I am now off work for a few weeks on vacation so I oughta be able to get work done here!

SP: Ouch, sorry to hear about your mother-in-law.

And I forgot to comment on the photos but that's some great stuff guys!

John, sorry to here about your Dad's health problems.  I pray for a speedy recovery!  Take care buddy.

Greg

John, I am sorry to hear about your father. I wish him a successful fight. As of a bit over a month ago, we had my wifes mother move in with us on hospice care due to pancreatic cancer. Those parts of life you really do not plan for until they are upon you.

On a lighter note, I agree about the vintage color photos. They really make the past come alive. Not the god awful computer colorized crud, but the honest to goodness Kodachrome or other early color film photos. There is just something about the vibrancy in the color shift that gives it a live, yet past look. When I was a kid, the local police department had a H-13 that they flew around here on patrol. Looking at those photos of the one landing on the float, I can practicly hear it in my mind.

John: Sorry to hear about your dad, hopefully the chemo will work out.

BTW: If you dip the clear parts in Future, Johnson's Clear (sorry I forgot what it's called there) the superglue won't fog them.