Is it still possible to enter a new build? If so, could I enter the 1:72 Academy P-51D and the 1:72 MPM Meteor Mk.VIII? Thankyou

MilitaryAircraft, welcome aboard!

We all look forward to seeing your work here. Please keep us updated on progress...hopefully with lots of pics...

MilitaryAircraft101

Is it still possible to enter a new build? If so, could I enter the 1:72 Academy P-51D and the 1:72 MPM Meteor Mk.VIII? Thankyou

Hi 'MilitaryAircraft01':

There are some other conditions though ... you should have a 'stash' of unbuilt kits - you should not be afraid to ask any questions of the group - don't get discouraged by John (Helo(, who'd built more than a dozen of us have in a decade - hopefully your first name is not Andy (we already have about 19 Andy;s in this Group Build).

And, you should have a sense of humor !! :-) ...

pepper

Welcome and enjoy yourself ... this is a great group !! ...

pepper

Heya Helo!  And everyone else;

I've won the auction for the Matchbox F-86A.  I know that the windscreen has the correct railing shapes, but it doesn't have the 'wedged glass' for the pilot's straight ahead view.  Any idea on how I might build that up?  i was thinking maybe just layering micro crystal clear on it and then carefully sanding, then polishing it.  I'll snag some wing tanks off of my Hasegawa bomb, and do a wee bit of detailing to the gear wells and the cockpit area.  I'd really like to have the cockpit open, don't know if that'll work out, though.I've also won an auction for another Airfix halftrack to replace the one that was horked by a 6th grader.  I'm going to use that along with my Academy and Airfix trucks to represent a convoy on my Verlinden pontoon bridge.  For my Airfix rigid bridge I'm going  to have some armour of some sort.  Back in the states I've got a Hasegawa 1/72 M-2 Longtom 155mm gun that I'm going to convert to a 280mm towed gun.  It's the same general breech design and the carriage is identical.  I have to change the tube is all.  I'll put that behind my Milicast M-4 and a few other things on the Airfix bridge.

The only thing that I'm disappointed with at the moment is that my Korean LHS (Two hours away by train!) didn't have the Academy Banshee.  Currently every Hobbycraft/Academy Banshee is running over $20 on eBay when shipping is included.  That's too bloody much for a $6.00 kit!  Seriously, that's what it runs here in Korea.  The price is on the end of the box, it'll be a figure in the thousands.  The KF-16 has the encap and the item catalog number with the 14000 below it.  And it runs $25 in the US.  BAH!  Don't get me started...  I'm also searching for the Tamiya F-84.  I might also invest in a Heller T-jet, if I can find one cheap.  I could just go and buy up a diaper load of excellent Academy kits and give them different decals, but I want to expand my horizons as a modeler, not just throw shake and bake kits together.  BTW, the Academy F-84 is a BEAUT to build!

Anyway, my wife will be here in 5 more days!  WOOHOO!  I don't know whether I'm more looking forward to seeing her, or the model supplies that she's bringing me?  She comes bearing bottle paints to replace the dried out or separated ones and Squadron white putty!  I've also sat down and written up a list of stuff that I need to bring back with me; including a cheapy Harbor Freight motor tool.  I've found that I just can't live without one! Not with that bloody danged Heller Starfire needing gun ports.  I'll also be bringing back a Hasegawa Avenger, a DML LCM III, and the 'motorized' Lindberg LSU.  I've said before that I won't motorize it, but, I'm giving that second thoughts now...

Just thought I'd let all of you know how things are going in Korea.  I'm hoping to get decals on that C-46 one of these days soon and get pictures of it then hang it in my classroom.  At least, hanging up, they won't be able to steal it!

Hi Everyone:

Herman the Sherman is busted ... tried to, ever so gently, put the tracks on last night and broke each one ... a later look shows them to be each about 3 links too short ... Bah Hobby Boss kits !! ...

Now, two questions for the group - A) how do you put them on and B) how do you keep them from  breaking ?? ...

Now I remember why I build only thingies with wingies :-) ...

Thanks,

Pepper

PS  This Thursday night, my city (Garland, TX) is sponsoring a presentation by 3 of the Tuskegee Airmen, complete with pictures from 'in their day', autographs and other things ... will be held at a branch of our local library and I'm pumped - I have a P-51B model, finished in their paint scheme that I'm taking with me for autographs on the wing(s) ... Woo Hoo !! ...

PSS   Still have not received my Korean War Bell 47 helo from Brookhurst Hobbies ... p'haps time for a personal visit by my daughter who lives out that way ? ...

Thought I'd post this link to the Nellis AFB Air Show.  There's some nice pics of KW era birds.  And not just the F-86 and MiG-15!  Fairey Firefly, Seafury, and and AD4 are included!

www.richard-seaman.com/Aircraft/AirShows/Nellis2007/Highlights/

pepper kay

PSS   Still have not received my Korean War Bell 47 helo from Brookhurst Hobbies ... p'haps time for a personal visit by my daughter who lives out that way ? ...

Pepper, give them a phone call and speak with the manager there. He is a good no nonsense guy. The delay of this long ahs no excuse.

MA101: Hey! Welcome to the nut house! Looking forward to seeing your work.

Draken Andy: Thanks again for more cool photos!

Building up the windscreen on your F-86 with Krystal Kleer would probably work, if you don't like it you could always scrape it off. You might also take an old kit and cut a piece out of the canopy in the right shape, file it down to size and attach it over the kit canopy.

And please don't tell your wife that you're happier to see your supplies than her. Don't want to see you in the hospital after getting stabbed 174 times with an X-Ecto knife...

Pepper: I think you said your Sherman is 1/48th? If it's 1/35th I should have some extra threads from scrapped M4s that you can have for free. Odd that they're that short though, did you put all the wheels on and then slide the threads over them or put the front drive sprocket in the threads and then slide the sprocket on with the threads? If they're too short it's gonna be a pain to fix, tanks with side skirts you can cheat a little on leaving a gap.

If you get the P-51B signed by the vets please post a photo- would love to see her!

Well I havent been able to find any decals for my Mig15. I guess for now it goes as an unmarked Mig for now. I can always post pics when I find some. You can use that pic I posted awhile back for the finished pic for now.

Okay,

So I gave up.  I just don't want to do decals at the moment, I MUST move on!  Here's tonight's start on the 1/72 UM T-34/85  I don't recall seeing much (if any, besides mine) Communist armour or equipment other than a/c...  Between Helo and I, that's going to get sorted, by jingo!

And here's a couple pics of my stopping point on the danged Commando.  I freaking HATE decals, which is probably why I've been sticking to armour so much lately.  Until I got into the Commando to break up my armour rut.

Sorry 'bout the image quality.  I guess that I shake too much for my camera when it's off of the flash, and there's too much light when the flash is on.  As far as the Commando...  The only things required are replace some antennae that broke off, install the gear doors and decal it.  I'm not going to do the gear doors and antennae until the decals are done.  Hence the road block.  Heck, I'm cleaning my apartment rather than model building!  I'm fairly pathetic at how obvious my procrastination is.  So, I started on the T-34/85.  Maybe if I can get it done in just a few nights I'll get the groove back!

BTW, Helo, yer gonna LOVE that Airfix bridge layer.  Quite nice except for the lack of 'play with it' movement of the bridge equipment.

Psycho, did you lose the decals or it just never came with any? I really dont want to put a uncompleted build up front, so I will hold off on posting the pic for now.

stikpusher

Psycho, did you lose the decals or it just never came with any? I really dont want to put a uncompleted build up front, so I will hold off on posting the pic for now.

It came with decals, but theyre old and shattered when trying to remove them from the sheet. I'll email Tamiya today and see what they say. Not sure if it will be done in time by the end date if I can get a replacement set.

ww2psycho

stikpusher:

Psycho, did you lose the decals or it just never came with any? I really dont want to put a uncompleted build up front, so I will hold off on posting the pic for now.

 

It came with decals, but theyre old and shattered when trying to remove them from the sheet. I'll email Tamiya today and see what they say. Not sure if it will be done in time by the end date if I can get a replacement set.

Ouch, I hate it when they do that. If you haven't ruined the decals you were going to use you may yet be able to save the rest of them by spraying the sheet with a couple of light coats of gloss coat.

I checked a couple of sites for aftermarket sheets and found several for the 15 but nothing for a N. Korean MiG. I did find a couple of sheets with NK markings on Ebay but the prices were pretty high- though if you intend to build a couple of MiGs the price isn't too bad.

Well the end date for this GB is not until July 2003, so I would hope Tamiya can come thru for you by then.... I just was looking for Mig-15 decals, and currently it is ther famine stage. If Tamiya cant help, I would suggest a look on Ebay or other standard places for OOP KW MIg-15 decal sheets. Very unusual for Tamiya decals to shatter...

stikpusher

Well the end date for this GB is not until July 2003, so I would hope Tamiya can come thru for you by then.... I just was looking for Mig-15 decals, and currently it is ther famine stage. If Tamiya cant help, I would suggest a look on Ebay or other standard places for OOP KW MIg-15 decal sheets. Very unusual for Tamiya decals to shatter...

Whoops, I was thinking the end date was the end of this month, this year, I will deffinatly have time to finish now!

Yes you will. And if you feel like adding another build, perhaps a WWII re tread such as a Mustang, Invader, Corsair, T-34/85, M4A3E8, etc, feel free to do so..

Deffinatly a possibility!

Gamera

Pepper: I think you said your Sherman is 1/48th? If it's 1/35th I should have some extra threads from scrapped M4s that you can have for free. Odd that they're that short though, did you put all the wheels on and then slide the threads over them or put the front drive sprocket in the threads and then slide the sprocket on with the threads? If they're too short it's gonna be a pain to fix, tanks with side skirts you can cheat a little on leaving a gap.

If you get the P-51B signed by the vets please post a photo- would love to see her!

Hi Gamera:

Thanks for the offer of spare parts ... Herman the Sherman is 1/48 and permanently busted ... I've put it aside for a bit with the idea that I can make a diorama  with the tracks thrown off ... maybe just one side of it ...

Tomorrow night is the Tuskegee Airman presentation and I have a suitable P-51 all prepped for autographs on the underside wings ...

Got my brother out of the hospital and home with no diagnosis ... the Quarantine sign was still on the door when I got him to load up for the trip home ... very strange m'thinks ...

And with that, I've got to get in the stash and find another model to build for this GB ...

Thanks again for everyone's kind words re my brother, the tips and hints re Herman and the best bunch of folks in a GB I've experienced ...

pepper

Well, another strange on for the books...

Surfing eBay today ran across an unusual find for the build, and for my collection.  Fujimi apparently at one time made a 1/72 RF-86F!  Picked it up for far too much on a 'buy it now' deal.  But I don't recall ever seeing this kit on eBay before, so I doubt that I'll see one again for a while.  Unless, of course, Murphy's law is correct and I'll now see about ten of them all priced under $3.00 [USD]...

When I get home tonight I'll try and remember to post a picture of my kits that got returned to me by my student/thief.  No, I never did anything to him, I just can't really bring myself to be mean to kids.  What I did do was say that I was too angry to see him.  That actually scared him, not that I truly WAS that angry, I'd gotten over it already.  They're just models, I lived without them once before, I'll get by without them for a while longer.

Anyway, I think we're now bumped back onto the front page again. 

Hi All:

Went to the presentation last night at our library by one of the Tuskegee Airmen, Calvin Spann (2 others were sick and couldn't make it) ... however, there was a B-24 pilot and a B-17 co-pilot in attendance who also offered remembrances and insights to what they saw and did while over there ...

What a wonderful night ... Calvin joined the Army Air Corps at the age of 16, went through the whole rigamarole and was flying missions out of Italy at the age of 19 ... in combat, he flew 56 missions, some as far as to Berlin, in both the P-51B and D, all escort or ground attack ... no air kills but several ground kills ... in his theater, Italy, ground kills were just that ... no one reached ace status counting them, although I think in a liquid cooled airplane, strafing was every bit as dangerous as combat high overhead ...

It was a genuine pleasure to meet him and listen to his presentation ... what a life ... from Italy, he then went round the world, coming back to Dallas where he's lived since he was born ...

As promised, here's a picture of the P-51D wing he autgraphed for me last night (sure is better than some folk got - like a bare tummy and the back of some kid's neck), along with his presentation cards ... man, what a thrill to spend 10 minutes talking with him, one on one ... I told him I was going to build out the Mustang in his colors, letters and numbers, leaving the top right wing unpainted so as to preserve the autograph and he asked that I bring it over when finished so that he can take a look - you betcha said me !! ...

pepper

So, here's the picture of what the little weasel left me with.  The shards of plastic in the center are the leftovers from the MiG-15.  He literally stomped it into the ground (because it was the enemy).  Just frustrating...

Pepper: Wow, wish I could have been there with you Pepper! There aren't that many WWII vets left. My uncle who fought in the Pacific passed away last year, he rarely ever talked about the war and I never knew a tactful way to bring it up. It's great when someone is willing to talk about their experiences.

I love the idea you've come up with the P-51. There are several decal sheets for the Tuskegee guys and I think most are still in print. Please post photos when you're done.

On a sad note I did a B-24 for a vet a few years ago and he passed away before I could give it to him. Even worse one of the members of our club who had been in contact with him tried to give it to his family and they acted as if they didn't really want it.

Draken Andy: Good to see you did get your stuff back, even in the worse for wear condition. I have to appreciate the kid's patrotism in stomping your MiG even if smashing a model enemy airplane didn't make a great deal of sense. Anyway, I was thinking maybe you could take a old junked model with you to class sometime and say 'When people mess with my stuff I get so MAD' and smash the junked model with your fist to intimidate them

Ok, maybe not.....

pepper kay

Hi All:

Went to the presentation last night at our library by one of the Tuskegee Airmen, Calvin Spann (2 others were sick and couldn't make it) ... however, there was a B-24 pilot and a B-17 co-pilot in attendance who also offered remembrances and insights to what they saw and did while over there ...

What a wonderful night ... Calvin joined the Army Air Corps at the age of 16, went through the whole rigamarole and was flying missions out of Italy at the age of 19 ... in combat, he flew 56 missions, some as far as to Berlin, in both the P-51B and D, all escort or ground attack ... no air kills but several ground kills ... in his theater, Italy, ground kills were just that ... no one reached ace status counting them, although I think in a liquid cooled airplane, strafing was every bit as dangerous as combat high overhead ...

It was a genuine pleasure to meet him and listen to his presentation ... what a life ... from Italy, he then went round the world, coming back to Dallas where he's lived since he was born ...

As promised, here's a picture of the P-51D wing he autgraphed for me last night (sure is better than some folk got - like a bare tummy and the back of some kid's neck), along with his presentation cards ... man, what a thrill to spend 10 minutes talking with him, one on one ... I told him I was going to build out the Mustang in his colors, letters and numbers, leaving the top right wing unpainted so as to preserve the autograph and he asked that I bring it over when finished so that he can take a look - you betcha said me !! ...

pepper

WOW!!!  This is friggin' AWESOME!   I remember reading somewhere that they may remake the movie about Tuskegee Airman... hope it is correct?  Glad you get to meet him again when you finish your project.  I'd love to follow that WIP if you are planning to.

Good luck!

Draken, that photo is enough to make a grown man cry. And here in California for child abuse to occur, the physcial discipline has to be excessive and unjustified. I can see in this case that unjustified does not apply... Perhaps a lecture to the thief on what happens to a thief in some parts of the world such as in Saudi Arabia when a thief is caught would give the little criminal a suitable nightmare for some time to come...

PK, your meeting sounds like an evening very well spent. When I was in jump school, the guest speaker for our graduation was a gentleman from the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, the "Triple Nickel"- the US Army Airborne's WWII equivelant of the Tuskegee Airman. It was an honor and privelege to listen to him speak of their achievemants in those times. But no cards or autographs from him. Only a memory. Post the pics here of your Red Tail Mustang once it is built if you would please.

Draken- I missed your post earlier... I am so sorry to hear about the planes.  Things are so different today that we are not allowed to spank our own kids in some places.  That's why kids today are not the same we saw 10-20 years ago...

It is a good thing this GB is going for another two years for you to build more planes and you can always use the damaged planes in a diomara or as spare parts.

Pepper, sounds like you had a great evening with Mr. Spann.  I think that is great that you are going to build an autographed tribute build.  The gentlemen from that era changed the world.  What a different world it is today, than what it would be, had they chose not stand up. 

After resisting the armor bug, it finally bit me yesterday.  I ordered a 72 scale E8 Sherman with the operation Ripper tiger scheme.  I am glad I did, as my copy of Squadron's Armor in Korea, came in the mail today.  John is right, it is an awesome book.  If the Sherman goes good, I already have my eye on some more that I will make into USMC tanks.  There is a Sherman with a 105, M26's and M46's in 1/72 that look intriguing.  I have hesitated on buying the Dragon LVT (a)4 for this GB since I was unsure of how it was for Korean service.  After looking at the Amtraks in Action, it appears that it just needs the .50 cal replace by two .30 cal's with armored shields.  Low and behold, the Academy 2 1/2 ton truck with accessories appears to have two .30's!  Hmm.... Now I'm starting to think like John (helo)!

Draken, sorry about your planes.  I'm glad you got them back though.  I hope it doesn't happen again.  Also, I hope you have a great time with your wife.

I should be able to find some to do some modeling now.  I passed my promotional exam on Wednesday, so no more studying! woo hoo!!!!! 

Cheers,

Greg

Hi Everybody:

Thanks for the encouraging words about my Tuskegee Airmen adventure the other night ... it was a truly humble Pepper who came away from the presentation realizing that this man is one of the 'Greatest Generation', they who gave so much so that we may have what we do today ... shan't say more than that - no politics from me here ...

I'm not going to do any WIP photos ... when done, I'll post up one or two of the finished machine ...

Stikpusher, thanks for the opportunity to do so ...

Back to Korea ... as i said the other day, Herman the Sherman is a bust and has been dispatched to Armor Heaven ... I've returned to what I know best ... I picked up a P-80C (1/48  Monogram kit) and a set of Aeromaster decals for it and will be starting down that road later tonight ...

Haven't had a chance to try my new  airbrush as yet ... did get an Iwata adapter that fits the brush and my Paasche hose perfectly but our 107+ temps have kept me out of the garage for the time being ...

Hope everyone has a great weekend !! ...

pepper

pepper kay

Hi Everybody:

I just can't resist ...

 Herman the Sherman is a bust and has been dispatched to Armor  gedden ...

WOOHOO!  My wife is finally here with me in Korea, after a delay that forced me to have a friend drive us to and from the airport.  She brought with her some AWESOME stuff, besides her sweet self, that is.  All of the stuff that I've bought off of eBay as well as some well needed supplies!  Some Squadron white and green putty a few paints, and unfortunately no Testors' bottle gloss and dull cote.  They don't MAKE IT ANYMORE!  ARGH!  The acryl is garbage, imho, for brushing, and I can't bring spray can's on airplanes.

Anyway, here's what's in the stash now:

Heller F-84, Airfix F2H(P), Hasegawa T-33, two more Academy (Hobbycraft) F-86's, Two KP MiG-15's (One with USAF markings!), an Academy (Hobbycraft) MiG-15, an Airfix Sunderland with beak damage from shipping, and a vac-form Nostalgia Wings PB2Y Coronado.  I also received (from a friend, long story) a Mach2 RB-45!  WOOHOO!

Lotsa modeling can now happen!  I can't wait to do the F-80/T-33 combo and make them from the same squadron.  It'll also be cool to have multiple nationality and squadron F-86's.  One from SAAF, two from the USAF, and one F-86A.  That'll be tied to the Mig's (including one in USAF markings) and the multiple F-84's from different squadrons.

Gonna have a nice Korean War Air Force when I'm done. 

the_draken

WOO  They don't MAKE IT ANYMORE!  ARGH!

Andy - I hate to tell you this, but yeah, they do ... the gloss is now called Crystal Cote and Dullcote is the same ... I see it and buy it any day of the week at both my airplane and train shop ... here in the Dallas, TX area, both run $3.39 at the airplane joint and $2.71 at the train shop - they discount everything 20% straight off of retail ...

That's for the spray can ... you can still get the stuff in bottles, but since I grew up using the cans and feel most comfortable with them, that's what I buy ... more often than not, I'll just use the can, but sometimes , I'll decant it and shoot it through an airbrush ...

I buy a whole lot of stuff, including trains, but for kits there ... and ... to make it even worse, they'll order anything I'd ask them to with a 5 day lead time ...kit buying for me is almost an 'impulse' thing but on occasion, when I've gotten my heart set on something that I can't live without (for about 5 days anyway), I'll ask them to order it, which they do ... they even give me a jingle when it arrives  ...

More importantly though, WOO HOO on getting your wife with you ... that's aces, man !! ... put the models aside for awhile and enjoy ... how long will you be blessed with her there ? ... is this a visit or permanent ?? ...

Take care all and enjoy life ... it's the only one we have :-) ...

pepper

PS  Temps have dropped almost 20 degress (now 84 at 10:45 PM) as we're having a very unexpected and welcomed thunderstorm series right now ... good grief, but it's rained an inch in less than 30 minutes and feels like we're in for several more ... of course when it stops pouring, the humidity is gonna skyrocket, but for now - pure bliss !! ...