Mighty 8th GB 1-Nov-2010 - 31-Oct-2011

NO WAY!! Where do you live? Can I come to visit??  LOL, but seriously. Those are some nice pics. Any idea why that Fortress was flying around?

I couldn't quite read the nose art clearly, but it might be from the EAA in Oshkosh, Wisconsin; "Aluminum Overcast" is what she used to be called, I think.

It is Aluminum Overcast and she's just out of winter overhaul. The crews are getting proficient while shaking her out before she starts her air show tours.

I live a short distance away from Oshkosh near the Appleton airport which sees the B-17 during her spring trials and during AirVenture. She gives rides from Appleton during the whole week of the convention.

Here she is on final for runway 30 as seen from my office window.

I live near Oshkosh/Appleton too. My first airplane ride EVER was on the B-17 from EAA. Unfortunatly the year I flew on it the Aluminum Overcast had a crash landing somewhere and was unflyable for awhile. I got to fly on this one.

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Aircraft/AirShows/Chino2008/Highlights/B17Chino08.jpg

http://members.cox.net/b17brian/b17/FuddyDuddy/FuddyDuddy3.jpg

Lovely photos, thanks very much for shareing those.

Nice pics.  I toured her in the mid 90s when my family lived in the UP and then she flew over our home in central wisconsin a couple years ago

Nice pics. good to see those old gals flying.

I think im going to have to drop out. with everything thats been going on im way behind. Also i think ive bitten off more than i can chew with this 32nd bird. I feel a tad overwhelmed with all the parts and the size of things and yeah its going back into the stash for a while.

the nicely painted dark OD with red vertical stabs just flew over my house about 6:30 PM this afternoon ...

Guess I'll be making a trip to the Addisson airport tomorroww ... that's where they base when in town ...

pepper

Scorpio No worries, i know things can get in the way, i am not even sure when i am going to be able to start my build yet, and think i may have to drop out of a couple of GB's i am commited to. I will leave you up on the front page in case you are able to come back to it. And i hope you will still hang around the thread.

O dear, things seem to be slowing down a bit round here. Better get this off the second page. The whole GB page seems to be a bit slow lately, guess its one of those times of year when people are planning other things.

If you have been able to make any progress in the last few weeks, please feel free to share, how ever small that is.

Hi, Bish:  are you still in the Falklands?

Progress has been sloooow, but I'm working on a second Fort, it's just taking a while.  I haven't posted pictures since building is going along just like the first Fort.  Just yesterday I got the wings glued on, now will work on the seams and get to painting in the near future.

I also have an old Heller P-51 that I think I might build up, marked for Urban Drew.

Bish

O dear, things seem to be slowing down a bit round here. Better get this off the second page. The whole GB page seems to be a bit slow lately, guess its one of those times of year when people are planning other things.

If you have been able to make any progress in the last few weeks, please feel free to share, how ever small that is.

Bout another month til I'll be able to resume work.  Shouldn't take me very long to complete the Mustang and Jug

Yep, still in the Falklands, got about 4 weeks to go. Then i will be on leave for 3 weeks so i should make a start on my Fort late |May. I think i am off to the States in mid June so not sure how much i will get done. So i am not loooking at getting it finished till the end of August.

Thanks for checking in guys. I know a few other people have yet to start, while i think some who put in multiple builds are taking a break for other things. Still plenty of time. Once i get home and am not limited to the time i can spend on line, i will start messaging people who we haven't heard from in a while to see if they are still taking part.

I'm still here...fear I may have been ambitious in my GB commitments, but I am planning on at least one more contribution to this one before it's done. Need to get through a build or two first, though.

Still here.....just bogged down.  Hope to start on a joint build-a P-51D Mustang for this one & the Monogram Mafia GB sometime in May.  Not sure whose plane I'm going to build, but it will get done......or not....

If things go well, I still want to build the Tamiya P-47D for this GB but I'm not going to commit to it now.

Bish

 I think i am off to the States in mid June so not sure how much i will get done

Heya Bish:

I'm still here ...I'm  through with the pneumonia and pancreatitis contracted after an emergency surgery, so that 'splains my absence of late ...

I've started a P-51 (what else ?) and P-47 bubbletop - first time I've ever built one ... WIP photos in several more days ...

What part of the States are you coming to ? ... if you're anywhere near Texas, p'haps Doogs and i can hook up with you ? ...

Take care and stay safe ...

pepper

T

October 31st?  I may be good for something else.  This has been a fun GB for me!  Bish what are your stateside plans?  Throw out your thoughts.  I'm sure that everyone would be happy to suggests the sights and sounds you shouldn't miss.  Rick.

pepper, that sounds nasty. Glad you are back on the up. Was it somthing the hospital did or just one of those things.

I am not sure if i am deffinatly going yet, as things back at the unit in the UK seem to be changing daily. So i am just going to wait till i get back. But if i do go its to El Centro in Southern Calif. I went there a couple of years ago, so would be nice to go back. But from what i here the excersise has started early and some of our guys are already there. So i will find out for certain when i get back. In a way i hope i don't as i have alot to do back at home, such as prepare for life after the armour and sort out some resettelment courses.

Look forward to seeing the photos, and wash, feel free to come in with another build. More than welcome.

Doogs, ye i know the feeling. I have just pulled one of my builds out of the Ostfront GB. I knew you would be coming back and thanks for checking in. Always a pleasure to see your builds.

bob, thanks for checking in. Looking forward to some pics and i am sure the GB will pick up again.

Bish

pepper, that sounds nasty. Glad you are back on the up. Was it somthing the hospital did or just one of those things.

. But if i do go its to El Centro in Southern Calif. I went there a couple of years ago, so would be nice to go back. But from what i here the excersise has Look forward to seeing the photos, and wash, feel free to come in with another build. More than welcome.

Hi Bish:

It was of the hospital's doing ... last time I had surgery there, they gave me a staph infection ... good thing I'm a tough S * B :-) ...

Geez man, if you come to El Centro, I'll just have to make a trip home to San Diego ... then, p'haps we could hook up somewhere as El Centro is only 125 miles or so from San Diego ... if you'd come over, I could tour you around town ... a ton of stuff to see and do - visit the Air Museum (2nd best in the USA), the air museum on the aircraft carrier, a boat tour of the harbor, blah, blah, blah ...

Keep me posted !! ...

pepper

I'll try to find some time, this sounds like fun. I have a 1/48 P-47D"Razorback" that I have long wanted to build as a TP-47G "Doublebolt" trainer from the 63rd squadron, 56th Fighter Group.

I'll also try to make it over to visit my son over near Savannah soon. The Eighth Air Force museum is over there, maybe I can find some good pictures to post from there.

Ken

Ye, deffinatly pepper. Last time i went we did land at San Diego. And i did make one trip there to go to Sea World. And when we were flying home we stayed over night at the Naval Base there before catching our flight. I am sure we will get a bit of time off. I keep hearing different things from the UK and the last i heard it didn't sound like i would be going. But i will find out for deffo when i get back in 4 weeks and let you know.

Ken, welcome aboard. A TP-47 G, that a new one on me, would love to have that added. What make of kit is it. My internet time is limited to 45 mins a day, so i will add you to the front page next time i am on, i will make it the first thing i do. And some pics from the 8th museum would be great. I am going to make an effort to get out to some of the 8th airfields when i get home, and hopefully to the cemetry at Cambridge. So will get some photos of posted when i get the chance.

I'll be following the TP-47G very closely...does someone make a conversion kit that I'm unaware of? 

Currently trying to settle on one bird I want to finish out this GB with (won't have the bandwidth for all I want to do). Mustang? P-47M? 

I vote Mustang

you can never have too many mustangs

CallSignOWL

you can never have too many mustangs

Well...I've got four in the stash. It and the Spitfire are tied for second place...

The "Doublebolt" had 2 variations:  the factory conversion, where a second cockpit was added forward of the standard cockpit; and the field conversion, where a second cockpit was added behind the standard cockpit. In the 8th Air Force, the 56th FG had two "Doublebolts"...I have the serial number and markings for one of those. The factory conversion was rarer, since only two factory "Doublebolts" were built.

The kit I have to build this with is a Hasegawa kit. Will be doing a bit of scratchbuilding, I think. When I get this one done, I'm thinking about doing a factory style conversion just for fun.

There is no conversion kit that I know of.

As soon as I can get down to Savannah, I'll get some pics of the 8th AF museum. Next month I'm planning to go see the USS Alabama.

Ken

I do not have all my stuff unpacked yet.   I diid find some of my modeling stuff so I made up a couple Aries 50 cals. this weekend.  Both guns are set up for the nose positions for my Lib and Marauder.

redraider56

I vote Mustang

As do I - another vote for Mustang ...

pepper