Way Too Many Props GB April 18, 2011 - Extended to July 28, 2012

Ye, that helps alot. One of the mistakes i was makeing was that i didn't realise that the first number of the serial, in my case a 2, was the second letter of the year code. I found a site that lists all US aircrfat serial numbers.

http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html

I am not sure how accurate or complete it is, but according to it, aircrfat serial 42-3612 belongs to a C-46. I have searched for every possable combination, including 42-23612 but no luck. So i am assuming my aircrfat is not a real one, or they have misread the numbers. Also i guess they have missed out the individual letter repeated on the fuselage.

I won't be applying the decals until next week. Unless i can find some replacements that match the aircrfat, i will stick with the ones i have. But i have learned alot, and its been a lesson, one of which is not to trust decals on faith.

Will have to look for that book as well. Is it an old one.

And to add to it i did a google on the pilots name. Its turns up on the list of crew for the RAF's 311 Czech Sq but with a difefrent rank. Could be a coincidence, but still.

Bish

Will have to look for that book as well. Is it an old one.

Published in July 2007.  Its the first of four (to date) books in the series.  Vol 1 covers the bombers of the 8th, Vol 2 the fighters of the 8th, Vol 3 covers the 9th AF, and Vol 4 covers the Med, Aftrica, and Middle East AFs.

Hopefully a Vol 5 will be released soon, hopefully covering the Pacific AFs and/or CBI

Here's a link on Amazon to the first volume:

http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Colors-Insignia-Aircraft-Markings/dp/0764319876 

Definitely worth picking up.  Great for us modelers.

Nice one, thanks. I will deffo get the first two.

A final update before the weekend. Got the control services done, though the upper ones need a touch more as they are about the same as the rudder. It does look like a stark contrast and i think i may have gone a touch to far. Opinions welcome.

The top will need a coat of future before i add the decals as the Xtracolor has come out flat for some reason, it should be gloss. But will save that for Sunday and let the control surfaces dry properly.

Bish

A final update before the weekend. Got the control services done, though the upper ones need a touch more as they are about the same as the rudder. It does look like a stark contrast and i think i may have gone a touch to far. Opinions welcome.

It looks like a little too much contrast to my eyes, but it could be the photo as well. Is there that much contrast "in person"?

I like it, though i wouldn't go any lighter than it already is.

No Vance, it is like that. I think if i had not gone so far on the rudder, and done the upper control services as they are, it would not have been quite so far. This was something new for me, and its all a learning curve, and maybe i can tone them down a touch.

And B17, thanks for all your help with this. Hopefully i can have this finished by the end of next week.

Been doing more checking today, even found another site which seems to list every B-17 built by serial number. Once again, mine is not there, and neither is any possible number assuming one of the number on my decals is an error. So to that end, i have decided to put the 17 to one side. Hopefully, i can either confirm the decals are correct, (which i doubt) find the right serial number, of get decals for another 17F of the 96th. And i can try and re-do the paint job at the same time.

But, rather than drop out completely, i would like to change my build to the following

It won't be the one on the box, saveing that for another time. It will be the alternate which is also a lead ship. And i know its real, i have seen photos. Though there may be an issue on one of the colours. Sorry about this, but just don't want to continue with the 17 as is. Its part of a personal long term project and it needs to be a real aircraft.

Bish - No problem, got your B-24 on the list. I did leave the B-17 on the list when you come back to it.  Have to thought about making your own decals?

Thanks, and ye, i have thought about it. I may have to turn to that to complete some of my Norfolk airfield builds anyway. But just now i don't have the set up for it. But it is one of the things on my to do list.

Bish thats too bad about the decals on the 17 ,hope you can get it sorted was really enjoying watching the build. I'm sure the 24 will be great fun to watch as well though !

Ye, i am pretty pee'd off as well. Thats another lesson learnt when it comes to decals. Maybe i can find one with an easy Nose Art, something i might be able to paint on.

OK, I finnally got to painting my A-20 (other than the multiple sessions of white for the ID stripe, man I hate painting white ).  Still need to add the green spots around the tail and wings, but the two main colors are done!  I freehanded the OD, after spraying the gray.  This is the second time around after trying it on a P-38 for Vance's P-38 GB.  Not to bad this time around either.

Top:

Bottom:

Close up of the change:

up next the green, and then its time to beat the plane up, weather wise.

Looking good.

Afraid i am going to mess you about again as it looks like the B-17 is back on track. A couple of weeks ago i got a message on the Mighty 8th GB from Little J telling me about a guy in the USA selling Superscale decals. I had thought they had gone out of buisness as i can't seem to find there decals anywhere. But this guy must have a pile of their old decals including a set for 'ole puss' from the 96th BG. And i know this is a real aircrfat as i have found photos and a bit of back ground on it. I was finally able to order the dacles and got an e-mail on Monday telling me they had been shipped, so they should be here by the end of next week. So the B-24 has gone back in the box. I have re-done the OD on the 17, as i wasn't to happy with it. I am also getting all the little parts finished, undercarrage, gun's etc. So by the time the decals get i, i will just have to add them, flat coat and weathering and add the final parts. I will get some pics up this weekend, and fingurs crossed for the decals.

Sorry for the messing around. If i can i will finish the B-24 next year, but i really doubt i will be able to. But if you do a round 2 in a couple of years, i know what i will be entering for it.

Glad to hear the B-17 is back on! Can't wait to see it!

Don't worry didn't mess me up, I kept the B-17 on the list just in case this very thing happened 

Looking good gang, haven't started my contribution yet (unless you count opening the box, looking, and then telling myself that I have other kits to complete first!!!) but I'm lurking when I can!

VanceCrozier

Looking good gang, haven't started my contribution yet (unless you count opening the box, looking, and then telling myself that I have other kits to complete first!!!) but I'm lurking when I can!

  I have 4 planes, a car and an M40 that I still have to finish before I get going for this GB.  I am moving at the end of October too so I probably wont start on this one until I get settled in.  I will probably go with the B-29 Superfortress instead of the E-2C Hawkeye. 

Nice work so far!

Ok, a second attempt at painting the OD. I am much happier this time, and looking at that nose art of ole puss II, it doesn't look very faded anyway.

Going to give the top a coat of future on Monday as its more of a flat finish than gloss. Just ot a few small bits to finish, wheels, undercarrage legs, guns. Then its just a case of waiting until the decals turn up

I am looking for a bit more help here. I need to fade the control surfaces, but no where near as much as last time. Then, i used white to lighten the OD, but the results were not ver good, the more white i added, the worse it got. Can anyone suggest something else to tone down OD, i was thinking pale yellow? or maybe even another colour to use on those areas.

Bish

I am looking for a bit more help here. I need to fade the control surfaces, but no where near as much as last time. Then, i used white to lighten the OD, but the results were not ver good, the more white i added, the worse it got. Can anyone suggest something else to tone down OD, i was thinking pale yellow? or maybe even another colour to use on those areas.

I've heard people use light gray, or light tan but I've never tried this so don't know if'n it'll work.

B17Pilot

Bish:

I am looking for a bit more help here. I need to fade the control surfaces, but no where near as much as last time. Then, i used white to lighten the OD, but the results were not ver good, the more white i added, the worse it got. Can anyone suggest something else to tone down OD, i was thinking pale yellow? or maybe even another colour to use on those areas.

 

I've heard people use light gray, or light tan but I've never tried this so don't know if'n it'll work.

I have had very good luck fading OD with Tamiya Buff XF-57 heavely thinned and misted on very slowly until I get the effect I want.

Thanks guys, i will try these out on a palette, see how they look. Spent all last night working on scratching a MG mount at the front of the nose. Turns out one of the book i have had for ages, Squadrons B-17 in action, has a pic of the nose on ole puss. It has one of those guns fitted, so i decided to scratch it. It's not looking to bad. But i think i will get a couple of vacu form nose cones and replace the kit one at a later date, useing the lesson on the gun mount i have learnt from this.

Some good news, the decals turned up today. ut B-17, think i need a bit more help. As i undestand it, B-17's carried their BG code letter on the tail and on the top of the right wing. The national insignia was carried on the bottom of the right wing and top of the left. But the decal sheet says the national insignia for ole puss should be on top and bottom of the right wing, with no wing BG letter. In fact, none of the 3 aircrfat on the sheet have a 3rd BG letter. I have never seen this before, and as the only pic i could find of ole puss is the nose art, i am not sure how Superscale got this layout for the markings.

Have you seen this before. I do have the other BG letter from the other decal set, so i can use one of those for the wing, but just woundered if this was possable, or totally made up.

Bish glad to see the B-17 back on the build, it looks great. I've been shooting the contol surfaces white before the top color and it works for me,I know its too late for that on this one but maybe it will be of use in the future. Heres a before and after I did in the Japanese G/B

Thanks TREY, i was glad i was able to get back to it.

I hadn't thought of that one, will deffinatly keep that in mind for next time, thanks.

The BG letter (Triangle A, Square C, etc), where only on the wing in the later part of the war, mid '44 on.  So if Ole' Puss survived that long, she might have at it, again depended on when the ground crew got around to painting it on. Check to see what time period you're looking for.

National insignia should be on opposite wings and not on top of each other.  Misprint in the decal instructions perhaps?

Thanks, i was sure they were wrong about the national insignia. As for the BG letter, did you mean 43. Its just that i have several photos of 17's with a wing BG letter were the caption says the aircraft was lost in 1943. While on the other hand, i have a pic of a 96th 17G with nose wing BG letter. caption for that says April 44 and ole puss was lost in that month, so i think its safe to say the 96th didn't have them yet.  I should have spotted that pic earlier, would have saved me asking.

The official order came in Dec. 1943 to remove all OD and NG paint and begin the high vis BG/BS markings, due to higher ups believing German bombings is no longer a threat, the fact that multiple BG where forming up to bomb one target so they needed to easily ID the other, and a side of effect, it helped the fighter escort the ID the right formation they where suppose to escort.

The thing is, painting/repainting aircraft was not a high priority for the ground crew, so not all BG complied with the order right a way.  Kind of why you still see D-Day stripes on aircraft well after the Sept, order to remove them.  Some ground crews where on top of the new orders, so the aircraft marked as lost in 1943 and it had the BG letter on the wing, it was lost in Dec.  Most of the painting of the new markings where done when the aircraft needed major repair and was going to out of service for a couple of days anyway. So it was kind of a staggered application of the new markings.

Thanks, that all makes sense. And i am really happy with the new decals, now thats cleared up. Going to get them on next week and hopeing to get this build off the bench.

Speaking of decaling, mine is ready for the decals.  Will probably be doing them this weekend.

B17Pilot awesome looking forward to the decals,the build is looking solid!