Red Storm Rising 25th Anniversary GB

Alright guys, since everyone else is being so slow with starting, I'll post some pics of the kit prebuild.  For being as old (or older) than I am, I'm impressed.  The molding is clean with no flash, and few seam lines or pin marks on visible parts.  Oddly its been made in black plastic, but thats nothing grey primer can't solve.

That last one appears to have washed out, but I promise all my other pics won't be as terrible...I need a new camera...

The best part of this kit is the 'historical info' section, the little stealth technology whats-its they add in all over the place.  This thing even has technical specifications, pretty good for an aircraft which probably never existed.  Oddly its got the same GE F404 engines the original F117As had, and similar armament.

I'll add in a few of the fun bits from the instructions.  Sensitive information redacted of course.

UNCLASSIFIED

/////////////////////// XX "Helpful Hints" XX \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

(U) The F-19 model has several building options and you should become familiar with them. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 2 Types of canopies are included-one for training flights, the other for "hot" secret missions.  The Testor 1/48 scale F-19 Stealth fighter is based upon years of extensive research.  All specifications were obtained from unrestricted public sources.  Because it is a model only commonly known stealth concepts are shown.  No critical full scale internal componesnts are depicted and no classified systems are disclosed.

///////////////////////XX END XX\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

UNCLASSIFIED

Hey guys, I don't have my copy of the book around.  I'm pretty sure it goes into some detail about how the Frisbee appeared on the outside.  What I need is color scheme (I'm pretty sure it was flat black like the F117) and if any specific markings or their absence is mentioned by Tommy C.  I've got the fuselage halves glued up and a lot of the seams are filled and sanded with most of the cockpit painted up.  Unfortunately I had a predictable accident with my superglue and that will necessitate more sanding.  I've ordered a UMM scriber tool to add the panel lines which are nonexistant (but shown in the Testor's instructions sheet).  All in all this is a pretty mean looking aircraft, and I wish it were real!

EDIT

Oh yeah, I'm looking at armament options to replace the toylike Maverick guided missiles in the kit; I know that the Frisbees are sent on missions with various air-to-surface weapons; guided and unguided, and some air-to-air weapons.  Anyone remember what these are specifically?  I'm debating display options and an in-flight with weapons bay doors open might be cool.

EDIT2

Heres a picture!

I just re read the book a couple weeks ago to get myself prepped for this GB. Clancy describes the GB as the kit looks ("churchbell shaped from above" and with"oddly drooping toward teh ground wingtips"). No markings are mentioned but he did describe a black and green camo paint scheme. Ordinance listed as used include Rockeye CBUs, Durandel anti Runway bombs, AIM-9M Sidewinders and the AGM-122 Sidearm (converted AIM-9C).

Awesome.  I think I'll go out and arm it up for when they shot down the IL-38 May.  There are also these neat masks at hobby lobby which provide a neat disruption look that I can use for the green camo.

Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. For the green I would suggest 34092 which was in use on teh "Europe I" scheme prevelant at that time. AIM-9Ms (which are identical to AIM-9Ls in appearance) were the load out for that mission.

What color is that?  Does it match up to any Tam or MM acryls?

MM Acryl makes it, FS#34092 Euro I Dark Green #4729

Ok, thanks!

The quest for accuracy on a nonexistant aircraft continues!

I just finished rereading RSR.  Now I have way too many ideas for projects.  On the bright side, I have a herd of 1/72 armor that now has a purpose.

Jim

An alternative "neat idea" would be a bunch of 1/72 or 1/144 soviet vehicles being bombed by a frisbee.  Force Perspective for the win.

For displaying my bird, I think I might see what she looks like vertical with weapons bay open or transitioning to vertical (doing that would require me making up locations for ailerons and cutting them out, and reattaching them)  There are these airfoil/spoiler/airbrake things in the wings, but those alone wouldn't cut it.

Could you add me to the list please, gonna do the Testors 1/48 F-19 as a two-seater.  Now I have the urge to pull that monster book off the shelf and read it again.  My all-time favorite book.  WOnder if we'll ever see a movie done???

Chris

Hans von Hammer

Ditto... We were still painting stuff in NATO camo as late as 1988/89... New tracks and wheels were coming from depot with the overall Forest Green, and the "Paint by Numbers" sheets were handed out to the OMS's to paint over the green and MERDC-camo'd vehicles.... "My" 1/4-ton (I was an Engineer Battalion NBC NCO  at that time and had a "hack" 1/4 ton of my very own, lol), which was initially assigned to me in MERDC-camo, got a NATO paint job by me personally, as did all the small-wheels (1/4-tons and CUCVs)...  We (the drivers, that is)were given these cockamamee "NATO Paint Kits" that had a paint-gun/trigger assembly that snapped onto a regular rattle-can...

I remember all the paint by numbers sheets.  And I can't speak for other motor pools, but on the M109's we touched up the camo by brush most of the time, so no soft paint lines there.

I read this book when I was in Schweinfurt, 87-89.  I'd read when we were out in the field and get a few minutes of privacy (and daylight) to relax and immerse myself in the story.  How often do you get to be at a place where a story takes place (finctional or not).  When I went to Special Weapons and started trsaining with the little nuke arty sheel, it was easy to imagine lobbing one at the East Germans as they tried to pour through the Fulda Gap. 

Welcome to the build!  I'm going to be really interested to see the differences in our aircraft.  Are the planes in the book two-seaters?  I can't remember...  I also know its going to be a pain to jam another cockpit in that airframe; its insanely small.  

Yes, in the book the F-19 is a twin seater.The rear seater is a WSO.

I'm still incredulous as to how a second seat could fit in this airframe that testors/italeri put out...

Of course it would make sense that Tom Clancy wouldn't be working hand in hand with Italeri when he made up his aircraft for the book.  

So far the only problem I'm having with the second seat is that it is so shallow in that area.  Using the wedge canopy the back-seater with only have a couple small side windows I'll cut out.

Someone was talking about using the Euro Dark Green and black...how would that be applied I wonder???

A SWAG says something like the Europe I wraparound schemes that were inuse all over teh Air Force at the time. F-4s, A-7s, A-10s, A-37s etc. all had varitions of the scheme.

Monogram made a pretty wazoo looking F-19 kit also.

Cool, I can't wait to see it turn out.

My plan is to use a stencil from hobby lobby to create a special disruption pattern.  I'm thinking it'll have a black base coat, very dark grey wavy lines applied kind of like the black lines would on a NATO pattern truck, snakey with a hint of mickey mouse.  Over these will be the stencil.  Its advertising has it being used to create diffusion patterns around a conventional painting to help with depth etc.  It is basically a plastic sheet with random cutouts in strange squiggly shapes.  I'll just shoot the green paint (whatever color I do go with) through this and it will help break up the black paint.  The goal with the three layers is that a forest at night is not black, it has trees and contours.  Hopefully the wavy lines and the diffusion green would help hide it better against this backdrop.  The underwing paint color may or may not be a very dark blue (not mentioned in the book, but hey, it makes some sense, and for all intensive purposes it might as well be black).  I don't like the idea that the plane would have a conventional paint scheme applied in black and green, after all; these planes were supposed to be something special.  

Apparently (according to the military channel, who are known to be unreliable when it comes to the invasion of Poland) the F117 had a really neat night camo, but that was nixed because higher ups thought it would look better in black, no matter that there is no sense in a straight black scheme...

I would not bank too heavily on that info. Supposedly the black paint used on the F-117 has certain radar absorbing properties. It is not a standard Flat Black.

gotta love the military channel.  Any chance I could get that paint for my car?

LOL! Yeah I suppose you could get some from the Lockheed plant here in Burbank.

stikpusher

A SWAG says something like the Europe I wraparound schemes that were inuse all over teh Air Force at the time. F-4s, A-7s, A-10s, A-37s etc. all had varitions of the scheme.

Monogram made a pretty wazoo looking F-19 kit also.

 

I just got one of these the other day for I think 8 bucks, maybe 10.  Opened it up and it looks pretty sharp.  Has some room for scratch work to be done.

That Monogram kit is pretty wild looking, I will have to say though that I adore the looks of the Testor's version, soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo awesome.  Its really a shame they aren't (are they? I saw a black helicopter shadowing me the other day...) real.  I may have even thought about joining the air force if they had something that cool looking.

Okay, got some early cockpit work done.  I used the kit pit for the front and a rear seat from an old Revell F-14 pit for the WSO.  May not fit the technology invisioned for the plane but it was all I had in the spares box.  The only problem I'm having now is a bang seat for the rear as the wheel well makes it very shallow.  I'll just trim most of the bottom off of the seat I use.  Won't show anyway.  For the canopy I masked the frame, drilled out holes all the way around then connected the dots with a #11 blade.  Added a few dots to my fingers and blood drops to the frame as well. :D  I still have to clean it up a little then figure out how to glass it in without tons of clear glue showing in the end.  I have some good, clear plastic to cut for it.

Wow!  Thats looking fantastic!

Okay, cockpits are done but I had to use two different seats.  The rear just didn't have enough room for a matching seat.  With the WSO in there it doesn't show so much anyway.  I put some weights in the nose even though I don't think it wil need it, and glued the tail pipes in place.  Should be a quick finish now.

Man, you guys are killing me...one of my favorite books of all time! I'm actually due for a re-read - sure I could come up with a comprehensive list of units while I'm at it (if nobody else has already!)

Next June is PLENTY of time to get something done...subject TBD!

BTW - that Monogram F-19 looks totally badass! Thought I had at least laid eyes on all of their kits once...that one totally got by. Maybe I can dig one up at the spring shows? Hmmmm.

I got my Oscar II done finally.  It is a simple yet good kit.  No fit problems.  There are only 10 parts without the periscopes. 

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Now, I just need to get to work on the 1/72 scale tanks I have in my stash.

This is a very interesting thread. I loved the book and read it twice in the nineties.

May I add another couple of combattants to the lineup; I saw that Leopard II was listed. At that point in time at least Norway was still operating the Leopard in its original guise. I know because a good friend of mine managed to turn one 360 degrees sideways when falling down a slope....

We also still had the MG42 as our standard MG. Maybe we still have! I also know that our HV - Home Guard - woud have used MG34 - complete with eagle and swastikas! Those troops would have been the first to see action in case of an invation.

We also uses M-113 with 20mm guns or TOWs.

In the air we were still operating F-5 in bothe single and twin seat configuration beside our F-16.

I found the read a chilling experience...