I just found out some bad news from my Mom.  She went to the doctor today to discuss what she thought was options about the back pain from the herniated disc.  Instead she was informed that she also has a paraesophageal hiatal hernia of about 4 inches.  It will become fatal unless she has surgery.  In addition, she also has an enlarged heart.  I was already having trouble sleeping.

Ken

Ouch Ken!,

All the best to her, and to you with your many upcoming nights without sleep.

I think the hernia is something readily treatable with surgery, but the enlarged

heart is not good news in any case.

Take care friend.

Dom

Son Of Medicine Man

I just found out some bad news from my Mom.  She went to the doctor today to discuss what she thought was options about the back pain from the herniated disc.  Instead she was informed that she also has a paraesophageal hiatal hernia of about 4 inches.  It will become fatal unless she has surgery.  In addition, she also has an enlarged heart.  I was already having trouble sleeping.

Ken

Ahh Ken, I'm so sorry to hear this! You've had enough to deal with these past months. Hang in there, bud. Our prayers are with your mom and with you.

Russ

Striker8241

Bockscar

Russ:

I'ld go with the original picture. Obviously there were different manufacturer's antennas used at different times, maybe only months or years apart. The latest picture shows a painted over cover, with a fairing, and the first photo shows a polished dome, inset. I put my money on the polished unit. Go with what you've got in any case. I love the detail on that hatch, looks like my oven door.

Besides, you don't want to replicate those strike marks where some kid smacked a stick against the bottom of the BUFF??

 

Thanks, Dom, I was thinking the same thing - and you are more correct than I am. I went back through images I already have and found the one below, which nails what the cover really looks like. Now I wonder if this was actually an IFF antenna. This picture makes it look like some type of optical device and the bottom cover appears to be able to be closed, which it probably is in the photo above.

 

Now it makes sense, the latest picture shows, on the very right edge of the fairing, the port element of an 'eylid' type clamshell that closes up, it is just barely visible, 'peaking' out, pardon the pun.

The seam in the painted version, picture #2, confirms that this eye unit had lids that closed, and explains the difference in the radius of the dome between picture one and two...

May need some drops and a kleenex for that....lol....

Bockscar

The seam in the painted version, picture #2, confirms that this eye unit had lids that closed, and explains the difference in the radius of the dome between picture one and two...

May need some drops and a kleenex for that....lol....

Zoukei-Mura finally has the A-1J version of the Skyraider in 1/32 available, at least for pre-order!

http://www.zoukeimura.co.jp/en/products/sws07_A1Jskyraider.html 

Very cool.  It won't be available here in the U.S. until November.  It would make a great Christmas present! 

Ken

Any chance it was a bomb sight?

I'm really sorry to hear that Ken.  My Dad had a Hiatal Hernia.  He got his lifting too much at work (He was a Mail Handler for the USPS).  Do they know what caused the enlarged heart?

Son Of Medicine Man

I just found out some bad news from my Mom.  She went to the doctor today to discuss what she thought was options about the back pain from the herniated disc.  Instead she was informed that she also has a paraesophageal hiatal hernia of about 4 inches.  It will become fatal unless she has surgery.  In addition, she also has an enlarged heart.  I was already having trouble sleeping.

Ken

Bockscar

Any chance it was a bomb sight?

Sparrowhyperion

I'm really sorry to hear that Ken.  My Dad had a Hiatal Hernia.  He got his lifting too much at work (He was a Mail Handler for the USPS).  Do they know what caused the enlarged heart?

Son Of Medicine Man

I just found out some bad news from my Mom.  She went to the doctor today to discuss what she thought was options about the back pain from the herniated disc.  Instead she was informed that she also has a paraesophageal hiatal hernia of about 4 inches.  It will become fatal unless she has surgery.  In addition, she also has an enlarged heart.  I was already having trouble sleeping.

Ken

My Mom has an appointment to see a heart specialist so we will find out more then.

Ken

Ken: Sorry to hear about your mom, hope she's better soon.

Rich: The badge looks great! Love what you've done here!

Here's another snap I got of Berny, just before the badge pic:

Ken arranged that great parking sign, man, Berny was thrilled with the reception.

By the way, note the T shirt Berny is wearing........Air Force until the end.

Dom

Bockscar

Here's another snap I got of Berny, just before the badge pic:

Ken arranged that great parking sign, man, Berny was thrilled with the reception.

By the way, note the T shirt Berny is wearing........Air Force until the end.

Dom

I still remember the look on his face when we pretended to be looking for a place to park amogst the reserved parking places and pulled into this one!  He had no idea it was coming!

Ken

...peacelove...

Speaking of peace and love, here's the surgery of late for the F-4P:

I evened out those forward engine intake fans;

I banded those intake ducts, an endangered species, ya' know:

I evened out the port/starboard wing thickness to approximarel even, what a chore....

I used the wheelbay to reinforce the new thickness;

I put in another reinforcement in the fuselage-side, see that tiny bit of white plastic shim, that's the other reinforcement;

I know, it's all white,,,,,

I, I, I,,,,,,,I sent a million bucks to the Alien Peace and Love foundation, ...peacelove...,if they would only promise to stop popping out of peoples' tummies.....lol

Wow, nice work, Dom!    That looks painful .

Bockscar

...peacelove...

Speaking of peace and love, here's the surgery of late for the F-4P:

I evened out those forward engine intake fans;

I banded those intake ducts, an endangered species, ya' know:

I evened out the port/starboard wing thickness to approximarel even, what a chore....

I used the wheelbay to reinforce the new thickness;

I put in another reinforcement in the fuselage-side, see that tiny bit of white plastic shim, that's the other reinforcement;

I know, it's all white,,,,,

I, I, I,,,,,,,I sent a million bucks to the Alien Peace and Love foundation, ...peacelove...,if they would only promise to stop popping out of peoples' tummies.....lol

A lot of hard work there Dom, looks like you whipped it into shape!  Great job!   

Ken

Thanks guys,

Seeing all the struggle going for the guys on this build,

what with serious life interrupting us, and our 'mission'

it really helps.

I want to earn the Berny Memorial Badge real bad.

Putting those ducts in into the intakes actually

is a scary step for me, never have I offered so flimsy

structures to such an endeavor. Not only are they flimsy,

but the flimsiness is inversely proportional to the time

required to educate me that I spent way too much time

trying to un-flimsify the unflimsifiable.

A lot of work on those ducts, Bockscar! I'm convinced we are all insane! I've spent days thinning  a piece of brass tubing to create that air conditioning turbine vent: for the A-7. 

Up closer:

Looks a bit rough at this point, but at 1:72 scale, no one is going to be looking at it this close. I also figure that once I throw a bit of paint over it, it should blend in. It's only held there by friction for now and I'm afraid to glue it!  It's so thin it will most likely be damaged so I will need to be able to replace it if need be. I also made that fuel vent tower towards the back, but I didn't take any photos of it yet.

By the way, the badge is great! I hope it will inspire me to get somewhere on my project. I'm still struggling to find the motivation to even sit down and do anything.

jimbot58

A lot of work on those ducts, Bockscar! I'm convinced we are all insane! I've spent days thinning  a piece of brass tubing to create that air conditioning turbine vent: for the A-7. 

Up closer:

Looks a bit rough at this point, but at 1:72 scale, no one is going to be looking at it this close. I also figure that once I throw a bit of paint over it, it should blend in. It's only held there by friction for now and I'm afraid to glue it!  It's so thin it will most likely be damaged so I will need to be able to replace it if need be. I also made that fuel vent tower towards the back, but I didn't take any photos of it yet.

Nice work once again Jim!  Between you and Russ there is a lot of scratch building going on to make your builds really authentic and highly detailed!     

Ken

Hi Everyone,

I found a book and ordered it yesteday.  It is called "USAF Plus Fifteen:  A Photo History 1947-1962" by David W. Menard.  It is where that picture of the Voodoo from the Cotton Pickers squadron came from.  Here is a link to Amazon that has some reader reviews on it:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887404839/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01 

Sounds like it will be a good book to use for a reference.

Ken

Hey that does look like an excellent book.  Good show, Ken!

Russ

Jim: Well yeah it's worth the work you put into it.

If you don't drop the pipe you spent hours making onto the floor and having it vanish like I would it is 

I'm back....lol

Things are a bit nuts right now,

but it is Berny's anniversary,

I'll catch up later.

Dom

Hi Everyone,

Man it has been quiet around here!

I came across a very small model maker that has a unique line of products that I thought I would share with everyone.  It is called "Williams Brothers Model Products" (no relation to me!).  What was interesting to me was they have a 1/72 scale model of the C-46 Commando (the only company that does!).  Here is the link:

http://www.williamsbrothersmodelproducts.com/index.htm 

They also have a few items that you might be interested in for your diorama Russ.

Ken

Son Of Medicine Man

Hi Everyone,

Man it has been quiet around here!

I came across a very small model maker that has a unique line of products that I thought I would share with everyone.  It is called "Williams Brothers Model Products" (no relation to me!).  What was interesting to me was they have a 1/72 scale model of the C-46 Commando (the only company that does!).  Here is the link:

http://www.williamsbrothersmodelproducts.com/index.htm 

They also have a few items that you might be interested in for your diorama Russ.

Ken

I was beginning to think you guys had abandoned the build . Thanks for the link and the tip - I checked out the site but I didn't see anything I could use. I had to physically restrain myself from ordering that Lost Electra kit, just to have one. I'll probably hate myself later  .

Striker8241

Son Of Medicine Man

Hi Everyone,

Man it has been quiet around here!

I came across a very small model maker that has a unique line of products that I thought I would share with everyone.  It is called "Williams Brothers Model Products" (no relation to me!).  What was interesting to me was they have a 1/72 scale model of the C-46 Commando (the only company that does!).  Here is the link:

http://www.williamsbrothersmodelproducts.com/index.htm 

They also have a few items that you might be interested in for your diorama Russ.

Ken

 

Hi, Ken,

 

I was beginning to think you guys had abandoned the build . Thanks for the link and the tip - I checked out the site but I didn't see anything I could use. I had to physically restrain myself from ordering that Lost Electra kit, just to have one. I'll probably hate myself later  .

 

Russ

I know what you mean!  I did order the C-46 kit.  I can't believe that nobody else offers it!  I saw some of the building stuff and thought maybe you might find something useful there.

I did hear from Dom yesterday, he sent me an email so I know he is still alive!  I have been doing some rambling in the Vietnam Air War group build but that is about it.  Speaking of which I have updated my list of aircraft used by the USAF during the Vietnam War which is pretty cool.  I thought I had it pretty well done but yesterday I found quite a few that I had missed and StikPusher pointed out a couple too.

Ken

Son Of Medicine Man

I know what you mean!  I did order the C-46 kit. 

At the risk of being a bore, I'lI tell you I flew on a C-46 just once. It was an Air America plane out of Nha Trang going to Saigon. It was like something out of a movie - most of the passengers were Vietnamese nationals and most were dressed in their typical country garb. There were also American and South Vietnames army soldiers in fatigues and one or two Vietnamese officers in full dress uniforms. I thought the pilots were mechanics at first the way they were dressed. Very casual. 

The seats toward the back had been removed and there were a number of cages with live goats and chickens tied down back there, as well as crates of cargo. There was sawdust and bits of paper all over the floor and a lot of dust in the air. You can imagine the noise with all the Vietnamese talking, the goats baaing and the chickens clucking. So if you do the interior, you might want to add a little "local" flavor .This would make an interesting diorama with animals and cargo being loaded through the cargo door and a line of mixed humanity waiting to climb aboard.

The flight took about an hour and we bounced around all over the sky due to heavy turbulance. Fortunately nothing serious came loose and we landed safely. As I recall, the plane had no markings except a tail number. It was still in its unpainted aluminum skin except the underside which may have once been white.

 Russ

I havent run away, i just ran out of witty remarks and havent done anything on the helo.

Striker8241

Son Of Medicine Man

I know what you mean!  I did order the C-46 kit. 

At the risk of being a bore, I'lI tell you I flew on a C-46 just once. It was an Air America plane out of Nha Trang going to Saigon. It was like something out of a movie - most of the passengers were Vietnamese nationals and most were dressed in their typical country garb. There were also American and South Vietnames army soldiers in fatigues and one or two Vietnamese officers in full dress uniforms. I thought the pilots were mechanics at first the way they were dressed. Very casual. 

The seats toward the back had been removed and there were a number of cages with live goats and chickens tied down back there, as well as crates of cargo. There was sawdust and bits of paper all over the floor and a lot of dust in the air. You can imagine the noise with all the Vietnamese talking, the goats baaing and the chickens clucking. So if you do the interior, you might want to add a little "local" flavor .This would make an interesting diorama with animals and cargo being loaded through the cargo door and a line of mixed humanity waiting to climb aboard.

The flight took about an hour and we bounced around all over the sky due to heavy turbulance. Fortunately nothing serious came loose and we landed safely. As I recall, the plane had no markings except a tail number. It was still in its unpainted aluminum skin except the underside which may have once been white.

 Russ

Very cool story Russ!  And there is no way your stories about Vietnam would ever bore me!  I enjoy hearing all of them!  That scene you described sounds just like from out of a movie.  You must of been thinking "is this for real?"

Ken