Len, good to hear your news. Hope things get going for you.

Ken I can't tell from the box, but isn't there a version of the B-50 that also carried a couple of turbojets? Is this the one? I seem to remember something I saw on the Discovery channel about a hundred years or so ago.

I don't have much to report, and no pics for now. It's all been tedious doldrums of fixing seams. The ones on the leading edge extensions are esp. annoying as I have to rescribe a few details under there when I'm done.

Also adding the detail parts to the ejection seats. This also included sides for the seats, and I discovered that the added thickness made the seat too wide for the tub. I have to shave the sides of the tub to get them to fit. The ironic thing is that 75% of the sides will not even be visible! Had I known I would have narrowed the seats a bit before the sides were attached. Too late now, I used epoxy  to attach them! I would probably do more damage than good if I tried to remove them!

Son Of Medicine Man

troublemaker66

I`d be making resin copies of all the "hard to get" parts for future builds or to sell them maybe....

That is a thought, I have never done it before.  But there are a lot of parts in this!  I may consider it though.

Ken

Guys,

Don't forget these companies that make and sell kits usually have copyrights on their parts. You could get in serious trouble making copies of parts and selling them. However, I don't think they would begrudge copying a part to replace a broken one or for future use.

Russ

troublemaker66

Speaking of that, we finally got the word that the SBA loan was approved!  We have 2 appointments with Modular home companies already and still investigating others. We were approved for almost 300k...way more than what we need but , nice to know it`s sitting there just in case....lol.

Len

That's great news, Len. Good luck on your purchase!

Russ

Striker8241

Son Of Medicine Man

troublemaker66

I`d be making resin copies of all the "hard to get" parts for future builds or to sell them maybe....

That is a thought, I have never done it before.  But there are a lot of parts in this!  I may consider it though.

Ken

Guys,

Don't forget these companies that make and sell kits usually have copyrights on their parts. You could get in serious trouble making copies of parts and selling them. However, I don't think they would begrudge copying a part to replace a broken one or for future use.

Russ

How you get around that is to make the parts in a small shop oversees.....

I produced a series of figures back in the 90's, and they were pirated and mass produced in England and Thailand.

Never saw a dime......

Dom

troublemaker66

There`s a company that sells a complete starter set for casting resin...think it`s Alumalite or something. I bought the set for around 80 bucks but never used it...had plans on casting copies of OOP figures and sought after parts, like the P-61 engines, etc. I have mostly everything still but don`t know if salt water got into any of it.

Speaking of that, we finally got the word that the SBA loan was approved!  We have 2 appointments with Modular home companies already and still investigating others. We were approved for almost 300k...way more than what we need but , nice to know it`s sitting there just in case....lol.

Len

Nice to know someone is recovering from a bad mess, I take it you took a hit from Sandy?

Dom

Bockscar

troublemaker66

There`s a company that sells a complete starter set for casting resin...think it`s Alumalite or something. I bought the set for around 80 bucks but never used it...had plans on casting copies of OOP figures and sought after parts, like the P-61 engines, etc. I have mostly everything still but don`t know if salt water got into any of it.

Speaking of that, we finally got the word that the SBA loan was approved!  We have 2 appointments with Modular home companies already and still investigating others. We were approved for almost 300k...way more than what we need but , nice to know it`s sitting there just in case....lol.

Len

Len:

Nice to know someone is recovering from a bad mess, I take it you took a hit from Sandy?

Dom

jimbot58

Len, good to hear your news. Hope things get going for you.

Ken I can't tell from the box, but isn't there a version of the B-50 that also carried a couple of turbojets? Is this the one? I seem to remember something I saw on the Discovery channel about a hundred years or so ago.

I don't have much to report, and no pics for now. It's all been tedious doldrums of fixing seams. The ones on the leading edge extensions are esp. annoying as I have to rescribe a few details under there when I'm done.

Also adding the detail parts to the ejection seats. This also included sides for the seats, and I discovered that the added thickness made the seat too wide for the tub. I have to shave the sides of the tub to get them to fit. The ironic thing is that 75% of the sides will not even be visible! Had I known I would have narrowed the seats a bit before the sides were attached. Too late now, I used epoxy  to attach them! I would probably do more damage than good if I tried to remove them!

Hi Jim,

You are absolutely correct about the turbojets.  That is the KB-50J.  It had two extra General Electric J47 turbojets under the outer wings.  Unfortunately this kit does not include that.  I will have to scratch build those.

That is too bad about those seats.  It is almost like you have to build these models twice, once to find all the things wrong so you know how to build it right the next time!  From the sounds of it, I would swear you were dealing with resin aftermarket parts!

Ken

Striker8241

Son Of Medicine Man

troublemaker66

I`d be making resin copies of all the "hard to get" parts for future builds or to sell them maybe....

That is a thought, I have never done it before.  But there are a lot of parts in this!  I may consider it though.

Ken

Guys,

Don't forget these companies that make and sell kits usually have copyrights on their parts. You could get in serious trouble making copies of parts and selling them. However, I don't think they would begrudge copying a part to replace a broken one or for future use.

Russ

Striker8241

Guys,

Don't forget these companies that make and sell kits usually have copyrights on their parts. You could get in serious trouble making copies of parts and selling them. However, I don't think they would begrudge copying a part to replace a broken one or for future use.

Russ

I fully understand not copying and profiting someone else's work if it is still in production.  The problem I have is when the parts are no longer in production.  Making copies at that point is not going to hurt sales because they are no longer being sold.  Why should there be a problem with that?  If the original molds still exist, why not sell them under license to someone who can produce the parts and still make money on them.

But to just not make the parts anymore and then yell and scream when someone copies them is ridiculous.

Ken

Son Of Medicine Man

Striker8241

Guys,

Don't forget these companies that make and sell kits usually have copyrights on their parts. You could get in serious trouble making copies of parts and selling them. However, I don't think they would begrudge copying a part to replace a broken one or for future use.

Russ

I fully understand not copying and profiting someone else's work if it is still in production.  The problem I have is when the parts are no longer in production.  Making copies at that point is not going to hurt sales because they are no longer being sold.  Why should there be a problem with that?  If the original molds still exist, why not sell them under license to someone who can produce the parts and still make money on them.

But to just not make the parts anymore and then yell and scream when someone copies them is ridiculous.

Ken

troublemaker66

Paragon is still around? I thought they were OOB for a while now. Also, if you copied the entire kit, boxed it and marketed it, maybe you`d have a problem. If I paid 500 bucks for resin I`d claim the right to make some copies....

They closed up once, and then came back with a limited part of their line up, and then I believe have closed up for good.  Hannants and couple of other websites have their remaining stock but I believe once it is gone, it is gone.

This kit  is of course part of their line up that didn't come back.  I don't know the full history about them.

Ken

Paragon Designs also made the much sought after update kits for the Testors 1/48 OV-10A kit.  I paid a pretty penny for that on eBay as well (but not $510.00 but it was around $100.00!).  Also a kit that was not brought back in their "second coming".

Ken

Ken: Congrads! Very cool! I guess I'm lucky I mostly build common stuff so I've never had to pony up much for a kit or aftermarket other than a few garage kits I've purchased.

Len: Good news, hopefully you can finally get everything squared away.

Gamera

Ken: Congrads! Very cool! I guess I'm lucky I mostly build common stuff so I've never had to pony up much for a kit or aftermarket other than a few garage kits I've purchased.

Len: Good news, hopefully you can finally get everything squared away.

Thank you Cliff!

Yes, since I am wanting to build a version of each aircraft used by the USAF in the Vietnam War, and I want to build as many as possible in 1/48 scale, it can be a curse.  Especially if the aircraft is not one of the "popular" ones.  And I have found that I am not alone, hence the high prices for competing for these out of production kits.

Another high priced conversion kit that took me a while to find and score; the Cutting Edge 1/48 A-26A (B-26K) Nimrod Conversion kit for $186.70.

Then comes in the decals for these aircraft.  Some of these can fetch a high price up to $60 or more.  I have several of these in my stash as well, long out of production and hard to find.

Ken

Son Of Medicine Man

Paragon Designs also made the much sought after update kits for the Testors 1/48 OV-10A kit.  I paid a pretty penny for that on eBay as well (but not $510.00 but it was around $100.00!).  Also a kit that was not brought back in their "second coming".

Ken

Hey Ken I'm glad you got the kit you wanted on Ebay. It's always a charge to find something like that and actually win the bidding. Also, I don't feel so bad about the 70 bucks I blew on my Tamiya Elefant

Ken:

Petition wise:

You contacted John McCain?

Dom

Hey Dom, if Ken doesn't  I can;  I still get emails from him all the time since the '08 election. Not sure why as he's not even one of my Senators.....

As for Ken I suspect we might not be hearing from him too much anymore what with all the builds on his agenda!

Yeah Mizer;

If it were more publicized, i think there would be thousands of folks upset,

which is what, unfortunately, is the game in beltway-town.

I just hope those programs and teams do not get cancelled. They mean a lot

to all North Americans. I'll try for some Canadian contacts as well, no harm in trying.

Dom

mikeymize

Hey Dom, if Ken doesn't  I can;  I still get emails from him all the time since the '08 election. Not sure why as he's not even one of my Senators.....

As for Ken I suspect we might not be hearing from him too much anymore what with all the builds on his agenda!

Mike, that is too funny!   

No, I have not contacted senator John McCain.  But that is a good idea!

Ken

Son Of Medicine Man

mikeymize

Hey Dom, if Ken doesn't  I can;  I still get emails from him all the time since the '08 election. Not sure why as he's not even one of my Senators.....

As for Ken I suspect we might not be hearing from him too much anymore what with all the builds on his agenda!

Mike, that is too funny!   

No, I have not contacted senator John McCain.  But that is a good idea!

Ken

I was serious about contacting John McCain, even though he was a Navy guy.

Dom

Bockscar

Son Of Medicine Man

mikeymize

Hey Dom, if Ken doesn't  I can;  I still get emails from him all the time since the '08 election. Not sure why as he's not even one of my Senators.....

As for Ken I suspect we might not be hearing from him too much anymore what with all the builds on his agenda!

Mike, that is too funny!   

No, I have not contacted senator John McCain.  But that is a good idea!

Ken

Actually Ken,

I was serious about contacting John McCain, even though he was a Navy guy.

Dom

Dom,

I think you misunderstood me.  I was telling Mike he was funny about the comment concerning being too busy with all my builds.  I was agreeing about John McCain when I said that it was a good idea.

I already wrote him with this:

Dear Senator John McCain,

As a result of the sequestration, funding for all of our military demonstration teams such as the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds has been retracted.  These teams have been forced to cancel all of their events for the remainder of the year.  There is a real possibility that they may lose funding permanently.  WE NEED YOUR HELP!!

This has resulted in the cancelation of countless events all across our country that depend on these military demonstration teams.  These events bring in millions of dollars to local communities wherever they are held.  This will be another economic shortfall that as a nation we do not need now.

Another impact is the smaller organizations and businesses that depend on these events.  For example, the air shows that the Blue Angels headline are also shows that smaller demonstration teams are hired for.  A lot of these smaller teams also maintain a piece of our American Historical aircraft.  Without these events, they will go out of business and we will also loss this living history!

Can you help?

Ken

What about a direct appeal to the heads of American Forces, i.e. the Commanders up

at the Pentagon?

Petitions aside, direct appeals to the leaders will help them to support these important programs.

I don't think this is a good time for anyone to get political with such important hallmarks

of the North American commitment to World Peace.

Remembering those who serve and sacrifice, and why we need to be strong for the World, shouldn't happen on only one day in a year.

We need these Teams, now more than ever, to keep that message strong.

I'm sending a letter to our government to make sure we do not cancel our commitments up here.

Dom

Ken;

Ouch!

I've been looking up the cancelled airshows, very disappointing....even Dayton.

So far there hasn't been any talk up here of airshow cancellations, but I haven't found

any dates for US Demonstration Teams yet.

Dom

Guys;

An update on the Air Demonstration cancellations;

today the Associated Press released an article on the cancellation of the Blue Angels performances.

I'm wondering if there is a way to link the reportage with the petition to get it out into the media and in front of the general  public.

Dom

Hi Everyone,

I just got done working on the servers at my work.

I just checked out the signature total.  It jumped a bunch today!  We are up to 79 and it keeps going up!  I fixed the link that I put on the Blue Angels website this afternoon.  When you first post on their website they edit what you post.  I didn't realize until today that it didn't work.  When they edited my post, they broke the link.  Since I fixed it the signatures have been jumping up!

I also got a comment from someone that "no petition is going to change this".  My response was "You are entitled to your opinion.  But doing nothing and saying you can't change anything most certainly will not change anything."

I received no reply on that.  But obviously there are people who do not agree with her!  I also posted for everyone to find out who their U.S. Senators were for their state and U.S. District Representative were (Google.com is a great tool for finding this out) and contact them.  Almost all of them have an email address you can use.

My message is don't give up, keep pounding the point home!  Contact the senators and representatives everyday!  Feel free to copy and paste what I sent to Senator John McCain.

Ken 

Hi Ken;

I also sent an email to John Cudahy, President of the International Council of Airshows earlier this afternoon.

He's been in the news media talking about the cancellations and I sent him the petition as well.

Link is:

http://www.airshows.aero

These people have lots of contacts in the Air Show and media world, so they are a great potential resource.

No point even thinking about the negativity, yes, just keep moving forward and fighting the for right stuff.

Dom

Bockscar

Hi Ken;

I also sent an email to John Cudahy, President of the International Council of Airshows earlier this afternoon.

He's been in the news media talking about the cancellations and I sent him the petition as well.

Link is:

http://www.airshows.aero

These people have lots of contacts in the Air Show and media world, so they are a great potential resource.

No point even thinking about the negativity, yes, just keep moving forward and fighting the for right stuff.

Dom

Thanks Dom!  That is what we need!  Keep passing the word, find as many places to post the link and encourage everyone we tell to pass it on!

I have found more people at work that signed it as well.  I keep pushing the issue and don't let up.  I may contact the local television station and see about getting on their morning show.  Who knows who may be watching.

Ken

Hi Everyone,

I just got done working on the servers again.  This has been a long week!  No work at the bench.

I have been spending my time during lunch at work spreading the word about the petition.  It is up to 102 signatures.  I am hoping that once we get 150 and it goes public we can start gaining more momentum.

Ken

Been getting a little bit of time in at the workbench.

Some of the detail parts for the cockpits. I ended up separating the front and rear cockpits to make it easier to get the parts to line up where needed. Adding all the PE parts has added dimensions to everything making fit a bit of a chore.

This photo came out a bit on the dark side, but most of the PE parts on the deck have been added and painted, with the exception of the HUD. I'm leaving that until I put the windscreen in place. With these thick, over-sized sausages I call fingers, no doubt I would damage it anyway. This way I can play it safe. Also, you can see some of the inside PE panels in place.

On another note, I just wondered if anyone here knows any decent photo-editing software programs that would be free to download. I have some photos of Mom I want to copy, and the editing program I have now it very basic, It will lighten, darken, color correct and red-eye, but lacks tools to fix defects such as scratches.

Jim

Jim: The instrument panel and seat look great! I assume you've done both cockpits at the same time?