Gamera

Mike: Very true, I've always found it funny people want to focus on Hitler when Stalin and Mao killed waaaaaayyyyyy more of their own people. I've seen different statistics but these seem pretty close:

National Socialists:    7 million killed

Soviets:                       30 million killed

Red Chinese:            70-120 million killed

Ken: Yayyyyyyy!!!!!!! Great to see the flame holders in there- and they look good!!!

I have to disagree some on the German secret projects though. Frankly seems to me if they'd invested the time and effort they did on the V-1 and V-2 that just might if lucky hit something in the same zip code as the target on a good solid four-engine bomber like the B-24 or Lancaster they'd have been better off.

They did lead in aircraft technology but still the British were neck to neck with them on jet development.

Despite some rumors the Germans were decades away from developing an A-bomb. Seems most of their best atomic engineers and physicists were well... Jewish. The guys the Germans had working for them were second raters at best. Plus the US and UK each had their own programs that when combined and massive amounts of uranium contributed by Canada were added we ended up with a massive lead.

The Allies had huge leads when it came to computers, radar, mass production - lots of less flashy things than super weapons projects that made a great deal more impact in the long run though.

Or so I've read, your mileage may vary!  

Off my soapbox now and back to modeling stuff....I promise!

mikeymize

Gamera

Mike: Very true, I've always found it funny people want to focus on Hitler when Stalin and Mao killed waaaaaayyyyyy more of their own people. I've seen different statistics but these seem pretty close:

National Socialists:    7 million killed

Soviets:                       30 million killed

Red Chinese:            70-120 million killed

Ken: Yayyyyyyy!!!!!!! Great to see the flame holders in there- and they look good!!!

I have to disagree some on the German secret projects though. Frankly seems to me if they'd invested the time and effort they did on the V-1 and V-2 that just might if lucky hit something in the same zip code as the target on a good solid four-engine bomber like the B-24 or Lancaster they'd have been better off.

They did lead in aircraft technology but still the British were neck to neck with them on jet development.

Despite some rumors the Germans were decades away from developing an A-bomb. Seems most of their best atomic engineers and physicists were well... Jewish. The guys the Germans had working for them were second raters at best. Plus the US and UK each had their own programs that when combined and massive amounts of uranium contributed by Canada were added we ended up with a massive lead.

The Allies had huge leads when it came to computers, radar, mass production - lots of less flashy things than super weapons projects that made a great deal more impact in the long run though.

Or so I've read, your mileage may vary!  

Yep Gamera. My own theory about why Stalin gets overlooked so often is that we were his ally and contributed material, medicine etc. along with giving in to virtually all his demands, why, I have no idea. Would've been better for us and England to fight by ourselves. Support the Russians insofar as they were against Germany too but essentially let them fight their own war in the east. That way we would still win but the Communists wouldn't have taken over all of Eastern Europe. It's ironic that the war to support Poland against outside aggression ended up with them enslaved by the Soviets. They were the biggest losers in all 

Off my soapbox now and back to modeling stuff....I promise!

I totally agree with you Mike.  But of course hind sight is always 20/20.  One other thing that was mentioned in the history books is that if Hitler had waited for Stalin to invade Poland first, we most likely would have backed Germany to defeat Stalin!  How twisted would that have been?

Ken

Hi Everyone,

I carefully scraped off the paint around the outside edge of the exhaust turbines so that the epoxy will stick when I glue them to the ends of the jet pipes.  Then I glued the afterburner fuel injection rings to the exhaust turbines.  Here they are ready to be epoxied to the jet pipes:

Tomorrow I will epoxy them onto the jet pipes!

Ken 

Ken, you make an interesting point. I suppose it came down to fate. Maybe it was a case of the lesser of two evils. Kind of a no-win situation no matter how you look at it. My sympathy has always been with the Poles as they seem to have been left twisting in the wind. I seem to remember Churchill remarking something to that effect as well.

As to your work on the engines, afterburners etc. I believe you may have spent more hours on that alone than I did on my entire model. Obviously your work thus far has shown just what that attention to detail has brought. I suspect you will be an expert on the Phantom by the end of this GB if you're not already!

Son Of Medicine Man

Hi Everyone,

I carefully scraped off the paint around the outside edge of the exhaust turbines so that the epoxy will stick when I glue them to the ends of the jet pipes.  Then I glued the afterburner fuel injection rings to the exhaust turbines.  Here they are ready to be epoxied to the jet pipes:

Tomorrow I will epoxy them onto the jet pipes!

Ken 

That's looking really good, Ken! Now I'm getting the urge to Phantomize...

Russ

Yeah, you make good points guys, politics does make strange bedfellows. I mean after our Soviet allies turned on us and Stalin and Mao had their big falling out we ended up backing the Red Chinese against the Soviets.  And then Jihadists.....  Like Dom I just find politics to be an amazingly sleazy and squalid thing.

On a happier subject after all those trials and tribulations those flame holders and cans really look good Ken. Looking forward to seeing everything come together!

The Allies did have one 'flashy super-weapon' up their sleave....

Photo credit: www.lanl.gov

Dom

mikeymize

Ken, you make an interesting point. I suppose it came down to fate. Maybe it was a case of the lesser of two evils. Kind of a no-win situation no matter how you look at it. My sympathy has always been with the Poles as they seem to have been left twisting in the wind. I seem to remember Churchill remarking something to that effect as well.

As to your work on the engines, afterburners etc. I believe you may have spent more hours on that alone than I did on my entire model. Obviously your work thus far has shown just what that attention to detail has brought. I suspect you will be an expert on the Phantom by the end of this GB if you're not already!

Yes Mike, I totally agree with you about the Poles.  It was very sad that in the end they were left to endure even more hardship under the Soviet Union after fighting so hard for their freedom.

By the way, thank you for the compliments on the exhaust.  Just as Jim has noted, I enjoy the research as much as building the model.

Ken

Striker8241

That's looking really good, Ken! Now I'm getting the urge to Phantomize...

Russ

Thank you Russ for the compliment!

Ken

Gamera

Yeah, you make good points guys, politics does make strange bedfellows. I mean after our Soviet allies turned on us and Stalin and Mao had their big falling out we ended up backing the Red Chinese against the Soviets.  And then Jihadists.....  Like Dom I just find politics to be an amazingly sleazy and squalid thing.

On a happier subject after all those trials and tribulations those flame holders and cans really look good Ken. Looking forward to seeing everything come together!

I agree Cliff, it is amazing what power a single politician can wield!  Just by saying the right words at the right time they can convince the mass to do almost anything!

And thank you for the compliment on the exhaust, it is almost there!

Ken

Bockscar

The Allies did have one 'flashy super-weapon' up their sleave....

Photo credit: www.lanl.gov

Dom

So very true Dom!  The ultimate weapons of World War II!

Ken

Hi Everyone,

I am very close to having the exhaust completed!

On the backside of the flame holders I painted the inside of the jet pipes Gunmetal which I think will be good for giving a little reflective light to show the detail in the back after I glue the exhaust turbines in place.  Here is a picture:

And here is a picture with the exhaust turbines epoxied in place:

Tomorrow I will put the last parts on; the exhaust nozzles!  Then these babies are done!

Ken

Looks super, Ken! I'm holding my breath till I see those turkey feathers...  

Russ

Striker8241

Looks super, Ken! I'm holding my breath till I see those turkey feathers...  

Russ

Thank you Russ!

Ken

Awesome Ken, now don't you dare drop one of them and have part of the PE break loose and fly off somewhere! (Something I do with annoying regularity...)

Ken: Would it be kosher to toss in the Blackhawk and Apache in for this GB too? I've been concentrating work on them and probably will be until they're done. The Apache I finished the cockpit last night and glued the fuselage together and the Blackhawk I got the resin parts for the medevac version yesterday too and did a little work cleaning them up. The kits are:

1/48th MiniCraft UH-60L Blackhawk medevac

1/48th Academy UH-64 Apache gunship

Gamera

Awesome Ken, now don't you dare drop one of them and have part of the PE break loose and fly off somewhere! (Something I do with annoying regularity...)

Ken: Would it be kosher to toss in the Blackhawk and Apache in for this GB too? I've been concentrating work on them and probably will be until they're done. The Apache I finished the cockpit last night and glued the fuselage together and the Blackhawk I got the resin parts for the medevac version yesterday too and did a little work cleaning them up. The kits are:

1/48th MiniCraft UH-60L Blackhawk medevac

1/48th Academy UH-64 Apache gunship

Most certainly Cliff!  No problem.  I will update page one now.

Ken

Hi Everyone!

The exhaust is done!     Finished!    Completed!    Here is the end result:

Now that is over with, I went to start on the next chapter, the front wheel bay.  On the Phantom they are painted gloss white.  I pulled down my bottle of gloss enamel white paint and removed the lid.  Sadness!     The paint had dried up and turned to rubber.  I will have to wait until tomorrow when I can pick up another bottle.

Ken

Ken:

!!!

Well done! Pays persevering in life, Like Neitzsche said:

"What doesn't kill us,

makes us stronger modelers!!!!"

Photo credit: www.iep.utm.edu

-Dom

Bockscar

Ken:

!!!

Well done! Pays persevering in life, Like Neitzsche said:

"What doesn't kill us,

makes us better modelers!!!!"

Photo credit: www.iep.utm.edu

-Dom

Thanks Dom!

Ken

Son Of Medicine Man

Hi Everyone!

The exhaust is done!     Finished!    Completed!    Here is the end result:

 

Now that is over with, I went to start on the next chapter, the front wheel bay.  On the Phantom they are painted gloss white.  I pulled down my bottle of gloss enamel white paint and removed the lid.  Sadness!     The paint had dried up and turned to rubber.  I will have to wait until tomorrow when I can pick up another bottle.

Ken

Nice job, Ken!   Congratulations!

Russ

Striker8241

Son Of Medicine Man

Hi Everyone!

The exhaust is done!     Finished!    Completed!    Here is the end result:

 

Now that is over with, I went to start on the next chapter, the front wheel bay.  On the Phantom they are painted gloss white.  I pulled down my bottle of gloss enamel white paint and removed the lid.  Sadness!     The paint had dried up and turned to rubber.  I will have to wait until tomorrow when I can pick up another bottle.

Ken

Nice job, Ken!   Congratulations!

Russ

Thank you Russ!

Ken

Ken: Looks good! And thanks for the update, hopefully I'll have some photos up this weekend.

Gents,

and especially our Vets here,

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day,

and Thank You for Serving!

-Dom

Hi Everyone,

I totally had every intention on painting that front wheel bay white tonight but I am completely exhausted!  I didn't get home until 8:30 PM this evening.  I had to stop after work and pick up my Mom's 35 foot camper trailer from the RV repair shop.  Of all the nights to drag that big thing through town!

Then when I finally get it to her house, it is a tight squeeze to get it parked in the spot where it belongs.  Then chock the wheels, plug it in, unhook it, and level it.

I did pick up the paint, so I will get a coat of paint on tomorrow.

Since it is supposed to rain here Sunday and Monday, I will be taking my Mom out to my Dad's grave to put flowers on it tomorrow for Memorial Day.  It was a little strange when I picked up the camper tonight.  My Dad loved that camper.  And the RV repair shop was directly across the street from the cemetery that my Dad is buried in!  They had beautiful large American flags lined up along the road in the cemetery.

Ken

Bockscar

Gents,

and especially our Vets here,

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day,

and Thank You for Serving!

-Dom

Thanks, Dom! I wish you the same!

Russ

Son Of Medicine Man

Hi Everyone,

I totally had every intention on painting that front wheel bay white tonight but I am completely exhausted!  I didn't get home until 8:30 PM this evening.  I had to stop after work and pick up my Mom's 35 foot camper trailer from the RV repair shop.  Of all the nights to drag that big thing through town!

Then when I finally get it to her house, it is a tight squeeze to get it parked in the spot where it belongs.  Then chock the wheels, plug it in, unhook it, and level it.

I did pick up the paint, so I will get a coat of paint on tomorrow.

Since it is supposed to rain here Sunday and Monday, I will be taking my Mom out to my Dad's grave to put flowers on it tomorrow for Memorial Day.  It was a little strange when I picked up the camper tonight.  My Dad loved that camper.  And the RV repair shop was directly across the street from the cemetery that my Dad is buried in!  They had beautiful large American flags lined up along the road in the cemetery.

Ken

Bummer, Ken! It's bad enough driving home after a hard day, but having to go through all that before you can even relax a bit is really a kick in the head. Glad you got everything done ok. Hope you can get through the emotions this Memorial Day and manage to enjoy your time off.

Have a good holiday,

Russ

Striker8241

 

Bummer, Ken! It's bad enough driving home after a hard day, but having to go through all that before you can even relax a bit is really a kick in the head. Glad you got everything done ok. Hope you can get through the emotions this Memorial Day and manage to enjoy your time off.

Have a good holiday,

Russ

Thank you Russ.  I will be fine this weekend.  I will think of my Dad of course, and I will always miss him.  He was my best friend.

The rest of the weekend should be a breeze!

Ken

Hi Guys.

Seems hard to find the time to get in here and contribute, with so much to do and little time to do it in. Extra time at work getting ready for this software conversion has been a bear. As the only person who has any skill with the computer, it's meant quite a bit of work getting reports cleaned up, changing warehouse locations, etc.  Purchasing decided it would be a good idea to load up the shelves in preparation for this day, something one of the people in charge of this admitted to me that maybe this wasn't the best idea. Still a Saturday to go, cutting into what should have been a 3 day weekend. There was also the funeral to go to last weekend, additional work in the yard, getting the cooler going for the season, on top of the usual daily grind of keeping up domestic duties around the house.

I did find a few moments here and there to do a few things at the hobby desk, mostly adding on some of those small parts to both the Tiger and the Growler. I also worked on the frame work of the Growlers canopy, and have run into one problem. I am finding that when you coat the glass with Future, the finish is so smooth, there is little for the enamel MM paints to adhere to. I wanted to see what happens if I were to try some of the MM acryl paint to see how well they might stick to each other, but haven't made it to the hobby shop due to reasons I mentioned before.

I happened to notice that there is a PE kit available for the Tiger and briefly considered it, but then decided against it for a couple of reasons: One is the expense. The cost of the set would more than double the overall cost of the kit. Second is the fact that I started the Tiger as a fun little side build to do as I work on the Growler, and PE sets don't fit into that idea.

Ken, that has been quite a journey with those exhausts and that is going to be one heck of a good looking Phantom when you are done!

P.S. I want to start the wheel bays soon, so I better look at my gloss white before I do so I don't end up with a dried up bottle of rubberized paint like you Ken. That happens way too often!

Hey Guys! Everyones builds look great. I haven`t had much bench time lately but did manage to finish the A1-H Skyraider and have a few fiddlies to put on the Skymaster and that`ll be done.

I stopped at a vintage toy store that I came across during work , which had a decent amount of aircraft and armor kits that they bought from a guy that had a massive stash. The owner said that the guy`s wife passed away and he lost all motivation for modeling. The owner said it took two trips in a U-Haul to get it all...around 5-7k kits!! There`s probably 90 kits left in the store. Anyway.....

I picked up 2 Tamiya armor kits, an M48A3 Patton and a Marder III M...both for $30. I started working on the Patton and would like to add it to this GB , if that`s ok?

I have only built 2 armor kits my entire life...a Tamiya T-34 and Bradely Fighting Vehicle, both many years ago. Definately a change of pace from A/C and will be open to any advice, tips,etc.

I have all the road wheels and return rollers together and been building some of the sub-assemblies. Assembly will not be a problem but painting and finishing will be....it will be a learning experience to say the least...lol.

Len