Bish

Ken, that look really nice, looks done to me.

Can't you get any more pics, maybe with a plain back ground, for the front page.

Yep I can and did It doesn't have the plain back ground, but it's still alot better.

Yes those are better photos. It is very easy to rig up a plain background using a bed sheet or some pieces of plain paper.

Thanks Ken. A plain background is handy if you can rig one up, but just have a pic without all the distractions makes a world of difference. Nice to see this on the front page.

The front page is looking good guys, a nice bunch of completed builds. I know we have a few more on going, and I should be starting on the Panther today or tomorrow. Just short of 3 months left, so keep going guys.

Thanks Ken. A plain background is handy if you can rig one up, but just have a pic without all the distractions makes a world of difference. Nice to see this on the front page.

The front page is looking good guys, a nice bunch of completed builds. I know we have a few more on going, and I should be starting on the Panther today or tomorrow. Just short of 3 months left, so keep going guys.

Looks good Ken! I'd toss in maybe just a piece of white or light blue poster board, stiffer than paper and it's pretty cheap.

Thanks Everyone

Been pretty busy here too. Tore down my workbench last Wednesday for a home project that was done yesterday and I set it all back up again today... I can get back to work now... after dinner and drinks of course ;-)

Got a bit of time to do some work tonight. Got those pesky ropes scraped off and added some details.  Would anyone know what, if any, kind of instrument panels there are on an LCVP? I've tried looking, but I'm not having any luck.

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Looking good Ed.  Did you decide yet who's ride your going to model it afer?

I'm going with Capt. Pugh's Geronimo cause it has full invasion stripes.  Couldn't find a picture of the wings of the Berlin Express 43-24283 with full stripes on them.

Well I decided to take a left turn on my Longest Day build and add another here. While my workbench was down, I was doing research for my 1944 GB project and decided to pull that kit out of my stash. Well that kit just so happens to be a ship and I had many other ships in that stash box and during my research I went off on a side tangent last night and early this morning. Aside from "Pips" Priller's sortie over the beachhead on June 6, there was an equally daring and slightly more successful sortie by the Deutsches Kriegsmarine. The 5th Torpedo Boat Flotilla from LeHavre under the command of one Lt Cdr Heinrich Hoffman led three Schnellboote on a daring attack on the Eastern flank of the Allied naval force. The three boats launched their torpedoes at the Allied armada and succeeded in sinking HMNoS Svenner, a Norweigen destroyer. I had a 1/350 Bronco kit if a S-Boat in my stash and decided that it would be a good afternoon project today. A low parts count but many are quite small, and a lot of tiny PE as well

the kit

step 1 & 2, assemble the lower and upper hull. For building and painting purposes, I decided to leave the lower hull seperate until after the base colors are painted.

step 3 add partial weapons: depth charges, reload torpedoes, and bow 20mm gun, along with a few small other fittings

step 4, add the rudders and props to the lower hull. I accidentaly broke the center prop shaft while attempting to add the PE screw so I made a new one from thin brass rod

step 5 add PE to the midship twin 20mm and aft 37mm guns, railings around the gun mounts, and PE to the bridge area

step 6 was add the final PE to the bridge area

step 7 is adding the after PE railings, which I will leave off until after painting. Here are some close up photos of the PE work

Now suprisingly the kit came with no display stand of any sort, so I scratch built one

Not a bad way to spend the afternoon...

Looks good Stik. When I get to my US contribution to screw the Reich Day it will be a Gleaves class DD which engaged Schnellboats among a long list of duties in the first three weeks of the campaign.

But first we must give a nod to our "cousins." I did a P51 MKIII but it was Polish in spirit if not country of origin. So I'm well into Tamiya's 1/48 Cromwell IV which debuted on the beaches of Normandy to honor Churchill and Montgomery's formidable ground forces.

Cromwells served as recon for the three D-Day UK armored division and made up all of the tanks of the 7th AD (Desert Rats). That meant they were up close and personal to the very ugly battles fought around Caen throughout June. So the history is good. And if you look through the photos of the period - a lot of them are around - it's very clear that Brit tanks were making very wide use of netting and foliage from a very early date. I've never tried to replicate that effect and we'll see how it goes.

Will report in later.

Stik, nice work there, that loks a nice little boat. I got the Revell 2nd S-100 last year, thinking of entering that for a 1945 GB if we have one, its nice to this little one go together.

So, is this being entered into this and the 44 GB.

Eric, nice start.

Stik: Really nice work on that little boat!

Bob: She's coming along nicely!

Eric: Great start! I have to build a Cromwell as well at some point...

Bish: Well, I do hope we have a 1945 build. It would be a shame to end the series with the '44 one.

Thanks guys. Aside from the yearly Weekend Madness, it has been quite some time since I had intentionally built a kit in a day without rushing. Mind you, the completed boat is only some 100mm (4 inches) long, so there is not much to it. But the PE certainly adds to the process time. Next up some time this week is priming, then painting and it should be done soon.

EB, isn't that the 1/35 Cromwell kit? If so, I built one not too long ago, and yes, it is one of the sweetest building tank kits out there. The only drawback in the kit is the tracks. On both my Cromwell and Centaur builds, the tracks broke shortly after completion. I strongly advise that you look for some AM tracks for your build. I would like to build a Gleaves Class DD as well one day. One of the Omaha Beach destroyers that were so instrumental in changing the tide of battle there on that morning.

Bish, I have seen the Revell S-Boats built up and they are fabulous looking kits. But no, I am not trying to do this for my '44 build. I am actually going to do another ship there. Something a bit larger, but still 1/350. I am trying not to do crossovers, even though they are allowed.

SS, agreed about the '45 build. I think we need to see this thru to completion after three great GBs so far. I have no GBs planned that far out so I am game to run that one if the orginal sponsor here does not return.

Ok Stik, I have added your S-100 to the roster.

I have a couple of GB's planned for next year, so if you are happy to tackle the 45 GB, that would be great. Nothing like planning ahead.

Don't tell my wife that ;-) She could teach the military brass a few things about planning ahead...

I have the Vietnam 50th Anniversary GB planned for this August, and a MM III & Arab Israeli Wars GBs with no hard dates yet. My Latin American Aircraft is winding down now and ends in May.

I am glad your still going with the Vietnam GB. I have been leaving a space for that and the chance to build an F-111.

I have the Armour in the west that's starting in June and will run into next year. The others I am hosting or are about to start will be done at the end of the year. But I am trying to cut down on the number of GB's I'm running, The armour in the West will make 6 in a year, I think I should leave some room for other people.

But I am also thinking ahead for a GB for 2016, I should really get a life.

You and me both my friend. 2016 is just a tad too far off for me even to consider at this point.

Wow guys, ya'll are getting some serious stuff done!

BTW: Any chance of a 1946 GB - I have a few theoretical subjects that would fit!  

The GB I was thinking of was a Luft 46 GB, a subject I know quite a few modellers, myself included, are rather keen on. Its a long way off yet, but maybe we could make it a 46 what if GB.

Hey Bish, the Luft 46 sounds cool but most of my stuff is more along Operation Olympic- aka the invasion of the Japanese home islands and some of the crazy stuff they had on the drawing boards both aircraft and armour so a '46 What If would work great there.

I guess I was just thinking Luft 46 as that's what we see the most of and what I do myself. But opening it up to all those What If builds does sound a better idea.

Lets keep it in mind until the end of next year, only 21 months to go.

Nothing like looking to the future.  I have some things that would work well for the Vietnam GB, and I really should do that since I teach an entire class on the Vietnam War.  I've also been anticipating a '45 GB and have a plan for that...

A 1946 "What if?" does sound intruiging. Especially now that I have done a what if and have several in my stash that would qualify...

silentbob33

Nothing like looking to the future.  I have some things that would work well for the Vietnam GB, and I really should do that since I teach an entire class on the Vietnam War.  I've also been anticipating a '45 GB and have a plan for that...

So we can pick your brains for the Vietnam GB then

Lol, two years from now the way things are going I may be locked in a small room and given finger paints and Mister Potato Head to play with instead of sharp things like X-Acto knives... 

I'm in for the Armour in the West GB for sure- I've got a Tasca/Asuka Model M4A3E2 'Jumbo' Sherman I think should fit pretty well and I'd love to build. 

As for you SP I'm not sure about Vietnam but I picked up a Dragon Super Sherman Isherman for twenty bucks that should work for an Israeli/Arabic GB.

Has a 'What If' build been done here? I know a 'WTF' GB idea was tossed around but never got started. I think it would be a pretty cool idea and would get a great deal of interest. Found this site on Japanese X-Plane research a while back, I know German subjects are more popular and actually have kits of them but there is some truly wacky and wonderful stuff here.  

Hokoki: 1946

Gamera

Lol, two years from now the way things are going I may be locked in a small room and given finger paints and Mister Potato Head to play with instead of sharp things like X-Acto knives... 

I'm in for the Armour in the West GB for sure- I've got a Tasca/Asuka Model M4A3E2 'Jumbo' Sherman I think should fit pretty well and I'd love to build. 

As for you SP I'm not sure about Vietnam but I picked up a Dragon Super Sherman Isherman for twenty bucks that should work for an Israeli/Arabic GB.

Has a 'What If' build been done here? I know a 'WTF' GB idea was tossed around but never got started. I think it would be a pretty cool idea and would get a great deal of interest. Found this site on Japanese X-Plane research a while back, I know German subjects are more popular and actually have kits of them but there is some truly wacky and wonderful stuff here.  

Hokoki: 1946

You may well find me knocking on the wall from the room next door. Well, I say knocking, more than likely head butting as I think I might be rather tied up.

There was a Prototypes and projects GB a couple of years back and an Endgame GB which covered operational equipment from 1945 as well as what if's.

Pacific 1946.... Bearcats... Tigercats... P-80s... Shindens.... Europe 1946... T-44, Panther II, Super Pershing, Centurion Mk.I... Vampire... Do-335... Meteor F3...