John, that display is going to be stunning. I love the pic, great touch. Where did you get the poster.

Eagle, my pleasure. I have only built a couple of Italeri armour kits, but they were pretty nice builds from what I remember.

Hey John: That looks really cool! Do you have some other backdrops you're putting in the other shelves?  

Eagle90: Cool choice, I built that Puma years and years ago, think I still have some of it- it's in about a zillion pieces! Best I remember it was a pretty darn good kit.

My 900mm X 600mm D-Day + poster arrived this morning ;

I had to trim about 15mm of each side so I could get it to fit against the back of the D-Day display cabinet ;

I also bought an off cut of some blue velvet material and cut three pieces of thick cardboard and wrapped the velvet around each piece to fancy up the plain white bottom and mid shelves .

Here is the Puma I'll be building.  Doing LOTS of research (and getting a LOT of help from Bish...thank you my friend!) on unit numbers and such.  Also, a big thank you to all of you who helped with the color schemes for the Puma's.  Lots of great advice and got some new (well, new to me) sites to check out.  

John, I am having trouble keeping up with your builds. If its ok with you, I will just put you oin the roster with various, and add them as you complete them.

I was digging around one of my spares boxes and found an old italeri 1/72 Spitfire VB

The spitfire looks like it can be re-built , so I started looking around the net at what options I could choose .

http://airrecce.co.uk/WW2/recce_ac/RAFAR.html

Apart from a small round window to represent the camera on the port side fuselage , were there camera's on the belly for this Mk XIII version ?

I was thinking of re-building my Mk VB into a pre D-Day recon spitfire but I'm unsure if there are other significant difference between the two Spitfire's .

Any thoughts ?

John .

I picked up some more 1/72 D-Day aircraft (second hand pre-loved unbuilt kits)

Hasegawa P-38 , Revell Hawker Tempest V , Frog B-25 Mk II , Airfix B-26 , all with invasion stripes .

Also an Airfix P-61 ; I'm not sure if the Black Widow was used but I wanted one anyway .

John .

or just on the bottom of the wings since they were promarily for trigger happy duck hunters.

Ken, I found some info on Wiki which may help. The stripes were approved on May 17th and the order to apply them were issued to troop carrier units on June 3rd and to other units on June 4th. So, ye, I reckon you could see hastily applied stripes on the 5th.

checkmateking02

I would like to sign up.  Who would want to miss a D-Day group build?

I'll contribute a B-24 from the 834th Bomb Squadron, 486th Bomb Group.  Academy put out four "zodiac squadron" Liberators a few years ago.  I haven't gotten around to any of them yet.  Scale is 1/72.

Apparently they took part in the D-Day bombings on 6 June, 1944.

Yes who would want to miss a D-Day GB. I grew up watching "The Longest Day" Even now, I watch it when ever I can. Infact I own 2 copies of it on VCR tape. One is colorized. Guess I'll have to get it on DVD. I don't have a VCR anymore

I'm playing with idea of doing another P 38 for a dio. (Don't sign me up for the P-38. I'm not sure when I'll be able to get it) It would be two childhood friends from home. One flies a Bubble top Jug. the other flies a P 38. The setting is the evening of June 5th 1944. One flew in to visit his buddy; just in case. Yes, I know he would probably be considered AWOL. He snuck out when the CO was off base. LOL

Since the invasion was postponed for 24 hours, would they both have the invasion stripes by then?

When did they paint the stripes?

LOL!!!

Gamera,

No, she was too busy fighting THESE things...

NOW you know why they didn't see any over the invasion beaches!

Gary

Nice stuff guys!

Gary: Lol, phaser strikes from orbit would have made the invasion go a lot smoother!

Great additions Gary

I may have gotten in first with the Waco but I do like that Hasegawa P-38 !

I had over looked the Lightning , I've been thinking of getting the 1/72 Academy P-38 European theatre version for the "Twin Boom GB" . It could serve both Group builds I guess ...Mmmmm decisions !

John

Reading this thread, Helo H-34 (John) seems about to build the entire invasion force.    He was making me feel "inadequate", so I went to the Scale Fest model show today and was determined to find something else to add to that C-47 I'm building.

I didn't find it... but John did, of course.

Helo H-34

I need one of those to place behind the C-47 being towed.  Guess I'll just have to break down and order one online.  *sigh*

On the other hand, I managed to snag a couple of kits that might make it into the GB. 

I wonder how that USS Enterprise will look in invasion stripes? 

Gary

hey bish etal

i have a milti-color scheme for a british LCVP and haven't found one and decals for a british LCM-3. really would like to do something other than gray. i have enough modern warships in the stash to gray me for tthe next 10 years.

Defiantly not to late shiv, welcome aboard.

John, looks like some more nice additions. I built the Waco years ago, not a bad kit from what I remember.

if not too late Bish I picked up Dragon's 1/48 FW190 A-8 with Josef "Pips" Priller's markings that I would like to build.

I decided to dip into next weeks grocery money and buy the 1/72 Italeri  Horsa and Waco gliders along with the MPM A-20G Havoc . All with invasion stripes , oh' and some P-47D decals with D-Day stripes .

John .

" I have a couple of kits with individual link tracks......I'll open the box and stare......and ask myself, why?"

which is why i do warwheels though today i picked up a 1/48 A-26B in firebomber livery (for a GB) and a 1/12 motorcycle. geez and last week i got the 1/24 modern german firetruck. who am i and what have i done with me?

Bish

Ok mate, your added. I really need to get myself some German wheeled armour, so I will be looking forward to this. And I am sure no one will be laughing at you. We all built our first armour kit at some point. At least you don't have track links and that Zimm to worry about.

Thank you sir!  Yeah, I figured I better ease myself into the armor realm.  I have a couple of kits with individual link tracks......I'll open the box and stare......and ask myself, why?  

Ok mate, your added. I really need to get myself some German wheeled armour, so I will be looking forward to this. And I am sure no one will be laughing at you. We all built our first armour kit at some point. At least you don't have track links and that Zimm to worry about.

Alright Bish, you got me again.........but not a 1/72 this time! 

Bish, thank you for the research info you sent me.  I have started looking into it more and it is a blast doing the research!  Thank you  my friend!

So put me down for a 1/35 Italeri (#202) Sd. Kfz. 234/2 Puma!  So far I have found that they were primarily used for recon, so I may be bold and do an armor kit AND a small dio to put it on!  I know, I'm getting crazy over here, but hey, let's have some fun!  So you armor guys.....please...., laugh WITH me, not AT me, when you see the progress pics!   I'll be posting soon in the armor section.....I need help with the armor details!  Thanks again Bish!

Eagle90

John,

The only thing I remember about the Norseman is it was the aircraft Glenn Miller was flying in when he disappeared over the channel.  But that was in December, too late for D-Day.

Gary

That 1/35 LCM-3 sounds awesome Wayne

Another interesting kit I found in my Israeli stash was this 1/72 Matchbox Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman

The kit comes with optional decals for the 8th Air Force Service Command Stanstead , UK , August 1944

I had a quick look on google for additional info relating to the UC-64A and the time frame but i didn't see anything as yet , I was just wondering if it was only flown in the UK or did it cross the Channel with other D-Day aircraft ? .

i was looking through myr ailroad stash sheves and found a italeri 1/35 LCM-3 and a pe kit for it.. built one years ago so may build this along with the LVVP which has markings for a tri-color british paint scheme.

Gamera

John: Those cabinets look cool, you can always use the other one if you want to do some Pacific War or Eastern Front stuff to round out your WW II collection!

I'd assume both of those gliders were used on D-Day, I guess I shouldn't just assume anything that has invasion stripes was there but I don't think they were painted on for any other operation.

Bish: Lol, you should check out all the stuff John built for Stikpusher's Korean War GB, I only built three models. John you built  about what? Thirty or so models? More than anyone except The Draken!  

Thanks Cliff ...

I'll aim to get the Landing Craft and Armour built and perhaps an aircraft or two ;

Along with the Beaufighter and Mozzie there's a C-47 and L4H Piper with invasion stripes . I'll have to search around for decals if I want to include a P-47D Thunderbolt , P-51D mustang and the Spitfire Mk.IX .

No, I missed that. Seems like we have an invasion fleet on the way. I better get building some German armour to repel it.

John: Those cabinets look cool, you can always use the other one if you want to do some Pacific War or Eastern Front stuff to round out your WW II collection!

I'd assume both of those gliders were used on D-Day, I guess I shouldn't just assume anything that has invasion stripes was there but I don't think they were painted on for any other operation.

Bish: Lol, you should check out all the stuff John built for Stikpusher's Korean War GB, I only built three models. John you built  about what? Thirty or so models? More than anyone except The Draken!