US CARRIER AVIATION GROUP BUILD 2013

I don't know where you can find those decals, but that scheme looks great.   Good luck hunting down those decals.

When Afterburner decals went belly-up Sprue Bros got a large shipment of their sheets, but I just checked and this particular one was not on the list.  I also didn't see any on e-Bay nor Hannats.  

My Skyhawk is close to painting.  I didn't have any real issues with closing the gear doors, just a little sanding and sprue to even things out.  One portion of the nose gear door was too short so I'll need to shim it to close the gap.  I've built a couple of the Hasegawa "Scooters" and talk about a relaxing build.  I also received my wall mount display.  I snagged a Blue Angels squadron patch to glue onto it.

Stu: Sounds nice! I can't wait to see some pics!

Thanks for your answers, guys. I checked at SprueBros what decals sets they have left from Afterburner (just in case I find one I like) and found out that they have literally EVERY Afterburner set, but the one I want... However: After 1hour of intense searching on the interweb, I found a shop in Swizerland that had a single (!) set of those decals left!!! (yay!)

Cheers, Clemens

Hi Clemens,

The decal sheet you are looking for seems to be in stock at Flight Decs Aircraft Decals.  The link is below:

www.flightdecs.ca/A_afterburner_48.htm

Regards,

Rob

Thank you very much, Rob! I found one of those sets already, but I'll refer to that site if something goes wrong... (I hope not)

Cheers, Clemens

How's that Wildcat coming along??   I've not even touched the Tomcat in a week's time...

Mine? Haven't touched it. I'm still waiting for the replacement canopy...

New avatar, bud? I kinda miss the pony...

Cheers

Yep, it's time for Deadpool.  

I would have thought you had received that replacement kit by now... you did order another kit to get the canopy, yes?

Yes, I did, but it didn't arrive by now, although it should be here already...

I hope it's going to arrive next week. The Austrian postal service is really bad at delivering stuff from the UK (I ordered it at Hannants). My 1/48 IL-2 together with an Aires cockpit-set for a Phantom should be on it's way to me as well (IL-2 was on sale...)

Cheers, Clemens

The Phantom is not for this GB though, as I plan on using some special decals for it that don't match the rules... (It's no 'murican aircraft)

Hope that canopy arrives soon, Clemens. Does seem like it's been a long time. Probably seems longer to you!

Time for some progress pics I reckon...

I've been masking and painting. Totally clueless, but plugging along. The astute might notice I managed a glob at the cowling top. More days of waiting for drying, repairing, repaint, wait to dry. (Been doing a lot of that :) )

I'm not finding this part too terribly relaxing. Due to my inexperience, I'm worrying to much. Haven't messed up anything yet that I haven't been able to fix, but this coming together towards the end keeps me fussing. This is my first masking job, btw. I'm sure it shows! :)

I have had some trouble along the way with masking tape pulling off paint. That's my main concern at this point. We'll see, and if it does, I'll deal with it best I can.

Looks like things are moving along, Greg.  Masking is something ya get better at, the more ya do it.  And sometimes, ya have to do it twice.  Keep at it!

Here is Jimmy Thach's F-1 from VF-3, assigned USS Lexington in February, 1942.  Eleven more to come--but don't worry; not one-by-one.  I want to photograph them on board the Lex when I post the final pics.

Holy cow! This was good enough to show the boss. She says "Good job!"

I'm sort of speechless, but totally impressed, Checkmate.

Thanks for your ongoing encouragement, btw. :)

Checkmate: That is truly impressive, like Greg said already. It's looking better than my big one...

Greg: I'm not worried about masking and painting at all (or at least try to), just because I know that I make more mistakess if I do. I also rely on Eduard's masks for canopies to avoid mistakes.

Cheers, Clemens

Thanks, Greg and Clemens.  I hope to get the final photos of the whole VF-3 posted this weekend.  Been working on a "water" base for the Lexington.

SchattenSpartan

Greg: I'm not worried about masking and painting at all (or at least try to), just because I know that I make more mistakess if I do. I also rely on Eduard's masks for canopies to avoid mistakes.

Good and simple philosophy, Clemens. I shall try to implement that into my life, as well as my modelling!

I discovered Eduard masks. Timing of your comment is quite odd as i was finally applying the last one last night, and was thinking how in the case of my TBM (rough canopy to learn masking, methinks), I'd have been in a bad way without them for sure. Glad you mentioned Eduard, you have no way of knowing I had discovered them, and had I not, at this point I might have flown over and bought you dinner and all the bier you could drink.

Here are some group shots of the Trumpeter Wildcats.

The Gold Medal Models PE props were much easier to handle than the kit supplied parts.

Trumpeter's landing gear interpretation, I think, makes the planes stand too tall.  On the other hand, if the planes weren't that tall, the props might drag on the ground.

And a parting shot of the Wildcats in their natural environment, representing VF-3 on 20 February, 1942, on board USS Lexington, CV-2.  VF-3 was from USS Saratoga's nominal airgroup.

From fore to aft, lined up are: 

John S. "Jimmy" Thach (F-1) and his wingman Edward R. Sellstrom, Jr. (F-2);

Edward H. "Butch" O'Hare (F-15) and his wingman Marion W. Dufilho (F-4);

Onia B. Stanley (F-7) with wingman Leon W. Haynes (F-13);

John W. Wilson (F-9, killed in action); Howard L. Johnson (F-11, wounded in action);

Dale W. Peterson (F-5); F-6 was the assigned plane of Ens. Haynes, but he didn't apparently fly it that day--whoever did fly it is unrecorded;

F-8 (out of focus, last Wildcat portside) was assigned to Richard M. Rowell, Donald A. Lovelace's wingman, but Lovelace's assigned plane (F-7) was not flown by him that day; F-12 was assigned to John H. Lackey, but it is not recorded who flew it that day.

Lt. Cmdr. Thach and Ens. Haynes also flew F-13 at some point that day. 

On 20 February, 1942 O'Hare was credited with five Japanese bombers shot down, and received the Medal of Honor for his victories.

I took the pilot/plane information from John B. Lundstrom's The First Team, pp. 89 and 107.

Clemens, thank you for hosting this group build.  You've been a very attentive and hospitable host.  I appreciate the opportunity to participate. 

I will continue to enjoy everyone else's efforts, too! 

Those Wildcats look even better when you put all of them on one pic! The Lexington and it's base look awesome as well!

Any particular picture you want me to put on the 1st page? Just send me an E-Mail with the one yo prefer...

My Wildcat is here! Well, kind of. It is at my local post office, but it is closed on Saturday and Sunday, so I have to wait 'till Monday.. I can't wait to finally keep working on my kitten!

Cheers, Clemens

Just sent you a PM with the photo, Clemens.  If it doesn't work, just pick one to use.  Danke.

Had never considered it possible for a fleet looking as good as your gracing the deck of a scale model aircraft carrier, Checkmate. I agree, seeing the fleet (and in their native environment) is even cooler than the individual pics, which I hadn't thought possible. Your project, overall, is very impressive!

Clemens, glad to here the kit arrived! Bet you are too.

Greg

Good and simple philosophy, Clemens. I shall try to implement that into my life, as well as my modelling!

I discovered Eduard masks. Timing of your comment is quite odd as i was finally applying the last one last night, and was thinking how in the case of my TBM (rough canopy to learn masking, methinks), I'd have been in a bad way without them for sure. Glad you mentioned Eduard, you have no way of knowing I had discovered them, and had I not, at this point I might have flown over and bought you dinner and all the bier you could drink.

Eduard's masks are a bit tricky tu use at first, but you get the hang of it pretty qick. They are invaluable for me when I have to mask odd shapes, like the bubble canopy on the Thunderbolt. They are also a big help at masking some other stuff like this:

I don't know if you can see it that well in the pic, but it's the windshield of a P-47D (Razorback) with a layer of armored glass behind it. The glass was masked with Eduard masks (they provided one for each side). It took me less than 5 minutes to apply them AND spray the paint on there. The end result is a sharp edge without any risk of damaging the parts.

You can still come here if you want btw! I'd pay the dinner...

Checkmate: It is a pleasure hosting this GB with all you nice folks in here! You're welcome!

Cheers, Clemens

Thanks, Greg.  I appreciate the kind comments.  I have some Devastators for the Lex, too, squirreled away in an old candy box.  Those little individual cups keep the planes from knocking into each other.

I don't usually glue them to the flight deck; word has it on the ship forums that you can't ever dust them again if you do.

Got your pic of choice on the front page, CMK! That one would've been my choice as well!

I just got an E-Mail from WingsAndTracks (the shop I ordered the Afterburner Decals from):

They are available and ready to go!!! (last one of this particular decal sheet)

They will send them to me as soon as the recieve my payment (already sent them my money, so they will post them on Monday most likely)

I am so happy right now to have one of those sets on their way to me soon! It's almost like christmas...

Cheers, Clemens

Clemens, thanks for commenting further on the masks. My introductory masking job was not a piece of cake, the TBM turret. In fact, I finished the last of the masking yesterday and decided I chose a challenging kit for my first one back. I'd have given up on it by now were it not for the Eduard masks, I think.

That's a super-clean job on the armor plate! I don't have mine looking quite that clean, yet.

Just had a disappointment. Thought maybe I had the fuselage painting done. Some  paint pulled off from the tape, and I got too aggressive pushing my blu-tac/elmers tac stand offs down, and pulled some off there too. Oh well, a repair project for tomorrow. Kinda put a minor damper on sat night, though. :)

Suppose I'd better start listening to the folks who say to do a pre-sand to rough things up a bit. This is how we learn, right?

Good news is this build, and you guys, are teaching me that mistakes aren't necessarily the end of the kit.

Don't mean to whine, just figured it's only fair to share the failures as well as the triumphs.

Checkmate, you read my mind. I wondering if you were going to glue anything down. Thought not but never considered the deck cleaning issue! :)

Very impresseive work and project CMK. Those F$Fs look really good, and your projects captures the essence of this GB, for me.

Cheers

Tony

Just remember, Greg: No matter what you screw up in whatever way you can do it, it is still way better than my epic fails on the Wildcat! LOL (first the fingerprints, then the canopy...). I never had so much trouble with any Tamiya kit. I still love this little kit though. (although it's huge compared to Checkmate's kittens)

Thanks, Clemens.

I dunno, I've spent more time fixing mess-ups than building so far. :)

This is what I get for taking a 30 year leave of absence.

Not letting it get me down, just keep plugging away. Guess that's one of the lessons of this hobby I never quite learned as a kid!

PS: I've wondered, were it not for being a part of this group build, if I'd have followed my old kid-hood habit and shelved this and moved on to another one by now??? It's good to stick with it, and y'all are helping me learn to do that. :)

Greg

I dunno, I've spent more time fixing mess-ups than building so far. :)

You're not the only one...