First Annual USAF Vietnam Group Build

Hi, Ken,

Glad you were finally able to cross that threshold. Not much we can say to ease your pain; only time can reduce the hurt. Hang in there, bud. The pictures sound great! Post some copies on the thread when you feel up to it.

Cheers,

Russ

Hi Everyone,

I just came home from my Mom's house.  I am finally feeling up to cleaning up my Dad's bedroom.  He passed away a little over three years ago.

I brought home a couple of pictures he had hanging on his wall.  One is of a C-5A Galaxy.  The other is a composite called "The Airlifters of Lockheed-Georgia", which has pictures of C-5s, C-141s, and C-130s.  My Dad was a flight engineer on the C-141A and C-5A.  Nice pictures to add to my collection hanging on the wall of my "Man Cave"! 

Ken

Hi Everyone,

I found some great decals for anyone who is interested in doing an 1/48 scale RF-101C from the 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron "Polka Dots" while stationed at Tan Son Nhut AB between 1968 and 1970.  These are on eBay and listed as "Buy Now" so no bidding wars.  They are brand new from Print Scale Decals.  Price and shipping is very good.  Decals are for eight different aircraft.  Here is the link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/130956499055?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 

You can build a 1/48 RF-101C by using a Revell 1/48 F-101B kit along with the C & H Aero conversion kit or the Koster Aero Enterprises conversion kit.  Or rumor has it that Kitty Hawk is planning on building the entire Voodoo family, but you will have to wait to see.  Currently they are working on the F-101A version with no set release date.

Ken

Hi Everyone,

I found a great link to a website.  It is called "Forgotten Jets", and it has an extensive database of military aircraft (jets of course!) grouped by type and listed by serial number.  It has some detailed information about it's history and current location along with a picture in most cases.  Here is a link:

http://www.millionmonkeytheater.com/ForgottenJets.html 

Pretty cool!

Ken

GreySnake

Ken, that's a shame about those exhausts. Now I'm going to be checking my aftermarket parts all the time.

Getting ready to work on the F-105 this weekend Thinking about ordering some resin seats since the kit ones are basic. Or I might just throw the pilots in the pit. One thing this an old issue of the kit and the decals don't look so good. I've been searching around for F-105G decals and keep coming up short. Apart from a sheet in Canada that's $35 and no way I'm I spending that much! Anyone know of any sites that carry the decals? 

I have looked and can't believe that I cannot find any!  Zotz makes some for 1/32 scale which is weird that they don't have any for 1/48 scale.  Eagle Strike Productions made a set but they are out of production now.  You may find them on eBay occasionally.  I agree $35 is ridiculous especially when you can buy a whole kit with the decals at that price!

Ken

Ken, that's a shame about those exhausts. Now I'm going to be checking my aftermarket parts all the time.

Getting ready to work on the F-105 this weekend Thinking about ordering some resin seats since the kit ones are basic. Or I might just throw the pilots in the pit. One thing this an old issue of the kit and the decals don't look so good. I've been searching around for F-105G decals and keep coming up short. Apart from a sheet in Canada that's $35 and no way I'm I spending that much! Anyone know of any sites that carry the decals? 

Striker8241

Good grief, Ken! You've gone through hell with these things. You might be able to fix the length difference but there's no way to correct the difference in diameter. I'd rake them over the coals. That's unforgivable!

Russ

I just wish that I had caught it before I put them together.  It is something I will always check in the future!  Another lesson learned!   

Ken

Good grief, Ken! You've gone through hell with these things. You might be able to fix the length difference but there's no way to correct the difference in diameter. I'd rake them over the coals. That's unforgivable!

Russ

Hi Everyone,

As careful as I thought I was I didn't see this until tonight.  Chalk this up to another lesson in experience.

I began working on the fitting the other exhaust to the left fuselage and noticed that it was fitting differently.  First I will show off how nice they look from behind when they are simply placed inside with the fuselage and lower wing fitted together:

Notice anything odd in that picture? 

Give up?

If you noticed, the left exhaust is larger in diameter than the right.  If you didn't notice, take a closer look and you will see it.

Actually, it is only the exhaust nozzles that are different.  They are also different heights!   I don't know if Eduard Brassin had a different batch of resin for each one that shrunk differently or the molds didn't match.  Here are the pictures that shows the differences:

In this first one you can see the difference in height:

 And in these next two you can see the difference in diameter.  This first one shows the one side matched up even with each other:

 And without touching anything I took another picture from the other side and you can see how the one on the bottom is wider than the one on the top:

 The length difference is even more noticeable than the diameter when I have them mounted inside the fuselage.

I am going to find the contact information for Eduard Brassin and see if I can get replacement nozzles.  Of course it will be a major undertaking to repair since I have epoxied the nozzles into place.

Ken 

Hi Russ. We will be somewhere in th Boulder/Loveland area hopefully. Depends where my wife finds a job. I'm a road cyclist so I've spent a lot of time training and racing in the hills above Boulder, beautiful area. Heading out next week to look at a few of the towns and see what's going on. My only rule for our new house is that it have a suitable modeling area! :-)

jbell30

2 weeks will give me plenty of time to get the bench cleared........way to set the bar with those cans Ken........I lived in that great state 20 years to long, then i got smart.  Granted it is a gorgeous state.  

 

Jon

Thank you for the compliment Jon, I appreciate it!

Ken

Kiwi

Here is my update - My kits and tools are spread across a number of U-haul boxes as my wife and I prepare to move from Michigan to Colorado over the next month or so.

Good luck on your move, Kiwi. I was stationed in Colorado Springs for a year back in 1975. It's really beautiful out there. Where in Colorado are you moving to?

Russ

Kiwi

Looking good Ken! Such a beautiful aircraft. You're obvously taking some liberties with the sequence of building the plane? How many of you guys ignore the instructions and do stuff that makes more sense in terms of the order of assembly? I love building cockpits so I naturally jump to that first but always find myself backtracking to do things in a more logical sense than what the directions suggest. I still have much to learn...

Here is my update - My kits and tools are spread across a number of U-haul boxes as my wife and I prepare to move from Michigan to Colorado over the next month or so. Unfortunately I won't be able to build a whole lot until September but I am putting together a folio of research materials and listing out my construction steps and parts I need to acquire in the mean time. Getting excited!

Thank you for the compliments Tim!

Actually, since I am using aftermarket exhaust, I have to "modify" the instructions.  I am using a lot of aftermarket parts on my kit so I just about have to throw the instructions out the window!   

Moving?  Did a fair share of that while my Dad was in the USAF.  I have never been to Colorado.  Don't worry about when you are able to start, there is no rules about that!

Ken

Striker8241

That's really looking cool, Ken! Be sure and post a view up those stove pipes when you get the other one in place .  

Russ

10-4 on that Russ!  Thanks!

Ken

2 weeks will give me plenty of time to get the bench cleared........way to set the bar with those cans Ken........I lived in that great state 20 years to long, then i got smart.  Granted it is a gorgeous state.  

Jon

Looking good Ken! Such a beautiful aircraft. You're obvously taking some liberties with the sequence of building the plane? How many of you guys ignore the instructions and do stuff that makes more sense in terms of the order of assembly? I love building cockpits so I naturally jump to that first but always find myself backtracking to do things in a more logical sense than what the directions suggest. I still have much to learn...

Here is my update - My kits and tools are spread across a number of U-haul boxes as my wife and I prepare to move from Michigan to Colorado over the next month or so. Unfortunately I won't be able to build a whole lot until September but I am putting together a folio of research materials and listing out my construction steps and parts I need to acquire in the mean time. Getting excited!

That's really looking cool, Ken! Be sure and post a view up those stove pipes when you get the other one in place .  

Russ

I just realized that we have exactly two weeks until the "official" start of this group build!  Pretty cool! 

Ken

Hi Everyone!

I thought about the exhaust and how it was going to fit inside after the fuselage halves were together and so I decided to try a test fit.  I was glad I did.  It turned out that 7mm cut was not enough!  I needed to make another notch.  Here is how it turned out:

 Here is what it looks like with the exhaust in place:

Tomorrow night I will work on the left side.

Ken 

Son Of Medicine Man

Hi Everyone,

I am still recovering from a hornet sting I got late Sunday afternoon.  I had to be taken to the hospital by way of an ambulance.  Obviously I am very allergic to them.  My right arm is still swollen to the max and really hurts.  I don't feel like doing anything except laying on the couch.  I hope it gets better by tomorrow.

Ken

Ouch, sorry to hear that, Ken! Hate those things!  Hope you get over it real soon.

Russ

Single seater C variant.

Hope you are feeling better soon Ken, that sounds nasty.

Tim

Hi Everyone,

I am still recovering from a hornet sting I got late Sunday afternoon.  I had to be taken to the hospital by way of an ambulance.  Obviously I am very allergic to them.  My right arm is still swollen to the max and really hurts.  I don't feel like doing anything except laying on the couch.  I hope it gets better by tomorrow.

Ken

Son Of Medicine Man

Kiwi

Given there are 12 short months to complete this task, may I enter a second build? I'd like to build my 1/48 Hasegawa USAF F-104 Starfighter. This time I am sure it is actually a USAF kit with USAF Vietnam squadron appropriate decals and parts (unlike my USN Skyraider that will require some modifications).

The 104 is my good friend/adopted grandfather Terry's favorite plane. He was USMC Force-recon in Vietnam and often talks fondly of the USAF 104's and their "air-shows". Hopefully this kit will find itself displayed in his home upon completion.

Sure thing Kiwi, no problem.     I will update page 1. 

Ken

By the way Kiwi, is that a F-104C or F-104D?  I put down a F-104C.  The C was a single seater and the D was a two seater.

Ken

Kiwi

Given there are 12 short months to complete this task, may I enter a second build? I'd like to build my 1/48 Hasegawa USAF F-104 Starfighter. This time I am sure it is actually a USAF kit with USAF Vietnam squadron appropriate decals and parts (unlike my USN Skyraider that will require some modifications).

The 104 is my good friend/adopted grandfather Terry's favorite plane. He was USMC Force-recon in Vietnam and often talks fondly of the USAF 104's and their "air-shows". Hopefully this kit will find itself displayed in his home upon completion.

Sure thing Kiwi, no problem.     I will update page 1. 

Ken

Given there are 12 short months to complete this task, may I enter a second build? I'd like to build my 1/48 Hasegawa USAF F-104 Starfighter. This time I am sure it is actually a USAF kit with USAF Vietnam squadron appropriate decals and parts (unlike my USN Skyraider that will require some modifications).

The 104 is my good friend/adopted grandfather Terry's favorite plane. He was USMC Force-recon in Vietnam and often talks fondly of the USAF 104's and their "air-shows". Hopefully this kit will find itself displayed in his home upon completion.

Thanks for the welcome, Ken

Now, I have to get off the dime and get the decals,,,,,,,,as I said in PM, Berny always preferred the Hasegawa kit over the Fujimi,,,,,so, even though I prefer the Fujimi, I will build the Hasegawa (the 500 tiny bits tooling, lol) for him.

All four colors of the main camo will be Aeromaster Acrylics, the decals will be from Mark S' WolfPack , and ummm, the underwing weapons will be made of "thin air", unless I find an ECM pod prototype that I can make and hang on an innerwing pylon

I would like to extend a big welcome to an old modeling friend, Rex (aka TarnShip).  Rex will be building an RF-4C Phantom II that another fellow modeling buddy was a crew chief of during the Vietnam War.  His name was Berny.  Berny passed away about 1 1/2  years ago from cancer.

Rex, welcome aboard, it is good to have you along!   

Ken

Striker8241

Ahh, thanks for clarifying that, Ken. First time I've seen a hook deployed .

Russ

You are most welcome Russ.  I didn't know it either until I got the Eduard Brassin exhaust kit and looked it up.  In fact, I almost clipped off the "extra hook" from the tail hook thinking it was excess resin!   

Ken

Ahh, thanks for clarifying that, Ken. First time I've seen a hook deployed .

Russ

Striker8241

Ok, well I'm confused. The hook looks like it's latched up inside. What is the purpose of the two prongs that are sticking out?

Russ

If you saw the tail hook while it was down, you would see another hook extending at the top of it at the end.  Here is a link to a picture of a Navy bird with the tail hook down.  The USAF birds tail hooks were exactly the same.

http://m2.i.pbase.com/o2/30/814230/1/106162252.VP8BaAbP.IMG_3934copy.jpg

That part goes into the mechanical up latch.  Since the tail hook could also swing to the left and right, the upside down "V" shaped prongs were there to help guide the hook into the up latch.

Ken