Hey John she looks terrific! I'm on the work PC now- I'll get you posted when I get home.

Gamera,

  I finally got a picture of my finished Ki-84 Frank for the front page.

John

Tal Afar Dave

-Stick- your sub looks great!!

-Gamera- for us Johnny come Latelys, when does the Japanese GB IV start????

TAD

Dave: I started the first of the year, so you can begin anytime you want. In fact Nomad53 has already finished his model! 

-Stick- your sub looks great!!

-Gamera- for us Johnny come Latelys, when does the Japanese GB IV start????

TAD

SP: Just posted you to the front page, if you want to change out the photo when you finish the antenna just lemme know.

BSY, thank you for your kind words.

Gamera, I am in no rush. I know it's done... aside form painting the stand and trying to figure out a way to create the antenna array... it has a very unusual configuration and is sort of like a windsock in appearance...

SP: I'll get you posted soon as I get a chance okay?

Excellent last build for the GB 

Your touch for submarine finish is great Stik!

Yes, I wanted it to look used, but not abused. Some marine growth on the hull, but not excessive since she went from Japanese Home waters, to Hawaii, and then the Southern California Coast all the space of about four weeks after being freshly painted for the Hawaiian Operation.

Looks fantastic SP! I love the rust on the hull, there but not overdone.

Ok, I took a few more photos of the I-19

Excellent updates on the sub Stik :) seems really... Real !

Cliff going to sign up for the fourt GB :)

Tal Afar Dave

Hey Cliff,

That would be great!  Sign me back up!!!

TAD

Sure you got it!

SP: Looking forward to the new photos, I can see quite a bit of detail there in those photos, really want to see it in more detail there though!

Stick,

I can see this beast carving a swath through the night time fog, near a pier amusement park, somewhere off the coast of California......still looking for John Wayne's house!!

Hooorrreeewoooooo!!

TAD

Hey Cliff,

That would be great!  Sign me back up!!!

TAD

yes, please... I will be back home on Saturday here so will try to get better ones done then...

SP: Looks pretty much done and a nice job too! I'll wait till you get the new photos to post her if ok by you.

Ok, I am sliding I-19 in under the wire here. I actually finished the last bits of work (final weathering and prop screws added) yesterday morning and got these photos taken before I went to work yesterday. But I had not time to upload and post them until now. And as usual, a rushed photo job shows here... only about half came out halfway decently...

So here she is in the guise of her first war patrol in December 1941 while operating off the California Coast in the Santa Barbara/Los Angeles Harbor area, I-19...

I will try to get some better photos up in a few days, But I am off here shortly on a family road trip...

TAD: Don't worry about it, actually JGB IV starts today, I can 'roll over' your Val to it if you like?

Hey Cliff,

Once again, I got struck down by the flu on my last "big" break of the year in which I hoped to finish up my Val.  Needless to say, it didn't happen,  So, I'll be watching for Japanese GB IV.

To all the guys on the board, it's been a pleasure watching your builds gentlemen.  I've learned quite a bit from just hanging out on the boards and watching your projects.  Really nice work all the way around.  Thanks for sharing your talents!!

Happy New Year to everyone!!

TAD

Thanks stikpusher for the info.

Thanks SP, that's some interesting information right there!

Tom68

I never was able to find any info on the tail number T2 197 other than a few sketchey opinions that it was involved in the Yamamoto mission.  I usually like to learn a little more on my subjects.  If anyone knows anything I'd love to hear it.

OK, I pulled out my Osprey book on IJNAF Aces. T2 197 was assigned to the 204th Naval Air Group out of Rabaul. I had the 197 confused with with A6M3 Model 32 T2 169, which was flown by Warrant Officer Kenji Yanagiya, the sole member of the Yamamoto Escort flight to survive the war (all survived the mission, but were expected to "redeem themselves" by death in combat due to their failure to protect Yamamoto that day). 

here is  a link to the Wiki article on Yanagiya with an excerpt from his flight log showing the different Zeros that he flew in that time period.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenji_Yanagiya

(sorry I can not hot link it but my desktop and this site have not betting getting along fully lately)

So, 197 was part of the unit which provided the Zeros on the Yamamoto shoot down flight, and may or may not have been there that day. 

Apologies if my sketchy opinion was not quite on target.

Merry Christmas guys ,best wishes and build more Japanese kits :)

Merry Christmas guys!

And here's hoping 2015 will be a great year!

Thanks, I'm trying! 

Cliff... Ive lived here the most of my life and still find it baffling!  LOL... Its not an easy city to navigate,  and the drivers are some of the most aggressive Ive ever encountered.  Again, continue getting better!

Hey Doug & TAD, thanks guys!

Doug: I've driven though Atlanta about a half-dozen times and frankly find it baffling, both the street layout and the road signs. I guess if I lived there it wouldn't be that big a deal though.

Glad you made it back to the land of the living, Cliff!!  You can keep Atlanta and all that crazy traffic!!!  Had enough of that when I was stationed at Ft. Benning and occasionally "commuted" back home to Va.

Heal up quick!!

TAD