1944 Group Build

Hello Bish, Clemens and all.

Having just finished up a build for the NMF GB that Clemens is hosting, I'd love to join up with you all for my next effort:

I picked up a set of Barracuda's "Hell-Hawks" P-47 decals a few months ago, and am planning on building Neal Worley's Razorback, "Mortician's Delight" as it appeared while operating out of Chièvres, Belgium in October, 1944:

(borrowed from the outstanding www.hellhawks.org website)

Looking forward to diving in!

Blue

Just noticed the 2 different style tires in this photo... weeeeee!

I decided to change my Corsair to Eduard's P-38. It includes plenty of AM stuff and that nice Dragon scheme i showed you earlier, so I can build something that doesn't look like the cheapest effort ever ccmpared to your Corsair. Just kidding, the real reason behind this is my urge to finally build this kit!

Regarding reference material: Are there any books about the Thunderbolt you can recommend?

Joe: Let me express what I think about that:

Wow, that's a LOT of AM goodness in one place! I'd be a very happy camper if I had just 1/4th of the reference books you got there! This simply has to be a great build!!!

The Corsair isn't quite my favorite aircraft, but it comes pretty close to being it (although nothing can top my beloved P-47...)

OPP's, wrong thread.

Nice collection of AM and references there Joe.

Thanks Allen. How's the P-38 coming along?

Joe that is going to be spectacular to watch come together with all those goodies.  It is my favourite aircraft as well, and I look forward to seeing you bring it to life.

Allen

Alright Gentlemen, It's time to get things warmed up here. Here's my pre-game pics of my Corsair and the plethora of goodies to go with it. It is uncertain as to whether I will use all of these on this kit. I really don't get a whole lot of bench time and it takes me about a year to complete one 1/48 scale aircraft. Thus, the amount of AM stuff I put into this will be determined by the amount of time I have to use it in order to make the GB deadline. This kit has been at the top of my build list since I came back to the hobby 5 yrs ago. It is my favorite aircraft. My father flew the Corsair, along with pretty much every naval aircraft, as a flight instructor out of Pensacola NAS  during the war and in the Naval Reserve after. So, this is a tribute to my father to finally build an F4U Corsair. So, I should note that I want to do this kit justice and if in the process I am unable to complete this by the GB deadline and not obtain a badge I will be okay with that. But, I will give it my very best effort. Thanks again everyone for letting me share this build with you.

My reference library for the F4U Corsair. Did I mention that I Love this plane?

Yes, it was based in Burma in 1944.

Now that's a nice scheme Clemen's. Is that a Pacific based aircraft.

Thanks Joe and Clemens!

I'm going to try and finish assembly of the pit this weekend so I can give it a wash.  I'm also planning to assemble the kit's cockpit so I can compare the two and hopefully will be able to prevent fit issues later on down the road.

I love the Dragon's paint scheme!

Allen

Greg: Looking like a good start!

Viejo: I got you added to the build list. Nice work!

Allen: Great looking cockpit! Nice detail painting going on there!

Joe: I have one of Eduard's Limited Edition P-38s as well, but It's the "Early Lightnings" kit. I'm actually really tempted to build her instead of the Hellcat... There are masks for a really nice color scheme included as well:

Allen, understood. I have only ever seen them in OD, but US aircraft are not my specialty, so maybe someone with more knowledge will now better. But OD would make sense as I am sure they had plenty of it.

Joe, its a nice collection of builds there isn't there. I am proud of my build, but compared to those other's, I think I have some way to go on WW1 aircraft.

Hey Allen, That's a great start you've got off to there. You have done a really nice job on painting and detailing the cockpit. I'm looking forward to watching you build this P-38. I have that kit in my stash with some AM parts. Then I got the Eduard special edition European Theatre which is a reboxing of this kit with an Eduard Brassin set which is simply stunning. So, I'll be building the Eduard rebox first.

Bish: I too got my FSM and what can I say but, NICE!!!!

Hi Bish,

Thanks for the compliment. Re: the anti glare panel l, I should have specified. I wasn't sure as to the colour, whether olive drab or black.

Allen

Thanks William. I nearly had kittens when I opened it. She got me two other kits as well, none of which are what I would normally choose. But all that rigging made me winch, while still trying to look grateful. But like many things in the hobby, its not as bad as you think it will be. Go for it, just take your time.

Nice work there Allen. I think most USAAF aircraft in NMF had those anti glare panels, so it would make sense.

Hi all,

Here's the first bit of progress on my P-38.  I am still nit picking here and there, and have some more parts to add and some paint work to tidy up, but it's a start.  As I mentioned, this cockpit set is vague, instruction wise but it is the first time I've tried a cockpit detail kit, so that may be the norm.

I'm still waiting for the decal sheet that I ordered, although I won't be needing it for a while.  Any example that I've been able to find of the particular plane I'm doing has it sporting Olive Drab anti glare panels, so unless I can find something definitive to the contrary, that's what I'll be doing.

I will post more as I move forward.

Allen

Looking good William. Eager to see that V-2 painted.

David

Got my issue today! Dang Bish you (or your wife)  picked a hard 1st WW1 build! I've got a eduard dva that I'm afraid to start and that's nothing compared to your kit! Congrats on getting published!

So far I'm impressed with the kit.  VERY clean molding and no flash whatsoever.  The rocket body consists of two halves, a three part rocket motor and the four fins.

The most effort of the build will be the launch platform.  It's got a bunch of tiny parts, and somehow I want it to look like it's been used more than once.

Just got back from Hobby Lobby with the rattle can flat white I need, and I picked up a Tamiya weathering kit with snow, soot and rust.  Now I can do the bottom half of the rocket body paint, the weathering kit is hopefully for the launch stand.

Nice work on the V-2. How is it to build. I have been eyeing up the camo kit they do.

Seems like you need adding to the roster, I am sure SS will get to it next time he is on.

It's the new year, time to start....

First, Sorry Charlie, I put the Spirit back in the box for the time being...

Then, I got to open the new box for the group build.....

And progress thus far has brought me to seams.....

That's Charlie, stuck on the med bottle in the background kinda keeping an eye on things..... 

Looking forward to it Grey Snake.

Well, you learn something new every day Greg. I normally prefer to do my own. But I do have two Dragon kits with the Zimm on. I will be doing one, a Panther, for the D-day GB, which is handy as it will save some time.

Bish: They have a few others besides the late Tiger I.  They also have the following kits with zimmerit:

• SD.KFZ. 171 Panther ausf.A which includes add-on zimmerit (kit 270)
• 38 cm RW 61 auf Sturmmörser Tiger (kit 299)
• BergeTiger kit may also have zimmerit (kit #?)

Just waiting to finish a couple builds before I start on my Typhoon.

Zimmerite. It was an anti magnetic coating that the Germans applied to their tanks between about Sept 53 to Sept 44. Its that rough surface you can see on the dies front and back of Greg's Tiger.

Greg, I didn't realise Italeri did pre Zimmed kits, I thought that was only Dragon.

Hmmm, What is zimm'd ?

Thanks

Bush: yup, it's pre-zimm'd, except the turret, which has 2 additional pieces wrap around each side of the turret.