Gee whiz I love your idea there, I just pulled out and drooled over a couple of my Korean War subjects but I made a resolution to finish more stuff and start less.* I dunno, by the end of June maybe I'll be a little more free.

*One that I've already broken with ModelCrazy's Artillery GB...

I ran a 60th anniversary Korean War GB from 2010 to 2013 and we had a pretty good showing. I am a big fan on Cold War subjects myself. I am with Gamera on trying to finish up more of what I already have started before I commit to any more GBs. BUT, if you do get either one going and they are long running I will join up once I have cleaned my plate up a bit.

A GB with the idea of being about the Cold War is way too general.

A build that is based on "when the Cold War began" is interesting, but the date/ circumstances have to be understood. I'd suspect something like a "Berlin Airlift" GB could be really fascinating.

Or perhaps Cold War Berlin. That one city saw both sides put their new toys out for the other to see during the 40+ years of the Cold War. If any one geographic location can claim to be a focal point of the Cold War from beginning to end, it would truly be Berlin. From the original blockade and airlift to the fall of The Wall, while the Cold War itself could be worldwide at times, the symbolism was always there.

I've got a lot going right now too

What was going on in 1946? Why not plan for 1946 I do like the Berlin idea too

I'll have to do some research , I am getting a MASH helicopter. I looks to be fairly easy and I been wanting to do it for a while That's what brought this on.

OK, I can jump in at some stage with a 1/48 F9 Panther...

Theuns

1946- Operation Crossroads.

I watched a pretty hysterical movie last night: G.I. Blues starring you-know-who.

There's a five minute segment at the beginning with footage of Patton tanks in Germany, Elvis gets to blow up a farmhouse.

It's kind of poignant though, a bit of a fantasy about the lives of Occupation troops in 1964.

B-36 Peacemaker first flight August 8, 1946.

Must see movie: Strategic Air Command with Jimmie Stewart. Watch for Stan Musial in the opening scenes.

I am always partial to the doomsday accidental scenario Cold War movies: "Failsafe", "Dr. Strangelove", "The Bedford Incident", "By Dawn's Early Light"...

"Vous Sortez du Secteur Americain".

I think a GB based on the Occupying Forces in Germany could be really interesting.

Or even the Feldgendarmerie who were not disbanded until June 1946.

The first period 1945 until 1949, when the BRD and GDR were formed. Then the continuing occupation through to the 2 plus 4 Treaty in 1991. Berlin remained occupied by the Allies until Reunification in 1990.

GMorrison

"Vous Sortez du Secteur Americain".

I think a GB based on the Occupying Forces in Germany could be really interesting.

Me too

www.amazon.com/.../B005DO4RIY

I love it!!! Put it by a M48 or M103...

stikpusher

I am always partial to the doomsday accidental scenario Cold War movies: "Failsafe", "Dr. Strangelove", "The Bedford Incident", "By Dawn's Early Light"...

Aren't those a little depressing though??? Why not a fun Cold War movie with a dashing British agent and a beautiful Russian defector eh???

GMorrison: Those are awesome! I'm going to have to pick a few of those and maybe a Beetle too!

Daniela Bianchi! my favorite Bond girl ever! Black velvet choker oh my!

Lotte Lenya and Robert Shaw!

What a great movie!

Strangelove doesn't depress me.

"I'm not sayin' yer average Rooskie doesn't have a lot of damn balls! Lookit all them dead Nazzies!"

Terry Southern was a comic genius.

Oh the Bond movies are fun. But my idea of a truly fun Cold War movie at its best would have to be "The Right Stuff"

"It's called Sputnik!"

"We know! Sit down!"

"No it was not Senator. Our Germans are better zan zer Germans"

Classic stuff!

GMorrison: Yeah I think FRwL may tie 'You Only Live Twice' as my favorite Connery Bond film. And Doctor Strangelove was a riot, of course first time I saw it was year or two after the collapse of the USSR and the end of the Cold War.

SP: Hmmm, never really thought that much of 'The Right Stuff' as a Cold War movie, but it is one of my all time favorites. Have it on DVD and pull it out and watch it every now and again. A few years ago I got to stand on the pad where Gus Grissom, Roger Chaffee, and Ed White burned to death. Puts a bit of a lump in your throat.

"...not willing to resign itself to going to bed by the light of a communist moon."

"Dropping atom bombs on us like rocks from a freeway overpass".

Very true, Stik. It's kind of subtle in the movie, but the intent is clear.

My brother-in-law is an extra in the movie, a white coat at Ames.

I think the scene at the end with the NF-104 is one of the best alltime.

Only small quibble- Jack Ridley died in 1957 long before much of anything in the movie took place having to do with Mercury. Masters in Aeronautics from Cal Tech. Slacker...

Lovely movie though.

Golly, get me going on Levon Helm.

Gamera, next time you watch The Right Stuff, just watch for all the mentions of the Russians and the competition with them. The whole "Space Race" was another front of the Cold War, just like Berlin, Cuba, or other place where geopolitics intruded. From Yeagers X-1 flight news blackout to Glenn's orbital flight to compete with Titov or Yeagers NF-104 scene (implied as attempt to beat a Russian altitude record), they all have Cold War competition imputus.

And as you know from your visit to the Apollo 1 pad, the Space Race had fatalities on both sides. Cosmonauts and Astronauts died before the moon was finally reached. It was deadly serious business.

Boy I remember that night, the Apollo 1 fire. We all considered the thing kind of bulletproof up to then.

Nope, not arguing with you SP, there was probably as much or more to beating the Soviets as science in the space program. Guess I just tend to look more at the science and adventure aspects of the film though.  

Just like the Space Shuttles. Apollo 13 was a combination of inspired improvisation, determination, and luck to get those guys home alive. Talk about an unforgiving environment...

Gamera, it was all that and more. Until the Soviets fired the Sputnik opening shot, the US Space Program was a competition between the Air Force, Navy, and Civil sector with various methods planned to be used to achieve manned space flight. The X-15 was probably the only one that survived to go on as intended in the wake of Sputnik. And probably the ultimate craft to result from the X-1/Test Pilot concept and programs that the movie depicts. The "top of the pyramid", "the fastest man alive".

The day 13 came back the sound from I guess CBS was played live over the intercom in high school. We just sat there all morning and listened.

November 22, 1963 entirely another story. That one we were ordered not to move, all the teachers went into their cave for an hour. Later of course Mrs. Howdahl came out crying and sent us home. Our moms were all waiting at the curb to walk us home.

SP: Very true! I think I remember reading somewhere that the US Navy actually had the Vanguard satellite ready to go but was told to wait so the first artificial satellite would be civilian - who then fumbled around and allowed Sputnik to go up first.

I read a book on the Soviet program a few years ago and it was, well, eye opening. Their program made ours look like a well-oiled machine. The father of the Soviet space program, Sergei Korolev was sent to Siberia by Valentin Glushko, their number one engine builder. Needless to say the two men hated each other and spent much of their time trying to undercut the other. Meanwhile a third guy named Chelomey (sp???) had Khrushchev's nephew working for him and wasted billions of rubles on pie in the sky promises of space fighters and orbital fortresses out of a Bond movie.  

OK so I am totally confused now, is cold war stil featuring in this GB? Just want to know if a panther wil qualify.

Theuns

No GB so far. And the Panther probably won't qualify.