Battle of Midway Group Build, 3 June, 2017 - 7 June, 2018

That they have.  This home opened a couple of years ago, with 150 beds.  All rooms are private, with bath/shower, TV, internet, etc..  Each unit has a kitchen and staff will fix whatever they want, as well as regulary scheduled meals. Each also has a dayroom with big flat screen.

The club has been meeting there every Thurs. night for a couple of hours, since March and once a month we do a Sat. build day with them for 4-5 hours.  We are hoping to get some of them interested in modeling as a way to pass the time and motor skill retention.

There are several kits that they aquired over time, and a few more have been donated, and the guys have a box with extra tools and such for them to use.  Of course all of us are ready to help or mentor as needed.

There are a few WWII vets, and they are getting the Korean and 'Nam guys now.  And not just men, we have a few ladies staying there as well.

This is the second home in the state (the other is on the Columbia River in The Dalles), with another going to be built in Roseberg.  This was the first one in the country to try the modular, and single room type of residence out, and everyone loves it, even the staff, and the vet/care staff ratio is fantastic, at around 6- 8:1 daily and about 12:1 at night.

I urge everyone to visit a Vet's home if there is one near you.  Most don't get many visitors, if any, and if you can draw them out a little.....oh the stories they have.  Has given me ideas for dios, that will never get done.

This sounds much better than many nursing facilities, goldhammer.  I'm glad for the vets that can experience improved care and treatment.

I've been acquainted with vets over the years from WWI through to the present Mideast conflicts, and they do have some interesting and harrowing tales to tell, when they're willing to talk about them.

Thanks for posting this.

As promised, some pics of slow progress.

Engine is done, I'm not going with the PE ignition wiring.  Would be an exercise in frustration for me.

Started on the seat, still have the belts and seat mounts to do and attach to the rear bulkhead.

Main gear bay consists of six fiddly pieces glued to the rear bulkhead of the gear bay.

Also a couple of pice of a Battle of Midway commemorative coin I got from CAF.

nice looking engine, goldhammer.  Very detailed.  

I've only built 1/72 Wildcats without the level of detail you're working with--so, what's the cage-like structure to the left in the first photo?

And that's a very sharp commemorative coin.  

Thanks, appreciated.  The cage piece is the main gear bay and rear bay bulkhead.  Still 4-5 pieces for the gear itself, besides the wheels and tires (which all 3 are nicely done and ready to hang, no additional work needed on them).   The ring on top is tied into the engine mount ring. Is all open when the gear is down and visible through the openings for the wheels.

Thought it was a nice bonus, considering the build.  Will probably mount it in the covered case for the model.

damouav

 

 

stikpusher

 

 

checkmateking02

Front page is updated with your Avenger, Damian.  Thanks for participating.

I wasn't aware that VT-8 had any Avengers at Midway.  I thought all the carriers were still flying Devastators, and the Avengers were based on the atoll.

Hope the mail speeds things up; waiting is tough.

 

 

 

 

 

The Avengers based on Midway were part of VT-8. They reached Hawaii too late to sail with Hornet when she left Pearl Harbor, so they were sent to Midway instead. Although they were the earliest -1 model, and not -1Cs. The TBF-1C did not enter battle until the Solomons campaign a year later, after their experience at Guadalcanal. Feedback from those fights brought the changes introduced into the -1C, namely two wing mounted .50s replacing the single cowl mounted .50.

 

 

 

 

My reasearch on the Grumman TBF Avenger didnt go beyond that they flew in the battle, but didnt go as far as the specific model designation per say, just that 6 flew in the battle itself, that they were land based on the atol.

So the model I'm building will be 95% accurate, as the 1C variant was not involved (Thanks for the clarification stickpusher). The markings should be if you can believe anything on the web...

If anybody can suggest some suplmentary research sites for me to brush up on the aiframe variation details I would be greatly appreciative.

Damian

 

Here is a link to a build of the Accurate Miniatures TBF-1C that was backdated to an early -1. It shows the mods needed to be made. Most of them at least. The rear cockpit also had a full set of flight controls that was discontinued after the first 50 aircraft.

http://imodeler.com/2017/06/midway-group-build-torpedo-8-grumman-tbf-1-avenger-148-accurate-miniatures-back-dated/

Thanks stikpusher much appreciated.

I will have a read.

Damian

goldhammer:  thanks for the explanation.  None of the 1/72 kits I've built have gone to that level of detail--probably, fortunate for me!

Thanks for this further information on the Avenger, stik.  Always appreciate your input!

One other thing on the Midway TBFs. Leave off the underwing Yagi radar antennas. I don't recall if the linked article mentions that or not, but radar had not yet been installed on any TBFs at that time. And the photos of 8-T-1 after the battle show no such antennas.

Check, put me down for the 1/72 Cyber Hobby Aichi D3A Type 99 Val.

There are some issues with the canopy and cockpit opening but I'm positioning the canopy open so most of the issues will be hidden. I am also placing the wingtips in the folded position. This will be a depiction of AI-201 off the Akagi June 1942 Midway Island attack.

I have pictures of the cockpit but they are on my other computer so I'll upload them later. The kit is going together nicely but there are some minor gap issues on the bottom.

The wings are on and I applied some Mr. Dissolved Putty.

stikpusher

One other thing on the Midway TBFs. Leave off the underwing Yagi radar antennas. I don't recall if the linked article mentions that or not, but radar had not yet been installed on any TBFs at that time. And the photos of 8-T-1 after the battle show no such antennas.

 

Thanks stikpusher, appologies for the delay in thanking you, been busy with another build log. 

Appreciate the additional information, I recived the kit today. So I will start looking at the changes required in the next couple of weeks when I finish my Corsair.

Steve:  done!  Build roster updated.  Thanks for another contribution to the GB.

kearsarge:  Welcome to the GB.  Glad to have your participation.  I've updated the build roster.  Thanks!

Didn't USS Kearsarge sink CSS Alabama?  Of course, not at Midway!

Thanks Check,

Here are the pics I said I would upload.

Very nice, Steve!

I finally got to start on my F2A Buffalo from VMF-221. I was going to model Capt (Later General) Marion Carl's bird since I met him a few times before his death. But researching I found out during the Battle he flew a Wildcat.

So I am doing 2nd Lt Charels Kuntz's bird from the 3rd Division MF 17. He was wounded but survived and went on to become an ace later in war. At Midway he was credited with 2 kills, both Aichi 99DBs.

This is the Tamiya kit, I had picked up an Eduard photoetch set for cheap at a show and decided to use it. My kit was warped in fuselage sides and both top and bottom wings,,,But super glue and coaxing seems to have fixed it.

Very nice work on the office and powerplant.   Got to wonder if one of the 99's he is credited with is MC's build.....

goldhammer

Very nice work on the office and powerplant.  

 

D 

tonka, that is an astonishing cockpit!  Outstanding and well-done!

MC - What great detail work you do at 1/72, I'm always in awe of your work, keep it up.

TONKA - That Buffulo your building is just A M A Z I N G, well done. Can't wait to see her finished.

Tonka, do you have a conversion set to make the Tamiya F2A-2 into a -3 ? That's the variant that VMF-221 flew off Midway.

Well, good ol Murphy struck again.....Somehow managed to lose a couple of pieces of the PE that go between the rudder pedals and the bottom of the IP after I had them bent and glued.  Had to order a new set, and it shipped today.  Hope that is all that befalls this big girl.

Aw, sorry to hear this, goldhammer.  Sometimes it looks like PE was born with wings.

Lots to catch up on here. Some really nice model building on display, great work guys.

goldhammer

As promised, some pics of slow progress.

Engine is done, I'm not going with the PE ignition wiring.  Would be an exercise in frustration for me.

Started on the seat, still have the belts and seat mounts to do and attach to the rear bulkhead.

Main gear bay consists of six fiddly pieces glued to the rear bulkhead of the gear bay.

Also a couple of pice of a Battle of Midway commemorative coin I got from CAF.

 

 

Really nice looking engine there GH, and thats a great item you have there with the coin.

Check- think it decided to stay with the vets last Thurs. night.

Bish - Thank you sir.

goldhammer

Check- think it decided to stay with the vets last Thurs. night.

Aw!  Probably hopeless finding it then.

For any of you having issues with photobucket, you can try this:

https://postimage.io/

I just signed up for an account and managed to post to the RAF GB, so it should work.

I received an email from photobucket today, and it appears you have to sign up for their "500 Plan" to enable 3rd party posting of pictures--at $399 per year.

I tried to reactivate an old "flikr" account I had, but it wants me to sign up for yahoo first.

Nah!   Things are getting complicated enough without another layer of stuff to sort through.

Anyway, hopefully we'll all be able to sort things out and get back to the plastic.