TUSKEGEE AIRMEN GROUP BUILD

Not a problem bro-- I am glad I was able to help. I replied to your email-- I suggest you pick up Irfanview (http://www.irfanview.com/) and that should solve your camera woes....anyone here can help you get set up from there... you have my email

Nice Jug, Didfal!! Where did you find pics of a TA Thunderbolt? - Calvin

The kit is Testors P-47 (#530). I can be built as either a 'Razorback' or 'Bubbletop'. It's designed to built as either Gabreski's BT or Lt. Pruitt's RB.
Thanks for the comments, but it really is a model!

didfal try www.tinypic.com it isnt an album but it'll do ya for now

Ok, everyone I have an update and a question. My question is: those of you that built or are building the Academy 1/72 Mustang, did the rear tank/radio structure get in the way when you went to put the fuselage halves together? They sure did on mine! I can't believe I missed it dryfitting everything. I should be OK but man! What a scare![:0] Here's my update and you'll see what I'm talking about.





Also, I noticed when I went to dryfit the wing halves that the trailing edges had a gap between them. I don't think you can see it in the pic but I managed to sand down the port wing to where there was no gap. I still have to do the starboard wing ( the port one took me about an hour, hopefully the stbd one will be quicker! )


Hope everyone else is doing great! - Calvin

didfal:
ur P-47 looks great, sorry i've taken so long 2 post a comment...

Calvin:
a close call w/ the fit problem... it didn't crop up on my academy p-51c,
thank goodness...
i hope ur build is going better now !
looking forward 2 more pix !

2 all my fellow builders:
there have been some fantastic builds posted here, & if nobody
minds, i'd like 2 link the completed pix 2 each builder's listing
in the first post as a kind of gallery, so that folks don't have 2
search out the pix...

i'm still working on my p-51c, ever so slowly....
hopelessly behind the , as always !!!!

frosty

Frosty, when I do finish this kit it would be great if you can do that! - Calvin

Sounds like a plan; I'm in!

Phew...just finished my second build today after a week away from it all...here is the ride of the only Tuskegee ace-- Lee "Buddy" Archer's "INA the Macon Belle". This is the Tamiya 1/48 kit, with some AM resin which really didn't fit- and decals created by Warbird Decals.





And a close-up of the Hep Cat that was on his and his buddy Pruitt's ride "Alice Jo". Basically-- these two pilots were from the big cities... I believe one was from NYC and one from Chicago...and at that time most of the Airmen were from more rural origins-- so these two were dubbed the Hep Cats due to their urban influences...


It's been a pleasure doing this build with you all-- my thanks goes especially to frosty for starting a build so near and dear to my heart. I look forward to seeing all the other builds and helping out with research info when I can!

Nice job Mike. That bird was my 2nd choice to do for these build

Thad

Thanks Thad.... it sure was quite a build....glad to see this one behind me

Jeeves:
glad 2 give u a reason 2 build more red tailed birds !!!!
INA looks sweeeeeet ! the zoot suiter is my fave part of that scheme,
u can do either Topper iii or INA w/ the decals in the academy kit, &
i have been having a hard time deciding which a/c 2 do in the end,
mainly because of how much i like the Hep Cat. i guess i'll have 2
get a 2nd kit eventually so i can do the other scheme, whichever 1
i choose !
was the noseband striping a decal ? if so, i'll bet it was tough 2
get on there... the dread of that particular decal in the academy kit
is a good reason 2 go w/ Topper iii !!!

my little bro & i started on the testors 1/72 texan kit, & got most of it
put together... in a landmark moment, i was able 2 convince him 2
paint the 2 figures that come w/ the kit in more appropriate colors
than the silver basecoat... all went well until we tried 2 paint the wings,
the top surface of the wing is yellow w/ red wingbands & the undersurface
is silver, & cowl & tail surfaces r red...
we have painted & stripped this little devil 3x now & i have
basically abandoned the idea that we will get the yellow 2 cover evenly
w/o slathering it on so thickly that the rivets & panel lines disappear
completely... how do people do those lovely colorful prewar schemes
w/ yellow wings & get them 2 look so good ?
on the plus side, i've learned that pine-sol works really well
as a paint stripper, LOL !
i'm trying 2 decide whether 2 order p/e details 4 the 'pit of the p-51c,
so that build is stalled while i do my usual dithering...

frosty

Thanks frosty.... as far as which to build-- well-- either one has a nose band....Topper III had the blue and white checkerboard pattern...so I guess it's a done deal either way ;) In my case-- yes I did use the decal from the aftermarket set...I couldn't see myself attempting to mask that one and coming away from it sane.....

Besides-- I had two copies of the band- so I had one to fall back on if I needed it Just use lots of Microset and Sol and it'll cinch right in tere for you....

Hi all I'm afraid that time is against me for the rest of the year and I'm going to have to drop out of the build. Congrats on all the superb work everybody has produced so far.

Thad I'll drop you an email so that I can find out your address is and then I'll be able to mail back the decals you sent me.

Cheers

Sorry to hear that Darren But i do know how things get when it comes to time or lack of time

QUOTE: Originally posted by Jeeves Thanks frosty.... as far as which to build-- well-- either one has a nose band....Topper III had the blue and white checkerboard pattern...so I guess it's a done deal either way ;) In my case-- yes I did use the decal from the aftermarket set...I couldn't see myself attempting to mask that one and coming away from it sane..... Besides-- I had two copies of the band- so I had one to fall back on if I needed it Just use lots of Microset and Sol and it'll cinch right in tere for you....

Jeeves:
i guess i'll stick w/ Topper iii, since no-one has done that one yet...
& then i'll have a/c from 3 out of the 4 TA squadrons !
academy decals r not the greatest, so i'm still dreading the moment
i have 2 apply the noseband. if it works, great... if not, then i guess i'll
try the INA noseband.
wish me luck !

frosty

QUOTE: Originally posted by darson Hi all I'm afraid that time is against me for the rest of the year and I'm going to have to drop out of the build. Congrats on all the superb work everybody has produced so far. Cheers

darson:
sorry 2 hear that u r dropping out of the build...
remember that this build is open-ended,
w/ no finish date, so perhaps u can come back
at a later time when things r not so busy 4 u.
either way, best wishes !

frosty

Looking forward to seeing your progress frosty! Good luck! I did the same thing for each of my builds-- my P-40 is from the 99th, the P-39 is from the 100th, the Jug is from the 301st, and INA of course is the 302nd

I hope to enter them nxt year as a Theme build and have each of the 4 squadron's insignias added to the bases!

Sorry to hear that Darson! I am starting to make a bit of progress on the T/A 'Stang. I managed to get the wings, forward fuselage and tail halves together. The tail is attached to the forward fuselage and I'm now in the process of smoothing the seams to try and do a passable NMF! If I don't get too distracted this weekend I hope to start that process. Wish me luck!
BTW, congrats Mike! Great looking build! - Calvin

Thanks Calvin... always get a little anxious when I do a NMF....happy to see this one turned out pretty well!

here's a couple of WIP pix of the Texan:


i asked the family whether i should give up on trying 2 get the
yellow wings rite... my little sis (6 years old) said: 'if at first u don't
succeed, try, try again!'... i did, & it looks better now (only my 4th try, LOL)
hit it w/ another couple of thin coats of yellow after these pix were taken
2 even out the finish on the leading edge of the wings a bit more...
the wings, elevator & canopy r dry-fitted here, but it looks like django
(my bro) will b able 2 finish putting it together this weekend !

frosty

Well,... I see everyone else has been doing REALLY great work!! I got a job as a Art Dept Manager and NEVER have time gfo rthe hobby these days..that and I started a Trumpeter 1/32 P-40 and have NOT put it down. Very nioce kit.
I plan on finishing up my 1/48 Tuskeegee "JUG" now that I have been back here.
I will post images to my own site, and add a link in-line here.

mattinhouston:
congrats on the new job !
looking forward 2 seeing another TA 'Jug' one of these days,
when u get the chance !

frosty

anyone still building 4 this one besides me ?
the p-51c & texan r moving along very slowly,
not being able 2 post pix has been a drag on my
motivation but i will keep plugging away & hopefully
have something else done soon...
i was trying 2 link some of the finished builds 2 the builder's list,
but it doesn't seem 2 b working 4 some reason.

frosty

Frosty, my Academy P-51 is still on the bench! But with a couple of GB's finishing up I hadn't had a chance to work on it The Military Cargo GB will be finishing up this week and once I get my HEMMT refueler done I will be breathing a bit easier with only about 1/2 dozen kits in work! I'll be working on a 1/32 Bf-109 at the same time so hopefully I won't mix-up too many parts! - Calvin

same here... real life got to me recently with a schedule and responsibility change (and more money! ) and I've been trying to find time on the bench. In addition I had the burnout of multiple builds (way too many) going on at once so now I am taking it easy and going for one at the time. I still plan to build mine, if it is too late for the end of the GB I will still try to post it.

Did anyone else catch this Sunday's "War Stories with Oliver North" on Fox News?? I only seen the last 20 minutes or so in my chow hall but it looked to be a really good documentary. I plan on getting ahold of Fox to see if I can purchase a tape of that show. - Calvin

Calvin - I didnt see that one... what was it about? (besides the obvious)

Happy Birthday by the way!

Thanks Tom! But how did you know?? Was it the "Nearing over-the-hill" bumper sticker on my '83 Toyota Corolla that gave it away? - Calvin

I wanted to bring this up to the top again for three reasons...

1. In case there are those who are still building and I didn't want to see them forgotten...

2. I seem to have gone a little crazy cleaning at Photobucket and lost all my pics-- so here are some newer ones:

99th FS P-40L "Ace of Pearls" flown by Herman "Ace" Lawson:


301st FS P-47D-- Unnamed....


100th FS P-39Q "Quanto Costa" flown by Samuel Curtis:



And finally-- 302nd FS P-51B "INA the Macon Belle" flown by Lee Archer:



I also wanted to tell those still building that http://www.ebonywings.com/ is back up again and is an awesome site dedicated to the Airmen! I gave the site creator a link to this build as well, so hopefully he will pay us a visit.