CLOSED Cold War Group Build- All Groups-May 1st-Dec 31st CLOSED

That T-55 is looking good Anthony14. If it's challenging to build the Trumpeter version then that makes it more satisfying when it's done. Looking forward to more progress.

Here are my updates. The Nike Hercules will work out to be 1/72 scale. Thats a 1/72 figure in the pics. The Russian Kilo class sub is marked as 1/400 on the box.

Looking good I-beam!, I haven’t posted any pic's of it yet but I've actually I am 'destroying' it and making it, or try to make it look like it's be 'hit' and rusted. First attempt.

hey ibeam!!!! looking good!

Thanks you all. Scratchbuilding a rocket of any kind isn't the most difficult thing but really is much much easier with a lathe. If I had one the main body would be done in 5min. Oh well, have to do it the hard way: tubing and putty

I'd like to get in on this one, too. I'll also be doing the 1/72 Airfix Skyray, but this one will be from the Naval Ordnance Test Station at China Lake, CA. This F4D was the launch vehicle for several satellite orbiting attempts in the summer of 1958. This was an attempt to counter the great PR the Soviets got from Sputnik, but success could not be proven, so it was hushed up. Do a search on "NOTSNIK" for more details.

Hey, yardbird, watch out for the L/G mounts in the Airfix kit. The main leg has to mount at the rear of the well, and Airfix reversed the part numbers for the right and left well "roofs". If you follow their instructions exactly, the gear will be too far forward, and you'll have a tailsitter for sure. The struts are pretty spindly, too.

Dick

QUOTE: Originally posted by rlawson Hey, yardbird, watch out for the L/G mounts in the Airfix kit. The main leg has to mount at the rear of the well, and Airfix reversed the part numbers for the right and left well "roofs". If you follow their instructions exactly, the gear will be too far forward, and you'll have a tailsitter for sure. The struts are pretty spindly, too. Dick

Dick,
Thanks for the advice. I would like to do one of mine in the markings for Marine Squadron VMF-115 (VMFA-115). I have several pictures of their F4D's in the gray over white scheme. I also have a decal sheet with VMF-115 markings in all white, obviously for a dark blue plane, probably for the F9F Panther. The F4Ds were dark blue very early, but by the time VMF-115 started flying them in 1956, I think they were all the gray over white. Oh well, I like the Blue with white marks, even if it isn't totally accurte from a historical standpoint. My other FORD will be from VMAF-3, the only Navy squadron to operate with the USAF NORAD. NAS North Island, San Diego was a long ways away from the great hoards of Russian bombers coming over the North Pole. Maybe they were going to sneak in from Mexico.
I see that Meteor Productions has quite a list of AM decals and update sets for the 1/72 and 1/48 F4Ds. I am going to follow my usual approach and do the kits out of the box with only what mods I can do myself and a few parts from the spares box. They won't be "earth stopping, contest winners", but they meet my expectations and enjoyment level. The kit decals are totally unusable, so I have to use AM decals.
Are we allowed to start on these or do we have to wait for May 1st? Some of the other posts seem to indicate that work has already started.
Darwin,

Go ahead and start.

I'm so far behind right now, that I won't be able to update this this week. Welcome aboard Dick.

Yardbird - the Tamiya 1/72 F4D kit has the decals you're looking for, for VMF-115's Ford marked VE 16. They may be a slightly later vintage than 1956, but still within the CWGB time frame. It's another option.

Regards,
Dick

O.k. as most of you know I am now doing a burnt-out/hit T-55, I've damaged the left side and have sanded down the wheels to where the metal would have been after the wheels would have melted. This is my first type of model that I'm trying this on and so far so good! ( worried about weathering) Here are the progress pic's…

how'd you do the damage? nice work. You're gonna put an engine in the open flaps right? it'll look odd if there's just nothing there...

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tankmaster7 how'd you do the damage? nice work. You're gonna put an engine in the open flaps right? it'll look odd if there's just nothing there...

Thanks, I found a peice of metal lying around and used that. I cut it with my Clarke rotary system, something like Dremal. Anyway I cut the metal to shape, bent it and super glued it to the side. As for the engine I'm not sure about what I'm doing yet, where could I find one for Trump?

EDIT: Would the T-34 V-2 engine & transmission set work? It's by Maquette and said it suitable for the T-34, IS series, T-54, T-55 and T-62

caliber 35 makes a very nice engine for the T-55. resin. available from squadron.

Got my PE for my F-102, so hopefully will start soon, hoping to get a little farther on my RF-4 first.

Very realistic looking damage Anthony.

I was sitting last night, considering the pile of unbuilt kits that I have, and some of those are fairly large kits that I want to get a start on. For this build I think I'm considering doing the Trumpeter SA-2 missle on transport trailer. Still not a sure thing, as that IS-3M is calling out to me as well.

Nice work there on the damage Anthony.

I'm having internet connection problems lately- so I've got time to tinker with the Hokum.
I've never masked canopies before and It's getting me crosseyed- all's going well though

O.k. here are some more progress pics, I have put the base coat on and have added the rust and did some wreathing. Do I need to seal the rust? If so how? I have heard of using hair spray, but won't that blow the rust off? Anyway, I am going to try to blacken the damaged area ( more ) and blacken the road wheels. What should I do with the tracks? How should I weather them? ( I still have to put the engine in ) Any suggestions about anything welcome!

I need some help with the markings, which # do I use: 383, 163 and a star or just a star?

I might be putting this in a small dio.

Looks pretty much like a very dead tank. Good work.

Darwin, O.F.

Good work, Anthony14. I've seen footage of Iraqi T-55s in similar shape, and you hit the nail right on the head.

Thanks guys, what should I do with the tracks? They are too small to connect around the road wheels, so I was going to make both sides look like they have been shot off. How should I weather them? Is it possible to display them without the tracks? I wanted to put it on a base with sand around it, would any of the above look good, be correct?

Thanks Anthony

I have completed my entry in this GB. It is the Airfix, 1/72 kit of the Douglas F4D-1 Skyray with markings for Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron, VMFA-115. I made one major departure from reality by the using the earlier, overall dark blue paint job instead of the gray over white. VMFA-115 didn't convert over to the FORD until 1956, by which time, the NAVY had switched most of their planes to the new paint. I had the white decals and I really liked the blue, so I did it that way.
This plane is another of Ed Heineman's designs, in addition to the A-4 Skyhawk, A-3 Skywarrior and several other very successful designs.

Darwin, O.F.

That looks Great! Darwin. Good job!

5A- Tsteenbergen ?? ??
Sorry that I have been absent for a while. Please put me down for 1/24 Gemini space craft.

Sorry its taken me so long to update this but I've been working 18-20 hour days for the past three weeks. Now if my boss will just pay me for the OT, but thats a different story. Hopefully I got everybody added and all the changed made correctly. I'll try to have some pics posted by next weekend.

Whew!! That's some tough working roadkill!!! But it's great that you have a excellent job now.

Well not really. My last two paychecks have bounced.

Okay, I went home last night and sat at my desk. Opened the F-80, opened the MiG 15, looked at the parts, figured out what I needed to do paint-wise, and then called it a night. I'll get started on something tonight and I'll post some pics here next weekend. Sorry, I no longer have internet at the house because I was unable to pay the phone bill and they shut it off.

Kevin,
I can understand your feelings about work. I have been laid off for the last 6 weeks and I am not when I will be going back. My boss keeps saying "very soon", but I have serious doubts about it. I think that I will have to start seriously looking for something else.

Darwin, O.F.

QUOTE: Originally posted by yardbird78 I have completed my entry in this GB. It is the Airfix, 1/72 kit of the Douglas F4D-1 Skyray with markings for Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron, VMFA-115. I made one major departure from reality by the using the earlier, overall dark blue paint job instead of the gray over white.

A beautiful bird, Darwin.

O.K guys, I have also completed my entry into this GB. Here is my destroyed T-55 finished. It is by Trumpeter. All damage is scratch built, for weathering I used real rust and some food spices. Looking foward to all comments, enjoy!

Great build, errr un-build. Anyway I already commented in the post over in armor forum. Like I said there, you portrayed what you intended very well. I know it's done but you could add some small overfill spills from the external fuel tanks around the caps without alot of effort. but you don't have to. I know you said your going by pics so if the pics don't show it then don't worry.