Firebirds! Forest Fire Fighting Aircraft GB.

I am not very good with natural metal finishes but there are a couple of options available all with their supporters.

Alclad 2 seems to be accepted as the "best" finish, air brush only but it offers several shades to provide some contrast.

Testor's Model Master Metalizers are another air brush only paint option that seems to work pretty well.

SNJ has a variety of paints and metal buffing powders, again I've seen some good finishes with this. There was a post awhile back in the aircraft section using the powder alone which seemed to get pretty good results. I've used the SNJ aluminum powder over regular aluminum brushed on paint and it really picked up the appearance of the paint job.

Swanny's Complete Future article mentions using SNJ powder mixed with Future as an airbrushable metal finish.

Foil, BMF or thin foil. Seems to work well but having used foil on small parts I can imagine doing an entire airplane with BMF sounds like quite a job. Someone did a great job using a thin kitchen type aluminum foil last year with a brush on adhesive. I think it was Old Hooker that did it and it looked as good as anything I've seen done.   

Thanks for the link Aaron! Had a quick peak and its great! Will definately be visiting there frequently. Aaron, how do you plan on doing the bare metal finish? I was planning on using foil. How are the new metal paints, such as Alclad and the like? Still in the planning,part collecting, and research stages.

Cheers

Count me in on this build.

Scott

I'm definately up for another firebirds build, I just got the two Fire Tankers CD's from Aero Research yesterday, lots of great photos of tankers from the 60's to the present, about 300 high res photos between the two CD's.

This is a great site if you need any help with ideas.

http://www.scalefirebombers.com/index2.html

I have the Heller DC6 and a bunch of photos of Tanker 68 which is what I planned to build from the kit. Currently have an F7F, S58, S-58T, and three smoke jumper planes a Ford tri-Motor, Twin Otter and a Twin Beech in progress.

If this build is a go I'll try to wrap some stuff up and start a fresh build for this, I have plenty of options in the stash.   

Shouldda, How's it going mate? WOOOOOOHOOOOOOO! I'll be doing Tanker 68 as previously mentioned from a Heller DC-6B. Unfortunately, it's not the Securite Civile item, as it comes with a tank. Shouldn't be too hard to do tho. I have to finish a 1/72 Stringbag and then I will jump into it. Ordered some ingines for the kit, which is about all the aftermarket stuff there is for the DC-6, except for decals. Glad to know its GAME ON! Looking forward to seeing all the pics we will be sharing. Post some of the Otter if you can shouldda, love the otter. Catch ya on the flip flop!

Cheers

Beauty! I'll be around to cheer you guys on and I'll join up when I've got a firebird on the bench!

 Hello to all,

 Glad to see the interest.  Thanks for the e-mail cdclukey.

 I think a rolling build is a good idea.  I did another Firebird since the 215.  I built a 1/48 Otter on floats.  Turned out nice.  When I started as a Fire Ranger, we were taught to drop stuff out a trap door on the bottom of the fuselage by parachute.  Seems crazy now.

Rolling build it is.  If it flies and helps to fight wildland fire, actual or "what-if", build it!

Game on!

Thanks Sim, I'll relaunch on Monday if I don't hear from Shouldda.

cdclukey wrote:

Since it's Shouldda's build, I've emailed him and asked him for input. If he's not interested in resurrecting this build (or we don't hear from him by, say, Monday), I'm willing to volunteer to run a build, as long as no one minds that at first I'll be running a build without building anything!

Cdclukey, that is fine! Yep, Monday sounds good. Running a build without building at first is ok by me, as long as you WILL be building, I don't care when you start. I won't be just jumping in to my DC-6 right away either. Still getting research material together. Thank you for volunteering cd if Shouldda isn't interested.

Bondo- That looks great! When you said you made C-54's out of DC-6s I was. Now I see how you did it. I am really going to have to precisely make my cut on the forward fuse to fit in between the windows and curves of the taper, trying to minimize the filler work. The aft section is fine just that the DC-6 was 5 feet shorter than the A or B ahead of the wing. Thanks for the pic Bondo! BTW where did you get your aftermarket R-2000s from, Engines & Things?

Ref. AirlinerTech Series Volume 4 DC-6 & DC-7-Harry Gann

More info to come on Tanker 68. Gotta get ready for work now, gotta go work on the BIG, BIG models,lol. 747s. Getting excited about this build.

Cheers

What kind of bondo is that on that bird, Bondo? I don't recall seeing it in yellow before.

simpilot34 wrote:

cdclukey wrote: I can't commit this year, but what if we made this an annual build or a rolling build? Build new birds each year to honor the firefighters that are fighting in each season? f we did that, I'd comit to building a new bird every year. Between real firebirds and the huge number of what ifs, I can't imagine running out!       That sounds like a great idea cdclukey! This will definately get me off my duff and do a build that I have been wanting to do for a long time. A rolling build would be best I think, that way anyone wishing to join at anytime, can. My brother in law is a volunteer firefighter in Hamilton, VIC, Australia. He would love to know we are doing this me thinks. Has been on the receiving end of some 'Elvis' drops he's told me. YEP, definately got a commitment from me!!!!!!! So are we a go for this???????? If so, I will be attempting Tanker 68, the last operational DC-6 firebird in the US. Sadly, now this plane has given way to the P-3. Which means, I will have to do some surgery on the forward fuse, as its a short fuse version. A scale 5 feet will have to be taken out. Since the DC-6 is mostly round it shouldn't be that hard if I just take my time. Again, are we a go?????? Cheers

Since it's Shouldda's build, I've emailed him and asked him for input. If he's not interested in resurrecting this build (or we don't hear from him by, say, Monday), I'm willing to volunteer to run a build, as long as no one minds that at first I'll be running a build without building anything!

cdclukey wrote:

I can't commit this year, but what if we made this an annual build or a rolling build? Build new birds each year to honor the firefighters that are fighting in each season? f we did that, I'd comit to building a new bird every year. Between real firebirds and the huge number of what ifs, I can't imagine running out!

That sounds like a great idea cdclukey! This will definately get me off my duff and do a build that I have been wanting to do for a long time. A rolling build would be best I think, that way anyone wishing to join at anytime, can. My brother in law is a volunteer firefighter in Hamilton, VIC, Australia. He would love to know we are doing this me thinks. Has been on the receiving end of some 'Elvis' drops he's told me. YEP, definately got a commitment from me!!!!!!! So are we a go for this???????? If so, I will be attempting Tanker 68, the last operational DC-6 firebird in the US. Sadly, now this plane has given way to the P-3. Which means, I will have to do some surgery on the forward fuse, as its a short fuse version. A scale 5 feet will have to be taken out. Since the DC-6 is mostly round it shouldn't be that hard if I just take my time. Again, are we a go??????

Cheers

I can't commit this year, but what if we made this an annual build or a rolling build? Build new birds each year to honor the firefighters that are fighting in each season? If we did that, I'd commit to building a new bird every year. Between real firebirds and the huge number of what ifs, I can't imagine running out!

If you are thinking about the Mach 2 DC-4, I wouldn't do it- it's a bad model.

Better off to do the DC-6 out of the box, I've built a number of those kits as C-54s, airliners and such and they go together well.

scottrc wrote:

simpilot34 wrote: shouldda,          Was looking thru the group builds and found this thread. I know this build has finished but is there a chance that another firebird build will (pardon the pun) take off???? I have several kits I have bought in the past couple years that I have planned specifically for firebirds. A Heller DC-6 being one of them. Cheers, Rich   I was thinking the same thing.  I worked fire dispatch for four fireseasons in Montana and had a lot of exposure, unsually on the receiving end, to many of the old fire bombers.  Right now  I have a DC-7 and A-26 waiting to be built as retard droppers.

All the ones I have bought are 1/72. The DC-6, S-2, P-3, A-26. Still trying to get a P-2. Don't know whether I want to spend the money for the DC-4 thats available. About US$85 from Squadron. I would really need a GB like this to get me to do it. Otherwise, I know it will be years before I get up the gumption. Would be great I think! More referance photos abound on airliners.net for those interested. I have never organized anything like this so if anybody would, COUNT ME IN! Are you up to it Scott?

Cheers, Rich

Currently working on !/72 Swordfish 75% complete

simpilot34 wrote:

shouldda,          Was looking thru the group builds and found this thread. I know this build has finished but is there a chance that another firebird build will (pardon the pun) take off???? I have several kits I have bought in the past couple years that I have planned specifically for firebirds. A Heller DC-6 being one of them. Cheers, Rich

I was thinking the same thing.  I worked fire dispatch for four fireseasons in Montana and had a lot of exposure, unsually on the receiving end, to many of the old fire bombers.  Right now  I have a DC-7 and A-26 waiting to be built as retard droppers.

shouldda,

         Was looking thru the group builds and found this thread. I know this build has finished but is there a chance that another firebird build will (pardon the pun) take off???? I have several kits I have bought in the past couple years that I have planned specifically for firebirds. A Heller DC-6 being one of them.

Cheers, Rich

Howdy.  shouldda here.

Today's the day of the official end of this group build.  However, for those of us not quite done, there is an extension of six (yes, 6)  weeks.  Tell you what, that was a short winter!

To Aaron, that is a beautiful Avenger, very nicely done.  Eddie, once again, good job.  I will be sending something to both of you.  E-mail me.

I made some good progress on my CL-215.  I spent some time on the interior and it looks cool even though it will never see the light of day again.  (why do we do this?) 

The fuselage and wings are all together, and it's ready for a bath and paint.  I made a cool stand for the ship out of an old electric fan.  It's kind of art-deco and the way it's shaped, it looks like a bomber drop.  I plan to finish it "wheels up" on this stand.

My final objective of this build is to master the posting of photos, but one step at a time.

That's it from me, for now.

Great looking Avenger, Aaron!

Unfortunately I'm going to have to punch out of this group build, which is really frustrating because it's the second one i've had to quit so far. I had some parts that I thought were the clear parts that make up most of the cokpit area of the Revell B-52G, and I pulled them out to dip them in future and said, "What the heck?" They are definitely not from this kit. So, I will definitiely build a FireBUFF, but I'm going to have to buy a whole new kit to do it...probably the Minicraft 1/44 scale B-52H. And since I definitely won't buy it before this group build is over...Well, I'll be around to cheer folks on.

Well here is the Avenger, this is SIS-Q Flying Services Inc Tanker 24.

The Apache look good, hard to believe it started as a glue bomb. A B-52 is not really out of te question, there have been tests done with 747's and DC10's so the B52 would fit right in.

Beautiful work, Eddie! BTW, Dan over at scalefirebombers advises me that he'd love to see some more "what if" models--he already has Spruce Goose and F-14 firebombers--so this model and your firehog are probably right up his alley.

Progress update: I designed the scheme, and I went to the hobby shop yesterday to get paint. They didn't have the one I wanted, Model Master international orange, which matches the red-orange used on Navy trainers. They did have a pretty orangeish scarlet from Floquil's railroad colors line, and it matches my Aero Union photos just about exactly. I have to strip a few parts on the BUFF, should get to that tonight.

My  

For all intents and purposes, this one is done. I had fun, considering what I started with. I just got ahold of a 1:90 scale DC-3 and I might try to squeeze out another firefighter before the end of this GB.

   Eddie

OK, I'm in! And I'm not only doing a "What If?," I'm doing one that's even wilder than Eddie's firehog and Apache builds, but still plausible. I'm going to do the old Revell 1/144 scale B-52G in Aero Union Colors. I'm going to "B-52ize" the scheme they fly on their P-3s, seen below:

Imagine taking a BUFF and replacing the body fuel tanks with tanks for water/retardant. Imagine, mes amis, carpet-bombing a forest fire. Gives me a grin just thinking about it!

I'll have to cobble the numbers together somehow, but this thing is going to look really cool when it's done. Thanks a ton Shouldda, for putting this GB out there, and for fighting fires. I know you guys just can't be thanked enough for what you do.

On edit: I previewed the post, but I see that once it was posted the aft half of the profile drawing was cut off. First, here's a link to the drawing, which I found on scalefirebombers.com:

http://www.scalefirebombers.com/p3_1.html

Second, here's another, smaller pic of an aero Union P-3. Even if this gets chopped off, you'll get the idea:

I'm a little closer to finishing this one. He's a progression of the work I've done. Also, take a look at this build.

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=9042

    Eddie

Thanks for the kind words about my project. Just tryin' to make some lemonade.... I'm glad to hear that you picked me in your drawing, especially if I get to have some firefighting patches. I've been in the firefighting business for a few years myself (aircraft crash&salvage in the USN and a volunteer firefighter where I live) and enjoy anything related. That's why this build appealed to me so much. Thanks again. I'm off to Austin to go to the LHS for supplies today. It's a 1 1/2 drive, but I gotta do it.

    Eddie

Hello again,

Well it's official, we've passed the official start date! 

Looks like we have fltmedic, deattilio,eddie miller,joe rugby, chopper fan, aaronw and myself in the group.  I like that, nice size group of enthusiastic builders!

Aaron, your Avenger is really neat!  And Eddie, your helo inspires the imagination!  Good work!  I look forward to seeing each kit in progress.  I will  post progress myself.

Everyone's wondering who won the earlybird draw.  Yeterday I put everyones name on little slips of paper and got another person to pull one from a hat (I actually did this).  It was Eddie!  And well deserved!  I have an extensive collection of badges and shoulder patches from my forest fire fighting days.  Eddie, I will send you something neat. 

Highly recommended: http://www.bushplanes.com/

Check out the photos icon down the list on the left.

Must go.  Talk to you soon.
 

Build on!

Well I got a little more done on the Avenger, I guess I'm going to have to start designing some decals for it.

Eddie the Apache is looking good, I wonder when the Army will start retiring some so we might see the real thing?

That Avenger is looking good! Here's the work I've done on the tail. I'm sure that the detail is a bit off, but it looks a bit better than the one I started out with.

      Eddie

Ok, I finally got the camera out. I'm using an Academy 1/72 TBM Avenger, I turned the turret around and used putty to close over the turret opening. Since I wasn't really in the mood for alot of scractchbuilding I selected a photo of a SiS-Q Tanker 24, to base this on. Tanker 24 had a full length canopy and a tank that fit inside the bomb bay unlike many Avengers that had a larger tank hanging below and cutdown canopy.

Here is where I'm at currently