South Pacific Group Build 7 August 2006 to 7 August 2007

I am about as good at badges as politicians are at being honest....feel free to take a crack if you want.

Is there going to be a badge for this one??

Joe - yeah I have him tracked down to what Bomb Group, his job, dates in theater and a lot of the awards he recieved.  I want to research further to see which squadron, but don't hope to have a specificplane, as in the Pacific they rarely flew on the same plane much, in fact flight crew members varied from mission to mission as some wanted to get more missions in to get home early.  They would come back from one mission to 3 hours sleep and be flying another. 

I've been running down some history on him for many years now and suddenly in the space of about 72 hours this month one hint would lead me to another until I had enough to know his was not easy service... in fact the ground support for one squadron was being ferried to the beach at Guadalcanal as the U.S Marines were still on the beach fighting inch by inch inland.. They were told to hold off for 24 hours.. they were being shelled by Japanese in the hills as they were building the runways...

I posted a little bio of him in the Memorial Day GB...

A little run down of the 42nd BG service:

Stations Flown From:		Fiji Is. (April '43 - June '43)
		Guadalcanal (June '43 - Oct '43)
		Russell Is (Oct '43 - Jan '44)
		Sterling, Solomon Is (Jan '44 - Aug '44)
		Hollandia (Aug '44 - Sept '44)
		Sansapor, New Guinea (Sept '44 - Feb '45)
		Morotai (Feb '45 - March '45)
		Puerto Princesa, Palawan (March '45 - end WWII)

Campaigns Flown in:		Antisubmarine, American Theater
		China Defensive
		New Guinea
		Northern Solomons
		Bismarck Archipelago
		Western Pacific
		Leyte
		Luzon
		Southern Philippines
		China Offensive

You can read a little about the individual islands here:

http://www.web-birds.com/13th/42/42nd.htm

Cool, very cool to have a "personal" connection to a build.

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That was my impression of me falling down the stairs... ::curtsy and a bow::

I think I have the unit my uncle flew in now (squadron)  I am sending off for microfilm of the crew rosters etc.. for the 75th Squadron, 42nd Bomb Group soon so I will know.. I'll still do a generic 42nd BG B-25 for this I think because it's the government... I'd be waiting 6 months for a "It's coming soon" postcard I think...

 

list has been updated

I'd like to get in on this Joe.

 

I'd like to do a F4F-4 Wildcat if possible.

thanks Joe!!!

Hey Guys!

No problem on combining them. Too many great group builds to go around! 

Joe - if I can do it in another groupbuild simultaneously I would like to do a B-25 of 13th USAAF, 42nd Bomb Group (ok I'll probably mess up the decals because I'll have to do them myself)  I finally found what my great uncle flew in and where so it will be a kind of tribute to him... I'm also doing it in the Memorial Day GB...

It'll be the AccMin B-25 (not sure which version yet) with interior PE and custom decals.

 

 

Hey Josh,

 

Since there is an enormous amount of great GB's going on I have no problem with combining.  No Badge as of yet, I am terrible at them feel free to take a crack if you want.

I have a couple questions: first, is this build compatibl with other ones, and second, is there a badge available? If it's compatible, I might enter my tamiya 1/48 F4U, and if not, it'll be a monogram P-40B.

Thanks Jerry...the P40E was at Milne Bay early in the war, they really stopped the Japanese butt cold there...

 

Wulff...Ventura would be cool, I have the Minicraft kit as well, loads of AM opportunities with that kit!.

Joe it looks like the P-38 is out of the picture I was rummaging through some stuff i had in the attic and found one of my 2 previously believed sold in a yardsale (long story) 1/72 PV-1 Venturas by Minicraft this one is the pacific "Gunship"version so I will be doing 2 gunships the New Guinea B-25 and the Ventura

Joe,

I took a quick trip thru the Carrier Aircraft GB and your Hellcat looks great.

I visited the LHS up the highway on Sunday and picked up both Academy P-40's E and M/N.  Much to my surprise and delight, the E kit had decals for the "Four Flags" Aussie plane based in New Guinea and that will be my selection for your build. I ran across the plane in the Squadron/Signal P-40 in Action book and really liked it. Hopefully the decals are of usable quality as there seems to be quite a range of opinion on Academy decals.

Now to finish off some projects in my hobby room.........a 4 Star 40 R/C plane (in garage actually), a Guillows P-40 ..balsa/rubber band power, an old Mainline Models antique Milwaukee Road boxcar, and a Mississippi Central Boxcar.........*smile*...I do have hobbies in addition to plastic airplanes.....hehehehe

Hey Jerry I just realized that we have the same Academy Hellcat kit.  Over on the Carrier Aircraft build I did the Italeri and someone asked what I thought would be the best kit.

I think you may have it.  The Academy v. the Italeri is a much better kit on detail and engineering, decals are sos so.  The Hasegawa I built ten years ago, well that was 10 years ago, I can't remember...You got a great deal on the kit and AM stuff!

Hiya Joe,

About the link not working, I should have mentioned that I was posting from home on my old Mac, and links and photos are not possible, so you must copy/paste the URL into a new window.

Thanks so much for the offer of piecing together some decals for me to do a -3. I've been assessing the matter and am going to go with my original plan to do a P-40 in an Aussie scheme. A LHS is supposed to have both the E and M,N kits from Academy in stock next week and I plan to get one of each. Both kits provide decals for suitable Aussie planes, and others. I have some older Revell and Monogram kits P-40 E and N that I hope to be able to use the extra decals on at some later time.

*Hands Joe some BIG magnifiers*.......These should help for seeing those little bitty PE pieces.....hehehehe

I have fears of my carpet in my workroom eating most of the PE pieces for that F6F. I think I may shelve that kit for awhile and gain a little more airplane building experience.....then do it on my own, or some other GB effort...time will tell.

Jerry

bobbaily wrote:

Scott-got the e-mail.  Thanks for the info.  Always good to have options.

You bet Bob, that's what makes the group builds so great! 

Scott-got the e-mail.  Thanks for the info.  Always good to have options.

bobbaily wrote:

Scott-I hate to bug you, but are these planes in olive drab or bare metal?  And would it be ok with you if I built the same plane?  Or are there other olive drab options for a P-38 E/F/G that fit this theater?  Aeromaster has a couple of options, but some of the nose art is a little less than family friendly..... Thanks

I sent you an e-mail with a review of the decals I got, along with a scan of the placement sheet and the decals so you could look them over.    Let me know if the e-mail didn't go through.

The one I'm doing is Olive Drab on top, neutral gray on the bottom.  I had a tough time even finding a set for an F model in the South Pacific, so I was very happy to find markings for a P-38F in Guadalcanal, "The Flying Dutchman".  Feel free to do the exact same kit, markings etc. amigo. 

espins1 wrote:

My decals are here!  My decals are here!!!!  Woo hoo!!!!  My decals finally arrived for my P-38F, the Flying Dutchman!      Man, makes me feel like a little kid that has just gotten a new toy!

Scott-I hate to bug you, but are these planes in olive drab or bare metal?  And would it be ok with you if I built the same plane?  Or are there other olive drab options for a P-38 E/F/G that fit this theater?  Aeromaster has a couple of options, but some of the nose art is a little less than family friendly.....

Thanks

 

Jerry,

The link you initally showed would not open for me.  However, I did run some of my sources and it looks like the -3 is actually correct.  But then again there is just so much out there! 

The Academy kit should have the option to cut out the panels for the small windows and US Carrier aircraft, with limited exceptions (VF27 Catmouths) were fairly standard in thier markings.  Tri-Coulor camo with white undersides. 

In fact I think it was very late in 43 or early 44 that they began the geometric patterns on the tails to identifiy air group or squadrons.  So, decals may not be an issue.  I have some that may work in my spares box if you are interested, no charge at all.

I opened the Aires detail set...HOLY FREAKIN WOW BATMAN !  57 total pieces, most resin and the rest photoetch.  If all goes well I will be able to represent the P&W wind machine as well as gear bays and the port side weapons bay.  Problem is that this will be my last model...at 1/72 scale I will go blind with all of the smal parts LOL,

Joe,

You are correct about the -5 entering service in 1944. I think in trying to be brief, I have caused some confusion.

The plastic-models.com website listed the decals for the '35' plane as being a -5 and on the USS Hornet. I had to assume they meant the USS Hornet that was commissioned in 1943 and that the ugraded planes were added sometime after they went into production (1944). From the discussion on the later USS Hornet at the web site in my previous post, I thought that the plane would be fine for your build. I could easily be wrong here.

If the plane is simply too late a time frame, I can easily order a P-40 with the correct decals and save the -5 for another build, or just do on my own. Is no biggie to me.
What do you think??

Your P-47 will be great...what a learning experience we have ahead of us with the aftermarket goodies!!

Jerry,

Looks like you found the documentation on the -5 model being involved.  I always thought the -5 did not enter service until '44.  Well, there is another testimony to why these GB's are great!

On the PE and resin stuff I am right there with you...I have been an out of the box guy for quite some time.  I just received the full Aires detail set for the Academy P47 Razorback...all I can say is good thing this build is for one year!

This is going to be a good one!

 

Joe,

Actually, I was hoping to do the -5 version because the decals are included in the kit. Mine is the early Academy release with markings for only the one airplane, tho the kit will build either version.

The -5 would have been on the 1943 USS Hornet (CV-12) http://www.uss-hornet.org/history/index.html due to the timeframe involved.

If the -5 is not a good choice for your build, I guess I would order the Academy P-40E or M,N which do have Aussie markings that would fit the guidelines for certain.....or a Special Hobby Vultee Vengeance that was in New Guinea.

Last night I was looking at those tiny PE pieces and feeling some intimidation.....*smile*

My plan was to do only one plane, unless I finished quickly enough. I intend to behave myself and not start till 12:01 AM on Aug 7, will have to remember to set my alarm tho.....*smile*

This GB is really gonna be fun!

Hey Jerry,

Wow...first off the -3 model of the Hellcat is perfectly acceptable.  This model is most readily identified by the small windows immeadiately aft of the canopy.  Hellcats did attack Rabaul in '43 when the US carrier forces re-emerged in force.  I do not recall offhand as to what carrier task force participated, but I will look it up if that is helpful.

Next, that was a great deal, borderline steal on the kit with aftermarket goodies! 

The P40 is an excellent choice for the South Pacific.  It was used extensively by all of the Allied Air Forces, most notably the Aussies and New Zealanders.  Are you looking to do two submissions?  Not a problem if you are.  The time frame for this is one year so feel free to submit as many as you care to.

 

 

Joe, I'm posting this from home on my old Mac, so I hope it gets thru okay. I am a newbie at posting here (lurking for some time), newbie using Photobucket, and also a newbie at model airplanes having done a Sopwith Camel recently. Previous airplane was 45 years ago when all was required was silver and black paint for the landing gear, the decals went over the grey plastic.

I had been researching decals for a suitable P-40 and found some great Aussie schemes, then found the Academy P-40E and M,N kits with decals for three planes each....and suitable for your GB. I decided to see what was available at the IPMS Seattle Spring show before ordering them and ended up finding a gem, I think anyway.

A guy was selling an Academy F6F-3,5 with aftermarket wheels, vacuum formed canopy with the Verlinden photoetch set and resin engine and cockpit for $10. He said it would be suitable for a South Pacific GB so I got it.

The kit is an earlier version containing only one decal set for the '35' plane and did not tell if that was a -3 or -5 so I went to www.plastic-models.com and learned that the '35' was a -5 and served on the USS Hornet....then I was off to www.uss-hornet.org and learned that it was sunk in 1943 at the Battle of Santa Cruz......then found out that the -5 was introduced in April 1944....oops!!..then learned of the new USS Hornet was commissioned in 1943 and that it was all over the Pacific...........so.....I think I have a plane for your GB.

So many new challenges, posting here, photobucket, photoetch, resin...... I am soooo excited.

Will this plane fit in with your GB guidelines? If so...I am set and need to clean off some projects on my workbench......and.........Hello to everyone....this GB concept sounds like a lot of fun.

grhornet wrote:

I would like to join, not sure yet what I will build, I was thinking that I joined once, but didnt see my name on the list.   Richard

The list has been updated, sorry about that man

 

My T-bolt with all of the goodies should arrive tomorrow.  I order the Aires complete detail set.  Wheel wells, gun bays, flaps..everything except decals.  Still searching for those.

bobbaily wrote:

Scott-Thanks-I'll check it out.

There are many good decal sets out there for the P-38, my dilema was finding markings for my P-38F.  There were several for the European and Mediterranean/North African theaters, but this was the only set I could find for a P-38F unit in the South Pacific.