Strategic Air Command GroupBulid

Nebrnative,

Check out this site for some pictures of the white/blue/gray scheme on early KC-10s.  The one shot of the port, forward fuselage seems to show the best colors.  I compared the gray to my FS595 color chits and 36628 seems to match the closest.  36495 is close, but just a little too dark.

http://www.photovault.com/link/Military/AirForce/Aircraft/KC-10Extender.html

Darwin, O.F.

Impressive aircraft and paint scheme. I'm really learning abt new aircraft from you all. Hey, here's another foto from airliners.com which you've probably seen- really nice looking.

In a model review online of the same kit, with the dark over light gray scheme, the bottom gray is suggested to be any of the following: FS16515, RLM 63, RAF Light aircraft gray, Xtracolor  F150 or 301. I don't know if it is even the same gray on the real aircraft ( supposedly Douglas 3536 for the kit reviewed), but this might be worth checking into.

Bondoman

Cool. I really like the SAC sash on the fuselage.

Which brings up a question of my own. Does anyone know of where to find SAC badges and Milky Way "by the yard" in 1/72. I found a color scheme that I really like for my second kit; the F-82, but cannot find these decals anywhere. I've got red tail numbers, and stencils for the black aircraft, but those bands and tails elude me.

I glued the other half of the C-54 together last night. The next step is to cut out the horizontal window strips and replace with the resin insets with oval windows. I'll post some pictures soon.

On the bench:

C-54 (20%)

F-82 (0%)

Further research ( I Googled the tail #!) of this aircraft, FQ-414, turns up a Super Scale sheet no doubt OOP, number 72446, or maybe 720446.

I'm getting a little out of sequence, since I worked on my C-46 tonight, and the C-54 is barely started, but... these things do take time so I value your input:

1. What is the SAC background light blue color for the Milky Way sash?

2. I cannot ever find OOP decals, any ideas?

DesertRat- how is it going ?, throw any research projects you need our way. Miss your smiling face.

Bondoman

It's going, Bondo. Since the notice, i'm muscling through everything that i need to do before leaving. Seems like i got more loose ends to tie up than i cared, so most all of my time here is precious. I hate saying so, but i can't even find the time to get back to the bench for even a few minutes. I'll just be glad when it's over with.

    It does look like a pretty good time though. It seems Hershey won't be far away, and maybe a few hours to DC, Philly, or even New York might be worth a drive. And although it may not be much help for anyone in the GB here, i'll have regular access to the Blackhawks again. And i may drop a new thread in the Helicopter forum offering the services of my camera while there.

   But other than that, i'm wondering what all there is in that part of Pennsylvania. Anyone know of any good places to go to for a modeller?

DesertRat wrote:

But other than that, i'm wondering what all there is in that part of Pennsylvania. Anyone know of any good places to go to for a modeller?

Gettysburg & Antietam - enough said.  If you have any intrest into history, this is a MUST for you.  DC has the National Air & Space Museum, and all of the other museums & monuments. 

Hey bondoman,

In my search for various items, I did run across some possibilities for you.  There is a set of decals listed on ebay under 1/72 Microscale f-82 that have the white star pattern, I don't think that it is the exact set you are looking for, but it might fit the bill.

 Search the following terms (Microscale-1-72-F-82-Twin-Mustang-decals)

Secondly, if you wanted to place the stars individually check out this listing from fantasy print shop in the UK.  They do have decals sheets with various sizes and colors.

http://www.fantasyprintshop.co.uk/Stars-_B213SC.aspx

Hopefully this might help, I would love to see that scheme done.  Good Luck

 BK

mph34 wrote:

DesertRat wrote:      But other than that, i'm wondering what all there is in that part of Pennsylvania. Anyone know of any good places to go to for a modeller? Gettysburg & Antietam - enough said.  If you have any intrest into history, this is a MUST for you.  DC has the National Air & Space Museum, and all of the other museums & monuments.

There is a decrepit but HUGE armor museum at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. I went out there about 20 years ago, so you need to check to see if it's still there, but I thought it was pretty worthwhile. Way up north in Lanesboro is the Starrucca viaduct, a huge stone railroad bridge, and out west in Altoona the Pennsy RR. Maybe you can fly to those.

Here are a few items of progress.

Thanks to advice from this GB, I've ordered some decals for the F-82, so I'm really excited about starting that bird. I'm hoping that the instructions have a paint match for the light blue sash in the Milky Way, if not, do any of you have a spec?

But first of all, I'm getting farther with the C-46 (not a part of this GB) in order to clear my bench.* I like getting the antennas right on my aircraft- the ones here are not yet cut to length or rigged, but the solution to flying over the Hump was developing RDF and a hard working radio/navigator, so it needs to be put together right. If I haven't mentioned, only one company kits this aircraft, and I think it's a pretty fine model, too. I'd like to do another one in Flying Tigers Line, and they are planning a new release, so...

On to SAC- the C-54 is starting to look good. I glued the pieces all together and cut out the window strips for replacement with resin inserts. These were ground down on the back with the sanding drum in the Dremel, then popped into place as shown here, finger tight. I'm going to have to scrape out the window slots a little from the inside to get the resin pieces to come out proud so that they can be sanded flush. I've also glued in the kit rectangular windows in the remaining openings, to be puttied and flushed over.

I found this image, which isn't the right aircraft, but it's the finish and markings I think I will do. I cannot find a dedicated SAC C-54 picture. The aircraft at the SAC Museum is a pressurized, radome equipped, basically short DC-6.

This is all based on the Heller DC-6 which I think is a good model to start with.

I bought a little C-45 on eBay for almost nil. I think I'll try to squeeze her in at the end if the F-82 goes together well.

FMM- how's that Stratojet? Do the wings know their roots yet? Can't wait to see.

Wirraway- I'm happy to let you know what not to do w/ the B-36 but it's a great kit.

Tex-?

Yardbird- looking forward to your Thunderjet.

D-Rat- I went back through the string and looked again at your progress shots- great work and keep in the pattern.

Bondoman

On the bench:

C-46 60% (NI This GB)

C-54 15%

F-82 just a bunch of $$ spent so far

C-45 0%

October mystery- ??

Airman Jim sends a picture of him as a scanner in his C-124 and does think he will ask me to do the Anigrand kit.

It's been a busy week, but I have had some time to do a little research on SAC C-54s. Also, in a more sober moment I looked at the havoc wreaked on the C-54 by yours and his razor saw, and a polished bare metal finish is not a reasonable goal. So...I did some reading, and got into the SAC bases and flex asignments way up in Greenland. There is a lot of really great stuff that brings out how a bomber with a 10,000 mile range manages to fly a 16,000 round trip, or not. Fly from Carswell to Maine to Thule. Pick up weapon. Attack target. Ditch in the North Sea. And I've read the online stuff about Thule which got me into this focus on the front line. We did win the Cold War.

Anyway, I also picked up a back issue of FSM that listed the various Arctic Red/ Hi Vis red orange yellow colors and locations. Thule, Goose Bay, B-36s and B-47s (FMM!) it all looks good to me.

So I think I found my girl.

Credit to Robert Guthrie, taken at Goose Bay AB, Labrador in 1957:

I get bench time on Friday night, now that Lent is over.

Bondoman

On the bench:

C-54- (15%) but I've got a plan!!

F-82- (0%) decals are in the mail

Hey all! I finally had a few minutes on the net here, and i thought i'd drop in and say hiya to y'all!

   I'm sure you guys know that there has been so progress while i'm here. All builds being on hold- mainly because TSA don't really care to much for me bringing the bench tools. But alreay i am itching to get back at it.

   Doing fine here in Pennsylvania, even if it is friggin cold here. I was hoping to get a trip into Gettysburg here this weekend, but now people are talking about snow on me. So far no sun here yet. It seems only ironic that i got a rental car with a sunroof. Sometimes i just gotta laugh at myself...

  But, anyways, i figured i would just check in with you guys- see how things are going for y'all. Best wishes!

DesertRat wrote:

Hey all! I finally had a few minutes on the net here, and i thought i'd drop in and say hiya to y'all!    I'm sure you guys know that there has been so progress while i'm here. All builds being on hold- mainly because TSA don't really care to much for me bringing the bench tools. But alreay i am itching to get back at it.    Doing fine here in Pennsylvania, even if it is friggin cold here. I was hoping to get a trip into Gettysburg here this weekend, but now people are talking about snow on me. So far no sun here yet. It seems only ironic that i got a rental car with a sunroof. Sometimes i just gotta laugh at myself...   But, anyways, i figured i would just check in with you guys- see how things are going for y'all. Best wishes!

It's good to hear from you, D-Rat. The F-82 is about to get started, the C-54 I emailed the Airforce about info- I am deciding to model a station bird from Goose Bay/ Thule with Arctic Red and really beat up natural metal finish Circ: 1957-1960- Hey, thats when I was conceived!!! Look back up the string at some good fotos I found. No, not my conception!!

Da*n- I looked into the Museum at Aberdeen in Maryland- you should drive down there.  Got to understand if it's like work, but...

I've prayed for you and the Chief a lot, I get puzzled abt being interested in the armed forces and wanting to have my friends be safe. Come back home, please.

Bondoman

On the bench-

C-54 25% going to putty and sand this week.

F-82 the decals came in. The color spec. for the SAC sash is "Pactra Blue". I'll find the right spec., and I think the fighter might be a shade light. I also need to find yellow stars.

Thanks, Nebrnative- done! I actually bought some other decals from there recently and should have included this; stupid!!

Next, search down the blue.

 The Air Force responded to my query about the insignia on the C-54 in the photos I posted- the tail photo insignia (on the fuselage) is North East Air Command and the one on the nose is 6622 Air Transport Squadron. The latter seems to have been mostly located at Torbay Field, Pepperrell AFB in Newfoundland during the time concerned.

I've been unsuccessful tracking down the art for these insignia. Any clues?

BTW while researching the C-54 I discovered a really great web site group under pinetreeline.org. And... lots of pictures of F-89s at Goose Bay. Groan, so I bought one cuz it fits in with the SAC picture.

Bondoman

On the bench-

C-54 25% putty is drying, waiting to be sanded.

F-82 decals in hand/ on order. 10%

Bondoman

nebrnative wrote:

Hey Bondoman, For the stars try the website I posted a few posts ago. They have yellow stars in decals. Where it gives the color of the stars, just pull down the scroll listing and they have yellow listed. I have not actually seen the yellow, so I am not sure what the shade is. Good luck!!! Nebrnative

I got the stars today! amazing turnaround from England. They are schoolbus yellow which closely matches the yellow bands that came w/ the kit; for a silver machine. The decals of the milkyway which are all white need top and bottom bands, fuselage bands in yellow which I guess I'll canabalize from the kit solid bands. So far so good.

I'm going to find the blue, or make it, this weekend. I'm planning to paint the cockpits based on postwar Mustang color photos.

Now, I just bought an F-89 on ebay for $ 6. The C-54 is coming along, I'll post some photos.

I'll start the F-82 this weekend. The chore is looking to be paint and decals.

Just looked at Nebrnatives aircraft and got to thinking about a KC-97. NO, go back..

DesertRat- how goes the TDY? Check in when you can. Your seat is in the front row of this GB.

Bondoman

On the bench:

C-46 90% photos to follow (not a part of this GB but first in line)

C-54 30% port side sanded, starboard kind of a mess.

F-82 all parts and decals accounted for. Airframe this week.

Hey Bondo and all the rest of y'all!

   Well, i'm back online here and figured i would say hey to y'all. This course is pretty intense and fast paced, but i'm doing well enough. Tomorrow i'm gonna try to get out and see Gettysburg if at all possible- The weather really hasn't been working with me since i got here. I think i only got to see the sky a couple of times so far. But other than that, i can't complain in the least.

   It was my intent to get on and check in with y'all more often than i do, but the wireless internet is pretty tricky. The signal is pretty feint, so after i find a good place to set up, i have to click my heels 3 times and say (lather rinse repeat), turn around and do the macarena. Then, and maybe then, i can get onto the internet. It's a highly complex and technical process, ya know!

   Looks like there's been alot of progress happening here, and i gotta tell ya, i am feeling way behind the power curve on my build. But the good news is that i'll get to start burning up more of my vacation time when i get back home. So hopefully i'll be applying paint about early june. It's been a little while, but i know there are a few things i need to finish before moving to the airbrush. Thank god for the long deadline!

   Anyways, i hope ya guys are doing well, and i'll check back the next opportunity i get! Cheers!

Good to hear from you, DRat. Check out Aberdeen Proving Grounds in north Maryland. I went there in maybe 1982 and they have every kind of tank you can imagine (really) parked out in the grass. At the time I was building Tamiya tanks in 1:35 which were the best models of anything in any scale at that time and easy to do.

The C-54 will be glued together next week.

F-82 airframe finished.

Bondoman 

The C-46 is almost fin,

The C-54 progresses. On the right side the windows just did not work, so major surgery entailed. Putty to follow.

The airforce gave me info abt the insignia on the tail:

Northeast Air Command

Bondoman

on the bench: C-54 30%

F-82 20%

F-89 whataminutz!!

FeldMarSchall Model wrote:

Hay very nice progross everyone, sorry I haven't been on.  Just that with work and all that has me tied up, but Im trying find time to finish my models.

Well at least i'm not the only one! lol

Hey guys! Just dropping in and saying hi. The weather was not ideal last weekend, but i got the green light to head out to Gettysburg this weekend. I'm just glad to finally get outta the barracks!

The B-36 is kinda stalled at the moment, due to space restrictions.  I dont think I can mate the wings to the fuselage until I get some serious display area  in my soon-to-be-completed "Den"  (I'm adding on a room to the house for my stash/finished models display/work area)  

Whats that dear? Oh, I was just telling the guys about the scrapbooking room I'm building for you, darling..............

Wirraway wrote:

... my soon-to-be-completed "Den"  (I'm adding on a room to the house for my stash/finished models display/work area)   Whats that dear? Oh, I was just telling the guys about the scrapbooking room I'm building for you, darling..............

That B-36 is one big bird.  How big is that addition?  Maybe you can get a space compromise?  Hope it does not evolve into a mini-border dispute.