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bdt13

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Posts posted by bdt13

  1. Nice work! Kudos for leaving the panel lines, I'm not into re-scribing just for it's own sake. I also like the mixing of the wraparound scheme with gray tank and pylon. That stuff happens a lot as units change schemes.

    For the Shrike trainer, is that the kit or a Hasegawa one with the fins cut off? Good thinking to do that, not too many modelers put the care into their weapons loads. :)

  2. Started this about 1987-1988 and got the main construction complete. Put it in a box to wait for better airbrushing skills. Sat until July 2011.

    Main view:

    2248769210037620395S600x600Q85.jpg

    Landing gear doors blue-tacked to a board while I get rid of ejector pin marks:

    2644868430037620395S600x600Q85.jpg

    One window left to mask. I do this a couple at a time and then work on other things to save my eyes, back (I tend to crouch REALLY close with no glasses on) and sanity.

    2708054680037620395S600x600Q85.jpg

    I was about 17-18 when I assembled this and had just discovered CA. If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing! Must have been my motto in youth, or I just didn't realize what a mess I was making. About 10-15 hours of sanding, scribing lines I sanded off or covered with CA, etc. so far and likely more to go. Good thing I bought that SCR-01 from UMM!

    The nacelles are the worst part of my youthful assembly job:

    2809818160037620395S600x600Q85.jpg

    I'll keep the raised panel lines wherever I can. I'm just not ready to tackle a full re-scribe, and this will be a very clean bird when done (only APU exhaust and a little wash on the gear to bring out the details).

    2325758840037620395S600x600Q85.jpg

    The boarding ladder fits into the little slot at the bottom of the door even when most of it is closed. I believe this is prototypical.

    Got rid of the camera cupola and most of the pylons. Every type of filler under the sun can be seen here (Squadron green, CA, Mr. Surfacer, Aves):

    2190335540037620395S600x600Q85.jpg

    Don't you love it when you're sanding away and think you've done a good job, only to have the seam open up on you? :boohoo: This happens more than once on something you slapped together over 20 years ago and come back to. Vertical stab, wings in several places. Fuselage is holding, though.

    Sonobuoy area:

    2016106210037620395S600x600Q85.jpg

    This build is going back and forth with my M1A1 for the NA Forces in Europe GB, so it may not be too speedy. Thanks for looking.

  3. Progress-

    Detail parts like headlights and APU getting the Mr. Surfacer treatment. My Mr. Surfacer 500 had gone to about 80 with evaporation, so I added laquer thinner. Now it's more like 1200, so yes, you can add too much!

    2660235750037620395S600x600Q85.jpg

    Turret bottom. The pictures I've seen of these say the armor on the sides should be flush with the bottom surface of the turret. So much for the vaunted perfect fit of a Tamiya kit. :bandhead2: I'll live with the imperfection, I build armor more for fun than to win contests, and this shouldn't be noticeable under normal viewing conditions. Don't tell the AMPS guys.

    2627845840037620395S600x600Q85.jpg

    2690780180037620395S600x600Q85.jpg

    Bye for now. ;)

  4. If the markings are original this is F-89J 53-2453. It was built as F-89D-50-NO and later converted to a J. According to Joe Baugher's excellent web site: "On display at Helena Airport, Montana. Part of a collection given to Montana State University School of Technology. It had been assigned civil registry of N16565 with School District 1, Helena, MT in 1966, presumably as an instructional airframe. In 2010 was under restoration by Heritage Flight Museum, Bellingham, WA."

    Sometimes the Internet (and the great people on it) are our friends. My continued thanks to Joe for keeping up his pages, and for Steve for making ARC a go every day!

  5. Pete-

    Thanks! I had found that site, but hadn't found anything there (yet) to explicitly confirm or deny my interpretation. Now that you had me look again there is a pic of an Abrams captioned as from "4-67 AR, 3AD" taken during Certain Challenge 1990. The tank clearly has markings "3^4^67" (replace triangles for carets) and "B 23." This would seem to confirm "division^battalion^regiment" as the structure. FWIW, there is also a buff forward-facing chevron on the side of the armor skirts and a blue card with "331" on the turret.

    jezones - Since you were in the Army, can you confirm my interpretation of the unit marks?

  6. Basically a repost from the original thread. No F-16's just yet, but a 3rd Armored Division M1A1. 3rd AD stood in harm's way (Fulda Gap) in West Germany for decades.

    This is Tamiya's 1/35 kit:

    2051240310037620395S600x600Q85.jpg

    Not as much detail as a Trumpy or Dragon, but builds much faster. I won it at a show raffle a few years ago.

    Hull isn't together yet, just a dry fit:

    2263851330037620395S600x600Q85.jpg

    Marking option I'll be doing for an HQ tank with the APU on the back:

    2633821490037620395S600x600Q85.jpg

    The red maneuver plaque on the bustle will give it a little color.

  7. Two definites:

    1/35 Tamiya M1A1 Abrams from the US Army's 3rd Armored Division, West Germany (not sure exactly where they were lagered). This will be in the three tone NATO scheme, late 80's. Feels weird to be doing armor on ARC. :whistle:

    1/72 Revell Germany F-16CM 480th FS, Spangdahlem, Germany 2011, as fitted for no-fly duty over Libya. This one is on hold for other builds to clear the bench and for needed AM parts to be ordered.

    Looking forward to this one going full tilt!!! :woo:

  8. OK, I may get in trouble, but I've begun building. No F-16's just yet, but a 3rd Armored Division M1A1. 3rd AD stood in harm's way (Fulda Gap) in West Germany for decades.

    This is Tamiya's 1/35 kit:

    2051240310037620395S600x600Q85.jpg

    Not as much detail as a Trumpy or Dragon, but builds much faster. I won it at a show raffle a few years ago.

    Hull isn't together yet, just a dry fit:

    2263851330037620395S600x600Q85.jpg

    Marking option I'll be doing for an HQ tank with the APU on the back:

    2633821490037620395S600x600Q85.jpg

    The red maneuver plaque on the bustle will give it a little color.

  9. Andrew-

    Don't know as I have seen these adjustable stairs kitted in any scale. Might be a business opportunity for one of the new stereolithography-based accessory/conversion businesses (hint hint, guys!). You may need to take a trip to scratchbuild city. Good luck.

  10. If you have the SuperScale decals in 1/48th, be aware the name "El Cazador" is printed on the decal sheet much too large compared to how it was when I photographed the real 81-0758 on October 4, 1983. I don't know if the airplane originally carried such an oversized name that was later repainted much smaller, or if SuperScale just screwed up. I'm guessing the latter. Here's my photos:

    Scott-

    Thanks for sharing the photos! I actually have the Superscale 1/72 sheet, but they may have made the same mistake in that size as well. Things are looking like a GO for the Spang Viper, so I will concentrate on that! Looking forward to Friday to start this build.

  11. My vote is for gray on the Sparrows and any combination of white and gray fins and warhead/motor sections for the Sidewinders. Remember that the seekers and fins on the -9s and the wings and fins on the -7s would all be natural metal. I found something like 20 pix of Hornets on this cruise to research my build and was astounded by the variations in how you could put together a Sidewinder. I am looking at a picture of a bird from VMFA-323 with six 'winders, and one is all white, one is white with gray wings and warhead, two are gray with white wings and warheads, one is gray with a white warhead and the last is all gray. There is one Sparrow on the right side cheek, it is gray. FWIW, a FLIR pod is on the left cheek station. Can't tell if it is white or the lighter gray.

    It may be impossible for you to paint these "wrong" for the time and place in question. Modeler's paradise!

  12. A current Spang F-16 would be cool, Ben. Are you going to use the Wolfpak sheet for it? As for the Litening or Sniper pod, I think that depends on the loadout. I've seen pics of Spang F-16's armed for Lybia with HARM's and the Litening, but also a pic of one in Afghanistan with Jdam's and a Sniper pod. Good luck with the Have Glass paint job. :)

    Pete-

    Yes, these are the Wolfpak decals. No decision on pod yet, but I'm shooting for a mixed load of GBU-38s and AGM-88. Looks like there is another entrant with a similar build, but in 1/32. This will be an interesting contrast in scales!

    I just remembered that I have decals for a Torrejon F-16 from back in the day. "El Cazador" was the name on the plane. Could be a 'plan b' if I chicken out on the Spang build.

  13. OK Pete, I'm in. 480FS F-16CM from Spang, Spring 2011. 1/72 Revell kit.

    If anyone can score me an ALE-50 pylon or a left-mounted HTS please PM me! Looks like I may be advancing my currently rudimentary scratchbuilding skills.

    Is there going to be a thread in the GB section for this? Also, I hear we're letting the armor folks in. This should be interesting. Maybe I can come up with a quick tank build in time for the end...

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