BWDenver

Actually, now that you mentioned Lindberg... For years they used the same seat in all their jet kits. It turns out it was a Republic Seat. The AF wanted a "Standard Seat" and contracted with Republic to produce it. Turns out the only bird it was used in was the B-47. But Lindberg used it in all their kits! I've seen reviews where people say the kit is unbuildable, and when asked why, they reply it is a scale half inch too short. I just shake my head over that. That is nit picking, and probably make the model company's kick their drafting tables. But g

The advantage of a Resin "printed" part is they can go back and tweak the cad drawing to fix things. Now weather they want to or not or just call it good is another question. With a resin cast, or molded part, you are pretty much stuck with what you have unless you want to go remaster the part. Monogram left the Mk.GRU7 seats in the F-8 kit as it was too costly to recut the molds to have the "right part" for a Mk.F7 seat...

I hate to be "That Guy", but the headrest looks undersized in comparison to the actual seat. The open side seat was initially installed, then after T.O 1F-86-161 and 1F-86-227 the closed in the sides of the seats when they ran rods back to the Catapult firing linkage. Without the panels the risk of fouling with the seat belt was too high. Circa 1951. Then at some point they converted to Gas Actuators and the did away with the rods and cables all together. The gas systems really improved the reliability of the systems. Although it appears they kept the lower rods on

I get a kick out of modelers complaining about the high cost of airplane kits. I picked up a MFH 1/43 1967 Gerney-Weslake Eagle kit. Incredible kit, but it was a budget buster. Now they’re doing a 1/12 at 81,180 Yen. The Rexy looks like it will be a fin kit to build. Imaginative paint scheme. Bryan

Starting with the B-66 DoD AC started using Dark Gull Grey for the cockpit color. The reason for the change was it was more "physiologically soothing" according to a USAF Greybeard Seat manager I talked to at Wright-Patt in 1990. As the AC were cycled through major maintenance, they changed the cockpit to DGG. attached is a shot of an F-86A seat familiarization trainer at Wright-Patt. At the time most interiors were painted interior Green, but some AC venders used their own colors until Dod standardized on DGG. The seat is the early version with the open sides. When

Sooooo true!

I had Sunday breakfast with Dave for several years. We'd talk about his projects, future releases and patterns I could help him with. When I moved to Colorado, he stopped taking my calls. As I couldn't help him anymore...

There was a guy named Potts who was a Navy pilot. He supplied a lot of stuff to Dave. I did a lot of his bomb and missile patterns. When Potts retired he cut him off basically saying: Cut him off, Potts is retiring and can't give us anything else. Real prince of a guy...

A screen shot from the Korean War Movie "One Minute to Midnight". One of the few shots of an F-80A and the fixed seat.

Even Dave's friends eventually ended up on his blacklist, after I moved to Colorado he stopped taking my calls..... Brayn

Although note, the photo is for F-89D-1 through F-86D-35. The primary visual change was the relocation of the Shoulder Harnes Lock handle to the seat frame and off the hand grip. Additionally, the seat headrest also changed, along with the addition of "Thunderstorm Lights" to the head rest. So if you're building an F-86D SN 50-455 to 51-8505, use the photo above. After 52-3598, move the shoulder harness Lock to the seat frame. See side by side below. The Monogram kit appears to have selected the F-86-40 on seat configuration. Bryan

Glad to hear it's of use! Still working on the T-33 article. Bryan

LC-130F 148320 VXE-6, XD-06 "PETE" NSF at NAF Cherry Point June 1992 original designation USAF 59-5924 There was a conversion kit at one time for the ski's Not entirely sure what the last line on the NSF marking is... When I moved to the Denver area, I applied to the Raytheon team that managed the IT systems for the Antarctic station.

Bob and a Battle Buddy, KC-130R 160628, KC-130T 149808, NAS Washington Aug 26 1988

RIP BOB, SOC May 1, 2012 BOB in DC at NAS Washington