Joe Hegedus

Pirateship.com is your friend. Discounted shipping via USPS, UPS, and maybe other carriers as well. Can print shipping labels from the site when purchasing postage, and can pay via Paypal or credit card. You need to create an account/register on the site but it's free.

Cool. PM on the way. Thanks!

I'm in need of a few 1/32 bombs from Trumpeter kits: It's an either/or request, so: 250-lb bombs from the Trumpeter 1/32 TBF/TBM Avenger, part nos. J1-12 and J1-13, and J2-37 and J2-38 (there are 4 total in each kit, two pair of each set of parts), I'm looking for a total of 8 bombs (to go with the 4 I already have to hang under a 1/32 Skyraider) OR 500-lb bombs from the Trumpeter 1/32 Skyraider kit, part nos. M6, M19, and M20. I'm looking for 2 complete bombs of this type, again as an alternate to hang under the Skyraider. Preferen

If you want the subject bad enough, you either make new decals or live with it. I can only speak for myself, but if I want a particular subject enough and the only path forward has known inaccuracies (and it's not feasible to correct/make new), I can live with some inaccuracy.

All P-47s prior to the D-21 were delivered in OD over NG, with the exception of a few development/test airplanes that never went overseas. Bear in mind that, when the 56FG painted the cowls in squadron colors (February 1944), the white tail bands were overpainted. So if the cowl has a white band for a 56FG P-47, the tail stripes would be present but if the cowl band isn't white then no tail stripes (in general, there may be exceptions but I haven't seen any yet).

I’m a bit rusty on Hornet load restrictions, but off the top of my head either MK-82 or Mk-83 are OK on a BRU-33/A VER. PGMs are not useable on a VER - JDAMs require a BRU-55, and GBU-12 need a CVER for adequate carriage clearance (but I don’t recall if the GBU-12 was ever authorized for dual carriage on the legacy Hornet). Gerry, any thoughts on that?

Unless Academy changed what is in the kit, the LAU-115 and LAU-127s are on Sprue "P". Part P11, P34, P35, P21 and P22. The 1/32 Academy kit also has BRU-33/A VERs also on sprue "P"). As far as I know, other than perhaps the 1/72 Hasegawa Super Hornet kits, there are no CVERs or BRU-55s in any plastic kit (although I'll admit I haven't looked through the 1/48 Meng Super Hornet or Kinetic 1/48 Legacy Hornets to see what is in there).

The LAU-115/LAU-127 "Monster" is included in the Academy 1/32 Hornet kit.

I have opinions about the Minicraft kit - stay far away from it! It is not a good representation of an F4U-5. I built one many years ago, and don’t recall all the issues, but I do remember using an old resin conversion set that was intended for the Hasegawa F4U-4 (or maybe it was intended for a Heller AU-1 or F4U-7 kit, it has been more than 20 years) in order to correct what was wrong with it, and I’m pretty sure I needed the windscreen, canopy, and the area just behind the cockpit of the fuselage from the Heller kit as well (the Heller late Corsair canopy really is a very nice example). F

I think it just signifies a rush job to get the stickers on the airplane for a photo shoot. Remember, that airplane was not one that was assigned to the squadron in a combat area, it was a random pool airplane that they used in the rear area for publicity photos.

Depending on the time period of his markings choice, JDAM or LGB may not be options. Plus, the JDAM requires a BRU-55 and the LGB a BRU-33A/A CVER - the kit (that appears to be a Hasegawa 1/72 Hornet) only supplies the BRU-33/A VER although he might be able to fudge that by rotating the bombs away from each other on the rack to at least give a visual impression of how they hang under a CVER. MK-82 is a safe choice that will be correct under pretty much any circumstances in the case of what he showed - just make sure they're the same type of MK-82.

Can't go wrong with a couple of MK-82 low-drag bombs there.

The most irritating thing about Hasegawa "white" is that it is a conscious decision on their part to use that weird color - they are perfectly capable of printing proper "white", and there are several sheets of decals in their kits that have both the weird "white" and real "white" on the same sheet.

I would guess that is because Tamiya doesn't see a problem with their decals. This may be because the majority of their customer base is happy with the decals as they are? I've used their decals on several kits with no issues, and know several other modelers who have also used them with no issues. Just my $0.02, but if they don't meet your requirements, I don't think that is a "Tamiya" problem.

Oh, yeah! AB Charles was a great shop! He moved the shop from W Liberty Ave to a place off Banksville Rd, and was there for several years, but then moved it out to Cannonsburg. That was the last location he had; I was only at the Cannonsburg location once as it was a bit of a drive from my inlaws' house and, to be honest, the shop wasn't as good as it had been at the earlier locations. He closed it permanantly a few years ago; I miss it. Spent quite a lot of $ in all 3 locations since the late 80s up til shortly before they shut it down. But the WLA location was the best... Th