Michael A.

I had the opportunity to acquire and use a number of Official Paints back in my (once-upon-a-time) era of model building. They were brushable and the colors were 595 equivalents. I turned out some nice-looking kits during the very short shelf-life of these paints. And yes. they could turn to jello in as little as six weeks.

Congratulations Jim, looking forward to the read. Michael

flagon21, Thanks for the info, will order a set and see how things turn out. Have a good modeling holiday. Michael

Who produces or what decal sheet has a variety of 1/72 scale Red Stenciling? An upcoming project with a black airframe requires red stenciling and I am for a source. Any help would be appreciated. Michael

A wooden grenade box full of glass IV bottles was not uncommon. The box would be pretty much square with two rope handles on opposite sides.

Silvery-gray!

It is the Mk4 pod. Innovative design / maintenance nightmare! When I attended EOD school in 1969 it was downplayed as an ineffective system due to maintenance issues. With that said, a review if available historic records and photos indicate that two Chu Lai squadrons, one A-4 and one F-4 were able to work the bugs out and use it to good effect. The Hasegawa aftermarket Mk4 needs a lot of attention. Apparently, we sold a number of them to Israel and decent detail photos are available from some of the IDF's outdoor museums. Good luck, looking for photos of your finished produ

The convention 'gouge' is on Facebook! Also starting a list of those that came home with COVID! Speedy recovery to all.

Backstory: The Mk 4 Gun Pod was taught as part of the Aircraft Armament Systems block of instruction when I was in EOD school circa 1969. It apparently had a horrible maintenance record and the Marines really hated to spend time monkeying with it. With that said, my review of available photographs indicates that at least one A-4 and one F-4 Squadron were able to work out the bugs and used it to good advantage. Notes to modelers: (1) If it worked it was extremely dirty, soot and gun-blast residue was all over everything, particularly the gun pod itself. (2) Hasegawa provides a M

I seem to recall but cannot put my finger on it at this time, that some OA-37s were painted "Gunship Gray" at some point. Perhaps it was an Air Force Reserve unit in the late 70s -early 80s-time frame.

They are well worth the time and effort put into the search. About a year ago I was successful after some number of months having searched a variety of sites several times a week. Good luck, the kit is well worth the effort. Michael A.

Beautiful job! It is good to see the Huey Cobra getting the attention it has rightfully deserved for yea-o many years. Looking forward to your finished work. Michael A.

I was a young Intelligence Officer at the time, actually still in OPD schooling. We were getting dribs and drabs about the 'treasure trove' the Mig-25 was providing the west. Seem to remember a comment / complaint that some Japanese toy company was allowed to photograph the Mig-25 prior to the US exploitation efforts. Hasegawa perhaps?

Ash-Tray: Yes, smoking was as much 'a-thing' in the 60s as it is 'not-a-thing' today. UHF/VHF Antenna: Not at all visible in the early cobras. Unfaired skids: I believe it was a cost / weight saving measure initiated in the early to mid-70s.

These sensors came from a general family called ADSIDs, (Aerial Delivered Seismic Intrusion Detection), and were a component of the Igloo White system. High performance aircraft (F-4) used the SUU-42 dispenser to deliver ADSIDS to various target locations. The SUU-42 was also used to dispense Mk-45 (family) aircraft flares during night interdiction missions. Note: ADSIDs were also used in Kuwait during Desert Shield / Desert Storm.