JohnEB

Okay, this is going to date me... Anyone have a source for decals of the Whirlybirds TV series? I've seen built up kits of Bell 47Gs with the yellow helicopter on a blue circle logo....so I know someone has them. Here's a link to a version of the logo.. https://www.google.com/search?q=whirlybirds+tv+series&tbm=isch&source=univ&fir=BcHlZA6ek-V83M%3A%2CW7Tm_Y55GjQoBM%2C%2Fm%2F0dszzz%3BzbVeV0S-kC9GcM%3A%2CW-3mAk-5XnCtJM%2C_%3B_itkO8b9Jex4AM%3A%2Cz9hr6kCj39E6QM%2C_%3BwNDa9KjMAauyQM%3A%2CfJScDKVBuN78BM%2C_%3BKENkgjKjjefyhM%3A%2Cdm2FViTyi5ZdXM%2C_%3BcI8E

There was a firm in Northern Idaho that rebuilt them in the 90s...Precise Helicopters. I wrote them back then and they sent me a neat hat. Earlier, in 1981, there was a similar firm that rebuilt them near Bonner's Ferry, Idaho. Today, there is one under rebuild near Priest River, Idaho (which I saw several years ago)....and I have heard that there is one in nearby Sandpoint (same one?). There is one pictured doing some logging on a community mural in Priest River, the type was used for logging and firefighting quite a bit in the area. One crashed, fatally, about

The originator of the website has authored an interesting book about the civil history of the HOK/H-43 family. Highly recommended, and a source for color schemes if you want to make a model of a civil ship.

When I was at an air base with HH-53s, never say slis...and I agree with previous pister, their retractable gear likely had something to do with it.

Nice work. The kit is better than my Aurora 1/48 H-21!

For what it's worth, today I stumbled across a photo of an H-21 with the twin fuel tanks...its aft fuselage color was very red-orange, very much like the International Orange seen above. I'm not sure there is a "right" answer to this issue given: -The TO says Orange -Old photos show red (as do two survivors) -Another old photo shows Red-Orange - And the color's propensity to fade.

Hi I'm building an old Aurora 1/48 H-21 and recently asked the same questions on the Props forum in my thread entitled "USAF ARS Band and arctic colors". Please take a look. Helpful members posted the H-21 page with color reference numbers. Also, here is a link to another ARC thread that discusses the color with paint samples: In short, I found the same info you did: some period photos , the am decal guides and two surviving aircraft on static display in Alaska show red. But the official USAF painting guide TO 1-1-4, clearly states it to be Internatio

With that tail it looks like a Kfir. 🙂 One of the many "what if" takes of aviation history is the F-106...by the time they got it right, dedicated manned interceptors were in their way out. The gun and AAR mods were too little to late. Instead of the F-102 being the interim "ultimate interceptor" as planned in the early '50s, its production run exceeded the '106's. In his last AF assignment, my dad was the Deputy Commander for Maintenance at a '106 unit, a dozen years later, as a new lieutenant, I was at the last active-duty base with them, so they have a soft spot in

Dutch, I agree with you 100%...but that's not what the 1-1-4 says. As a kid I recall the conspiculty markings on C-124s being red. Also look at Army aircraft in their white fuselage arctic/desert scheme, red there too. There MIGHT be a difference between the red anti collision bands seen in transports of the late '50s and the arctic markings....then again maybe not.

Thanks...I have that same graphic in my copy of 1-1-4 and noted the bands. For the orange, I'm using a spray that is very close to the ANA 634 Orange shade used in the 50s. The Caracal decal sheet shows the arctic bands as being red, but that disagrees with 1-1-4. There are two surviving Alaskan Air Command ships on display in Alaska...both look to have Insignia Red bands. As far as the kit goes, I found a super thin 3/4" plastic tape (36" in a1/48th), I'll use. With burnishing, if conforms nicely to the panel lines. I'm having fun with the Aurora kit i

Thanks... I'll try 36" ... or 3/4" in 48th scale. Although, in most of the photos I've found the Paiseckis have either arctic or ARS markings, not both. The arctic markings on the H-21 are weird, the forward band is midway down the fuselage instead of the usual nose position....as seen in most types including the H-19. Odd. At this late date, I don't suppose we'll ever know why. But since it's just an Aurora kit for fun, I'm not sure it matters. 🙂

Thanks... I'm thinking about building my ancient 1/48 Aurora H-21 (yes I know there are better kits out there, but I'm on a retro kick prompted by my building of an Atlantis H-25). I asked Atlantis and they said the Aurora mold for the H-21 was destroyed in 1978 (I wonder if it was in the same train wreck that has been blamed for other molds being lost?). So If anyone here REALLY wants or needs an Aurora before I build it, speak now or forever hold your peace. It's in the 1963 Vietnam artwork box which is in good condition. The instructions and decals are yellowed.

As I recall the main difference was by Korea, the Mustangs had their tail wheels fixed and not retractable....so I believe they didn't have doors. Likely different antennas too.

At the risk of being far too practical, ask yourself which model you'd do a better job building. If you go with the D-Mustang, ask yourself how good you are doing metal finishes (since most D's are NMF). If you're better or more comfortable with paint finishes, go with the Spitfire. As you say, they are large models when finished, so put your best foot forward. If you're equally good with both NMF and camo...you're back where you started. 🙂

So decals won't be an issue..thanks to those who answered...but what about the color? No sense in paying for correct aftermath decals if I can't get the fuselage color right. 😊

Hi For the life of me, and after checking TO 1-1...I can't find the width of the old yellow ARS fuselage band. 48" with 6" borders comes to mind, but I can't confirm. If you don't know, does anyone have a kit decals (Any SA-16, Italeri H-21 or Revell H-19) you could measure? Also, the Arctic markings are supposed to be FS 12197, International Orange. I need it in spray form, anyone have a close match. Yeah its makes a car color "Racing Red" which looks close. How about the MOPAR color "Go Mango" which I think is available.

Thanks, that does complicit matters a bit. While I'm not planning to do an UPMS show contender (though I knew a guy "back in the day" who did a great C-9A build of two kits) but I do want it to look reasonably accurate. Are the TWA decals that come with it better? I know a retired TWA pilot who started out as a DC-9 co-pilot on Midwest milk runs. He told me on some segments they'd cruise at less than 5000 ago because the towns were so close together, sounds like the DC-3 days. Too bad no one makes decals for the Douglas-marked prototype like the small Revell k

Heck, I've been waiting 50 years for a better 1/48 H-19 kit than the Revell unit that my brother built for me circa 1960. They still sell it today...a direct re-release with no improvements for $23+...a far cry from it's original .98 cent price...not bad for a kit whose tooling was probably paid off during the Eisenhower administration! My point is, despite the sales potential (everyone flew them..and you could do a separate nose for the turbine UK Whirlwinds), makers don't like to get too deep into helicopters aside from tried and true subjects...Hueys and Apaches. After

Hi, I'm a new member so be gentle... And I have searched the site and didn't find my answer.... I'm thinking of getting the Atlantis re-release of the old Aurora 1/72 DC-9 in Hughes Airwest colors. Anyone have an idea for the closest yellow available in a spray can?