SCOUT712

Thanks for your help! B/r Michael

Hello US Navy experts, I have a question about the tie down points of Cold War US Navy aircraft carriers. How would I know if 4 spoke or 5 spoke tie down points are to b used for my diorama. I am particular interested in the USS Ranger of 1967, USS Coral Sea 1980. Thanks Michael

I am pretty sure I read it somewhere (might have been in the Muroc Models F-8U1 conversion set instructions). And when watching YouTube videos of early Crusaders landing, the nosewheel swivels freely when the Jet is pulled back from the arresting cable. The early Version A-4s also did not feature nose gear steering while later versions do. So I wonder if it was also added to late model Crusaders. Best regards Michael

I got a question regarding the nose gear of the J model. Was it steerable or just like on the F-8U1 not steerable. How was taxiing on the narrow carrier deck done with a none-steerable nosegear? Regards Michael

Did I miss it or isn't there a preview of your decals for the Recon Crusader available yet? I'd love to see some for the 1970 USS Bonne Homme Richard WestPac since I have VF-53 decals and A-4E VA-94 from that cruise and it would provide for a nice dio. Cheers Michael

During my research about Crusader squadrons which flew the E version, I came about that Microscale decal sheet I was happy to see another color on the tail than the usual red and yellow. However I am yet to find a color picture confirming blue, since there are also decal sheets and webpages, which propose these markings in red Clicky. Maybe there is somebody put there who could confirm the color of these specific tail markings. Since they seem to be carried only during one or two cruises. Michael

Hello, here's my next request. I am looking for the VF-53 option of either the Superscale 72-833 or of the Furball 72-002 sheet. I am.willing to pay or can trade. Thanks for looking Michael

I am looking especially for the VA-23 markings of the Superscale 72-319 sheet. Your help is very appreciated! Best regards Michael

I have some resin copies of it a friend of mine made some years ago. Send me PN. Best regards Michael

I just purchased the SOVA Kit. It is really nice, coming with photoedged parts and canopy masks. But, these are the markings I'd wish to see on your sheet Kursad. 86th TS Rio Lobos detached to TRAWING-6 NAS Pensacola 1997-1999 (when I was there). Back then the US AIR FORCE Lettering was still on the front secton of the aircraft. Unfortunately I did not take any close up pics back then. The second one is quite blury but shows the upper wing markings (USAF Letters on the right wing) There are some high res pics floating around on the internet. Best regards Michael

I double your thoughts. I already built my fini flight T-2, a T-39N is in the making and T-34C in the stash. Would be awesome to add the T-1 to the collection. B/r Michael

IIRC Randy Cunningham in his Book Fox-2 said while describing a very close head on pass with a MiG-17 "I could see the gomer head with the gomer goggles. Best regards Michael

That config was used early in the war. Later an adapter was fitted to to the LAU-17/A which allowed carriage of TERs on the inboard pylons B/r Michael

I am about 100 percent sure that the Hasegawa B kit comes also with the sprue containing the thick wings and larger tires since some RF-4Bs had them. The rest is the same as on the RF-4C. So yes. I only have RF-4B kits and am building a RF-4C at the moment but I have so many Hase Phantoms kits , I cannot confirm that I took the wings from that box ( the model is on the desk since about a year). B/r Michael

Hello Mike, to cite the excellent book US NAVY Carrier Air Wing Aircraft 1975-2015 Vol. 1 by Mike Crutch At the start of 1975, the final F-4Ns to serve with frontline LANTFLT squadrons resided within CVW-6. They deployed for the last time on 3 January for a Sixth Fleet cruise in USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42, which was re-designated CV-42 on 1 July). After a typical round of exercises throughout the Mediterranean, ‘Rosie’ came about and passed back into the Atlantic on 6 July. The Phantom IIs of VF-41 Black Aces (tactical callsign FAST EAGLE) and VF-84 Jolly Rogers (tacti

I guess you'd have to check the timeframe of your N and if the desired squadron was deployed onto a carrier at that time. If so, AA missiles would be loaded onto alert birds. For sure, VMFA-323 and 531 carried AIM-7E-2 in the rearward missile wells and AIM-9L plus G (H?) at the same time under the wings (one rail each with the L the other rail carrying the G) when they were sitting alert for OP Eagle Claw in 1980. B/r Michael

When I worked as a tactics intructor at NATO's Tactical Leadership Programme, we had a mix of instructors from various nations and aircraft background. Pilots (Transport/Fast Jet/Helo, WSO's (like myself) and Navigators (RAF Tornado F-3 and GR-4). Naturally F-16 jocks were of the hardcore God's gift to mankind - I can do everything by myself - type of personality. One day we received a briefing by a RAF GR-4 nav about his experiences in the Afghanistan ToO. He presented a TST mission when from the ring of the claxon (ground alert not sitting in the jet) until bomb impact less than 30 minu

Watch out, there is a Norm 83A and a Norm 83B version if that camo scheme. The RAL colors where the same but the scheme differed. Both where used at the same time frame. Michael

To bring that topic up again. Would the USAF markings under the left wing be black or dark blue? I only have a BW pic of McKeown's and Ensch's T-38 (the Furball sheet shows it at a later stage with McKeown's name removed since he left Topgun) which shows part of the USAF markings on the left main wheel door. B/r Michael

I actually own Italeri's kit N° 1382. Looking at the plastic it seems to me that Italeri applied the later extended cord LERX'es but the old round style nose even though the instruction sheet planviews show the flattened Tigershark nose for all three possible decal options. That would make me a happy camper since modifying the LERX'es isn't that much of work. Best regards Michael

That is so amazing info. I had a deeper look into the decals and drawings last night and I came to understand the differences in the LEXes better. The nose was pretty clear. So, No off to find an early nose E kit so I can swap the noses to build an early F and a lateer E. Cheers Michael

Thanks guys, great info. That is the object I'd like to build, using Furball's great sheet. Now, the question is, it carrying the old nose? How could it be backdated from the Italeri kit which has the sharknose. Unfortunately the 3D drawing above does not show both noses. How about the wing leading edge extensions. On the pic it looks to me that there is an airfoil section extending all the way foward to the intake lips? Cheers Michael

Thanks a lot gentlemen! @Quixote74, very interesting fact about the cooling inlet. Now I know why the heck I always see two barrels protruding from the nose of the two seaters. @Joe Hegedus, thanks to confirm my suspicion. Long time ago I saw a pic from an IP of a Topgun Tiger II with a blanking cover instead of the radar scope display. And balance weight info is also very appreciated! Best regards Michael

Building an Italeri 1/72 scale two-seat Topgun Tiger II I was wondering if they were equipped with a radar, hence having the scope in both cockpits, or were radars possibly removed with the space for the scopes just having a blank plate in the respective IPs?. Furthermore, I read that the two seaters at Topgun had one cannon removed. But, did it happen right from the beginning? I am planning to build a bird from 1977. Also, which cannon was removed? The left or right one? Pictures I found in the net do not provide a clear conclusion. Was the opening covered or just a plug

You can scroll through here. B/r Michael