BuNo02100

Closing in and it’s looking good.

Those look really good, might have to buy a kit to use them on! I know you are doing a bunch of Hornet sheets, any chance a couple of early A’s from -314 and -323 aboard Coral Sea in ‘86 might get squeezed onto a sheet? Maybe a -451 bird from ‘89 on the carrier’s final deployment for good measure? BW

Absolutely amazing work. Everything is so clean, just blows me away. BW

Looking forward to the finished product. Very tempted to try one in the markings of one of the birds that took part in the strikes in Lebanon back in 1983 but wanting to nail down some specifics before diving in. BW

Hate to hear that, very discouraging. Also makes me more than a little concerned about my decal stash😰

Superior craftsmanship each step of the way. This has been one of the best demonstrations of what can be accomplished by very few of us, but it serves as an inspiration every time I get a notification you have posted new content. Always look forward to learning how a master overcomes a challenge. BW

Impressed with your build speed, I tend to get bogged down. Most of the time it’s fixing mistakes (sometimes multiple attempts) but you seem to be able to get it right on the first shot. Looking forward to the next installment BW

Rob, those look absolutely fantastic. I have seen several products from established companies that do not look that crisp or smooth. If I wasn’t under a self-imposed ban on purchasing items (I know I am going to regret that decision later) I would have already set your inbox on fire begging to purchase one. Great job and look forward to the model you hang this on. BW

Don’t see many of these built up, very interested in seeing this one come along.

Enjoying watching this one come along. I have been thinking about trying one of these and would be interested in hearing problem areas. Yours seems to be coming along without any issues. Have you decided which squadron you are going to depict? BW

Looks great, always liked that scheme on the platform and you have done an outstanding job with it. Just noticed the white starboard leading edge. Any idea what that was for? BW

Always good to see an F4F. I was very careful joinning thenfudelsge hslves and still had a seam to clean up. I restored the raised rivets with a home brew mix of thin CA and plaster of paris applied with a sharpened needle. While I am sure you can tell he difference with an optivisor on, to the naked eye they look convincing enough. Good luck and if you run into any issues (doubtful, you seem well on your way) just post. I finished one up in October and will be starting another after the first of the year. BW

Wardog, I can only hope that this masterpiece will one day make it into some public venue because I would love to see it in person. While I understand that the photography probably magnifies areas that our eyes would have a hard time picking up, each and every time you post I am blown away by the cleanliness of your work, your attention to detail and can only imagine what this jewel looks like in person when one could take in the entire airframe. This is one of only three threads on the many modeling forums I visit that I am subscribed to and can hardly wait to log on after receiving notification of a new post. Thanks for sharing your work with us, it is truly inspiring. BW

I can only echo what the others have stated Wardog as this WiP inspired and terrified me at the same time. Terrified may not be 100% correct, but it was damn near paralyzing as I was reluctant to work on my A-6A knowing that it would never even come close to what you had accomplished. But anytime I needed a boost, I would click on the bookmark and scroll through a few pages and wonder when the next installment would be posted. BW

I think that the photos of the models that have been posted is a good example of the challenge Blue-Grey is. When trying to account for scale effect, fading, oxidation and the fact that some of the pigments that were called out for in the original mix are no longer produced, it is hard to say just what is "right." Nick Millman, along with Dana Bell have both taken a stab at the issue. Del Palmieri in in 1981 article "USN Camouflage of WW2" has consistently been referenced back to and he stated that the color was based on Iron (Prussian) Blue, Titanium Oxide, Antimony Oxide and Lampblack. He gave a 1929 Munsell value as 5B 4/2 and that FS35189 was a good match. However, he did not provide a source for his pigment data or Munsell Value For those that are interested, here is a sample from the fabric of a USMC SB2U-3 circa late December 1941. The question that one might pose is whether paint that was applied to fabric was the same as what was applied to metal, and did it "look" the same. This blue-grey was applied over the light grey that the aircraft had previously worn. You can see it peeking through in the second pic along with the black side code of the aircraft. I think that we have all come to expect something more along the lines of "baby blue" or so. For an aircraft that has baked out in the harsh South Pacific sun, that may be more appropriate. I have seen another fabric sample that is even darker. The pieces of metal that I have seen are also rather dark, almost hard to see any blue.