Byron

Alan, You're such a tease! Please tell us more... This is really exciting news. Volume I and Volume II of what title? Will it be available via the B-24 Best Web? Will there be the ability to advance order (for that perfect Christmas gift?) Will it show pictures of the Pacific ball turret mod? Thank you-thank you-thank you-thank you!!!!!!! Byron

Simeon, When I first opened my Hasegawa B-24D, I got a smile on my face that just wouldn't go away for hours, no matter how hard I tried. Reason: all versions of the Haswgawa B-24 are like boxes of Cracker Jacks - there's a special prize in every one. In this case, on the clear parts sprue was a large (~ 4in x 1in x .75in) square protecting three turret tops - 2 Consolidated A-6Bs, and 1 Emerson A-15!!!!! Beautifully molded, in one piece, accurate size and shape. I said , "Whoa, this is too cool!" Being something of a skeptic, I figured that that the rest of the Emerson turret would be

The very best you can do is model a particular aircraft at a particular point in its service career. Case in point, the P-47Ms assigned to the 56th FG. There are pictures of several -Ms originally appearing in the field without the fin fillet, and then later photos of the same A/Cs with the fin fillet installed. When based in England, the -Ms had wing ETC racks installed, and they carried extra fuel tanks. Later in the war, when the 56th was forward-deployed in Europe, they didn't need the extra range, and the ETC racks came off. (yes, I know this is considered rank heresy, as 'everybody

Hi Steve, I completely agree that the Dragon kit is the hands-down winner, but be fair, now: the Airfix/MPC P-61 is on a 'par' with the Frog/AMT P-61 only if you're considering relative age of the kits. In reality, the Airfix offering was about as far advanced over the Frog offering as the Dragon kit is over the Airfix. The Airfix kit was a lot closer to scale and shape than the Frog version, and for it's day, had a much-more-than-rudimentary interior, more accurate engines/propeller blades, and realistically-shaped landing gear with molded-in hydraulic lines, a first for the times! Th

I know this is a bit OBE at this point, but check out this website: http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/56thfg.php Lotsa pictures, including a number of P-47Ms sporting wing racks and three, count 'em, three rectangular metal fuel tanks. Col Hubert "Hub" Zemke himself is on record stating that P-47s were very thirsty brutes, and (when they were operating out of England) they couldn't get enough fuel tanks - the more, the bigger, the better! They really liked the rectangular metal fuel tanks, when they could get them, but would use anything they could get their hands on... Enjoy! Byron

Actually, I think that everybody has missed the point - this is really a Luft 47 1/2 Bf-109G, and as such is 100 percent accurate, in every conceivable way!!!

I seem to recall somebody claiming that the 1/72 Tamiya Spitfire was sooooo bad, that the only usable parts were the wheels. Or was it the wheels and propeller blades? I'm trying to remember just exactly whom that might have been...

Never mind - somebody else already covered it...

Howdy, Check out the Luftarchive.de website - there are several photos of He-111s. Most are too far away to tell a whole lot about the VS 11 props, but there is a really good shot of an HE-111Z, and it shows the tips of the VS 11s to have a funny blunted shape, more like the Hasegawa and SBS shapes than those of the older Italeri kit. I've never been truly thrilled about the Has props, either, but that SBS set looks like it might just fit the bill... Byron

Me Grimlock say, "Me buy one, too!"

I've seen this before on this forum, but can't quite place the reference. The red landing gear on the last photo was no accident or personal whim - the color indicated a Bf-109 that had a special fuel requirement, and was meant to be a quick visual reminder for the maintenance crews. The more detailed specifics elude me, but that's the basic story... Byron

You also might want to check out the Official A-1 Skyraider website at: skyraider.org In particular, the A-1 Combat Journal link will have some interesting information for you... Sorry this wouldnt let me post the link (or other special characters, such as the apostrophe between the n and t of wouldnt), but there is no www. in front of skyraider.org, just a forward slash after the .org Alternatively, Google a1 skyraider - the website should be top of the list... Byron

Superscale did some in 1/48th scale, too, but they are long OOP as well. Sorry about that... Byron

I got the B-24D set in 1/72 - it has the original markings for 'The Squaw'. as opposed to the cleaned up War Bonds tour version offered in Hasegawa's kit. Woo Hoo! Build them both! Very pretty, but I haven't used mine, yet, either. Byron

Yep, I finally found it, and it was indeed made by Hawkeye Design. it is "Shore 'Nuf" pretty, but it is also "Shore 'Nuf" out of production. :lol: Sorry! Byron