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Boeing FB-1, VF-10M with the China Expedition, 1928


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Thank you, Sergeant!

What is the decal next to the tail? is that from 232?

If '232' is the current designation of the 'Red Devils' squadron, then yes, it is from that, or more precisely, its predecessor. The marking originated with VMF 3, in the early twenties when it was flying Lewis-Vought YE-7 single seaters. The unit was re-designated VMF 10 while in China, and shortly before it returned to the States, was re-designated again as VFM 6. Later it was re-made into a scout-bomber squadron, and I do not know the unit history after that, but a 'Red Devil' emblem has been retained throughout. The early version of the devil, though, is a bit different from the present one: the early devil is pretty spindly, and running with pitchfork outsretched rather than standing and thrusting with it.

The decal is home-made. I made a diamond shape template that I stuck to the back of red decal film and trimmed to the template size; once this was applied I filed down the template and repeated with white decal film, to get the pin-stripe surround. Then I painted the 'red devil' on clear decal film with a toothpick, sealed it with the Micro-Scale product, and applied it over the fields. I got him a bit thicker than he ought to be, but as thin as I could manage....

Edited by Old Man
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Thank you, Sergeant!

If '232' is the current designation of the 'Red Devils' squadron, then yes, it is from that, or more precisely, its predecessor. The marking originated with VMF 3, in the early twenties when it was flying Lewis-Vought YE-7 single seaters. The unit was re-designated VMF 10 while in China, and shortly before it returned to the States, was re-designated again as VFM 6. Later it was re-made into a scout-bomber squadron, and I do not know the unit history after that, but a 'Red Devil' emblem has been retained throughout. The early version of the devil, though, is a bit different from the present one: the early devil is pretty spindly, and running with pitchfork outsretched rather than standing and thrusting with it.

The decal is home-made. I made a diamond shape template that I stuck to the back of red decal film and trimmed to the template size; once this was applied I filed down the template and repeated with white decal film, to get the pin-stripe surround. Then I painted the 'red devil' on clear decal film with a toothpick, sealed it with the Micro-Scale product, and applied it over the fields. I got him a bit thicker than he ought to be, but as thin as I could manage....

nice job. i have plans to do an avenger from the 'red devils' , but didn't know where to get the emblem. very handy trick. now i'm set for that build later.

stellar work on your scratch build. i have an older helldiver bi-plane on the shelf that i keep picking up and setting down. maybe she's next.

dan

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Thank you, Sergeant!

If '232' is the current designation of the 'Red Devils' squadron, then yes, it is from that, or more precisely, its predecessor. The marking originated with VMF 3, in the early twenties when it was flying Lewis-Vought YE-7 single seaters. The unit was re-designated VMF 10 while in China, and shortly before it returned to the States, was re-designated again as VFM 6. Later it was re-made into a scout-bomber squadron, and I do not know the unit history after that, but a 'Red Devil' emblem has been retained throughout. The early version of the devil, though, is a bit different from the present one: the early devil is pretty spindly, and running with pitchfork outsretched rather than standing and thrusting with it.

The decal is home-made. I made a diamond shape template that I stuck to the back of red decal film and trimmed to the template size; once this was applied I filed down the template and repeated with white decal film, to get the pin-stripe surround. Then I painted the 'red devil' on clear decal film with a toothpick, sealed it with the Micro-Scale product, and applied it over the fields. I got him a bit thicker than he ought to be, but as thin as I could manage....

I have all the red devils from the sbd-F/a-18. that is so cool.

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I have all the red devils from the sbd-F/a-18. that is so cool.

my name is Marine4 ever I like to say the CH-46E is the best A/C of all time :banana: I love the CH-46E , the CH-53E is a pice of poop!!!!!! :) AND I LOVE THE NAVY!!!!! AND ARMY!!!!!!!....................BOYS!!!!!!!!!

Edited by SSgtd6152
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what shade of orange/yellow is that that you used on the wings? I'm gonna need something similar for my grumman.

The color is not quite out of the bottle, Mr. Rasczak. It is Pollyscale Acrylic Orange Yellow. 4 USQM 3-1. FS13432, with a trace of bright red added, and I do mean a trace: I put three or four fat brushfuls on a tin-foil palette, and add the amount of red that sticks to a toothpick tip to the puddle. Red is very 'strong' in mixes, and trhe difference is appreciable if you put out of the bottle and the mix side by side. The out of the bottle is a perfect match for U.S.A.A.C. machines, but the Naval chrome yellow was a bit redder, I understand.

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my name is Marine4 ever I like to say the CH-46E is the best A/C of all time :wub: I love the CH-46E , the CH-53E is a pice of poop!!!!!! :cheers: AND I LOVE THE NAVY!!!!! AND ARMY!!!!!!!....................BOYS!!!!!!!!!

:rofl::crying2::rofl:

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  • 4 weeks later...

Completion at last, Gentlemen! There were some external factors, but mostly just my own tendency to slack off once there is just a little bit of fiddly bits left to complete a project is the cause of the delay. I will mount it on a base (which is drying now) for the final gallery shots, but here it is now, rigged, wheeled, propellored, etc.

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that's one helluva scratch build old man!!! superb, stupendous, all those adjectives!!!!

Cheers

Dan

Thanks a lot, Sir! It has been a very fun project, and gone with less trouble than these things usually do.

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By far your best so far, OM!! Keep up the great work!

Thank you, Mr. Bittner! I greatly appreciate your interest.

Here are two of the final shots I will be sending in for the finished gallery. The only additional work is adding the vibration dampers on the rigging, a final detail I had forgetten before.

The stand surface is my first try at doing bare earth, which a picture of one of these machines on its field shows was predominant. It is basically white glue, dusted with flour, and painted with several shades of greyish and yellowish brown.

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Thank you very much, Gentlemen, for your interest, appreciation, and encouragement. I am glad I was able to pull the thing off, and get it into a shape at least approaching what the mind's eye imagined it would be at the start....

"The best model is always the next one."

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