Possible new topics?

[Dutch]

On 11/22/2022 at 11:45 PM, Drifterdon said:

I have several of the Fujimi B-29 kits and they actually look like a B-29 with a correct tail outline.  It is a much better kit overall with finely recessed panel lines.  The only down side of this kit are no engines within the cowlings.  Also, the prop hubs are molded square which totally messes up the look.   Brengun makes a set of resin cowling/engines and a replacement set of props that fix the wonky Fujimi parts.   The Fujimi kits also include open bomb bays with bombs and a 1/144 A-bomb with one of their releases.   Bottom line, this is hands down the best B-29 in 1/144.   

Since I had to whack the tail off the donor B-29 kit to make an RB-50, and since I had intended to keep bomb bay doors closed, I chose the cheaper of the two kits.

I agree Brother Don!  That Crown/Academy/Minicraft B-29 tail just looks ugly.  Too much chord mid height. Either that, or too short and pointy on top. I would have to place it on top of some 1/144 scale drawings to determine correctly.  I do have a Fujimi KB-29P inbound, but I want to build it as a tanker, so will see what I can finagle for a B-29 kit as a base for the B/KB-50 project.

Edited December 8, 2022 by Dutch

[Drifterdon]

We're talking about the ICM and Special Hobby 1/48 AH-1G helo kits over in the Helicopter Modeling section and it got me to thinking what decals are out there for a Vietnam era Cobra.   I did a search on the interweb and I'm not seeing much out there.  This could be a potential subject for Caracal.

[jonbryon]

11 hours ago, Drifterdon said:

We're talking about the ICM and Special Hobby 1/48 AH-1G helo kits over in the Helicopter Modeling section and it got me to thinking what decals are out there for a Vietnam era Cobra.   I did a search on the interweb and I'm not seeing much out there.  This could be a potential subject for Caracal.

 

Art Scale do quite a few sheets: https://www.hannants.co.uk/search/index.php?product_category_id=&product_division_id=&manufacturer_id=363071&code=&product_type_id=all_decals&scale_id=955&keyword_search=AH-1&setPerPage=25&currency_id=

 

Jon

[Drifterdon]

Thanks Jon.   I've never heard of these guys.   Are they any good?   

It seems each of their Cobra sheets focuses on a single squadron.

[jonbryon]

1 hour ago, Drifterdon said:

Thanks Jon.   I've never heard of these guys.   Are they any good?   

It seems each of their Cobra sheets focuses on a single squadron.

 

I have one of the sets, but I haven't used it so I can't comment on the quality of the decals. I also can't comment on accuracy, but they do include a photo or two of the actual machine.

 

Jon

[Drifterdon]

23 minutes ago, jonbryon said:

 

I have one of the sets, but I haven't used it so I can't comment on the quality of the decals. I also can't comment on accuracy, but they do include a photo or two of the actual machine.

 

Jon

Thank you sir!   

[eraucubsfan]

On 7/21/2022 at 11:32 AM, Collin said:

Any thought of F-8 Crusader flight test or other unique Crusader markings?  
 

Cheers

Collin

 

On 7/22/2022 at 8:40 AM, eraucubsfan said:

Yes!!

 

 

 

 

Hobby 2000 is about to re-release the Hasegawa kits with uninspiring markings, maybe it's time for some different F-8 markings 🙂 

[The Arrowhead]

We already gave Kursad some inspiration several posts above on orginal Crusader liveries (NASA, NATC, VX-4, you name it).

My Hase F-8 box stash cries out for that decal sheet!

[Stefan buysse]

Hi,

 

I have the Muroc conversion set for the small-nose Crusaders and what I'd really love to see decal-wise is VF-84 with the flames and the eyes done well.

 

Cheers, Stefan. 

[aircal62]

There are a lot of Micro/Superscale decals out there from the 1980's/90's that certainly could be replaced, subject material of course.  One thing that has always surprised me was that for instance VA-195 Dambusters A-7E has never been done in its non-CAG form.  

[fasteagle12]

4 minutes ago, aircal62 said:

There are a lot of Micro/Superscale decals out there from the 1980's/90's that certainly could be replaced, subject material of course.  One thing that has always surprised me was that for instance VA-195 Dambusters A-7E has never been done in its non-CAG form.  

There is one on Furball's 'Lo-Viz SLUF's' sheet.  A bit pricey but a nice sheet.          "Lo-Viz SLUFs"

[aircal62]

I should have said, the high vis scheme used in Viet Nam in reference to the VA-195 scheme

[fasteagle12]

7 minutes ago, aircal62 said:

I should have said, the high vis scheme used in Viet Nam in reference to the VA-195 scheme

Gotcha....I haven't seen any of those either..

[Paul Boyer]

Modedecal from England did it in 1/72 back in 1971 or thereabouts. Unobtanium now:

 

[Paul Boyer]

2 hours ago, Stefan buysse said:

Hi,

 

I have the Muroc conversion set for the small-nose Crusaders and what I'd really love to see decal-wise is VF-84 with the flames and the eyes done well.

 

Cheers, Stefan. 

Microscale re-did the VF-84 flamey sheet in 1/72 scale, this time adding the "flaming eyeball" but the flame area is about ½" too long in the front. https://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Session_ID=bf20041d86abacac8c946bd9d65f84fb&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=AC72-0055&Store_Code=MD&search=F-8+Crusader&offset=&filter_cat=&PowerSearch_Begin_Only=&sort=&range_low=&range_high=   But it can be made to look OK (my Academy model).

[Paul Boyer]

11 minutes ago, Paul Boyer said:

Modedecal from England did it in 1/72 back in 1971 or thereabouts. Unobtanium now:

 

Cut Then Add has also recently done this one (No. 34).

[habu2]

Micro/Superscale did a hi-vis VA-195 A-7E on sheet 72-081

 

https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/360/0212/26/microscale-decals-72-081-a7e-corsair_360_73bcf58d5e305ab358b8a66119e53ed1.jpg

 

https://navy-seventies.pagesperso-orange.fr/A-7 VA-195.html

 

Edited December 3, 2022 by habu2

[Paul Boyer]

Yeah, but he was talking about a NON CAG bird.

[Stefan buysse]

14 hours ago, Paul Boyer said:

Microscale re-did the VF-84 flamey sheet in 1/72 scale, this time adding the "flaming eyeball" but the flame area is about ½" too long in the front. https://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Session_ID=bf20041d86abacac8c946bd9d65f84fb&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=AC72-0055&Store_Code=MD&search=F-8+Crusader&offset=&filter_cat=&PowerSearch_Begin_Only=&sort=&range_low=&range_high=   But it can be made to look OK (my Academy model).

Thanks, Paul.

 

I'll watch out for that sheet. I see that it's in stock at Hannant's, but with Brexit I tend to wait a bit before ordering from them.  

That's another great model you built there. 

 

Cheers, Stefan.

 

 

 

[Dutch]

To go along with a possible B-29/B-50 release, here is a photo of a B-50D of the 393rd Bomb Sqn, 509th Bomb Wing at Walker AFB, NM during the early 1950s.  Assigned to the 15th Air Force (Triangle) they received the "C" tail code. However, they applied the legacy WWII "Circle Arrow" markings to the wing tanks. 

Boeing B-50D 49-261 "City of ELWOOD" 393rd BS, 509 BG, 97 BW, Biggs AFB, El Paso, TX early 1950s

 

When they converted to B-47Es circa 1955, they applied the red arrow to their tails again, but lost them sometime after their move to Pease AFB, NH circa 1958. 509th BW B-47s did not always carry the 509th BW badge on the starboard side of the nose over the SAC Milky Way band, but this example did.

B-47E 52-0404, 393rd BS, 509th BW, Walker AFB, NM late 1950s.

Edited December 8, 2022 by Dutch
corrected bomb wing assignment

[Rodewaryer]

That band and SAC patch were a great item of pride for more people that most realize. SAC was a bigger deal than almost anyone now can understand. It was a great comfort knowing the levels they went to as the guardians of this country.  I only did 2 years as a SAC trained killer, Fairchild AFB, 1977-1979. Diggin' the B-47 pic even though I never worked them. We had B-52G's and still flew the ADM-20C's for which we weapons troops had a separate equipment identifier.

Edited December 8, 2022 by Rodewaryer
Add

[Drifterdon]

1 minute ago, Rodewaryer said:

That band and SAC patch were a great item of pride for more people that most realize. SAC was a bigger deal than almost anyone now can understand. It was a great comfort knowing the levels they went to as the guardians of this country.  I only did 2 years as a SAC trained killer, Fairchild AFB, 1977-1979. Diggin' the B-47 pic even though I never worked them. 

When I was in there was a saying that said something like, "There is the SAC way, and then there is the rest of the Air Force".    It was a sad day when they got rid of it.

[Rodewaryer]

1 minute ago, Drifterdon said:

When I was in there was a saying that said something like, "There is the SAC way, and then there is the rest of the Air Force".    It was a sad day when they got rid of it.

 

Heard that one a few times too. An awful lot of us ex-SAC troops are missing the level of commitment and dedication that command demanded. It was tough, but it's what kept the dark forces at bay and helped people sleep soundly at night. We are but a sorry shadow of our former selves. 

[Drifterdon]

20 minutes ago, Rodewaryer said:

 

Heard that one a few times too. An awful lot of us ex-SAC troops are missing the level of commitment and dedication that command demanded. It was tough, but it's what kept the dark forces at bay and helped people sleep soundly at night. We are but a sorry shadow of our former selves. 

SAC definitely had their poop in a group!

[AD-4N]

My dad was a Chief Master Sergeant in SAC, an electrician on B-52s, KC-97s and KC-135s from 1957 to 1971.   From Randolph, to Kindley, to Clinton-Sherman, to Offutt to Andersen.  He worked hard but was so proud what what he did.  From 1965 to 1969 he was at Offutt on the Maintenance Standardization Evaluation Team (MSET).  Flew to SAC bases all over the planet ensuring "the SAC way."  His last four years was with AF Logistics Command and coming from SAC he thought it was some sort of resort.  Not like any Air Force he had been apart of.  Made him shake his head a lot.  Way more civilians that he was used to dealing with.