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Mine arrived on the 25th as well. It looks great. Wonder about the markings though. Did VF-17 have red surround nation insignia in November 1943? I think it might have had a blue outline instead....what color blue is yet another question. Chuck

Add me to the list. I got my request yesterday (Nov, 19) from HLJ. Hopefully it will arrive before thanksgiving. Mine is coming EMS. Can't wait. Chuck

Better make sure this release sells well if you want a FAA kit. My guess is that the next issue will be a combination F4U-1D/FAA but that just a WAG. Probably next year about this time. In the mean time the clipped wings are already in the kit, or at least they were in the dash one, so you are well on the way for FAA version. Just need the decals and surely someone will come through for that soon. Chuck

Has anyone seen the box art for this model as of yet? I can't believe they are just going to use the 1/48 art again. Chuck

TBD Devastator in 1/32 B-26 short wing short tail in 1/48 or 1/32 scale B-17 series...C/D, E, Early F, Late F in 1/48 or 1/32 Hope springs eternal! Chuck

I've got one on order already. Just a long wait for July now....and I'm sure it will be late July. As far as I'm concerned, great news, and the right variant to begin with. Since it'll be based on their wonderful 1/48 models it should be a really great model with few problem areas. I'm willing to bet that the "notch" in the flap will be there...have to fill that in, and probably a centerline drop tank will be included...no problem with that but it wasn't used on the birdcage. Probably have to fill in that hole.....but that was it on the 1/48 kits. Chuck

I've got one on order from Sprue Brothers. UPS tracking shows it's in Albuquerque, my home, and should be delivered tomorrow, and I can't wait. I was surprised when I saw Sprue Brothers had them and ordered immediately. As I said, I can't wait. Chuck

What about the A-36 and P-51A Air Commando kits? Any word on when these might "Magically" appear? Chuck

If I were you and didn't want to do a natural metal finish, then don't do one. Go ahead and paint your F-6D in OD/Neutral Grey if you want. I'd be willing to bet there was at least one that had such a finish. After all, this is a model, and a hobby. So go for it if you wish. Why not add a shart mouth to it while you're at it! :-) Chuck

Yesterday I bit the bullet. I purchased Trumpy's P-47D kit. And I have to say I'm impressed by this kit. I think they did a good job in general. Is it worth the money? Is anything worth the money concerning a hobby? I do know that some of the ordenance included in the kit will work well on my Hasegawa P-47D bubble top so that helps a bit concerning the price. I look forward to building the kit. But, in the box, it certainly looks like a P-47 and the rivets are not overwhelming at all and should look very good under a coat of paint or two. Certainly the cowl is going to be easier to build than the Hasegawa P-47D was. That four piece cowl was a real "problem" for me in terms of putting it together and getting it to fit properly. However I was pleased with the Hasegawa kit. I hope I'm as pleased with the Trumpy kit. Now, to stir up a hornet's next....I think Trumpy is getting a bit of a bad rap. Overall their kits have been very good, in my opinion. Are they worth the price? That depends upon what you want. Is Hawegawa's approach to kits perhaps better in terms of less options at a lesser cost? Probably. But they haven't announced a P-47D Razorback as of yet nor have they announced a P-51B either. If they had, maybe I wouldn't have spent the money for the Trumpy kit. But now that I have, I'm pleased with the kit. Trumpy is releasing kits of models we have been wanting for many years. Give them credit for that. Chuck

I picked one up at my local hobby store today. And it looks to be quite I kit. I shouldn't have done it from an economic standpoint but I couldn't resist. It looks good in the box, the PE is really nice and the decals seem to be of first rate quality. I'm sure they're going to do a P-400/P-39F/L/N soon enough and probably a Russian one as well. I just hope it builds as nice as it looks in the box. One thing though...what is it with Czech companies with the much too large boxes? Have they decided to just make one size and put everything in there regardless of scale? Oh well...the P-39 was a small airplane to begin with. Must say even I'm surprised by the relatively small size in 1/32 compared to other aircraft of the time but that's okay and correct. I'm just glad that Special Hobby is making such diverse and wonderful kits these days. Thank you to Special Hobby! Chuck :-)

It looks like a nice kit but I can't find the blast tubes anywhere. Can anyone else see them? And, while nice, I just don't think it's worth the money, especially if Hasegawa releases a razorback in the not too distant future, and doesn't pull an missing Me-109F on us. Chuck

The F2A-3 Buffalos of VMF-221 defended Midway in June of 1942. However, VMF-221 was a part of the aborative Wake Island relief/reinforcement/evacuation mission of December 1941. VMF-221 left San Diego aboard the Saratoga (CV-3) on December 8 with 14 aircraft. Once the Wake Island mission was canceled, they were flown instead to Midway Atoll on December 25, 1941. The squadron was under the command of Maj. Verne McCaul. The XO was Capt Harold Bauer; squadron pilots included Capt. John L. Smith and 2nd Lt. Marion E. Carl...all made famous for actions at Guadalcanal between August and mid November 1942. Needless to say...there were good people in that squadron. Chuck

Jim: Thank you for the response. I appreciate it. I'm not a maniac. I've just always wanted a model of the F2A-3...I guess I pull for the under plane. :-) The picture is great. It must have beent taken in a January or early February 1942 time frame due to the candy cane stripes on the rudder, and no gun camera mount on the fuselage. Great picture. Thank you. Chuck

Alan I have the two DVD set on the F4F Wildcat from Aircraft Films. In that is a short, in color, no sound, section showing F2A-3's landing aboard the Lexington circa October 1941. I've been watching that section, pausing it, looking carefully....and I can't tell. That is a bit frustrating to say the least. However....I have noticed a couple of interesting facts....VF-2's Buffalos at that stage were all painted in the blue/grey upper, light grey lower scheme but with a difference...the light grey is a bit higher on the fuselage and extends up and over/around the forward engine cowling. Secondly, the large forward antenae mast was still installed in all aircraft. They hadn't yet removed that and substitute the stub mast on the port wing. Thirdly, they all were equipped with the gun camera external fuselage mount. So...how do I get in touch with Jim Maas? Thanks for your reply. Chuck :-)