aircommando130

When the "Shabba" (F-117) was flying out of Holloman they had a target here in downtown Albuquerque that was a tall hotel with a pointed roof with a red anti collision light on top. We'd be coming back to Kirtland from our night in the MC-130 and sometimes you'd see the F-117 downward target laser illuminating the top of the hotel. Very cool airplane...their accomplishments during Desert Storm were amazing! Cheers....Ron

Or the B-17 shadow under the B-52 in Dr. Strangelove! I used to teach a threat simulator here at Kirtland...AAA and SAM's...my student would come in and I'd brief them up. Sometimes including watching missiles "boost" during Desert Storm and the 23mm snaking across the sky at night. They'd look at me and say..."I saw something about that on the History Channel". OK...I get it...you weren't even born yet! Cheers....Ron

Why does he have to be enlisted?? Geeeez! LOL! Cheers...Ron...24 years USAF...enlisted

Man...that is awesome! Great paint work on a difficult jet to model. Unfortunately most are buried in the Nevada desert now. Cheers....Ron

Will be looking for it! Ordered the Big Weasel sheet too!!

Beautiful P-51D...I love that paint scheme too. I read a book about the Sinai Campaign and the Israeli AF used those mustangs to fly low level and cut communication lines with the prop! The things they did to ensure their national security! I am researching a IAF F-4E for the YKW. So much to choose from! Great job...you've done justice to the Mustang and the IAF. Cheers...Ron

Maybe the Greek ones do....have you ever seen their Phantom II's? AF crew chiefs are proud of their jets and I know the AF has a timed wash schedule every X amount of days. May have a little grease from a flap/slat actuator or a rudder servo and underneath maybe some hydro streaks or oil blowing back but for the most part the ones I've seen were pretty clean. Cheers...Ron

Love big Phantoms! The F-4J(UK) is a neat looking jet...I liked the delivery paint scheme from the US. Kind of a duck egg blue. Your intake fix is awesome! My first big Phantom II ( F-4C Michigan ANG) I bought intake covers to hide the intake trunks. You could probably do like the F-16 folks do with that intake. Tape off the bottom and pour in latex white paint and then drain it out and mount it vertical till it dries. That should fill all the little impurities that won't sand out! Will be watching your progress!! Cheers...Ron

Everything you read about that kit is it's almost unbuildable! You have definitely proved that wrong. That metal finish is perfect and the Mirage was a good looking airplane. Several pilots in the Israeli Air Force became aces in the Mirage IIIC. Very well done and a great looking airplane! Cheers...Ron

I remember seeing that F-16 in that cloud scheme! I sat in the Stencil seat red, white and blue FSD F-16A at Edwards AFB. The F-15 Test Force was down the way in their day glow orange and Air Superiority Blue paint too.

I'm surprised that with all the interest that they didn't press out a Privateer with the "J" and "D". Consolidated mess I say! Cheers...Ron

Maybe you'll get some motivation to pick it back up! I built that same Tomcat model when it came out...Jolly Roger paint. Cheers....Ron

Coming along really good! I liked the desert cammo on the Alicat. I was fortunate to see them real in Iran...had IIAF on the side and the regular (pre revolution) flag on the tail. I read somewhere that less than 20 are still flying. Cheers...Ron

Well the "new Air Force"....common sense will not be tolerated! I get told every day at work...."You're Air Force is dead" Cheers...Ron....USAF 1974-1999

Thanks Frank...I will send him an email! People like to bang on the Revell F-4 but it can be built up into a good looking Phantom. Yes it takes some aftermarket to get it there but they look good when done. I have 6 Tamiya Phantoms...bought them when I was stationed at Kadena AB. Have 7 Revell Phantoms ...could almost start a McDonnell Douglas assembly line! Sprue Brothers....my Phantom II supply store! Cheers....Ron

That is a good collection of aftermarket! Where did you get the GT Resin RF-4C cockpit from? I've been looking for that and never saw that it was released. His stuff is top notch! I have 2 of those RF kits. Doing the first one in the early gull gray over white USAF scheme and the second as a RF-4E from the GAF using Airdoc decals. I think for your stencil sheet you'll actually need the Speedhunter sheet 32013 of early Phantom stencils since you are doing a 69 model flying in 73! I have a RF-4C dash 1 from 1975 if you need any info. Cheers....Ron

I was cruising around looking at 32nd scale Phantoms and saw this one! Great job on the faded/worn SEA paint. A true warbird that survived the Vietnam war...it's forever preserved as a memorial on a stick in front of ANG headquarters at Andrews AFB. I did my final re-enlistment in the USAF under that F-4. It still carries it's MIG kill on the left splitter plate. The Phantom II is my favorite fighter! Again...great job! Cheers...Ron USAF Oct 1974-Feb 1999

Nice job so far! I had wanted to do the same thing with 2 of the same kits. I bought a 2 seat "B" canopy seems like 40 years ago from a shop in Texas. It's vacuformed but about as thick as the real canopy and I was terrified to try and cut it. I carried it around for probably 4 PCS moves and open the box and see that canopy and close it back up! I now have 2 of the SUFA kits and one of them will be a "D" model. Good luck with yours and I will watch your progress! Cheers...Ron

Beautiful! And it's an Iraqi nuclear reactor raider too!

Welcome back Tom! Hopefully you've worked the Castlemain XXXX and Strongbow out of your system! The Fort is looking good! Might as well model if you're getting rain from the hurricane! Cheers....Ron

The HC-130P, MC-130E and MC-130P all had radio operators...as did E-3's and most of the EC/RC-135's. I know my time flying the MC-130 the RO was very busy monitoring several radios and talking with the "user" on the ground or other SOF assets in the air on SATCOM secure voice radios. Sadly...the MC-130H and the new MC/HC-130J do not carry a RO and the crew gets task saturated trying to fly and run radios at the same time.

I ordered 3 sets as well! Probably need a few more but will get them later!

Awesome! Finally...gear set for the Revell Phantom! Would like a rounded fwd camera door for the RF-4C/E so I could build a gray IAF RF-4E or get the decals for the metallic blue and silver RF-4EJ. Will be waiting for those gear struts/doors!! Cheers...Ron

Nice...Thanks for that info!

Wow...nice! The F-16 has come a long way from the "lightweight fighter" it was marketed as back in the mid 70"s. Build up a SUFA and put them side by side to show the difference. Your F-4C was awesome too...Would like to see you do a IAF F-4E as well! Great job! Cheers...Ron