norbert

Hi Regarding US Navy aircrews, I had gap for the périod mid 70s to early 80s. So we made a F-14 aircrew of the first years, with helmet and oxygen mask that was in use before "top-gun 1", so before 1981. However, as I do not have a F-14 available, i installed them in an Intruder in 1/32 scale : Cheers Norbert

You may ask to sparkit. It will be USAF version. He studied the different versions so much that he may know

Hello ! We made a second version of the same USAF F-16 pilot, but looking port side, downwards : Cheers Norbert

Hi Here is an american F-16 pilot equiped with a HGU-55 helmet and the former MBU-12 mask, so a bit old style, and wearing only the seat harness and the G-suit : 80s - 2000s era, or later depending to the countries, squadrons and pilots. These gears were commonly used by several countries in the world. The type of pilot I could see in the "good old days" (was not always good, but I spend some good time on airfields...) cheers+ Norbert

The life preserver, and even the MA-2 harness in a former version, but this last detail is not very visible on a seated pilot. The Mk 3 life preserver, that was in use also inside the 70s, does not have a collar as you can see on the above picture. The helmet remains the same. An opportunity for other versions...

It is USN, 1969 late 70s era Cheers Norbert

Hi Niels I'm preparing one, with HGU-55 helmet. Fist will probably be a simple one : G-suit, harness, no survival vest, and visor down. Have to see to make a F-15 pilot at the same time, different arm poses... Cheers Norbert

Hi Further to the F-4 aircrew for the 1969-late 70s era, Reedoak provides now versions with visor up, and with or without boom mic, in 1/32 and 1/48 scale Cheers Norbert

I imagine a USAF version with also a HGU-2 helmet ?

I'm interested to know more, I found only testimony about wired and heated flight suits on B-17 when cruising in high altitude, also for the pilot and copilot. But I certainly do not know all on everything, so my initial question. One thing when looking at period pictures, they often do not wear any heated coat when on the ground, nor life preserver, that makes me think (to search further) that all these gears were probably inside, except maybe for some of the gunners

But why one in summer outfits (or hot environment) and the other one in winter (or cold environment) ?

Cheers Norbert

slowly preparing for them, still looking for an original CSU-3 G-suit in size medium

Hi, Reedoak has now a 1/32 US Navy phantom II F-4J crew, for the era from 1969 to the end of the 70s. They are equipped with APH-6A helmets and MS22001 mask, with butterfly bayonets, one of the possibilities of that time. Here in the Tamiya kit : We made also a 1/48 version, but for the F-4B, that finaly has different hand and arms position despite trying to keep the same pose: Cheers Norbert

Well, they say new scale for them, so it is not 1/35. If they count they new MRAP in 1/48 scale as an existing scale for them, it will also not be 1/48, but this is not sure, as it can also count as a new scale for them... Let's wait and see

A Dewoitine D-520 seems on to be on a drawing board somewhere

and BMW 327...

Hi, it's not what we usualy make and it was at the origin just for one person, but we finaly redraw it completely to bring it closer to the 1962 original drawing : Here with 1/32 scale figures, the smaller one is in 1/48 size. However, with such figures, it's difficult to speak from scales : cheers Norbert

make a spring arround a wire at the right diameter and pitch, then cover with stretch wrap from the kitchen, bend in shape and paint ?

We had the opportunity to scan a helmet for the Delta Apache, so we modified our apache crew for a version with the older helmet : Cheers Norbert

It's 3D printed resin, cleaned in 4 bath of isopropyl alcohol, so ready for primer after removing the sprues (that we call supports in the 3D world)

Reedoak is bringing out a set of 2 US army helicopter pilot survival vests, hanging. They can hang inside or outside Blackhawks, Latokas, Kiowas, Apaches, Chinooks, Cayuses... And are shown here on side of a blackhawk : Chers Norbert

Like a Jeep, for exemple...

from Moson model show 2023, slightly modified Reedoak figures (addition of a cap on one of them) : For the deck crews, the difference between vietnam and post vietnam is the addition, post vietnam, of a pocket on the chest of the life preserver. It's easy to remove and is the only difference. However, at rest, we see plenty of pictures where the deck crews does not wear a life preserver, and also sometime no jersey... Cheers Norbert

So, to the peoples at border models...Come-on guys, be more border : make a 1/32 jeep ! it's strange how a 1/32 jeep seems interesting for us, knowing that all 1/35 armour guys will say the same as we do with the 1/35 planes. Or I do it myself, my neighbour has an original jeep...