BiggTim

Thanks all! I picked up some camouflage Gray and aircraft Gray for comparison.

Had the opportunity to pick up the Revell He-111P-1 for an excellent price this weekend. Seems like a good kit, but I would like to know what you guys think. Tim

Please throw my name in that hat, too, thanks. I am hoping for the 109E decals for an upcoming build.

It is really disappointing that the Trumpy kit is so inaccurate. I was looking forward to it. I sold my Revell kit some years back because I din't want to fix it. I guess I may have to buy another one if there is not another available soon, or save up for a Rutman kit.

I'll have a look at that, thanks!

So how much does one have to part with for one of the P-51B Rutman kits these days? I know Jerry isn't making them anymore, but I haven't seen that one on ebay lately either. I was planning to buy the Trumpy one at some point, since I know the Revell one isn't great, but after reading this thread, I don't think I want that one, either. Tim

OH NO!! What a bummer! Are any of the contents salvageable?

Oh my goodness, I'd never thought of doing that! That would have been truly hilarious!! Very NSFK, but funny as heck!

I'm not a jet guy, but I LOVE F-4s!! What a badass tank of a plane! Very nice work! Makes me want to build one....

I had no idea that color was discontinued by Model Masters! Fortunately, I just bought 3 bottles of it (for half price, I might add)) from a local hobby shop that is going out of business after 68 years ! Bottles, not spray cans, so I won't have to worry about the decanting, at least. I've never tried the Tamiya Paints, but they are clearing those out as well, so I may have to grab some before they close up for good, as well as the MM ACRYL paints. I've already bought about 150 bucks worth of MM paints - enough to last me a decade or so at the rate I build. I've always preferred the enamels for exactly that reason - they last forever. Tim

Very nice!! I love those pre-war fighters!!

Thanks, I'll check that out!

I was planning to just mix my own from photos, but if someone knows a good premixed one, that would be better!

What gray paint color have you guys used for your Sparrowhawk kits? It's obviously some sort of light glossy gray, but not sure what exactly it is. Maybe "Gloss Gull Gray" would work? Thanks, Tim

Oh man! That is fantastic! I've been dying to do one of those kits, but haven't been able to squeeze out the cash yet. You're making me want to even more!

I just bought this kit, and you have set the bar high, my friend!

Oh crap! I didn't even know these existed, and now I'm gonna be jonesing for one forever. That is a totally awesome kit AND build!!!

Actually the lead came from .45 caliber bullets I fired from my Colt Peacemaker replica. I usually shoot with a large block of firewood as a back drop, so I can split the wood and retrieve the lead to cast more bullets, or to use it for things like this. I found a few of the more intact bullets, pounded them flat and to the right thickness with a hammer, cut the piece out, and sand to shape. Some hardware stores used to sell lead in sheets, but I haven't seen it that way for some time. But lead shot, bullets, and fishing weights are usually pretty easy to find, so I use those a lot. Another way to make flat pieces is to lay them in an old old cast iron skillet and melt them with a torch and let them cool into a sheet. You might try laying an old piston ring or something like it in the skillet to trap the lead and make it thicker, but I haven't tried that yet. Good luck! Tim

Thanks! Yes, the P-26 was apparently a real scheme. I saw some color artwork of it on the cover of an old issue of "Aviation" magazine, and I think it may have had a B/W pic in the article, but I'm not sure. I may still have the mag around, if I find it, I'll post it. We are pretty careful about what we spend (plus I have other hobbies), so OOB fits what I can afford, and forces me to get a lot of practice scratchbuilding detail. I pretty much only resort to buying AM details when something is over my head or I want to save some time. Good luck to you! Tim

Wow, great picture, where did you find that? This plane is definitely from the 428th FS, the dark colored square on the tail and the F5 were their squadron ID marks. The W is the pilot's personal mark, and I think I may be able to track down his name. It would also have been painted on the inboard side of the vertical tails like the one I posted. I found a reference this afternoon that suggested the noses, spinners, and square on the tail may have been a very dark blue rather than than my initial suspicion of black. That would amke more sense, since if they were black you wouldn't be able to read the tail number. This picture makes it clear that the intakes below the spinners were the same color. I am waiting for confirmation of the dark blue color from the fighter group's official historian, so I'll post when I hear for sure. Thanks again for the great pic, I will add it to my reference collection! Tim

I must admit that I once sold the Aero Detail He-111 book with an old vacuform ID models He-111 for some rather serious cash, but that was before the Revell He-111 came out. Good timing on my part, but I kinda wish I had kept the book now, since I'd like to do that model someday. Oh well.

Would also appreciate your help in deciphering the colors of the 659 plane (the wrecked one). To the best of my friend's recollection, the nose and spinners were black, upper surfaces of nose and nacelles O.D., but the lower surfaces of the nacelles seems to be another color yet. Maybe red? The 666 plane also has another color painted on the air intake under the spinner, as is apparent in the close-up photo with just the pilot. I'm guessing that since that plane was in his squadron, maybe his was painted the same color? I believe the squares on the tail were also black. Thanks for your thoughts! Tim

I thought you folks might like to see some WW2 photos I scanned from a friend's collection. They are high res scans of the actual photos, as the negatives no longer exist. This is the paint scheme I plan to paint my Trumpeter P-38 in, even though it is not flashy or well known. My friend, Sgt. Archie "Lee" Stuck, was an assistant ground crew chief in the 428th FS ("Geyser Gang"), 474th FG, 9th AF during WW2, flying P-38s. These photos are of him and his crew mates and their Pilot, Lt. Robert O. Hanson, and I believe were taken in Schweinfurt, Germany in 1945. Oddly, Lee told me that the J-25 they are standing in front of is not even their plane (note the rather ominous nose number - 666, funny huh?). One of their planes, an L-1, tail number 424659, nosed over in the mud at A-78 in Florennes, Belgium. To my knowledge, these pics have never been published. Enjoy!

Well, if they are, I'm gonna be selling some books soon.

Dang, I want that kit, but that's just a lot of cash to part with for a guy on a low hobby budget. That's why I build so much OOB, and so many low quality kits - I can't afford most of the good stuff! It taught me how to scratch build pretty well, though.... Guess I'm going to have to forgo some kits for a while and save up...