Messages

4111

Combat Warplanes / Re: 2AF Training Airfields Mini-Tour

« on: September 30, 2011, 03:49:02 PM »

To continue with our Second Air Force airfield tour, here are some more photos:

First is Kearney AAF, seen as we lined up for runway 18. Kearney was the training base for the 100th Bomb Group in preparation for 8th Air Force service. After the 100th left the field performed some crew training duties and then became a Processing Center for B-17s heading to Europe. Many, many freshly trained crews and brand new Fortresses processed through here just before going to the combat zones of the MTO and ETO. In late '44 the station quit processing B-17s and began to process B-29s and their crews in preparation for their trips to the Pacific. If you do research on combat B-17s you'll often see Kearney in the assigned station list.

Next is Grand Island, landing on runway 17. GI  served as a Phase Training field for B-17 and B-29 Bomb Groups. Grand Island was also a headquarters field for part of the huge 2AF Bombardment Training scheme.

Harvard Army Air Field served as a Phase Training station for all three four-engined bombers used by the U.S. in WWII. First the Fortresses of the 447th Group, then B-24s, and finally the B-29s and their crews trained here. After the War the state of Nebraska took possession of the field and removed most of the runway system. This is the remaining portion of that system shown from the south lining up with runway 35. (I apologize for the bugs on the windscreen--that one was juicy!)

4112

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Bf-109 Group Build-All Variants

« on: September 30, 2011, 06:50:39 AM »

I present my "Box-O-Messerschmitts"! Next step will be to start the painting process.

The cockpit of the Otaki G whilst fitting the windscreen for the first time. I must say that the one-piece canopy of this model was a bit frustrating. I usually have fair success in using a razor saw to cut canopy parts, but this was so thin that I cracked the center portion during the sawing. No problem to make a new one, though.

4113

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Bf-109 Group Build-All Variants

« on: September 30, 2011, 03:21:54 AM »

And the yellow tips may just be bare metal, worn away by contact. What does everyone else think? It is a VDM prop.

I'm sure you're right on this. I did more thinking after I posted my idea and it doesn't really make much sense for anyone to have adapted a U.S. prop. Nice markings on that one, though.

4114

Aircraft Modeling / Re: MAVAG Heja II - Special Hobby 1/72

« on: September 29, 2011, 09:40:38 PM »

Gorgeous result, Javier! An excellent machine.

I've had the idea in the back of my mind for some years to have a line-up of a P-35, Re.2000 and Heja all together.

4115

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Bf-109 Group Build-All Variants

« on: September 29, 2011, 09:34:43 PM »

No.1, I think that airplane has a Hamilton Standard propeller on it. Notice the shape of the blades--they look very much like the paddle blades used on later B-17s and B-24s. Do you suppose they hung one on there as a test of some sort? That would also explain the yellow tips. The VDM design was licensed to Hamilton Standard and I seem to recall that they used the same shaft spline count and diameter but I'm not positive of that.

4116

Combat Warplanes / Re: 2AF Training Airfields Mini-Tour

« on: September 29, 2011, 03:27:39 PM »

Ok, here is another installment. I should mention that the photo of the Memorial Service needs a little explanation. Our Society directors many years ago had a scale set of runways and taxiways poured around the flagpoles. These are an exact replica of the original runway system at McCook, almost all of which has been destroyed and turned back into farm ground as it was before September of 1942 when the field was developed. Our Historical Society group owns three of the hangars and private owners own the other two. McCook is the last 2AF base in Nebraska and Kansas that still retains all five WWII hangars, though we have lost the flying field.

Here are a couple of pictures of some of the air bases we took during the weekend. I apologize for the quality of the photos, and especially for the dead bugs on the windscreen in the later pictures.

First is Great Bend, Kansas. This served almost entirely as a B-29 training station and was a big part of the "Battle of Kansas", the preparation and modification of the 58th Wing's Superfortresses in the winter of 1943/44. Great Bend is still an active municipal airport but has lost many of the original buildings. Two B-29 hangars have been torn down in only the last few years.

Next is a low approach to McCook's runway 30. As can be seen, there is virtually nothing remaining of the 7,000 foot runway. There is a short stub of the runway that is not visible in this photo. The first hangar you see is the Sub-Depot, building #202, and the other four are in the trees. McCook personnel trained B-24 and later B-29 Bomb Groups as stated earlier.

4117

Combat Warplanes / 2AF Training Airfields Mini-Tour

« on: September 29, 2011, 12:16:05 AM »

We spent a number of days in our home state of Nebraska, primarily to attend the yearly McCook Army Air Field reunion/open house. There are, understandably, fewer and fewer WWII veterans attending but we still enjoy having the Memorial Service at the airfield that served as a training facility for B-24 and B-29 Bombardment Groups and Air Service Groups.

The first photo is of the flag placement ceremony at stones denoting each unit that either trained or was based at McCook during the War. Master Sergeant Hugo Lorenzen (Retired), who was stationed at McCook in 1945 as a B-29 electrician, is placing the flags. The second photo is our State Historical Marker that is located on the main street of the airfield.

Later I'll post some more photos of some of the Second Air Force fields that still dot the countryside in my home area.

4118

Aircraft Modeling / Re: July Group Build - Fighters of the 4th-4th+ generation

« on: September 28, 2011, 11:51:14 PM »

You are a VERY patient model builder, Sall. It takes a lot of fortitude to do what you're doing.

4119

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Bf-109 Group Build-All Variants

« on: September 28, 2011, 11:50:08 PM »

Aha! Yet another manufacturer's edition! Great to hear you're jumping in.

4120

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Fiat CR.42 Group Build

« on: September 28, 2011, 05:38:33 PM »

I was thinking the same way , only that I shall not use white - weathering will do the job

And in my case the base color will be less important when all is finished!

4121

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Fiat CR.42 Group Build

« on: September 28, 2011, 04:33:22 PM »

Excellent to see you making progress, Profa. I know what you mean about many jobs to do--we're at home but on vacation and I don't seem to have time to visit the model table.

If it will help, my project upper surfaces are in Gaillo Mimetico 3 and I found Humbrol 94 to be pretty close. I added a few drops of white to it to dull it a bit.

4122

Warplane Art / Re: Douglas A-20 Havoc

« on: September 28, 2011, 04:26:22 PM »

That's an excellent choice for the first profile.

4123

Aircraft Modeling / Re: July Group Build - Fighters of the 4th-4th+ generation

« on: September 28, 2011, 07:46:50 AM »

Yes, you're really making this a maximum effort build!

4124

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Bf-109 Group Build-All Variants

« on: September 28, 2011, 07:32:43 AM »

A tiny update of my Otaki Gustav. No.1 sent me some good information that helped me to open the radiator outlets on this one. On later builds I may get around to dropping the flaps also, but not on this kit. I also inserted the cockpit and joined the fuselage halves as you can see. I don't know how much time I can devote to this thread for the rest of the week, but I'll try.

4125

Aircraft Modeling / Re: April Group Build--F4U Corsair

« on: September 28, 2011, 01:28:15 AM »

Time to bring back an old thread as I found my last two previously built 1/48 Corsairs. I'll eventually put these through a restoration process...

First up is a Hasegawa? F4U-4/AU-1 that is all there but needs much reworking. The paint job is simply embarrassing now but I thought I did a good job way back when.

And this poor thing was once an Otaki F4U-1 that I butchered into a Reno Unlimited. The real Super Corsair is no longer with us and this one won't be either. I found enough pieces, including the original wing tips, to restore this one to a more "normal" configuration. I'm lacking some cowling parts but that shouldn't prove to be a big drawback.