We're Back, Thoughts on a Strange Hobby, The Fighting 39th, An A-26 Office, and The Last Thing You'd Expect to See Here

Hey, Ho; Let's Go!

OK, so Joey and the boys aren't here to count it off for us, but the spirit's there, and it's time to get back in the game. The Great Move of 2012 is complete, and no airplanes were harmed in the making of it. All the books, photos, kits, decals, paint, and on and on and on; all the stuff that needed to get here, got here. We are, to steal yet another phrase, cocked and locked and ready to rock. Hey, Ho; Let's GO!

How Silly Can We Get?

Even though a considerable percentage of our readers are far more interested in the photography we've managed to dig up than the plastic models that caused us to run those photos in the first place, we are, at the end of the day, a publication devoted to plastic modeling. That fact leads us to follow the various ins and outs of the scale modeling industry with considerable interest, which means we also look in on several of the better-known internet modeling sites for new releases. We also, for whatever it may be worth, read the various forums featured on most of those sites; oft times we learn, but we also end up scratching our heads quite a bit at what we read there. For a case (or two) in point, let's look at the hoopla around two recent releases, both in 1/48th scale; Revell's PV-1 and Tamiya's apparently impending Il-2.

When the PV-1 was announced, the boards started buzzing with the usual silliness devoted to plastic models that haven't been released yet. When the kit finally was released, people started buying it in droves, or so it would seem, and also began criticizing it which, in turn, set off a feeding frenzy in the camps of all the folks who manufacture aftermarket resin correction and detail sets for our hobby. As a result we saw an onslaught of replacement parts, precious few of which were actually required in order to build an accurate PV-1, and we saw what would have been, way back in The Good Old Days, reams and reams of criticism in said boards regarding the need for those parts, the practical use of those parts, and almost anything else you might think of that would have anything at all to do with those parts. A few wise souls brought up the fact that the kit was pretty darned good right out of the box and really only needed improved props, but they were essentially trampled underfoot by the crowd that wanted to spend extra money on resin aftermarket. It's a strange little hobby.

Then there's that apparently impending Tamiya Il-2, which we're assured is an entirely new kit and not just a revised Accurate Miniatures kit to be sold primarily in  the Japanese market. The boards couldn't go after that particular kit regarding detail or accuracy, since nobody actually has one yet, but they could and did go after it from the standpoint of need, which begs a question---do we really need another Il-2? That depends. Tamiya has a long-standing track record of issuing kits of subjects they want to do rather than what a relatively small group of modestly opinionated scale modelers believe they should do.

To cut to the chase, is the old A-M/Eduard Il-2 good enough? Yep---it sure is. Does it need replacement with a newer kit using 2012 technology? Nope---not really. Think about it, though; the Hasegawa family of Mitsubishi A6M kits were first released in the 1990s and are still pretty darned good right now this minute. Tamiya have released state-of-the-art kits of two of the Zero variants over the past couple of years, and they're a genuine improvement over those older Hasegawa offerings, albeit not by much. There certainly isn't enough difference between the two kits to cause us to surplus out the Hase kits sitting in our closet in favor of replacement by newer and more costly Tamiya issues, the point to be taken being that we feel we'd be equally well-served by building either. It's probably going to be that way with the Il-2 as well. We've got a couple of A-M/Eduard kits in the pile and will build them some day---they're good, solid representations of that classic warplane, but we'll eventually buy the new Tamiya kit (if, in fact, it is new) as well. It is, like we said, a strange little hobby.

Our very own personal bottom line is that we'll probably buy the new Tamiya kit if there really is one, and we'll build it sooner or later. If the kit turns out to be an A-M re-pop we'll probably opt to keep what we've already got in the collection, but we won't criticize the folks at Tamiya for doing it. Yes, we'd rather have a decent F-86H kit (which probably wouldn't sell worth a tinker's damn, if the truth be known) but it ain't gonna happen, at least not from Tamiya.

At the end of the day we've seen a new and badly-needed kit of the classic Ventura, and we might be seeing a new and not necessarily-required kit of the Il-2 as well. As plastic modelers we applaud them both, and suggest that the myriad of internet critics stop talking about them and go build something instead.

The Turning Tide

The world is going though a period of massive and significant change at the moment, and virtually everything those of us with some seniority on life have held to be self-evident truths are up for grabs. It wasn't always so. There was a time, barely half a century ago, when things were very well-defined indeed, and resolute purpose was not questioned. Here's a glimpse into that not-so-distant past courtesy of Bobby Rocker.

The 39th Fighter Squadron, a part of the 35th Fighter Group, was a Sierra Hotel sort of outfit during World War 2 and was in things pretty much from the beginning, although their rise to fame really didn't get started until after their assignment to New Guinea. Here's a flight of their P-38s buzzing the strip at 14-Mile; note the gas bags hanging off the port wing stations only. Those aux tanks, along with everything else in the Southwest Pacific, were in short supply and were only used as required to support each particular mission.  Rocker Collection

The 39th did a stint at Milne Bay prior to moving to Port Moresby. This Lightning appears to be poised and ready to go, but the severe tail-down attitude indicates that she's lacking ammunition for her guns, rendering her harmless for the time being. The laundry line in the right-hand background of this shot provides a telling indication of the conditions the 39th had to endure while in New Guinea. Pretty much everything was make do and they, along with all the other 5th AF fighter units, made things work with what they had.  Rocker Collection

This P-38 had the luxury of a revetment made from logs, which protected it from bomb blast and splinters. Of course, that revetment wasn't much use against heat, rain, insects, or poisonous snakes, all of which were present in great abundance. It was, as we've said so many times in the past, a nasty little war.  Rocker Collection

When aviation historians mention Charles King everyone immediately thinks of his P-39, but he flew P-38s as well. Here's his Number 27 parked in the mud at Port Moresby. We can't say it enough; this environment wasn't the exception, it was the rule. Those guys were hot, dirty, dead tired, and sometimes sick, and they got in the airplane day after day and flew the missions in spite of it all. They got the job done, and sometimes they died in the process. We owe every one of them. Rocker Collection

 Here's "Japanese Sandman II" at 14-Mile Strip. She's a fairly famous airplane and this is the way we're used to seeing her, relatively clean and ready to go get The Bad Guys.  Rocker Collection

Even famous airplanes step in it once in a while. Here's another shot of "Sandman", but this time she's off the taxiway and partially mired in the ever-present New Guinea mud, and with a badly-mangled port wing to boot. The Japanese were a skilled and aggressive enemy, determined in their opposition, but you could get away from them once you were out of the immediate combat area. There was no way to avoid the lousy weather, or the mud. Everybody paid the price.  Rocker Collection

You could call it courage, or guts, or anything else you wanted to, but the guys who flew in the Pacific, particularly in the rough days of 1942 and 1943, were a pretty special bunch of aviators. Here's Curran Jones from the 39th looking ready for parade beside his Lightning.  Rocker Collection

And Paul Stanch. The uniform's fairly clean but those boondockers tell the story.  Rocker Collection

Here's Walter Beane with part of his ground crew at 14-Mile. The P-38 has proven itself to be a bear to keep flying in the comtemporary warbird circuit. Keeping them in the air was business as usual in 1943. Rocker Collection

Charlie King poses for the camera at 14-Mile, looking like he just stepped out of the shower. They say the camera doesn't lie, but sometimes it fibs a little bit.  Rocker Collection

This shot's a little bit closer to the truth. We'll leave today's essay with this shot of Ken Sparks posing with his damaged P-38. Look at his face; you can see the exhaustion. Have we ever mentioned that it was a crummy war?  Rocker Collection

One for the Modelers

We're always after detail, us modelers, and we're manic about it, detailing our models in places where nobody can ever see what we've done. The photo you're about to enjoy comes to us from Mark Nankivil (we think!) and provides us with some detail you can see:

Just another day at the office. This remarkable shot provides an excellent look at the instrument panel and cockpit area of a WW2-vintage A-26. This one ought to keep you guys busy detailing for a while!  Greater St Louis Air and Space Museum via Mark Nankivil

Off On a Tangent

OK, admit it. Most of you guys started out your modeling career building cars, or at least you did that if you're as old as we are. Whatever else you build now or have ever built, there was a car model in there someplace. We did it too, and we still do it every once in a while, up to and including right now. The Great Move of 2012 has kept us from finishing anything in the way of model airplanes lately, and we're presently hip-deep in assisting our spouse with a model car display in the community we just moved from, so today's model shot is of the automotive variety. It might or might not be what you wanted to see, but it's what we've got. We'll return to what might be deemed our regularly scheduled programming next time.

No, they aren't airplanes, but they are models and this is, in theory at least, a modeling blog, so there you go. The hot rod is an old Monogram 1932 Ford roadster and is mostly built straight from the kit, with only the substitution of a set of Halibrandt wheels from a 427 Cobra to set it appart from all the other "Deuce" roadster models out there. The orange car is, by golly, the very Monogram 427 Cobra that we stole those wheels from (although it has same kind of wheels on it too, so not to worry). The Cobra is a straight-up competion car and has a scratch-built roll bar and 5-point harness, along with a few other minor modifications to the kit. The Deuce was built in the late 1980s, while the Cobra is newer, having been constructed during the '90s. Some of us just never grow up.

Happy Snaps

Today's entry is another shot from the camera of Rick "Boris" Morgan:

Phil, I was scanning shots today for the A-6 Osprey book I’m doing and had this one at hand- it shows a division of Swordsmen (VA-145) A-6Es over Puget Sound on 4 Aug 1988. The guy closest to us is 162197, an A-6E SWIP. Rick   Rick Morgan    Classic! Thanks, Morgo!

The Relief Tube
We've received a tremendous amount of correspondence over the past month and a half (closer to two months, actually, but we won't count if you won't) and there's a fair amount of it that deserves publication, which we promise we'll get to next issue. That said, here's one to provide some food for thought. We're probably as sick of those low-life photo thieves as you are, so we're going to figure they're just not worth talking about anymore once we get past this one last comment from our friend Doug Siegfried over at The Tailhook Association:

Phil, photo credits are a big bugaboo with all of us. We, at The Hook, always strive to give credit to who every took or provided the image. On the internet, being free and open to all presents a great problem. I confess I have taken pictures off your site and put them in our archives server but always with the photographers name via Replica in Scale. Don't know the answer but I would sure hate to see some of the great shots, especially of Navy/Marine disappear. Thanks again for posting all the great shots you have on your site and keep the model shots coming.
Cheers,
Doug Siegfried

OK, Bottom Feeding Purloiners of Other People's Photography, read what Doug wrote. That's how the Real World does it. And Doug, thanks as always for your encouragement and support!

We have some other comments as well, reams of them, in fact, but it's been a long day so we're going to cut things off here for now. Thanks for your patience while we've been off on our self-inflicted sabbatical, and be good to your neighbor. We'll meet again real soon.
phil

We're Almost Back

Or, This Can't Go On Forever

First it was an unplanned hospital stay, then it was the Great Move of 2012 (we never knew how much STUFF we had until we tried to move it all!). The bottom line is that you haven't seen anything from us in a month or so, but keep the faith! If all goes according to schedule you'll be seeing another real edition, with pictures and everything, sometime in early April.

Thanks to everybody who's taken the time to write, and to everyone who's been concerned about the seeming demise of the project. Fear not; we're still around and have no intention of fading off into the sunset. We'll see everyone again really soon!

phil

That Other Mustang, and A Visit WithTony

Back to Business

OK, Ya'll; just when you thought it was safe to come out, here we are again. It's pretty much business as usual today, but then again maybe not, because a couple of things have changed. Let's get straight to the point.

There's probably no reasonable way to stop the low-lifes who have been stealing our photography for their own sites without proper accredition from continuing their unethical and marginally illegal pastime, which means we've got to handle things on this end. That, unfortunately, means marking each photo we run so there's absolutely no doubt, not now and not ever, as to who took the photo or who's collection it came from. There are a couple of significant down-sides to that, and our loyal readers need to know what's going on.

There won't be any reduction in the size or quality of the photos you see in these pages, but there will be fewer of them each issue. That's a direct result of the activities of the Picture Pirates---it takes time to duplicate each photo and then mark it, so our production time has significantly increased. Since this project is a spare-time sort of thing, and since there's not much of that spare time to be had these days, you'll have to endure fewer pictures and, unfortunately, fewer articles as well. We wish we didn't have to do that, but the actions of a few have left us no choice. We're pretty much stuck.

You, our readers, have our sincere apologies for having taken these actions. You can thank the aforementioned Picture Pirates for that one, so give them What For if you ever have the chance! Sigh...

Sometimes the Best Ain't the Prettiest

Everybody knows by now that the North American P-51 Mustang family was one of the best performing and, coincidentally, best looking aircraft designs of the 1940s. The combat versions, the P-51A through D (plus the kissing-cousin A-36) were about as good as it got when they were in their prime, but even then there was room for improvement. The principal operator of the type, the Army Air Force, thought that the design could be improved by putting it on a diet and removing a few pounds from the airframe. Initial efforts resulted in the P-51F, a light-weight fighter that was never produced. Further development of the concept took North American to the P-51H, which is the subject of today's photo essay.

Dubbed NA-126 and NA-139 within the North American factory, the aircraft entered AAF service as the P-51H. Its V-1650-9 engine boasted some 2,218 horsepower and was coupled to an extensively redesigned airframe that weighed in at some 10,500 pounds loaded, a full 1,100 pounds lighter than the standard P-51D; the increased horsepower coupled with that lightened airframe made the Hotel the fastest of the production Mustangs, with a top speed of approximately 487 mph at 25,000 feet. It was a rocket as piston-engined fighters go!

A total of 2,000 of the H-models was placed on order, but the end of the war saw the contract reduced to 555 actually produced. Although the type served briefly in the regular AAF and USAF, it spent most of its service life with the Guard. It's an easy aircraft to spot in photographs, since its redesign changed both its wing platform and fuselage shape dramatically when compared to its predecessors, but Ugly Duckling though it was, the H-model was far and away the best of the Mustangs in actual service. Let's take a look at some photos of it courtesy the collection of Marty Isham.

Although a fair number of H-models served (albeit briefly) with the regulars, they spent most of their time with the Guard. Massachusett's 131st FS/102nd FG was a prime user of the type, transitioning to it from the F-47D. In this shot, taken in 1952, we can see examples of both types sharing the ramp. New England was a hot-bed of F-51H activity during the late 1940s and early 1950s, and we can vividly remember them on the ground at various northeastern airfields during that time period.  R Willet via Isham Collection

Here's a side image of 44-64319, also from the 131st. This profile shot provides us with an excellent view of the F-51H's revised fuselage shape, and also gives a fine view of the main landing gear doors. There's bound to be somebody out there who considers the H-model to be a pretty airplane, but we aren't him. You'd never guess it was a hot-rod by looking at it, would you? This shot was also taken at Barnes AP during 1952.  R Willet via Isham Collection

44-64491 was an F-51H-10-NA and was with the 101st FS when this evocative shot was taken during the early 50s. There's just no way that airframe can manage to look pretty, but it was highly capable nontheless. Beauty is in the eye of beholder, right?  P Paulsen via Isham Collection

And here's 44-64509, once again at Barnes. She's also from the 131st but carries a nose number, not seen on most of the units' other aircraft. The H wasn't exactly an Easter Egg, but she had enough markings anomalies to keep us guessing!  R Willet via Isham Collection

Here's the 131st on the ground during 1953. Those Mustangs, all lined up in a row, made quite an impression on your editor (who was 4 years old at the time!). Do you know why you started liking airplanes? These birds are a big part of the reason we do!  P Paulsen via Isham Collection

Here we go! This photo could easily define the Guard during the early 1950s; the MASS ANG is preparing to launch en mass for an exercise when this photo was taken. Those command stripes on the aircraft closest to the camera are particularly nice. If only there were a kit...  R Picciani via Isham Collection

Although a large number of F-51Hs ended up in New England, that wasn't the only part of the country to use the type. New Mexico's 188th FS flew it for a brief period of time, and carried a fair amount of color (for an H-model) on the tail. The Hotel sortof grows on you, doesn't it?  B Knowles via Isham Collection

Arizona used the H too. 44-64455 is a dirty bird as post-War ANG aircraft go, but the type was heavily-used during the brief time it was in service. This well-worn example was with the 197th FS when photographed, and illustrates that unit's minimalist markings. Pay note to the radio antenna masts; they were natural wood on the F-51H while it was in service. It's something worth paying attention to if we ever get a buildable kit of the type.  B Knowles via Isham Collection

Every once in a while you'd find an F-51H with some color. The Air Force signified dedicated target tugs by painting them orange, as seen here by this F-51H from Pennsylvania's 146th FS. Note that not all of the aircraft is orange; the undersurface of the wings and aft fuselage is still in natural metal (not silver paint!). A standard-issue bird from the 146th is undergoing ramp maintenance in the background, providing us with an excellent contrast between the "target tug" scheme and the 146th's normal presentation.  P Paulsen via Isham Collection


Hasegawa Just Get Better and Better, Don'tcha Know?

Hasegawa has been a prime mover on the Japanese scale modeling scene since the early 1960. Their early stuff wasn't all that great, but as a company they proved to be quick studies in the learning department, rapidly climbing to become one of the world's leading producers of quality plastic model airplane kits. For the longest time they concentrated on 1/72nd scale, but began an expansion into both 1/48th and 1/32nd scales during the 1970s and seemingly never looked back. Today's offering is a prime example of what they've been doing of late.

The "Tony" (Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien) has fascinated most plastic modelers from the day they first became aware of the type. A year ago, give or take, Hasegawa added the aircraft to their range of 1/32nd-scale Japanese subjects, resulting in the model you see before you. This particular example is 100% bone out-of-the-kit stock except for an Eduard interior (a properly-painted kit interior would have done just as well, thank you, except that you'd have to dig up belts and harnesses from someplace), some QuickBoost exhausts, and a set of Hasegawa's own aftermarket cowl guns and brass pitot tube. Decals are from LifeLike, and the paint is the ubiquitous ModelMaster enamel.

The LifeLike decal sheet we used here is #32-004, 244 Sentai Part 2 Best Selection, which provided the markings for Cpl Nagano's Ki-61 Otsu. Check out the tonal values in the uppersurface green as depicted in this photo. The lighting position was slightly changed between the taking of this photo and the one immediately previous, as was placement of the camera. If it works like this on a model it'll be the same on a real airplane too---that's something for The Color Police to keep in mind. The aircraft modeled was fairly new when painted this way, so the grossly-overdone weathering that appeals to so many folks doesn't exist here. The red empennage is done in gloss paint, which is what we suspect was done on the real aircraft. The kill markings and Kanji character on the tail came from the LifeLike decal sheet, but the Hinomarus and home defense bandages were masked and painted---it looks a lot better when you do it that way.

And here's an almost-profile view. There are a couple of things to watch out for if you build this kit, so it's probably time for us to list them. The method of assembly for the exhausts allows you to look all the way through to the other side of the airplane if you hold the model just right, and it's that way no matter whether you used the kit parts or those from QuickBoost. (We used the ones from QB; we know of which we speak!) A piece of card on the inside of each fuselage will solve that particular problem. The covers for the wingtip nav lights are designed to allow the modeler to install them after the kit is assembled and painted, but you don't want to do that. Instead, cement them in place, then sand flush with the wing, polish, and mask for painting. You'll be a whole lot happier if you do it that way---trust us. Otherwise, the kit is pretty much smooth sailing and looks great once it's completed.

Hasegawa have released this offering in at least two different boxings that we're aware of, with the significant difference being the markings included and the 54mm figure of Kobayashi that comes with the initial release of the kit. The Hasegawa kit markings work just fine in either flavor, but painting them is still better should you feel so inclined.

Happy Snaps

Today's installment is from our friend Rick Morgan; a photo of an airplane flown by Those Other Guys. Let's look:

Phil:::Here’s one for you. In 1985 we did an exercise with Oman while on our West Pac on the Connie. The Omani Air Force sent up Jaguars and Hunters to face us. Most of the pilots were RAF expatriates and very, very good. This one came up on the wrong side of the aircraft for a really good shot- but it still came out pretty well. These guys were all over the place- I recall them flying underneath us in terrain where we felt uncomfortable. My roomy Betz went to the beach as an Air Wing rep and got a flight in a two-seat Jag with a Brit pilot. He noticed they didn’t have a radar altimeter, at least in the back seat. The driver thought a second and told him “Well mate, see that pitot tube off the nose? When I see sand coming over it I’ll pull up”.    Rick  Thanks as always, Morgo!  R. Morgan

The Relief Tube

Remember where we said these things would be a little more brief than they have been in the past? Well, Gang, we weren't kidding. There's still a lot going on around here and it's going to slow us down some until everything shakes out, at which point you'll see a little more content. The days of the massive, loaded-with-photos days are pretty much gone forever, though---the extra time spent putting a tag line in each and every photo stretches things out too much. Not to beat a dead horse unduly, but you can thank The Picture Thieves for that particular gift.

Speaking of which, most of the correspondence we've received over the past several weeks of non-publication has had to do with that particular topic. A couple of the folks who have their own sites are apparently considering legal action and everyone else is pretty whizzed-off about what went down. We've received a great deal of encouragement and support, but we've also lost the photographic services of two long-time contributors as a result of the selfish and inconsiderate acts of a couple of people. We aren't going to publish any of those letters today, or ever, but that should explain why both the blog and this section of it are so brief today.

Let's lead off with a letter from a reader adding some detail to a photo we ran an issue or two back. The comments are particularly germaine to today's issue, as we'll soon see: 

Phillip, I just recently found your blog after reading some posts on the newsgroups concerning some individuals poaching images from your blog and publishing them without due diligence. I totally agree with your point. Unfortunately when I got to your blog, lo and behold I find that you have published an image that my father took and which I've inherited and which no proper copyright was mentioned.

The snap of the day is of an Ark ANG RF-101G over Japan in 1968. As soon as I saw it I realized that it was a copy of my dad's Kodachrome. My dad was a major in the unit at the time and an avid photographer. He took a number of shots while flying and that one is one of many. It's actually one of two he took in sequence.

I'm not sure who or where you got that image from. It's possible he had a copy from way back when. Also possible that it's a copy that I sent some people several years ago. I don't mind it being published. Actually I'd be happy to send you a disk of all of them for you to publish if you'd like. I also have lots a great pics from 1958 when they were flying the RB-57 and I know for a fact that these pics have never been published. Lots of air to air stuff.

All I ask is that proper recognition be given. I've been a big fan of the magazine from back in the day and I'm glad that it's found a new home in the digital age.

Sincerely,
Dave Wassell

Ps. My father was Maj Gen H. Lynn Wassell, Ark ANG

Thanks, Dave, and apologies regarding that credit line! The photo came from the collection of Don Jay, who received it from a member of the guard. We'll go back and amend the credit line!
A while back we did a piece entitled "Voodoos from the North Country". One of our sharp-eyed readers (who was definitely paying more attention than we were!) provided a location for one of those shots: Your photo, Mystery Meat, Voodoo 101033 was taken in my home town of London, Ontario. At least it says London on the tower. :) Dana  Thanks, Dana. Now, if you'll excuse us while we wipe this egg off our faces...

It's been a while since we ran those shots of the K-Bay CH-46s, but reader Don Hinton as provided us with a little more insight regarding them:  I love your site! For historical sake, the second photo of Kaneohe HH-46s (picture xHH-46A 151921) was taken at Barbers Point NAS on Oahu. I know as I lived on the hill (Makakilo) just to the top left of the picture, and those are the Waianae Mountains in the background.
Regards,
Don Hinton
Major, USAF (Ret

Thanks for the kudos, Don, and for the correction!

We ran some "Huns" last issue, which in turn prompted these comments from Dave Menard:  Phil
Took another look at the Hun effort and two more gigs: the 401st TFW was based at England AFB LA(Alexandria, the anus of the state!)and on that base was the 622nd AREFSQ, with KB-50Js.

   As for the photo poaching, was not aware of it. Have seen many of my images on sites over the years and I send in corrections and ask for the credit line. Most are not man enough to answer and only a few do it, but life is way too short to get too excited about it. Have two different ones in now to a Mustang site and to Warbirds one about my shot of that Mustang 850 on 16 May 53. I took one view of her with visitors on the wing looking into the cockpit and traded that neg to someone eons ago, and cannot recall who, but the image keeps popping up. Other images credited to USAF which really stings! Hope you had a good holiday. cheers, dave  Thanks as always, Dave, and thanks for your perspective on the whole piracy thing!

Next up is a series of comments from a reader named Gerry (I'm not finding the last name---Gerry, please get in touch with me so I can give you proper credit!) offering corrections and additions to several of our recent pieces:

In my proverbial "junkyard dog" research mode (and not knowing if someone in the blog had answered this previously), the Black Widow you featured in http://replicainscale.blogspot.com/2010/09/misawa-memories-mystery-meat-stranger.html courtesy of the Menard collection is F-61B serial 42-39573, according to Jeff Kolln's NORTHROP'S NIGHT HUNTER (Specialty Press). Of interest is the fact that this ship was the first to re-introduce the A-4 dorsal turret on the Hawthorne assembly line - obviously removed by the time these photos were taken. Originally assigned to the 6th NFS on 9 March 1945, she eventually found her way to the 339th Fighter Squadron at Johnson AB, Japan on 20 February 1947. In April 1948 she was damaged in a landing accident (brake failure), but subsequently repaired. The aircraft was stricken 7 June 1949.

The pilots in that group photo at the head of the May 2010 blog http://replicainscale.blogspot.com/2010/05/cactus-little-more-on-invader-spad-in.html may be gathered around Joe Foss (standing, 2nd from left) - sure looks like him, anyway... if so that would make them from VMF-121. The last one in the series, of the pilot sitting on the wing, is an F4F-3, which would probably make him a VMF-223 driver (the unit that Foss's squadron replaced).

More exploring ancient history - the two-winged Corsairs in the April 2010 blog http://replicainscale.blogspot.com/2010/04/of-chips-corsairs-big-pirates-and-odd.html (in particular, the ditched SU-3) sent me on another quest for perfectly useless information.

A closer look at the image revealed a couple things:

• what appears to be a Marine eagle/globe/anchor emblem on the fuselage, followed by what looks to be the number "15"
• looks like Bureau number 9128

The caption says it's a VS-3 ship, but the Marine emblem, coupled with the 15, doesn't jibe with that squadron - unless the ship was newly transferred to the unit and hadn't been re-marked yet. I did find that SU-3 BuNo A9128 (as everything was prefixed with an "A" in the records at that point) was involved in an accident 22 October 1936, according to accident-report.com. It also indicated "Florida" as the location for the accident - assume off the coast of Florida - but without spending the money to order the report, that's all the info I have.

And finally:  Marine Corps Aviation 1912-1940 (a .pdf file available online at marines.mil) indicates a scouting squadron "VS-15M" - which dovetails nicely with the fact that there's a "15" visible after the USMC emblem on that SU-3.  Sometimes I scare myself.

Gerry, I am impressed! And many thanks for writing!

That's about it for this edition. We'll be back next week with a little more in the way of material, but until then be good to your neighbor. We'll meet again soon!

phil

OK, Where is He THIS Time?

Or, This Year is Off to a Bang-Up Start

You'd be more than justified in wondering what's going on around here, since it's been a couple of weeks now since you've heard from us. In point of fact, you haven't seen a new issue of the blog since we reported that a couple of folks were stealing our photography and claiming it (by default, if nothing else) as their own; that sort of thing could easily lead you to believe that we've folded the tent in disgust, but that's not the way we are or will ever be. Nope; there are other circumstances causing this temporary lapse in publication. We're blessed with an extremely loyal readership, so an explanation is in order. Here's what's going on:

First, there's the software issue with those photos. We've found a pip of a system that will allow us to deal with the whole piracy thing in a highly-efficient manner but it's not installed just yet, for reasons that will become clear in a moment. We're loath to run more photos from anybody's collection (not counting public domain) until that problem is resolved but still, we've got resolution pending. All we have to do is do it.

That takes us to The Second Thing You Need to Know. Jenny and I are off on an adventure to improve our home situation, and it's one of those time-consuming things. It's a lame excuse at best, but the simple fact of the matter is that we (I) just haven't had the time to do a blog. (Just so you know, it normally takes six to eight hours out of any given week for us to crank out an issue, which makes that whole photography-theft thing even more galling---Yes; we're annoyed about that!)

The Third Thing You Need to Know is that our computer (an almost new device) decided to go Tango Uniform three days ago, and we just haven't had the time to replace the card that's failed because of that Second Thing You Needed to Know (in conjunction with The Fourth Thing You Need to Know, which we haven't gotten to yet). It's our intention to get up and running again next week. In the meantime, we're doing this installment on a borrowed laptop. Please be patient. (And in that same vein, we haven't been able to check our e-mails either. If you've written to us, please rest assured that you're not being ignored. It's a technical issue and nothing more!)

And speaking of "patients", we're now ready to discuss The Fourth Thing You Need to Know. Your humble editor experienced what some folks might call "a minor medical event" on Christmas Night, the end result of which was a visit to a not-so-local emergency room and overnight incarceration in that facility. We're going back in for Final Repair early next week. It's not a major thing, but it's a Thing nontheless and has to be dealt with.

So let's get back to the reason you haven't seen an issue of our publication lately. To sum up, we've been sick, we've been busy, our computer's been broken, and we're still dealing with The Picture Pirates. All of those things should be resolved shortly, at which time we'll be back in the saddle with a vengeance. In the meanwhile, please accept our apologies for the temporary lack of new material. We'll be back Good As New before you know it!

May you all have the happiest of New Years, and we WILL meet again soon! In the meanwhile, be good to your neighbor.
phil

It Had to Happen Sooner or Later

"It" being the taking of photography from this site and publishing it on other sites and boards without permission. Let's talk about that for a minute.

We knew from the very start that sooner or later some of our photography would end up in places we'd never intended for it to be. That's just the nature of publishing material on the internet. There have been occasional instances of that sort of thing happening all along, but the infringements have been from well-intentioned folks who put a photo or two on a modeling board or enthusiast's site, and most of the time they gave provenance (that means "credit", in case you didn't know) for the image, either to this site or to the original photographer. We don't have much of an issue with that; in point of fact we appreciate the compliment.

What we do have an issue with is the large-scale taking of photography, without our permission, for use on other sites, and we've just received reports from multiple readers, including several of our contributors, that this has begun to happen. As a result, at least one of those contributors has stated that he may dramatically decrease the amount of photography he's willing to share with us. This particular contributor is someone we've known for years, since the days of the print version of RIS in fact, and he's someone we have tremendous respect for. We don't want to lose his contributions or anybody else's and, perhaps most importantly, we don't want to deny our readership the unlimited access to all of the wonderful photography we've been able to share due to the kindness of our contributors.

So, what are the options? The first is that we could just give up and cease operations, but that ain't gonna happen. Or, we could just sit back and do nothing, but that ain't gonna happen either. We could also put a big old nasty Replica in Scale watermark on each and every photograph we publish, even though that would be defeating the whole purpose of this effort.

What's left, then? Well, we're considering all of the available options, but in the meantime we'd like to ask a favor of you. If you see one of our photos on somebody else's site without accreditation, would you please let them know that it's from Replica? Don't go nuts or be aggressive about it; just tell them where you saw it first. We don't want to watermark those photos, ya'll, but we'll do it if we have to. And for you folks who're lifting the photos; please stop it. We suspect you're doing it with the best of intentions but your actions are going to cause us to greatly diminish the service we provide, completely free of charge and as a labor of love, to the several thousands of our readers who regularly view this site. That's just wrong on so many levels.

That's our story and Folks; we are absolutely sticking with it. You can go to the bank on it.

Be kind to your neighbor, but don't you go takin' our photography!
phil

North American's Finest, Waterfowl, Bitchin' Ben, More Post-War Forts, Essential Reading, and a Trojan or Two

OK, OK; So We're Late Again

And we can sum it up by saying things are pretty busy around the Friddell household these days. It seems, in fact, that we're going in about twenty directions all at once, but all the stuff that's keeping us so busy should begin to calm down next month. In the meanwhile, here's our most recent offering for your consideration. We hope you enjoy it!

Wha'cha Doin', Hun?

If somebody were to do a survey of everybody's favorite Air Force jet, we're willing to bet that North American Aviation's immortal F-100 series of fighters and fighter-bombers would rank pretty high in the standings. Originally designed as an air-superiority fighter, the Super Sabre spent most of her days as a fighter-bomber. She was the first of the "Century Series" fighters and in consequence was the poorest performer of that stellar group of aircraft. Still, she was good enough for the job, staying in service for three decades before finally being put out to pasture for keeps.

We haven't really done very much with the "Hun" so far; for some reason we've always been enticed by other airplanes when the time came to figure out what airplanes we wanted to cover as we planned our upcoming issues. Since it's the holiday season we wanted to do something fairly colorful to celebrate the event, so today is The Day for the F-100. We aren't running a very many photos this time, but we think you'll enjoy what you see, and there's definitely more to come in later editions!

There are a whole bunch of folks out there who immediately think of the Thunderbirds when they remember the F-100, and there's a reason for it---the airplane was loud, colorful, and still relatively new when the team used the type. They started out with the Charlie model, so it's fitting that we begin this piece with an F-100C as well. 54-1850 was an F-100C-20-NA and was on tour with the team in Europe when this photo was taken at Laon AB in July of 1963. The "candy cane" treatment on her refueling probe is particularly noteworthy. Oh, and take a look at the other airplanes in this shot; you just never know what might turn up at an airshow...  R. Franke

54-2011 was a USAFE bird too; an F-100C-25-NA from the 23rd TFS/36th TFW. She was on the ground at her base in Germany when this photo was taken in June of 1961. The C-Models were the air-to-air brawlers of the family, at least in theory; they were the fastest of the F-100s and the lightest as well, making them the closest thing the Super Sabre ever was to a pure fighter. In retrospect it was probably a Very Good Thing the "Hun" never had to go toe-to-toe with any of the MiGs in a classic knife fight---although there was at least one encounter between the F-100 and the MiG-17 during the Vietnam fracas, the Super Sabre was badly outclassed by the more nimble Soviet-built fighters it would have encountered in any war over Europe. It helps to keep in perspective the fact that the "Hun" was the first of the "Century Series". There was a lot to learn!  Kerr Collection

The "Charlie" actually saw combat in Vietnam, but in the hands of the ANG rather than the regulars. The F-100C went into the Guard fairly quickly and wore some extremely colorful markings in the process. 54-2013, an F-100C-25-NA, was assigned to Kansas' 127th TFS when this photo was taken in 1962. The articulated pitot tube of the "Hun" was unique to that airplane in the USAF and is an interesting point to watch if you happen to be building a model of the type. You wouldn't always see it folded like this, but it was a common way to secure the aircraft when parked, and it was a feature incorporated into every F-100 built.  Vince Reynolds

The F-100D was the definitive version of the Super Sabre. The variant was modified into a fighter-bomber, a role in which it could have excelled had it had a little more power and the ability to carry MERs. 56-3292, an F-100D-85-NH, ended up as a QF-100D but was the 49th Fighter Group's wing commander's aircraft when this photo was taken. She's got the straight refueling probe but has been retrofitted with an F-102 afterburner section. The "Hun" was, in our opinion, one of the prettiest jet fighters the Air Force ever operated. That's our story and we're sticking with it!  Friddell Collection

You just can't do an article on the F-100 without showing at least one photograph of a formation of them attached to some sort of piston-engined refuelling platform. In this shot that platform is a KB-50, and the ubiquitous "Huns" are from the 614th TFS/401st TFW out of Langley in 1959. Those of you not familiar with this sort of thing might note that all three available refuelling positions are in use (a drogue hose is attached to the fuselage boom), and that the aircraft are in different flight attitudes due to the speed differential between the two types; the KB-50 is heading slightly down-hill, while the "Huns" are flying with a fairly high angle of attack and hanging on the tanker. It was awkward, but it worked.  Isham Collection

The F-100 was a hot airplane when compared to the first-generation fighters it replaced, and the need for a two-seater for transition training was identified fairly early-on in the program. The F-100F was the result of the requirement and was fully combat capable, a circumstance that made it particularly useful in Southeast Asia during that unfortunate war. This gorgeous USAFE example was with the 50th TFW at Hahn in August of 1965; 56-3814 was built as an F-100F-10-NA and ended up on a pole in Texas City, Texas. We ran a 3/4 tail view of her a few issue ago, prompting Dave Menard to point out her red wing fences, which are extremely evident in this view. Dave, this "Hun's" for you!  R. Franke

Here's a teaser for you! The "Hun" is the same---she's 56-3814---but the other airplanes in the shot are of considerable interest. The T-39 (another North American product) isn't all that unique, but check out that ramp in the background...  R. Franke

Here's a better view of Those Other Airplanes. There's a fair chance we've got a shot or two of them laying around someplace, but you guys probably aren't interested in seeing them, are you? (We'll just sit back and wait for the letters to arrive at replicainscale@yahoo.com !)  R. Franke

We could (and someday will) do a piece on the F-100 and its service during the Vietnam War, but for now this shot will have to suffice to show the airplane in that environment. 56-3836 was eventually converted into a QF-100F, but she was being shot at in earnest by a real enemy when this photo was taken in 1966. She was a -10-NA and affords us an excellent view of the type's appearance during the war.  D. Smith

The "Hun" was a warrior, but she served other purposes as well. 56-3889 (another F-100F-10-NA) was assigned to Systems Command and was working out of Eglin when this photo was taken in 1971. She's of special interest because of her Aircraft Grey paintwork; that grey paint wasn't foreign to the F-100 but it wasn't the norm either. Check out the heat-stained aft fuselage; it didn't really matter what color paint you squirted on the F-100. After a couple of hours in the air it would all be gone from the back of the airplane!  J. Rose

It goes without saying that we've got at least one or two more photos of the F-100 hidden around here someplace. We'll drag them out some day and take a look, but that's it for now!

If It Walks Like a Duck

then it must surely be one. Grumman's J2F Duck series of amphibians has fascinated us for years. Today, thanks to Bobby Rocker, we can take a look at this under-appreciated jack-of-all-trades.

The Duck generally ended up in the Navy's utility squadrons, where it performed every chore imaginable. BuNo 1578 was a J2F3 and was assigned to NAS Jacksonville in 1940, when this photo was taken. Her appearance defines the way the NAV took care of their airplanes between the wars. A close examination of the wheel covers will reveal that the airplane is well-used, but her overall finish is absolutely immaculate. To the best of our knowledge there have been two worthwhile kits of the J2F; Airfix's in 1/72nd and Classic Airframes' in 1/48th. (There was also, if memory serves, a sort-of 1/48th scale offering from ITC way back in the Dark Ages of Plastic Modeling, but we aren't counting that one!) We'd sure love to see a state of the art kit of this airplane!  Rocker Collection

This unidentified J2F was flying with the Coasties out of Floyd Bennett Field, allegedly in 1942. We've got our doubts about the timeline because of her natural metal and yellow finish, but she's pretty enough to include here.  The Duck got around!  Rocker Collection

The J2F in her element. This example is taxiing in to the ramp at Samarai Island, probably during late 1943 or early 1944. A tractable, easy-to-handle amphibian that could operate almost anywhere was a distinct asset to the Navy. Photos like this make it easy to forget how unforgiving the war could be, even in the rear areas.  Rocker Collection

Here's what can happen when it all goes south on you. This J2F5 was operating in the Atlantic when things went terribly wrong. We've said it over and over again but it bears repeating; it wasn't always the enemy that got you.  Rocker Collection

A Forty-Niner

Hasegawa created one of the hobby's most controversial series of kits a few years back when they released their landmark P-40 family in 1/48th scale. The kits in that series were petitely-done, exquisitely detailed, and modular. That modularity has challenged a great many scale modelers from that day the models were released to the public until now, but the kit is an easy build if you take your time and think things through before you begin assembly. We've got several built-up examples of the model on our shelves at the moment and would like to share one of them with you today.

"Bitchin' Ben" Irwin was one of the 49th's old stagers, a Java survivor and veteran of the early days over Darwin. I've always had an interest in that particular time period and am slowly building a representative collection of the 49th during their Darwin days. "The Rebel" is the second model in that collection and was built straight from the Hasegawa kit; the only addition was a set of Eduard AAF seatbelts and harnesses. Irwin's aircraft was an easy choice for a modeling subject---between the fuselage art, the name, and that inclined aircraft-in-group number on the vertical stab, the airplane just screams "build me!" I didn't say no.

Here's another view of the airplane. That tan is Testor Vietnam Tan, while the dark green is a generic green I pulled of the shelf when I was getting ready to paint the model. The undersides are done in a light grey that was also pulled off the shelf when the painting was about to begin; if you choose to model one of the 49th's Darwin birds do yourself a favor and remember that Curtiss used their interpretation of RAF colors when they did the British Contract (and related) aircraft. If you build one of these airplanes and paint it in RAF colors you'll be making a mistake and your friends will tease you unmercifully. Don't say you weren't warned! (And, just for the record, that tan is darker on the model than it appears here---it's a Lighting Thing!)

I always try to show The Other Side when we do these modeling pieces, so here it is. It's not unusual to find 49th FG P-40Es with personal markings on both sides of the airplane, but "The Rebel" was apparently marked on the port side only, making this view somewhat boring. Those decals came from an old MicroScale (or maybe SuperScale; I can't remember which!) decal sheet. You can actually model 10 or 15 of the early 49th birds if you look around---the decals are out there. They just aren't all in one place!

Here's a good view of that undersurface grey. The Hasegawa P-40s all have that "Warhawk sit" so peculiar to the P-40, and their level of detail is superb right out of the box. The modular construction has been an issue for more than a few modelers, and any of the Hase P-40s require some genuine modeling skills to build properly. If your personal abilities have been gained on Shake and Bake kits these P-40s are probably best left alone. Then again, how will you ever learn if you don't try? Right? Right!

Korean War-Era Flying Fortresses

Boy, did we ever start something a few issues back. We kicked off our whole post-war B-17 thing about a year ago with a couple of photos of SB-17s from Jim Sullivan's collection, then added to the pot  with a photo of a Misawa-based SB-17G courtesy of Dave Menard, and have been stumbling across (and running) photos of others as they became available to us ever since. Those photos got Don Jay interested in what we were doing and caused him to search his collection for additional images---you've already seen a few of them, and today we're going to run a few more. Here's what Don had to say about that:

Hi Phil, Just getting around to digesting your latest blog from last week and thought I would send you a few things of interest. There has been a mini-thread on some unknown B-17s seen during the Korean War. What started my interest was a photo in your early 2010 blog that had an armed B-17 (photo 1) at Misawa along with an A-1 lifeboat and ASV radar and antennae. Although I was aware of the SB-17, I never knew it was armed with the possible exception of the tail stinger. Piquing my curiosity, I looked into the history of the Air Force Rescue Service during the Korean War. Although covered in general terms, there isn’t a lot in print on the subject, even less in photos and most seem to dwell on the helicopter and SA-16. What is overlooked is the SB-17G (nee B-17H) and the SB-29. Both did a lot of ‘grunt’ work in the daily routine of strikes and other missions in the Korean theater. Somewhere around 15 SB-17Gs were used between the 2nd and 3rd Rescue Squadrons flying out of various bases in Japan & Okinawa. Photo 2 has this one at Misawa at the time of transfer of all SB-17s in theater to the 3RSq at Misawa-note the guns and lack of the shoe horn antennae for the ASV radar. The SB-17 was capable of being armed depending on situation and area of operation. Photo 3 depicts an SB-17 on a civilian airfield in the 1950 timeframe-the 7RSq’s AOR was the European theater and the Med-note the lack of weapons but the ASV radar antennae. Photo 4 is one of the 5RSq, stateside. They had the US as their AOR and I think were the RTU for the type. Hope this is of interest of a little known ac and mission. Would love to see any other photos of an armed SB-17G. Cheers for now. dj

PS: #1 photo is from Dave Menard collection, #2&3 are ??, #4 is USAF.

Here's one of the shots that started it all, and the photo Don refers to as #1; Dave Menard's photo of 43-39361 at Misawa in 1951. She's armed, apparently because of her opportunities of being exposed to the tender mercies of The Bad Guys while performing her SAR function. It's a fascinating photo and gives us a unique window into a forgotten part of the Korean War.  Menard Collection

Here's another view of a Misawa-based SB-17, referred to above as photo #2. By SB-17 standards she's armed to the teeth; note the guns fitted to her cheek positions and the dorsal turret. We have to wonder how many times the SAR SB-17s and SB-29s had to use those guns...  USAF via Jay
Collection

Here's the shot referred to as photo #3 in Don's description above. The aircraft was apparently photographed at an air show somewhere in Western Europe during the Korean War era. The SB-17 doesn't look nearly as menacing when it's unarmed, does it?  USAF via Jay Collection

And here's the final shot to round out our SB-17 coverage for today. Although it's a little soft, this photo really helps to define the color demarcations on the airplane.  USAF via Don Jay

Some Books You Ought to Have

We don't do a whole lot of reviewing around here. That's because all the other internet aviation sites do so much of it, and we have to figure those other guys have things pretty much under control, most of the time, anyway.

Most of our readers are all too aware of the interest we have in the Pacific War. There are any number of books out there on the subject, but for the most part they all cover the mid and late phases of the war. The Bad Old Days are pretty much omitted, primarily, we suspect, because the various authors involved in producing those books haven't been able to access the source material necessary for that sort of an undertaking. William Bartsch is an exception to the rule, and we're going to very briefly describe the volumes he's produced on the early days of the Pacific War. His scholarship is exellent, and we think you'll consider the books to be essential reading.

So far he's produced three volumes on those terrible early days of the war in the air in the Pacific Theater. Each one of them is well-documented, adequately foot-noted, scholarly, and each is filled with appendices relevant to the work at hand. In point of fact, our only complaint is that the photos supplied in each volume are tiny and therefore almost useless to the modeler---that's a shame, too, because the majority of those images are previously umpublished. Still, we don't buy this sort of book for the pictures, but for the hard information included within them. Taken in that respect, each one of these books is a treasure and we recommend them all without reservation. If you have an interest in them, all three can be obtained through the Texas A&M  press.

Doomed at the Start; American Pursuit Pilots in the the Philipines, 1941-1942 is the first volume in the Bartsch trilogy and covers United States fighter operations in those islands from 1940 until the ultimate surrender to the Japanese. It was ground-breaking when first released and is still the best single work on the subject.

The second volume in the trilogy, December 8, 1941; MacArthur's Pearl Harbor concerns itself with the Japanese air attack on the Philippines during the first day of America's involvement in the war although there is, of necessity, quite a bit of background material presented as well.

Every Day a Nightmare; American Pursuit Pilots in the Defense of Java, 1941-1942, is the third book in the set and is, quite frankly, the one we've enjoyed the most, primarily because so many of the pilots mentioned ended up flying with the 49th out of Darwin once Java had fallen to the Japanese. It also covers a period virtually untouched by other historians.

We can't recommend these books highly enough, but that's with a caveat: All three of these books are serious histories of their specific topics. They aren't necessarily light reading and what few photos are in them are small. There are none of the color profile drawings so highly-regarded by modelers. They aren't for everybody. They are for those among us who have a serious interest in the subjects covered which, we suspect, would include most of the RIS readership. "Superb" is a word that comes to mind.

'Nuff said!

The Gallopita-Gallopita Machine

Or you'd think so, anyway. All you had to do was listen to a throttled-back T-28 and you'd know the sound. At higher rpm the Trojan sounded like any other military airplane with a radial engine, but at slow cruise it sounded like, well, a gallopita-gallopita machine. There's no other way to describe it.

No matter how goofy the airplane sounded, the T-28 was quite a package and has proven to be extremely popular on today's warbird circuit due to its two-seat capacity and performance better suited to a mid-war fighter than a training aircraft. That's all the incentive we needed to put together today's final piece. Let's take a look at the T-28 as it appeared while serving with TraCom in the early 1980s.

The post-Korean War Navy has never been shy where gaudily-painted airplanes are concerned, and the birds of TraCom were a case in point. Frank Garcia captured 138247 at an NAS Corpus Christi airshow in June of 1979. VT-27 started out the decade with "D" for a tailcode but changed over to "G" fairly quickly after it was realized that, as a call sign, "delta" could be misconstrued as belonging to a certain Atlanta-based airline ("Hello Tower; this is Delta 777"...). Triple Seven ended her days in a museum, a somewhat unusual fate for the Trojan.  F. Garcia

Here's another variation on the VT-27 theme, photographed in October of 1980. 140041 provided a prime example of the squadron's "standard" markings, although the exception was very much the rule where the T-28 was involved. Note that 041 has it's blind-flying bag fitted in the aft cockpit. The puddle of oil under the engine was a bonus and came free with each and every T-28 built.  R. Morgan

And here's another example, photographed at a Corpus Christi airshow in June of 1980. The airplane is our old friend 138247 again, but with a different tail treatment. The aircraft was nominally assigned to the CNATra commanding officer, hence the star under the forward cockpit. Are you beginning to detect a trend with these airplanes?  Friddell

You really couldn't describe any orange and white airplane as dull, but not all TraCom birds were as colorful as those of VT-27. 138358 was a T-28B assigned to VT-6 when Bob Picket caught her on the ground at an airshow at Offutt in July of 1980. Check out the exhaust staining on this aircraft; it's typical of the Trojan and is very much a part of her personality.  R. Pickett

June of 1981 found us on the ramp at Chase, where we were able to shoot 137789 as she arrived for an airshow there. VT-27's "arrowhead" marking has reappeared on her tail and she's representative of the type in squadron service. Once again we get a look at the blind flying bag in the rear cockpit, and the ground crew provide us with an excellent sense of scale. The T-28B wasn't big, but she wasn't all that small either.  Friddell

The year is 1981, and the place is NAS Corpus Christi. It's the morning of an airshow and these VT-27 T-28Bs have been stashed at the edge of the ramp. That leads us to your Official Stump the Champs question for the day: What's that net thingy sitting beside the T-28 in the foreground? If you guessed bailout net you guessed right; it was used for emergency egress training with the aircraft. While the T-28D was fitted with a poor man's ejection seat (the Yankee Extraction System), all other T-28s took care of emergency exits the old-fashioned way---you unbuckled and jumped over the side. In theory the net allowed fledgling airmen to become proficient in the exercise. It didn't always work that way in practice.  Friddell

A full squadron of T-28s sitting on the ground is impressive indeed. Here's the rest of VT-27 waiting for the airshow to end on that same June day in Corpus. TraCom was a humming place in the 80s.  Friddell

Every picture tells a story, and this one's no exception. The only problem with this particular story is that we have absolutely no idea what it is! 140028 carries a variation of VT-27's markings but is in gull grey over white, and is absolutely filthy to boot! She appears to be airworthy, but we honestly don't know the story behind her paintwork---if you do, please drop us a line at replicainscale@yahoo.com and fill us in. We'd really like to know!  D. Balcer

12 June, 1983, was heavily overcast in the early morning, which was when we snapped this portrait of 138349 at Chase. She had just arrived in preparation for yet another airshow when we took this photo of her crew securing the aircraft. Pay attention when you look at the markings on those old Trojans; marking sizes and presentations changed with amazing frequency back then!  Friddell

Here's another view of 349. The T-28 was a simple aircraft, designed in the finest traditions of the Second World War, but she was a performer too. We're willing to bet there are at least a couple of homesick former Naval aviators looking at this photo right now...  Friddell

And this is as good a time as any to end our look at the T-28B for today. We only looked at a couple of short years of her career, but we think the photos might have been of interest. Now then, if the guys at Roden would just get off the dime and release their 1/48th scale kit of the Trojan...   Friddell

Happy Snaps

Today's Happy Snap comes from Don Jay, although it wasn't taken by him. Let's see what he's got:

Back in Jan ‘68, Dear Leader Kim seajacked the USS Pueblo off the coast of North Korea causing all sorts of maneuvering of our military. Much to the surprise of many an ANG troop, they quickly found themselves activated. One of those brave few units was the 154 TRS, ARK  ANG, flying the rather rare RF-101G. Here we see one doing a daily recon into the friendly skies of Korea. I’m sure the pilot is wondering where his fighter escort is! PS: Photo is taken by the ARK ANG via a friend at the MISS ANG who flew RF-101s. dj  Jay Collection

The Relief Tube

Let's start off today's Relief Tube with an explanation and an apology. Several months ago we ran a photo of a post-War F-51D taken by Dave Menard, along with some comments regarding an Alaska Air Command patch we'd run earlier. Dave sent in some supplementary information regarding both items, which we promptly lost. He sent it a second time, and we managed to mis-file that one, causing him to send the information yet a third time! In the truest tradition of serving no correction before its time, we've let this one stew about as long as we could; today's the day, ya'll, and here's that comment, with considerable apology to Dave!

Phil, that shot of 'stang 474850 was taken at ORD(O'Hare)on Armed Forces Day(remember those, the third Saturday of May?)1953 after I hitch hiked from hometown of Lombard, which was SW of the the place. The brand new shiny F-86Ds had arrived shortly before which was the main reason I went up there, and the frosting on the cake was this very, very shiny Mustang with all markings on her but the numbers on the gear doors being decals! I was not smart enough to ask what possible unit she was assigned to, but after over 22 years on active AF duty and then almost 22 years at the AFMuseum, have decided it was some senior officer's "toy"! I would bet probably at least a BGen. Anyway,
she went on to serve in several ANG units, went surplus, and wound up as CF-USA when Don Plumb owned her. She and her pilot were lost over Texas during violent weather along with another Mustang when they tried to either go through or over some huge thunderstorms. She was even shinier when Don owned her!

 That Alaskan Command badge that Chris sent along was not an AF one, but a joint service one. I have a shot of a shiny C-54D with a huge presentation of this design on the side of the nose and will see if it can be dug out and sent along. When I was in Japan in the early sixties, the 5th AF boss also was U S Forces Japan boss, i.e., wearing "two hats". I believe Alaskan Command was the same deal up there in the pre-statehood days.  cheers, dave  Thanks, Dave, both for your comments and for your corrections!

If you read our last issue, you probably remember the shot of the F-14A identified as being from VF-33/VF-101. We asked for clarification and Rick Morgan came through for us:

Phil: The black-tailed F-14 I shot in Key Weird is AD106; assigned to VF-101, the RAG, but marked for the Starfighters of VF-33 as they went through transition from F-4Js to F-14A. Stable-mate VF-102 had one as well. Rick

We ran a short piece on the Grumman F7F Tigercat in the same issue, prompting these comments and possible corrections from Tommy Thomason:

Phil, Joe (Baugher) lists BuNos 80609 through 80620 as F7F-4Ns but with the exception of your picture of 1LT (and I can't read the BuNo), the F7F-4Ns that I have pictures for have a different, sleeker nose because they were equipped with a different radar than the F7F-3N. See attached for an example and the difference per the Navy.


That said, 80610 could have been delivered with the F7F-3N radar for lack of the correct one when it was being assembled...  T  Thanks, Tommy---that one seemed a little strange to us too! Sure wish we could prove the identification of that airplane for certain!

And finally, we ran some P-61 photos a few issues back, which prompted this response from reader Gerry Asher:

Phil, first, let me compliment you on the blog - lots of neat images, and I really appreciate the effort. P-61s are among my favorites, and when it comes to research in general I tend to be the proverbial "junkyard dog," shaking a subject for everything it's worth. To wit, the F-61B on February's blog, serial 43-8257.

The information provided in Jeff Kolln's "Northrop's Night Hunter" (Specialty Press) indicates the aircraft in question is assigned to the 339th Night Fighter (or Fighter [All Weather], whatever was appropriate for the time) Squadron at Johnson AB, Japan, serving with the unit from February 1947 to March 1950... so the image itself was taken post-September '47 at the earliest, given the service nomenclature above the rado call number. The bird had previously served with the 6th NFS; she went into storage 15 March 1950 and was stricken from the record 28 June of that year.

The insignia on the vertical fin (first time I've laid eyes on it) appears to be a spider using a combination of tongues of flame from six of its legs (like guns firing?) and groupings of stars to signify 3-3-9 in the image - the original slide would surely be clearer, and I may be trying to hammer round pegs into square holes. At any rate, I am guessing it's a transitional emblem for the 339th between their WWII-era gremlin astride a pair of eagles, and their present emblem (dragon amid the clouds spewing flame) as a USAF flight test squadron.

Keep up the great work -All my best, Gerry Asher  Thanks, Gerry! If there's one thing we're not around here, it's Black Widow experts! Your comments are very much appreciated!

And that's it for this edition. Thanks to each and every one of you for making 2011 a great year for the project, and a big ol' Texas WELCOME to all of our new readers. We'd also like to extend a very special Thank You to our contributors, who's help has been vital to us from the very start. We'd also like to encourage all of our readership to send your comments (and contributions of your own, should you feel so-inclined) to replicainscale@yahoo.com . Happy holidays to all of you, and we'll see you again right after Christmas. Until next time, be good to your neighbor, and we'll meet again soon.

phil