Thoughts on That New Hog, Echo Fruitflies, Everything Old is New Again, A Book You Might Want, And a Pretty P-51

The Ever-Inscrutable Tamiya

It's official. Tamiya just released a 1/32nd scale kit of the Chance Vought F4U-1 Corsair. As usual, they (Tamiya, that is) snuck up on everybody, although there are those saying they knew it all along and, as usual, the internet modeling crowd are already crying for replacement parts and detail sets for a kit that hasn't shipped to anybody yet. Better yet, it's only a matter of time before a group of folks we'll call The Usual Suspects begin criticizing certain parts of said "U-Bird" based on screen shots of parts and the rumor mill, complaining about things they couldn't possibly have any knowledge of since nobody actually has a kit in their hands. To paraphrase that great American philosopher Yogi Berra; Let merriment reign unconfirmed!

Anyway, it seems as though 1/32nd has become the new gold standard for plastic modelers, with unexpected releases showing up every week, or so it seems. They're neat releases too; not just another of Herr Willy's creations, but some of the big stuff as well---B-17s, B-25s, He-219s, and it goes on and on. Mostly we need those kits; in the case of the Corsair, for example, the Trumpeter F4U is, unfortunately, none too accurate, and the old Revell kit, well; it's the old (early 1970s vintage) Revell kit, isn't it? We need a state-of-the-art "Hog" pretty badly in this scale, and there's little doubt Tamiya will release a modest-sized family of Corsairs before it's all said and done. Life is good.

Then again, let's play a little Devil's Advocate here. That F4U would appear to be a Thing of Beauty, and there's no doubt we'll have to get one for our personal collection sooner or later. Then again, we already had at least two 32nd scale kits of the airplane, didn't we? Let's think about all of the important aircraft that are poorly represented in any scale that would lend themselves beautifully to 1/32nd in place of that "U-Bird". Like what, you may ask?

OK, we'll bite! How about a PT-13/-17, or a T-6? Both types are iconic, and we need contemporary kits of both, and not just in 1/32nd scale but in any scale. Maybe you don't like trainers---some folks don't. How about a Hawker Tempest then, or an FJ-Anything, or a P-6E? Or maybe a Ki-10, or a Yak or Lavochkin of virtually any flavor? Or a decent C-45? And the beat goes on...

The point is, that new Tamiya F4U-1 is a pretty big deal, and it'll sell like hotcakes. Since making money is the name of the game if you're a manufacturer, all is well. The planets are in alignment and The Big T will make a whole lot of money on this one. We needed that big "Hog" and we got it. Kitting it is a no-brainer---the only surprising thing about it is that it didn't happen before now. Then again, all those guys that flew the thing in combat learned how to fly in a series of trainers, one of which could have been a PT-Something-Or-Other, and one of which most assuredly was an SNJ (a T-6 variant). Our logic is somewhat perverse, but it seems to hold water.

That's what we think. What about you? That address is replicainscale@yahoo.com . We're waiting...

A well-known shot of a pair of F4U-1s from VMF-215 shortly after their arrival at Munda in 1943. The mud was pervasive, and traces of it even appear on the underwing national insignia of "Spirit of 76". Some of our airmen in the Pacific actually did operate from halfway decent airfields, but very rarely did those folks have a globe and anchor on their utility caps. When you folks get your very own Tamiya "Hog" all built and weathered, give a thought to the guys who actually flew the airplane in combat. There were no easy days in the SWPAC.  Rocker Collection

A Few More A-7s.

We began one of our ongoing and admittedly rambling photo essays on the LTV A-7 Corsair II family a while back and today's the day for another installment of it, with the variant at hand being the penultimate Navy variant of same; the A-7E.

The "Echo" was a logical development of the basic airframe, getting a performance boost from the installation of a TF-41 powerplant as well as improved avionics and an M-61 rotary cannon. The end result of those improvements was a much improved attack aircraft that soldiered on to fly combat until the early 1990s. Time, technology, and budget overtook it, though, and it was among the first Navy types to be replaced by the now-ubiquitous F/A-18. It was a highly capable attack aircraft right up until the end, and it wore some extremely colorful markings during the course of its service life. Let's take a look.

VA-25 was called "The Fist of the Fleet" and it became famous when one of its A-1s downed a MiG-17 back in the Southeast Asia War Games. Their markings were fairly tame by Navy standards, but there was no mistaking who they were---that green fist holding the lightning bolt saw to that. BuNo 157441 was photographed on the ramp at NAS Chase by David Balcer back in 1979, and she survived in the Fleet until the late 1980s before finally heading for the desert. When this shot was taken most A-7Es still carried six underwing pylons; the outboard pair were later removed to enhance performance since the laser-guided munitions of the 80s and 90s made it possible to literally get more bang for the buck using fewer air-launched weapons. Progress, as it were...  David Balcer

VA-22 has always been one of our favorite A-7 units, simply because the squadron markings were so well done. 157445 is shown here wearing their colors, parked on the transient ramp in 1980 but still carrying full Easter Egg paint work. She ended up in the desert in the late 80s and was beginning to show her age when this photo was taken. There's nothing so wrong with her that it couldn't be fixed by a visit to the NARF, but her paint and markings have definitely seen better days.  Bob Mignard

157510 was on the Nimitz in August of 1980 when she was photographed by Rick Morgan. Much like 157445 she's fairly beat up, but appearances can be deceiving. Life on the boat is hard on airplanes, but the NAV knows how to take care of them in that environment. Still, 510 didn't manage to survive to a ripe old age, but crashed to destruction Ocala National Forest in Florida in 1985. We've said it before but it's worth repeating: There's nothing easy about military aviation.  Rick Morgan

VA-37's "Fruitflies" carried one of the more famous squadron emblems during the 1980s, as illustrated here by 158820. She was written off for unknown reasons (to us, anyway) in March of 1983, but was looking good when this photo was taken in May of 1979.  John Dienst

In contrast to the photo of 157445, 159273, also from VA-22, looked shiny as a new penny when we photographed her on the transient ramp at Randolph in 1980. She came to a sad end in 1983, dumped over the side (and also for reasons unknown) as a write-off. The modelers among our readership might want to take a close look at the shape of that air intake---it's been the Waterloo of more than one plastic model company trying to kit the A-7!  Phillip Friddell

159285 was assigned to VA-66 and was transient at Myrtle Beach when Norm Taylor caught her there in June of 1978. She ultimately ended up with the Greek Air Force but was in her glory here. Her outboard pylons have been removed but she looks brand new (and, truth be known, she wasn't far from it when this photo was taken). A lot of people think very highly of Norm Taylor's abilities with a camera---this photo shows why!  Norm Taylor

Some of the photographers we know shoot only what they're interested in, which makes this VA-22 CAG bird unique---she was photographed by Marty Isham, known to his friends as "Mr. ADC". Ask Marty about it and he'll tell you flat out that he doesn't shoot Navy airplanes. Here's proof positive that he does, at least every once in a while. 159980 was another A-7E that ended up with the Greek AF, but she was still flying with the NAV when Marty took this shot of her back in the 80s. Like the rest of the "Fighting Redcocks" markings her CAG paintwork is subdued but pretty. We like it, anyway...   Marty Isham

We should probably all keep in mind that the adjective "dirty" is a relative thing. VA-46's 160567 wasn't dirty when Ted Paskowski photographed her at Grissom AFB in 1981; she was filthy, but beauty's only skin deep. She survived her stint with the NAV and ended up with the Thai Navy where, we presume, her paintwork was somewhat better maintained than it was when Ted snapped this photo!  Ted Paskowski

In stark contrast to that VA-46 bird we just looked at, there's nothing dirty or out of place on this NTPS aircraft photographed at PAX River in 1988. 160565 was what you would have to call a Clean Machine, but then most Test Pilot School aircraft are extremely well-maintained. 565 went into storage at AMARC in 1992 and was, in all likelihood, spotless when she made that last trip.  Bob Burns

160715 illustrates the paint scheme that bridged the gap between the "Easter Eggs" of the 50s, 60s, and most of the 70s, and the TPS greys of the 1980s. She's still in Light Gull Grey over Insignia White, but now her control surfaces have been over-painted in grey and most of her lettering has changed from black to white, although she still carries full-sized national insignia. She was assigned to VA-81 when photographed in 1981. A survivor, she ended up on a pole in Jacksonville.  Tom Ring

VA-15 carried some of the A-7's more colorful markings while operating the type, but we're running this shot to show you that opened equipment bay. The "Fruitfly" was easy to maintain, with a great many essential components within easy reach without having to resort to maintenance stands or an undue amount of specialized equipment. 160736 was another bird that ended up in Greece once her career with the American Navy was finished.  David Balcer

Today's final A-7 shot was taken at Andrews in September of 1981 and shows VA-15's 160869 being readied for flight, offering us a look at the port-side equipment panels in an opened-up condition. 869 is also carrying TERs on her outboard stations, and is looking every inch a warplane in this photo.  Ted Paskowski

We aren't done with the A-7E yet, even though we are finished for now. Stay tuned for more!

Scary Stuff on the Peninsula

The Korean Peninsula, that is. It seems as though that nasty little war that never really ended is on everybody's minds these days as things in The Land of the Morning Calm deteriorate daily. This site doesn't have anything to do with contemporary goings-on, of course, but the current round of Korean unpleasantness provides us with a lead-in to a time some 60 or so years ago when the United States was hip-deep in conflict there. Jonathan Watson has provided us with some remarkable images from his collection which we'd like to share with you today.

The Korean War began on 25 June, 1950, with North Korea's invasion of the South. The 8th FBW was stationed at Itazuke AB in Japan at the time, and its 36th FBS was among the first United States aircraft to respond to the crisis. Our first shot in this series depicts part of the squadron sitting on the ramp---note the unfortunately illegible name on the fuselage of FT-700. That position on the fuselage was a common location for artwork and names with the 36th throughout this early period of the war.  Johnathan Watson Collection

FT-603 is in the chocks armed up in this view. The positioning of the boarding ladder on the starboard side of the aircraft (rather than the port) is noteworthy, as are the practice rockets attached below the wings. We would guess this shot to have been taken immediately pre-War, but there's no way to know for sure.  Johnathan Watson Collection

This shot provides an excellent view of the nose of the F-80C as operated by the 36th during the early stages of the war. The .50 caliber nose gun ports are all capped except for one, and that gun bay appears to be empty. The "tab" visible inside the starboard intake is the mount for the gun camera. Check out the rank insignia on the master sergeant in the foreground---it took a while for all the Army insignia and uniform items to disappear from the Air Force, and a mixture of same could still be found throughout the Korean War.  Johnathan Watson Collection

This port-side view of a pre-War 8th FBW F-80C illustrates the clean lines of the aircraft and provides us with an excellent view of the structural detail to be found on the interior of the intake splitter plate. The F-80 was an extremely simple airplane and was easy to fly. It was also, as events were to prove, totally unable to fight on equal terms (or even close to them) with its primary adversary in the conflict, the MiG-15, even though several air-to-air victories were scored with the type. It's real forte was air-to-ground work, but that was yet to be determined in those Bad Old Days of June, 1950.  Johnathan Watson Collection

We're including this view for a couple of reasons, even though it's not from the 36th (it does, however, belong to the 8th FBW), and are encouraging reader comments regarding a couple of things that are visible in the photo. Let's start with that object sitting on the wing---is it a piece of test equipment or a 1950s version of the Boom Box? We're not certain, although it seems to have way too many buttons and knobs to be a commercial radio. Anybody out there have any insight on this one? Also, note the "BAFFLING INSTALLED" stenciling beneath the horizontal stab, and both the attire and the cigarette of the ground crewman. "Out of uniform" is a phrase that comes to mind, and smoking around an airplane was considered A Very Bad Thing even in 1950. It was a simpler time.  Johnathan Watson Collection

"Spam Can II" provides us with an excellent view of the way the 36th presented their aircraft art. The lettering of the name is in the same red color the squadron used for their painted trim, and the art itself is a pretty fair representation of a period can of Spam. We'd love to have these markings for an F-80 model (and, for that matter, would love to have a new kit of the Shooting Star to put them on!) but we doubt that'll happen any time soon.  Johnathan Watson Collection

Here's another example of fuselage art on a 36th FBS aircraft. "Mr Completely" provides us with a classic USAF play on words and really sets off the aircraft. The command stripes on the nose are also of interest, as are the "rails" for the practice rockets that we can see beneath the wings. The boarding ladder is on the starboard side of this aircraft too, which makes us wonder if it wasn't a fairly standard practice within the unit.  Johnathan Watson Collection

Gearing up before a mission. This photo provides us with a classic view of the mixture of uniforms and flight gear to be found within the 5th AF during the Korean conflict. Note the gas bags lying on the ground behind the ground echelon---that particular method of storage, plus the ubiquitous (for the time) cigarette in the mouth of one of the mechs, would put a contemporary USAF safety officer into convulsions, but it was the norm for the time and the place illustrated by this shot.  Johnathan Watson Collection

Taxiing out. This photo of "Mr Completely" was apparently taken at a slightly later date than that first shot of her and shows artwork of some sort sitting just above the "y" in the name. It's interesting to note that this sort of thing has caused countless arguments among amateur historians and scale modelers, who can become extremely pedantic regarding markings and paintwork applied to military aircraft. This photo provides us with a classic example of why it's good to be somewhat open-minded about such things. Johnathan Watson Collection

Gettin' ready for the Boogie. This shot may be pre-War, or it may have been taken prior to a straight-up fighter sweep. Whatever the circumstances, the photographer had an eye for composition and has provided us with a gorgeous image of flight line operations at Itazuke during 1950. And No, Virginia; those guys aren't wearing ear protection. Did we mention that it was a simpler time?  Johnathan Watson Collection

And another taxi shot. In 1950 you could still pretty much do a simple pre-flight, strap in, light the fire, and go. Unfortunately, the accident rate of the day reflected the approach to flight safety and a great many aircraft were lost to operational accidents. The ensuing years would see a dramatic change in operational procedures for all of the world's air forces, but things were still pretty simple during the Korean War, as this photo (showing a cover on the head of the ground director, just waiting to be sucked up an intake) attests. Simpler isn't always better...  Johnathan Watson Collection

Heading out. This photo provides us with a fine perspective of the F-80's diminutive size. You don't realize just how tiny some of those early jets were until you stand beside one, and the  Shooting Star definitely reflects its 1944 design. Have we mentioned that we'd really like to have a state-of-the-art F-80 kit?  Johnathan Watson Collection

Off we go! These birds appear to be launching on an air superiority sweep. The Air Force wasn't encountering MiG-15s in June of 1950, and the F-80 was entirely capable of winning a knife fight against a piston-engine Yak or Lavochkin. The MiG would prove to be another story entirely.  Johnathan Watson Collection

Thanks to Johnathan Watson for sharing these images with us. This is as good a time as any to note that we receive most of our photography from our readership, and we actively encourage contributions. If you have anything you'd like to share from your own personal collection we strongly encourage you to do it. The address is replicainscale@yahoo.com .

It's About Time!

If we had to guess, we'd guess that almost every one of you has read Samurai at one time or another. It's a seminal work on the air war in the Pacific and it's been mandatory reading for students of that portion of the Second World War since its first publication back in the mid-1950s. As a history it's somewhat flawed, and it raises more questions than it answers, but for a great many years it's been one of the two or three things available to us in English regarding the Tainan Kokutai, which was one of Japan's most elite and successful fighter units during the first 18 months or so of the Pacific War. We've been sadly lacking in any sort of definitive history of the unit, at least until now.

Eagles of the Southern Sky; the Tainan Air Group in WWII Volume I: New Guinea, Luca Ruffato and Michael J. Claringbould, Tainan Research and Publishing, 2012, 352 pp, Illustrated, is the history we've all been waiting for regarding the Tainan Ku, lengthy title notwithstanding. It covers the "classic" period of the Tainan's pre-Guadalcanal days at length, and details the unit from its inception until the beginning of the end for the group over the Solomon Islands.

Taken as a reference the book is somewhat amazing; it covers not only Japanese operations but, to a great extent, those of the various Allied units opposing the Tainan Ku as well and, for perhaps the first time in the United States, discusses the significant contributions of the RAAF's 75 and 76 squadrons in their hand-me-down P-40Es. The book is well illustrated with period photography and includes a great many images not previously seen in the West. It also includes a large number of full-color profiles as well as several indices. It's well-researched and will probably be the definitive resource on this unit for a number of years to come.

We did find one somewhat irritating issue with the book, although we honestly put it in the realm of nitpicking. The basic presentation of the publication is softcover and printed on a fairly poor grade of paper, which allows print and images from the opposite side of the pages to occasionally bleed through to the side the reader is looking at. We suspect this is the unfortunate result of economics and, quite frankly, are delight to have the resource available to us in any format. Our personal preference would have been for hard covers and heavier, coated stock, simply because we suspect the book will be heavily used by most of the people who purchase it. That said, we hope the book receives the success it so soundly deserves and that the publishers will someday do a 2nd edition in a more permanent presentation.

Still, few people will purchase this book to criticize its current presentation, and the documentation that has gone into its creation is very nearly beyond reproach. The simple fact that the authors were able to obtain the services of Steve Birdsall, Lawrence Hickey, Ed Dekiep, and Gordon Birkett, speaks volumes for the credibility of Ruffato and Claringbould, who are to be commended for creating what is obviously a labor of love for them. This book is an absolute must-have if your interests run towards the war in the Pacific, and we anxiously await the publication of the second volume of the set.

Just a Pretty Airplane; That's All

An issue of Replica isn't complete without at least one example of photography from the amazing collection of Bobby Rocker, and today's shot is a pip!

Most of us are familiar with the 348th fighter group's use of the P-47D Thunderbolt, and the type is the one that is most indisputably linked to the unit's history. That said, the classic early "Jug" variant (the D-model) operated by the 348th was short-legged and not particularly well-suited to combat in the SWPAC; the first Thunderbolt suitable to the theater would be the last one; P-47N late that appeared in the conflict (but not with the 348th). The 348th was almost unique within the 5th AF, who's primary aircraft were the P-39, P-40, and P-38, in that they not only flew combat successfully with the P-47 but also transitioned to the North American P-51D Mustang and flew combat in it prior to the cessation of hostilities. This photo provides us with an excellent view of one of their command ships. Beauty!   Bobby Rocker Collection

The Relief Tube

An issue or two ago we ran a couple of A4D photos from the collection of Frank Garcia, and commented that we weren't entirely certain of the unit identification for one of them. We asked our resident experts of Things Navy, Tommy Thomason and Rick Morgan, for clarification and possible correction and received these responses. First, we'll hear from Tommy:

Phil, according to gonavy.jp, FDR had two squadrons of A4D-2s, not A4D-2Ns, on board in 1960. 303AB is for sure an A4D-2 from VA-172, the Blue Bolts, as you thought. 505AK is an A4D-2N. However, strictly speaking, there is no difference between radome paint because the A4D-2 didn't have a radome. With respect to the radome, you may be thinking of the difference between the early and late A4D-2N/A-4C noses that were different in appearance. See http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2010/07/a4d-skyhawk.html

More trivia: the original gray/white scheme had gray rudders. Subsequent evaluation of the thermal effect on the aircraft of a nuclear explosion resulted in the rudders being white along with the upward facing elevators/stabilators and ailerons/spoilers. This change was not official until 27 December 1961, well after this cruise, although my understanding is that some rudders were already white by that time.
Best regards, T

Then from Rick:

Phil: I'm in Canberra for one more night, return home Tues/Weds. Love the JG5 BF109- one of my favorite Luftwaffe units and you even got Carganico's Mickey Mouse on there. I concur with Jan's assessment on last issue's A-4E;  it's probably VF-45 out of Key West; VF-43 had most (if not all) of their Scoots in a standardized gray camo late in their day and typically put the squadron logo on the tail and not a red star.

As for Frank's shots, the CVG-1 bird is an A4D-2 from VA-172 Blue Bolts. The other guys are VA-46 (A4D-2), VA-15 (AD-6), VF-14 (F3H), VAH-11 (A3D-2) and VF-11 (F8U-1).

The one marked AK505 is indeed a Clansman from VA-46; the tail markings and sash are a reproduction of the Clan McDougal tartan, that being the unit's first CO.  Other squadrons in CVG-10 at that point were VF-13 (F4D-1), VF-62 (F8U-1), VA-106 (A4D-2), VA-176 (AD-6).

Rick

Every once in a while we publish a photo that just won't lie down, to use a Southernism. A while back we ran a photo of an F-86L, then ran a couple of corrections regarding the shot. Today we've received another comment regarding that photo, and it raises an interesting question:

Mr. Friddell,
It's interesting to note that the NH ANG F-86L ("3593")you posted on 3/21/11 appears to have green trim on the tanks and tail. The NH ANG F-86L (0150)in this post appears to have medium blue trim. Any thoughts on whether they're really different or is it a color repro issue. BTW, the drawings of 0150 on p. 112 of Replica in Scale Vol 2, #'s 3 & 4 (I was a subscriber!) says it's trimmed in green. or, to summarize, blue or green for 0150?? What do you think?
Thanks,
Jim Q.

PS I really like this blog.

Thanks, Jim. We've gone back and re-examined the photos in question and can honestly say that they do indeed appear to show green trim but also seems to show a blue-ish tint, depending on the slide you're looking at, which wouldn't be out of place in a group or wing setting but is somewhat unusual when we're discussing an individual squadron. Anybody out there have any ideas on this one?

Finally, here's a comment from reader Peter Schupp regarding one of the 43rd BG B-17s we ran a while back:

Phil,

 

You've got a great site. I particularly like you comments about preserving the history. I know accuracy is important to you.

 

On Tuesday, 8 Nov 2011, you posted a picture from the Rocker Collection of B-17F 41-24457. In your post you identify the aircraft as 'Aztec's Chief' and the filename of the image is   'Aztecs Chief buzzing Gizo Island Solomons.jpg' .

 

This aircraft was named 'The AZTEC'S CURSE', most likely a reference to the less than comfortable conditions endured by the men who fought in the Solomon Islands campaign. I didn't see any other comments on your site, so thought you'd like to know.

 

This the largest and nicest copy of this image I've ever found, and I'm very happy to add it to my collection. 

Thanks.

Peter Schupp

Junior Woodchuck Historian

And that's it for today's thrilling installment of our blog. Thanks for looking in, and stay tuned: We've got some really neat stuff in store for you! Until then, be good to your neighbor, and we'll meet again soon.

phil

We Actually Finished Something, A Couple of Early Scooters, and A Few 'Cobras,

Serving No Model Airplane Before Its Time

It's often said that the road to a warm and largely uncomfortable place is paved with good intentions, and we tend to believe that. We also tend to believe that it's our mission in life to infrequently complete a model airplane of some sort and show it to our long-suffering readership just to prove that we can, in point of fact, move something from a collection of tiny plastic pieces into a completed edifice in less time than the normal span of an adult human life. In other words, it can be done!

Today's polystyrene offering is an example of just that. We began this particular project six or seven months ago, and it's been sitting, mostly completed but without transparencies or final detailing, for five or six months---so near and yet so very far, as some folks are fond of saying. It could've sat a whole lot longer too, but we woke up this morning (Sunday, to be exact) in a Finish Something kind of mood. The airplane you're about to see was closest to completion, so it's what we snagged and commenced to work on.

And here's what we came up with. The model is a replica of one of Horst Carganico's JG-5 birds, a BF109F-4 fitted with his then-trademarked Bf109E-3 canopy set. The decals rather obviously came from one of those Kagero books the model is sitting on, and the paint was our old standby ModelMaster Luftwaffe colors (the ones the internet modeling fraternity so love to hate!). The kit, with one minor exception, is the venerable 1/48th scale Hasegawa offering built bone stock except for the canopy set, about which more later.

Here's a top view showing that canopy set, which still needs to be faired in with a little bit of white glue but can otherwise be called complete. We built this particular model for two reasons; the paint scheme (JG-5 had a number of desert-camouflaged 109Fs assigned to their unit and, much like JG-3, which was also assigned to the Northern Front at the time and also repainted their airframes to better work with the topography around Murmansk) and the early 109E canopy set. We were concerned about that whole canopy thing for a while, but that was before we surmised that the canopy set from a Hase 109E just might fit their 109F airframe. We were right for once, and the resulting model provided us with something different for the collection with virtually no effort on our part. Can you spell Win-Win?!

Here's another view of that canopy showing just how easily it went on. The aft set still requires just a tiny bit of fairing in with the aforementioned white glue, but everything pretty much fit like a glove otherwise. Existing photographs seem to show that the head armor wasn't always fitted to this aircraft, which provides it with another bit of personality rarely enjoyed by more run-of-the-mill 109s, and those modified desert colors put the whole thing over the top. The interior has the ubiquitous Eduard belts and harnesses, as well as their instrument panel and a few (but not many) cockpit details, but what you see here is pretty much straight from the box. We stole the crosses and swastikas from an old Third Group decal sheet, while the kill markings, chevrons, and the tiny cartoon mouse on the port side of the nose came from those Kagero books the model is sitting on. Weathering was lightly done since existing photographs depict a well-cared-for airframe.

We've been experiencing a severe bout of Modeler's Lethargy of late, and haven't done much of anything with plastic as a result. If we'd just sat down and worked on this model it probably would have taken a grand total of twelve or fifteen hours to complete---once you've built a couple of the Hasegawa 109F or G kits you can pretty well do them in your sleep---which made this a nice, easy and relatively pain-free way to get a few of our chops back. It was, as we're somewhat fond of saying around here, an easy date.

One more thing before we go; we happen to like those 109Fs and Gs and were, at least until recently, picking up every discounted Hasegawa kit of same that we could find. We've recently stopped doing that, preferring instead to await the arrival of Eduard's recently-promised late variant 109 family. If those kits are anything like their 109Es they'll be a knockout, and we can barely wait! Life is good if you're a fan of Herr Willy's progeny...

Tinker Toys in the Med

If you've been with us for any length of time at all you'll remember Frank Garcia, a friend of ours who spent his hitch in the NAV helping man the V2 divisions of the FDR and the ShangriLa. We've run a handful of Frank's black and white photography in the past, but had forgotten we'd duped a few of his color shots too. Today's as good a day as any to run a couple of them so without further ado...

In 1960 the FDR had two squadrons of AD4-2N Skyhawks aboard, VA-46 and VA-172. We've been scouring our records (with absolutely no success whatsoever!) to determine the unit this "Tinker Toy" belonged to and suspect, with no way to be sure until we overcome our inability to properly arrange our library, that this bird is from VA-172. (We await the inevitable flood of corrections: That address is replicainscale@yahoo.com .) Note the Light Gull Grey rudder on this bird, not the norm in 1960 but not that unusual either.  Frank Garcia

In contrast, here's one of VA-46's A4D-2Ns from the Shangri-La, sometime during 1961. Note the difference in application of the radome paint between this aircraft and the one shown immediately above. The rudder appears to be grey once again, and the squadron markings are somewhat minimalist but very appropriate to the airframe. The A-4 family could be boarded without use of ladders but it was a precarious operation at best, and not officially condoned. Note the boarding ladder attached to both of these aircraft; it was a ubiquitous piece of gear wherever the Skyhawk was to be found.   Frank Garcia

In our world these two images raise more questions than they answer. Rick? Tommy? Jan? Where are you guys? (Or anybody else who feels inclined to make us smarter than we really are!) You know the address!

Back in the Bad Old Days

The 35th Fighter Group was one of the early players in New Guinea, fighting it out in the heat, mud, and rain during the Bad Old Days of 1942. Reader Jonathan Watson recently contacted us with a correction to a photo caption, which in turn led to our request for more photography. Johnathan graciously obliged with the images you're about to see.

The 41st FS of the 35th FG was a plank holder in New Guinea, establishing a presence there early in the war, back when General George was still getting the 5th Air Force on its feet. The nose art catches the eye immediately, but that dented gas bag tells a story all its own. There are no yellow prop tips evident on this bird, just black blades. This un-named ship is in pretty good condition in this photo, but the chances are good that she won't stay that way long. This is an early aircraft with the group---check out the exhaust stacks and nose armament for confirmation!   Johnathan Watson Collection

Bob Pryse sits in the cockpit of another un-named yet beautifully decorated Airacobra. This bird's beginning to show the wear and tear imposed by her environment, but that nose art is pristine (and well-executed!). Nose art (or, in the case of the P-39, door art) was evident in the 5th AF from the very beginning, and became somewhat ribald far earlier than many people care to acknowledge.   Pryse via Johnathan Watson Collection

"Julie" was a looker. The apparent native of the Keystone State (a guess on our part, but with strong evidence to support it) provides a great deal of color to the P-39's otherwise dull exterior. Modelers may want to note the jumble of cables and instrument feeds just in front of the instrument panel, and the paint chipped off the interior ventilation duct just in front of the exhaust stacks---it's a feature to be found on virtually all of the 35th's "Cobras". 42-18810, a P-39Q-5-BE, got to the group fairly late in the game but still saw combat.   Johnathan Watson Collection

Here's Lynn Smith on the wing of "Phyllis", another Q-5-BE. She's missing a gear door and her leading edge paint is beginning to go South, and the sweat dripping off young Lynn's torso is ample proof that the SWPAC wasn't any sort of a vacation, even if you were ground echelon rather than aircrew. There were no easy days...   Johnathan Watson Collection

Lt Fred "Tojo" Harries sits on the wing of his P-39 accompanied by his crew chief and one of his mechs. Everybody's smiling in this shot but you can bet nobody's very comfortable. This P-39 is most likely a D-model and is fairly well beaten up, but it's still a viable warplane. You used what you had available in the SWPAC.   Johnathan Watson Collection

Making-do was a way of life in the 5th AF, as depicted by this armorer and his somewhat less than sophisticated work stand. The door art is notable, as is the highly unusual demarcation line between the aircraft's upper and lower surface camouflage colors. That kill marking tells a story; we sure wish we knew what it was!   Johnathan Watson Collection

More high-tech maintenance, this time on the gun bay of an unidentified P-39. Note the canopy section lying on the wing; you could pretty much remove the entire top of a P-39 if you took off enough panels. Like all of its contemporaries it was a simple aircraft to service and maintain unless, of course, you were doing that maintenance in 100 degree heat and 98% humidity. Everybody knows about the Japanese, but there were other enemies in the Pacific that were every bit as deadly.   Johnathan Watson Collection

Bob Pryse admires what appears to be an unusual set of kill markings on the nose of his P-39. His flying kit is somewhat unorthodox (and obviously missing a few items) but not that unusual, at least in the early days. "Pappy" Gunn's biography (the one we read back in 1960) mentioned him disrobing during a long over-water flight in a B-25 and having his clothing blow out the cockpit window as he descended on final approach. It's hard to imagine an airplane without climate control nowadays, but that sort of convenience was years in the future in 1943. You did what you could...   Johnathan Watson Collection

Many thanks to Johnathan for these remarkable images. We'll be seeing more from his collection in oncoming editions so stay tuned!

Happy Snaps

It's been a while since we've done anything with this part of the blog so it must surely be time! Rick Morgan spent his entire naval career as an aviator, both as an NFO and as a pilot. This photo was taken during his days as a Prowler ECMO and captures a side of NavAir few of us ever see.

We're guessing Rick was in the ECMO I position while taking this shot, and may well have been aircraft commander as well (the pilot isn't necessarily the AC during EA-6B ops; sometimes but not always). In any event, he provided us with a unique view of F-14A, BuNo 160918 from VF-41, formating off the starboard wing of his ride. Scale modelers beware! That pre- and post-shading the Humel Pottery school of modeling is so fund of would be baffled by this paint job---the panel lines don't really pop out, but the touch-ups, spilled fluids, and salt damage sure do. There's a lesson to be learned, we think!   Rick Morgan

The Relief Tube

All of you who've been with us for more than a few months have probably noticed that our last couple of issues have been less lengthy than is our norm. It's not a change, but rather a reflection of our sincere desire to get this project back on some sort of schedule again. The extended photo essays are still part of The Plan (as much as that concept ever applies around here) and will be back before you know it, but today's edition is another truncated one. We hope you'll understand and bear with us while everything gets sorted out again.

Now let's get down to Brass Tacks. First on deck is a photo provided to us by Ron Picciani of an F-86L that may be familiar to you, since we ran a far more cluttered shot of it a couple of years ago. Ron was kind enough to send a different, non-air show view of the aircraft to share with us:

0150 looks a little different without all that airshow clutter around her, doesn't she? Check out the markings on her gas bags---she's gone from being just another Sabre to being an airplane well worth modeling. Thanks, Ron!   Picciani Collection

That "Scooter" we took at Bergstrom back in The Day elicited a couple of comments since we managed, with the very best of intentions, to mis-identify the squadron and the background of that blue Zoom Bag. Let's get started with a comment from Jan Jacobs:

Just a couple of comments on the A-4E in adversary markings. The aircraft has an "AD" tail code, so it's not VF-126 and is probably VA-45 instead. Also, the dark blue flight suits were available in the supply system and were actually U.S. Navy issue. Not many squadrons had them, but a few did. Jan Jacobs F-4/F-14 RIO (USN/USNR 1972-87) Managing Editor, The Hook magazine (1989-2011)

Jan wasn't the only one to notice our clanger, though:

Hi Phil, A couple of comments on your A-4 photo. The tail code on the airplane is 'AD', so the airplane was most likely from VF-43 or VF-45, I believe. Of course, it could have 'changed hands' to VA-126 and they hadn't gotten around to putting on the tail code 'NJ' yet. As for the non-military zoom bag, I think it is a military issue flight suit. Around that time there were blue, Nomex flight suits available, although we usually got the green ones. My squadron, VF-213, issued each member a blue one, since it was our squadron color. Anyway, it was a military issue flight suit. So maybe the driver in the photo is a former Black Lion, or maybe that squadron also went with blue for awhile. Keep up the good work. Kolin

And finally, a correction from Gerry Asher regarding what should have been the Cleveland Air Races last issue!

Phil - I enjoyed the "Where does it go" editorial - definite food for thought. I knew Dave Menard - spoke with him just a week or so before his death - and in his case, I am pretty sure he had his stuff pre-figured for somebody. Tex Johnston's "Cobra II" looked sweet - but if you haven't been bombarded already, "Reno" is anachronous to this period of air racer - everything revolved around Cleveland up through 1949, except for the intermission for WWII... All my best, Gerry

Please remember that we're still collecting photos of F-100 models, any scale, any time period, to incorporate into a special Dave Menard tribute issue somewhere down the road. We're also accepting photos of the real airplane, if you'd like to contribute. It's the same old address we always ask you to use:  replicainscale@yahoo.com , so please get in touch if you'd like to join in.

Thanks for your kindness and for your patience while we once again get things sorted out. Be good to your neighbor and we'll meet again soon.
phil

Where Does It Go, A Different Kind of Cobra, A Lightning, Not Very Pretty, and A Scooter

So Where Does It Go When I'm Gone?

We've lost several long-time aerospace photographers and image collectors lately, the most recent of whom was Dave Menard. All of this unfortunate but inevitable passing has raised a question regarding the disposition of our collections when we shuffle off this mortal coil (hyperbole, that, but appropriate nonetheless). A number of nationally and internationally-known collectors are affiliated with this project, and the comments and opinions have been flying regarding Dave's collection, our own personal collections, and the ultimate disposition of collections in general, which in turn has resulted in a personal determination. Let's think about this for a minute, because lack of preparation can cause Truly Bad Things to happen to the best of private collections and the subsequent loss of priceless aviation history.

First, let's consider some of the alternatives and their probable ramifications:

You can do nothing at all, and let nature take its course. If you're lucky, your spouse, parents, children, or other blood kin will do the right thing by your collection, but most likely luck won't come into it and they'll jump straight to Plan A, which is to gather up said collection and head straight for the nearest dumpster. A few survivors won't do that, either because they understand the significance of the collection or because they smell money (in which case they run for E-Bay instead of the dumpster), but mostly they will, which is a real good reason to put something in writing regarding disposition of your photography and/or library.

You can leave your stuff to a museum or educational institution. On the face of things that would be The Way to Go, since you'd be donating your assets to someone who can and will both appreciate your collection and treasure it as you would. The fly in that ointment is that a great many institutions just aren't funded to properly deal with extensive collections of photography or books; if you're lucky they'll organize them and make them available to serious researchers, but most such organizations just don't have the time or the staff any more (both of those things equate to MONEY, in case you're not being very bright today). Factor into that the methodology, personal beliefs, and outright whimsy of the staff of such organizations and your contribution becomes a crap-shoot of the highest order, and it gets even worse when we consider that directors and curators in museums and universities change jobs from time to time, just like the rest of us---the guy that just left knew what to do with that priceless photography, but the new guy doesn't, and really doesn't care either because you don't have the letters PhD after your last name. See where this is going?

There's a third alternative, and it's the one we've chosen for our own personal disposition of aviation assets when the Reaper puts in his inevitable appearance. We're going to give everything to an aviation friend, someone who supports research, shares with others, and helps people with their projects. We're going to pass the assets to someone who will use all those photos and books for their own projects, and make copies of the photography available to others for theirs. Hoarders need not apply. We think that's the right thing to do, because we want the stuff to be seen (one of the reasons we started this site in the first place) and disseminated among other aviation historians. That makes a great deal of sense to us.

Why are we telling you this? Why would anybody care? The Short Version of The Story is that even the handful of Uncle Willard's Korean War photographs are of value to the legitimate historian and need to be preserved. They're a priceless record of a time and place that won't come again, and once they're gone they're gone. What you do with your own personal archives is your choice and nobody else's, but we think we're on the right track here.

As always, that's our story and we're sticking with it.

Cleveland Bird

The Big One was over and Johnny had come home to peace and the beginnings of prosperity, but for some of the warriors of that era change came hard. Different people handled things different ways, but for a handful of former military aviators the path was clear: Air racing was the way to go, using modified fighters and attack aircraft surplussed out by the end of hostilities. One of the more colorful of those ex-military air racers is the subject of today's modeling section, thanks to the kindness of reader Pat Donahue.

Few people think of the Bell P-39 Airacobra as a high-performance aircraft, but even in stock form it was fast on the deck and a far more capable fighter than has generally been thought. When stripped of all its military gear and suitably modified, the aircraft became a rocket ship. The subject of this photo essay is "Cobra II", a hot-rodded P-39Q-10-BE flown by Bell test pilot Alvin "Tex" Johnston during the 1946 National Air Races.

Hasegawa's 1/48th scale P-39Q re-boxed as the "Cobra II". That's the pitot tube sticking out of the spinner, relocated from the wingtips. In this stripped-down condition "Cobra II" roared across the finish line of the 1946 National Air Races at 373.9 mph, nothing to sneeze at when we recall that the race was run around pylons and right on the deck. In addition to winning the race, Johnston also broke the world's closed course speed record set by England's Supermarine S-6 some 15 years before. Most folks don't model racing aircraft; Pat's replica of "Cobra II" makes us wonder why more people don't go down that road.

The late-war P-39Q-25-BE was fitted with a four-bladed prop as standard, and that configuration was chosen for the "Cobra II". This nose-on shot illustrates the incredibly small frontal section of the P-39 to good advantage. The P-39 was designed to poop and scoot, but an AAF decision to gut its performance turned it into an also-ran in the hands of everybody but the Soviet Union, who used its low and medium-altitude performance to great advantage in combat against the Luftwaffe.

Careful preparation and execution results in a superior model, as seen here. Look closely at these photos if you will, and note how precisely executed the paintwork and markings are. We think Pat nailed it with this model, but then we've always been a fan of his work, which may make us just the least bit prejudiced!

It would be easy to mistake Pat's model for the real aircraft with if we set the kit in a different background. The minimal weathering is entirely appropriate for the aircraft according to the photos we've seen (although those nose scallops were largely gone by the end of the race!), and the parachute slung onto the starboard wing puts the model over the top. Beauty!

The real "Cobra II" was capable of producing some 2,000 hp at sea level, with an achievable top speed of 400+ mph. Rate of climb was an astounding 6,000 feet per minute; in the 1946 race Johnson had launched and had gear in wells while most of the field was still on the ground. The bird was a lightweight, stripped down to 5,578 pounds dry---with the addition of a 240 US gallon fuel load gross weight was only 7,886 pounds. The airplane looked pretty ratty at the end of the race; a large percentage of the nose scalloping had worn off during the course of the competition, but the yellow and black "Cobra II" was arguably among the prettiest aircraft to ever compete for the Thompson Trophy.

Thanks to Pat Donahue for these remarkable photographs and an outstanding model!

Just in Case You Build One for Yourself

Our friends at Eduard recently issued another of their 1/48th scale Special Editions, this time covering the Lockheed P-38 in the pacific and called, appropriately enough, Pacific Lightnings (EU1175). The basic kit is Academy's P-38J/L, suitably accompanied with a selection of photo-etch and Eduard's own "Brassin'" resin accessories. The star of the show, however, is the decal sheet, which contains exceptionally well-done markings for 5 different aircraft. Thanks to Bobby Rocker we just happened to have a photograph of one of those airplanes and thought today would be a good time to share it with you.

"Rough and Dirty Jr" in all her glory, sitting on the ramp at Tacloban in 1945. The kit costs 75 bucks if you pay full retail for it, which isn't as bad as it first seems when you consider all that comes with it. If it were our choice, and it may well be, we'd substitute a Hasegawa P-38 for the Academy offering included in the kit, but you can get an acceptable model from either. Modelers note the slightly under inflated nose tire, a rarity on any military flight line. Those markings are rude, crude, and socially unacceptable, but will make for a really neat model airplane should you be inclined towards such things.   Rocker Collection

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

The Fairchild AT-21 was designed and built as a dedicated bomber trainer for the Army Air Forces during the Second World War. Some airplanes just come across as doomed from the start and, even though some 106 examples of the type were manufactured, it was a flop as a bomber trainer and, quite frankly, a poor airplane to boot. Time and good sense eventually passed it by, and second-hand bombers eventually fulfilled the roll originally conceived for the AT-21. It was for the best...

This image of the XAT-13, the prototype for the AT-21 series and autographed by test pilot Vance Breese, shows just how ungainly the aircraft was. The XAT-13 (41-19500) was powered by a pair of 450hp powered by a pair of Pratt and Whitney R-1340-AN-1 radial engines, while the production aircraft (the AT-21) featured a pair of 550 hp Ranger V770-11 or -15 power plants. At the end of the day it didn't matter which engine the airframe was powered by; the aircraft suffered from poor stability and excessive vibration and was a pig in the air. The type was withdrawn from service in 1944, but not before it was decided to attempt to convert the aircraft into a flying bomb. Two such aircraft, designated XBQ-3, were modified to carry 4,000 pounds of explosives but that project was also shelved. A handful of AT-21s survived the war to enter civilian service, of which one is known to still exist. If it looks right it'll generally fly right. 'Nuff said.  Greater St Louis Air and Space Museum via Mark Nankivil

How About a Knife Fight, Ya'll?

The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk series won its spurs as an attack bomber par excellance, after which it spent a fair amount of time flying as an adversary aircraft in the Navy's various ACM programs (its overall performance was similar to that of the MiG-17). Back in those faraway days when we actually went to airshows we always tried to get there the day before, so we could catch everybody arriving. That's where we found and photographed this particular "Tinker Toy".

152004, an A-4E from VA-126, taxis in after arrival at Bergstrom on 14 October 1989. The cranked refueling probe is of interest, as is the pylon configuration---although built as a 5-station aircraft, when used for the adversary roll the A-4E was inevitably configured with only 3 stations. Sharp-eyed readers will note that, while most of the landing gear doors are Insignia White trimmed in Insignia Red per specification, the secondary nose gear door is painted entirely in red. This aircraft has been used extensively and its paintwork is heavily patched, but it was entirely capable of fullfilling its mission the day we photographed it. The non-military zoom bag and ACM helmet the pilot's wearing are noteworthy.  P Friddell

Under The Radar

Gradual Failure, The Air War Over North Vietnam 1965-1966, Jacob Van Staaveren, Air Force History and Museums Program, 388pp, illustrated. The years 1965 and 1966 were crucial ones for the United States Air Force during the Vietnam war. This volume is a highly detailed account of those two critical years and covers both political and operational aspects of the conflict. Like so many of the works we discuss here this volume is a book; the selection of photographs is more than adequate and well-reproduced, but the heart of this work is its text. Many official histories are somewhat dry and oft times boring to read, but this book is both highly readable and easy to absorb. Combat ops are described in some detail, and both Air Force and Navy contributions are discussed at length. Not a book for everyone, this volume is one that the serious scholar of the Vietnam War cannot afford to be without.

The Relief Tube

Last issue we ran some photos of P-39Qs from the 82nd TRS and commented that we couldn't quite make out the nose art on one of them. Several of our readers responded with the name we couldn't figure out, which we're going to share with you today.

Here's the picture that started it all. 42-19883 obviously has something written on the nose, but we weren't ready to guess what it was. Some of our readers were a whole lot more astute than we were, which resulted in the following comments. As before, the photo is from Bobby Rocker's collection.

First, from long-time friend Jean Barbaud:  The name of the P-39Q 42-19883 picture seems to be : "Julia 2nd".

Then, just a few short days later we received not only confirmation of the name but a shot of the right side of the aircraft from Johnny Watson:

Hello Phillip. I was excited to see your fourth 82nd TRS photo of P-39 42-19883 in the latest post of your excellent blog on which you were unable to read the nose art. I have a photo of the starboard side of the nose of that P-39 which shows the nose art to read "Julia 2nd", along with what appears to be a pin-up girl on the door. My photo was taken by an unknown member of the 27th Air Depot, New Guinea, probably late 1943. I have attached my photo to the email. It is from my personal collection, and you may post it should it be of interest. Looking forward to your next post!

Jonathan Watson

And finally, from Alan Alexander: 

I hope this note finds you in good health and getting settled in from your recent change in residence. I'm sure that, by now, you've already been contacted several times about the name on 82nd TRS P-39Q 42-19883; but just in case you haven't, a peek over the top of my glasses seems to indicate that the name on her nose is "Julia 2nd." While I've got you on the line, thank-you for the great blog and to you and the others whose photographs have been posted on Replica in Scale, for sharing your treasures with the rest of us. I'm glad to see that RIS carries on the print tradition of crediting photo sources, which seems increasingly to be getting lost on the internet. Keep up the good work!

Sincerely,
Alan Alexander
Thanks to all of you for the identification of "Julia 2nd", and for your kind comments!

We ran some photos of a few pranged aircraft a while back, leading Gerald Asher to provide this identification to one of them:

Phil - I may be relieving myself into the proverbial headwind, but after looking at Bob Rocker's Aleutian Lightning remnants, I went into "junkyard dog" research mode on www.aviationarchaeology.com. I think a safe bet for an ID on the bird in question may be P-38G serial 42-13400 of the 54th FS, making a crash-belly landing near Temneck Bay on New Year's Day 1945. I don't know if the driver actually "walked" away, but it appears Robert L. Nesmith survived the adventure.  Gerald  Rocker Collection

One of the neat things about this site, as we're certain you've already noticed, are the people we get to meet. Geoffrey Hays had recently published a history on the B-50 and came across our modest effort in that direction a few issues back, where we'd bemoaned the fact that there was an airplane there, hiding in the background of a photo, that featured nose art we just couldn't read. We asked for help and Geoff came to the rescue for us:

In your RB-50 piece, you asked about Wilson's Follies, the RB-50F aircraft in the background of the image of Mac's Effort. You were hoping for a close-up of the nose art. Here 'tis. (George Horn Collection, NMUSAF)  Cheers, geoff

Many thanks for your help with that one, Geoff!

Finally, here's a comment on a comment, as it were. A long, long time ago (a year or two, anyway) we ran a color shot of a Supermarine Seafire from Bobby Rocker's collection with an annotation that it was a Seafire Mk XV. While such an aircraft did exist, it's highly doubtful/pretty danged impossible that the type ever landed in the Philippines during the course of the Second World War; we messed up the caption! A couple of weeks ago one of the guys over at Hyperscale ran the photo (with provenance, for which many thanks for doing the Right Thing!), unfortunately citing our misidentification of the type and calling the airplane a Mk XV. He immediately received several responses to his post properly identifying the bird in question as a Seafire Mk III. We very much appreciate the mention in that particular publication as well as the proper identification of the airplane in that photo, and would like to encourage folks with corrections or comments to get in touch with us directly when they discover those inevitable errors; we pride ourselves on fixing such things but have a tough time doing that when we aren't aware of the mistake!

We've got another couple of corrections we could run today but we're saving them for next time. Until then, be good to your neighbor. We'll meet again real soon.
phil