Plastic Model Mojo #28

The title of the episode was my suggestion during an email exhange with Dave and Mike. I think I'll sue to get my well deserved royalities for being their creative director. ('Cause all modeling podcasters are filthy rich, right?)

Plastic Model Mojo Episode 28

Talk to me, Goose (about some History)

My cousin Emily Lindahl recently joined the Royal Canadian Air Force Public Affairs team and got the opportunity to do an article article on Captain Chris ‘LIME’ Swartz. LIME recently graduated from the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School better known as Top Gun. I'm not sure if he just the most recent Canadian grad or the first RCAF graduate, but Capt. Swartz went through the program flying the F/A-18E Super Hornet.  One of the photos used to illustrate the article is reproduced below (Photo courtesy the RCAF):

This photo is captioned as LIME flying off the USS Abraham Lincoln. It appears he got to fly the CO of VFA-143's aircraft. The first thing I noted was the refueling store under the fuselage, but really what drew my attention was the name "Barbara III" on the nose. I've not seen much nose art on USN aircraft so I was surprised how the CO got authority to put it on the plane.

Then the other shoe dropped...oh wow, isn't their a famous US Navy aircraft with that name? How could I miss that the nose art is a tribute to an Avenger flown by a rather famous USN pilot during the Second World War? Of course Barbara III was a Grumman TBF Avenger of VT-61 flown by then Lt. (JG) George H. W. Bush; later the 41st President of the U.S. It made me smile to see the USN remembering some of their history. (Photo courtesy of the US National Archives.)

I've got a Revell 1/48 Top Gun Super Hornet in stock, but maybe I need to get my hands on the Academy 1/72 Super to build this airplane both as a tribute to LIME and Bush's Avenger.

EP23 of AScaleCanadianTV

AScaleCanadian Joint. Spooky, spooky, the Drawer of Doom!!! #modellerbroadcastingnetwork #getbroadcasting #modeltalk #aviationisolation

Plastic Model Mojo Episode 27

Great, my name is used in vain by the Bourbon swilling podcasters... 

Plastic Model Mojo Episode 27

Tamiya 1/72 Mustang Mk. IVa 442 Squadron RCAF

Tamiya P-51D with a QuickBoost Aeroproducts propeller and Xtradecals decals to build the CO of 442 Squadron's personal aircraft on their last op of the war. 442 Squadron was tasked to cover the invasion of the Channel Islands on May 9, 1945. No action was encountered and the Islands were retaken peacefully. The model was built for a display at the Museum of Flight and I ran out time to paint the yellow prop tips and replacement cowl panel. I'll do that when its time in the display is over and it returns to my hands. I know it is nice kit, but I struggled with it. Still not really sure why. Having build the Airfix, Tamiya, and Hasegawa P-51Ds, I'd say that they each have positives and negatives and their is no clear winner. That being said, I'd choose the Airfix for my next P-51D. (Thanks to John Miller of Model Paint Solutions for taking the photos.)

Last Dance with the Boeing Silver Stars

About a week ago, I got a chance to see the last official flight of the Boeing Canadair Silver Stars. For more, including the history of each aircraft, see my article on Warbird News.

EP22 of AScaleCanadianTV

AScaleCanadian Joint. Bigger than Nightshift. Not much modeling, some reading, and the Zvezda Here #modellerbroadcastingnetwork #getbroadcasting #modeltalk #aviationisolation