March Madness

AKA...Things that Made Me Mad in March

Ever built a model so bad it killed your compressor? Yep, the 1/144 Minicraft 707 is that bad.

I bought the Minicraft 707 many years ago as I wanted a CC-137 in my collection and there is no way in hell I'd ever finish the Heller 1/72 707.  I lusted after it for many years, but after buying it mostly used it as a dog gate; the box is that big.

Anyway, with the Minicraft version and J-Bot decals in hand, I was eager to dig in after I was asked to build it for the Northwest Scale Modelers display case.

The Minicraft 707 is well known for having shape issues with the nose. Out of the box it really doesn't look right, so I ordered a Contrail replacement nose piece off eBay. I admit I tried to be ok with the kit nose, but it just looked off. At this point in the project, I still thought it had promise.  I attempted to modify the kit nose, but in the end I just tore it out and used the resin nose.  The Contrail part has a much better shape, but it doesn't really fit.  That's what filler is for, right?  So I filled, sanded, and primed.  There were flaws.  I filled, sanded, and primed again.  *&%#!, more flaws.  Again and again I repeated this cycle, as any remaining excitement ebbed away.  This was slowly becoming a masochistic experience, without any of the supposed pleasure.  I wanted this damn thing off my bench.

Of course, a deadline loomed large on the horizon.  If this hadn't been for a display, it would have taken a nosedive out of my highrise's window and died a pitiful death.  It would have been a justifiable homicide, too. But I persevered. At this point most of the panel lines were gone, not that they were much of a loss. The panel lines aren't to scale and like the rest of the kit, pretty crude. The wing and horizontal stabilizer fit was...meh. But I had a model that looked pretty smooth, so I primed it again. Mr. Surfacer 1200...you are not my friend. More flaws. F' you Minicraft! With only days to go, I pressed on. I did the best I could and was about to add the first coat of white when my compressor just stopped.  At first I thought it was a fuse. Nope. Maybe it just needed a nap. Nope. Turns out the 707 is so bad, it sapped my compressor's will to live.

I had no choice but to use spray cans. The closest hobby shop didn't have any Tamiya white primer, so I had to settle for Humbrol Gloss White. The first coat when down nice and glossy, but I missed a few areas on the bottom. So a few hours later I added a second coat and...disaster. The 707's surface now resembled the moon. F' you spray can! I was able to Micromesh the surface and make it less moonlike, but my fate was sealed: I was going to finish this thing, but it was going to suck.

I assembled the engines and was glad that I no longer cared how anything looked. Good thing, as the engines are horrible - they have flat intakes!  I started to apply the J-Bot decals and they were transparent.  %$#*.  "What can I do to get this thing in the case?!" No way was I going to attempt the cheat line.  I dug out some Leading Edge roundels and applied them. Of course, because this model was cursed, the fuselage roundels wrinkled up and never flattened out. I was done.

So there ends the tale of the worst model I've finished since I was ten years old. But it ended up in the Boeing Centennial display.  Maybe a few MoF visitors will look at it.   I just hope they don't look too closely!

424 Squadron Mustang in 1/72

I've only wanted to build an RCAF 424 Squadron Mustang 4 with the tiger badge since about 1982. In 2016, I finally made it happen. This is the Airfix kit mostly out of the box with Leading Edge decals.

424 Squadron was an Auxiliary Fighter Squadron that flew from Hamilton, Ontario, post World War Two. The tiger badge on the side was adapted from the CFL Hamilton Tigercats logo. Gunze Mr. Colour H8 Silver for the natural metal and Tamiya Flat Aluminum for the rudder. The spinner is Gunze Chrome. This is my least favorite of the new tool Airfix kits that I've built, but it's still pretty nice and a great value. (The black and white photo is courtesy of the Canada. Dept. of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada.)

Prototype 727 at the MoF

I missed the last flight of the first 727 (N7001U) last Wednesday, but I did get a chance to take a photo of it at the Museum the next evening. It is interesting how much attention this project generated.  As a kid, very few airplanes were more boring than 727s, but in 2016 I was disappointed I couldn't see one fly.  The old jetliners have disappeared quickly and become much beloved.

Modeler's Note: Many years ago Kendall Model Company issued a Boeing 727-200.  My understanding is that the less said about it the better.

2015 in Plastic

I had hoped for six, but after a few years of zero, three is nice.

1.  The Blitzed Airfix Spitfire IX. An easy build, but detail is really lacking. Markings are "approximate."

2.  I enjoyed the Airfix P-40. Sure the landing gear is too stalky and the canopy is too tall, but overall it was a fun build. My RCAF one will have all the corrections.

3.  Platz X-47B. Really nice kit with no vices and most importantly no canopy masking!

After a few years of zero output, I managed three complete kits in 2015. (Sadly, not a single one was a Zero.) It has been nice to rediscover the joy of the hobby and actually finish things. I finally came to the conclusion that I'll never be a great modeler and decided to just build a kit. That Blitz Spitfire was pretty low on the quality scale, but the Tomahawk was better, and the X-47B even better. It appears that by giving up chasing the dragon of perfection, I end up finishing things I am happy with. (And I'm sure the deadline of having the model done for display case installations didn't hurt either.) Sadly, not a single finished model fit my RCAF theme. I'll have to focus on that in 2016!

X-47B on Internet Modeler

My Platz X-47B model has been published on Internet Modeler.  Click here to read the article.

Fleet Air Arm Pilots in the Battle of Britain

Seventy-five years after the Battle of Britain, a small subset of pilots who fought in the crowded skies above England have almost been forgotten.  They are the Fleet Air Arm pilots, who took to the air, along with their Royal Air Force counterparts, to defend the British Isles.

Some of the Fleet Air Arm pilots while training with 7 Operational Training Unit at
RAF Hawarden  in June 1940.  Jimmy Gardner, Admiral Blake, Dickie Cork,
and Francis Dawson-Paul can be seen in this photo.  

During the Battle, the Fleet Air Arm had one resource that the RAF desperately needed:  pilots.  While aircraft could be built rather quickly in factories, it took time to train men. In the dark days of 1940, the FAA loaned a small group of pilots to the RAF for attachment to their expanding complement of fighter squadrons.  Two of these pilots, Sub Lieutenant Francis Dawson-Paul, who flew Spitfires with 64 Squadron, and Sub Lieutenant Arthur “Admiral” Blake, who flew Spitfires with 19 Squadron, quickly became aces.

As always, Canadian-born pilots were included in the mix.  Two Canadian Fleet Air Arm pilots were to earn their Battle of Britain clasp with Fighter Command.

Jack Conway Carpenter was born in Toronto, but as a young boy returned to his ancestral Wales.  He joined the Fleet Air Arm in 1939, but was attached to the RAF in June 1940.  He joined 229 Squadron flying Hurricanes, but was quickly transferred to 46 Squadron, which also flew Hurricanes.  While flying with 46 Squadron, he downed a Bf-110 on September 3, 1940, then shot down a Bf-109 on September 5, 1940.  Sadly, his short life ended just a few days later when he was shot down while flying Hurricane P3201.  He attempted to bail out of his stricken aircraft, but his parachute failed to open.

Roy Baker-Falkner, was born in England, but grew up in British Columbia.  He is better known for leading attacks against the Tirpitz during Operation Tungsten in 1944, but  was also involved in the Battle of Britain.  Sadly, his contribution to the Battle with Fighter Command is unknown, but he was awarded the Battle of Britain clasp for having flown at least one operational sortie with RAF Fighter Command during the period of July 10, 1940 to October 31, 1940.  (There is no question that Baker-Falkner was flying operations with 812 Squadron during the Battle of Britain.  This Fleet Air Arm unit, flying Fairey Swordfish, was attached to RAF Coastal Command for laying mines in German-held harbors as well as bombing sorties against German invasion barges.  However, only pilots attached to Fighter Command during the Battle are eligible for the Battle of Britain clasp.  While one can debate the merit of the decision to leave out bomber and Coast Command aircrew who served during the Battle, it appears possible that Baker-Falkner was not actually eligible to receive the clasp.)

Dickie Cork of 242 Squadron and Admiral Blake during the Battle of
Britain.

A further Canadian connection to the Battle are the three Fleet Air Arm pilots attached to 242 (Canadian) Squadron.  Ostensibly, a Canadian squadron, 242 Squadron always had a complement of non-Canadian pilots attached to the unit.  After suffering heavy losses in France, Midshipman Peter Patterson, Sub Lieutenant Richard “Dickie” Cork, and Sub/Lt. Jimmy Gardner joined the Squadron in the summer of 1940.  While Patterson was killed in September 1940, both Dickie Cork and Jimmy Gardner made ace while flying with the Canadians of 242 Squadron.  Dickie Cork flew as the wingman for 242 Squadron’s famous CO Douglas Bader, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his “exemplary courage and coolness in successful action against enemy bombers.”  He later commanded 880 Squadron flying Sea Hurricanes, but was killed in a Corsair crash in 1944.  Jimmy Gardner survived the Battle and returned to fly with the Fleet Air Arm for the rest of the war.  To retain their nautical flavor during their time with the RAF, Cork and Garner wore naval uniforms and Gardner painted Nelson’s Trafalgar "England Expects" signal on the side of his Hurricane.  (Photos courtesy of the Fleet Air Arm Museum.)

The left side of Jimmy Gardner’s 242 Squadron Hurricane was painted
with Nelson’s "England Expects" signal from the Battle of Trafalger.
It is believed that the Hurricane which carried this art was P2884 LE-V.  Gardner
flew LE-V most often with 242 Squadron.

Modeler's Note:  Xtradecal has recently issued a decal sheet in both 1/72 and 1/48 scale which includes aircraft flown by Gardner and Cork.  Sadly, there are some issues with the depiction of Gardner’s aircraft as they have included no serial number, the aircraft is incorrectly marked as LE-T, and they’ve included a spurious flag signal for the right side of the Hurricane.  (LE-T was Hurricane V7203 in which Canadian Pilot Office Joseph Latta went missing on January 1941.)  Dickie Cork’s P2831 LE-K is much more accurate and carries a RN style crown painted under the cockpit.

Aircraft Modelling

Title: Airframe Workbench Guide - Aircraft Modelling
Author: Libor Jekl
Publisher: Valiant Wings Publishing

There are a few modelers out there on the internet whose work always catches my attention...Paul Boyer, Mike Grant, Tony O'Toole, Joe Youngerman and the author of this new book, Libor Jekl.  If the work weren't enough, the book is one of the few modeling manuals that is dedicated to 1/72 scale modeling. (The only other one that comes to mind is the previously mentioned Mr. Boyer's "Building and Displaying Scale Model Aircraft.") It appears to me that many how-to books often avoid 1/72 subjects in favor of focusing on larger 1/32 and 1/48 models. Maybe it is easier to illustrate the author's techniques?

The other unique thing about this small ring-bound book is that it is not an introduction to modeling or even a complete modeling manual. Jekl focused on more advanced skills, often related to finishing, and skipped all the basics. For example, the first chapter (on rigging) opens with the Gloster Gladiator in primer. Besides rigging, the book includes chapters on scribing, rivets, weathering, natural metal, and resin kits. The final chapter is interesting in that it gives the author's tips on how to finish models quickly...oddly named Kwik-building. All are worth considering, but the last one is possibly the most unique suggestion I've ever seen in a modeling book...to go out, take a walk, and get some exercise!

Each chapter is profusely illustrated with in-progress photos and each chapter has a gallery of the finished project. I do wish more words were included to guide the modeler in each step; the book looks like a gallery of Libor's work. (Which isn't a bad thing.  Looking at his models is fun.) The only real complaint with the book is that there is no consistent layout. Sometimes a set of steps are numbered 1-2-3, sometimes it is A-B-C, and sometimes there are no labels for the steps at all.

I enjoyed the book and it is a quick and easy read. I picked up a few tips I want to try out; especially the decal-like rivets that were used on the Hellcat. (Obviously, I spent too much of my youth building old Airfix kits, since I am excited to try to add raised rivets to a model!)

D-Day to VE Day

Title: D-Day to VE Day
Publisher: Valiant Wings Publishing

This magazine is the first in a new series from Valiant Wings Publishing entitled, Airframe Extra. The concept is to combine history, modeling, and profiles into a periodical that will cover a conflict or a campaign.

As can be expected from the title, Airframe Extra #1 covers D-Day to VE Day. It starts off with a listing of important events from June 1, 1944 to May 8, 1945. This section is illustrated with photos of everything from Dakotas, to a crashed Typhoon, to an aerial view of Mulberry harbor. (While it is an aviation publication, I do think it odd that, given the topic, a photo of a Higgins boat wasn't included.)

Next up are six pages of side views of RAF types by Richard Caruana. The modeling content starts with a step by step build of Airfix's new C-47 by Libor Jekl. This and the following article on the Airfix 1/72 Spitfire XIX with aftermarket added are excellent and well worth the cost of the publication. Five pages of USAAF profiles follow, then a Colour Reference chart is included. This strikes me as an odd way to waste a page, but might be useful for modelers who don't have access to the internet?

A Bf-109G, a photo reconnaissance P-38, and a two seat ME 262 are the 1/48 modeling content. Again, all the models are well done and step by step coverage is included.  The Luftwaffe profiles are next and then the 1/32 scale coverage begins. First up is an excellent P-47D done by Daniel Zamarbide and then a short Spitfire XIX conversion. The Spitfire conversion is my only real complaint with this publication, as no step by step coverage is provided, which is even more glaring after Mr. Zamarbide's excellent article on his Thunderbolt. The book ends with a page of side views of Russian types.

This is a really neat idea for a series of publications and I look forward to future issues that will cover the Korean War and the Battle of Britain.

1 (F) Squadron RCAF In Action

A nice little video of 1 (F) Squadron RCAF in action in order to celebrate Canada's Battle of Britain Day.

Note:  Hurricane YO-G is an example of a rare re-winged Hurricane. L1973 was built with a fabric wing, but it is clear by the time of this video that it had been refitted with a metal wing.

Modeler's Note: While we have an excellent fabric wing Hurricane Mk. I by Airfix, the two best options for a metal wing Hurricane Mk. I are either the old 70s Airfix kit or the newer and much more expensive Hasegawa kit. Sadly, the latter's quality does not live up to its high price tag. Come on, Airfix... issue a new tooled metal wing Hurri in 1/72!

Battle of Britain Remembered

Seventy-five years ago this summer, Canadian pilots, along with their Commonwealth brethren, were valiantly defending England from Luftwaffe attacks during the Battle of Britain. September 15 has since been labeled Battle of Britain Day in the UK to commemorate the two large attacks against London and a few smaller attacks against other English cities.

To commemorate those brave Canadian pilots, and especially those of 1 (F) Squadron RCAF, the RCAF painted up their 2015 demo Hornet in this attractive scheme. Coded YO-H, it has been painted up to memoralize Hurricane P3873 in which F/L Gordon D. McGregor was credited with the Squadron's first victory on August 26, 1940, when he shot down a Dornier Do.17 bomber. (Oddly,  there are many references to the aircraft being P3863, which is a typo first introduced in Kostenuk and Griffin's RCAF Squadrons and Aircraft. Hurricane P3868 was on strength with 73 Squadron during the Battle until it was severely damaged on September 7, 1940.) YO-H was operated by 1 Squadron until it was shot down on October 5, 1940, with Senator Hartland Molson bailing out of the aircraft.

Featured on the right tail of 188761 is F/L Gordon D. McGregor. McGregor made ace during the Battle of Britain and was awarded the DFC on October 25, 1940. Later rising to the rank of Group Commander, McGregor commanded X Wing in Alaska, was base commander at Patricia Bay in B.C., and finally, lead 126 (RCAF) Wing in Europe. It has been stated that he was even flying sorties with 126 Wing as late as 1945 when he was 44 years old. After the war, McGregor was president of Trans-Canada Airlines, aka Air Canada.

The right tail of the Hornet features British Primer Minister Winston Churchill.

CF-188 Hornet 188761 was again chosen to the "colour bird" for the 2015 display season. It had previously served as the demo bird in 2014 when it carried the "True North Strong and Free" scheme and for a while carried a 409 Squadron "Nightmare 01" scheme with tails painted up with the Squadron mascot. Hornet 188761 also has the odd distinction of having two different pilots ejecting from the aircraft, once on October 20, 1987, at RAF Alconbury and then again on June 19, 2004, at Yellowknife Airport. After both incidents, the aircraft was repaired and returned to service.

The Hornet prepares for its first Twilight airshow of 2015.

While I have not been a fan of the last few (dozen) CF-18 special schemes, I especially like this one. (I'm sure its historical connection and Hurricane content has something to do with it!) I wish the Squadron could have painted the whole jet in the Temperate Land Scheme, but there is some nice attention to detail included...especially the Hurricane wing gun patches that are painted on the leading edge slats.

All of the Hornet photos in this post were taken at the Chino Airshow in
May 2015.

Modeler's Note: Really the only CF-18 to consider in 1/72 is the Academy kit.  Canuck Models has recently reissued the kit with markings for YO-H. It appears that Hasegawa is going to be reissuing their old kit with YO-H markings in the near future, but I'd trust Canuck's research and decal art over that of Hasegawa anytime. Not to mention, the Hasegawa kit is a tough build and lacks detail.

Maroon 18 and the USAAC and USAAF

Some have asked why I included Maroon on the propeller blade of my recent P-40 (see previous two posts).

Well, a U.S. Army Air Corps paint specification issued in May 1934 called for "propeller blade - flat surface when required" to be painted Maroon 18. For most of the 30s, glare from the propeller blades in flight was not much of an issue, as the blades were unpainted wood with a small metal fitting on the leading edge to prevent damage to the blade. However, with the introduction of metal blades, glare off the blades became a concern for the pilot. It is unknown why the USAAC chose Maroon as the colour, but specs stated as follows:

To prevent glare, the face side of the propeller blades may be coated with antiglare. This coating extends from the 18-inch, or 24-inch station, as necessary, to the tip. Maroon lacquer is preferred, but if not available, maroon enamel is used. (Technical Manual - Aircraft Propellers dated January 5, 1941.)

So, for any Army aircraft with a silver blade, the rear would be Maroon 18.  Sometime after December 1941, a directive was issued to paint the whole blade black. Oddly, aviation writer Dana Bell has stated it was done "to camouflage the spinning prop in flight, which is why it covered the entire prop blade." With this new directive, Maroon 18 ceased to exist for use in the U.S. Army Air Force. A colour chip of Maroon 18 can be seen below:

So if your USAAC or USAAF aircraft has a silver blade it should have a Maroon 18 rear face. If your aircraft has a black prop, it is the usual black overall with yellow tips.

For my P-40, I used Vallejo Burnt Cadmium Red 814 as it was the only Maroon I had on hand. It appears to match the chip better than the photos. I made two mistakes on my P-40.  The first is that I extended the Maroon to the hub of the spinner...oops.  It should start from a scale 18 or 24 inches from the hub. Secondly, I did not have a chance to flat coat the Maroon before installing it on the kit. I think a nice coat of flat varnish would bring the colour closer to the look you see in the B-18 photos included here.

Life photos are © Time Inc. used for personal non-commercial use only. The photographer was Dmitri Kessel.

Airfix Tomahawk and Gear Legs

As I stated in the P-40 gallery, something didn't look right to me when I compared the photos of my model with the photos of the subject. There was too much space between the wheel and the landing gear door. I never actually noticed this on the model, but it jumped out to me in the photos. Fellow modeler Scott Hemsley and I discussed the issue and Scott pointed out the problem. It appears that Airfix got the gear legs a little long. Notice the collar in the red circle on my model?

Notice its location on the real thing...in line with the bottom of the gear doors.

 (Photo courtesy of the Carl Vincent Collection.)

Of course, my first thought is that I did something wrong, but looking around the web, it seems like this issue is featured on almost every model. So next time I'll shorten the upper part of the leg, confirm that the collar is in the right location, and see if it solves the problem.

Icelandic P-40C in 1/72

I started the Airfix 1/72 Hawk 81A-2 about the time it hit the U.S. shores (December 2012!!), planning to build an RCAF Tomahawk. I had it all together by mid-month... and then it sat... and sat. AMS got the better of me and I couldn't decide which RCAF Tomahawk to build. (Or so I deluded myself into thinking...)

This last May, my local model club started looking for models to put in a "Battle of the Atlantic" display at the Museum of Flight. Remembering the mostly built but unpainted Tomahawk, I volunteered to build a USAAF P-40C. Why a USAAF P-40 in the Battle of the Atlantic?

In July 1941, the 33 Pursit Squadron loaded its P-40Cs on the USS Wasp (CV-7) for delivery to Iceland. Even though the U.S. had yet to enter the war, they had agreed to provide fighter cover for Iceland to allow the RAF fighter squadron on duty to return to England. The U.S. had important weather stations on the island and were concerned that the country would fall into Nazi hands and be used as a stepping stone to invade North America. On August 6, the P-40s were flown off the deck of the Wasp and landed at Kaldadarnes Airfield, near Reykjavík. On the morning of August 14, 1942, a Northrop N-3PB Nomad of No. 330 Squadron (Norwegian) located a German Focke-Wulf Fw-200 Condor maritime patrol bomber which was conducting overflights of Iceland. What happened next is the source of some confusion; either Lieutenant Joseph Shaffer, flying a P-40C, shot down the Condor or shared in the kill with two P-38s of 27th Fighter Squadron. (I'm sure the story depends on which Squadron is asked!)  Oddly, in some accounts, Lt. Shaffer is flying a P-39. (Lt. Shaffer did shoot down a JU-88 while flying a P-39 out of Iceland on October 14, 1942.) Sadly, I could find no record of which P-40C Lt. Schaffer was flying on August 14, 1942, so this P-40C became my subject:

The kit has few vices. Sure, the wing to fuselage joint needed a little filler. Sure, the wing guns are liable to be knocked off. Most of the panel lines are fine for my purposes, but even I have to admit that the lines on the vertical fin are too heavy. Sadly, the canopy is too high, but I didn't replace it this time. (I didn't notice this until I was compiling this post, but it appears Airfix got the landing gear struts too long on the kit. Compare the sit of the prototype with the photos of my model. Looking at other Tomahawk shots, I think the collars that are below the landing gear doors on my model, should end in line with the doors. Next time I build this kit, I'll shorten the struts a little.) Overall, I enjoyed building it and it makes a nice model.

Paint is Tamiya Neutral Grey spray can for the lower surfaces and Mr. Color Olive Drab on top. Notice I even got the Maroon on the back of the prop! Decals are mostly Xtradecal but the 36 on the tail is from TwoBobs and the prop logos came from the kit. The final coat is from a Testors Acryl jar marked flat but it is more of a semi-gloss.

I ran out of time to replace the gun barrels and to weather it, but I'm reasonably happy with the final product. It is certainly an improvement over the Blitz Spitfire. (I do, however, need to read up on model photography.  Sorry the depth of field is lacking.) Even a dyed -n-the-wool RCAF fan has to admit this is a really attractive scheme and it suits the Tomahawk!

On Thursday night, the model was ensconced in the Northwest Scale Modelers's display case at the Museum of Flight for the "Battle of the Atlantic" display. Thanks to the display producers for allowing me to include my model and thanks to club member Don Conrad for the photos of the display.