Plastic Model Mojo # 32

Those guys are PMM must have been hard up again.  I guest and talk about squirrels.

Plastic Model Mojo Episode 32

Plastic Model Mojo #31 - Red Thread

On the latest Plastic Model Mojo Mike talks about the colours of Russian Uniforms. I'm confused, weren't they all just Vallejo Russian Uniform? Seems pretty simple to me.

Plastic Model Mojo Episode 31

P.S.:  Sorry Mike, I couldn't resist!

Airfix 1/72 Spitfire Vc

The new Airfix 1/72 Spitfire Vc arrived a few weeks ago from the UK and I started it right away. Really enjoying it. But all that cockpit detail gone... Still unsure if it will end up as a USS Wasp Malta delivery or a 417 Squadron RCAF desert bird.

Plastic Model Mojo #30 - Dr. StrangeBrush

Dr. StrangeBrush? Yep, I like that! The latest Plastic Model Mojo with special guest Dr. John Miller of Model Paint Solutions talking about airbrushing. 

Plastic Model Mojo Episode 30

British Columbia Sub Service?

It appears that Das Werk has a hit on their hands with their soon to be released 1/72 U-9 U-Boat kit. If they are looking for ideas on a follow up, how about the HMCS CC-1 and CC-2, Canada's first two submarines? 

The two Davids (DatGuy and Knights) are big fans of the Drachinifel YouTube channel. Yesterday, Mr. Knights suggested I check out their latest video on the Royal Canadian Navy which is humorusly subtitled "Sinking you, but politely." I enjoyed the video. While I was aware of the the RCN's Corvette story thanks to the 1/72 Matchbox kit (A kit I lusted after in my youth, but never got a chance to build); I was surprised by the story of Canada's first two submarines. Wow, how have I never heard this story before? 

Ok, I take that back, they weren't bought by Canada, but the province of British Columbia. While the thought of a province with its own military service seems rather shocking, it does make some sense that the province, so remote from the Atlantic Ocean and Canada's capital in Ottawa, would want to defend its shores. The CC-1 and CC-2 submarines were not identical, but similar versions designed by the Electric Boat Company. The Electric Boat Company contracted with the government of Chile to build the two boats, but, after completion, the deal fell through. Subcontractor Seattle Construction and Drydock Company looked to offload the boats and the Premier of British Columbia stepped in to purchase the subs. The two subs left Seattle without permission on August 3, 1914 and made their way to British Columbia, with the USN in chase. Within days, the submarines were transferred to the Canadian government and joined the RCN, being renamed HMCS CC-1 and HMCS CC-2 on October 1914. 

However, the RCN had a problem. World War One had broken out in Europe, and the subs were based Esquimalt, B.C., in the Pacific. After their refits in 1914, the two subs undertook patrols and training in the Pacific, but a decisions was made in 1917 to send the boats to the Atlantic. Leaving B.C. on July 21, 1917, the two subs had - in the best tradition of RCN second-hand submarines - multiple maintenance issues, failures, and problems, but the crews persevered and they were the first RCN warships to pass through the Panama Canal. Finally arriving in Halifax during October 1917, after many stops for repairs, the two subs were found to be in need of an overhaul. During their time in drydock, the subs survived the Halifax Explosion. But after all this work, expense, and time, the boats were used as training craft and never went on patrol in the Atlantic.

So yea, these things didn't do much to help the war effort, but hey, I'd buy one copy of a 1/72 CC-1 or CC-2. See Das Werk, a guaranteed seller!  

(Photos are courtesy of the Department of National Defence/Library Archives Canada. I'm unclear if the photos were taken in Seattle or Halifax, or even one of each.)

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.

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.

The Granger Taylor "Kittyhawk"

A neat news story about the Granger Taylor's "Kittyhawk." I use Kittyhawk in quotes as this was a kit bash of some P-40 parts, a Bolingbroke rear fuselage sections, a Harvard fan and rudder, and lots of scratch built items out of random metal. Granger rebuilt his P-40 and had it on display for a few years in Duncan, B.C. After Granger went off to space, it was sold to Bob Diemert of Carmen, Manitoba, and "restored" to flying condition with a Merlin engine in the markings of "Old Exterminator." It was registered in the US as N7205A and adopted the ID of RAF AK823/RCAF 1036. On the ferry flight to a new owner North Dakota on March 25, 1997, a landing gear leg collapsed and the aircraft was damaged. It is unclear what happened to the wings (I don't really believe the stories that any major parts from this Kittyhawk were used in the restoration of N4420K.), but the fuselage is now on display at the Dakota Territory Air Museum in Minot, North Dakota.

I'm not sure anyone knows for the sure which cockpit section Granger started with. (I understand that Mr. Taylor never tried to apply an ID to his project.) The adopted ID is suspect, because RCAF 1036 was ex-RAF AK815 and the RCAF never operated AK823. Some sources say the aircraft has some parts from RCAF 1044 which is also possible. The outer wings were from Kittyhawk AK803/RCAF 1034 now on display, and for sale, in Oregon.  (This aircraft had its wings hacked off and replaced with a set from another aircraft.)

Granger and Diemert are great characters and well worth reading about. (Heck, if their stories were in a movie I'm not sure you would believe them.) The CBC did a documentary on Granger called "Spaceman" and the National Film Board did a great documentary on Diemert called "The Defender." Both are on youtube and worth a watch.  Who says Canadians aren't unusual, eh?

Just in Time!

I've been pretty quiet the last few weeks, but, unusually, model progress was happening. These two had to be at the Museum of Flight for our 1945-47 display by 5pm. They were both finished about 4pm!

The Tamiya 1/72 P-51D Mustang done as the CO's aircraft from 442 Squadron RCAF using Xtradecals.

The Airfix 1/72 A6M2 done as a Zero captured and evaluated by the RAF using Max Decals. Unfortunately I didn't have time to add the chipping. I'll do that in a few months when it returns from the Museum.

Plastic Model Mojo #24

Apparently my friends at the Plastic Model Mojo podcast were hard up for a guest and asked me to join the show to talk about Fear and (self) Loathing in Scale Modeling.  As your attorney I advise you listen.  #scalemodelingpodcasts #aviationisolation #plasticmodelmojo

Plastic Model Mojo Episode 24