Fred Horky

Welcome to IPMS/USA! You mentioned having been a mech on USMC H-34's in the early 1960's. Did that perhaps include the USMC H-34 squadron TDY at Danang in 1963? Our C-123 squadron was there on the other side of the runway, on a temporary duty six month "Joint Training Exercise" from Pope AFB NC. At the time we joked that our "joint training" was mainly providing live targets for VC practice AAA ....and at low altitude and about the world's slowest airplane to shoot at, they still had trouble hitting anything. But as we all know they got better, so the "joint training" must have been effective.

I agree with Dave ....those saying "...why can't we have the same location every year, like England does?" likely have never been to Europe, most especially England. In this country many members travel farther to their "next-door neighbor chapter" event, than ANYONE in England travels to get to theirs.

Gil, you mentioned the type's being best known as a trainer in the U.S.; and you're probably right that Kittyhawk is going for an international market. Among the little wars *, the USAF flew it (and took losses) combat in Korea as a FAC, as did by the French in Algeria as a COIN aircraft. I have personally come across former Belgian T-6's in the Congo, and other places. Also note that Kittyhawk evidently chose to do the POSTWAR canopies, with the frameless side glass. That didn't appear until wartime AT-6's and SNJ's were remanufactured after WWII to the standard USA and USN standard PRIMARY trainer. BTW, in 1955 I missed flying the "six" at Bainbridge (GA) by one class, flying brand new T-34's and then the T-28A instead; but my upperclassmen were still flying the T-6G. * My favorite expression: "There is no such thing as a "little war", if it is YOUR butt that is getting shot at!"

Lookin' mighty fine, Gil! :Smile_sceptic: Just now I realized that in all these years I've never ever built a model of the Rhino! This, despite having owned most of the kits at one time or another, and either given away (the fate of most of my rather extensive stash on moving to North Carolina) or sold them on E-bay. My only connection with the Rhino in 1:1 scale was not in the Air Force, but before that as a newly-minted engineer in 1954-1955 working in the structures lab (sort of a torture chamber for airplanes) at Mac (McDonnell Aircraft Corp ...this was long before McDonnell-Douglas). I was assigned to testing the wings of the Navy Talos surface-to-air missile, but recall vividly the day when the aircraft test group received a simple sketch of a big new fighter that Mac was proposing to the Navy. The drawing was sent only for the lab to plan test requirements (space, materials, etc) to test the beast, should Mac get to build it. I recall looking over their shoulders at the little drawing, as somebody made the remark that with it's wing tips "bent" up and it's tail slab "bent" down, that it "...looks like somebody slammed the hangar doors on it!"

You want "posts"? I give you stinkin' posts! How about this one: "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday, Dear Gil, Happy Birthday to You! (And many More.......) (All sung with appropriate gusto but off key. You're lucky this is visual only. I'm sending this early because your birthday is Friday because, well, you never know....) There, I've covered "Facebook" AND IPMS/USA Forum notifications, all at once! :Smile-tongue: Personally, I've tried to quit counting birthdays, but they keep coming anyway. I guess it's better than the alternative, but the count will be up to SEVENTY-NINE this August 19th, if I make it tht long. The self-portrait in my picture at left was taken FIFTY-ONE years ago ..as evidenced by the old P-series helmet with the unshielded visor. I took the picture in the front cockpit of a T-bird by the simple expedient of holdling the camera at arm's length, pointed backwards ...look closely to see the reflection of the windshield bow in the helmet visor. This was during the Berlin Wall Crisis, and we were at 35,000' over then-West Germany simulating a Matador missile for ground radar weapons controller training. Ah, those were the days! Getting back to birthdays, ;there never are guarantees, a fact gets ever more painfully obvious as that old bastard with the scythe (Father Time) keeps creeping up..... So, Happy Birthday early, my friend. Oh, almost forgot ....this is a model forum, I'm supposed to mention something about models. Neat looking Rhino, but I'm not a big fan of forced shading on panel lines either. Unless the F-4 in question has been abord a big Navy flat-topped boat for a while, where shading on REAL panel seams would show that the hard working maintenance guys have been busy with spray cans doing corrosion control! But it is a personal preference thing. Ain't it nice that we don't all agree on anything! Reviewing all the above shows that while I don't post very often, they're always verbose!

Garth; Clare: Gee, my input is likely to be so late that nobody will notice, but I had to try. I continue to be amazed at how far outside the modeling mainstream this old (IPMS #6390) codger has become! A web site that gives USAF fonts! What will they think of next? If I had wanted to know how big and what font to use on an F-106 model, my convoluted solution would have been to go to my USAF Tech Order 1-1-4 "Exterior Finishes, Insigina and Markings Applicable to USAF Aircraft" (21 March 1978: old, but it still has all the OLD SEA camo schemes AND the non-tactical schemes!), where on pages B-56 & B-57 I'd find that the "U. S. Air Force" on the fuselage sides of an F-106 is in 21" high letters and the "USAF" on the wings is 30" high letters. NEXT, I'd use the "Form of Letters and Numerals" page (A-8) that shows in a matrix grid how the "single stroke Gothic Vertical Lettering" to lay out the lettering. And then I'd likely do something really stupid like trying to cut stencils and spray paint the markings. Meanwhile, you would have used your PC to print the decals, they'd be applied, the model finished, and a new one started. Am I out of the main stream, or WHAT? :Smile_sceptic: Even the the old "P-4" helmet I'm wearing in my picture (at left) is well over fifty years old ...note that it has no visor cover!

In my earlier post today (above) the "missileer" veterans' website was mentioned. For probably more than you'll EVER want to know about the Mace system and its deployment to Germany (including photos), try these links to articles I provided to that website ....about all of them include pictures. Contact me privately with your email address if you'd like to correspond or have questions about the Mace and its support equipment. http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2012/01/training-daze-at-orlando-afb/ http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2008/02/oh-the-memories/ http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2008/03/single-missile-43-minute-launch/ http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2008/03/single-missile-continued/ http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2008/02/moving-missiles-from-sembach-to-grunstadt/ http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2008/06/mace-switcheroo/ http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2008/04/the-original-c-flight/ http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2008/02/even-more-memories-of-sembachs-tiger-stadium/ http://www.sembachmissileers.org/2008/02/558/ (As an aside, the "Mace Switcheroo" link above concerns various missiles-on-a-pole being replaced by an F-86 as Sembach's "gate guard" after the Mace program ended. Since that piece was written, Sembach has been turned over to the U.S. Army to become "Sembach Kaserne" (barracks). And now that same concrete plinth that started off with a Matador missile a half-century ago and then had a Saberjet, now has an Army tank perched on it. Fame is indeed fleeting!) In regard to mobility, the Mace and its support equipment was similar to the Army's famed M65 280mm "Atomic Cannon", also of 1950's vintage. It was a real behemoth! Renwal also made that big gun into a model kit in the same scale and series, and is now also being re-released by Revell with the original packaging. See http://www.theatomiccannon.com/home and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M65_Atomic_Cannon

Thanks, Jim! Not knowing that old "Q" articles are available shows how far outside the IPMS mainstream I've strayed. In his first post on this thread, Ron Bell noted that .." This scale of this model just calls out for extra details. The prime mover cab is very spacious and has large windows. There's got to be lots of plumbing and cabling that can be added as well. " Actually, having spent several years working with these things, I respectfully disagree. There are a few things that could be added beyond the instrument panel itself, but the MM1 cab was remarkably barren, considering its size. I recall gas and brake pedals (the Allison transmission was an automatic), a fore-and-aft shift lever between the driver's seat and the engine cover, windup cranks on the windows, a couple of "Thou-Shalt-Not" placards, and all four seats having the first seat belts I ever encountered on ANY vehicle, civilian or military ...remember, this was in 1959. And that was about it! BTW, the thing NEEDED seat belts: with no no springs or "shocks" of any kind in the suspension beyond than Gooodyear's big "pillow" tires, if the MM1 was moving at a speed where the natural spring rate of those tires ever matched the harmonic of the road surface it was on, the thing could start (and continue) bouncing like a bucking bronco. My memory from over a half-century ago tells me that caused a 35mph speed limit to be imposed, although it was capable of speeds quite a bit faster. Like most veterans' groups, the wonders of today's internet has allowed we old "Tac Missileers" to share and reminisce about old times, German beer (I never met one I didn't like), and of working hard and playing harder while in the 38th TacMissileWg. If you'd like to get a flavor of what that duty was like, check out our website at http://www.sembachmissileers.org/ . Don't be surprised if you find some of my stories about duty with the Mace! One thing that helped was that while military pay was still remarkably low before the era of the "all-volunteer-force", the dollar was still king. This made the dollar to Deutschmark exchange rate very favorable, and our few bucks could stretch pretty far. One thing seems certain: all the Missileers agree our tours in Germany were among the most pleasant memories of a lifetime!

I'm not even sure if "aircraft" is the right category for this thread, since the model includes military ground equipment but NOT armor, and a missile is sort of an airplane, but.... So here goes.... Over fifty years ago Renwal issued a 1/32nd kit of the TM-76A "Mace" missile. (In the 1962 DOD-wide realignment of designations, it became the MGM-13.) Perhaps more important was the ground support equipment included in the kit, which built the FWD Corp MM1 prime-mover truck, readily identified by its eight huge Goodyear super-wide "Teratires", and a Fruehof-built semi-trailer transporter-launcher which rode on a four wheel bogie with the same tires. From 1958 to 1962 I spent four very intense years with that missile system, including live missile launches in the New Mexico desert at Holloman AFB, and soon thereafter participating in the deployment of the first squadron to Sembach Air Base, Germany. In about 1961 I bought an original-issue of the kit in the Sembach Base Exchange (for less than five bucks) and eventually built it. The model was incorporated into an elaborate display for the "I-Love-Me" wall in my den, which besides the models on a custom plastic shelf, included the framed missile range "flight plot" and the safety/fire arming plug from the first of the missiles I launched at the White Sands Missile Range. It/s been over forty-five years since the model was completed. Unfortuntely along the way since the whole shebang took a Humpty-Dumpty crash from the wall when a person-that-I-live-with-but-who-shall-remain-nameless was "dusting" it. Most damage could be easily repaired: but the bad damage was really bad: the already fragile "walking beams" on the outboard ends of all wheel bogies were shattered. In my ealy exampole, those very delicate (in 1/32nd) parts had been crystlized "cold shots" to begin with. I've never figured a way to repair them adequately. Ever since I've carted all the pieces around in a box. My plea is to any of the many "cottage industry" types out there, especially to those specializing in white metal landing gear struts for large scale airplane models. The bogie walking beams should be an easy part to replicate in metal. Such a part might even be a big seller since Revell is reisssuing the kit again. While I have lots of pictures, I can't include any until I figure out this "URL" business .... If you do white metal or know a cottage industry guy that does, let me know. If not, but you just want to commuicate about a fascinating system from the early days of missiles and which cost me many long hours and took a toll on my hearing, let me know that too. Anybody interested in the old missile and its unique support equipment might try to find find two old IPMS Quarterlys (Vol 21, No 3&4, 1986) which have my extensive, two part article about the Mace and its support equipment. Lots of pictures and drawings. Don't ask IPMS for back issues, there aren't any. From the rosy viewpoint of a half-century plus, the memories are all fond of those days in Germany! Long hours; worked hard, played harder, and had a ball! Didn't sleep much. Ah, bachelor life in Germany fifty years ago....

Gee, Dennis; I'm glad I found your explanation of that "Warn" status! I was fearful that I was on probabation or something! Having had a ten or so years on the e-board including several terms each as Prez and DLC, I was sort of worried that my Elder Statesman status was in jeopardy! As I'm sure you have figured out I'm one of the old-codger-members who post infrequently but when I do, include many words. My membership goes back forty-three years; and if my membership application hadn't been lost the first time ...all I received back from IPMS/USA that time was a cancelled check ...my seniority (I'm #6390) would have been even further back. Today's members have NO idea how much the personal computer has revolutionized this society. (I came in as DLC with NO turnover from my predecessor, and had to create a National Chapter database from scratch using an Apple IIe ...could I tell the stories.... Besides this message I'm typing now, my only other Forum posts in, like, ages; have been earlier this afternoon. The first was adding my confession in the sometimes evidently-controversial Bull Pen forum about the passing of actor Harry Morgan (Col Sherman T Potter of M*A*S*H on Dec 7th. I hadn't known it! Also this PM, I posted a link to the 2012 convention Forum reminding members of the Convention Decal trophy sponsored by we old fart E-board members. Meanwhile, just a glance at my avatar gives away my greybeard status, with the 35,000' self-portrait wearing my antique, mid-1950's USAF helmet... :Smile_sceptic:

Gil ....it's taken a couple of days* to get my input on-line, but I only wanted to say how nice it is to see such a nice job done on a forty year old kit! So many IPMS'ers, while complaining vigorously about the high price of "furriner" plastic, still break the kids' piggy banks to buy it. We're supposed to be MODELERS, not assemblers! Thanks for your outstanding demo of that principle. * Due to a technical problem (insufficient computer expertise) the forum acted like I was some Chinese hacker trying to break open a Wall Street. I couldn't get my account opened; the IPMS website just about flamed my computer by remote control. But Dennis Tennant (moderator) personally set me straight quickly, and I'm back among the world of the semi-literate PC drivers. Keep up the good work.... Fred Horky IPMS# 6390

Welcome back, Mike! I'm sort of just coming back myself, having just "downsized" from Georgia to North Carolina after thirty-four years. It wasn't my idea, but the kids and grandkids are all in North Carolina, and I've discovered that the strongest force in the world is the pull between grandma and grandkids. Did you get to Arizona in time for the recent IPMS/USA National Convention there? Fred Horky IPMS# 6390

Troy .... I have a copy of USAF T.O. 1-1-4 from about 1980. It is the source document for all USAF camo patterns of the era, plus a wealth of other material concerning paint and marking USAF aircraft. If you give me an e-address, I can scan the relevant OV-10 page and email it to you. Fred Horky IPMS #6390 P.S. I'm retired AF as well, although from a different era ...I've been retired for almost 34 years! What was your career field?

This has indeed been a wonderful thread. So often memorabilia like these photos just get thrown out by non-enthusiast heirs. I would have loved to have my father-in-laws personal files (military orders, "Form 5" flight records, and the like) since his career had started in 1923. That was in the Army Air Service as an Aviation Cadet in "Lighter Than Air" ...flying the same type captive balloons with a wicker basket as used in World War ONE! That was obviously about as good a military career as being a saddle-maker, so he soon became an "airplane observer" in WWI left-over DH-4's at posts including Crissy Field on the shores of San Francisco Bay at the Presidio. He then went to "heavier than air" pilot training, which was in equally vintage WWI JN-4 "Jennies" at Brooks Field, San Antonio. But virtually none of his records, pictures, and "things" survive, so all I have is memories of his telling me some really great stories. He retired in 1954 and lived until 1993, so there were many, MANY great stories, but almost no artifacts. I do have his 1938 I.D. card issued by the Army Air Corps Adjutant General which lists his aeronautical ratings as "balloon pilot", "airship (blimp/dirigible) pilot", "airplane observer" (equivalent to today's navigator), and "airplane pilot". Now I have to contemplate what happens to my own "stuff" from an Air Force pilot career, which began in 1955. Right not we're in the "downsize-move nearer to the kids" phase of life, so there is heavy pressure to get rid of "all the old junk". At least, I have thousands of my pictures and slides digitized ..I'll have to hope that when I'm gone they don't all get erased at a flick of the switch..... Fred Horky IPMS/USA #6390