Nick Filippone

Dave, Thanks for the reply. I am not bright enough to figure how to post the e-mail I received from my friend. I will forward the e-mail to you if you PM me with your e-mail address. It is not actually a photo. It is a letterhead with what I think is a colour drawing of the aircraft. Regards, Nick

A friend of mine contacted me with some family history. His grandfather was part owner of a small airline in Niagara Falls, New York in the 20's. It was called Frontier Airways, Inc.- not to be confused with the Frontier Airlines of the 50's and later. The letterhead he found advertised sight-seeing, flying lessons and photography. They may have had three aircraft, possibly including a Travel Air 2000 - NC-6087. Do any of you airliner and civil enthusiasts have any info on this company? Thanks. Nick Filippone

Could this be some unofficial "ad hoc" patch not recognized by the Air Corps/ Air Force? How strict was the Govt. in administering the creation and wearing of these things?

I went through my copy of "Air Heraldry." This is a book, printed 1944, of U.S. WW 1 and WW2 era unit aero unit badges. I cannot find it. What is the context of this badge or patch? Is it from a book or off a photo of an aircraft? Nick Filippone

Yes. This looks great! Nice work. Of course, my immediate reaction was sheer terror when I saw something on an electronic device I did not recognize. But, even I was able to figure it out quickly! You must be doing something right to make it user friendly for an old man like me. Congrats. Nick Filippone

Don, I have also used basswood. It is indeed sturdier and will "hold an edge" better than balsa because it is harder. But I always found it took longer to sand to shape because it is more dense. I usually use balsa for male molds, being somewhat lazy and impatient myself. Nick

Why wouldn't you simply carve the male molds from balsa? It is not too expensive, it is easily available and it is easy to carve. I have used this method many times to create a male mold for vacu-forming. Regards, Nick Filippone

Hobby Link Japan and Hobby Search do not bill until they are ready to ship! Their prices and service are excellent. Nick Filippone

Ron, Excellent result. May I make a suggestion to refine your basic technique? I use a pencil to accent virtually all my panel lines, whether the engraved line is still there in which the pencil can be run (easiest) or if I have to use masking tape as a guide if the engraved line has been lost during seam clean-up ( still pretty easy and easier than scribing) or was never there as in your case. This technique is especially useful when you have filled gaps and seams with products other than super glue. While super glue can with difficulty be scribed, nothing else can - at least in my experience. Now, my suggestion. Instead of a colour pencil, get a Pentel .3 mm Forte Pro II technical pencil product # A73. Keep a chiseled edge on it by rubbing it on a piece of sandpaper or even an ordinary index card taped to your work bench. I have found that lead hardness HB works best. Mistakes are easily corrected with a white eraser, by washing unwanted lines with a fine brush and water or saliva, or even taking the very tip of a fresh 11 blade and carefully scraping away the unwanted line with a light tangential stroke along the surface of the paint. It works, its easy and effective and, given the ease of correcting mistakes, very forgiving. I prefer to use the technique on surfaces painted with flat paint, but my friend swears he can make it work on gloss-I find this much harder. Another advantage of the technique is that once your decals are in place and coated, you can lightly run the pencil over the decal to create the effect of panel lines within the markings. Good luck. Regards, Nick Filippone

Perhaps it takes the practiced hands of a surgeon to be able to modulate the amount of paint coming out of an airbrush by subtle variation of pressure on the trigger, but I have been doing it using either a Binks Wren or a Paasche H-1 single action airbrush for approximately 45 years. Furthermore, if you are contemplating a complex, free hand camo pattern-as I recently applied to a Roden Junkers D or in the application of a mottled scheme on a Luftwaffe aircraft- I use the fine tip. It definitely allows better control of the size of the pattern, fineness of the edge and the amount of the paint. (You will have to thin the paint accordingly.) The medium tip I use for most applications of paint to large areas where an even coat is desired. The large tip I usually reserve for applying flat and especially gloss coats where I want to quickly and evenly "wet" an entire model. It all takes practice and experience, but it ain't brain surgery! Nick Filippone, M.D., Fellow of the American College of Surgeons

The allen screw is only to hold the entire tip assembly in place. It has nothing to do with spray size. This can be modulated by amount of finger pressure on the " trigger button," varying the nozzle opening around the needle by screwing it in or out, swapping in and out the three different tip sizes and, of course, adjusting the pressure at the air source ( compressor or tank). I have only used a single action Paasche H-1 for years and I agree that, kept clean, it is durable, vesatile and forgiving. Regards, Nick Filippone

Commander Models has recently released a 1/35 scale Ford 3-Ton Light Tank-their kit #1-016. It was designed during WWI and ordered, apparently, in large numbers. The order was cancelled with the Armistice. It is beautifully molded. Nick

Revell Germany has also released HO scale train kits for display only. They are usually German railway prototypes. Nick

The Wallace was one of a series of "record breaking " aircraft kitted by Frog. This particular aircraft was modified from a standard Westland Wallace as the P.V.6 for the overflight of Everest. Other kits in the series included the Vimy distance record setter ( hence no gun positions), the Bristol 138 altitude record setter, and the Fairey Delta 2. While admittedly crude by modern standards, I always felt Frog deserved a lot of credit for manufacturing kits of unusual aircraft-and they usually fit together pretty well. Nick

The 1/48 Monogram kits of that era-including B-24, B-25, B-26, B-29, etc. all suffered from the same syndrome: great looking in the box, but try putting it togther! If you really want to suffer, try the 1/48 C-47. I do not know where Monogram went awry in kit design in the '70's, because in the '60's their kits fit great. Most of my modeling friends wouldn't bother with them now-too much like work! Nick

Brian, I checked with the hotel. By that time the only rooms available were the large suites with jacuzzi, kitchen,etc. These are much more expensive. The hotel had already sold out the ordinary cheapest and most numerous rooms. Two weeks before an IPMS convention, whether Regional or National, is way too late to be assured a cheap room! If you are looking forward to attending these events in the future, always make your reservations as early as possible. The experienced IPMS convention go-ers have all had to learrn this lesson the hard way as well. Regards, Nick

Brian, When did you try to make that reservation and did you use the event code? Nick

I would like to thank Brian for his kind remarks and I hope he really did have an enjoyable experience and is not simply being polite! To be honest with him and the Society, we were a little dissapointed in the turnout of registrants and, hence, the number of entries. We had 81 registrants- down from c. 105 in 2008, when we put the show on at the same venue. In 2004, when we first put on the show on there, we had c. 120 registrants. This year, there were only 288 entries on the contest tables- a low number ( although the quality was high) for a Regional show. By show time' the Vendor Room looked full, but if we removed the Show raffle tables and the local and regional IPMS members who rented tables to sell off some of their "stash," the number of commerial vendors was about 25% less than 2004. We were VERY grateful for the support of these commercial vendors who had great stuff at great prices and were VERY generous in their donations to our raffle. But-and this is a big but- these trends are disturbing and do not bode well for the future of Noreastcon without a radical rethinking of the format of the show and the expectations of the participants. Nick Filippone, Noreastcon 40 Convention Chairman. P.S. Congratulations to Brian on his achievements in the Contest- I recall reading his name several times at the Awards Banquet!

Be sure to check the air outflow opening in the body of the airbrush behind the tip. The least little bit of crud will block and break up the airflow, preventing a good draw of paint into the nozzle. Nick Filippone

I do not think a "temporary" mount to base is advisable. It would never be secure enough! Either take the model off the base and pack it as you would any model not on a base OR secure it firmly to the base and pack the base in such a way that there is opportunity for some limited movement in all axes so that the base will absorb the "g" forces and not the landing gear. I accomplish this by attaching the base to layers ot towel ( or clear plastic, if flying) placed at the bottom of the container using loops of masking tape. In this way the base is secure in the box, but jostling motions will be absorbed by permitting the towels some movement in the box, and the base ( with model) some movement over the towels. No system is perfect, but I have had the best luck with this. Nick Filippone

One other reminder. If you are planning to dine at the Awards Banquet, we must have your reservation by 28 April. The caterer is requesting a 2 week notice on the number so they can prepare accordingly. Thanks. Nick Filippone POC- I think-whatever that is!

"google" aloder.freeyellow.com. That brings you to IPMS North East NY website. Click on "Noreastcon 40." Click on convention registration choice-it's at the top of the list! The fee schedule is on that form. I just tried it. It all works. Regards, Nick Filippone. P.S. What's a "POC?"

NOREASTCON SCHEDULE: FRIDAY 13 MAY: 1100 HRS- VENDOR ROOM OPEN FOR SET-UP 1500 HRS-REGISTRATION, CONTEST AND VENDOR ROOM OPENS 2100 HRS- REGISTRATION, CONTEST AND VENDOR ROOM CLOSES-SOCIAL HOUR BEGINS SATURDAY 14 MAY: 900 HRS- REGISTRATION, CONTEST AND VENDOR ROOM OPENS 1000 HRS- REGION 1 BUSINESS MEETING 1100 HRS- CONTEST JUDGES MEETING 1230 HRS- CONTEST REGISTRATION CLOSES, JUDGING BEGINS (DISPLAY ROOM OPEN DURING JUDGING) 1230 HRS- SEMINAR 1 1315 HRS- SEMINAR 2 1500 HRS- VENDOR ROOM CLOSES (JUNIOR AND BANTAM AWARDS IN CONTEST ROOM) 1600 HRS- CONTEST ROOM CLOSES FOR TROPHY PLACEMENT 1800 HRS- BAR OPENS FOR SOCIAL HOUR 1900 HRS- AWARDS BANQUET 2130 HRS- DISPLAY ROOM RE-OPENS FOR MODEL REMOVAL

Did you gloss coat the surface before the decals were applied? Nick Filippone

You did not indicate what brand of decals nor how you prepared the surface before applying the decals. These considerations are also important. Regards, Nick Filippone