MarkYoungCrewChief

Bill, very nice job on a less than 'shake n bake' kit. I have one on the schedule to do in that scheme as Hap Arnold's ship during the deployment to Alaska. I can use yours as an inspiration.

OK, I will try to answer your questions in order. Please be patient. YOU, in the back! - no shoving! Gil - To the best of my knowledge and and understanding of the specs, the area aft of the radio compartment was NMF. The radio compartment would have been bronze green. This is what I know from the F model and am sort of extrapolating here. The paint and the padding may have been added when her job was as a VIP transport from about late 1942 onward. I was not present during the clean up of the interior, but standard shop procedure is to use a water based paint stripper. Not like the good old stuff that would eat your hand off as well as strip the paint. The new "safer" stuff looks like Pepto Bismol and is relatively weak. It will get the job done, but it takes a while. Typically you apply it, let it sit for a while and then wipe off what you can with rags. Repeat as necessary. Sometimes some Scotchbrite, toothbrushes, acid brushes, fingernails, etc are used to speed up the process. It takes a lot of man-hours and usually this type of work is done by volunteers (we are happy to be able to do just about anything). Next - You - Mark - The Swoose is definitely the oldest B-17 in existence and is thought to be the only aircraft to have been an active, flying, aircraft throughout the war, from beginning to end she was in service. In combat as well as a VIP hack. When Lyndon Johnson got his Silver Star, it was as a passenger in the Swoose. I think you are thinking of Gen George H. Brett. In March of 42 the Swoose was picked as "his" aircraft, mainly she was the "war weary" in the best shape available at the time. He kept her throughout the war. His departure in November 42 was not so much an 'escape' as a re-assignment to the Caribbean Defense Command and he took the Swoose with him. Bob. I do not expect to see much progress on the Swoose for a long time to come. In fact, I will most likely be dead or severely incapacitated by the time she is ready to sit next to the Belle. I will post anything I can of interest in the mean time. Have you seen my photo chronicle on the Memphis Belle? It can be seen at http://s643.photobucket.com/user/myoungcc/library/Memphis%20Belle%20Restoration?sort=9&page=1 Hope this helps. Mark

Gil, that could very well be the F-16 used by the Air Force Orientation Group (AFOG). We had it, an F-15, F-4, A-10, T-38s and earlier aircraft modified like that for "quick" assembly/diss assembly by relatively untrained personnel (non aircraft maint types). All were mounted on trailers for travel and we toured the country putting on similar displays. AFOG was closed down as an economy move in 1991. Within six months, a study was made to re-constitute the organization. WAY too expensive, not to mention the personnel were scattered hither and yon. AFOG is where I spent 7 years as NCOIC of the Model Shop and learned many of my skills.

To assure proper alignment of the wings on your F-104 model, the following guidelines should be followed: The tabs supplied with the kit wing must align properly and perfectly with the holes provided in the fuselage portion of the wing root. Following these guidelines assure you that the wings were perfectly aligned. Cheers

Very nice and innovative project and extremely will pulled off. Review the posting above on aligning the wings, for possible use in future projects :-)

On Wednesday, 22 Oct, I took a two hour 250 picture walk around of the B-17D 40-3097, "The Swoose". These were taken as she sits on cribbing and all of her major parts collected next to her. Below are some samples of the shots taken. None of these are anything like what a finished B-17 would look like, but will give you an idea of what is under the paint and inside the structure. To see the full album, go to http://s643.photobucket.com/user/myoungcc/library/The%20Swoose%20Restoration/The%20Swoose%202014-10-22 . I added in some shots I took of an engine earlier in the year so all would be in one album. I hate it when Photobucket does not display the file names. If you want to see a description of the photo, on the album page with all the thumbnails, hover your mouse over the name under photo. I know it is a pain, but I am not feeling like labeling those photos again. Sorry 'bout that. Overall shot as she sits in the hangar. This is taken from the Restoration Division Chief's office area, so she is never out of mind. Not the original artwork, but as she was put into storage by the Smithsonian. It is close, but it did change through her career. The view taken from the aft entry door, looking aft. Compare with the condition in Dec, 2011, from the left blister opening. Interior of the gun tub, with one of two 0.50 cal guns installed. This tub was built for the museum by a contractor, using the original drawings. The inboard end of the main fuel tank and some of the fixtures, fittings and general clutter in the area inside the wing between the nacelles on the right wing. The left wing is pretty much a mirror image. Looking up and aft through the forward entry door. You are looking at the floor of the cockpit. I hope you enjoy.

Plenty of PC-6s out there, but the NMUSAF is looking for a 1/72nd scale kit/model of the U-28/PC-12. Seems the U-28 is coming out of the inventory in the next year or two. Any kit manufacturer/medium will do just fine. Please direct your response to myoung135cc @ frontier.com

Richard, Went through my decals last night and I do not have any Laotian decals. I wish you luck in your quest.

If I can find two copies, all the better. Please contact me at myoung135cc@hughes.net

Richard, No, I don't have any info for you, but you have made me curious. Are you sure they were IPMS decals? I found an IPMS Review of the decals, that were provided by Crosswinds. http://www.ipmsusa3.org/reviews/Decals/Aircraft/crosswind_72_laos-decals/crosswind_72_laos-decals.htm Try looking up http://flightdecs.ca/ They are a Canadian outfit that list Crosswind decals, but does not display this particular set. You might contact them and see if they have any suggestions. My decal collection is not available to me right now, but when I get home (and think about it), I'll see if I might have something that will help. No promises, not really much of a suspicion, but I will look. It will be next week at the earliest. Good luck on your quest.

Hi Gil, I'm getting into this conversation a little late, but if I may, I would like to add a tip for sanding the wings and other flimsy things. Take a straight piece of wood, say 1/4inch x 1 inch, and double face tape it to the OUTSIDE of the wing, along the edge to be sanded. This will give you a handle and help keep the sanding pressure even, and I even use them when gluing squirrely seams together. Goes a long way toward straightening those warped wings. Also, will you need the emergency bailout procedures for this beast when you go flying around the room, making the appropriate swooshing sounds? I have a few pages on bailing out when you don't have a bang seat. You have a challenge ahead of you, but you seem to have a real good start on it. Keep up the good work. Interrupting Mode: OFF See you in Virginia.

Edward, No, I had not seen that, but thanks for sending it along. The model has been built and the project finished. I ran across an article providing all the information I needed. Thanks again.

But, will you ever use them? Chances are real high that the vast majority of the decals issued through the years were stuck away and forgotten about. There is now a special award just for the best use of Convention Decals, sponsored personally by some of the former National Officers. I have decals back to 1982 and had not used any of them until last year when I was enticed into trying it. I used the 1982 decals and was fortunate enough to take home the award.

An old friend would like a model of his bike and I am trying to make that happen. What I am looking for is a Honda NT700. It is also know in Europe as the Deauville NT700 and the Varadero 700. The basic question is, does such a kit exist and if so, where can I find one? Your assistance will be appreciated. Thank you for looking. Mark E Young Jr.

Looking for drawings and-or descriptions of the changes made to the Lockheed P-80A to create the P-80R speed record aircraft. I can find numerous statements to effect that the wing tips were reshaped, the wing leading edge extended, canopy reduced and the intakes reworked but nothing definitive or any drawings or visual comparisons. The intakes and canopy I think I can figure out from pictures, but I would like to know just how much to clip the wingtips and what the final shape is to be. Same for knowing how much and what shape to add to the leading edges of the wing. I am working with the Airfix 1/72 scale P-80C for the donor kit. This P-80R was just recently added to the list of models being built for the AF Museum Any assistance will be appreciated. myoung135cc@hughes.net

Thank you Fritz. The Anigrand kit was discontinued years ago and is virtually impossible to find. I have since located an Eagles Talon vacform version. Thank you for your interest.

I know, I know, I have been here and done this, but every lead I get falls through and I am out of leads. I am really trying to avoid scratch building here. Able to pay fair market value. In support of a project for the National Museum of the United States Air Force, I am looking for a 1/72 scale kit of the XV-3 Convertiplane by Bell. Either Anigrand or Eagles Talon will do just fine. Please respond to myoung135cc @ hughes.net (delete the blank spaces)

I need some help here guys. I am working on a project for the National Museum of the United States Air Force and need an X-10 Navaho. The Sharkit website shows it in their 'catalog' but do not tell you it went out of production years ago. Found that out after two emails to them. If you have a kit you are willing to depart with, I am willing to beg, buy, borrow or steal it. I am doing this as a volunteer and am not getting paid for any of my work, though I am getting reimbursed for reasonable amounts spent for kits. Willing to pay in cash, check or paypal, by your preference. myoung135cc at hughes.net Thanks for looking.

Mike, I was a flight line puke/crew chief on the KC-135A 1966-1970 and I could swear the belly alignment strip on our birds was orange, and our birds were Corrogard. When I built a Nova vacform KC-135A in 1979, I painted the strip a dark orange color. I worked from memory some, but also had 135s in the hangar outside our office to go out and check such things out on, and they were still Corrogard. In fact I went to the paint shop and scrounged up some actual Corrogard so I would have the right color. Turns out the pigments in the paint were so coarse they would not go through my Badger 200 airbrush. Ended up using Testors Flat Aluminum. Heavens, I wish that stuff was still around. I have yet to find a substitute for it. Sorry to get off topic. For me, orange is good.

James, I don't know as much about the 135 as some folks think, but I will be happy to try to help you out. We can do it here on the forum, although I prefer we do it by email myoung135cc at hughes.net Drop me a line.

I am trying to insert an image into my signature block. Clicking on "insert image" brings up a small window where you place the URL of the photo. Once that window comes up and I insert the URL from Photobucket, I cannot close the small window in any manner. It is locked into the screen. So far on three attempts, I have had to close out the web site to clear the screen. The image URL is not saved using the "insert image" window, nor can I do a copy/paste function either. BTW, this brings up another question. Are we prevented from doing a copy/paste operation in the forum? I tried copying from a Word document and pasting it into a topic the other evening and using CTRL V accomplished nothing. Any guidance/explanation will be appreciated. Thank you

A tail wheel has been offered and is on its way to me even as I type. Well, he says it is in the mail......

Oh yeah, I meant to leave my email address: myoung135cc at hughes.net

I am working on a Hasegawa 1/48th P-51D, kit number J14 or 09014, and have lost the tail wheel. It is being built as a Christmas gift and am on a short time line. If anyone has a spare Mustang tail wheel, Hasegawa part number B14, in their parts bin, I would like to buy it off of you. Willing to pay any postage and reasonable charge for the wheel. All of the wheel in my spares bin are too large in diameter and too narrow. Thank you for your consideration. Happy Modeling.

Gil, just for your information, when I changed (corrected) my reservation, I did get a confirmation email with a NEW confirmation number. You might want to rattle their cage. See you in Loveland.