16 replies to this topic

[copcheck]

Some of you probably already know that I"m a US Naval aviation veteran and I've always been fond of aircraft, especially since I grew up next to an Air National Guard base in Southeastern Michigan.

 

Since  child I've also built models and the ones posted below are probably 6 years old now but I'm getting an itch to work on some kits that I've had for some time.  For the most part I build WWII era planes and stick to 1/72 scale.

 

Some of these pictures still show dust on the planes even though I took a light brush to them.  Eventually I want to build an acrylic or plexiglass display case for them, but that's a ways off.

 

Thought I'd show them to you all.

 

Jon

 

PS.  In case you're wondering my favorite WWII plane by far is the Jug or P-47 Thunderbolt.  I know the sexy pics are P-51 or Spit Fire, but the Jug is a beast of a plane and that radial engine is freaking awesome.

 

[Tidal]

I can relate as much of my youth was spent building scale models too. Beautiful work Jon.

[Classic Salmon Fly Tyer]

Jon -

 

Definitely falls into the impressive area here my friend. My soft spot is for the B-24 Liberator WWII bomber for a couple of reasons.

 

First...my father was a tail gunner in one and flew 31 missions over Germany in the back end of one of those things.

 

Second...About 10 years ago I had the good fortune to go up in what was then the only B-24 still flying. Just an amazing experience. Gives one a different perspective on just how brave those guys were, and no doubt how terrifying the experience must have been. Those planes were slow lumbering beasts that seemed like they were designed to be targets...but they got the job done.

 

All of my father's memorabilia is now in the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum in Georgia. I figured donating it to them would assure its preservation. Heaven knows what my nieces and nephews would have done with all of it. Probably sold it on fleabay.

 

Cheers,

George

[Dale A. Darling]

Cool Jon. Thanks!

[roycestearns]

Jon,

Likewise here, tried to interest my kids in early airplanes (shows models etc) but it never took.  My grandson is now interested in history, but only in the ground battles ... what is wrong with these kids?

 

My dad attempted to become a naval aviator and they shuffled him off to be a boat diesel mechanic in the pacific during wwII

 

My two favorites; the P-38 with the twin RR engines and the Vaught Corsair

[copcheck]

Thank you all.

 

Royce, the P-38 is high on my list as well as the P-61 Black Widow.

 

I'm a history sponge and love it and my kids now 14 and 15 are starting to take an interest.  Too bad the History Channel and A&E are more concerned about staged reality TV than history these days.

 

Jon

[Ronn Lucas]

Way cool stuff Jon. Used to put models together as a kid. Mostly i liked car models. Planes are very cool to.

[Bud Guidry]

Hey, the curse of oak island is one of the best history shows ever!!!!!
Could it Be?
That the money pit is actually the camunal outhouse of the knights templar?
Could borehole p-1 and po-2 prove that Marty and Rick are on the right track to a major discovery?
Could money leech Rick possibly bankrupt his brother Marty, tune in next week

[roycestearns]

Jon +1 on the P61.  Can you imagine flying night flights with that early radar? 

[copcheck]

Jon +1 on the P61.  Can you imagine flying night flights with that early radar? 

 

I know right?  That would be incredible.

 

I was actually assigned to an anti-submarine warfare squadron and we flew in P3 Orions.  I flew from Mountain View, CA to the Philippines in one laying on the deck with ear plugs in and rolled up in bubble wrap for comfort. 

 

Here is a pic of one of my squadrons P3's (VP-50 Blue Dragons).

 

Jon

 

[Jim_Montgomery]

Somebody is telling a story. Lay on the deck, ear plugs, and bubble wrap? There was no bubble wrap back then.

[copcheck]

Somebody is telling a story. Lay on the deck, ear plugs, and bubble wrap? There was no bubble wrap back then.

 

In 1989 there sure was.  I used to play with it like cats play with empty boxes.

[Tidal]

Hey Jon, I don't usually repost my junk ,but this one kind of fit with the topic here. This fly came about before you joined the forum. It was inspired by the Sopwith Camel.

 the_Sopwith_Heritage.711.SSP.jpg   55.61K   20 downloads

Back when the Pink Floyd thread went down the fly I did for that was influenced by a F-4 Phantom.

You got me thinking now about making a Corsair fly...

[ted patlen]

I barely remember this, i was very young...maybe 2 years old, but my dad used to make the models of ww1 and ww2 aircraft and hung it from my nursery.  

 

I made those models as well back in the 1950's.  Monogram and Aurora kits I seem to remember were the best. I also did the boats and ships.  I remember my last two models, The USS Constitution and the Thermopolyae, complete with rigging and canvas sails...The last ones because my mom decided to remove the dust from the models and they crashed and burned  ...that was almost 50 years ago!

 

Where are the Hawker Hurricane, Wildcat, Airacobra, and the Mosquito !!!

 

Thanks for the memories.

[Bud Guidry]

Made a few models but ones that fly, every single one I crashed on first flight, no joke, I would never have been a pilot for planes but I do have 5 helicopter models that I do fly, smallest 18 inches, biggest 48 inches. These are fun but I still crash so they must be durable. I once used the big one to chase bats at my deer camp. I was winning until I crashed into a tree about 50 feet up. Had to cut the tree down to get the heli back
Last plane I built was one of those double winged red baron looking thingies, 800.00 bucks gone in about 6 seconds, it came off the ground, went straight up about 200 feet, flipped over and came straight down doing about 1500 knots, hit the blacktop into a thousands pieces, Darla ended my model plane career while she was sweeping up the pieces at the head of our driveway. Eight months of work gone in 6 seconds. Dang thing was beautiful before that first flight. Balsa wood and shrink wrap are not as strong as you might think

[Bud Guidry]

Here's a 34 inch, my favorite, it's my favorite because it's only crashed about 25 times, the one that has crashed less, very munuverable and it dodges trees, power lines, telephone piles really well

Attached Files

•  20171202_212932.jpg   106.15K   20 downloads

[alchemist]

Jon -

There is an air show every Father's Day in Olympia, Washington that has a P-47 demonstrated. I go every year with my father to see the last flying HH-43 Pedro helicopter- the aircraft he flew in the Vietnam war. It's a small but fun air show if you are in the area.