lmagna

Glad you were able to get a few minutes to climb up for air John. Hope things are at least maintaining, or better yet getting a little better. Years ago I discovered that I was able to remember the mostly good times, odd times, crazy times, and just plain unexplainable times of my service years better than dwelling on the bad memory parts. I enjoyed what I was doing for the most part, I had a number of people whom I respected and liked and will always have a link with even though the military is not a place where life long relationships are formed. Bonds yes, relationships not so much. The closest person I knew overseas lived almost a thousand miles away from where I lived in the world. Almost all of the others were even further, not once did I meet someone from my home town or even county. Activated Reserve units may have been different I don't know. We did not loose all that many people in my unit and not all of those were people I personally hung out with and knew well so I was spared most of that emotional turmoil. Yes there were and I suppose are some bad memories as well, but I have never felt I was John Rambo walking around like a ticking time bomb. I may be strange, or unique to me, I don't know, but I have always tried to think of my experience in it's completeness and that I was OK with living with both the good and the bad and was not damaged goods like everyone else was saying just because I had spent a relatively short time in a rough place. There may be a few scars here and there and I would be the last to say that I was the same person when I came back that I was when I left, but I still say that is not necessarily a bad thing. My ex-wife may have a different opinion, my marriage did not survive all that many years after my return. Sorry this is a bit of a hodge podge of words, but to be honest it is hard to explain to others. I suppose everyone has their own road to the present and we are all a little different inside.

Now THAT has to be a first Mark! I don't think I have ever seen a field promotion to E4 for outstanding KP! In our unit, being on flight status pretty much excused you from all extra duty so after advanced training in Ft Sill Oklahoma I never had to do KP again. Maybe I should have. I didn't see E4, (Specialist first class for us Army types) until I was in country and working as a door gunner. I stayed that rank for the rest of my time in the Army. About half way through my tour I was pulled from flight status for a little less than a week because I had developed an impacted wisdom tooth and they flew a dentist in to pull it. The guy was a Major and made it pretty clear that he did not take kindly to being pulled out of his plush office and sent out to the boonies where he could be shot to pull a tooth from a lowly E4. The whole process took what seemed to be minutes even when he had to go back in to retrieve a broken root. He gave me just enough pain killer to stop me from screaming and bringing in the medics and possible other help. Then he was gone out of the tent and headed back to where ever he had come from and I never saw him again. That afternoon and later night when the pain meds wore off I felt like I had been hit with a baseball bat in the jaw and I had my doubts that I would survive. By morning it was a good thing he was gone, because if I had seen him I think I would have pulled my .45 and shot HIM in the jaw! My face was so swollen that I could not talk. My pillow was totally wrecked it was so full of blood. My Housemaid was in a panic when she saw it, unknown to me and thought I had been shot. I was told she was really upset until she was told what really happened. I was still in pain but luckily I was able to get the company medic to give me something and felt that life just possibly may have been worth living after all. The first day I was pretty much left alone in my misery, but a body drawing pay with nothing to do seems to be something the powers that be could not stand, so I was assigned to the company office for errand duties keeping notes and making coffee or some such. As it turned out I was assigned along with a 2nd Lieutenant whom I did not know who had been pulled off of flight duty because he had contracted VD from one of the local village girls. It was then that I found out that being an officer had a couple of disadvantages as well, one being that his "illness" counted as a black mark on his record as conduct unbecoming to an officer. I think they EXPECTED enlisted men to get it at least once!

Can't add much to what has already been said about this build. Phenomenal work

The man's name was Roger Donlon. While I had to look up his name, I do remember seeing in the paper that a Green Beret had won the Medal Of Honor, the first since Korea. On the other hand I can think of very few duties I would like to spend my time in the service at less than notifying families of their lost loved one! I can think of few things that would make me more depressed. I was shocked at my own reaction when about fifteen years ago I was able to visit the Vietnam wall in Washington DC. I was only able to look up a few names of people I knew and had to leave. I was depressed for days and it brought many feelings to the surface that I had thought long gone, all sad or bad. It even renewed my EXTREME distaste for Jane Fonda and Canada dodgers, something my wife has never really understood.

I bought one that is almost identical to this one: https://www.amazon.com/ABEST-action-airbrush-compressor-Complete/dp/B00J91EUG6/ref=sxin_0_ac_d_pm?ac_md=2-0-VW5kZXIgJDUw-ac_d_pm&crid=2B7HC7GEL2TT8&cv_ct_cx=airbrush+kit+with+compressor&keywords=airbrush+kit+with+compressor&pd_rd_i=B00J91EUG6&pd_rd_r=62f771f5-7643-4280-b99b-29b15f9c0538&pd_rd_w=3H1rA&pd_rd_wg=RD8Sc&pf_rd_p=b8b03b37-bd30-4468-adff-11c42ccb6582&pf_rd_r=WMVAEDRFK3R72MQNAK95&psc=1&qid=1579375570&sprefix=airbrush+kit%2Caps%2C273 at my local hobby shop for something like $30. So far all I have really done with it is to do like OC suggested and spray random stuff onto a large white cardstock that I have. It seems to work OK for general painting but may have some problems getting down to a fine line. But it is entirely possible that it is my limitation rather than the brush. I must say that the compressor is ultra quiet. I also do not know what pressure the pump puts out as it has no gauge and is not adjustable. I was also given a Testors Aztek brush with multiple tips, but have not been able to test it as it is missing parts.

WOW OC, you found more in 24 hours than I was able to find in a month! The bottom picture looks like a restored Huey at some movie set in southern California. Did the original site where you found the picture have any further information?

Not anything built, at least not in the last quarter of a century! Several moves and no personal display space have taken their toll I'm afraid.

The Memphis Bell claimed 8 kills in her 25 missions. That would have qualified her as an Ace if she was a fighter.

I'm right behind you VTHokiEE. I bought my first airbrush last year, (A cheep Chinese thing with a dedicated pump) I have yet to use it! Looks like my present build will be my learning curve! Luckily I have a bunch of people here that can turn me around hopefully before I screw it up beyond all recognition.

The story of Freeman is even more amazing when you hear it Ken. He served in the Navy in WWII and after the war he returned home and finished high school and then enlisted in the Army and was a 1st Sergeant in Korea at the battle of Pork Chop Hill where he was one of 14 survivors out of 257 combatants. He was awarded a battlefield commission and as a 2nd Lieutenant led his troops back into the battle. In 1955 the height requirements were changed allowing him to enroll in flight school. He first flew fixed wing and later switched to rotary wing By the time We entered into the Vietnam war he was on the verge of retiring but instead went to Vietnam where he became involved in the battle of La Drang. After the battle he was promoted to Major and in 1966 sent back to the US. He retired in 1966. He then went to work flying helicopters for the Department Of Interior dealing with forest fires and other duties. He did this for the next 20 years, retiring in 1991 with 22000 flight hours, 17000 of then in helicopters. He at last was awarded the Medal Of Honor in 2002 fore his actions at La Drang in 1965 and died in 2008.

Thanks Denis I owe you one. I don't really have the equipment to do it on my own at this point, and would either have to buy it or as I was thinking, I would take the artwork to a printing place and get it done.

Freeman and another pilot Major Bruce Crandal, his commanding officer, flew over 14 hours in and out of the LZ bringing supplies troops and evacuating wounded. They used up several Hueys rather than wait around to have them refueled or repaired. Freeman was able to complete 22 trips and Crandal 14. They are credited with evacuating over 75 causalities in that 14 hours. As many other medal winners in Vietnam they had to wait until 2001 and 2007 to receive their Medal Of Honor from President George Bush. If you pay attention in the movie "We Were Soldiers Once And Young" they are included in the story although my personal thoughts on the matter was that their involvement was underplayed and should have had a bigger part in the movie. But then I am a Huey person and may be biased.

Now that was something I was never told. I always wondered about the Jack of Diamonds instead of the Jack of Spades as our unit was called the Blackjacks. Now I know. Kind of like the "Flying Dutchman" of a few weeks ago on the P-51. I feel like a 50 year old light just went off in my head! Exactly 20mm chin window to chin window including the frames. It would not have to be exact as it was a squadron emblem that was on all of A Company 2nd and 3rd Platoon Hueys and each one was hand painted. There were no decals so no two were exactly the same size, even though they were close. I think that someone somewhere possibly had a stencil. To be honest, until I started thinking about this build I never gave it much thought. They were there and I didn't pay all that much attention as almost every chopper had one.

I saw that!!! But then I have to wear glasses for reading these days as well, and a cane for walking and special earphones for the TV and...........

I knew that the painting was probably just a fictitious aircraft as like you say, the tail numbers do not match any list i was able to find in a short search. But it was worth a try. I think that the reason that not many, (Or any) "F" models made it into natural metal finish was that the unpainted finish came later in the war and there were not that many "F"s left that were not worn out or shot down. If I saw the plans you posted correctly, it looks like the kit is designed to be built either as a "F" or a "G" model based on whether you use a plate or install a turret under the nose. Could you get a turret or scratch one? It's too bad, I should have waited until you settled on your choice. It would have been just as easy to do the "G" version but I wanted to do it in time for Christmas and you seemed to be wrapped up in the Wulfe Hound idea that required an "F" model.

How does that compare to the 1/48th Eagle that came out a few years ago? My personal favorite from 2001, (And hardest to get) is the Aries moon shuttle. I always thought that outside of the Discovery it was the most practical of the ships in the movie. I was able to get a small one of about 5 or 6" in resin a few years ago. I also think the Moebius Moon Bus was kind of neat. A little like an RV with rockets!

I found a picture of the nose art! Well not a picture exactly, but probably even better for printing and such. I think the rest of the wording I would need will be relatively simple in comparison.

They were supposed to have a top speed of almost 80 miles an hour and cruising speed of just under 60, but like all LTA they are highly effected by air currents. I don't think I have ever seen blimp fly faster than 35-40 miles an hour. But then I have never seen one in a hurry.

I was wondering about that when I started reading your story Mark. Our Command Pilots sat on the right as well. But the actual crew chief sat on the left. Dumb gunners on the right. It is nice to see that at least some of the Marine training is no more sophisticated than in the Army. "Do you know how to load an M-60 and where the bullet comes out?" "Good you are now a gunner." Crew Chiefs got better training stateside as did most gunners but gunners like me slid in the back door TDY and it was pretty much OJT. (On The Job training) No fair, you have first paint down! I am still waiting for my interior from France. At this point I have no real idea of what I am getting and if I will use the kit interior or the one coming. To be honest it is not even clear what is included in the parts from 1001 and what is not. I just wanted to have the best options available. It is nice to see another LTA fan Roger. I have about six or seven books covering rigid airships from WWI until the Hindenburg. They have been a passion of mine since childhood. I have the small model of the Akron/Macon by Revell from years ago and the 38" Graf Zeppelin in plastic. I have decals to built it as the Los Angeles. I wish I could find a trapeze aircraft at 1/245th scale.

I showed him that one a while back when he was talking about the Wulfe Hound. I thought the paint scheme was much more interesting.

If you do end up building the Memphis Bell then you also have a number of choices in the look and there should be plenty of reference material. https://www.wearethemighty.com/memphis-belle-b-17 https://sofrep.com/fightersweep/b-17f-memphis-belle-exhibit-opening-events-set-for-may-17-19-2018/ I even find these shots interesting: Obviously nothing like what she looks like today. I think these are shots taken while she was on tour in the US.

But then this could be a possibility: I do not know anything about the painting but it does look interesting the OD on the inside of the engine nacelles and nose seems to be the only OD on the entire aircraft.

I could be wrong Denis, B-17 history is not one of my strong points, but you may find it hard to find an "F" model B-17 in natural metal finish. All that I remember seeing are always "G" models with the chin turret.

Sorry you read it that way Javlin. What I was trying to say is that the builds on this site set a high standard of perfection. While in many cases this includes after market additions it never goes too far in my opinion. After market or not, it will be a challenge for someone of my skill level to build something as nice as what is being shown here on MSW. That is not limited to aircraft or even plastic models. The talent here is impressive and the attention to detail legend.

The only one I have ever seen is Hanger one. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hangar-one It was complete back then but it looks like it is going to get a face lift. Even from the highway it is pretty impressive.