Egilman

Thanks Greyhawk... Yeah there is a lot of those missed roads in everyone's life.... everyone could write a book about them.... {chuckle}

There was a lot of field expediency going on that's for sure, substitution was the word for mission critical equipment, whatever it took to keep it going... Yep, illegal beer, (according to my father) but that was overseas, Korea and Japan... He said there was many a time the seniors got together with some of the more promising young troopers fresh from the states (particularly the young "shavetails" ie. gold bar generals as he called them) to pass a few cases around and "Instruct" them on how the military "Really" functioned out here... {chuckle} great stories even if some of them weren't exactly completely true.... I suspect your right, My father told a lot of stories, but the real serious ones he would get all silent and refuse to talk sometimes... There was a lot of therapy in those stories...

Thank you Mark, I certainly hope so... there wasn't a lot of that during WWII or Korea, The WPB was still in effect until 1956 and all military production and procurement went thru them, there wasn't a whole lot of shopping around to fill shortages, they always had at least two suppliers for every critical part... it was required in the contracts... After that was another story though... the WPB was shut down and open bidding was established much like it was prewar... And of course the typical contractor shenanigan's that brought with it... Those old guys were the best weren't they, they would just love to, as they would put it, bring the young guys along on how it really is.... (and was) a lot of veteran experience was taught and great stories told... (while disposing of prodigious amounts of illegal beer I've been told, gotta teach the young'uns right you know, according to my father)

Instrument Columns... The kits different columns... Of course the H-13H's column is on the left and the H-13D's is on the right.... Now the H13H's has the radio direction finder antenna (the loop on top) which is going to have to come off... The basic training birds generally didn't have such equipment, the H-13D's I added the battery box, the kit had the shelf but not the box, notice that there is no radio mounted to the column.... The early air ambulances didn't have a radio.... You can easily see as time went on the avionics for this bird were in a constant state of upgrade and retro fitting... Early 1950's H-13D Bell built Air Ambulance, no radio at all... Below, an early 60's H-13H A USAEU Major Generals taxi.... note everything they could possibly carry as an extra accessory is on this bird.... And of course below, a Ft Wolters H-13H... It carries the big radio in black with the grey column, (notice no direction finder antenna) avionics box behind the engine and battery installed out on the boom as a balance weight... They did a lot with these birds, constantly upgrading them... So the columns will be Aircraft Grey with black instruments and one big huge black radio on the "H" model.... Onward..

I suspect your right Mark, the chrome rocker covers come directly from civilian production as the engine was a direct descendent from their four cylinder light commercial aircraft engine... The black radios, that exact style of electronics package appears to be black in all variants I've come across, retro-fitted to "D"'s up to new installs in "S"'s so since that is what the kit has that is what it will get painted... One of the problem of researching this aircraft is that there are very very few that are in their original issued condition... 6500 were built over 40 some odd years and when the military were finished with them they were scooped up in the civilian market quickly... Of course having to be type certified and upgraded to get their flying certificate, not very many retain their actual military look... Good military service pics are hard to find... Museum restos are easy to find but then they are restorations... Hopefully they will be presentable when done and look something like the real in-service machines...

Thanks my friend, I'm trying to make them as authentic as I can... Interesting stuff there at Reskit, nothing to help here, but they have some very nice stuff for a few others in my stash..... And in the correct scales as well....

Aircraft interiors, H-13 interiors, except for a few specialized birds, the aircraft interiors were Aircraft Grey, with Olive Drab seat cushions... Instrument columns were the same with black faced dials and radios... With these two birds we are dealing with essentially the same column... Some differences in electronics fit due to the date in service but still essentially the same thing... H-13D/E column... H-13G/H Column... A lot of times the radios mounted in the later versions wee painted black, which was pretty standard for a training bird... even though in this one the radios are grey... Although I just might make this image my exemplar, it fits what is in the kit well and has the right colors in the right places.... And here is a "D" model that has been upgraded to the G/H avionics standard.... Note the bigger black radio outfit on top of the instrument column... This is the outfit the Revell kit carries... still debating on grey or black electronics on the training bird...

Thank you Dennis, sometimes one must get on with it... life doesn't stop for anyone...

Good deal Brother, welcome aboard...

That would be a no in my book as well, the 352 Cabover pete can be had for under 50.00 and the 40' fruehof trailer is common... $120.00 for a set of ancient probably unusable Budweiser decals?You can build the artwork and have them printed for less than 120.00

Ok the kits Lycoming O-435 basically finished except for touch ups.... I added a bit more chrome to the rocker covers so they shine a bit more... Why they put chrome on a military bird I haven't a clue... But it's there... It does have a belt and pully to drive the fan, but the upper engine mount has to go on first so it will come when it's time to mount the engine... 12 of 13 parts total..... Next step is the instrument columns... Onwards My friends...

Lycoming O-435, The Model engine... The first seven pieces, lots of painting... That is chrome on the rocker covers, no good way to get a shot of it though... (but you can see a hint of the green reflection from the build mat) Next up the intake & exhaust systems, all of five parts... Few parts, all painting on this one... Onwards...

Hi Yan, Thanks for the interest.. (and the reminder) It's going to take a bit of time to drag everything out and go over it... I haven't forgotten this one... I'm currently doing my H-13 dual build and will be open to restarting another when that is done... At that point I will list the what's and where's I have made to bring this into line with the real deal... It kinda got side tracked in shipping limbo and that was before they shut down the shipping due to covid..... Shipping is probably a lot worse now.... (Austria is still blocked for shipping to the US from most locations there) There's a good chance I will pick this one back up when done with the H-13's, Bluejay Four is a complete restart so that can wait... It's been sitting for almost a year and a half now.... Time to get her on the road....

Thanks Mark... Yeah those dropped "R"'s are a pain, thanks, fixed... {chuckle} Flyin finners strike again...

It's not a bad kit Brother, lots of parts... the Revell kit has fewer parts but the detail scribing is much better... Currently I'm working out the colors... It seems like they were painted all different colors depending on where they were manufactured... In the top pic above a German museum machine, the engine is all grey, in the lower pic an Italian machine the engine is black, the US machines I have detail pics that show an olive drab engine with bare steel cylinders, steel exhausts, chromed intakes and rocker covers and black accessories... An operating in service machine... Still working out how I wish to paint it... Model Lycoming engine... Block and cylinders on the left, oil, coolant pumps and starter on the right... 4 parts so far... {chuckle} Break out the old painting skills...

One Franklin O-355-5... (17 of 18 parts of her) Next up, the Lycoming O-435, The H-13H engine... Onwards brothers....

Happy to be back doing something, thanks brother..... Happy New Years to you as well my friend...

And Happy New Years to you too Brother... I never let it go, just had the world falling in on me for a while... Have decided that I need to take some time for myself if I don't I will get lost in everyone else's world... This is a good respite... Doing something useful for a change... Going slow, plugging away, enjoying a leisurely stroll down the creation path... A relaxing journey.... Lets take a walk.... {smile}

Preliminary painting done... Now on to the oil tank, fan shroud and cyclic control horn.... Onwards.....

For grip, the mass is insufficient to store any heat whatsoever so in a very hot environment they would radiate heat quickly... Compressed air picks up heat when it is compressed as does most compressed gases... Allowed to normalize temp in the surrounding environment, its very temperature stable.... although a quick de-pressurization would condense any water in the air.... Pressure drops gasses get colder... Pressure rises, gasses get warmer...

Paul, You have a PN....

Ah, Well, time to get back in the saddle so to speak... First step in the assembly of the H-13D is the Franklin engine..... (going to be building these simultaneously, so the H-13H Lycoming engine will be next) Franklin O-355-5... Left Side Rear.... Basic engine circa 1950 bluish grey in color, vertical draft carb with carb preheat, and positive pressure balanced intake system.. Integral oil system that is actually part of the engine... Right Side Rear... Exhausts were usually left bare steel, being just a simple header pipe, but when replaced they were usually painted high-temp black... Both of these birds are museum machines, so although they do try to maintain their in-service appearance, one is outside and one is inside which give a noticeable difference in appearance.... Kit Engine.. Ready for initial painting.... More in a bit...

Excellent build Dan, I think the soft edges look perfect for a field applied camo... The colors just work as well.... Beautiful modeling job.... Well done...

Chris to the rescue! {chuckle} Yep my first idea reading the title led along the Saturn V path...., (although the Stephenson "Rocket" was the Saturn V of it's day) Can't wait to see some pics, is there a way to email pics to someone for posting Paul until you get your PC up and running? More than happy to post them for you...

They are both in the same class of engines and biggest is a matter of opinion I guess... Also what type is a matter of some discussion as well, Mallet (french pronounced Malley) or Not? Mallet engines were both articulated and compound steam... articulated means the two traction engines were jointed in the middle to allow them to negotiate the tighter mountain turns easier.. Compound mean that they were two stage steam engines, the rear engine cylinders operated on high pressure steam and the forward engine cylinders operated on the lower pressure steam discharge from the rear cylinders (in a ship this type of engine would be known as a double expansion engine) The Big Boys and Yellowstones (the first yellowstone was built as a Mallet, double expansion engine, the rest were built as simple single expansion engines cause they produced more tractive power) There is some discussion out there in the RR world if they should be categorized as Mallets since they use simple single expansion engines.... Technically they are not Mallets cause of the engines used, to those that believe they are not, they are called "Articulated Engines" The argument runs to being a true Mallet they have to have both characteristics of the Mallet Design... But what it is an example of, ANY innovation in traction steam engines was rapidly taken and applied and tested by most of the railroads, reverse engineering was common, and the examples of engineering design are too numerous to count with many many designs considered failures... The Yellowstones (70 built for four different railroads) and Big Boys (30 built primarily for the UP) were specialized engines considered successful for the purpose they were built, and very adaptable to a number of other uses during their life.... Classic pieces of the American engineering record.... I doubt we will ever see a Yellowstone running again, but the restored UP Big Boy definitely serves to remind us of what once was....