USS Thetis Bay 1944 by RGL - FINISHED - Hasegawa - 1/350 - PLASTIC

[RGL]

And some Cats 

[RGL]

So 8 Catalinas 

[lmagna]

So is that enough to qualify as a "Gaggle?"

[RGL]

Dryfit #1

[RGL]

Of the 18 hellcats I opened up the cockpits on 9, as there are 9 very obvious ones not nestling under a Cat’s wings. Trumpeter actually let’s you fold the wings up but they’re are completely incorrect requiring both the wing and wing root to have a bit a surgery using a razor saw. 

Edited January 19, 2022 by RGL

[Joe100]

That flight deck, absolutely flawless

[ccoyle]

6 hours ago, RGL said:

I opened up the cockpits

 

Wait . . . there's PE details inside the cockpits at 1/350?? Mind blown. 😮

[RGL]

Paint cue! Hard to get motivated 

[Roger Pellett]

Very nice work!   Given the ability of the World War II US aircraft industry to mass produce aircraft, I’m surprised that the Navy expended the effort to ship these planes back home.

[lmagna]

14 hours ago, RGL said:

Paint cue! Hard to get motivated 

Repetition never seems to be fun. The results are nice, the journey, not so much.

[gak1965]

1 hour ago, Roger Pellett said:

Very nice work!   Given the ability of the World War II US aircraft industry to mass produce aircraft, I’m surprised that the Navy expended the effort to ship these planes back home.

Having worked for the government, I can tell you if it has a serial number it has to be accounted for😀.

 

In any case, if I read Wikipedia right, the ship was headed in for a yard period anyway, and those planes were at worst enough aluminum for another 18 Hellcats and 8 Catalina.

Edited January 25, 2022 by gak1965

[Roger Pellett]

My father-in-law spent the war years as a US Navy Supply Corps Officer.  Most of the time spent at a landing craft repair base on Florida Island in the Solomon’s.  When the war ended he was transferred to the Charleston Naval Shipyard.  The guy that he relieved couldn’t account for 500 gallons of gasoline and of course everyone wanted to go home.  My father-in-law was a stickler for details.  50 years after the war he was still complaining about the guy and the gasoline.

[RGL]

Hellcats, three shades of blue so far, undercarriage to be painted then decals then weathering. 

[lmagna]

Are you going to weather the aircraft as well? I would think they would be in pretty sorry condition if they are being hauled out for scrap or more advanced repair than could be handled locally.

[RGL]

Yes I will, no matter how hard I try I can’t see any numbers on the aircraft and I wonder if they were painted out before disposal 

[RGL]

Decals and final base coats added. Next is weathering 

[RGL]

Now the Hell Cats are pretty much done, as is the Duck. I’ve painted the Catalinas in a 3 tone base coat which I now have to completely destroy. 

[king derelict]

Beautiful detail on such small subjects

Alan

[Canute]

Hellcats look good, as do the Catalinas. Is the Catalina scheme incorrect?

[RGL]

Not incorrect just not weathered like the reference photos 

[BANYAN]

Those planes look great Greg, a lot of detail and very neat painting for something so tiny.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[RGL]

I’m still not happy with them. I’m off to buy some enamel silver to make them more ravaged. 
 

next step in the Catalina’s, highlights and a fading 

 

the a panzer blue filter to give it some depth. 

[RGL]

References, each of the 8 cats are significantly damaged but all different, so to track they all get their own hanger for a while 

[RGL]

So when you make the photo black and white and washed out….  So more weathering to go, exhaust stains and patches. I also need to fade out the star on the top wing 

Edited February 2, 2022 by RGL

[RGL]

First 5 of the Catalinas done

[Spooky spoon]

Nice work on that plane!  

[king derelict]

The Cats look great, well worn

Alan

[Canute]

Nice fade on your Cats, Greg. Very ratty.

[Old Collingwood]

That is amazing at that scale.

 

OC.

[RGL]

Dryfit -#1 and 2