Tag: USAAF
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FW 190 – Part Three – The Red Field Queen
That’s like a hangar queen but one they keep out in the open. This FW 190 was captured in Belgium at St. Trond (Sint Truiden ) and started life as White 11 of JG4. It was given a strong red coat of paint, USAAF markings, and a made-up registration number: OO-L as well as a…
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Junkers Ju 87 – Part Five – Temporary Transport
And apparently that was all it was. They captured this one on a Tunisian airfield when the Germans retreated, gave it a quick desert pink and grey spray job, and stencilled it for USAAF and RAF markings. Then they flew it as a unit hack – until someone wrote it off. Bad airplane? Bad pilot?…
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Curtiss Shrike – Part Two – Folding Wing Or Not?
Not. The USAAF was not concerned about squashing a dive bomber onto a deck-edge lift to strike it down to a hangar deck. They could specify a fixed wing and get a stronger one that would hold more bombs. The Dragon model company makes this kit serve several purposes – US Navy SB2C as well…
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Mitsubishi A6M – Part Three – Langley Bird
The Revell Mitsubishi Zero has been completed. It is one of those models that can be built to the standard of the kit but no further. If you look at inconvenient portions of it you can see right through it. But if you look at it from a distance, all is well. The Langley reference…
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Beech AT-11 – Part Two – Silver Wings
I was always impressed with the US Army Air Force when they decided to strip the olive drab and neutral grey off their ships and just polish the aluminum* skins and send them over Germany and Japan like that. The period reports cite a 5 knot increase in speed occasioned by a smoother outer surface…
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US Army Ambulance – Part One – A Wander Down The Armour Aisle
I rarely wander down the armour aisle at my local hobby shop – the offerings in my scale are all big hulking things that bear no relationship to my modest airfields and everything else seems to be 1:35 scale. I am envious of all the accessories that the AFV builder can draw upon for the…
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Tail Feathers
I have always been curious about anything connected to the decoration of aircraft. Look out your picture book of WWII aircraft and turn to the RAF section. Note the insignia applied to the average fighter or bomber: a. Two upper wing roundels in red and blue – in some cases quite dark but quite large.…
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Curtiss P-40 – Part Three – Ready For Alaska
It seems no time at all was needed to mbuild the new P-40’s for the Northwest Staging Route. They are already sitting on the hardstand at RCAF WET DOG jostling for space with all the other planes heading for Ladd AFB. I have taken advantage of the additional fuel tanks as ferry tanks but opted…
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North American Mitchell – Part Six – Lead Ship
The B25 Mitchell is complete – the lead ship of my Northwest Staging Route air convoy. It’s not in Soviet colours – this one will be based in Alaska for defence of the Aleutians. The USAAF basic scheme is really very simple – Olive Drab on the top and Neutral Grey on the bottom, with…
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I Don’t Think I’m Working Hard Enough At Being Lazy
I mean, procrastination starts with ” pro ” and you’ve gotta be dedicated for that, right? I’m typing this because there is a backlog in the Little Workshop – but it is a deliberate thing. I’ve been working on the A-20 Havoc, several P-39’s and a B-25 Mitchell. They’ve all got to the undercoat stage…
The Little World 