Clunkmeister

I’m all over the map, and agree on the Balvenie. I’m a sipper, and unlike almost everyone else, I take mine neat and simply sip it, savoring it. They say a bit of ice releases the undertones, but I know what I like. Everytime someone insists on On the Rocks, I wince and take one for Queen and Country. Still not used to the new one yet. Dronach is a bit chewy to me, so much so that it chews back. Waaay too much going on at once. But oddly, when I can find it, a quiet evening in front of a fire with a good Lagavulin does my constitution well. Puts me in a nice, reflective mood. Obviously, our choices are minuscule compared to yours, unless you have a man on the inside….

The Marine birds had their waist gun frames and glass completely removed from the aircraft, and a simple sheet metal wind deflector added to each side ahead of both openings to keep wind down.

Yeah I thought about that as well, but I couldn’t bring myself to bin the thing. The cost of AM alone was mind numbing, and half the stuff that I had for it is off on patrol somewhere, so I placed an RTB order to it all. I’ll give it a few days and see what shows up. It’s been packed up for a few years now, and I have a new interest in it now. So, out it comes and back at it we are. A good portion of the BS work is done, so we will just continue.

The biggest things I’d like to see are pics of the paint after continuous ops off coral and crushed shell surfaced strips. I had read that the 345th BG (Air Apaches) stopped touching up paint on their gunships and straferx dire to constant erosion.

Martin, it’s nice to be able to sit this one out and simply help. A big, big thank you!

That looks great, Carl. I always wondered what came of this build. It was headed for a beautiful finish. The issue with this kit is that you can truly burn yourself out on AM and scratchbuilding the interior. My next one will be pretty much OOB, but for decals, wheels, props, gearboxes, and a bit of cockpit stuff.

My cabinet is rather embarrasingly bare these days after burning through some of my better stuff over the Holiday season, so I’m left with bilge water. Note to self: anke a trip to your favorite Scottish Whiskey store tomorrow. I also don’t keep any of that hideous swill the Irish mistakenly refer to as whiskey (must be Gaelic for piss) within 100 yards of my home. Not a Bourbon drinker either, which is surprising given my love of fermented corn products, but I do keep bottle of delightful Knob Creek in my cabinet at all times. Plus a couple bottles of real Canadian rye whiskey. I’m slipping, I know. Ever since Martin and I destroyed ourselves on Johnnie Walker black label, my standards have generally gone up. I have a batch of corn fermenting right now, so I’ll be good again soon, as soon as it’s ready and I can get to cooking. 😀 Then I’ll probably go six months and not take even a taste Odd….

A man with good taste is always a very, very good thing.

Javelin marks look really cool on T-90s

I've built multiples of these kits, and they always went together well for me. I'm sad to hear yours had "it's moments", but the end result sure is with it!

I'd have loved to have seen these fly more. They were downright brutal machines, and twin Avons with the reheat lit? Good Bloody Night!

The H and J used a suspended gun system for the waist guns, so I'm trying to figure out how to replicate that.

More of a Glenmorangie guy myself.

Yep. We saw them as the enemy, but they were just young men like ouir guys doing their job. I can think of no worse way to go... I'm really looking forward to see what uou do with this.. E

That’s a 100% true statement.

Guy, you know if there was ONE guy who would bite……. It would be me. 🤣 With more range, I expect Canada would have bought them. But they needed a along range interceptor, of which the Voodoo was perfect. Ive Never, ever seen a better climber. Straight up and accelerating,…. Decades ago.

But it doesn’t look like a ruptured duck trundling to the threshold. I know what that looks like because I walk like that with my busted knees

An awesome build! I've wanted to do some of these 1/72 boats, but never really got there. That drowning wolf picture.... I can't take my eyes off it. Thinking of the few guys most likely trapped in what will very quickly become their own steel coffin, courtesy of the Royal Navy. War IS hell.

Great subject, although the twin boom version certainly has it's own sexiness, doesn't look like a pregnant MiG-21 on the ground, and as far as the twin boom version goes, it isn't bingo fuel 5 minutes out, or have an actual fuel emergency 10 minutes after a max performance takeoff. At least it’s at 140000 ft or so, so it can at least have one high speed gliding attack before having to RTB 💀 They were thirsty buggers with precious little space to carry internal fuel, but one of the best point Defense fighter interceptors ever produced, anywhere, by anyone. Ever But yes, all ribbing aside, I LOVE the big EE version. I've seen a few of these take off, and all I can say is that at the time, there was literally nothing that could climb and accelerate while vertical like they could. Plus the noise from those two engines was positively mind numbing and reached to your soul. Do it justice, Guy. These big birds made an absolute lasting impression on this soldier. And thanks to you, I’ll probably now need to haul mine out and build the bloody thing. As if I don’t have enough make work projects…. 👊

2023 has been one seriously amazing year for 1/32 and larger scales. I'm NOT much of a 48 modeler, although I have a few, simply because they're not available to scratchbuild. And to think that just a very few years ago, folks were crying that 1/32 was dead because Tamiya started releasing more 1/48. Just think of this: Only a couple decades ago, other than Tamiya starting out with some big jets, and Hasegawa with some jems, the only truly accurate newer 1/32 kits we had that were made for the serious scale modeler were kits like the Rutman P-47s and P-51b. They needed loving care, and even a bit of scratchbuilding, but they sure built into some seriously nice aircraft. Now,... we're spoiled and screaming for more. Not one, but 2 Companies making super accurate Lancaster bombers in several variations, Mosquitoes, B-17s, A-20s. B-25s, Ju 88s, He 111s, PBY-5a, a freaking DC-3, and just about every WW1 and WW2 fighter you can name except a Marauder. Then of course is a B-24. A beautiful, if simple model, but except for the wing shoulder and wing airfoil, does look the part, and, wityh a liberal application of AM, is easily built into a stunning model. Then there's AM. The rise of Eastern Europe with 80 years of pent up pressure to join the world, brought forth an explosion of AM manufacturers, making anything and everything to enhance a kit and take it to the next level. Chechia, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Rumania, Ukraine, Russia and many more have huge AM industries, and now several quality manufacturers making accurate and precise kits. I'm LOVING it!

The other fuselage half is bare. Ooooh joy.

Resin parafrags.

VMB-613 got a late start in the war, and was issued the fearsome Mitchel gunship, complete with the 75mm cannon and a multitude of .50 caliber guns pointed every which way. Once in Service, it became apparent that targets for the big gun had become quite few and far between, and many of the big guns were removed, and several extra forward facing 50s installed in its place. The cheek package guns were soon removed, as well, as it was found that their vibration tended to break things in the airframe. These aircraft ranged far and wide, attacking targets of opportunity and wrecking troop and airfield facilities with parafrag bomblets. Eventually, the top turret was removed to carry extra fuel as well. Those of you may remember this being started by me years back. It powered down, due to the insanity of my use of much PE, and framing up the interior. The model is roughly 10% complete, and my pics show what has been accomplished to date. I may revisit the jump seat. I need to check references. Note: these were single pilot aircraft, and under the copilot’s panel sat the radar set for the wingtip mounted antenna.

I think you’re good to go in Europe, so start a build thread and have at it!

I’m liking it! I have this ready to go, with only slight work done…. Its sat for years and has quite a bit of hanga rash, so this’ll need to be revisited a bit.