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Playing in the Sandbox Group Build Sept 1, 2024 - Jn 1, 2025

Marine Mud Mover: PBJ-1H Gun Ship “Love Bug” VMB-613 in early 1945


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20 hours ago, GusMac said:

Nice collection Carl. The Macallan seems to be popular in Canada, well I know it was Neil Peart's favourite. 

We were in Orkney last August and went to the Highland Park distillery which did a really good tour and tasting. 

Three friends and I went to my Absent Friend Rick’s place today with our wives, and toasted his memory with his Widow.

We took a bottle of my Balvenie and finished it.  We had cracked it a year ago last New Year, and raised a glass from it every Saturday until the week before he passed.  He left us a year ago tomorrow.

It was a fitting memorial to absent friends.  Then, his Widow started in on his love of fine Scottish whiskeys and how he appreciated how I would bring something new over that he had to try, and how he’d either hate it so much he’d throw a boot at me (true story), at that particular moment in time I had snuck a particularly hideous low budget blended Irish swill that I had into a fancy bottle and set him up for the big shock.  He coughed it up through his nose, not sure it ever made it down, got up, cursing the day I was made, grabbed the bottle and physically dumped the entire contents down the kitchen sink drain.  I was doubled over laughing when he threw one of his jungle boots at me, he missed, and then he started laughing too.  He then informed me I was headed straight to hell.  
For the next several visits,, he made me take a sip of everything first. 😀😀😀.  A big let down for a guy who was expecting a fine Scotch. 
And, then there were all the other times where he’d run out to the better liquor stores looking for, and purchasing what he had just tried.  
 

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Sue's dad one time had a bottle of Lagavulin where the cork broke. So he found an empty sherry bottle and poured it in there instead. Except he didn't tell Sue's mom. So when she made a trifle and went to add some sherry to it, she ended up pouring in the Lagavulin. 

It was quite the surprise for everyone that had it. It certainly wasn't the flavour we were expecting. 

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20 hours ago, BlrwestSiR said:

Sue's dad one time had a bottle of Lagavulin where the cork broke. So he found an empty sherry bottle and poured it in there instead. Except he didn't tell Sue's mom. So when she made a trifle and went to add some sherry to it, she ended up pouring in the Lagavulin. 

It was quite the surprise for everyone that had it. It certainly wasn't the flavour we were expecting. 

Glayva or Drambuie are nice in a trifle, the sweetness takes the edge off them so it goes down nicely. My wife's special trifle has Amaretto biscuits and Drambuie which is really nice as a combination

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On 2/1/2024 at 8:29 AM, Martinnfb said:

And what about the Mitchel ? :)

 

Patience, Grasshopper.  This needs to be finished, as we have a mystery project up and coming after this one is complete.  But the big Mud Mover is coming to life.  Picked up some IJN green and IJA green to use as bronze greens for the interior

 

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A bit of an update.  Some basic interior frames done.  Sorry for the darkness.  It’ll get some lightening washes, dust, wear, and wiring.  Every single solitary bit of which will be forever invisible in a week from now. 

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24 minutes ago, BlrwestSiR said:

Fuselage interior looks good Ernie. I see you didn't bother with the cabin heater. Something that probably wasn't needed in the South Pacific. 

 

Yes. Cabin heaters and waist windows were removed by the VMB-613 in the field.  613 was apparently the only Marine unit to operate the gunship.  Removing all unneeded weight allowed precious extra gasoline for long missions overwater. 

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1 hour ago, Martinnfb said:

Not much is going to be visible once the fuselage is closed. 
missing wingtip means business, me likey. :)

Wingtips are always the first thing wiped out by a pilot.  By a measure of about 1000 to 1. That’s why they are always removable and stocked by the dozens by any decent parts house.   Tips or vertical surface are a distant second. 

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23 minutes ago, Vandy1 VX-4 said:

 Hello Ernie  

Who made the radar pod?  Was that a Lone Star Radar Pod? 
 

She is looking great 

It’s actually a Profimodeler set. Or should I say, several sets. You can buy them direct or from Hannants. 

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  • Clunkmeister changed the title to Marine Mud Mover: PBJ-1H Gin Ship “Love Bug” VMB-613 in early 1945
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In Feb, 1945, Love Bug went in hard after being hit by concentrated ground fire from a single Japanese defensive placement while clearing the target on Ponape.  They had no chance, as was stated by all who witnessed it.  After crashing and exploding, a single 500lb bomb detonated onboard. The wreck was cordoned off by Japanese defenders, the crew removed and buried together in a marked grave that read “to the brave American fliers”.   Any remaining bombs were defused at the scene and the parts left in place.  The wreck is all but unrecognizable as a PBJ.

As a result, to honor this ship and her crew, I will change the load to four 500lb GP bombs. 

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  • Clunkmeister changed the title to Marine Mud Mover: PBJ-1H Gun Ship “Love Bug” VMB-613 in early 1945
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39 minutes ago, CANicoll said:

Wow, fascinating history, thanks for sharing, Ernie.  Brings the model to life.

Like the vast majority of gunship and strafer shoot downs over the target, it all started with a blown approach due to weather.  Hindsight is 20/20, but a steep turn at altitude dictated by lack of viz blows their surprise and the gunners are wide awake.

Strafing by bombers was always incredibly successful and devastating, IF they came in low, fast, and with every single gun blazing, dropped 250 lb bombs with delay fuses, they more often than not would never need to return.  Ever.

But cruising around up high to stay out of the soup and then looking for a break in the cloud, always ended up with at least one kite getting shot to crap.

I highly recommend reading “Air Apaches”.  It’s a true history of the 345th BG in the PTO.  “Warpath across the Pacific “ is as good also.

They’ll curdle your blood when you read how, almost every time there were casualties on target, bad approaches started it happening.

The 612th and 613th had 3 years of AAF Ops doctrine to guide them, which they usually used  

 

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