Articles/Reviews

McLaren MP44 1988 Meng Models #RS-004 12th scale 900a

November 13, 2023

Interesting New Kits

Casey Rupley (webmaster) Articles/Reviews

Here are some interesting new kits, as covered by The Modelling News website.

McLaren Mp4/4 1988

Meng
1/12th scale

Meng have made another pressing of their new 1988 F1 Championship vehicle from McLaren, the MP4/4 in 1/12th scale. This one is a little different however, as it comes pre-coloured plastic with no need to paint (unless you want to that is).
http://www.meng-model.com/en/contents/59/581.html
https://www.themodellingnews.com/2023/11/mengs-new-mclaren-mp44-1988-comes-in.html?m=1

A-20J/K Havoc / Boston Mk.IV

HK
1/32nd scale
Hong Kong Models are going for the glass-nosed Boston MK. IV / A-20J/K Havoc in their latest 32nd scale release.
https://www.hk-models.com/
https://www.themodellingnews.com/2023/11/hk-models-new-132-boston-mk-iv-20jk.html?m=1

Tiger I

Takom
1/16th scale

Takom adds more Tiger with a “Big Box” combo & 16th scale Otto Carius.
https://www.themodellingnews.com/2023/11/takom-adds-more-tiger-with-big-box.html

Messerschmitt Me410A-1/U2 & U4

Airfix
1/72th scale
https://www.themodellingnews.com/2023/11/always-good-for-new-aircraft-release.html

November 3, 2023

This article meets Casey’s challenge – sort of – in the intro to his October 2023 ASM Newsletter, inspired by the recent Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Casey’s challenge was for anyone to provide pictures of their built kit-of an Albatros D.III, Albatros D.V, Fokker D.VII, or Pfalz D.III in the markings of a Balloon-Busting Ace. Casey’s particular German aircraft types were included in Print Scale’s “Balloon-Busting Aces of WWI Part 1 – Germany” decal sheet (72-227).

I say “sort of” because I did not build a German “balloon-buster” kit, but I did build another famous “balloon busting ace” that is on Print Scale’s “Balloon-Busting Aces of WWI Part 3 – Belgium, USA, and British Empire” decal sheet (72-226). The ace’s scheme that I built was 2Lt Frank Luke, the “Arizona Balloon Buster.” Although I must confess that I built Luke’s SPAD XIII “Black 26” whereas that Print Scale sheet includes his “Black 21.” Luke went through four or five SPADs in his brief but spectacular career with the 27th Aero Squadron.

So – to complete the challenge, I present a previously submitted article from April 2018 on Frank Luke, Junior and the build of his SPAD XIII, with some updates to make it current.

2nd Lieutenant Frank Luke is known as “the Arizona Balloon Buster.” He is the 2nd-ranking American ace who was in the U.S. Air Service in WW I. He is the 18th ranking Air Force ace (tie) and 23rd ranking American ace (tie). Luke was assigned to the 27th Aero Squadron in July 1918. Luke was a controversial and aggressive “lone wolf” pilot who disregarded orders and was known to break formation. But for his flying skills, success at attacking balloons, and a forgiving commanding officer, he would have been transferred out of the unit. Luke scored 18 victories in 10 days between the 12th and 29th of September (he was sent on leave on the 20th through 27th). Of these victories, 4 were aircraft and 14 were balloons that were heavily defended by both AAA and aircraft. During this short period Luke scored 5 victories on 18 September in a 30 minute period (3 aircraft and 2 balloons); had two “triples” on 15 and 29 September (all balloons); and had three “doubles” on 14, 16, and 18 September (5 balloons and 1 aircraft). Many of these missions were flown with his friend Lieutenant Joseph Wehner (6 victories) who flew cover while Luke attacked the balloons, much like Don Gentile and John Godfrey in World War II. Wehner is shown in the far right picture below. Wehner was shot down and killed during the 18 September mission. Of note, Luke brought back five SPADs damaged beyond repair. Luke’s last mission occurred on 29 September after he had been grounded by his squadron commander for insubordination. Luke disregarded the order and took off anyway, receiving after-the-fact tacit approval by the group commander. Luke was killed in action during this mission where he downed 3 balloons near Avocourt, France. In this action he was wounded and his SPAD disabled by ground fire. He crash-landed near Murvaux, after strafing troops in the town. There is controversy about what occurred after he crash-landed and was approached by German troops. It is likely that he was in a state of shock from his mortal wound when (or if) he fired at the troops and that he probably died from loss of blood. Luke was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions, the only pursuit pilot to win the award during the war. He was also awarded the DFC with one oak leaf cluster and the Italian Croix de Guerre. Luke, 21 years old, was posthumously promoted to 1st Lieutenant. Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Arizona is named in his honor.

SPAD S.XIII Model Build

The model of Luke’s SPAD S.XIII, serial S15202, black 26, of the 27th Aero Squadron “Fighting Eagles” depicts his aircraft in Rembercourt, France in September, 2018. This 1/72 scale model is the Revell SPAD XIII kit from the 1960’s, and was built in October 1998. It is finished in Model Master colors. This kit has been reissued many times over the years and some have included Luke’s markings. The markings used, however, are from an aftermarket decal sheet (Pete’s Decals 72-08) that was the best decals available in 1998, but it is likely no longer available. Print Scale has two 1/72 decal sheets: 72-046 “SPAD VII to SPAD XVII Fighters” with Black 26 and 72-226 “Balloon-Busting Aces of WWI Part 3 – Belgium, USA, and British Empire” with Black 21; and one 1/48 sheet 48-047 “SPAD VII to SPAD XVII Fighters” with Black 26. This kit is an easy build–besides mounting the wings–and looks fairly good. It has no interior, so a seat, seat belts, instrument panel, control stick, and windshield were all built. Aircraft rigging wires were added using stretched sprue, which is a total pain in 1/72 scale, especially on a SPAD, which has about 30 wires. The Eduard SPAD XIII Profipack kit in 1/72 scale and the Weekend Edition in 1/48 scale both include Luke’s markings.

Of note, there are four American aces that served only in the Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force during WW I who scored between 20 and 18 victories (Frederick Gillet with 20, Wilfred Beaver with 19, Harold Kullberg with 19, and William Lambert with 18), only behind Edward Rickenbacker’s score of 26. These aces are virtually unknown to the American public. Models of these aces are in my planning.

Sources:

USAS 1st Pursuit Group by Jon Guttman, Osprey Publishing Aviation Elite Units #28, 2008

American Aces of World War I by Norman Franks, Osprey Aircraft of the Aces #42, 2001

U.S. Air Service Victory Credits World War I, USAF Historical Study No. 133, Historical Research Division, Aerospace Studies Institute, Air University. June 1969

November 1, 2023

Cherry Hills Library Display (updated)

Casey Rupley (webmaster) Articles/Reviews, Community

(originally posted content from October 4)

The ASM WWI model display has been installed at the Cherry Hills branch of Albuquerque Public Library.

Special thanks to Don Gatewood, Jim Coatney, Scott Jaworski, and John Tate for making it happen.

Don Gatewood will be giving a special presentation on “The Art and Craft of Scale Modeling” at the library on Saturday, October 28, from 11:00 a.m. — 12:30 p.m.

(new content from November 1)

ASM Members Don Gatewood and Dave Tingley gave a public presentation at the Cherry Hills Branch of the Albuquerque Public Library on October 28th, 2023 on scale modeling and WWI. In attendance were ASM members Jim Coatney, Michael Howell and John Tate, as well as Jim and Don’s wives and other members of the public. The meeting was well-attended and the room well-suited to the presentation.

Dave Tingley gave an entertaining talk on the basics of scale modeling and caught the interest of potential junior modelers in our hobby. Don Gatewood gave a reprise of his April 2023 talk on WWI aviation which was just as interesting as his club presentation. Both presentations were a success and well-represented ASM.

This ASM model display and presentation set a good example of how even small-scale ASM activities can generate public interest in our club and hobby and are worth pursuing. If ASM members become aware of similar presentation opportunities in the future please pass along the information to the E-Board.

October 27, 2023

Dem Brudders cover airliner modeling

Casey Rupley (webmaster) Articles/Reviews, Uncategorized

Dem Brudders, better known as Bill and Dick Engar from Utah, posted a fun article on modelling airliners with a focus on the Revell DC-10 kit on their website (https://www.dembrudders.com/revell-1144-dc-10–kc-10-kit-history.html). Here is an excerpt:

DOUGLAS AIRCRAFT REVOLUTIONIZED AIR TRAVEL WITH ITS DC-3. IT TOOK ON BOEING DURING THE JET AGE WITH THE EXCELLENT DC-8. THE DC-10 WAS ITS STAR-CROSSED SUCCESSOR. JOIN US AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE REVELL DC-10 KIT AND FOLLOW ITS EVOLUTION THROUGH THE LIFETIME OF THE DC-10 AIRLINER.

…

Revell released an early DC-10 in 1972, a year after the airplane was introduced into domestic service on high-volume routes by American Airlines. By the early 1970’s, Revell’s new models didn’t have the same level of intricate detailing that made them legendary from the 1950’s, but the upside to this was that the DC-10 kit wasn’t encrusted with oversized rivets. The kit had open windows with clear strips intended to be glued inside the fuselage before closing it up. This seemed to be a bit of an engineering shortcut compared to their 747 kits, which had clear window segments molded to fit flush with the fuselage. Still, the DC-10 built into an impressive, reasonably accurate model that wasn’t at all hard to build.

Airfix also released a DC-10 kit in 1/144 scale, although it took them until 1980 to do it. My personal preference is the Revell plastic since the kit has the characteristic reinforcement strips across the rear stabilizer and engine. Of course these could be added to the Airfix kit without a whole lot of effort if the modeler so wishes. The Airfix DC-10 was also released by American manufacturer MPC in American Airlines’ livery circa 1982.

American Airlines was the launch customer for the DC-10, eventually acquiring 55 DC-10’s, yet Revell chose Delta decals to include with the first release of the model kit in 1972. The Revell DC-10 “Airbus” debuted in Delta’s legendary “Widget” livery. The model depicted early GE CF6 engines with a bifurcated tail-cone. Apparently this divider was a hot-stream split thrust reverser that didn’t work very well and was soon removed from all early DC-10’s. Interestingly, Delta was better known for its use of Lockheed’s competing L1011 with 70 of these aircraft eventually in use. Originally, Delta took delivery of 5 DC-10’s, which were only purchased as a stopgap anticipating delivery of the delayed L1011. Delta later picked up 12 DC-10’s from their merger with Delta in 1987 but these aircraft were quickly passed on to other airlines once the merger was complete.

October 27, 2023

New Italeri Releases

Casey Rupley (webmaster) Articles/Reviews

Italeri have four releases for October 2023, as covered by The Modelling News website. (https://www.themodellingnews.com/2023/10/preview-italeris-october-releases-in.html)

Hurricane Mk. IIC

1/48th scale

6 marking choices in the box

https://www.italeri.com/en/product/3106

Battle of Normandy Sainte-Mère-Eglise 6 June 1944

1/72nd scale
https://www.italeri.com/en/product/3105

MAN 26.321 Formel Six

1/24th scale

8 marking choices in the box
https://www.italeri.com/en/product/1948

Lancia Delta HF Integrale 16V San Remo 1989

1/12th scale
https://www.italeri.com/en/article/827

September 30, 2023

Support Your Community with Model Displays

Mike Blohm Articles/Reviews

Support Your Community with Model Displays

By Michael R. Blohm

IPMS Albuquerque Scale Modelers

Note: This article was published in the IPMS USA Journal, May/June 2023 – Volume 35, Number 03

One way an IPMS/USA Chapter can promote the hobby of scale modeling and make an outreach for new members is to conduct club model displays at civic events, conventions, museums, or shows in your community. This article provides some ideas and suggestions that might help your club with conducting a model display in your community, and some examples of what the IPMS Albuquerque Scale Modelers (ASM) club has done.

Ideas on Getting Started

There may be events in your community that lend themselves to a model display of some kind. You need to keep your eyes peeled at the newspaper or internet (conventions and events pages) to see what is going on in your area and to make plans far enough ahead of time with the organizations. Your club members might belong to other groups that may want a display. You might expand your search outside your immediate locale. There may be an event further away that would love to have a model display. Based upon what the event is, you need to scope out what a display could be. Some, like a comic or science fiction convention, are obvious. Veteran museums may enjoy a permanent or rotating display. If your city does Veterans Day or Memorial Day events, see if they would like several tables of models to support it. You can tie in “anniversaries” as well. Almost every year is a player for something that your club has models available for. Some examples in 2019 were the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing and the 75th anniversaries of D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. 2020 included the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War. 2022 was the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force (USAF). Other venues to consider include local museums, city hall, libraries, schools, and Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Girl Scout events. Note that there is a “Model Maker” Scout Activity Badge. Members of your club may have children in the Scouts and they are a great connection to get that set up. Make & Takes are also a player with the Scout groups. You could also work those in at a convention if you advertise set times. Another venue that you might consider is a state or county fair. A display here might be a weekend display, or maybe your club could sponsor and conduct a model contest for the fair, if they don’t already have that competition in the arts and crafts area. If they already do, then you might talk to the organizers about helping them with the model registrations and judging. They would likely welcome the help. This is a great way to have an annual connection with the community with a combination contest and display.

Proposing Your Display and Themes

Have some “display themes” in mind when you approach an organization. What is the theme of their event? What can your club provide that would enhance their event? For some themes, you may need to have club members build outside their normal modeling areas. A club contest with the theme of the event is a good way to encourage members to participate. Get that included on your club’s schedule. Your supported organization might throw in some plaques or items that you could use as contest prizes. When you approach the organization with your display proposal, have some pictures of previous displays that you have done. If you haven’t done any, then some shots of one of your club model contests would be okay. Make sure that you point out that your display is “free” and that you are not trying to sell anything. That can relieve concerns the organization might have about your club. If your display is supporting an event that requires an admission cost to get into, then it should be discussed that the club members supporting the display get free admission, parking, etc. If the venue is large, consider the best places to drop off and pick up the models. Have a plan for getting the models into the venue to your display location—how many folks do you need and are there carts available, or do you need to bring your own fold-up carts. Another consideration is the security of the models. Locked cases are a must for anything where club members are not manning a real-time display. An example might be display cases in a library event that is running several weeks. If you have display tables at a multi-day convention, what kind of overnight security do they have for all the vendors and displays at the event? Are the rooms locked and the hallways patrolled?

Tools for Your Display

On the display itself you need to do more than just place the models on the tables. Little note cards describing what the model is and how it fits into the theme of the event are a must. It will take some effort to create these at first, but the cards will be reusable at future events. Be sure to “capture” all of them after the event for future use so you don’t have to print and cut them out over and over again. You might want to build some “What is Scale Modeling?” charts or cards to use with your display. Those, plus some models of the same subject—for example a P-51 Mustang—in different scales, are great starters/references to use to talk about “scale modeling.” You should also build a “What’s in the Model Kit Box” demonstration tool that goes with your display. Take a small 1/72 scale kit—we used a P‑51—and tape the sprues, decals, and instructions to yellow card stock to make them stand out, and place them beside the model box and the same built kit. This tool never fails to engage people on what a model really is. Pictures of the demo tool and “What is Scale Modeling?” cards are included below. And last, but not least, have a club sign or banner and some club promotional material like flyers available in a nice plastic stand/holder for anyone interested in scale modeling to pick up. Include your club logo and website address or Facebook page if you have one—include a Quick Response (QR) code to your site—or other contact info on the flyer, and when and where your club meetings occur. Don’t forget to include the IPMS/USA logo and some information on the IPMS/USA organization as well. Consider building some small stand-up fiberboard signs with your club’s name and the QR code to post within the display. You might also bring some business cards to your local hobby shops, if they are okay with that. Those are handy when you get asked “Are there any hobby shops around here?” Bottomline here is that event attendees need a way to remember who you are for when they are planning their own events at a later time, or decide they might want to attend one of your club meetings. Take pictures of your display to use in your future proposals with other groups. You will also need those pictures for the next time you talk with the same group—they may have new or different POCs running the event and they do not know who your club is.

Past ASM Club Displays and Some Ideas to Pursue

To give you some ideas, here are some examples of what the Albuquerque Scale Modelers Club has been able to do over the last several years, showing how one effort can lead to other opportunities and multiply. While the COVID pandemic interrupted our activities due to canceled and postponed events in 2020, we were able to pick up again in late 2021. ASM is fortunate to be in a city that has a wide variety of organizations and events and numerous opportunities that could incorporate a model display. Pictures are included below showing some of these display events. ASM has sponsored the model contest at the New Mexico State Fair for about 50 years. Beginning in 2009, ASM started adding “display only” models by club members into empty case space. We picked a new theme each year, including anniversary themes when a prominent one occurred. These have included the start and end years of both World Wars I and II, the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, the 40th anniversary of Star Wars in 2017, and the Korean War (1950-1953) in 2021. Star Wars was a highly popular display with 35 models filling two cases. Our 2022 display was “Battles in the Pacific – 1942 (80th Anniversary).” We started incorporating our state fair display theme as one of our monthly contests to encourage members to build for the upcoming display.

Our 2018 State Fair display was seen by the curator at the Albuquerque Cultural Center and we were invited to put on a month-long display there in February 2019. Our theme for that display was “What is Scale Modeling?” and we filled three cases with models. We also conducted a Make & Take during that event. In 1997 we approached the National Atomic Museum about their participation in a Kirtland Air Force Base-wide “Air Force 50th Anniversary (1947-1997)” model display by ASM that rotated different displays across four different base organizations/facilities. This led to a World War II display with 80 models that ran at the National Atomic Museum for 12 years. In 2012 we approached the Albuquerque Comic Expo (ACE) organizers and asked if they would like a comic/science fiction/fantasy model display as part of their show. This led to a popular and fun run of three huge displays from 2012 to 2014 with an average of 132 models. The attendees loved the models and we learned that there are a lot of closet sci-fi modelers out there. We conducted “celebrity voting” by the costumed attendees to determine their favorite models, which was a lot of fun and increased interaction with the public. We gave awards to our winning club members at a later meeting. We also ran Make & Takes at those events to get the kids involved (and some adults, too!). We are trying to connect with another comic con here in Albuquerque to continue the displays. These conventions are a great way to promote the hobby and are tons of fun.

In 2017 we reached out to the New Mexico Chapter of the Folds of Honor organization to see if they would like to have a model display supporting their Patriots Gala charity fund-raising event. Folds of Honor provides scholarships and other assistance to the spouses and children of soldiers killed or disabled in service to our country. They did, and we subsequently put on displays of equipment used by all the U.S. Services with 40 models in 2017, 81 models in 2018, and 102 in 2022. We had a good time interacting with the attendees, most of which were veterans that enjoyed seeing models of what they had served in. Unfortunately, COVID canceled the 2020 and 2021 events. Auctions are conducted during the event, and we built and contributed models for their auctions. In 2018 this included two 1/48-scale F-16C models with the markings of the local Air National Guard 154th Fighter Squadron “Tacos” that sold for $475. We also contributed a 1/48-scale A‑10 model in 2019 and that sold for $150, and a 1/48-scale F-35A that sold for $40. Offering to provide a model for an auction is another good way to approach an organization about putting on a display. We now have a continuing relationship with Folds of Honor and plan to put on displays each year. If you have a charity organization like this in your area, they would likely welcome your club’s participation., and your club members probably have a lot of models that could be displayed.

In 2018 we inquired if the annual U.S. Air Force Anniversary Ball at Kirtland AFB would like a “History of the USAF 1947 to Present” model display at the event, which celebrates the anniversary of the USAF becoming an independent Service on September 18, 1947. They did, and it went very well with 74 models on 4 tables. They were happy to have us back in 2019. The event was also celebrating the 75th anniversary of D-Day, which just happened to be one of our club contests that year, and we fielded 76 total models covering the USAF and D-Day themes. The 2020 event was canceled but ASM conducted another display in 2021, again with 76 total models that included the USAF and 71st anniversary of the Korean War themes. We were thanked by base leadership for having a great display that provided a visual reminder and focus on the mission of the Air Force. In 2022 we put on a display to help celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the USAF that included 83 models. We held a club contest with the USAF 75th theme prior to the event to encourage the build of some subjects that we were lacking. The base wing commander spent a lot of time with us discussing the display and the hobby of scale modeling, and invited us back for 2023. The takeaway here is that if you put on a good display that supports the theme of an event, then your club will get invited back.

If you have a Veterans Memorial or museum in your city or area, give them a call or send them an E‑Mail. They may not need something now, but check back occasionally, especially if an anniversary is coming up. Give them lead time to work you into their plans. When our World War II display at the National Atomic Museum ended when they moved to a new facility, we asked the New Mexico Veterans Memorial if they would be interested in a display. They were, and that led to a long-running display of models for two years. The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History (formerly the National Atomic Museum) conducted a 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing event in July-August 2019. They are affiliated with the Smithsonian and all these museums were planning to concurrently show the movie “The Day We Walked on the Moon” on July 20th. I am on their E-mail list from our previous involvement with the museum. When I read that they were having this event and were also going to display some Apollo-related artifacts, I contacted them to see if they would like a “Man in Space” model display to support it. They did, so we pulled together a display of 16 models on the history of U.S. space exploration with a focus on the Apollo Program. We were told that it was very well received by the museum visitors, and we also got some coverage by the local TV stations. The display was shown at the museum for about two months. The museum director was happy to have our club’s models back in the museum, and we plan to support future museum events.

If you have an air show anywhere near your location, you should make the effort to connect with the organizers and give it a shot. You would likely drive several hours to attend one, so why not bring your models along, too? Kirtland AFB has an air show every three to four years and we have made sure that we get included as one of the exhibitor organizations at the event. These are always fun and are probably where we get the most looks at our models and the opportunity to talk about the hobby and our club with the public. At the 2019 “Air and Space Fiesta” airshow we were located in a small hangar adjacent to the aircraft on the flight line that had all the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) displays. We probably had 30,000 people come by our tables. We had 77 models across 5 tables manned by 7 members. In scenarios like this, you need to have enough folks to talk to the public and also watch for the little kids (and some adults, too) who will want to “touch” the models. Some stanchions, ropes and “do not touch” signs might be helpful. Try not to have the models too close to the edges of the tables, and anything with propellers, including helicopters, should be further back.

So, to sum this up: model displays are a great way to spread the word on the hobby of scale modeling and to simultaneously make an outreach for new members. People think models are cool and appreciate seeing them and learning something new. Start small and then go big—the word will get out and organizations might seek you out. Put on a good informative and professional display that contributes to their event, and you will be invited back and perhaps become part of an annual event. It takes some work and organizing at first, but after a few events you will find it easy to put them on, and they can also be a lot of fun. You might have some visitors who are model builders looking for a club where they can improve their modeling skills and have fun with some like-minded people. ASM has gained a lot of new members in this manner. Hopefully this article has provided some ideas and inspiration for your club to plan and conduct some model displays in your own community. To see more information on ASM’s many displays and additional pictures please visit the ASM Website’s “Community” webpage available at: https://abqscalemodelers.com/

A special thanks to Joe Walters, long-time ASM Newsletter Editor, for his editorial assistance with this article.

Member Profile Info:

MICHAEL BLOHM

Michael is a long-time member of the Albuquerque Scale Modelers and has organized and conducted ASM model displays since 1997 as a member of the club’s Executive Board. He has served as club president, vice president, and contest director. He was also the club’s webmaster for 19 years, where he won multiple IPMS Region 10 webmaster of the year awards, and twice won the IPMS/USA Ralph Forehand Website of the Year Award in 2011-2012 and 2015-2016. Mike graduated from the USAF Academy in 1973 and is a retired Lieutenant Colonel. He flew the F-4 Phantom II for 16 years and was an instructor at the USAF Fighter Weapons School. He primarily builds 1/72 scale models of American aces for his Aces Gallery Model Display at the USAF Academy, but also builds science fiction and real space subjects and models for the club’s displays. He joined IPMS in 1976.

September 24, 2023

Fouga Magister

John Tate Articles/Reviews

Although part of the EAA “Land of Enchantment Fly-In,” this plane deserves it’s own article. This jet, a Fouga Magister, has a lot of wear and grime you don’t usually see on an airshow plane. It’s a 1960s French jet trainer that saw action in brushfire conflicts in places like Africa, Central America and the Middle East during the Cold War. Good fodder for scale model weathering!

September 24, 2023

Land of Enchantment Fly-in

John Tate Articles/Reviews

Saturday, 9/23/23, was Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 179’s “Land of Enchantment Fly-in” at the Double Eagle II Airport in Albuquerque. Here are images I took of warbirds and other aircraft present, as well as the Cavalcade of Wings table in the display hangar, staffed by ASM’s Michael Howell.

John Tate

September 23, 2023

New Images of Famed Carriers Lost in the Battle of Midway

Casey Rupley (webmaster) Articles/Reviews

Excerpt from US Naval Institute.

“During over 43 hours at depth [using remotely operated vehicles], we methodically circumnavigated these historic wrecks, bringing to light many features in great detail, including their armament, battle, and sinking-related damage,” Daniel Wagner, the trust’s chief scientist, said in a statement.
“Many antiaircraft guns were still pointing up, providing clues about the final moments on these iconic ships.”

The ROVS, launched from Exploration Vessel Nautilus, provided images for the first time of IJN Akagi and the first detailed views of Yorktown. The three wrecks – the third carrier was IJN Kaga – were explored within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM), the largest protected area in the United States and one of the largest in the world. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

James Delgado, senior vice president for SEARCH Inc. and involved in the planning for this mission, told USNI News, ”Several of us had advanced a return to Midway as the previous work had been limited by technology as this is at the extreme limit of capacity for work at these depths (18,000 feet). Equipment failures with ROVs had limited the time spent in assessing Yorktown in 1998 and Kaga in 2019, and Akagi had been sonar mapped but not dived. We also took this opportunity to continue mapping to see if we could find the other wrecks.”

Ocean Exploration Trust used their remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Atalanta to examine the wrecks as part of the Ala ʻAumoana Kai Uli expedition.

“The surveys were as comprehensive as we could make them; detailed, slow methodical documentation of each hull, at the mudline and at higher elevations, over the flight decks, and detailed assessment where we could get in closer; we assessed battle damage, evidence of other actions (such as the crew’s fight to save USS Yorktown) as well as what happened with the sinking of each carrier,” said Delgado. “We also assessed where we could, especially with Kaga, large pieces of debris that came off the hull as the carrier fell through the water and impacted on the seabed. The 16–19 hour watches we did, without sleep, mean that going back to the videos will likely reveal additional details.”

September 23, 2023

1970s Models of the Mideast Conflict

John Tate Articles/Reviews

With the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, it’s worth a look back to see what the hobby offered around that time for modelers interested in replicating the conflict for their display shelves. In terms of military equipment, the Yom Kippur War was a showdown between U.S. and Soviet war machines and a number of these were available in kit form. But scale modeling in the 1970s was very much a case of the box art looking better than the kit, so no matter the subject, a modeler had his work cut out for him when he started cutting sprue.

In that era, the hobby was taking its first steps from toy towards replica and despite a growing number of adult enthusiasts, manufacturers still focused on younger modelers. So often a model was engineered with simplicity in mind with details and accuracy taking a back seat to ease of construction. Most kits from that era were just basic shapes, consisting of airframe parts, landing gear, a few missiles or bombs and a rudimentary cockpit seat and pilot; it was up to the modeler to turn that into a representation of the real thing. Quite a bit of work was involved, with sanding, puttying, shimming, carving and accurizing taking up most of a modeler’s time. Aftermarket resin parts and photoetch were nonexistent with the only extras a modeler could expect to find being Microscale decal sheets. Most of all, in those pre-internet days, a modeler was dependent on his local hobby shop or a few mail-order outlets, like Squadron or Polk’s Hobby Department Store in New York City, for an up-to-date selection of kits.

Aircraft

In the early-to-mid 1970s, when a modeler thought of 1/32 scale, he thought of Revell, which had pioneered a line of 1/32 aircraft kits starting in the 1960s. The Revell 1/32 kits available then that could depict a plane from the Mideast conflict were the F-4E Phantom II and the MiG-21PF, with the Mirage 5J showing up a few years later. The surprise here is, if you want a 1/32 MiG-21PF today, the old Revell kit is still the only game in town. Fortunately, there were even some Microscale decal sheets available for these kits, which included Israeli and Egyptian markings.

1/48 scale? Still something of an oddball scale back then, with most quarter-scale kits being from the original “bluebox” Monogram series of WWII planes. But Fujimi had three decent 1/48 (or were they 1/50?) kits that fit the Mideast War theme- the Mirage IIIC, A-4 Skyhawk and F-4E Phantom II.

1/72 scale was king, and the greatest variety of Mideast War airplane kits in that scale were from Airfix, Frog, Hasegawa and Matchbox. About the best that could be said about these kits was that they were affordable and available at almost any hobby shop.

Armor

If you were an armor modeler in the early-to-mid 1970s and wanted to build a 1/35 Yom Kippur War subject, you could have any brand you wanted as long as it was Tamiya. These models sort of looked like the real thing, although motorization had taken priority over accuracy and you had to live with rubber-band tracks and odd dimensions. In that era, about the only references available, especially for Soviet subjects, were blurry photos in news magazines. And come to think of it, those were probably the references Tamiya used as well.

Best of Show

The most popular Mideast War model kit back then, and one that was contemporaneous with the 1973 war, was the Airfix 1/72 SAM-2 missile, truck and launcher. The real thing was used in great numbers by Arab forces during the Yom Kippur War and took a toll of Israeli aircraft, so it was frequently mentioned in news reports. Of all the models from that era, this is the one that most fits the conflict and the one I would most want to build today, but unfortunately it is one of the few Airfix molds that was lost or damaged beyond repair and the kit has not been reissued since the mid-1970s. They still can be found on eBay, but expect to pay collector’s prices for a dime-store kit molded 50 years ago.

Even if you don’t care to go down the Golden Age nostalgia route, give some thought to building a kit depicting a subject from the October 1973 war, a conflict that can focus the attention of modelers today as much as it did a half-century ago. Thankfully for all of us, it was the last conventional state vs. state conflict between Israel and the Arab nations, and unlike 1973, no one has to worry about oil embargoes driving up the price of plastic.

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