^{By Ken Piniak}

I have heard, and read, other modelers comment that tank modelers have it easy--if they make a mistake, they can just cover it with a bit of mud. Now I suppose that some modelers may do that, but most of the time they don't. In fact, it's more the opposite, especially with today's very detailed suspensions and lower hull detail--you end up covering up a lot of detail that you put a lot of effort into building. However, the simple fact is tanks attract mud and will find mud anywhere and everywhere. Be it the hottest, driest desert, the cold Artic north, the wettest winter, or driest summer.

So at this point the real question is: how much mud is too much mud?  Honestly, there is no such thing as too much mud. Exactly how much mud you as the modeler want to add is entirely up to you, and the situation you want to model.

Tanks and AFVs can get stuck in the mud, buried in the mud, and covered in mud.

In winter, the mud can even freeze up, immobilizing the vehicle. Any vehicle can get muddy, but tracked vehicles seem to get it the worst. And it is not just US vehicles (although that is where my experience comes from); mud happens to everybody.

So, how does this relate to your armored masterpiece? If you are putting it on a scenic base or in a diorama, add mud (and dirt) to match the base and the story you are trying to tell. If your model is on a plain base (or no base), add mud as you desire. I am not going to go into how to make or add mud; there are plenty of tutorials around for that, check out YouTube. Use photos to help you decide just how much mud you want and where. You can find plenty of good photos in books, online, or use some of these. The recent movie Fury is a great reference, showing tanks and other vehicles moving and operating in a great muddy setting. And above all, have a little fun with it!

Sabre Aces of the Korean War

Modeling the F-86 Jets Flown by the Top U.S. Aces

 by Mike Blohm

This article is an incentive for ASM members to finish their builds for the "Korean War" Special Contest that is currently scheduled for June 5, 2020 and also for the ASM display at the 2020 New Mexico State Fair in late August. The article covers the model builds of the top five United States Sabre aces of the Korean War. It also includes a brief history of each of the ace's service in the war and their later careers. These models were completed for the Aces Gallery at the USAF Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the builds for these five particular models range from 1975 to 2001. All the kits used are in 1/72 scale with a wide range of kit manufacturers. These include Hasegawa, Fujimi, Testors, Heller, Matchbox, Hobby Craft, and Academy. I have not yet built the new Airfix F-86 kit, but that is in my stack. Comments will be made on the kits used in the builds below. For me, the Fujimi kit is the most accurate of this assortment. F-86 decal sheets in 1/72 scale for Korean War aces have unfortunately been minimal. Microscale put out six sheets in the mid 1970s that covered a few of the top scorers sprinkled in with other Korean War or Vietnam aircraft schemes. You can sometimes find these on eBay. Eagle Strike Productions and Print Scale have both produced a sheet recently, but unfortunately they repeated schemes already available and did not cover some high-scoring pilots that definitely should have been included. Some of the F-86 model kits in 1/72 scale do come with decals for aces (Fischer, Jabara, Moore, and Jolley). But I have had to do a lot of hand-painting and decal-bashing of codes and serial numbers to get models of the 41 Korean War aces built. Of note, the Fujimi kit has four different USAF schemes and therefore you get a nice set of properly sized numbers to cut and paste with. Getting back to the subject of this article, the top five Sabre aces are covered below. Between them they scored 72.5 total victories.  Refer to captions below based upon picture numbers.

1     2     3     4

5     6     7

1. F-86 Sabres of the 51 FIW on the ramp at Suwon Air Base (K-13) near the end of the war.
2. "MiG Alley - 200 Miles" sign at the gate to the 4 FIW flight line at Kimpo Air Base (K-14).
3. Map showing "MiG Alley" in northwest corner of Korea adjacent to China and the Yalu River.
4. Photo of restored F-86 and MiG-15 at 2013 Planes of Fame airshow showing similar profiles
and relative sizes that prompted U.S.to employ ID bands.
5. F-86s from 335 FIS "Chieftains" of the 4 FIW, highest scoring squadron (218.5) in the war.
6. F-86 flight from the 25 FIS of the 51 FIW. Red tail stripe on vertical fin denoted the 25 FIS.
7. "MiG Maulers" poster showing the Sabre aces of the Korean War ranked by their number of
victories, except for Charles Cleveland whose fifth victory was not confirmed until April 2000.

 Joseph C. McConnell, Junior

Starting from the top, the highest scoring U.S. ace in the Korean War was Captain Joseph C. McConnell Jr. with 16 victories over MiG-15s. He is the 33rd-ranking American ace (tie), and 27th in the USAF (tie). He was the 27th U.S. "jet ace" with his 5th kill on Feb 16, 1953. His age at that time was 31. He served with the 39th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS) of the 51st Fighter Intercept Wing (FIW). He scored all his victories in a five month period in Jan - May 1953, including three victories in two sorties on May 18, 1953. His jet was hit in combat on April 12, 1953 by a Soviet-flown MiG-15 (per some sources) that he eventually downed, and McConnell had to bail out over the Yellow Sea. He was immediately picked up by a USAF Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw helicopter--there is a famous picture of that rescue (see below). He was withdrawn from Korea after scoring his 16th victory on May 18 and had flown 106 missions at that time. Of note, McConnell was a B-24 navigator during World War II and flew 60 missions with the 448th Bomb Group in the ETO. He had wanted to go to pilot training but was instead sent to navigator training. McConnell was killed in a flying accident while testing the F-86H Sabre at Edwards AFB, CA on Aug 25, 1954 due to a controls malfunction. You might remember that a similar tragedy occurred with Major Richard Bong, the top U.S. ace in World War II, who was killed during a flight test of the P-80 Starfire at Burbank, CA on Aug 6, 1945. A movie--The McConnell Story (1955)--and book--Sabre Jet Ace (1959)--came out after his death, and McConnell AFB in Wichita, Kansas was named for him (and his brother Thomas, also a USAF pilot and veteran of WW II). 

8     9     10     11     12     13

8. Captain McConnell in flight gear next to checker-tailed 51 FIW Sabre
9-10. McConnell during publics relations photo shoot after 16th victory
11. McConnell after mission. Note 39 FIS "Cobra" and 51 FIW patches on his flight jacket.
12. McConnell being rescued from the Yellow Sea by a H-19 Chickasaw helicopter.
13. McConnell's F-86F FU-910 "Beauteous Butch" on the ramp at Kimpo Air Base

McConnell's F-86F-1 model depicts his scheme in May 1953 (see pics 14-18). This 1975 build was a modification of a very early Hasegawa kit that was available at that time. Called the "F-86F" it is actually an F-86F-40 that was flown by the Japanese Air Self Defense Force, and had an extra one foot length at the wing tip added to the "6-3 wing." To resolve this, the rounded wing tips were cut off, the appropriate amount of wing removed, and the wingtips glued back on. A relatively minor piece of surgery to get the F version flown in Korea. I think that I may have used some tips in an IPMS/USA Quarterly or Update on this procedure. For 1975 this was a pretty decent F-86 kit, but it had minimal interior detail. Also, the external tanks had different fins and pylons that were not the type used in Korea and these had to be modified. There is no engine detail down the inlet and no exhaust pipe--basically it was see-through end-to-end, so that was corrected. What I did not catch in my limited reference material back then--I built this when I was stationed at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand--was that the jet should have had small wing fences added on the leading edge of each wing. The newer F kits do have these fences. This was a "hard wing" bird without leading edge slats, which provided a better turn radius at high Mach numbers and allowed the F-86 to turn with and inside the MiGs. The model was finished in overall natural metal (silver) with light gray interior and wheel wells, and black instrument panel and ejection seat. The decals were from Microscale decal sheet 72-103 F-86E Sabre Aces. I believe the Korean Theater (Far East Air Force) yellow identification stripes on the wings and tail were hand-painted, as was the blue nose flash on each side of the intake. The checkered tail indicates the 51st FIW, and the yellow tail stripe the 39th FIS. This jet and several previous were named "Beautious Butch" after his wife Pearl "Butch" (Brown) McConnell. It originally had diving red MiG-15 silhouettes for the kill markings. After his 16th kill the jet was repainted for public relations purposes and the silhouettes were changed to red stars and the name incorrectly misspelled as "Beauteous Butch" as shown on this model.  Note that the Eagle Strike Productions sheet 72-059 includes this scheme.

14     15     16     17     18     19

14-17. Model of McConnell's F-86F-1 Sabre "Beauteous Butch" using the Hasegawa kit.
18-19. 39th Fighter Interceptor Squadron patch and 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing patch.
The 39 FIS was the fifth-ranking squadron in the war with 101 victories.

James J. Jabara 

Major James J. "Jabby" Jabara was the second-ranking U.S. ace in Korea, with 15.0 victories over MiG-15s. He served two tours with the 334th FIS, 4th FIW. He also scored 1.5 victories (Fw 190s) in World War II during two tours and 108 combat missions in the ETO flying the P-51 with the 382nd Fighter Squadron (FS), 363rd Fighter Group (FG) and the 355th FS, 354th FG. He also had 4 probable victories and 5.5 Ground kills. His overall victory total of 16.5 makes Jabara the 29th ranking U.S. ace (tie), and 24th ranking USAF ace (tie). Jabara was the first U.S. jet ace of the Korean War and the first jet versus jet ace, scoring his 5th and 6th victories on May 20, 1951. His age at that time was 28. He scored these two victories while he had a hung fuel tank still attached to his wing, for which he should have avoided combat and returned to base. He was ordered back to the U.S. at that time as "too valuable to risk in combat" after scoring 6 victories in just 3 months. He returned for a second tour in Feb - Jul 1953, where he scored an additional 9 victories. His score included four "doubles." After the war Jabara held various squadron commander positions and in 1958 he flew combat missions over Taiwan in the F-104 Starfighter. He later flew the B-58 Hustler in the 43rd Bomb Wing and flew at least one combat mission in Vietnam in the F-100 Super Sabre. Jabara was killed in an auto accident on Nov 17, 1966 while serving as 31st TFW commander at Homestead AFB, where he was flying the F-100. He was the youngest colonel in the USAF at that time. An airport just northeast of Wichita, Kansas was named the Colonel James Jabara Airport in his honor. 

 20     21     22     23     24     25

20-21. Jabara standing in the cockpit and near the tail section of an F-86
22. Jabara deplanning after a mission. Not the cigar - he was also known as "The Ceegar Kid."
23. Jabara being carried by squadron members after his 5th and 6th victories.
24. Jabara pre-flighting F-86A FU-257 on his first tour.
25. Jabara deplanning from an F-86F on his second tour.

Jabara's F-86A-5 model is the Matchbox F-86 kit and depicts his scheme in May 1951. F‑86A coded FU-259 was his personal jet during his first tour. This kit was built in1997 and was the only 1/72 scale F-86A model kit at that time and might still be. The canopy interior and wheel wells are very sparse. Instrument panel and seat belt decals were therefore found and added. The kit does not have any wing tanks. One issue of the Matchbox kit did come with Jabara's exact scheme of FU-259 but unfortunately I did not have that one. However, most of the kit decals could be used to make Jabara's scheme. These include the black and white ID stripes used by the 4 FIW at that time--based upon the D-Day invasion stripes of WW II--before the yellow ID bands became the Far East Air Force standard in early Spring 1952. I wanted the model collection to have some A models with the black and white stripes, and not be made up of just yellow wing bands. The correct number codes and serials were made using a Superscale or Aeromaster letters and numbers decal sheet and the winged-star name plate was hand-painted. The model was painted overall with Model Master Aluminum Plate (Buffing) paint with a light gray interior and wheel wells. During his second tour Jabara often flew an F-86F-1 that was coded FU-857, which was also flown by ace Manuel Fernandez. Microscale sheet 72-245 Korean War Sheet #3 has decals for Jabara's final F-86F-30 coded FU-513 that he flew in Jul 1953. This scheme is also in the Hobby Craft F-86F-25 Sabre kit. Note that this F-86A model was used in the Korean War portion of ASM's year-long "50th Anniversary of the USAF" display in 1997 at Kirtland AFB before it went on display at the USAF Academy.

 26     27     28     29     30     31

26-29. Model of Jabara's F-86A-5 Sabre using the Matchbox kit.
30-31. 334th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing patches.
The 334 FIS was the second-ranking squadron in the war with 142.5 victories.

Manuel J. Fernandez, Junior

Captain Manuel J. "Pete" Fernandez Jr. was the 3rd ranking ace in Korea, scoring 14.5 MiG-15 kills. He was the 26th U.S. jet ace, scoring his 5th kill on Feb 18, 1953. His age at that time was 28. He served with the 334th FIS, 4th FIW from Sep 1952 - May 1953. Fernandez scored mostly single victories but he had 2 "doubles" and one 1.5 kill sortie. Fernandez competed for top scorer with Jabara and McConnell. Fernandez enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and received his wings in Nov 1944 but was an instructor in the U.S. and saw no combat. He re-enlisted in the USAF and provided air cover for the cargo planes with the 23rd FS, 36th FG during the Berlin Airlift in 1948-1949. Prior to wrangling an assignment to Korea, Fernandez was an advanced instructor at the Nellis Air Force Base Gunnery School in Las Vegas, Nevada and was an expert at deflection shooting. Fernandez was ordered home from Korea at the same time as McConnell. Fernandez won the Bendix Trophy Race in 1956 flying an F-100. He retired from the AF Reserves as a Major in June 1963. Fernandez was killed in a flying accident on Oct 17, 1980 near Grand Bahama Island. 

32     33     34     35     36     37

32-33. Fernandez in front of and in cockpitt of an F-86. Note colors of his flight gear.
34. Fernandez boarding his F-86F, likely FU-857. Note 334 FIS patch.
35. Fernandez being congratulted by Jabara after Fernandez's 5th and 6th victories on
Feb 18, 1953. Note exposure "poopy" suit worn by Fernandez.
36. Fernandez deplaning from a mission.  Note back-pack parachute.
37. McConnell and Fernandez meet President Eisenhower in May 1953 after returning to U.S.

Fernandez's F-86E-10 model coded FU-830 was his first aircraft and depicts his scheme in March 1953. This jet was wrecked while Fernandez was on R&R in Japan. This model was built in 1975 at the same time as McConnell's using the early Hasegawa F-86F-40 kit. The same surgery was performed on the wings and external tanks, depicting an E model with the leading edge slats. The model was painted overall natural metal (silver) with a light gray interior and wheel wells and black instrument panel and ejection seat. The decals were from Microscale decal sheet 72-100 F-86 Sabres, Korean War. I believe the Korean Theater yellow ID stripes were also hand-painted on this model. Some sources showed the background color of the 334th FIS patch as gold instead of yellow--as the decal came--so I painted that gold. Note that the 4th FIW's Sabres had their squadron patches painted on the fuselage sides below the cockpit. The 51 FIW's Sabres had a different colored rudder stripe for each squadron, and not squadron patches. Fernandez also scored 6.5 victories flying an F-86F-1 that was coded FU-857. 

38     39     40     41     42     43

38-41. Model of Fernandez's F-86E-10 Sabre using the Hasegawa kit.
42. Fernandez's F-86E FU-830 taxis out for mission at Kimpo Air Base.
43. Fernandez with Bendix Trophy that he won on Aug 31, 1956 flying an F-100.

George A. Davis, Junior

Lieutenant Colonel George A. "Curly" Davis, Jr. was the 4th ranking U.S. ace of the Korean War with 14 victories - 11 over the MiG-15 and 3 over Tu-2 bombers. Davis was also an ace in World War II with 7 victories, flying with the 342nd FS, 348th FG "Kearby's Thunderbolts" in the Southwest Pacific Theater. His total score of 21 victories make Davis the 17th ranking American ace (tie) and 13th ranking USAF ace (tie). Davis is a member of the "Inner Seven" made up of pilots who were aces in both WW II and Korea. Major Davis served with the 4th FIW and became the 334th FIS squadron commander in Oct 1951. His 14 victories were scored in a 4 month period from Nov 1951 to Feb 1952. Davis scored his kills in groups, with a "quadruple" on 30 Nov 30, 1951 when he downed three TU-2 twin propeller-engined bombers and one MiG-15 making him the 5th U.S. jet ace of the war. His age at that time was 31. He also scored 5 "doubles" that included 4 kills in 2 back-to-back sorties on Dec 13, 1951. Davis was killed in action during aerial combat on Feb 10, 1952 when he was outnumbered 6-to-1 but still engaged the MiGs in order to protect a B-29 formation. He downed 2 MiG-15s but was himself shot down. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for this action, the only Sabre pilot so honored in the Korean War. Davis was the leading USAF scorer at the time of his death. He was posthumously promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. More details on Davis, his WW II history, and his model build are available in an article that was previously published in the August 2019 ASM Newsletter and is posted on the ASM Website on both the Articles and ASM Kit Reviews webpages at this time. 

 44     45     46     47     48     49

44. Major Davis next to F-86. Note 334 FIS patch on his helmet.
45. Davis in front of F-86A after his 4 victory mission where he became the 5th U.S. "jet ace" on
Nov 30, 1951. The F-86's four victory markings were scored by Maj Richard Creighton.
46. Davis standing in F-86 cockpit indicating a two-vicory mission.
47. Gun camera footage for one of Davis's MiG-15 victories.
48. 1st Lieutenant Davis in his P-47D Thunderbolt in late 1944.
49. Captain Davis in his P-51K Mustang in early 1945 in the Phillippines. 

Davis's F-86A-5 model coded FU-225 is the Matchbox F-86 kit and depicts the aircraft he was photographed with after his 4 victory mission on Nov 30, 1951. This aircraft was actually the usual jet of Major Richard Creighton, who made ace on Nov 27, 1951. This build occurred in 2001 and is the same kit as described in the Jabara build above. The model was painted overall with Model Master Aluminum Plate (Buffing) paint with a light gray interior and wheel wells. The light gray nose cone is the actual color of those parts without paint. Davis's early 4 FIW scheme with the black and white ID stripes could almost be completed using just the kit decals, needing only a small change to the code letters and serial. An Aeromaster letters and numbers decal sheet was used for the correct numbers. Some pictures of FU-225 show red star kill markings, which were Creighton's victories.

50.     51     52     53     54     55

50-53. Model of Davis's F-86A-5 Sabre using the Matchbox kit.
54-55. F-86A FU-225 on the flight line at Kimpo Air Base and taking
off on a mission to MiG Alley.

Royal N. Baker

Colonel Royal N. "The King" Baker was the 5th ranking U.S. ace in Korea with 13 victories including 12 MiG-15s and 1 La-9. Baker also scored 3.5 victories in WW II. His total of 16.5 victories make him the 29th ranking American ace (tie), and 24th ranking ace in the USAF (tie). Baker was the 21st jet ace with his 5th kill on Nov 17, 1952. His age at that time was 34. Baker commanded the 4th FIG from Jun 1952 to Mar 1953, flying 127 combat missions. He was the leading Korean War scorer for much of his tour. His biggest day was Dec 7, 1952 where he scored 1.5 victories. During WW II he flew Spitfires with the 308th FS, 31st FG in the Mediterranean scoring 2 Fw 190 and 1 Bf 109 kills. He later flew P-47 Thunderbolts with the 493rd FS, 48th FG in the ETO scoring 0.5 Bf 109 kills. Amongst his assignments after Korea was director of testing for the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB in 1957. Baker was later the 7th AF Vice Commander in Vietnam in 1968 and he flew 140 combat sorties, piloting every kind of USAF combat aircraft based in Vietnam. He was 17th AF Commander in Germany from Jul 1969 - Feb 1971, and retired as a Lt General in Aug 1975. Baker died in Apr 1976.

56     57     58     59     60     61

56. Colonel Baker in the cockpit of his F-86. Note the "Crown: painted on his helmet.
57-58. Official photos of Baker as a Colonel and as a Major General.
59-60. Baker's F-86E "Angel Face & the Babes / The King" on the ramp at Kimpo Air Base.
Baker downed several MiGs flying this Sabre.  
61. Baker with his crew chief A2C Holland and his F-86E the afternoon of his 13th victory.

Baker's F-86E-10 model is the Heller F-86F kit and depicts his jet in Feb 1953 when he had scored 10 victories. This is a pretty good kit with decent detail without the wing fences and has two types of tanks, nice wheel wells, and open speed brakes. There is a Luftwaffe box top kit and a USAF "MiG Mad Marine" box top kit. The decals for John Glenn's scheme is in both, but the Luftwaffe kit does not have the yellow ID stripe decals. The USAF kit does, but unfortunately they have the incorrect shade of yellow (too orange) and those will need to be sourced elsewhere. This kit was built in 1997 in Baker's F-86E scheme. Like the other builds, the model was painted overall with Model Master Aluminum Plate (Buffing) paint with a light gray interior and wheel wells and black instrument panels and ejection seat with seat belt decals. Decals for his scheme came from Microscale 72-244 Korean War Aces #2. These have been included in both the later Eagle Strike Productions 72-059 Wings Over Korea sheet and the Print Scale 72-079 American F-86 Sabre sheet. The name on his jet is "Angel Face & the Babes" after his wife and children and is located below the gun troughs (ports). His aircraft has the patch of the 336th FIS "Rocketeers." Baker also had a large crown surrounded by a blue ribbon with "The King" (his nickname based upon his first name "Royal") located on the side of his jet behind the canopy. Microscale 72-244 shows this crown on both sides of the jet and that is how I built it. However, the recent Eagle Strike Productions 72-059 and Print Scale 72-079 sheets both show the crown on only the left side. I have seen lots of pictures of the left side of his jet, but none of the right side to confirm this. This F-86E model was also used in ASM's "50th Anniversary of the USAF" display in 1997 before it went on display at the USAF Academy. 

 62     63     64     65     66      67

62-. . Model of Baker's F-86E-10 Sabre using the Heller kit.
66. F-86 flight from the 336 FIS "Rocketeers," third-ranking squadron with 116.5 victories.
67. 335 Fighter Interceptor Squadron "Rocketeers" patch.

I hope this article has spurred you on in your Korean War builds, as well as providing some historical background on the men and aircraft that fought in that conflict. The USAF Academy display currently has 13 Korean War aces in the collection with 12 Sabres and 1 Corsair night fighter. I am working on F-86 models flown by Lt Col George Ruddell (8 victories in "MiG Mad Mavis") and Major James Hagerstrom (8.5 victories in Korea in "MiG Poison" and 6 in WW II, another member of the Inner Seven). I hope to have those done for the June contest and the State Fair. There may be a follow-on article later this year that covers additional aces from the Korean War. I recommend the following sources that I used for further reading on the Korean air war. 

Sources:

1. Stars & Bars - A Tribute to the American Fighter Ace 1920-1973 by Frank Olynyk, Grub Street, London, 1995.
2, MiG Alley - Air to Air Combat Over Korea by Larry Davis, Squadron/Signal Publications, 1978.
3. Korean War Aces by Robert F. Dorr, Jon Lake and Warren Thompson, Osprey Aircraft of the Aces #4, 1994.
4. F-86 Sabre Aces of the 51st Fighter Wing by Warren Thompson, Osprey Aircraft of the Aces #70, Osprey Publishing, 2006.
5. F-86 Sabre Aces of the 4th Fighter Wing by Warren Thompson, Osprey Aircraft of the Aces #72, Osprey Publishing, 2006.
6. F-86 Sabre in action by Larry Davis, Aircraft Number 33 / 126 (revised), Squadron/Signal Publications, 1978/1992.
7. Multiple Wikipedia articles on the Korean War aces in this article.

July 2020 Sponsored Contest

"Models That Support the Folds of Honor Display"

The subject for the sponsored contest hosted by Matt and Mike Blohm at the July 10 ASM meeting is "Models That Support the Folds of Honor Display." The idea is to increase the number of model subjects that the club has on hand for our Folds of Honor (FoH) display every year, as well as other displays that we conduct. Entries can be models of any genre (aircraft, armor, ships, figures, dioramas, etc.) and any scale that fits what was/is being used by the US military (any Service) from September 11, 2001, through the present (2020). Entries for this contest need to be new builds. We are hurting for armor and ship/submarine models for the FoH display. Note that modern USAF subjects (2001 – 2020) can also be used for our "Air Force Ball" display each year. Awards will be given in each division with potential splits (air, ground/sea, etc.) based upon the level of participation. If the July meeting is canceled, we will reschedule the sponsored contest later this year. We need the models completed for the two displays in September.  Click here to see articles on previous Folds of Honor displays:  2018    2017

Cobra Cage Match: Who Kits the Best P-39?

There are three 1/48 model kits of the iconic WWII P-39 Airacobra fighter plane, from Monogram, Eduard, and Hasegawa. How do they stack up? Having built all three, here's what I found.

Monogram. Although forgotten today, this was the first 1/48 super-kit, an accurate replica with open panels and a detailed cockpit. Released back in 1967, it marked the transition in 1/48 scale from toys to detailed models. I remember as a kid building one of these kits in the late 1960s and it was impressive - a load of detail and options. Monogram re-released the kit several times, finally with a ProModeler update in the late 1990s, and its successor Revell did a final reissue in 2011, based on the ProModeler version. This is the reissue I'd recommend.

As a model it's easy to build and accurate, but with enough correctable issues to give you a chance to use your modeling skills. I upgraded my model to a Russian P-39N, using extra parts from the Hasegawa kit, but I'd recommend building the model the way it was intended, as a P-400 with open access panels -  follow this strategy and you'll get a nice replica with a minimum of trouble.

Eduard. This kit also made a splash when it was released in 2000, and I built "Air-a-Cutie" from it not long afterwards. The kit had extra parts allowing construction of any P-39, from a P-400 to a P-39Q. It was accurate and detailed and even came with a nifty nose weight. Decals were first-rate. However, it had some problems when constructed, notably the wing trailing edges being too thick. But with some work a nice replica could be obtained, and with Eduard re-releasing this kit many times over the past twenty years, it's easy to find and affordable.

Hasegawa. This kit was supposed to be the final word in Airacobras when it was released in 2006 and it was very nice in the box, with finely detailed parts and options in various releases to accurately build every P-39 version. Building it, though, uncovered the classic Hasegawa conundrum - the parts guy didn't talk with the fit guy, resulting in a troublesome build. If you stick with it you can get a nice replica but be prepared to come up with fixes to fun problems like the canopy being too skinny for the fuselage coaming. I made it work, though, and finished it as a red-nosed Russian P-39Q, using a Print-Scale decal sheet. Be forewarned: finding these Hasegawa P-39 kits is not easy and even second-hand they can be expensive.

So which kit comes out on top? I'd choose the Revell/Monogram kit for an early P-39, the Hasegawa kit for a late P-39 (Q or N), and the Eduard kit for the best overall value. Each of these kits is buildable and worth your time, so don't shy away from them if you have them in your model kit stash. With the aftermarket and decal options available now for 1/48 P-39s, you can't go wrong with any of them. With these kits, it's a lucky three-way tie with the modeler as the winner.

2020 Supernationals Model Car Contest

 by Chuck Herrmann

The biggest model car show in Albuquerque each year is held as part of the Albuquerque Supernationals custom car show. It is put together by our fellow local model club, the Albuquerque Model Car Club. This year the show was held January 24 - 26 at the New Mexico State Fairgrounds Expo New Mexico.  This year there were about 100 models entered in the contest as well as on display. There are multiple classes; winners are picked by club members. There are also some Best of Awards and the People's Choice. See photos and caption numbers below. 

The Red Baron was also popularized in the Peanuts comic strips, and was a huge selling record, Snoopy and the Red Baron, The novelty hit song was recorded by The Royal Guardsmen in 1966, ultimately making it to #2 on the charts. The band recorded several other Red Baron and Snoopy themed records, including Snoopy Vs Osama in 2009!  Most recently, the original song is briefly featured towards the end of Quentin Tarantino's 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.   

 Last of the Flying Tigers

Frank Losonsky, the last surviving member of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers," passed away on Feb 6, 2020, at the age of 99. He served as a crew chief maintaining the shark-mouthed Curtiss P-40B Tomahawks (actually Hawk 81-A2s) flown by the 3rd Pursuit Squadron "Hell's Angels" of the AVG. Losonsky had served in the US Army Air Corps for two years before signing up with the AVG in May 1941. The AVG initially consisted of 100 Aircraft and 311 members, and Losonsky was one of the youngest.  The 3rd Pursuit Squadron's aircraft had a red tail stripe and were numbered 67 through 99. The Flying Tigers were organized within the Chinese Air Force. The AVG began combat operations in December 1941 and had shot down 297 aircraft and produced 20 aces by the time they were disbanded on July 4, 1942.

Losonsky returned to the US when the AVG disbanded. He later returned to China as a mechanic with the China National Aviation Corporation, a quasi-civilian airline that took part in logistics operations flying supplies between India and China over the Himalayan Mountains ("the Hump") after the Japanese had cut the Burma Road. After the war Losonsky became a pilot with TranAsiatic Airlines in Burma. Losonsky and his son Terry wrote Flying Tiger - A Crew Chief's Story: The War Diary of an AVG Crew Chief in 2004.  Pictures below (see numbers and captions) show Losonsky with the AVG in China and in more recent days, incluing some pictures from when he flew in a P-40 at the 2016 Atlanta Warbird Weekend, when he was 96.

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13     14     15     16

Picture at top of article - AVG patch
1. Formation of 3rd Pursuit Squadron P-40Bs (Hawk 81-A2).  Chuck Older in the lead in number 68. 
2-3.  Two variations of 3rd Pursuit Squadron "Hells Angels" patch.
4. 3rd PS ground personnel in front of P-40. Frank Losonsky is in front row, second from right.
5-7.  Pictures of Frank Losonsky in cockpit and on wing of AVG P-40.
8.  AVG crew chiefs working on a P-40 underneath camoflage nets.  3rd PS P-40s were number from 67 through 99.
9. Lonsonsky in front of hanger; may be while with the China National Aviation Corporation.
10. Losonsky shaking hands with USAF member during a visit to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Sep 2017.
11-14. Losonsky at the 2016 Atlanta Warbird Weekend, where he flew in a two seat P-40.
15. Color photo of 3rd Pursuit Squadron P-40Bs (Hawk 81-A2).  Chuck Older in the lead in number 68. 
16. Another version of the AVG patch as carried on the sides of their aircraft (without red circle). 

Further information on the AVG is available in an article on David "Tex" Hill and a model of his Hawk 81 posted in the Aircraft section of the ASM Review Articles webpage:

Kit Review

1/350 USS Indianapolis by Academy/MRC

 By Mark Vaughn

   

Before we lost Harry Davidson, I built a 1/350vent. Harry wanted the model for display in Clovis, so this was built straight out of the box as a museum display piece.

While I was thinking more of an old Revell type kit, this one has about 500 parts, many smaller than a grain of rice! Of course, I got the photoetch railings too. At first, I did not believe the color scheme. She was fresh out of a refit, new paint, with dark blue decks and a dark blue lower hull stripe with the accustomed gray upper vertical surfaces. This free build was starting to get serious!

As I usually do, I carefully fitted a piece of basswood along the keel with slow curing epoxy. I have heard tales of molten polystyrene using the fast curing variety. I have certainly melted plastic mixing bowls with it. Since I wasn't using the (spindly, almost useless) kit stand, but rather a wooden base supplied by someone else (with little varnishing skill), it was necessary to provide wood or something like it internally for screws. Like weight in the nose of aircraft, it's easy to forget this (ask me how I know). I turned some brass pedestals on the minilathe. I had a local awards outfit make a nameplate.

           

There were a few kit criticisms. The radar antenna was solid which I faked as best I could with dry-brushing. Also, the crane was solid, and again, I did my best to make gray "openings." This seemed absurd to me, since the catapult was detailed. I made a few replacement parts on the lathe, either because the plastic ones were too spindly or were lost in the carpet. There are a few cockeyed parts in the masts that should have been remade. One thing I like to do on portholes is use a mechanical pencil and rub in "glass". The graphite does a good job of darkening while giving the portholes a little gloss. I used G-S Hypo Cement to attach the photoetch railings. Tackier than CA with a longer pot life, I find it easier to use with the hypodermic needle applicator it comes with. And you can’t glue your fingers together with it.

I debated with myself whether there should be an ensign, but since it was torpedoed at night, decided against it. They never seem to look right anyway to my eye. I didn't rig the superstructure as, at 1/350, a one-inch cable is invisible at three mils. What I remember most about this build are the disagreements with Harry about colors. Fortunately, there are online refit photos showing the color scheme, particularly the coloration of the raft floor webbing. In the end, Harry (and the museum in Clovis) were pleased.

     

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USS Bataan and the Cavalcade of Wings

 By Mark Vaughn

Albuquerque Scale Modelers (ASM), the local IPMS chapter, supports the Cavalcade of Wings both monetarily and through the efforts of some of the members. In and after 2012, for the New Mexico centennial, CoW and some IPMS members built a series of models of World War II US Navy ships named for New Mexico places and other New Mexico themes for display in museums across New Mexico. One of these is the USS Bataan, LHD-5, named for the infamous death march that so many New Mexicans from the 200th and 515th Coast Artillery Regiment were a part of. The kit chosen was MRC/Gallery 1/350 scale Wasp/Iwo Jima, with decal mods as needed. This kit has about 1500 parts.

I "inherited" the kit partially assembled by Larry Niederman. The budget was expended and the US Naval Academy Alumni Association sponsors were impatient. While Larry builds exquisite aircraft models, he had been talked into doing this ship without knowing the magnitude of the kit by Harry Davidson. Harry volunteered me to finish it. Assume the good parts are Larry's and the rest mine.

Since the ship is an amphibious assault ship with a lot of otherwise invisible landing craft, it was decided to show its payloads as if it was in drydock. The wood balks are quite out of scale, but I went ahead and used the base as I received it. There were no complaints from the client. Indeed, they liked the presentation. Go figure.

                   

Since my ship models usually have masts and sails, I had not used photoetch railings before. After a bit of experimentation, I found that G-S Hypo Watch Crystal Cement was easier to use than CA or other adhesives (since, I have found that tacking them in place with a few dots of PSA, followed with CA from a glue looper, works nearly as well).

The oohs and aahs of museum visitors over the railings made it worth the time. The model is on display at the New Mexico Military Museum in Santa Fe.

Webmaster's Note:  Click here for additional articles on ASM's support to the New Mexico Named Ships Project. 

  

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ASM Model Displays in 2019

 By Mike Blohm

This article is a summary of the five model displays conducted by ASM during 2019, and a thank you to everyone that participated in the displays and/or contributed models. Our goals with the displays were to promote the hobby of scale modeling, to let the public know that Albuquerque has an active model club, and to perhaps gain some new members. All the displays turned out to be highly successful. Descriptions of the display and pictures are included below. More detailed stories and additional pictures are available below on this ASM 2019 Meeting Pictures webpage:

Our first 2019 display was at the Albuquerque South Broadway Cultural Center and Library and it ran the entire month of February. The theme was "What is Scale Modeling" and we had 79 models in three display cases. We also put on a Make & Take on February 9 in conjunction with the display.

               

Our second display was at the Kirtland Air Force Base "Air and Space Fiesta" airshow on May 18. We had five tables with 77 models at the event. The theme was the "History of the USAF" with some Real Space and Theoretical Space thrown in due to the theme of the air show. We were located in the center of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and Space Pavilion hangar, and the estimated crowd that flowed through the hangar that day was 30,000 people. Airshows are where we get max exposure of the hobby, and the people really loved the models.

                   

Our next model display supported the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing event at the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. The museum was running the film "The Day We Walked on the Moon" three times on Saturday, July 20, simultaneously with other Smithsonian-related museums across America. The museum also had Apollo Program artifacts from their collection on display for the duration of the event. The ASM model display had a total of sixteen models and ran from mid July through mid September. It included eleven Real Space models from the American space program and five Theoretical Space models from the 1950s.

                   

Our annual model display at the 2019 New Mexico State Fair on September 5 - 15 had the theme "1939 - 80th Anniversary of the Beginning Of World War II." We filled one case with 36 models. The conflicts of 1939 covered by the display included the Invasion of Poland, the Winter War (Russia versus Finland), the Khalkhin Gol/Nomonhan Incident (Russia versus Japan), and the second Sino-Japanese War (China versus Japan). A more detailed article on the "1939" display will be published in the February ASM Newsletter. As of January 2020, the 2020 ASM display theme will be "70th Anniversary of the Korean War" with models from anytime during the war (June 1950 - July 1953).

                       

The final 2019 model display was at the 2019 Air Force Ball held at Kirtland Air Force Base on September 21. The event celebrated the 72nd birthday of the USAF as well as the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. ASM had two large tables totaling 76 models with one containing 45 "History of the USAF" models from the Korean War through the present, and the second containing 31 "D-Day landing" models.

                           

ASM did not conduct a model display this year at the Folds of Honor New Mexico's "Red, White, and Blue Celebration Dinner" fund-raising event on September 23. The 2019 event was held at a small venue and they did not have space for our normal display. ASM did contribute a 1/48-scale A-10 Thunderbolt model for the auction, which sold for $150, and they appreciated that very much. They do want ASM to put on a display at their 2020 event. So please work on some models that could be used in that display. We currently need modern armor and naval subjects (ships and submarines).

   

 

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Ken's Armor Files

Stowage on Modern US Armored Vehicles

^{By Ken Piniak}
 

^{One topic that gets even the experts is all of the gear that is stowed on modern US armored vehicles. Beginning especially with all the media coverage of Operation Desert Shield/Storm (ODS), people were amazed by the shear amount of stuff carried in and on US vehicles. Often this is referred to as "extra stowage" or "extra gear." It is not "extra" anything; it is just gear, and mostly required gear. So here I will go over just what all that gear is, and how to model it on a vehicle. This information is most relevant to vehicles used during the Cold War, ODS, and the initial invasion of Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). It is also relevant to vehicles deployed to the National Training Center (NTC) at Ft. Irwin, vehicles deployed on REFORGER, and those in South Korea. During Vietnam and many of the actions in OIF vehicles operated out of base camps, and carried very little gear with them, so much of the personal gear would not be present. The gear carried on a vehicle can be broken down into two main types; gear required by the crew/personnel, and gear required to operate the vehicle. Let's take a look at the gear for the crew.}

 

Bradley covered with gear	Bradleys with gear	M1 Tanks	M1 Tank

 

Throughout the Cold War and beyond, heavy mechanized units were expected to operate, in combat, for at least three to four days without resupply. Therefore, they had to carry everything they needed to survive with them. Exactly what was carried, and where, varied by unit; and was covered by the unit Standing Operating Procedure (SOP). Although these varied from unit to unit, the basics are all the same. Also, these amounts are required minimums; you could always carry more (and we often did). Each soldier carried/wore their basic combat gear: one full uniform, helmet, flak vest, web gear, gas mask, and weapon. Everything else was divided up into three bags: A bag, B bag, and C bag.

Living on the tank	Duffle bags and water	Model tank with duffle bags and rucksacks	M60A1 tank with Camo net on turret and pole bag on side

The A bag was carried by the soldier, and went with him. Usually the rucksack, sometimes a duffle bag, it contained at least one fresh uniform, socks, and underwear, toiletry items, a sleeping bag, and anything else that a soldier would need right away. The B bag, usually a duffle bag, carried another uniform, boots, more socks and underwear, along with the field gear that was expected to be needed very quickly. This usually included cold weather gear and wet weather gear. The B bag should travel with the soldier, but may be transported separately and get to the soldier later. The C bag, the last duffle bag, contained another uniform, socks, and underwear, and the rest of the issued field gear. This bag was often transported separately from the soldier and delivered to him when needed/available.

All this means that for every soldier on a vehicle, you have one rucksack and two duffle bags. A tank has a crew of four, a Cavalry Bradley five, I believe an M113 carried ten, and an Infantry Bradley nine. At three bags per crewman, that gives you twelve to eighteen bags of required personal gear carried on a vehicle. Additionally, in ODS, we were not allowed to sleep on the ground and were issued cots. So add four to nine cots to the vehicle. The crew has to eat. Assuming three meals a day, one case of MREs will feed a soldier for four days. So add four to nine cases of MREs to the load. The crew also needs water, so add at least one five-gallon can of water to the vehicle. In ODS and OIF, cases of bottled water were often carried. Many units also began to issue insulated 1 gallon water jugs and ice chests. These were regular civilian items, and came in a variety of colors. In ODS we carried extra canteens; usually two, one quart canteens on the web belt, and an additional two-quart canteen. In OIF, they carried a camelback water container on their back or inside their body armor or rucksack. That covers the required gear for the crew.

Model Bradley with full bustle rack	Water, MREs, oil can	Gear on rear	Model M60A1 with pole bag on side of turret	M60A1 tank in Germany with camo net

The vehicles themselves need maintenance and repairs. They carry tools, equipment and supplies to keep them operating. What has to carried, and where it goes, is covered by the vehicle Basic Issue Items (BII) list in the vehicle Operators Manual or Technical Manual (TM) and unit SOP. Some unit SOPs are pretty generic; they might state that a tank must carry one spare road wheel and two spare track blocks mounted on the turret. Others can be more specific; i.e., one spare road wheel will be mounted to the left side of the bustle rack and two spare track blocks will be mounted to the right side of the turret in front of the bustle rack. Most SOPs require at least one spare road wheel, track blocks, and other parts to fix broken tracks and road wheels. They also have at least one five-gallon can of oil for the engine, and one for the transmission. Additionally, Bradleys, M 113s, M 577s, Humvees, and most wheeled vehicles need water for the radiator, so add another five-gallon water can. And lastly, most vehicles were required to carry a camouflage system consisting of one net (in bag) and one support bag of poles and spreaders. Every vehicle also comes with one tarpaulin (tarp). Many units specify the use of additional stowage containers. The 20mm ammo boxes often seen mounted on the back of tank bustle racks are a good example of this.

Where a vehicle is can also dictate some gear stowage. German law requires tactical vehicles to be equipped with a rotating or flashing "whoopee light" to alert civilian traffic. This is usually mounted on top of the vehicle or on the rear. Vehicles involved in training exercises or deployed to the NTC are equipped with Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) gear which includes firing simulators and a "kill light" that looks similar, but is different from, the whoopee light. Vehicles involved in REFORGER or other exercises have a blue or orange panel mounted on the side or turret to show what "side" they are on. Vehicles in REFORGER can have all of these at once!

Finally, if a unit is involved in combat operations, it will be packed full of ammunition (ammo). Most of the ammo is packed in specified racks or bins; but extra ammo can be carried on the outside of the vehicle. In ODS, we carried lots of extra ammo, especially for the machine guns.

At this point, a vehicle is pretty well covered with gear, all of which is required by SOP. This does not include any extra personal gear, comfort gear, or war trophies. And if you have ever looked inside of an armored vehicle, you know that there is very little room in it, so all this stuff gets piled on top or hung along the sides. So now you know why US armored vehicles are covered with so much "extra" gear.

Legend camo net	Early M1 with Whoopee light on rear fender	M3 Bradley ammo stowage	Bradley gear	Model Bradley ammo stowage	Model Bradley gear

So now how do you model all this stuff? Back in the 1970s-80s, there was very little gear available, either from the major model manufacturers or the aftermarket. If you wanted to add any gear, you had to make it yourself from epoxy putty or tissue paper soaked in diluted white glue. Today there is literally tons of gear available. Major manufacturers (AFV Club, Tamiya, Academy, Meng, Rye Field, Trumpeter, etc.) provide lots of stowage gear with their kits, or as accessory sets. Aftermarket companies (CMK, Verlinden, Legend, DEF Model, Plus Model, etc.) provide gear in resin, photoetch metal, paper, and other materials. The quality of most of these items can be great, but be careful. They do get some things wrong (Note: specific manufacturers and items listed here are simply ones that I have used or know of, it is not intended to be a complete or all-inclusive listing).

Tamiya, especially, often has you just glue items to the side of the turret or hull of a vehicle, with no indication of how it is actually attached. In real life, everything should be securely attached to the vehicle, or it will come off and get lost. Most items are attached using straps and tie-down loops (sometimes called footman loops). Other items are strapped to guards, hand rails, antenna mounts, lifting eyes, or something. During ODS, many US units created improvised tie-down points on the sides of their Bradleys; often using straps and the bolts on the armor plates. After ODS, the US Army added tie-down points to the sides of Bradley fighting vehicles and an additional bustle rack to the turret of M1 tanks to better handle all this gear. In the beginning of OIF, some Bradleys had locally-fabricated racks mounted to the sides of the vehicles. Several companies model these, including Legend and Verlinden.

    

Duffle bag strapped to vehicle	War trophy portrait of Saddam	Model with all gear strapped or tied down	M1 with additional bustle rack	M60A3 with tarp covering additional bustle rack	Model tank with tarp covering bustle rack	Tank under cammo

Sometimes, crews will remove the camouflage net from its bag and place it on the vehicle. Italeri included this in their M-163A1 Vulcan, but it is pretty crappy. Legend does a nice version in resin; AVF Club and DEF Model have the material in a thin plastic. One trick US tank crews like to do is use the vehicle's tarp to cover the gear stowed in the bustle rack to protect it from rain, snow, and mud. Some aftermarket companies, especially Verlinden, use a lot of "random" tarps and tent rolls to fill space when they don't know what to put there. As I explained earlier, there is no "random" anything, every item has its purpose.

There are, of course, exceptions to everything. If you have a photo of a vehicle that shows something different, go ahead and build it.

 

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Trip Report - USS Wisconsin

 By Lloyd Powell

Click here for trip report pdf file

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ASM Builds Model for 2019 Folds of Honor Event

 By Mike Blohm

The Albuquerque Scale Modelers club provided a 1/48 scale A-10A Thunderbolt II "Warthog" model for the auction at the Folds of Honor New Mexico's "Red, White, and Blue Celebration Dinner" fund-raising event held on September 23, 2019, at the Tanoan Country Club in Albuquerque. The Folds of Honor Foundation provides scholarships and other assistance to the spouses and children of soldiers killed or disabled in service to our country. The model was built by Mike Blohm. The Monogram model kit was donated by Brian Peck. The Folds of Honor was very appreciative of our donation and thanked us for again contributing models for their auction. ASM had two F-16 models for their 2018 event.

The model was built as an A-10A of the 78th Fighter Squadron "Flying Tigers" of the 23rd Fighter Group while assigned to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Group at Jacobabad, Pakistan, in March 2002. The scheme was from the Print Scale 48-073 A-10 Thunderbolt II decal sheet. The kit came with decals for a warthog-faced A-10 of the 47th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 917th Tactical Fighter Group, Air Force Reserve in a Europe 1 paint scheme (two greens and one gray). However, I wanted to build a three grays scheme with the colorful shark mouth used by the 23rd Fighter Group Flying Tigers, as that would be more appealing to any potential bidders on the model.

The kit was built out of the box other than the decals. It is an older kit with raised panel lines, and a lot of fit problems that required sanding. The 1/48 scale kit is pretty huge. I usually build 1/72 scale aircraft, and the A-10 was bigger than a B-17 model in 1/72.  It probably had more parts. too. To avoid it being a tail-sitter, I loaded the front of the fuselage below the cockpit with modeling clay holding a lot of fish sinkers--as much as I thought the narrow nose gear would hold. To my dismay, the model sat back on its tail after I had everything put together. The kit does come with a clear plastic "support stand" that I had not wanted to use, but did use in the end. It is way back by the tail and is pretty unnoticeable. I used a whole lot of Master Model Light Ghost Gray (FS36375) and Dark Ghost Gray (FS36320) to paint it. What I really would have liked was a decal or a template for the fake canopy on the underside of the nose that is in Gunship Gray (FS36118). I ended up drawing the outline of that in pencil and then painting it on. I was surprised at how well that came out. Building the ordnance took a long time. I built six CBU-71 canisters (that is the closest thing the pieces match to), four AGM-65 Mavericks and two LAU-88 triple rail launchers, and an ALQ-119 ECM pod. Getting all those attached to the pylons was a major pain.