|
Post by dewobz on Jun 12, 2012 13:25:35 GMT 12
NZ4010 1251 PBY-5 Previously JX228. Arrived Fiji 16 June 1943. Code XX-L. Declared surplus to requirements in 1951 and broken up at Hobsonville in 1952. Here's my 1/48 Monogram PBY-5 Catalina depicted as NZ4010 XX-L in late 1944 after white bars have been added to the roundels and blue borders to the bars on the underwing only. Built pretty much OOB with the addition of gunbelts for the 50cals in the Blisters, T aerials under the wings and scratchbuilt sidewall detail inside the cockpit. Aeromaster paints with Aeromaster & Ventura decals. The complete build is on www.kiwimodeller.com RNZAF 75th Anniversary GB. (She was originally going to be NZ4021 XX-X) Additional finished photos will be added soon to the Build Gallery of the same forum. Cheers, Wally. Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on Jun 4, 2012 13:20:57 GMT 12
Hi Callum, I find Classic Warbirds #8 'Pacific Twins' an excellent reference for RNZAF PV-1s. In the book are also several possibilities for aircraft that don't carry artwork including NZ based ones with large code letters on the fuselage. I am about to build NZ4562 - in NZ Blue Sea Grey/NZ Sky with 'P' on the nose & white nose plexiglass with '62's hand painted on it - as shown in the book in photo & full colour illustration. I'll use Zotz roundel-bars this time. These numerous aircraft options thus only require additional decals such as code letters and numbers which are much more obtainable than artwork (itself often painted over in the operational area). Ventura decals, Zotz, Xtradecal & even Aeromaster can therefore be considered sources of roundels & bars in various shades of various blues.
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on May 24, 2012 10:19:30 GMT 12
Good one! The Zotz roundels don't look as dark on the model as they do on the sheet (I'm glad to see) and I agree about the upper wing one being too light. Have you got Classic Warbird's 'Pacific Twins'? The photo of NZ4540[43] crashed that shows the upper wing roundel has considerable glare on it and to my eye it could conceivably have borders. There may, of course, be other photos which confirm no borders and my perception of the photo is purely personal. I love the look of your tyres. I assume closing the bomb bay went okay? And are you still going to build NZ4516 'Patua te Ra'?
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on May 23, 2012 10:23:25 GMT 12
Points taken, thanks Dave (& others). I guess that's why I'm just a Flight Sergeant? I greatly value this forum and use it myself to ascertain historical accuracy, so my last post was thoughtless. I hope Malcolm does make fade variations. I'll certainly use them. And I guess realistically a reprint of 'PV-1 Venturas' is only going to involve 2 aircraft, NZ4509 & 'Slippery Sam'.
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on May 22, 2012 17:40:12 GMT 12
Cheers, Thanks, as with previous models posted here, more pics and complete build on www.kiwimodeller.com RNZAF 75th Anniversary Group Build & it's Build Gallery.
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on May 22, 2012 13:03:54 GMT 12
NZ5315 5156 F4U-1 Bu49909. Shipped from USA on 26 April 1944 aboard "USS Table Rock". Assembled in Espiritu Santo and BOC Unit 60 on 22 May 1944. Issued to No.21 Fighter Squadron, Guadalcanal on 28 June 1944. Coded "315". To No.14 Squadron on 08 August 1944. To No.26 Squadron on 10 April 1945. Ferried to New Zealand in October 1945. Advertised for sale by WARB tender number 1704 and sold from Rukuhia to J. Larsen, Palmerston North on 02 March 1948. Academy 1/48 kitset, Color of Eagles & Tamiya paint, Ventura & AM decals. Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on May 21, 2012 11:41:58 GMT 12
Thinking about this some more I reckon since no other decal manufacturer (that I know of) produces 'fade' variations on national insignia, why should you? There appear (to me) to really only be two options for our combat area PV-1s: A) an RNZAF blue, which I personally believe you already have, and B) US insignia blue (field applied?). If you are going to expend effort on other roundels I recommend doing other style roundels rather than other colour or fade variations, eg, notably the NZ based PV-1s (and RB-34s?) - some with white bars only - but maybe also narrow borders on some roundel bars. As for 'Slippery Sam' and the extraordinary amount of debate about this aircraft .... He's way to "slippery" for me and I will never build a model of him.
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on May 19, 2012 9:44:32 GMT 12
NZ3124 P-40N-1 28448 42-104686 - Assembled by No.1 Aircraft Depot, Hobsonville and BoC at Hobsonville on 25 June 1943. Coded "B". Sold to J. Larsen from Rukuhia on 02 March 1948. Depicted at Ondonga Nov '43 - possibly as late as Jan '44 An ordinary squadron (or S.U.) aircraft flown by gifted pilots and perhaps just plain 'lucky' as well? Claims made by pilots flying NZ3124 are as follows - F/O A M Davis 27 Oct 1943 - 1 Zeke destroyed F/O G R B Highet 24 Dec 1943 - 2 Zekes destroyed, 1 probable F/O G R B Highet 7 Jan 1944 - 1 Zeke destroyed F/O A R Walker 29 Jan 1944 - 1 Zeke destroyed S/L J A Oldfield 13 Feb 1944 - 1 Zeke destroyed (the last action of the war in which a claim for destroyed was successfully made) Hasegawa 1/48 kitset, AeroMaster paints, Ventura & Colorado decals. More on www.kiwimodeller.com 75th Anniversary GB & Build Gallery.Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on May 17, 2012 13:46:54 GMT 12
Another way of putting that might be - given the apparent popularity of Revell's kitset, at such a great price, I think there would be a market for not only a reprinted PV-1 Ventura's but another whole decal set containing other options ... maybe ... hopefully ... please?
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on May 17, 2012 13:41:13 GMT 12
My 2 cents worth - Certainly NZ4512 serial & code numbers for 'Slippery Sam'. There's a photo of NZ4511 on pg 258 (I think) of 'Air-to-Air', it's been there all along, and there's no artwork on her nose (under a magnifying glass). I would buy RNZAF roundels in various shades (and for various aircraft, though I understand we're only talking about Ventura's here) but if I only had one choice I say stick with your existing blue. I would love to have a variety of other PV-1 Ventura options, in some cases just serials & code numbers, eg NZ4518, NZ4503 (Sea Blue repaint), but NZ4516 'Patua te Ra' serials, codes & artwork would be a fabulous addition - so very 'Kiwi' - as would the 'P', hand-painted '62's and code numbers for NZ4562. This is not to mention some of the fuselage codes for NZ based OTU Venturas shown in Classic Warbirds #8.
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on May 14, 2012 11:36:49 GMT 12
Cheers, thanks guys.
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on May 12, 2012 11:54:33 GMT 12
Does anyone know what that is on the tail of NZ5315? It looks like it might be a female form. The aircraft survived the war and was at Rukuhuia. Maybe there's a post-war photo? Many Thanks, Wally. Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on May 7, 2012 13:58:04 GMT 12
Will do, as soon as I can afford it. Thanks.
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on May 7, 2012 12:49:15 GMT 12
I've just landed a Monogram 1/48 PBY-5 Catalina purchased from eBay in February. Quite a long flight from North America, it took 3 months. I was going to build her as NZ4021 XX-X for www.kiwimodeller.com RNZAF 75th Group Build but my explorations today have turned up an even more interesting subject, NZ4012 XX-N, "The Naughty Nine" (see attached pdf). I found this on www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/national/photos/2788385/Photo-gallery-RNZAF-6-SquadronMay not be news to anyone on here but I am thrilled ... I just have to learn how to make my own decals! Cheers, dewobz Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on May 6, 2012 12:02:43 GMT 12
Likewise Silverfox, if you are making a 'Patua te Ra' artwork & name decal and could possibly make an extra one for me I am definitely into that, cost (within reason) is no object. I was contemplating the exact same thing the other day ... how to create that artwork? Are you doing 4516 as having been repainted in NZ Blue Sea Grey over NZ Sky Grey? ... which seems to me to be indicated by 'knowing' that 4515 (from Hobbyvista.com) & 4518 (from Classic Warbirds #8) had been repainted. By April/May 1944 when 4518 was photographed alongside two Ventura's with field repaints (apparently) in US Sea Blue she looks pretty faded. I'd like to do 4516 in that sort of condition. Cheers,
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on Apr 30, 2012 10:57:00 GMT 12
Dave & Silverfox - Yes, Revell 1/48 kitset. I closed the bomb bay using the doors from the kitset, although a resin 'closed' version is apparently available from stores online. The fit was pretty good. It resulted in a slightly better 'panel line' on one side's half than the other, which I think was the last piece to go in, but it looks fine. Silverfox, what have you decided to do for camoflage colours? I go into this at some length in my build on www.kiwimodeller.com RNZAF 75th GB, though I can by no means claim my research and findings are definitive. Cheers,
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on Apr 27, 2012 11:21:11 GMT 12
PV-1 Ventura NZ4509 with 2 Sqn RNZAF in April 1944 at Munda, after her repair and partial repaint - in US Blue-Grey - at Espiritu Santos following the great air battle of 24 Dec 1943 over St George's channel when F/0 Ayson claimed 3 Zekes destroyed (some say 2) and several more damaged. Interpretation based on the B&W photographs of NZ4509 taking off from Munda in Classic Warbirds No.8 & of the cockpit closeup in 'Air-to-Air'. Revell 1/48 kitset, Aeromaster paints, Aeromaster & Ventura decals. The entire build is on www.kiwimodeller.com RNZAF 75th Anniversary GB with more pictures in the Build Gallery of that same forum. - Dewobz Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on Apr 14, 2012 12:03:12 GMT 12
1/48 Hasegawa P-40K-5 (which the Kittyhawk Mk III kitset allows one to build) with Ventura Decals roundels, stripes from the Italeri Wairarapa Wildcatand the '9' off of the Wildcat's '19' in the kitset (from memory) as NZ3060[9] - the aircraft in which Geoff Fisken scored 3 of his 5 Guadalcanal kills (all on the same day I think).
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on Apr 13, 2012 12:19:59 GMT 12
There's a separate thread for that long-running debate isn't there? I'd keep my head below the parapet except I can't resist saying that the lightness of the blue may be due to the camera rather than the decals. This happens to me when I photograph Ventura roundels. To the naked eye they are a mid-blue which I find satisfactory, (though clearly darker blue roundels did also exist in reality), but on-camera they look more like the ghastly Italeri/Rising Decals etc RNZAF blue. Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by dewobz on Apr 11, 2012 12:00:06 GMT 12
BRILLIANT!!!! Thank you all so much and especially Luther & McFly. That photo is just wonderful. A Kiwi Corsair with 'Vargas Girl' type artwork (albeit small) ... absolutely awesome! If I can find (or create) appropriate decals I may just have to guess at the serial number for my build. Once again, thank you. (Incidently, I took my NZ5416 Tutae Wera to my art course one time and a Maori friend asked, "Why would they name a plane 'Hot Shit'?" Tutae Wera being something like reverse transliteration I guess)
|
|