Is anyone else interested in modeling some of the great old warbirds and other aircraft that are used to fight forest and brush fires??? [%-)] I worked around some of these old birds when I was right out of high school in the late 60’s and early 70’s. [swg]
Yes, please! I’m really VERY interested in the Canadair 215/415…! Love them!
I actually had the chance to see, I believe it was, the 415 in action in southeastern Oklahoma in 1994 or 1995. Very impressive. [bow]
Saw a -215 at an airshow, doing it’s trick with water. Quite impressive…! I have both kits from Heller (two 215 and one 415…!) but haven’t had the courage to start any of them… I have been trying for years to find more pics of a CL-215 in a red and white scheme proposed to some Canadian authority (Quebec I think)… That would have made it, but my searches have been fruitless…
What about you? What are you building or considering building?
At the present time I am working on scratch building the tank for an F7F in 1/48. I am having trouble with the deminsions but I think I am getting close. I am getting ready to snail mail a friend in California who flew one for TBM, Inc. out of Tulare, CA. Those are the birds I was able to get close to. TBMs, B-17s, PB4Ys and F7Fs. TBM, Inc. was the first Fire fighting company to purchase a C-130 for fire fighting. They are operating P2 Neptune’s, P3 Orion’s and I believe some DC-6s. But, I’m not real sure on the latter.
Cool! Any pics???
http://fredsphotos.bravepages.com/aapics13.html the last three.
http://koti.welho.com/msolanak/details.html cockpit
http://dasoprostasia.tripod.com/Foto.htm# you will find a caption called canader, shows low pass of the canadairs…
You want some cool firebomber pictures? Check this site out, maintained by a friend of mine…
http://www.daveroofchallenge.com/
Great sites, guys!! Thanks a bunch. All of the pics that I HAD, were reduced to one big photopaper clump when the house we were living in in 1988 was under water for about a week when the Poteau River flooded near Pocola, OK. [banghead] [:(] When I left for work that morning, they said the river was receeding. Did they ever lie!!! When I got home I couldn’t even go home.
The E63 F7F was one of TBMs that I had pictures of.
I also seem to recall a B-17 that had been converted to turbo props.
Heres one that I found. On this site, when you click on retired oldies, there is a pic of another TBM F7F.
Cool sites indeed! Thanks for the tips.
Great sites, guys! I just bought a couple of Hasagawa Neptunes to convert to firebombers. I’m looking for the Orion, but I won’t pay 30 bucks for it, so I’ll keep looking. I’m planning a series of them including the Neptune, C-130, Orion, Tigercat, etc… Probably in the Aero Union scheme. I’m looking forward to starting them soon.
Scott
As soon as I find more sites I’ll post them. I am always looking for new pics. If I ever get my scanner up and running I have a couple of Air Classic articles on fire bombers. One is about the F7F from Sept. 1976. The other from Feb. 1994 covers various models, but mainly it is about the C-97 in Alaska but it does have a couple of nice color shots of an OV-10A Bronco forward controller ship. Also, Squadron’s #1106 P-61 Blackwidow in Action book has a b/w/ pic of an F-15A Reporter fire bomber. Good looking a/c!!! [:D]
I think fire bombers are great, as a Canadian, the CL-215 and 415 have a special place in my heart as aircraft go. I saw a 215 operated by the Alberta Government up close several years ago. Quite the machine.
I also saw the converted A-26 Invaders of Airspray. There’s some photos of the Airspray Invaders, Electras and CL215s at their web site: www.airspray.com
Leading Edge did, at one time, make 1/72 and 1/48 decal sheets for Airspray’s Invaders. Perhaps they still do. They have announced some new CL-215 and 415 sheets for early 2004.
Here’s a couple of shots I took a few years back of an ex RCAF Mitchell converted to fire killing duties.
I have a CD containing several pictures taken by a friend of mine of fire figting hehicopters taking on water at Wentworth Falls. If soneone could tell me how I will post them on this site. If not I can burn a copy and send it to FSM.
Dai
Here are more sites for you all to check out concerning firebombers from A-26, C-119, C-97, C-130, CH-54, P2V, and my favorite the PB4Y-2G!
http://www.hawkinsandpowers.com/
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=Hawkins%20and%20Powers&distinct_entry=true
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=Hawkins%20%26%20Powers&distinct_entry=true
http://www.firehogs.com/photos/tankers.shtml
http://p2vneptune.org/f03.shtml
http://www.ruudleeuw.com/greybull.htm
http://www.wildlandfire.com/photos.htm
http://www.oldprops.f9.co.uk/Privateer.htm
…and for you chopper geeks:
http://www.erickson-aircrane.com/
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=Erickson%20Air-Crane&distinct_entry=true
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=Erickson%20Air-Crane%20Inc&distinct_entry=true
Enjoy!
Upnorth, this is indeed good news… I might have to take my Canadairs out of the loft, after all…!
I have used Leading Edge decals and have no complaints about them, the Invader sheets were well printed and accurate, though I never used those sets myself.
I seem to recall someone making a fire killer conversion set for F7F Tigers, it included the belly tank and some decals for American registered ones. I keep thinking Cutting Edge had done them but I can’t remember for sure. Can anyone jog my memory?
UPNORTH
I believe the conversion was from Lonestar Models in Texas. I would like to get my hands on a couple.
Randie [C):-)]
you guys live such sheltered lives LOL. forget the airshow, go to the real thing. there was a forest fire by Prince Albert (about 40 mins) so we went to the one side of the river and watched all the water-bombers do their stuff on the other side.