Mighty 8th GB 1-Nov-2010 - 31-Oct-2011

Modeling Subjects Group Builds
1

This will be the official thread for the Mighty 8th GB. To participate, all you have to do is build an aircraft that flew with the US 8th AAF from the UK during World War 2. The GB will run from the 1st Nov 2010 to 31st Oct 2011.

Any scale allowed, and can OOB or as much AM as you like.

Anyone can sign up, from now until the end of the GB.

Please post progress pictures as often as you can during the build.

When you announce what kit you are building, please could you add its unit and the station in the UK from which it flew.

When I posted a thread to see if there was enough interest in this, I said there would be an extra task.

Being from East Anglia, the evidence of the 8th is all around me. There are old airbases every where, in fact there are 3 old B-17 bases within 10 mins of where I am now. In the main library of my home city of Norwich there a section dedicated to the 8th AAF. Most of the bases were close to villages many of which have memorials to the many young Americans who spent months, even years, a long way from home in a strange land. Thousands of them never made it home, around 3,000 are still here at the American cemetery near Cambridge.

So, to remember those guys and the locals who had to put up with the American invasion, I would like you to do a little research on the unit your aircraft belonged to and the station where it was based. Then, when you publish your finished pics, you can write up a brief history off both. And if possible you can include a few pics, maybe of any memorials that are there now or anything else. The following sites should have everything you need.

http://mighty8thaf.preller.us/

http://www.usaaf.com/8thaf/

And that’s it, hopefully it won’t put anyone off, and plenty of you will join and make my first GB as host a good one.

Here is what i have come up with for a GB with my limited photo editor

.!(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg111/Bish_012/Mighty 8th GB/Mighty8th.jpg)

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Participants:

Aggieman Monogram 1/48th P-51B, 4th FG, Debden (Station 156) Essex

!(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg111/Bish_012/Mighty 8th GB/AggiemanP-51B4thFG.jpg?t=1291665499)

Bish Academy 1/72nd B-17F, 96th BG, Snetterton (Station 138) Norfolk

bobbaily Tamiya 1/48th P-47D, 56th FG, Boxted (Station 150) Essex

CallSignOWL Revell 1/48th P-51B, 352nd FG, Bodney (Station 141) Norfolk

!(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg111/Bish_012/Mighty 8th GB/OWLP-51D352FG.jpg?t=1294847305)

Tamiya 1/48th P-51D, 352nd FG, Bodney (Station 141) Norfolk

!(http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y309/callsignOWL/P-51b The Flying Scot/DSCN4954.jpg)

checkmateking02 Airfix 1/72nd B-17G, 91st BG, Bassingbourn (Station 121), Cambridgeshire

!(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg111/Bish_012/Mighty 8th GB/checkmateking02B-17G91stBG.jpg?t=1304671151)

Airfix 1/72nd B-17G, 100th BG, Thorpe Abbots(Station 139) Norfolk

!(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg111/Bish_012/Mighty 8th GB/checkmateking02B-17G91stBG-1.jpg)

1/72nd B-17G, 100th BG, Thorpe Abbots (Station 139), Norfolk

cleobe Minicraft 1:48 P-38J, 20th FG, Kings Cliffe (Station 367), Northhamptonshire

!(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg111/Bish_012/Mighty 8th GB/ClebodeP-38J20thFG.jpg?t=1304671204)

Hasegawa 1:72 B-24D, 44thBG, Shipdham (Station 115), Norfolk.

!(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg111/Bish_012/Mighty 8th GB/ClebodeB-24D44thBG.jpg?t=1293915255)

Revell clear 1/72nd B-17G, 34th BG, Mendlesham (Station 156) Suffolk

DoogsATX Tamiya 1/48th P51D, 352nd FG?, Bodney (Station 141) Norfolk

!(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg111/Bish_012/Mighty 8th GB/DoogsP-51D352ndFG.jpg)

Tamiya 1/48th P-51B, 355th FG, Steeple Moredon (Station 122) Cambridgeshire

Tamiya 1/48 P-47D 56th FG, Boxted (Station 150) Essex

!(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg111/Bish_012/Mighty 8th GB/DoogsP-47D56thFG.jpg?t=1294909456)

Helo H-34 Tamiya 1/72nd P-51D 357th FG, Leiston (Station 373) Suffolk

hutchdh Revell 1/72nd B-17G,303rd BG Molesworth (Station 107), Cambridgeshire

jbrady Tamiya 1/48th P-47D,56th FG, Halesworth (Station 365) Suffolk

!(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg111/Bish_012/Mighty 8th GB/jbradyP-47D56thFG.jpg?t=1291564404)

Tamiya 1/48th P51-B. 4th FG Debden (Station 156) Essex

!(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg111/Bish_012/Mighty 8th GB/jbradyP-51B.jpg?t=1296313153)

Kermit Revell 1/72nd P-51D, 359thFG, East Wretham (Station 133) Norfolk

!(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg111/Bish_012/Mighty 8th GB/KermitP-51D352ndFG.jpg?t=1312019038)

lewbud Tamiya 1/72nd P-51D, 357thFG, Leiston (Station 373), Suffolk

Academy 1/72nd P-51B 357th FG Leiston(Station 373) Suffolk

Little J Revell 1/48th B-26C, 323rd BG, Earls Colne(Station 358) Essex

Tamiya 1/48th P-51K, 78th FG, Duxford (Station 357) Cambridgeshire

redraider56 Tamiya 1/48th P-51D, 361st FG, Little Walden Essex (Station 165)

Tamiya 1/48 P-47D Razorback, 56th FG, Halesworth (Station 365) Suffolk

satch ip IArii/Otaki 1/48th P-47D 78th FG, Duxford (Station 357) Cambridgeshire

!(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg111/Bish_012/Mighty 8th GB/satchipP-47D78thFG.jpg)

Scorpiomikey Tamiya 1/48th P-51B, Leiston (Station 373) Suffolk

Hasegawa egg plane P-51D, 352nd FG, Bodney (Station 141), Norfolk

!(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg111/Bish_012/Mighty 8th GB/Scorpionmikey352ndFGegg.jpg?t=1293915348)

Wabashwheels 1/48th Tamiya P-47D, 4th FG, Debden (Station 146) Essex

!(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg111/Bish_012/Mighty 8th GB/washboshwheelsP-47D4thFG.jpg?t=1292367847)

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I’m in! Between this and the NMF and Ostfront group builds, my poor Eduard Hellcat is going to be ruling the stash for some time!

I’m planning to build:

Tamiya 1/48 P-51D Mustang - John C. Meyer’s “Petie 3rd” of the 352nd FG based at Bodney, forward deployed to Y-29 in Belgium.

Tamiya 1/48 P-51B Mustang - Harry Brown’s “The Hun Hunter from Texas” of the 355th FG based at RAF Steeple Morden in the Spring of 1944.

Not sure which order I’ll end up building them in, but I’ve been having some awesome luck assembling everything I need.

The P-51D is going to be rocking:

  • Ultracast exhaust manifolds
  • Ultracast pilot seat
  • Eduard PE set - though after my Dauntless experience I don’t know how much I’ll take and how much I’ll leave on the fret!
  • Eagle Strike Bluenosed Birds of Bodney Part III decal sheet - I actually managed to track one down, it’s in the mail now!
  • Squadron vacuform canopy that I may or may not use.
  • …and maybe Ultracast’s replacement spinner and prop blades. If I can figure out how to mount it.

The P-51B will be going forward with:

  • Ultracast exhaust manifolds - I’ve got a set of shrouded manifolds left over from my “Shangri-La” build.
  • Eagle Strike decals for Brown’s aircraft - looking really forward to this one - the RAF Dark Green upper and NMF underside could make for a really distinctive 'stang!
4

Glad you were able to get those decals in that scale. I will especially be looking forward to seeing you D. Might get some pointers for when i do mine in 72nd. How are you doing the NMF.

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The start date was in january? Sorry I do not understand.

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No, the start date is 1st Nov. Sorry, guess it must be confuseing. In the UK we do it day/month/year.

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Believe me, it took some hard core Google-fu and more than a little luck. Actually found a guy on another forum selling off all his 1/48 stuff - think he’s moving on to 32nd - and the decal sheet happened to be among the items he was selling.

As for the NMF, I’m undecided between Alclad II and Talon. I’m going to use my NMF group builds - two simultaneous early Wildcats - to host an NMF-off between the two.

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I haven’t tried the talon, but i have tried the alclad, but just the once so far for the first NMF GB. It wasn’t perferct, but i did learn a few lesson. And though it does need alot of sanding the primer before applieing the Alclad, i do like it and i am going to stick with that. Though i might change my mind after doing a B-17 or 24 with it.

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Yeah, I played around with Alclad on a testing basis. Went down rough, but I’m pretty certain it’s because I didn’t bother with any prep sanding.

One of the things that really grabbed my interest about the Talon paints is that they don’t necessarily need prep sanding (or even primer!?!?) to lay down smooth.

10

Ah thank you for clearing that up! I will keep that in mind. I have to finish up a Me109 for the Classic Aviation GB and then a F-86 Sabre for the Korean War GB. Depending on when I get those done, should there be enough time left for this GB, I will join it!

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Hi Bish ;

I have Tamiya’s 1/72 scale P-51D Mustang ; 8th A.F. ACES

I’m pretty much committed to the Korean War Group build for the next 10 months but seeing I’ll be putting together some more P-51D’s in the not to distant future , I thought I could throw this Tamiya kit in at the same time .

There are 3 sets of great markings and it’s hard to choose which option ;

1: Big Beautiful Doll , Col John D Landers 78th FG

2: Glamorous Glen III , Capt Charles E Yager 363rd FS , 357th FG

3: Old Crow , Capt Clarence Anderson , 362nd FS , 357th FG

I kinda like option 3: "Old Crow " with the Olive Drab over Neutral Gray scheme , so I kindly ask if I may join your Mighty 8th GB

John .

12

I work for a company headquartered in Dublin. As a Texan, it took me a while to acclimate to the date notation, and even after 4 years, I was still thrown off by your date format. You might try using 1-Nov-2010 through 31-July-2011 which is how we date all of our internal documents.

As for the group build, I can’t resist. Please put me down for a thus-far undetermined build. I have several bombers (-17s and -24s) to choose from, but will probably go with a fighter, of which I have lots to choose from in my stash as well (Tamiya P-47D, old Revell 32-scale P-51B or P-47D, Monogram P-51D, P-47D, plus nearly every other 48 scale Monogram kit that would fit this GB. Too many to choose from, really, but I’ll eventually make up my mind.)

13

Well seeing as my grandfather served with the Mighty Eighth, you can count me in!

Planning on doing an Arii/Otaki P-47 and a Monogram P-47 in his honor despite the fact that he was a B-24 pilot. I am sure that he wouldn’t mind!

Thanks

Mike

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I’d love to see what you do with the Tamiya P-47. I’ve got a major soft spot for the Jug, and keep holding off buying one for the stash because I want a few kits under my belt so I can do it justice.

There’s a beauty of a razorback I saw on the Y-29 episode of Dogfights that I want to build if I can ever find the markings. Olive drab fuselage with NMF wings and a chrome cowl ring.

15

I have a small stash of B-17’s I’ve been meaning to get to, so I’d like to participate. I’ll have to check specifically, but I think it’ll be Airfix’s Flying Fortress, a re-issue of the Academy/Minicraft B-17G.

16

Count me in, but oh the choices! I’m a Don Gentile guy, so I’ll probably do his P-47D “Donnie Boy”. It will be either the 1/48 Hasegawa or 1/48 Tamiya Razorback. Gentile was the top ETO Ace (I think), flying with the 4th Fighter Group, 336th squadron out of Debden. If I get going really good, there are a couple other 4th Fighter Group birds that I’d enjoy sharing. Thanks, Rick.

17

Steven Thats a good idea on the date. I knew you guys did it the other way round i just didn’t think about it when i typed it out.

John I will put you down but leave it open as to which one.

Mike I was sure at least one person here would have had a relative who was with the 8th. Do you know where he was based. I know most B-24 unit where in Norfolk, but there were some in other places.

checkmateking02 Is that a newer Airfix B-17 or the older one with the markings for ‘A bit o lace’

Welcome aboard to all of you, i will add you all to the list. There is plenty of time to decide exactly what you want to build.

18

OH BOY!!! My eyes lit up when I saw the heading for this GB!!! Not starting till November will give me a bit of leeway to try and get a few other things done first. I AM IN!!!

My build will hold me to the upmost of standards just for the plane that she is to do her justice. I’m in with Academy’s 1/72 “Memphis Belle”. 324th BS, 91st BG, 8th AF, Bassingbourn.

Was looking for the perfect excuse to build her. Well done Bish!!![:D[

19

Glad to have you. I was hopeing someone would opt for this. Not just because its the Belle, but also because i did my Army training at Bassingborn back in 90-91. We used to go for runs round the old perimeter tarck and the gym was in one of the hangers. So thank you for joining. [Y]

20

Thanks for the warm [snWcm] Bish!!! I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Col. Morgan in person at a book signing at Robins AFB, Georgia in the late '90s!!! I have an autographed copy of 'The Memphis Belle-Home at last by Menno Duerksen.

Also had the pleasure of meeting the Belle herself whilst she was still in Memphis.