Try Two Bobs Decals. I have the Scale Master ones and they are ok, but basic and older I think.
I looked in Two Bobs,but forgot to check a part of it
If you look through all the sheets, including the OOP sheets he has up,you might find a paint guide on one of the pages, even if it is 1/32
why only one Phoenix? if I may ask,they almost always loaded them in even numbers
sorry, Clemens,the closest I find to your 1942 Trainer F3F-2 color scheme is a 1941 Trainer F3F-1 in overall Gray with Black codes
And speaking of decals and markings, I’ve run into a conundrum with some Wildcat markings from the Coral Sea era.
I picked up Starfighter Decals 1/72 sheet for the US Navy at Coral Sea, and the instructions for the Wildcats show one star on the top of the port wing and one star on the bottom of the port wing–nothing on either the top or the bottom of the port wing.
I thought at the time that it was standard to have an insignia on the top of the port wing and the bottom of the starboard wing–or even, at the time, that the Navy put insignias on both the top and bottom of both wings, but the decal instructions clearly indicate placing the US star on the top and bottom of the port wing only.
From the profile included with the decals, you can see that the Wildcat has nothing under the starboard wing. The Dauntless shows the underwing star on the starboard side.
Starfighter includes markings for Wildcats from VF-2 and VF-42, and the wing decal placement diagram shows the same locations for all of them: upper and lower port wing.
I checked what sources I could, and I am unable to verify exactly where the wing insignia should go. It does seem that US Navy aviation markings were in a state of flux in early 1942.
I hope maybe someone here can provide me with some kind of guidance and information, please?
I don’t know…
Should I build the gray one or should I do a what-if blue one?
What do you think?
Clemens
The F-14D I’m doing is for VF-31 in OIF. Pics show its common load to be 1 or 2 AIM-9, 2 GBU-12s, LANTIRN pod under the Starboard side and a single AIM-54C on the other side. I’m guessing likely to counter the weight of the LANTIRN.
I have a two questions to everyone who is familiar with the B-25 Mitchell:
- Are there any decals for “Take-off Time” in 1/48th scale?
- Is there any way to convert the Accurate Miniatures B-25C/D to a J? I want to build one in 1/48, but not the old Revell kit, if it’s possible…
Just ignore the 2nd question. I just found out myself that I would have to relocate the top turret to the front. No way I’ll do that!
Do you know any other nice nose-arts for the B-25? Preferably a C,D or G model.
Clemens
I could be mistaken, but I’m pretty sure the F3F-1 was phased out before the blue-grey schemes were introduced. Every picture i could find of one had it in the pre-war chrome/grey livery.
Then I’ll do a “what-if” blue one or the gray one Rex told me about… I don`t like those shine NMF-ones as much as the painted versions.
If it’s any consolation, they were painted silver, not just left bare metal (the bare metal would rust on a ship, so it had to be covered with something).
I could take a photo of the picture for you,and send it to you via PM or something
alternatively, it is on page 24 of the Grumman Biplane Fighters in Action, book # 1160
it would be a cool way to build a Bipe without the Yellow wings and silver dope
Rex
Phoenix as ballast I forgot about,I should have known better, though,there are a lot of loads with something used as ballast for some special store carriage
I don’t have the Coral Sea set, but I do have the Midway set, and the Wildcat, Dauntless, and Devastator guides at the time of Midway all say “top and bottom of both wings”
I wonder though,Mark is pretty good at catching the “this aircraft only” variations,could that be it for that aircraft only?,otherwise, I would email him and ask if it is intended or is a glitch
Rex
Please send me the picture, Rex.
I don’t have this book so it would be a pain to get this picture…
Clemens
I did some checking, it appears that the switch over happened sometime in late April of '42.
here’s a picture from Fighting 3 off the Lexington in April of '42
Note the star on the port wing.
Here’s some of planes on the Enterprise in April of '42:
These already have stars on both wings.
A shot of Wildcats on the Hornet in April of '42:
It’s hard to tell, but they also appear to have stars on the tops of both wings, so we know it wasn’t just the Enterprise
Immediately after the battle, Fighting 6 on the Enterprise, May 12, '42
It’s hard to see, but again, they appear to have stars on both wings. The change to the star without the Meatball hasn’t happened yet.
All of this suggests that, at the time of the Battle of the Coral Sea, the fleet was using the star and ball roundels on both wings. However, I could not find pictures of Lexington or Yorktown aircraft from between the date of that first pic and the battle, so I don’t know for sure that they changed when the rest of the fleet changed.
Maybe emailing Mark would be the thing to do, Rex. I have the Midway set too, but haven’t looked at it closely, so I missed the note about both wings. From this website, I assumed it was the same set up already at Coral Sea: http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq2-1.htm
But as you say, it could well be some individual variations. Mark does note that the Lex’s air group was slow to change from white designators to black, on his 1/700 LAG sheet, so maybe both VF-2 and -42 used their own quirky interpretations of the regs.
Thanks for your insights. Insignia and markings are things that fascinate me.
Thanks, Ghost. Some of the pics didn’t come through, but I think I get the idea from what you wrote.
If there are no photos, who can say anything with certainty? I wonder if any pictures went down with both ships.
I appreciate your assist.
gotta love that pic of Ghostrider’s up there too
Does anyone of you know about a B-25 (B, C or D) with NMF?
Clemens
That’s not Harmon Rabb, Jr. at the controls?