Recent content by ColesAircraft

  1. ColesAircraft

    B-24 H Liberator 'Hey Moe' - Artwork History

    Glad to be back on the forum after a long departure! This is my new painting of 'Hey Moe' for the last surviving member of her original crew. 'Hey Moe' was a B-24 H built in Tulsa, Oklahoma with the Ford nose. Aircraft serial number 42-51090 served with the 15th Air Force, 451st Bomb Group...
  2. ColesAircraft

    P-51C 14th AF: One Way to Verify Victories

    Thanks, guys! :) Here's some more information about Lt. Hunycutt and the mission depicted: The mission report is especially interesting!
  3. ColesAircraft

    P-51C 14th AF: One Way to Verify Victories

    Just completed this commission for the son of this P-51C Mustang pilot. The composition depicts an actual moment in history when this aircraft, flown by Lt. John Hunycutt of the 'Yellow Scorpions', dropped one of his two bombs on a Japanese Ki-48 'Lilly' light bomber while attacking Tsinan...
  4. ColesAircraft

    Aircraft wreckage?

    I might be able to help, too. PLZ post pictures. :)
  5. ColesAircraft

    Found! YB-40 / B-17F Data Plate 42-5734

    I can't believe I found it! This is an original data plate from the incredibly rare Boeing Lockheed-Vega YB-40 / B-17F experimental bomber escort! A/C Serial Number 6030 / Registration Number 42-5734 This YB-40 was a combat veteran that served with the 92nd BG / 327th BS as "Seymore Angel"...
  6. ColesAircraft

    A6M5 Model 52 Zero

    (Above): Zoukei Mura's photo shoot. They got some great shots! I never thought the Raiden would be revealed to this extent. This aircraft used to be completely original, but when she sat outdoors in a California park for several years she suffered from vandals and sustained both loss of...
  7. ColesAircraft

    A6M5 Model 52 Zero

    They are the wrong instruments - American ones that were put in for show.
  8. ColesAircraft

    A6M5 Model 52 Zero

    Zoukei Mura's 1/32 scale super-model kit of the J2M3 Raiden was released three weeks ago (not to toot my own horn, but I did the box art). They've also released their usual book of reference photographs, which is by far and away the best reference for this aircraft ever printed. The PoF...
  9. ColesAircraft

    A6M5 Model 52 Zero

    Here are a few more Raiden Photos:
  10. ColesAircraft

    A6M5 Model 52 Zero

    In 1988 the cockpit of the Raiden was spray painted gloss metallic green. I love Planes of Fame - but I never understood why this was done. In 1986 Steve Hinton let me into the cockpit (there's a cool story there, but I'd digress). At that time everything was still original, except that the...
  11. ColesAircraft

    A6M5 Model 52 Zero

    I have a collection of about 50 cockpit shots of the Raiden (Jack) before and after the interior was repainted. I'll post more when I find them!
  12. ColesAircraft

    Me 262 B-1a 'Vera' Nacelle Cowling Panel

    They described it to me as "essentially a new build". But I agree with you. Virtually any other historic item that is rebuilt to the extent that many WWII warbirds are today, would be called a reproduction. When we build a Sopwith Camel from scratch, even when we put an original engine in it...
  13. ColesAircraft

    Me 262 B-1a 'Vera' Nacelle Cowling Panel

    Thanks for the info, Steve! Now I wish that I'd asked Lt. Roy Brown about some of these details when I was over at his home just two weeks ago! He did talk about 'Vera' and the other 262 aircraft that he flew in Germany and from Germany to France. He did say that 'Vera' had a landing accident...
  14. ColesAircraft

    Me 262 B-1a 'Vera' Nacelle Cowling Panel

    That aircraft is almost entirely a new build, by Legend Flyers. I was referring to the majority of original material that could not be utilized in the restoration because it suffered from severe corrosion - and that's a lot of material as much of this aircraft was made of unpainted steel and...
  15. ColesAircraft

    A6M5 Model 52 Zero

    Does PoF plan to retire this Zero when their other a/c is ready to fly? Dan King will be speaking at your event on Saturday! I know everyone will enjoy that, as he's incredibly knowledgeable and a great guy! P.S.: I didn't mean to poke my photos into your thread uninvited, BTW. Just...
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