Group Builds 2021 to 2023 Call for Input

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Crimea_River

Crimea_River

Marshal
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Nov 16, 2008
Calgary
Can a Mod kindly make this a "sticky" please?

OK guys, here's the place where we are going to finalize our selections for the next 8 Group Builds GB 50 thru 57. Please use this space to post your proposals for what you'd like to see as a GB theme.

There's been another thread going on this topic since last July here. There were lots of good ideas thrown out there and you may want to go back and have a look. However, the process was loose and needs to be formalized so please don't post your proposed ideas in that thread any more. Use this one. Here's what I'd suggest we do:

1) First of all READ and UNDERSTAND this post! Questions are welcome if something isn't clear.

2) Everyone who is interested in participating in our upcoming Group Builds and who wants to influence the theme selection should propose a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 8 different themes that they would like to have included in our next GB schedule. If you have no intention of joining any of our GBs, then please do not provide any ideas.

3) When proposing a theme, please provide a detailed description of what your idea would include and exclude. It may be obvious to you but we've often tripped over theme titles and have had endless discussions about what the GB boundaries should be. For example, if you say "Desert Campaign" do you mean WW2 or can it include the Iraq war? If you say pre-WW2 aircraft, does that mean military, civilian, or both? Is a "Heavy Hitter" a 4 engine bomber? What about a P-47 with bombs? Etc....

4) This needs to be a collaborative process so have a look at what others have proposed. If you like one or more of the ideas already presented then go ahead and present the same again yourself. It's the only way that we will be able to see what the most popular ideas are. Don't think that because someone has proposed something you have to think of something new.

5) There will be no split builds this time around so, what will need to happen is that the 8 most popular themes get selected for the schedule and the ones garnering the least "votes" turfed. "Votes" are the number of times an idea is proposed. I will track everyone's input and those themes with the most votes will be selected and put on the schedule. We will no doubt have ties and potentially a bunch of singles and so in that case we'll need to have a poll to break the ties. Some examples:

A. 2 ideas with 3 votes, 6 ideas with 2 votes and the rest with just one vote. The 8 ideas with 2 and 3 votes will be our selection.
B. 2 ideas with 3 votes, 8 ideas with 2 votes, and the rest with 1 vote. The 2 ideas with three votes will be in our schedule. The ideas with single votes will be thrown out and the 8 ideas with 2 votes will be placed in a poll to have the 6 most popular selected for the schedule. Everyone who has proposed ideas will be asked to participate in the poll.
C. 12 ideas with 2 votes and the rest with one. The single vote ideas will be thrown out and the 12 others with 2 votes placed in a poll to select 8, similar to B.

Hopefully this makes sense but, as I say, ask questions if not.

We have until May 1 at which time we have to start GB 50 and so there's plenty of time to mess this up. So, let's get your ideas coming! I'll start with mine in the next post.
 
I'll start with my original three...

  • Thoroughbred: P-51 from NA-73X to Air Racer. A chance to get those new kits into action
  • Thunderbolt & Lightning, very, very frightening...everyone sing: P-38s & P-47s. The P-38 dogged out at the end of WW2 but the P-47 served on with ANG units and in Latin American until the mid-50s
  • Dyslexic Luftwaffe: 109 or 190
  • Turning Japanese (its a song, look it up): the first flight in Japan in 1910 in a Farman III and continues today
  • No Propellers: Gliders & jets.....or maybe just jets, I dunno
 
My proposed subjects for GB 50 to 57 are:

1) "Zombie Build" - Back from the dead. Resume and finish any aircraft model that was started and abandoned whether in a previous GB or not. Must be an aircraft but can be any type, any time frame.
2) "D-Day and After". ETO aircraft of any type in markings dated between Jun 5, 1944 and the end of 1945.
3) "WW2 Eastern Front" WW2 aircraft serving on the Eastern Front between Barbarossa and the German surrender. Includes northern Finland.
4) "Carrier and Maritime Patrol Aircraft WW2" pretty much says it. Includes aircraft in WW2 markings that flew from carriers, sea rescue planes, maritime reconnaissance planes, or planes that were involved in anti-shipping operations.
5) "Night Fighters of WW2" Aircraft in night fighter markings during WW2.
6) "WW2 Heavy Hitters" Aircraft that served in WW2 that were designed exclusively as bombers.
7) "MTO" Aircraft serving in the MTO, including Greece, Italy, North Africa, Sicily, and the Middle East
8) "WW2 Ground Attack Aircraft" Aircraft in WW2 markings fitted out for tactical support of the ground troops. Includes tank-busters, fighter bombers, Stukas.
 
Good Gawd. My Zombie list....

A-6E Tram - White
S-A/B Viking - White
C-105 Arrow - Really white
CT-155 Hawk - Managed to bugger up the NFTC marking on the tail.
Seafire Mk.XV - Buggered up the RCN serial(Now have replacement)
RCAF P-51 Mustang - Cobbled together decals to make the codes. Now have the proper codes and will replaced.
Spitfire Mk. VIII - Now have the decals to finish as James "Stocky" Edwards aircraft.
P-40F - Looking for decals to finish as James "Stocky" Edwards aircraft.
P-40N - Don't like the paint scheme. Found an RCAF scheme
Spitfire Mk.V - Need white code letter decals to finish as George Beurlings aircraft.
Bf 109E - Now have decals to finish as a "captured" British aircraft
Fw190D - Probably strip the paint off, redo, and decal as a "captured" aircraft.
P-26 Peashooter - tiny exhausts went hither and yon.
L-4 Grasshopper - engine mounting problems.
P-400 Airacobra - Now have decals to finish as 601 Sqn. aircraft
P-47N - Built but needs paint and now have decals for "The Shell Pusher", my call sign on CFS3.
Sack AS-6 - Problems mounting the innards.
E.E. Lightning F.6 - Something to do with the front end.
Il-2 Sturmovik - Trying to create a worn winter camouflage, lost interest.
SDB-3 - Problems fitting the gunners station.
Ju87G - Lost the antenna mast.
Me109F - Can't remember why I stopped this one but now have decals for a "captured" aircraft.
Typhoo Mk.Ib - Missing instructions
Fw 190A-3 - I forgot I had started this.

Gotta check the stash but I think, for me, most on your list are doable.
 
1. Desperate Days-Siege of Malta; any aircraft of any nation that fought over the Mediterranean Sea Area (Malta and Sicily) from 1940-1942.
2. Waiting for Godot- Embrace the Existential Angst- war was not avoided- Phony War/Battle of France; any aircraft of any belligerent 1939-May 1940.
3. Not for all the Tea in...China, Burma, India- any aircraft/unit in theater 41-45. P-38s of 459FG, Ki-43s, Ki-44s, RAF Mohawks, RAF P-47s, B-25Hs...tasty
4. Cactus AF- any aircraft of any unit and nation that saw action, during the Guadalcanal campaign
5. Will It Float? Amphibious, or Float plane of any nation from 1939-1945
6. Jubilee-A dress rehearsal for D-Day- any aircraft from any unit that participated in the action

And I really like George's "Turing Japanese." I really think so.
 
Good start! Typing madly in my spreadsheet....

There's another thing I didn't think of for post #1. If there are similar but slightly different themes proposed, I may suggest to combine them after getting agreement from the posters.
 
  • Thunderbolt & Lightning, very, very frightening...everyone sing: P-38s & P-47s. The P-38 dogged out at the end of WW2 but the P-47 served on with ANG units and in Latin American until the mid-50s
  • "Zombie Build" - Back from the dead. Resume and finish any aircraft model that was started and abandoned whether in a previous GB or not. Must be an aircraft but can be any type, any time frame.
  • Pacific 1937-1945 Military aircraft anyone in the CBI/Pacific including Indian Ocean Bering sea South Pacific and SW Pac areas. Dutch East Indies New Guinea Guadalcanal etc...
  • 1942, Any military aircraft in any theater of WWII in 1942.
  • I like Geo's Mustangs.
  • Heavy Hitters, any bomber aircraft from attack/dive bombers and torpedo to the monsters.
  • 1960's Any military in use or under development in the 1960's
  • Vietnam From the French to the Japanese to the French to US involvement. Any aircraft used in any format through the whole conflict. Bi Planes to Helicopters and anything in-between. Air America etc... The Skies the Limit.
 
I'll put some in. Most are from above!

1. Thunderbolt & Lightning, as above
2. "Zombie Build" - WW2 AC types. Can be repurposed, ANG, foreign service any time frame. Resume and finish any aircraft model that was started and abandoned whether in a previous GB or not.
3. Pacific 1937-1945 Military aircraft anyone in the CBI/Pacific including Indian Ocean Bering sea South Pacific and SW Pac areas. Dutch East Indies New Guinea Guadalcanal etc...
4. Heavy Hitters, WW2 only, any bomber aircraft from attack/dive bombers and torpedo to the monsters.
5. Carrier AC, WW2 allied or not
6. ETO WW2, allied or not
7. No props! Jets under development or gliders..
 
In no particular order.

1 the far east, all theatres, of PTO & CBI in WW2
2 jets entering service after WW2 to modern day
3 bombers/heavy hitters, no fighters with bombs or rockets in WW2
4 WW2 foreign service, anything built in one country and used by another, thinking American Spitfires, RAF Mustangs etc not Canadian built lancasters in the RAF for example.
5 Messerschmitt's and Focke Wulf's, 109's and 190's any marque
6 Mustangs, Thunderbolts and Lightnings any theatre
7 Eastern front, all participants, not just the big two
8 Royal Air Force fighters WW2, anything specifically designed as a fighter aircraft that actually flew a sortie in WW2 that wore an RAF roundel.

I do also like the idea of letting those that have a shelf of doom have a build to help restart them but as i dont, it was hard to pick it as a choice, sorry guys
 
As a serial starter, and seldom finisher (especially recently), I suspect my voice will be a small one...
Given that I have a pretty narrow field of interest- aircraft flown by one specific pilot (although I have not been able to establish accurate markings for all of them, and am willing to build a representative of the ones I can't), I've adapted/borrowed from ideas above, and tried to ensure that the listings are as flexible as possible, and, if the categories are kept relatively loose, I should be able to start something in each category. My one request is that the TYPE of aircraft is the factor, not necessarily always the markings (so non-operational units would count, as long as the aircraft fits the type listed in the GB description.

My list of 8 comes to:
  1. Zombie Build- Back from the dead. Resume and finish any aircraft model that was started and abandoned, whether in a previous GB or not. Must be an aircraft, but can be any type, any time frame.
  2. Flight Test Centre- Any aircraft in markings of a flight test centre (or perhaps a trials unit), any nationality. Can include captured aircraft being tested, or prototypes, or manufacturer's test flights.
  3. No Propellers- Gliders, Rockets & Jets (The Me 163 would count, as the wee little propeller at the front wasn't a means of propulsion).
  4. Night Fighters of WW2- Aircraft purpose-built/designated for night fighting, aircraft fitted as such, or in night fighter markings.
  5. WW2 Heavy Hitters- Aircraft that served in WW2 that were designed exclusively as bombers, ideally two or more engines- so no fighters with bombs or rockets.
  6. WW2 Ground Attack Aircraft- Aircraft that served in WW2 fitted out for tactical support of the ground troops. Includes tank-busters, fighter bombers, Stukas.
  7. Foreign Service / Under New Management- Anything built in one country and used by another, thinking American Spitfires, RAF Mustangs etc not Canadian built Lancasters in the RAF for example. Can include captured aircraft, such as enemy aircraft flights at RAE, Rechlin or in the US.
  8. "I'm a Celebrity"- Any piston-engined aircraft (real or fictional, not space/sci-fi) shown in a film paint scheme (so think the Buchon "Me 109"s in Battle of Britain, converted "Japanese" planes, "Memphis Belle", the biplanes from Blue Max, the Bell 47 from M*A*S*H), or even aircraft shown in a training film or documentary. I've deliberately left this one without a time-period.
 
1. Malta 40 to 43
2. Biplanes 39 to 45
3. Multi engine bombers 18 to 39
4. No propellers first generation jets and rockets WWII
5. Turning Japanese
6. Chinese Nationalist air force up to 1947
7. Ground attack any era from 1904
8. Korean war jets
 
Last edited:
fastmongrel fastmongrel

#4 Define "first generation jet" Is a Korean War Mig 15 first generation?
#6 is a bit cryptic. Are you talking any Chinese airforce plane, any era, including today?
#7 all eras or just WW2?
 
Last edited:
Thanks for all the great input so far guys. 37 distinct ideas so far but some are very similar and I will start proposing that we combine some. For example, CBI can be lumped in with PTO. We also have several different jet themes (1960's, first generation, Korea) that we might want to combine). Also, we are branching into two definitions of "heavy hitters". We have 3 votes that exclude fighter bombers and 2 that include them so unless we want two separate builds, we'll need to think about dropping one of the definitions. Note that I proposed the "Ground Attack" idea for the very reason to devote a build to fighter bomber types as opposed to pure bombers.

It also occurred to me that it would be OK if anyone wants to change their vote if they already had 8 listed. Maybe someone after you came up with an idea that you really like. If that's the case, let me know which of your 8 you'd like to drop and replace with the new vote.

As it stands now, Zombie Build leads with 4 votes. We then have 5 with 3 votes (Night Fighters, Thunderbolts and Lightnings, Turning Japanese, No propellers, and PTO 1937 to 1945). Then there's 8 with 2 votes. This could all change if we start combining ideas of course.
 
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