Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Sheesh! You'd have thought a Jeep could have made it to 254,000 miles! Just can't get quality vehicles these days ......
I'm Finally Back
- Thread starter Aaron Brooks Wolters
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- #122
Aaron Brooks Wolters
Brigadier General
Terry, they all are capable of this kind of service if the they are serviced regularly.
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Yep, I know. My Cherokee had done 194,000+ when I sold it a couple of months back, and still ran as smooth and sweet as a brand new vehicle.
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- #124
Aaron Brooks Wolters
Brigadier General
I am in the process of trying to build up enough nerve to do the decals on this crate at the moment. Do the small stars and bars go on the wing or the fuselage? I should know this but can't remember to save my life.
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- #125
Aaron Brooks Wolters
Brigadier General
Is it normal for the Micro-Sol to slightly wrinkle the decal?
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- #126
Aaron Brooks Wolters
Brigadier General
Just came to a maddening realization. I don't have the checker decals for the nose. I'm going to have to mask and paint them. I'm an idiot.
I'm an idiot.
Lucky13
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Airframes
Benevolens Magister
First, the instructions should indicate which stars n bars go where, but the larger ones go on the wings.
The wrinkling is part of the process of the Micro Sol (or 'Set) working on the decal when in place.
Leave it - don't touch!
I know it looks alarming, but the decal will settle and conform. If, after say, 12 hours, the decal has set but there is the odd wrinkle or small bubble, examine it closely, and see if a touch more solution can be applied under the decal, with a small soft paint brush, or even on top, which will continue the process of setting. Given that the decals have been placed and squeegeed down as normal, they should smooth out, unless there's any air trapped beneath, which will show as a small, possibly tiny, bubble. If this is the case (once set and dry), then prick the area with a pin, and feed some solution into the hole, and leave alone it will eventually settle, but might need further applications until it does.
As for the chequered nose - have you lost it, or was it not included?
I'm fairly sure I have a black/white nose decal in 1/48th scale, probably off a BBD sheet, although it might not fit exactly. But at least it'll only mean touching-in here and there.
If you want it, bung me an address via PM, and I'll send it - after Christmas, or it'll get lost! (It took over 3 weeks for a small packet to get to Bill (Night Fighter Nut), which should have taken 9 days max !)
The wrinkling is part of the process of the Micro Sol (or 'Set) working on the decal when in place.
Leave it - don't touch!
I know it looks alarming, but the decal will settle and conform. If, after say, 12 hours, the decal has set but there is the odd wrinkle or small bubble, examine it closely, and see if a touch more solution can be applied under the decal, with a small soft paint brush, or even on top, which will continue the process of setting. Given that the decals have been placed and squeegeed down as normal, they should smooth out, unless there's any air trapped beneath, which will show as a small, possibly tiny, bubble. If this is the case (once set and dry), then prick the area with a pin, and feed some solution into the hole, and leave alone it will eventually settle, but might need further applications until it does.
As for the chequered nose - have you lost it, or was it not included?
I'm fairly sure I have a black/white nose decal in 1/48th scale, probably off a BBD sheet, although it might not fit exactly. But at least it'll only mean touching-in here and there.
If you want it, bung me an address via PM, and I'll send it - after Christmas, or it'll get lost! (It took over 3 weeks for a small packet to get to Bill (Night Fighter Nut), which should have taken 9 days max !)
Lucky13
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Have you got your stuff from Ann Summers yet old boy?
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
No, and I've been waiting for that little black number too!
Don't know what I'm going to wear for Christmas ......
Don't know what I'm going to wear for Christmas ......
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- #131
Aaron Brooks Wolters
Brigadier General
Thank you Terry. I have searched the box and the wrappings to now avail. It looks like the decal in question is settling out nicely. I will give it until tomorrow evening and apply a second coat of Micro Sol to it and see how it does if it needs it. I need to go back to the hobby shop for a few more supplies and will check to see if they have any decals for this craft. I do have the stars and bars backwards (small on wings, large on fuselage). I'm not going to worry about it now. It may cause some space issues towards the front of the fuselage but I will deal with that as I get to it. All of the instruction sheet is in Japanese and the layout on the sheet is not marked A,B,C and so on. I did some research on the internet and could not find anything that was helpful so a to a 50/50 guess and got it WRONG.
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- #132
Aaron Brooks Wolters
Brigadier General
The decals have settled out very nicely, I am presently working on the landing gear and wells. Which tanks should I use, large or small. I really like the way the large tanks look but they are probably ferrying tanks.
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Heck, edited a post and got two posted - the original and the edited version! Deleted the original!
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Airframes
Benevolens Magister
The larger, cigar-shaped tanks were the 108 gal paper tanks, not used by the 78th FG. They used the smaller, metal 'tear-drop' shaped tanks.
The tank type normally depended on the Group and it's original supply and tank fitting, and it was not often, but not unknown, for both types to be used, although the paper tanks eventually became more common. (The external plumbing for fuel and pressure was different for each tank type.)
The 108 gal tank was also produced in metal, painted Neutral Grey, and with a smooth surface, whilst the British-made resin-impregnated paper tanks were doped silver, and had reinforcing ribs on the nose.
NOTE: by late war, I think the 78th FG might have started using the 108 gal tanks, but I'd need to check on this. Most photos show the 'tear-drop' tanks. Bear in mind, the group only started with P51s in January 1945, so only saw 4 months of ops with them.
The tank type normally depended on the Group and it's original supply and tank fitting, and it was not often, but not unknown, for both types to be used, although the paper tanks eventually became more common. (The external plumbing for fuel and pressure was different for each tank type.)
The 108 gal tank was also produced in metal, painted Neutral Grey, and with a smooth surface, whilst the British-made resin-impregnated paper tanks were doped silver, and had reinforcing ribs on the nose.
NOTE: by late war, I think the 78th FG might have started using the 108 gal tanks, but I'd need to check on this. Most photos show the 'tear-drop' tanks. Bear in mind, the group only started with P51s in January 1945, so only saw 4 months of ops with them.
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- #135
Aaron Brooks Wolters
Brigadier General
thank you for the information Terry. I will do some looking to. I did not realize that they were made of paper. I would assume this made the cheap to produce and use being that they were discarded. I have been trying to get the exhaust stacks to look right but am not satisfied with them just yet. I am trying to figure out how to blue them so they look like they ought to. I might try mixing some blue in with the clear that I have to lightly tint them. It may or may not work.
Lucky13
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- Thread starter
- #137
Aaron Brooks Wolters
Brigadier General
Terry, I've been looking for several days now and have found absolutely nothing about drop tanks.
I'm going cross eyed.
Where might be a good place to look? Thank you in advance.
I'm going cross eyed. Where might be a good place to look? Thank you in advance.
- Thread starter
- #139
Aaron Brooks Wolters
Brigadier General
That's the one I would like to use Wurger but Terry and I are not sure the 78th used them. Terry seems to recall them being used in 1945 in the 78th but he wasn't sure. I have been searching but have found nothing so far.
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
The 78th seemed to use the tear drop tank, but most units eventually changed over to the paper tank.
What info do you need Aaron? Let me know and I'll see what I can do.
BTW, I've found two sets of the nose decals, one of them from Microscale, so I'll get them both in the mail on Tuesday, when normal service resumes.
What info do you need Aaron? Let me know and I'll see what I can do.
BTW, I've found two sets of the nose decals, one of them from Microscale, so I'll get them both in the mail on Tuesday, when normal service resumes.
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