I'm Finally Back

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

I was hoping to use the paper tanks but if they did not use them I will stay with the tear drop tanks. Thanks again Terry. I am in the process of masking the canopy at the moment. Found photos as to where to stop the od green on the front of the canopy. Will shoot the green first and finish out with the aluminum. Trimming the tape without scarring up the glass is nerve racking.

 

[Wurger]

As memo serves these fuel tanks were used also for P-47s and were quite common. I have found a few pictures with these used by 82nd FS, 83rd FS of 78FG. I think their using depended on how much time a flight had to take and a kind of a task.Also I found a shot of P-51D 44-64147 MX-U "BigDick" of 82nd FS flown by Col. Richard A. "Dick" Hewitt who became the squadron commander in March 1945. These drop fuel tanks are clearly seen.

Image source - 8th Air Force Fighter Group - Littlefriends.co.uk

 

[Airframes]

Good find Wojtek, and saved me searching through my refs!
There you go Aaron, you can now use the paper tanks! let me know if you'd like drawings / pics of the plumbing for them.

 

[Wurger]

Glad I helped.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Thank you very much Wurger! Terry, I think I have some photos somewhere that show the detail of the plumbing on these tanks. Will do some looking. With the doping of the tanks would it be better to use a silver mixed with a little flat white instead of using the aluminum?

 

[Wurger]

Looking at these pictures above I've gotten an impression that these fuel tanks were of grey tonality. I think it might be an effect you can achieve if you airbrush a clear varnish on a quite fresh silver background. For instance the Humbrol Clear Matt varnish on Humbrol 11 Silver. Then the Silver of Humbrol gets the silver-grey tonality.

 

[Airframes]

The metal tanks (smooth nose) were painted Neutral Gray, and the paper tanks were doped silver. The silver mainly appeared quite shiny, especially around the reinforcing 'ribs' on the nose, when viewed in good light. However, they weren't a real dazzling shine like polished metal, so maybe just a very small touch of white, or very light grey, depending on the final finish you normally get from the silver paint used, or as Wojtek suggested, clear over silver.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Thank you very much guys. I will do some work with the advice you have given and see what I come up with.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

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.

Sorry I missed the later half of this post Terry.
I will be waiting eagerly for the decals and I appreciate very much the fact you are doing this sir.

 

[Airframes]

No problem. I'll send you a PM once they've been posted.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Ok, I've been working on some small stuff that Terry and Wurger have been helping with. I have the bubble part of the canopy masked but the windscreen is giving me some trouble and I'm also working on the drop tanks. Have to see what I can find to make the lines for them. I did find a photo that GeeDee had taken (Thank you Gary!) and I will work from this. Here is an update on how it looks so far.

 

[javlin]

Wow! Aaron looking very good bud.I love the finish thus far and the decals look to be laying down well. Cheers

 

[Wurger]

 

[Shinpachi]

So beautiful, Aaron!
Good job!

 

[Airframes]

Looking great so far Aaron.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Thank you guys, I just wish I had guessed right on the stars and bars. I got em bakards.

 

[Airframes]

Can't really notice Aaron. It'll just make it a little tricky to maybe fit the last code latter, behind the star n bar, but IRRC, there are some code letters on the decal sheets I'm sending, with the red outlines, if you need spares. I'll see if I have some spare stars n bars too, in case you want to remove the fuselage ones.

 

[Lucky13]

Looking dogs spherical old boy, carry on!

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Can't really notice Aaron. It'll just make it a little tricky to maybe fit the last code latter, behind the star n bar, but IRRC, there are some code letters on the decal sheets I'm sending, with the red outlines, if you need spares. I'll see if I have some spare stars n bars too, in case you want to remove the fuselage ones.

Thank you Terry. How hard is it to remove the decal once it has set and what must I do? Can I use the Micro-Sol to remove it?

Looking dogs spherical old boy, carry on!

Thank you Lucky. I am having a ruff go of it. I keep see things that I've missed.