Ricks' Ramblings

[zenrat]

 

[NARSES2]

Come out well Rick 

[Rick Lowe]

Thanks, folks. 

[Wardukw]

Those are sweet builds mate 👍
The M3 recon is a very nice build ..I was thinking something like that for the Tamiya M3A1 I've got but something else had taken that build slot 🤔 

The 247 has the most attention from me bud...that's very intriguing to me that is 
I built a 222 with the turret from a Panzer 2 and I'm thinking of build something similar again 😉

[Rick Lowe]

Someone once built a 222 as a mortar carrier - in an edition of FSM, IIRC.

I keep thinking a family of whifs on the 222 might be fun.
I have a few 1/76 models, so who knows...

Thanks, All.

[Rheged]

Someone once built a 222 as a mortar carrier - in an edition of FSM, IIRC.

I keep thinking a family of whifs on the 222 might be fun.I have a few 1/76 models, so who knows...

Thanks, All.

It would be interesting to see the works of Parsifal von und zu Hobart's  funnies  as anti-invasion vehicles. 

[Rick Lowe]

Someone once built a 222 as a mortar carrier - in an edition of FSM, IIRC.

I keep thinking a family of whifs on the 222 might be fun.I have a few 1/76 models, so who knows...

Thanks, All.

It would be interesting to see the works of Parsifal von und zu Hobart's  funnies  as anti-invasion vehicles. 

Like the Becker conversions, only whifs. 

[Wardukw]

Someone once built a 222 as a mortar carrier - in an edition of FSM, IIRC.

I keep thinking a family of whifs on the 222 might be fun.
I have a few 1/76 models, so who knows...

Thanks, All.

I've got a Hobbyboss 2 something in the stash . It's a 2 something cause i can't remember what model it is 😄
One idea was a 6x6 version with a Puma turret on it ..now no Puma turret and won't be getting one anytime soon..so the brain is trying to turn it into something booty.
So far..total failure 😆

[McColm]

Someone once built a 222 as a mortar carrier - in an edition of FSM, IIRC.

I keep thinking a family of whifs on the 222 might be fun.I have a few 1/76 models, so who knows...

Thanks, All.

It would be interesting to see the works of Parsifal von und zu Hobart's  funnies  as anti-invasion vehicles. 

Like the Becker conversions, only whifs. 

I have a few BV 222 ideas myself. The wings from the old Airfix Avro Vulcan bomber work as a kitbash. I'm thinking about kitbashing it with a C-130. Although an engine swap to install the Rolls-Royce Tynes and turn it into an amphibious flying boat or a gunship. Car ferry!

[Rick Lowe]

Ah, sorry Mac - I meant the Sdkfz 222 4X4 armoured car.
Annoying when they reuse the same number designation.

[McColm]

Ah, sorry Mac - I meant the Sdkfz 222 4X4 armoured car.
Annoying when they reuse the same number designation.

Sorry my mistake for not reading your previous messages.

[zenrat]

Mind you, an armoured car with Vulcan wings...

 

[Rick Lowe]

Ah, sorry Mac - I meant the Sdkfz 222 4X4 armoured car.
Annoying when they reuse the same number designation.

Sorry my mistake for not reading your previous messages.

All good, I do the same thing myself; repeatedly...

[Rick Lowe]

1/200 NASA NB-52B s/n 0008 *Real World*


NASA was assigned two B-52s straight off the production line: the 3rd and 8th airframes, which made them the oldest ones still in regular service when they eventually retired.

I had been looking for something I could do as a thank-you for the friends who gave me accommodation when I attended the ModelX displays in Auckland, and when I saw Matt had a few B-52s in the cabinet and he mentioned in passing that he didn't have a silver one, that sparked an Idea! – the fact they were keen members of the NZ Spaceflight Association helped make the model inevitable.

There was a Dragon 1/200 kit, but it had been unavailable for a long while; so, I looked for an alternative.
At the time, one could still order the various partworks series from a local bookstore, so I ordered the Large-Scale Planes model.

It duly arrived and was disassembled to be modified. Using mainly a conversion article in FineScale Modeler and an article in Aircraft Illustrated, I set to work.
From front to rear, the mods were:

•   I shaved off the nose lumps
•   Added a few new bumps to the fuselage sides
•   Cut the tail gunners station back and filled the gap
•   Extended the tail fin height by 12mm
•   Filled and sanded the engine pods to a smooth profile, not stepped
•   Removed the wing drop tanks
•   Cut a notch in the starboard wing (not as easy, as the wing was a one-piece metal casting) and lined the hole with plastic sheet to get the correct shape
•   Made the launch cradle to go under the wing, and
•   Made new doors for the wing outrigger wheels.

I wasn't sure what stage in her career I wanted to depict, but I figured fewer colours would be easier.

The model was sprayed white as a primer and the yellow and white tail stripes masked, also the area behind the cockpit.
It then got a brush coat of Humbrol Aluminium for the uppers and Humbrol SEA Light Grey on the undersides and engines. I unmasked the tail and nose bits and painted the yellow tail stripe. Various patches were picked out in black, as were the added windows.

I wasn't sure where to find any 1/200 markings, and those I could find were the wrong scale and expensive or out of production, so I improvised.
The lettering was dry rub for 'NASA' and black transfer strips on the yellow tail stripe, with variously sourced standard markings for the Stars and Bars and 'USAF' & 'US AIR FORCE'.
I used a Tasman sheet for the serial numbers.

The whole Starboard side of the plane is a massive scoreboard of the missions flown over her service life; but I decided less is more and didn't even try to depict them, as I knew it'd look terrible if I tried to cobble them up or hand paint them. I did pick out the most prominent ones, mainly calibration markings. The various badges were likewise omitted, though I did briefly consider trying to paint modify some 1/76 tank formation badges... yeah, nope.

I then thought it needed something to display alongside, as after all it was a carrier for various things.
So I cobbled up a couple of X-15s, starting with 1/48 Mk82 bombs.

Plastic card wings and tailfins, small lumps for the cockpits and shaped runner for the external fuel tanks.
I found another Aircraft Illustrated that had the history of the craft, so that was immense help.

I made bases, with rear cradles and pins at the front, and used slivers of rod for the wheels.

Main colours are Italeri USN Glossy Sea Blue and GW White, respectively, with other colours as needed.

Markings were always going to be problematic, so I painted them on. The USAF and NASA were doable, likewise the Stars and Bars, but the smaller US AIR FORCE lettering would have sent me even madder than I already am, so I painted a strip of white and dotted the blue over it randomly.
They're not great, but look the part from a distance, and it wouldn't have looked right if I'd simply left them off.
Serials were never going to happen in that scale, but I managed to find two schemes where they weren't carried, so that is what they are depicted as.

They're also both from pretty significant flights, so that was an added bonus.

The recipient was well pleased, so that was great; sadly, a couple of years later he died and when his wife winnowed his collection, the models came back to me.

You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.

[Rick Lowe]

And some shots of the X-15s.
Yes, there are 2 of each; I did extras for the Brother-in-Law to use for his conversion,  if I ever got a Dragon kit.
Which came along a few years later. 

You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.

You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.