2 Handsome Killerbees ?

[charlielima 328]

 

:ph34r: CL

Edited May 21, 2009 by charlielima

[+331Killerbee 840]

Yep CL,

VMA-331's Skyraiders. Red and Black Tail Tip. Body Stripe the same. They used just before getting A-4's and Deploying to Gitmo durning the Cuban Missile Crisis. Good Ole' "Victor Lima"....

 

Good Find! At least My Ole' Lady thinks I'm one of those Hansome Bees.......

 

 

331KillerBee

Edited May 21, 2009 by 331Killerbee

[charlielima 328]

Launch the Alpha Skinners?

:ph34r: CL

Edited May 21, 2009 by charlielima

[+331Killerbee 840]

I might have to do that one soon. Considering that 331 was the last Active Duty A-1 Squadron in the Marine Corps.......

[charlielima 328]

Well Doggies.

Splendid.

Bitchin'

This has got to be the cleanest, honest to god Marine AD skin in gull grey I've seen.

All others I've seen have rediculously large national insignia.

:ph34r: CL

[Wrench 9,422]

The only issue I can see when trying to decal it (using Monty's A-1H), is there's not quite enough meshes -- it's just "tail" for everything aft of the wing root.

Of course, one could easily make the VL and BuNum one decal, and just have a 'extra' blank VL with no number. The star will have to be painted on, but that ain't nothing....all the positions are already plotted

 

Would it be safe to asume the aircraft name label/BuNum under the horizontal stab would be something like:

 

A-1H

123456

 

????

 

wrench

kevin stein

[Wrench 9,422]

sumpting like this maybe???? (see below)

 

I looks like they can ALL be decals ... but Im at the limit of 4 right now for the 'tail' mesh. The rudder still has room to grow.

 

I need more data... like

 

what color is the tail stripe in CL's photo above, and

if there's any more info on the BuNums, if that's at all possible and

if the modex number is carried on the upper aft section of the rudder (like the Navy guys)

 

also, the b/w phots is for our flyers in SEA ... something that could be added via data in edits.

 

wrench

kevin stein

 

this'll work good in OTC ...

[+331Killerbee 840]

Red Tail Tip outlined in Black. 9 out of the first 10 Aircraft had a Red Body Stripe outlined in Black. CO's Aircraft had a Yellow Stripe outlined in Black.

 

I'll have to check on the Modex's. They would be for a AD-6 though.....

[Wrench 9,422]

dummy me... you actully said that in the first post...

this one should be a little better

 

BuNums aren't a problem, as I have the FULL listing for very one assigned from 1910 to ~1988!!! Just which goes with whom...

 

if the stripe in near the canopy, I think it can be done as a decal, like I did on one of the Scropion skins. If it's further aft.....I'm out of meshes!!

 

or just make a whole bunch of ALs with the numbers attached...

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+331Killerbee 840]

Looks good Kevin,

 

The Bru No.'s....You can't go wrong. They funneled all A-1 to 311 because they were the last Active Duty Marine Squadron flying the Able Dog. As for the AL's.....Ah, The Tail Code is VL for 331. "Victor Lima". The Body Stripe starts at Mid-Canopy and runs back to the Aft Joint of the Main Wing Root. Modex Numbers for Marine A-1 Squadrons run from "1" being the C.O.'s Aircraft through "24". As opposed to the "0's" and "00's" used later on the Jets starting in the 60's. There was a "0" though. VMA-331 has triditionally kept the Commanding Gerenal of the 2d Marine Air Wing's Aircraft. It's A-1 had the Yellow C.O.'s Body Stripe. "0"s" on the Main Gear Doors. Instead of having a Modex Number on the Cowling, It had the Squadron Patch. A example of the Squadron Patch is here in My Signature. After 331 received A-4's on, the CG's Aircraft was "000" known as "Trilpe Nuts".....One other thing, The NationName could be alittle bigger. Look at CL's posted Photo.....

Edited May 21, 2009 by 331Killerbee

[Wrench 9,422]

Don't know why I had AL on the brain... Making the 331 larger is an easy fix in the decals ini.

The BuNum tag under the stab says AD-6 (well, it's Monty A-1H, and as far as I know, that's a -6!!)

 

I'll see what i can do with the stripes....find that one for the Scorpion and repaint it!!

 

yes, I have a history of NOT wasting good decals!!!

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+331Killerbee 840]

A little OT and some Squadron History.....

 

In 1959, VMA-331 traded their A-1's in for A-4 Skyhawks. One of the earilest Combat Deployments was to NAS GITMO durning the Cuban Missile Crisis. Their Commanding Officer was Lt.Col Donald Conroy. His son, Pat Conroy wrote the Book "The Great Santini" which was later made into a Movie. Much of the Movie is based off of Pat's Father's Life. Pat once stated that His Father said this to Him about Cuba, "A Bluebird wouldn't stand a chance over that Island." LtCol Conroy was with VMA-214 Blacksheep as the first Marine Units durning the Korean Conflict. He later served two Tours in Vietnam.

 

While the Cuban Missile Crisis was comming to a close, VMA-331 was set to return to their homebase of MCAS Cherry Point, NC. The Navy C-121 carrying the Maintence Personel of the Squadron crashed on Takeoff into the Bay off of NAS GITMO. Many were injured. But nobody was killed. Needless to say, They were ready to get off that Island after that......

 

 

Just alittle OT......

 

Semper Fi,

 

331KillerBee

Edited May 21, 2009 by 331Killerbee

[Wrench 9,422]

Wellll....NUTS!!!

 

It appears I've found some open meshes....see attached screenies

 

alternatives:

leave it off (eegghh!) or

 

non-historicaly, paint it on, with means everyone gets one (easiest, but most annoying to my sense of historical propriety)

 

or if Monty still has the max files.....and wishes to revist it.

 

Methinks evryone is gonna have one....

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+331Killerbee 840]

That's a shame Kevin. but given the limitations of Monty's A-1....I'd say paint it on....Or leave them all off. Also, You can't see by the Photo, But the WingTips were painted like the Vertical Tail.....Then I think You've got it....

 

Maybe this is a case to see if the A-1 in SF2V might work as far as decals and a more Historical Skin might be done...

Edited May 22, 2009 by 331Killerbee

[+Monty CZ 209]

Hello,

maybe you might wait for a little moment and I can reexport that old LOD file

It has one margin limitation - both sides of the plane were mapped with same texture (mirrored)

and same with wings (dont laugh, it was common in 2001 when it was modeled)

so when I thought about it I can separate both sides of the fuselage and then I can attach different

texture (same mapping different name) and same for the wings. Bonus - more decals on the fuselage

and no need to retexture it :-)

LOOONG life to the Skyraider !!!! :-)

 

Monty

[Wrench 9,422]

My Brother, if you can do that, you'll make a LOT of SPAD drivers VERY happy!!! To say nothing of us skinners/decalers!!!

 

 

Monty, you're a STAR!!!

 

wrench

kevin stein

[Wrench 9,422]

I think it looks really good with the stripes painted on. Added some details; steps, rescue arrow. I think the stripes need to be extended to be up against the bottom of the canopy rail??

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+331Killerbee 840]

Looks Real Cool Kevin! Hey Man, Not to sound too critical, But look at the Photo. I'd narrow the width of the Stripe some.....Never the less, It looks Awesome....

[charlielima 328]

Any news on this project?

Looking at the picture I'm thinking some of the squadrons birds would be without a fuselage band.

:ph34r: CL

Edited June 7, 2009 by charlielima

[+331Killerbee 840]

9 out of the first 10 Aircraft had a Red Body Stripe outlined in Black. CO's Aircraft had a Yellow Stripe outlined in Black.

 

 

 

Humm.....

[charlielima 328]

I remember when we would get a bird just freshened up by NARF. We would just barely get our squadron number on the bird and we'd have to pull the masking tape off for the squadron war paint and get it on spot 3 to fly. We also had to remove all the squadron specific warpaint before we would send a bird to NARF. We had a hanger queen from HS-2 that had the big American flag on the side painted over.

Every time we started to remove it the cold war got warmer and we'd fly the snot out that bird. I don't think we ever got one side done before I left or it went to NARF.

:ph34r: CL

Edited June 7, 2009 by charlielima