LloydNB

Another vintage bird takes to the local skys.

Florin Very nice work. Keep it up. Lloyd

Now I'm just pi**ed off! I spend a good part of my weekend working on a Hawker Fury MkI only to find out that the elevators have the top and bottom surfaces mapped to the same part of the bitmap. It means I'm going to have to skin one side with a decal. AAAHHH!!! When I've calmed down, I'll get back to it. LloydNB

More progress with my Hawker Fury MkII. The template is in place so I can start the panel lines. Now that I've picked up a good book on the subject, I'll be able to add plenty of detail. The radiator bath is done and looks pretty good. LloydNB

Very nice Wrench Could you flick me your panel line template? I was going to start a signal yellow Harvard/Texan that could be used for the French in Algeria. Also used by the EAF, the RJAF and the RNZAF to name a few. If you were planning something similar, I won't steal your thunder. Lloyd

Make that 30 each.

Fantastic coolpilot Another one for my collection of French aircraft in Vietnam. LloydNB

Hawker Fury MkII 3 SAAF Squadron Early days.

Is anyone skinning aircraft for this early, post-colonial stage of the Vietnam War? Since I'm doing an Amiot Toucan (Ju-52/3m) I was thinking of branching out to do some of the other WWII aircraft that France committed to the conflict. LloydNB

14F The unit was born on January 15th 1953 and led by LV Ménettrier. It received several F4U-7 Corsairs, and was sent to Indochina. Over there, it made its first victories from 1954 over Diên Biên Phu and the Delta of Tonkin. 1,422 missions, 1,834 flight hours, 1,565 t of bombs, 120,000 20 mm shells spent over Indochina. The 15.F whose callsign is "finaud", stayed at Bizerte until April 1955, when it moved to Hyères aboard CV Arromanches. It led pilots' training including carrier qualifications (carquals) until January 20th 1956 when it embarked aboard the Lafayette cruising to Indochina. This campaign lasted three and a half months and the squadron headed back to France in early June. In August 1953, 12F squadron went to Karouba to transition onto its new workhorse: the F4U-7 Corsair. April 13th 1955, the squadron embarked once again on the Lafayette and headed for Indochina. Operational missions were performed from May 2nd to November 14th. The final order for 94 Corsair fighter-bombers came from the French Navy, and were designated F4U-7. They were similar to the fighter bomber variant of the F4U-5. Many of these aircraft saw combat in Indo-China. I'll stick with my sources. LloydNB

Great Kevin Although it might be a while before I get to the Oscar. I started a Privateer skin last night. LloydNB

Thanks PGC I'll add the Spitfire and the Helldiver to the list, together with the Grumman Goose (8S Squadron). I've found reference to three Corsair squadrons operating in Vietnam during 1955/56. - 14F squadron (F-4AU1) from Hanoï-Bach-Maï and later F4U-7s from CVL Bois-Belleau, - 12F (F4U-7) from CVL La Fayette, and - 15F (F4U-7) from CVL La Fayette. LloydNB

File Name: Ju-52/3m ge (SAAF) File Submitter: LloydNB File Submitted: 18 May 2009 File Category: British Commonwealth Ju 52/3m ge 19 SAAF Squadron All of South African Airways' Ju 52/3ms were absorbed into the SAAF at the beginning of the war and flew transport duties in East Africa and Madagascar. ************************************************ Please note that there is no aircraft included in this pack. You need a copy of the A-Team Ju-52B package and the Pilot Hurricane.lod and PilotHurricane.bmp files. ************************************************ Enjoy LloydNB Click here to download this file

There’s plenty to go on with. A quick list of French manned aircraft that saw action would be – Nakajima Oscar Nakajima Rufe Hellcat Bearcat Consolidated Privateer Corsair B-26 C-47 P-63 H-19A Chicasaw S-51 Dragonfly SBD-5 Seafire C-119 SB2C-5 Helldiver Spitfire MkIX LF Grumman Goose LloydNB

Feedback appreciated. After I'm happy with the SAAF skin I might try a French Airforce in Indo China.

50 SAAF Squadron

The next skin. Now I know post-war aircraft didn't have gunners but you work with what you've got. LloydNB

Thanks Monti The more WWII aircraft the better! I hope you've left open some skinning options. LloydNB

As you'll know, Peter Jackson is doing a remake of the Dambusters movie. Here is the first shot of one of the aircraft to be used in the airfield shots. Oh, and the answer to the eternal question "dogging" this project - Guy Gibson also call his dog 'Nigsy'. LloydNB

She sound wonderful as well. I lived in Sevenoaks, Kent for a while and I'll always remember her flying low over the town out of Biggin Hill. Those Merlins ....... Jackson and the Director got taken up in the Canadian Lanc some time ago. They both got out grinning like little boys. LloydNB

Slow progress but its coming along. The odd colour on the top of the fuselage is because I've covered to the vacant top hatch with a decal and its damn hard to colour match a decal with the bmp. The passenger door and cargo doors are decals too. Once I'm happy with the panel lines and the rivets, then I can move on to doing other skins. LloydNB

As I once had a Pharmacist in Stockholm tell me - "Take the drugs and it will be gone in 7 days. Drink fluids, stay in bed and stay warm and it will be gone in a week". LloydNB

Sorry Pacman I was not being direct enough. One of the problems facing the film is that using the name 'Nigger' for Gibson's black Labrador would offend too many people. So they have been looking for less offensive alternatives. They have settled on 'Nigsy'. LloydNB

A quick question about the Dagger's armament. I know the Dart's standard loadout was two AIM-4Fs on the forward rails and two AIM-4Gs on the rear rails. The rear missiles were always fired first because being IR guided if they were fired the other way around they would tend to lock onto the radar guided missiles rather than the target. Was it the same for the Dagger? LloydNB