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I build 1/72 aircraft, from WWII forward, only build them wheels-up. Until Dec. 2019, all my models were brush-painted (or rattle can if NMF). I finally entered the modern age of the airbrush at the end of that year.
Dad was a fighter pilot so I grew up on airbases - he was trained in T-28, T-34 & T-33, then flew F-100, F-101, F-105, F-4 (Cam Ranh Bay) and T-38 (as IP).
I'm a member of Tulsa Modeler's Forum club (www.tulsaipms.org).
Live in Tulsa, 6 kids, 1 GREAT wife.
Love the outdoors and good friends (stop and visit anytime you're in Tulsa!)
REALLY hope to build my complete stash before I die (does anyone actually know someone who has accomplished this?)!
I'm also a passionate follower of Jesus Christ, so if you ever feel the need for some extra prayer, feel free to reach out.
I'm saving the Cam Ranh Bay post for last, so skipping ahead in sequence to post-Vietnam. Dad was posted to the Air Force Academy as his next billing, but the only reason he joined the air force was to fly (he had his pilot's license [...]
While stationed at Bitburg, Germany with the 23rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, the unit transitioned from the F-105 to the F-4D. Dad was sent to Davis Monthan AFB, AZ to learn to fly the beast. He trained on the C-model from April to June, [...]
From October 1963 to September 1965 we were stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB in N. Carolina. Dad flew the B, D and F models of the Thunderchief, as part of the 334th Tactical Fighter Squadron. A TDY assignment took the unit and it's Thuds [...]
July of 1966, dad helped ferry a group of RF-4C's from Toul, France to Mountain Home, ID, in the company of their flying gas truck, a KC-135. That's him suiting up in the last couple of pics.
Bentwaters, AFB, England, Sept 1960 to July 1963. 91st Tactical Fighter Squadron. The Voodoo is such a cool, unique design. The 100, 101 and 105 are my favorite century series aircraft, as they had such character - unlike almost all modern [...]
I've about finished selling these old slides of my dads, so thought I'd start posting some of these pics in a series. Dad flew with a camera frequently and took some great air-to-air photos (as well as some stuff on the ground). I just [...]
I had built a couple of F-4Ds in SEA scheme thinking it was what my dad flew in Viet Nam. I think he actually remembered it that way, and told me he flew the D there. I realized once I secured his pilot logs that he actually flew the C, [...]
I'm still working on the Pe-2, and have spent the last couple of weeks securing and installing a spray booth, as I'm going to try my hand at airbrushing for the first time (testing Akan paints on the Pe-2, in prep for an F-4E in Greek [...]
Finally have some pics to post of the finished build. My apologies for the quality - me and my iPhone have a more difficult time with larger subjects!
This was the "enhanced" Privateer build that I posted in the Aircraft WIP [...]
We had our annual contest last weekend, and it was a great success. 47 modelers from OK, TX, AR, MO, and TN entered 213 models. Not a huge show by international standards, but for "flyover country" in the USA, very nice!
I [...]
