Hi all,
Based on the response from many of you there is interest in doing a "For Export" theme group build. This is the thread where it will all start. I encourage you to do your own build thread as you will be able to better document your progress and what research you have done. If you do your own build thread you might want to title it with the "For Export" so the rest of us will know it is part of the build. Post finished pics here with the kit brand and any A.M. goodies you added. Also, if you were able to dig up the rare and elusive decals, let us know what company made them or if you did it yourself.

Since this is a casual group build and not a campaign, there is no time limit and no ribbon issued. Below is a link to the Wings Palette web site, which is slow loading but a great resource for finding the real oddball stuff. Vance (Vanzie) will be helping run this thread and any questions can go to either him or I.

http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww2/f/298/135/0

And here are the rules in no particular order!

1) Any aircraft (including choppers) produced from 1938-1953.
2) Cannot carry markings from the country of origin.
3) Cannot be a captured aircraft, i.e. German P-47 or U.S. Zero.
4) Interned or neutral country markings are o.k., such as a Portuguese P-38 or any Swiss aircraft, but no "what-if" markings
5) If you can, supply a picture or illustration of the aircraft and country markings, it doesn't have to be the exact aircraft, but to show that nation did fly the type.

And lastly, have fun doing the research. I think in keeping with the spirit of the proposal would be to cause others to say "I didn't know they flew those!"

-Derek

Hi all,

For me this will be my first build in this topic. Since I'm already well underway with it I won't start a specific thread but will post pics when I finish. But this is the kit:

That's "Vanize", not "Vancie"!

I'm actually kinda glad this is a group build without time limits, as I think I'll probably contribute several builds to this thread. I've already got the following in cue:

Soviet P-39
RAAF Beaufighter

And I've been tinkering with doing some more exotic markings as well:

Egyptian Spitfire
SAAF Mustang
I've always wanted to do a Brazilian WWII a/c as well (because of the cool star)
Also a Yugoslav Do 17M
I'd love to a Swedish Ju 86 or a Japanese Fiat Br.20 if one ever came out in 48th scale
and there is all sort of Bf 109s of course...

I could post in the thread for years!

I'll probably post some pictures of my Israeli Mosquito (started for the suez campaign) here as well once I get rolling on it again.

Actually, I think this would be a perfect place for a decal exchange as well, since exotic markings often come bundled and you rarely use more than one or two out of 5 or so sets of markings.

I blame my index finger for the above mistake, therefore I have cut off the offending digit

I like your idea for doing decal exchanges, and using this thread for networking. Can't wait to see your work! This will be fun. Also, I found this site with a little history on the Brazilian Air Force. The did quite a lot with their P-47's

http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1986/jul-aug/daab.html

-Derek

hello Vance,
so this is not going to be a campaign. good,to much to do this year.i have been looking at a Buffalo 339(?) Dutch East Indies at Hobby Lobby.looks like the excuse i needed to buy it now.
i can not wait to see the builds.
cheers,
Bruce

Hi all!

I'll do this one...



Japanese markings are included but I think I will do the Dutch version.

Jean-Luc

This sounds like the perfect excuse to build my Classic Airframes Bf109D in Swiss service. The period where they used the red and white neutrality stripes.

I've been reading a bit about the exploits of the Swiss Bf109's recently...their pilots actually shot down a surprising number of aircraft from both sides. Not a bad combat record, for a neutral country!

A Dutch East Indies Brewster Buffalo could be a possibility as well or instead. I'll fit one of these when time allows in between actual campaigns i think.

Anyway, good idea for a group build Derek and Vance.

Andrew

Derek,

I have these two ideas floating around at the moment for this Group Build.

Using the Italeri A20b/c Boston III kit to do the RAAF subject as per the WW II Pix of the DB 7b or what the RAAF called the Boston III, [these were originally ordered and intended for the NEIAF, but delivered to Sydney Australia in Feb '42]




The other idea is using any of the Tamiya kits of the Bristol Beaufighter and converting it back to a Mk IVf or Mk IVc the RAAF flew from Northern Australia and New Guinea, the Beaufighter in the pix is a veteran from the 'Battle of the Bismarck Sea'.

Hi all!

Hmmm...

Looks like the perfect excuse to get my Italeri 1/48 Fiat CR42 Falco out of the stash.

Of course I will do It as a J11 as It was called here in Sweden.

Swedish markings on a Italian fighter that really existed!

Cheers!

Stefan E

Great everyone! This will be cool to see.




That is the type of thing this build is for!! Look forward to seeing it.

-Derek

When is this due to start? Fall, I hope. Then I could probably make a wingman to Stefans Fiat CR 42 by throwing in an equally swedish marked Reggiane 2000. That could make for a nice blur of italian blotches, right?

Check this website to see what it looked like. I wonder how many that are left really?

http://www.avrosys.nu/aircraft/Jakt/111J20.htm

Tony,

The start date is right now, but there is no end date. You can get going when you have the time. Some of the projects may be applicable to what ever campaign is going on, such as "Battle for Europe". This is fine too. The rules on my first post here are really the only limits.

-Derek

Great Derek.

That is even better, since I have a chinese Polikarpov as next build, just to make friends with my airbrush.

If anybody know anything about a chinese ace by the name Zhou Ting-Fang I'd be happy. He was from my "home-province" in China, so I'd really like to build his mount, if he ever flew the I-16 that is.

Stefan and Tony - Watch out! Maybe I will have to add a Swedish Caproni (once planned for the bombs away-campaign), just to make the Swedish-Italian mottled liason complete!



But one thing I do not understand. Why a "group build" and not a campaign? Just about all my planned campaign entries (except for the Saab 39 Gripen that I'm doing for the Mark Sharpe campaign) will indeed fit into this group build.

Cheers!

This is the base kit for my RAAF Beaufighter IV build.

Having made a start on this project, with a little additional internal detail, this is the progress so far.


A little evergreen and reworked kit [blast doors part] open up to form a floor plate suport.

Drilled out entry wells to replicate a more real appearance.

Added shelving to fuselage and kit holes filled using foil.

Brass tube added to replicate 'Hot Air Inlets' on exhausts collectors

Rear bulkhead converted back to form a fuselage rib frame.

More on this bird later.

Oh my, check this darling out:



I can't quite tell if there is an indication of a very low contrast camo scheme (look closely between the windscreen and exhaust, and also there seems to be a break in tones on the bottom of the cowling as well). The picture has very low contrast in general, so I tend to think it is, but what colors? Would it have been repainted to a desert scheme from gray and dark green?

Seems to me as replacement panels from the Grey/Green sea scheme on an overall PRU Blue Spit XVI

More interesting ones from the Turkish military website:

He 111K:


Awesome 3 tone camo on a Hurricane:


P-40b/c:


Beaufort (in sad shape)


Fw-190 (another cool scheme!):


Blenheim:


B-24D (look at how low those tires are!):


Spitfire:


Mosquito:


Douglas Dakota:


A Spitfire Mk.XIX (according to the caption):


P-47D:


A-26 Invader:

Ooo...!

even better!

I don't know if the Turkish Air Force had PRU Blue Spits. According to MPM:s book on the Spitfire PR Mk XIX (excellent for those that wish to build a Swedish S 31!), their aircrafts were dark green with a light blue under surface.

The good thing is - this does not make it less cool!



Cheers! // Polarbear

The main reason for this is most of the year is already filled up with campaigns. Having a casual group build with this theme will allow folks to take their time.

Great research everyone!

Sadly, I will have to take a slower build pace with my Romanian Hurricane. I started a 60 hour ground school for getting my private pilot's license, and this will be taking a big chunk of my free time. There is a model show in Seattle on the 16th & 17th of the month, I was hoping to get it done by then, but probably wont'

-Derek

I think I am going to do this one. After a little research, I discovered that Germany delivered 75 Fw190A-3s to Turkey. The interesting thing (to me) is, I remember seeing a color profile of one of these aircraft when I was a kid (maybe a teenager) and thinking it would be a cool plane to build.

I have had a DML Fw190A-4 in my stash for years (like 7 or more!). I will dust it off and make an A-3 out of it I think. Time to finally fulfill that childhood idea of making one of these birds!

Vance,

Very cool idea with the 190! Are you planning on doing a build log? I hope so. If you are looking for decals here is what I will be using for the P-40 I will build when I finish the Hurricane.




For the tail markings the only decal is the crescent moon, the red is to be painted. Which means even though these are boxed for a P-40 I imagine they could be applied to other aircraft.

Can't wait to see your project

-Derek

Thanks for the suggestion Derek. I might have some Turkish markings in my decals folder somewhere - seems like I recall having some, but it has been a while since I have checked and memory fades.

I have actually been to Turkey a few times in the last few years (it is an excellent place to visit BTW), so that is an extra motivation for doing this build.

anyway.... ... guess i should get back to work.

Another interesting color profile, a Yugoslav Fiat G.50bis