Month: February 2020

Douglas XB-19 Interior Photographs

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The flight deck of the XB-19 was quite spacious by aviation standards.  This compartment was fitted with acoustical batting to deaden engine noise and the pilot and co-pilot are provided with tinted sun visors.  Note the padded leather office chair in the navigator’s position behind the pilot and the parachutes in the chairs.  This photograph was taken at march Field, pilot is Major Stanley Umstead, co-pilot Major Howard Bunker, flight engineer Warren Dickerson (between the pilots), and radio operator Duncan Hall in the foreground.
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A similar view looking forward.  This may be one of the earliest XB-19 test flights as the pilot to the left is Major Stanley Umstead who was first to fly the XB-19.  The bombardier is visible at his position in the lower nose.  Behind the pilot is the navigator’s position, behind the co-pilot is the aircraft commander.  (Coleta Air & Space Museum photograph)
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A technician makes adjustments to the bomb release mechanism in the nose compartment.  While designed as a bomber, the XB-19 functioned as test bed for new equipment and was instrumental in the development of American heaver bomber programs.
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The flight deck looking aft.  To the left is the radio operator.  The flight engineer’s station with its array of engine gauges and controls dominates the rear of the flight deck.  Immediately behind the engineer is the chief mechanic.  
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A similar view aft shot from the aircraft commander’s position showing minor changes.  The XB-19 was designed to carry a crew of sixteen with the provision for eight additional relief crewmen in a berthing area with galley.  In practice her payload was test equipment and technicians.
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The engines of the XB-19 were serviceable in flight.  The mechanics could access the engines by crawl tunnels inside the wings.  Not a job for the claustrophobic!
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A similar view of a mechanic inside one of the wing tunnels.  A considerable amount of electrical cabling has been added compared to the previous photograph.
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A crewman uses the intercom in the tail of the aircraft.  To the rear is the tail gunner’s position, behind the crewman is the gun port for the starboard .30 caliber gun with ammunition racks behind.
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A slightly different view of the after fuselage.  Racks for both .30 caliber waist guns are visible and equipment bins have been added along the centerline.  Note that none of the interior surfaces in any of these photographs have been primed, all remained in natural aluminum.

Pavla Gloster Sea Gladiator in 1/72 Scale

This is the Pavla Sea Gladiator of Lt A. N. Young, 813 NAS Fighter Flight aboard HMS Eagle, Mediterranean Sea, Summer 1940. These are still nice kits, but with all the quirks you would expect from a limited run molding.  One big asset is the Pavla decal sheet provides six sets of markings. The Pavla fuselage is a little more bloated than the newer Airfix molding, but I don’t really notice it much on the finished model.  I had intended to model this one with a closed canopy, but the vacuformed kit canopy was far too small to fit properly and looked better open.

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Douglas XB-19 Book Review

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Douglas XB-19: An Illustrated History of America’s Would-Be Intercontinental Bomber

By William Wolf

Hardcover in dustjacket, 128 pages, heavily illustrated

Published by Schiffer Military History February 2017

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0764352326

ISBN-13: 978-0764352324

Dimensions: 8.8 x 1 x 11 inches

At the time of its first flight on 27JUN41 the Douglas XB-19 was arguably the largest aircraft in the world, and would remain so until the Consolidated B-36 Peacemaker prototype flew in 1946.  In the intervening years a few other designs (the Martin JRM-3 Mars flying boat, Blohm & Voss BV 238 flying boat, and the Junkers Ju-390 transport) exceeded its gross weight of 164,000 pounds (74,390 kg), but none surpassed its 212 foot (64.4 meter) wingspan.  While it was designed to be the world’s first intercontinental bomber it was underpowered and obsolete by the time it was ready to take to the air.  It spent its life as flying laboratory testing equipment for future bomber designs.

Even today not a lot is known about the XB-19, even amongst aviation enthusiasts.  Only a single example was built, Douglas did not want to see it completed and the USAAC really didn’t know what to do with it once they had it.  While it had an impressive range and load carrying capacity its cruising speed of 120 mph (192 km/h) (maximum 205 mph (329 km/h) sustained) would have made it easy prey for defending fighters – as a consequence it was never seriously considered for combat.

Author William Wolf has done a great service in gathering surviving documentation to fill a gap in the aviation record and tell the story of the XB-19.  The background leading up to the design of the first intercontinental bomber is explored in depth, with previous USAAC bomber designs described so the reader can see the type’s evolution.  Parallel competing designs are also explored.  Construction at Douglas is covered in detail as is the aircraft’s public unveiling and first flight.  A considerable amount of raw information is presented with technical details from the Erection Manual, memoranda, and USAAC & Douglas press releases making up much of the narrative.

Throughout, the book is heavily illustrated with several photographs on each page.  While this is perfectly adequate in many cases, it also represents a missed opportunity as several of these photographs are quite strikingly detailed and would have been most impressive had they been reproduced in full- or half-page formats.  Larger photographs would also have been useful in the opening chapters where previous designs and competing configurations are discussed –  postage stamp sized photographs just don’t do the trick here.  There are five color full-page renderings showing the XB-19 and XB-19A in its evolving paint schemes and configurations, but only one page of color photographs and these are also too small to be of any real use.

This is likely the only book we’ll see on the XB-19 so it fills a gap in the overall narrative of aviation history and is therefor welcome.  The book is let down by its treatment of the photographic material, which could have easily been significantly improved.

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Mitsubishi J2M Raiden 雷電 Lightning Bolt “Jack” Build in 1/72

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This is a re-boxing of the old Hasegawa Mitsubishi J2M Raiden tool from 1977.  All the Hasegawa kits use the same tool, it has the typical limitations of basic cockpit and shallow wheelwells like most of their kits of the era.  The engine on this one is hidden behind a forced cooling fan, similar to the FW 190.  This is another model show find, the box was a mess as it had gotten wet and the kit had been started.  The original builder had thrown in some spares from other kits and had detached many of this kit’s parts from the sprues so initially I was not even sure everything was there, but it was had for a give-away price and who doesn’t want spare parts?
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One of the bits in the box was this nice sheet of Eduard PE.  I figured even if the kit was missing enough parts to be unbuildable this fret alone was worth what I paid.  Besides, if the main assemblies were all usable there are enough bits in my spare box to fill out the kit.
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The kit cockpit was basic and without any form of detail so I set it aside and began building up a replacement.  The guts of this one are castings of the Tamiya Shiden cockpit modified to better represent what should be in a Raiden, along with an aftermarket resin seat.  The seat is probably the most visible item in a cockpit so getting that & the belts to look convincing goes a long way.
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Here is the cockpit painted and glossed with a Tamiya wash to add depth.  Belts and console faces are printed from photographic paper.
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I hate shallow wheelwells and usually re-build them when I can, even though they are obviously on the underside of the model and therefor hard for the casual viewer to see.  They were rebuilt with the Eduard photoetch fret and the seams filled with Perfect Plastic Putty.
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Here is the model primed with Mr. Surfacer.  In spite of the kit’s age, Hasegawa did a fine job with the surface engraving and the fit is pretty good overall.  I have added gear down indicators from bronze rod and navigation lights using clear plastic from a CD case.
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These are the wheelwells under primer.  The Raiden has the transparent blue primer finish in the wheelwells which unfortunately will obscure most of the fine relief etched into the PE.
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One problem with modeling Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft is you wind up with the same basic scheme over and over.  Here is the Raiden with Mr. Color paints matched to the Iliad design paint chips.  Manufacturing was done at several different plants and the Japanese manufacturers each used their own paint mixes – if you wanted to devise a plan to perpetually confuse modelers that is an excellent way to go.  The Mr. Color Nakajima Dark Green was a great match for the Iliad Design Mitsubishi chip, but Raidens were produced by both Mitsubishi and Koza Air Arsenal so be skeptical if anyone claims to know the actual colors with certainty!
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At this point everything began to go wrong and the build became “snake bit” as we say here in the U.S.  I used Print Scale decals for the lightning bolts and the tail codes, but the lightning bolts looked way too pale when on the model (the Print Scale Hinomaru were not used for the same reason).  In addition, the carrier film was laughably flimsy and the decals tended to fold and ball up given the slightest opportunity.  Even worse, I had a “senior moment” when I was removing the excess panel line wash and reached for the lacquer thinner instead of the much slower standard paint thinner which I use for that purpose.  The result is I stripped off the gloss coat and got down into the paint and the ink on the decals before I caught the error, as you can see on the port side of the fuselage.
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The lightning bolts were the wrong color anyway, so I re-painted everything as best as I could with a fine brush.  It looks okay from a distance, but this one is now destined to skip the shows and go directly to the display case.  On top of all that, one of the Master replacement gun barrels pinged off into the quantum realm, never to be seen again.  Tubing is standing in until a another arrives from Hannants.  I’d still like to build a nice Raiden someday, so if I find another at a show maybe I’ll have another go!

Junkers Ju 88H-4 Führungsmaschine Conversion in 1/72 Scale

The Führungsmaschine was a Luftwaffe long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft which was ordered into production during the last months of the war but was never built.  Conceptually it was based on the Mistel composite aircraft, but in this case the Fw 190A-8 parasite fighter was intended to separate to defend the parent aircraft.

The model is a conversion using the Revell of Germany Junkers Ju 88A-4 kit, lengthened by inserting plugs fore and aft of the wing to lengthen the fuselage.  The fighter is the Hasegawa Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-7 with the dopplereiter over-wing fuel tanks.

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Construction here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2026/03/20/junkers-ju-88-and-mistel-conversion-builds-in-1-72-scale-part-i/

XB-19 Color Photographs

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When the USAAC declassified the XB-19 program the aircraft became a media sensation, and fortunately several color photographs survive.  This view of the aircraft being serviced on the ramp shows the 212 foot (64.7 meter) wingspan to good advantage.

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The armed guards are dwarfed by the huge tail assembly.  The vertical fin rose 42 feet (12.8 meters) into the air which prevented the XB-19 from entering many hangers of the time.  A single .50 caliber machine gun was designed to be carried in the tail, with a .30 caliber waist gun fitted on each side of the fuselage.  Had the XB-19 ever entered service as a bomber, it is certain that the defensive armament would have been revised.

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Here the XB-19 is being readied for its inaugural flight from Douglas at Santa Monica, CA on 27JUN41.  In the foreground is a 20th Pursuit Group P-40C, one of six sent from Hamilton Field to escort the giant bomber.

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Five aerial views taken during the XB-19’s first flight to March Field.  Public and Press interest was overwhelming, with over 45,000 people gathered at the Douglas plant in Santa Monica to witness the take-off.  The escort was tasked with keeping overly curious aircraft at a safe distance during the flight.

 

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The XB-19 was an imposing presence on the ramp, few hangers of the day could accommodate an aircraft of its size.

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After the attack on Pearl Harbor the aircraft was given a standard USAAC camouflage scheme of Olive Drab over Neutral Gray.  Here one of the Wright 3350 engines is being “pulled through” to distribute lubricating oil before the engine is started.

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The XB-19A was stored in the boneyard at Davis-Monthan near Tucson AZ to await preservation at a museum.  Here it is seen in its weather research paint scheme with several B-29s in the background.  The aircraft did not make it to a museum but instead was scrapped by order of the base commander in 1949.

Academy Boeing B-29 Superfortress in 1/72 Scale

One of the bigger WWII era kits in 1/72 scale is Academy’s Boeing B-29A Superfortress.  Airfix issued one around 1970 or so, and Academy first released theirs in the early 1990’s.   Academy re-released their kit again with markings for camouflaged subjects.  It’s huge when built up – a 16.5 inch ( 41.9 cm) length and a 23.5 inch (59.7 cm) wingspan.

The model depicts Joltin’ Josie the Pacific Pioneer which was the first B-29 to land on Saipan on 12OCT44, piloted by General Haywood S. Hansell and Major Jack Catton. Hansell headed the XXI Bomber Command. Catton was a flight leader of the 873rd squadron in the 498th Bomb Group.  After logging 400 flight hours and 24 missions over Japan during which Josie never suffered an abort and always hit the primary target, Major Catton was transferred to General Curtis LeMay’s Headquarters. Captain Wilson C. Currier took over as aircraft commander.  Josie was lost on the first mission following Major Catton’s departure. Immediately after taking off on 1 April 1945, she plummeted into Magicienne Bay and exploded on impact. There were no survivors.

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F-105 Wild Weasel vs SA-2 ‘Guideline’ SAM Book Review

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F-105 Wild Weasel vs SA-2 ‘Guideline’ SAM: Vietnam 1965–73

By Peter E. Davies, illustrated by Jim Laurier and Gareth Hector

Osprey Duel Series Book 35

Paperback, 80 pages, illustrated, indexed

Published by Osprey Publishing May 2011

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1849084718

ISBN-13: 978-1849084710

Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.2 x 9.6 inches

I found this book at an IPMS show along with a few other Osprey titles.  Osprey books, while short, are an excellent introduction to their topics and are well illustrated being chock full of photographs, maps, and useful artwork specially commissioned for the series.  This title is what you would expect from this publisher and does not disappoint.

The Duel series pits competing weapons systems against each other comparing the relative strengths and weaknesses of each.  In this case the weapons are asymmetric, meaning this is not a case of two versions of the same platform (think tank versus tank), but a dissimilar example of aircraft versus surface to air missile.  In this instance the aircraft is the USAF F-105 F/G Thunderchief “Wild Weasel” SAM suppression attack aircraft pitted against the North Vietnamese SA-2 “Guideline” surface to air missile system.  Neither system operated alone, the Weasels being supported by jamming aircraft and strike aircraft tasked with bombing the missile sites, the North Vietnamese utilizing AAA and MiG interceptors to complicate matters for the F-105s.

The author describes the move and counter-move nature of the struggle between two technologically advanced systems.  The F-105’s Shrikes could home in on the SA-2’s “Fan Song” radar; the radar could be turned off to make the Shrike miss; the Weasels could jam the SA-2 guidance link but the missile could be guided optically for much of its flight, and so on.  For every new tactic or innovation by either side a counter measure was soon introduced which limited the advantage.

I found this book to be interesting and informative, just right for an evening read with a cat on your lap.  Recommended.

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