Wrapping up on the IPMS USA review build. With the help of FFL (Kurt) and his photo booth, here are some pictures.

Well - I just wanted to build this unique-looking bird, and what I had in the stash was a VERY OLD Frog kit. I was thinking OOB, but from the moment I opened the box, things started happening... I was thinking I'd not add any interior details - just open up air scoops and stuff like that. Looking at the canopy, it's one loooong piece of glass, and pretty thick and full of raised framing lines. I did a quick search to see if I could find a replacement (didn't), but found a set of canopy masks for it, and decided I could sand off the framing and polish it, then use the masks, and end up with a more clear greenhouse. That led me to thinking that you might actually be able to see some of the detail, and it is just one big empty cavern! So.... The only 2 pieces of the below photos that are part of the kit-supplied interior are the two grey floor sections (with holes in them for the seats) - one for the pilot and one for the gunner. There were also 2 seats, but nothing for the observer/navigator. I added the bulkheads, stringers, decking and radio from styrene, snagged a seat from my spares box for the observer, built the swiveling gun mount from a couple of landing gear legs (spares box) and some wire. The extra magazines for the rear gun came from a set of engine dolly wheels sanded down in diameter and thickness. Below is the twin gun piece I found in my spares box as a framework to build out the guns. I used another two of the modified engine dolly wheels on the gun, along with styrene and some more parts from the spares box to create the guns. And as usual, since I'm building wheels-up, I had to totally replace the gear doors, as they did not fit AT ALL. I mentioned that I cut down the rear deck area to depict the gun cover open and slid along the back of the fuselage. I'll glue down a piece of thin styrene to depict the cover pushed back. I also had to then cut the rear canopy section that tilts open (like on the Dauntless, it just pivots back into the section in front of it), so that the gunner can get at his guns and do his thing. I used an engraving tool to depict the rail area where the panel slides open/closed. So then - I bit the bullet - and decided to sand off all the raised panel detail and rescribe everything. I found a good diagram on the-blueprints.com to help me in that task. I wish I had made this decision prior to building out all the interior detail so I would have less hassle sanding and scribing - but oh well! I had recently purchased a Valom Blackburn Firebrand kit, which contained a multi-media torpedo. I decided the Firebrand is cool enough looking without the fish, so stole it for the Barracuda build. The torpedo trunk is resin, the horizontal fin is styrene, the propellors, propellor guards and vertical fins are PE (did I mention I hate PE...?). I'll have to manufacture some shackles for the torp. More pics to come as I progress.

I am sure it has been studied but what if the C-141 was given a new lease on life like the C-5 Galaxy? Using the same engines that are on the KC-135R (CFM56-2) high bypass engines. The conversion started with surplus engines from Minicraft DC8 super 80, which they offer the engine sprues for $10, custom engine pylons and Rodens 1/144 scale C-141B. I did make resin copies of the engine pylons just in case I want to do another what if.