[STARMAN 352ND]

I think i will wait it out...
For a new mold if they are making one.
But that may be a few years down the road i bet.
JP

[Taff the Terrible]

Anyone got a JU52? There are a couple that really take my fancy but I don't have the money to just buy one and then hate it afterwards. Do all the FM models have serious issues or are there some 'good' ones.

Best regards
Taff

[Tri-motor]

I have 1 each of Dauntless, Spitfire, ME-109, Hurricane & P-38. I have 6 FW-190s. I like them all. The P-38 "California Cutie" & "Ace of Spades" Dauntless are especially nice!

[Cardinal]

Originally Posted by STARMAN 352ND

I think i will wait it out...
For a new mold if they are making one.
But that may be a few years down the road i bet.
JP

Starman 352nd, I've got the Swiss marked B17 and really like it. Both detail and quality are good and 'heft' is spectacular - very difficult to display though due to size .

[timbo]

What's the all black fort that they do all about???

[admin]

Originally Posted by timbo

What's the all black fort that they do all about???

"Tondelayo" it was the first Fortress that TFM came out with and is absolutely beautiful.

[mhackl]

The crew of an 8th Air Force B-17 has been recovered from a crash site in the Harwich Estuary.

The wreckage of the Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 43-37516 'Tondalayo' was recovered from the River Stour by the US Army CHLLI team, led by Major Todd Heussner, and assisted by Royal Navy clearance divers. The sole objective was to recover the remains of the aircraft's missing pilot and co-pilot, Lt Col Earle J. Aber & Lt Maurice J. Harper.

Both men perished on the night of March 4th 1945, when their aircraft was shot down by British anti- aircraft defences. The tragedy unfolded around 9:15pm, when "Tondalayo", returning from a leaflet drop on Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht, was crossing inland over the east coast. At the same time two enemy aircraft, homeward bound after a sneak raid, were heading easterly at a lower altitude, which no doubt confused the defenders. At 12,000 feet, over Clacton-on-Sea, exploding shells set the aircraft alight in the area of the waist gun positions, severing control cables and injuring the Bombardier, Lt Connie Morton., who sustained injuries to his eyes and right leg. The aircraft rapidly descended to 8,000 feet, and was heading for an emergency landing at Woodbridge when the aircraft was hit again, crippling her further and this time injuring the tail gunner. It was at this point the 'bail out' order was given, all the crew abandoned the aircraft apart from Aber and Harper. Captain Stonerock (naviagator) was the last crewman through the hatch at 5,000ft, and later reported that both Aber and Harper had their harnesses on, but not their chutes, so it can only be assumed that they had insufficient time or altitude to do so.

This all matt black special operations aircraft was attached to the 406th Night Leaflet Squadron based at Cheddington, and was the personal aircraft of the unit's commander, Lt Col Aber, being retained by him when the squadron converted to Liberators. Aber was on his 51st mission when he was shot down. Lt Harper had flown Spitfires with the RCAF, before volunteering for a tour on 'Heavies.'


Recovery work began on June 9th 2000, when a salvage barge was positioned on the crash site located on the low tide mark off Wrabness. First attempts at clearing the mud from the site using giant vacuum hoses were soon abandoned due to technical difficulties, primarily with pumps and filters becoming clogged by heavy clay in which the wreckage lay. The recovery continued with a large tracked excavator. The operator worked blindly as the site was only visible for short periods of time.

]A vast quantity of wreckage was eventually recovered using this method.


Parts included one of the aircraft's Cyclone engines together with several super chargers, propellor blades and an undercarriage leg. It was established that the entire tail section and rear fuselage was compressed into little more than eight feet, all of which was painstakingly worked through and sorted until the remains of Lt Col Aber and Lt Harper were found in the area of the bomb bay. Work finally ceased on June 28th when it was thought that sufficient remains of both men had been found. DNA tests later carried out at the US Army Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii proved their identity.


Both men now share a joint grave in Arlington National Cemetery, with Colonel Aber having an additional grave at Cambridge in the American Cemetery.


Lieutenant Colonel Earle J. Aber



Lieutenant Maurice J. Harper


Pilot Lt. Col E.J Aber, Co-Pilot 2nd Lt M.J Harper, Navigator Capt P.S Stonerock, Bombardier 1st Lt C.R Morton. Radio T/Sgt C.P Valley, Top Turret T/Sgt M.Silber, Ball Turret S/Sgt S.Dombrowski, Tail gunner S/Sgt R.W Ramsey, Waist Gun S/Sgt F.W Thomas, Waist Gun S/Sgt J.A Trexler, Waist Gun 2nd Lt R.W Billings

[aeroeng]

Originally Posted by Taff the Terrible

Anyone got a JU52? There are a couple that really take my fancy but I don't have the money to just buy one and then hate it afterwards. Do all the FM models have serious issues or are there some 'good' ones.

Best regards
Taff

Hey Taff,
I've got the General Ike B-17 (FM-B11E055) and the JU52 Auxiliary Bomber (FM-B11E066). They're both great, but you need big cases to display them. This is my first try with photobucket, so forgive me if it's messed up .

[JC Woodman]

The Franklin B-17 is good, I am looking @ the RAF marked E?F as I write and like it very much... It really depends on price and the particular subject, (I know you probably know this 352) I have more of the Corgi version myself.

[Copland]

Although I am an armor guy, I enjoy reading the aviation posts. What amazes me is the amount of knowledge concerning every small detail of these models. Then, I thought to myself. If these guys here are this "up" on aircraft specifics, shouldn't the diecast company itself be more informed? I mean, surely someone has to be researching this stuff, and they're paid for it! Here is my suggestion: Some of you guys need to volunteer to serve as a consultant to these companies. Better than that, apply to work for them. What do you think? Some of the things they appear to miss would seem major to me . . . like the wrong windows put in. Just complimenting and wondering.