[Fifinella]

Let's see...

Corsiar- Boyington
Dauntless - Ace of spades (good)
Hellcat - Drury (me likes cat-face hellcats)
P-38 - Putt Putt Maru (good)
Zero - Kamikaze
FW190 - Barr
ME109 - Rall (nice paint! it may not be entirely accurate, but it sure is pretty!)

Are FM Stukas any good?

[flyXwire]

Originally Posted by Fifinella

Are FM Stukas any good?

I've seen these up close and it looks decent, but I've never been able to convince myself to get one yet.

[FormerViperDriver]

This is what I own:

F-4C Phantom II	Robbin Olds
F-4B Phantom II	VF-111 Sundowners
Phantom FG1	Royal Navy, 800 Sqdn
F-15C Eagle	53 TFS Bitburg, Tiger Meet
F-15E Strike Eagle	4FW, Seymour Johnson AFB
F-16C	512 TFS, Ramstein AB
F-16C	Nellis AFB, Aggressor

F-16C 23 FS, Spangdahlem AB F-16C 555 FS, Aviano AB F-16C Thunderbirds AV-8B+ Harrier US Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier US Marine Corps Harrier GR5 Royal Air Force F-104 Starfighter Belgian AF Tiger F-104 Starfighter Luftwaffe Bavarian Special F-104 Starfighter US Air Force F-104 Starfighter Marine Flieger F-14A Tomcat VF-111 Sundowners F-14A Tomcat Black Bunny F-18C Hornet Screaming Eagle F-18C Hornet NAS Fallon Aggressor F-18C Hornet Blue Angels F-18D Hornet US Marine Corps A-10A 23 FW European Cammo F-86E The Huff F-86E Jollie Roger F-117A 49FW, Holloman AFB Tornado GR-1 RAF Desert Storm Tornado Luftwaffe AG-31 MiG-29A Luftwaffe MiG-29C Russian Air Force MiG-15 North Korean AF MiG-17 North Vietnamese AF P-51D Mustang Short-Fuze Sallie P-51D Mustang Fickle Fannie P-51D Mustang Miss America Supermarine Spitfire Mk-V A RAF, Douglas Bader Supermarine Spitfire Mk-V B RAF Hawker Hurricane RAF, Battle of Britain Hawker Hurricane RAF, North Africa P-47D Thunderbolt Francis Gabreski P-47D Thunderbolt French AF P-38 Lightning Richard Bong P-38 Lightning Thomas McGuire P-38 Lightning USAAF, Normandy 1944 F-5 Lightning Sain-Exupery F-4U Corsair USMC, Pappy Boyington F-4U Corsair French Navy, 1956 Suez Crisis F-6F Hellcat US Navy, David McCampbell F-6F Hellcat French Navy-Suez 1956 P-40C Flying Tigers P-40E Flying Tigers, Tex Hill Douglas SBD Dauntless US Navy WW II De Havilland Mosquito RAF, Norway Me-109F Hans-Joachim Marseille Me-109F Werner Moelders Me-109F Erich Hartmann Me-109G Erich Hartmann FW-190A Luftwaffe, Joseph Priller 1944 FW-190A Herman Graf Me-262 Adolph Gallant Me-262 Rudolph Sinner Ju-87B Stuka Snake, North Africa Ju-87D Stuka Hans-Ulrich Rudel Ju-87G Stuka Hans-Ulrich Rudel Ju-52 Luftwaffe, Norway 1941 B-25 Mitchell Tondalayo B-26 Marauder Flak Bait B-17G 8AF, Bit Of Lace B-24D Liberator Ploesti Raid Bell UH-1D Huey 1st Cavalry Division I've been collecting CDC Armour and FM/Armour models since 1997, P-51 "Fickle Fannie" being first. I won't rate the models here, but I tend to agree with most ratings given by others. In general, I would say the WW II stuff is better made than the contemporary jets, but there are exceptions to both. Main reasons I have so many are: I like 1/48 scale (particularly for WW II fighters. 1/72 is just too small); they were first on the "serious" diecast market; they often picked interesting liveries; and they stuck around long enough to produce a significant variety of plane models which one can honestly call a "collection." However, I have been disappointed several times by their models (quality control issues and overall mould accuracy issues), and I am not sure they are on the right track with their 2007 releases. Based on the catalogue pictures released so far, their Mirage III mould looks inaccurate, and the F-22 doesn't look too hot either (although overall shape looks OK). Not sure about the F4F, but I have the Carrousel 1 "Butch O'Hare" anyway. I have not bought their Eurofighter Typhoon because I think it is not that well rendered (and those stupid missiles they put on them don't look anything like AIM-120s, that's for sure). And then there is the price increase. This is not a good portent for the future of this line of models. Too bad for us 1/48 collectors. Thankfully, there are other players out there like Hobby Master, Carrousel, and EI. FVD

[skysurfer808]

Originally Posted by swoop

Skysurfer, it's not often people can transcend from personal grief,to a place of renewing. I wish your mother and her husband (Dad) every happiness.

Thanks Swoop, I'm looking forward to meeting the Colonel and going flying with him. I have a lot of respect for AV8rs because of the type's high accident rate.

Aloha,
Skysurfer808

[flyXwire]

FVD, how big is your diecast hangar? Just curious...

[FormerViperDriver]

Originally Posted by flyXwire

FVD, how big is your diecast hangar? Just curious...

I've got a number of display cases where I keep the majority of my models. I must admit there are a few that are kept at work (5 models) and a few are in other places around the house, mostly book shelves.

I will post pictures later under the "collections" topic, but here is a preview of just one of my cases:

The larger models don't fit in them, so I keep them on top of the cases or other places in my "museum room."

FVD

[flyXwire]

Thanks for that picture, I look forward to seeing more of your displays.

[Fly Navy 75]

The MiG-15 and 17 are nice, but with one major flaw. The main landing gear is way to long, giving the aircraft an awkward nose-down stance. The actual MiGs sat nose slightly up, giving them their signature appearance.

[jim]

That is a nice collection you have there Formerviperdriver. I note you have a couple of P40s there old boy, excellent if I may say so.
I envy those of you that have lots of space to show off the models really well.
I am also happy to see that you have invested in the Harrier.
Good old Marine Corp took a great plane and made it even better.

My idea of heaven would be a good burn around in a Harrier, for my money its the best plane in the world ever. I have a great video of a Harrier traveling down a woodland path in Germany about 6 feet off the ground and doing about 30mph, very funny because the pilot stopped at the crossroads and turned the nose right then left then crossed the path. But then most pilots have a great sense of humour.
When you see a pilot walk around his aircraft before take off ,he is not checking the plane he is just looking for the way in!!!!!!!!