Aircraft

[Leo Tanner]

You're quite welcome-  er ... Leo!~

er...Lil was sorry to have missed you.  Sends all her best.  She is as excited about building this thing as I am an that is one of the things that makes her special.

[Texas Lawdog]

Leo, We're gonna wanna have pictures of the finished product.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

L.J. - we talked of that.  Right now it's not possible, but they're planning on acquiring one of them new-fangled picture-makin' boxes, so we MAY see it.  He's got a good start on it already, what with gatherin' the supplies an' all.  I can say from experience, that the 1/48 scale B-17G Model (by Monogram) is top quality, so we can look forward to good things.

[Texas Lawdog]

One of our B17's (Texas Raiders) is back flying again after an 8 year restoration. The State of Texas filmed a commercial for the Texas Highway Dept. on Littering.  You see a lone pickup truck on a county road. The driver throws out a piece of litter. The B17 pops up behind the truck. "Don't Mess With Texas".

[Leo Tanner]

Pop, that requires an innerntet hunt.  Gotta see it.

[Russ T Chambers]

Leo

Watched the Video it is great!

This is my B-17G.  I think it was from Monogram or Revel.  It’s in 1/24th scale as are all the remaining models I have.  It’s amazing the size difference when you put them next to each other!  I had a B29 in the same scale that decided to depart from the ceiling one day.  It was done up to be “Bocks Car” as I remember. Too many wee done as the “Enola Gay”.  I need to get a replacement for that bird.  Though my Dad was a pilot, he was a ground pounder in the Army and part of the occupation forces in Tokyo after the War.

[Leo Tanner]

That looks like the one I have Russ.  Mine is in 1:48.  I got the rest of the paints yesterday and am ready to go.  Have a guitar to rewire but I think the model will come first.  I imagine a 29 would be fun to build too.  Heck, I got all the paint now to last awhile.

[Texas Lawdog]

Leo, If you decide to do a B29, we have plenty of pictures of "FIFI" to look at.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

1/24 scale B-29!  Wow!   That's a BIG model!  I didn't know there existed a B-29 model that big.

The biggest model I've ever seen is a Tamiya model of the Japanese battleship Yamato in 1/11 scale.  They're not in production anymore and IF you find one, it'll set you back a grand or so.  That model is (if memory still serves - I've been away from the model interest for about 30 years) a little over 8 feet long!  I saw one (still in the box) back around 1972 for around $75 - which was like saying (to me) $2000 now - and I couldn't afford it then ... or now.  I was a fairly newly married man with a new baby, and $75 bought a LOT of dinners and diapers then that were needed more than a plastic model of a Jap battlewagon!
 

Have fun, Tom/Leo!

[Leo Tanner]

I'm going to download your pic Russ and keep it for reference.  Nice job!

Never got around to looking up the Texas video yesterday so I will be doing it today.  and Pop, if I do take on a 29 I will take you up on the FIFI pictures.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I HOPE I'm not repeating myself, but I saw FiFi right after she was declared "airworthy" back in the 70's or early 80's  here in Indiana. The (then) Confederate (now Consolidated) Air Force brought up a bunch of planes to celebrate formation of the Great Lakes District Squadron of the CAF  with their first plane, a Beechcraft bomber-trainer, if I remember.  (Sorry, I don't 'member the nomenclature/number.)  It was a pretty awesome sight, but I didn't get to see FiFi up close.  I'd used up all my film, didn't have the ca$h to buy new, so I departed a bit early.  Fifi was the closing attraction, so I took off myself - I saw her fly, but by leaving early, I beat the huge traffic jam.  If I'd still had film (where were digital storage devices with room for thousands of pics THEN?) I'd have stayed and taken close-ups, but ...

GREAT memories, friends!

[Leo Tanner]

I'm usually good at finding things on line but haven't found the Texas B 17 video.  Anyone got a link?

[Texas Lawdog]

Leo, I found the video on Youtube. I typed in Don't Mess with Texas B17.

[Leo Tanner]

Thanks Pop, I was over thinkin it an searched all the highway department links.  For those who aint seen it here it is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlFD0Zyl_f0

[Leo Tanner]

The RO says, "Let's make an impression on 'em".  Boy howdy you bet it would.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Thanks for posting the link!

Short; sweet; & to the point!

All in all, a GREAT commercial!  (I wouldn't mess with ANY state by littering, but) I've known for a LONG time: "Don't mess with Texas, Baby!"

[Leo Tanner]

It is good an I figgered if no one else was gonna post it I would.  Kinda bummed that you can't see the wing tips, I know a lot of them had the red paint but I was curious to see what the CAF did with this one.  That is one bad a** advertisement.

[Major E A Sterner]

Y'all notice that the referred to the plane as being from the Texas CONFEDERATE Air Force, Good on em.

[Texas Lawdog]

Unfortunatly the commerical was made before the name change to the Commemmrative Air Force.  Leo, "Texas Raiders" is hangared at Houston.

[Texas Lawdog]

Leo, Look up Texas Raiders B17 and you can see a picture. It has red wing tips and the horizontal stabilizers and the vertical stabilizer are red tipped. That ad with the B17 is my favorite commerical of all time.

[Russ T Chambers]

1/24 scale B-29!  Wow!   That's a BIG model!  I didn't know there existed a B-29 model that big.

The biggest model I've ever seen is a Tamiya model of the Japanese battleship Yamato in 1/11 scale.  They're not in production anymore and IF you find one, it'll set you back a grand or so.  That model is (if memory still serves - I've been away from the model interest for about 30 years) a little over 8 feet long!  I saw one (still in the box) back around 1972 for around $75 - which was like saying (to me) $2000 now - and I couldn't afford it then ... or now.  I was a fairly newly married man with a new baby, and $75 bought a LOT of dinners and diapers then that were needed more than a plastic model of a Jap battlewagon!
 

Have fun, Tom/Leo!

Steel Horse Bailey
I may be thinking 1/48th.  It's been many a year since I built these, I just know I was keeping everythin in the same scale for reference.

My F-14 looks huge next to the P-51, and is close to approaching the B-17 in size.

[Four-Eyed Buck]

That would look pretty impressive in the rear view mirror

[Texas Lawdog]

That is my all time favorite ad by the TXDOT folks. Seeing that B17 in your rearview mirror!

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Steel Horse Bailey
I may be thinking 1/48th.  It's been many a year since I built these, I just know I was keeping everythin in the same scale for reference.

My F-14 looks huge next to the P-51, and is close to approaching the B-17 in size.

Ok - Prob'ly 1/48 scale.  Modern fighters ARE similar in size to WWII medium bombers, and not too much smaller than the B-17 or B-24.   If anyone doesn't believe, see an F-4 next to a B-17 the next time an Airshow comes to your area!  There's usually an F-4 there.  Still - that B-29 in 1/48 scale by Monogram is a VERY large expanse of plastic!

[Texas Lawdog]

I built a lot of car models as a kid. I never tried any airplanes. I don't have the patience to do the models and the diabetes makes my hands shake sometime. I am fortunate to be able to be around these WW2 airplanes as a member of the CAF.