Grumman J2F4 1/33 "scratch"

[Don Boose]

It really looks terrific, Glen! The final model is going to be a real beauty

With regard to the great image you posted, we can do some reasoned speculation on the time frame and the color of the Duck. The photo has to have been taken before March 1942, since at that time, Lexington's eight-inch guns were removed, and they are still in place in this image.

The color of the aircraft is too dark to be the non-specular light "Neutrality Gray" in which most USN aircraft were repainted after January 1941, so it must have been taken after 20 August 1941 when the Commander, Battle Force ordered that the upper surfaces of all carrier aircraft be repainted non-specular blue gray (after the Pearl Harbor attack, BuAer ordered all shore based aircraft except reserve and training aircraft to be so painted.

So, probably some time after August 1941, but PROBABLY before 23 December 1941, when the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, ordered that all Army and Navy aircraft in the Hawaiian area (which included all the aircraft assigned to the Pacific Fleet) have horizontal red and white stripes painted on the rudder.

So my guess is that the photo was taken in late 1941, but before 23 December.

Of course, there was a lot of variation in the way the directives were interpreted and in some cases, colors and insignia lingered long after the directive changes. So, unless there is a caption with a date, we can't be 100 percent sure.

Do you have any info on the provenance of the image?

I hope I haven't stretched your patience with this long digression, but I like these historical puzzles, and it is such a wonderful image.

Don

[birder]

Thank you for the kind words and stopping in Gene and Yoav. Don I appreciate the information regarding timing of those color schemes I love to deduce that much info from a photo.. I was wondering about also all the attention this event seems to have drawn, quite a few officers watching, the ship details are cool too for example the size of the rope pictured...

[birder]

Originally Posted by abhovi

I tried to build this model once, long ago. It was a total failure. Nothing fitted, plans were unclear and in the end I abandoned ship and the whole thing ended up in the dustbin. So I am very interested to see how other builders cope with this one. I wrote a very bad review, which made me feel a bit guilty. Was it really this bad design or was it me?

You can see from all the changes I’ve had to do was not a builder problem, I don’t think the original was really a viable model why was it released? Who can say?

[MichaelS]

Looking forward to see how you rig this beauty. Amazing how something so "fugly" could be so beautiful.

[abhovi]

I agree.
Did you keep record of the improvements you made, so that I can give it another try?

[Isaac]

Nice work on this model.

I suggest that the tail feathers have separate control surfaces. It will add more realism.


Isaac

[birder]

Originally Posted by MichaelS

Looking forward to see how you rig this beauty. Amazing how something so "fugly" could be so beautiful.

I'm not exactly sure what to use, would be great to use a flattened wire but still looking....

[birder]

Originally Posted by abhovi

I agree.
Did you keep record of the improvements you made, so that I can give it another try?

Most of the parts are drawn, but not the cockpit as was just built scratch..not sure that would be ok with Modelik? Not sure

[birder]

Originally Posted by Isaac

Nice work on this model.

I suggest that the tail feathers have separate control surfaces. It will add more realism.


Isaac

Thanks Isaac Agree totally in fact may yet separate the lower ailerons the top for sure.

[Rata]

Originally Posted by birder

..... in fact may yet separate the lower ailerons the top for sure.

And just for me Glen, have them move up and down when you waggle the control stick from side to side.

All kidding aside, this is turning into one nice model mister. Like your other builds I've been following slavishly.