Subject: Re: Tuskegee Airmen
From: "Steve Bamford" <[email-masked]>
To: "Jim Bates" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 15:04:52 -0700

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jim Bates 
  To: Steve Bamford 
  Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2001 1:54 PM
  Subject: Tuskegee Airmen

  Steve,

  For your consideration for ARC.  Let me know if you need anything else.  Article here.  Photos to follow in separate e-mails.  

  Jim Bates

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  The Divine Scale Society Presents the Tuskegee Airmen

  Article By Jim Bates

  A bunch of us 1/72 scale builders here in the Cleveland/Akron/Canton area have been known to gather at each other's homes once a month to sit down, build some kits, and in general just BS about modeling. This loose aggregation of modelers has become known, for some reason, as the Divine Scale Society. About a year ago one of the group, John Vitkus, suggested we build a group display for the IPMS/USA Nationals in Chicago. He also suggested that we build all the aircraft flown by the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. This suggestion was greeted by great applause by the group and off we went building. Here are the results of our project.

  Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan: This is the Pioneer kit built by John Noack. John scratchbuild all kinds of improvements for the kit. Decals are from the spares box.

  Bell P-39 Airacobra: This is the Academy kit with some aftermarket add-ons built by David Geldmacher. Decals are from the Three Guys Tuskegee Airmen sheet.

  Boeing Stearman PT-17. This is the old Revell kit built by Rick Green. Rick added Aeroclub seats and I believe a new engine. Decals are from the spares box.

  Curtiss P-40F Warhawk: The one kit that missed the photo shoot. It was build by Kirk Ballash from the MPM kit. Kirk did extensive modifications to the base kit.

  North American AT-6 Texan: My contribution to the project and the last kit finished. This is the Academy T-6G kit with an Aeroclub engine. Finish is Floquil Old Silver. Decals are from both the kit and the spares box. And yes, the canopy is wrong, I just didn't have time to convert the T-6G canopy to an early AT-6 canopy.

  North American B-25J Mitchell: This is the Italeri kit by Ed Kinney. Straight from the box with decals from the spares box.

  North American P-51B Mustang: This is the Revell Germany kit built straight from the box by Ken Green. Decals are from the Three Guys sheet.

  North American P-51D Mustang: This is the Tamiya kit built straight from the box by Mike Garapic. Decals are from the Three Guys sheet.

  Republic P-47D Thunderbolt: This is the Hasegawa kit straight from the box by Andy Miday. Decals are from the spares box.

  Vultee BT-13 Vibrator: This kit wasn't so much built, as resurrected from the awful old Beechnut kit by John Vitkus. John stratchbuilt most everything but the basic airframe. Decals from the spares box.