I realize getting PTO aircraft made is going to be difficult and I am thrilled to note that Figarti has done a few with the Bong P-38, the Elrod F4F, and the 3 Doolittle Raid B-25's, along with KC's excellent AVG P-40b. Now, what else would you all like to see done? As was mentioned in the TGM aircraft thread, there are all sorts of possibilities. Just to kick off, I would like to see Japanese and US naval aircraft. From the Japanese side, I would welcome the Mitsubishi A5M Claude and A6M Zero, the Aichi D3A Val, and the Nakajima B5N Kate. From the US Navy there are more choices but I would pick the Grumman F4F Wildcat over the Grumman F6F Hellcat, the Douglas SBD Dauntless over the Grumman SB2C Helldiver, the Douglas TBD Devastator over the Grumman TBF Avenger, and a Brewster F2A Buffalo. These US choices aren't picked on merit of the aircraft but on my specific interest. Plenty of choices from the land-based aircraft of all the belligerents to be covered, too. What do you all want to see, remembering that the larger bombers are probably never going to happen at an affordable price so I don't really see any point in asking for Colin Kelly's B-17 or the Enola Gay.:wink2: -- Al
WW2 PTO aircraft (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter lancer
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Jack
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Al
Assuming that an aircraft in Australian markings will not be the first cab off the rank, I would go the Wildcat. Size wise it is possibly one of the more cost effective choices. A few ground crew would not go astray either. As for Japanese aircraft, I assume that a Zero would be the first choice for a manufacturer. Given that it is a relatively unexplored field there would be little incentive for an 'out there' choice. Would we have a V range unless someone had done the iconic German fighters and made 'left field' choices attractive, or perhaps even necessary?
Jack
Have I used the baseball terminology correctly? Or should it be 'from left field'?
Yeah, the Wildcat and Zero are so very iconic. They would suffice for so many engagements from Coral Sea, Midway, to Guadalcanal. And the terminology is correct as 'from left field' or 'outta left field'.^&grin -- Al
wayne556517
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As the most effective, and thus, most dangerous torpedo plane of the war, the Kate cannot have been a welcome sight for any Allied sailor. -- Al
Go for Broke
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I would be interested in a Zero, which would be my first airplane and PTO piece.
Terp152
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Gotta go with the Hellcat as first choice, sorry Al. It was THE work horse of the Pacific. More victories than any other acft, if memory serves correctly. The tide of the war turned with the Essex class carriers and the Hellcat. Second the choice of the Zero for the Japanese. Corsair would be nice as well. Chris
Louis Badolato
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I have had the great good fortune of obtaining a few very rare K&C wood Pacific theater warbirds, as well as a Figarti P40 autographed by the great Flying Tiger Ace Dick Rossi. I have two different Zeros, a Val, and a Seiran Floatplane on the Japanese sign, as well as 4 different P40's, a Wildcat, 2 P38 Lightnings and B25 Mitchell Ruptured Duck in Pacific Theater Markings from K&C, and they make for a powerful reminder of the dominance of air power in this theater.:wink2:
I forgot to mention the F4U Corsair in my US Navy fighter wants. My want is not a US Navy version though. I would love to see a Corsair in RNZAF livery. My father was in the US Navy during WW2 and was in the PTO. He brought home several dozen photos that he took of various things he saw at his various postings. One of his postings was Bougainville and while there he took several photos of NZ Corsairs that were based at the airstrip, maybe 20 Squadron. I have always wanted a NZ Corsair, with their distinctive insignia, since seeing these pictures. -- Al
Louis Badolato
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Hellcat is an excellent choice. I wouldn't mind a 1/30 version of David McCampbell's Minsi III to go with my autographed picture of him standing next to that plane.^&cool -- Al
T
TomB
Guest
Hey Al.......Whata about the most un glamorous warbird of them all...the Douglas C47.....the Russians used them as bombers ..the Japs used them for transport...just about every nation involved in WW2 flew them....they flew the fuel over the hump to Chins....were used as air ambulance in Europe and New Guinea....re-supplied troops n the field....dropped para's...flew countless ferry mission....the list is endless.....used in Korea to evac the wounded...etc etc and were used with great effect as a gunship in Vietnam before being replace by a C130 gunship...they were also used to drop leaflets and fly around trying to pick up Charlie's radio transmissions....there are very few if any place's in the world that aircraft has not flown....it has even been launched off carriers .....they experimented using it as a glider during WW2...it performed better than a designed glider.. it kept the troops supplied with ...food...ammo and evaced the wounded....it was know as the "Biscuit Bomber" to Aust troops in New Guinea....there is no other aircraft so well known ed or loved in the world.....Do I have a thing about Dc3/C47...sure do....have spent the odd time in the air and on the ground with them.....cheers TomB
The Douglas C-47 was certainly the workhorse of many nations (over 100 nations have used it at some point) and remained in service around the world for many years. It is a fantastic design and really quite graceful in appearance, IMO. The only problem in making a model would be the size. Figarti has a B-25 coming out, which had a wingspan of 67' 7" and length of 52' 11", pretty big model in 1/30. The C-47 is a much larger plane with a wingspan of 95' 6" and length of 63' 7". Maybe it could be made with some sort of detachable wings for shipping. Hard to have a WW2 air force without the C-47. -- Al
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TomB
Guest
Al...there would be no problem with shipping a 1/30 odd scale of a C47 if it was made as the original aircraft....the wing is in three sections...main..and two outer sections........the rear stabilizer slides out and the vertical stabilizer and rudder easily detach's...a neat aircraft to ship in 6 sections (Fuselarge as number 6)....as you say ...no WW2 Air Force is comple without the old Dak...cheers TomB
Having purchased, and being thrilled with, the KC AVG P-40B, I would love to see a foe to match against it. In the case of the AVG, the most common Japanese fighters encountered were the Nakajima Ki-27 'Nate' and it's successor, the more modern Nakajima Ki-43 'Oscar'. These JAAF fighters were typical of Japanese design in that they were light-weight for maneuverability and speed, without self-sealing fuel tanks or pilot armor, and lightly armed with two Mgs.
Now, if KC could see it's way to produce a USAAC P-40B in Pearl Harbor colors, then the obvious foe is the Mitsubishi Zero. These would be must haves for me. There were also some P-40B's in the Philippines at the start of the war that could be paired against Zeroes or Claudes. Go to a P-40E and that opens up all sorts of other possibilities.
These kind of pairings between different aircraft could be endless for the PTO. -- Al
Now, if KC could see it's way to produce a USAAC P-40B in Pearl Harbor colors, then the obvious foe is the Mitsubishi Zero. These would be must haves for me. There were also some P-40B's in the Philippines at the start of the war that could be paired against Zeroes or Claudes. Go to a P-40E and that opens up all sorts of other possibilities.
These kind of pairings between different aircraft could be endless for the PTO. -- Al
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TomB
Guest
Master Box make some very good aircraft with a good variety of figures that can be placed around the aircraft...I think the scale is 1/32.....maybe too small for your aircraft.....and they are plastic so they would not fit in with your collection I suppose.....best of luck trying for your JAAF fighters...plastic may be your only choice....regards TomB
Cyber Field Marshall
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What I'd like to see and what I'd likely buy are certainly two different things. Many of the planes mentioned on this thread would be really cool however given my limited funds, a lack of space for these big birds in 1:30th scale and competing interests I'd have to say a Japanese navy zero in aluminum colouration and an Allied counterpart such as a Corsair might be on the list. Some ground crew from both sides would be needed. Those would likely be my only forays into the PTO air war.
Jack
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CFM
I like that distinction and I think it is not recognised nearly enough. It is one of the reasons that I did not actually vote.
Jack