Academy P-51A – Progress Report 3

Pierre LagacéLeave a comment

Day 460

Monday 29 May 2023

The irony of the special military operation…

 

 

 

T-34/85 Tank

One of the most successful tanks ever constructed, the T-34/85 was inexpensive, mechanically reliable, and combined heavy armour with a powerful gun.

Early models of the T-34 generally outclassed German tanks. The upgraded T-34/85 countered the more powerful tanks and anti-tank guns introduced by Germany as a response. The Soviet Union and other countries produced tens of thousands of T-34/85s during and after the Second World War. This particular tank was built in Nizhny Tagil, in the Soviet Union, in 1944, and saw action in Ukraine. The Soviet government donated it to the Canadian War Museum in 1988.

Char T-34/85

Un des chars les plus réussis jamais construits, le T-34/85 était abordable, fiable mécaniquement et muni d’un blindage épais et d’un canon puissant.

Les premiers modèles du T-34 surpassaient en général les chars des Allemands. Le T-34/85, une version améliorée, pouvait contrer les chars et les mitrailleuses antichar les plus puissants que l’Allemagne avait introduits en réponse. L’Union soviétique et d’autres pays en produisirent des dizaines de milliers pendant et après la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Celui-ci fut assemblé à Nizhny Tagil, en Union soviétique, en 1944, et utilisé en Ukraine. Le gouvernement soviétique en fit don au Musée canadien de la guerre en 1988.

But I digress…

Monday morning shot.

Nothing will be accomplished today and probably for the rest of the week on the P-51A. I will probably work instead on this display.

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Academy P-51A – Progress Report 2

Pierre LagacéLeave a comment

Day 459

Sunday 28 May 2023

I’m back.

I have tested Humbrol Maskol yesterday and I managed to scrap two paintbrushes.

Live and learn…

My Forgotten Hobby has always been about learning what I don’t know like the M5A1.

http://afvdb.50megs.com/usa/pics/m5stuart/m5stuart.html#M5A1FRONT

Nothing else to report further on the P-51A. Masking canopies is on the to-do list.

Here are more photos of my field trip at the Canadian War Museum last Wednesday.

There were lots of tanks, artillery pieces and armoured fighting vehicles in the LeBreton gallery.

 

 

What about this tank?

It looks like a M3A1 but it’s probably a M5A1. Looks like it doesn’t it?

More information…

https://www.silverhawkauthor.com/post/m3-stuart-tank

See you tomorrow.

Academy P-51A – Progress Report 1

Pierre LagacéLeave a comment

Day 458

Saturday 27 May 2023

This isn’t Friday June 2, 2023…

No it’s not. I have decided to go back on a daily basis at least for now.

This is how I had left you yesterday probably scratching your head.

Writing such a long post might be detrimental to losing my loyal readers.

With this in mind here are more photos of my field trip at the war museum last Wednesday.

Tanks!

Now I know a lot more on the Panzer IIC but not enough to start adding tanks to my collection of model kits.

Let’s take a look at the next one. I would say an American armoured vehicle?

I got that one right.      

Transcription below in both official languages…

M3A1 Stuart Tank

Allied forces, including some Canadian units, made extensive use of this American-built light tank during the Second World War.

This tank is an M3A1, an upgraded version of the original M3. Its turret is a metal casting, and large parts of its hull were assembled by welding. These replaced the M3’s riveted structures, reducing the tank’s weight and improving protection for its crew. Additional fuel tanks increased its range. A later version, the M5 light tank, also saw widespread service. This particular tank is on loan from the Australian War Memorial.

Char M3A1 Stuart

Les forces alliées, y compris certaines unités canadiennes, ont souvent utilisé ce modèle de char léger de fabrication américaine durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale.

 

Ce char est un M3A1, une version améliorée du M3. Sa tourelle est moulée et une bonne partie de sa caisse est soudée. Ces éléments ont remplacé les structures rivetées du M3, réduisant ainsi le poids du char et protégeant mieux l’équipage. Des réservoirs à carburant supplémentaires ont accru son autonomie. Une version ultérieure, le char léger M5, a également beaucoup servi. Le char présenté ici a été prêté par l’Australian War Memorial.

DID YOU KNOW?

In British service, the American-built M3 light tank was named the “General Stuart” or the “Stuart”, after J. E. B. Stuart, a Confederate general during the US Civil War. The British gave similar Civil War generals’ names to other American tanks, including the Lee, the Grant, and the Sherman.

Le SAVIEZ- VOUS?

L’armée britannique a surnommé le char léger M3 de fabrication américaine le « général Stuart » ou  « le Stuart », en l’honneur de J. E. B. Stuart, général dans l’armée des Confédérés pendant la guerre de Sécession américaine. Les Britanniques ont également donné les noms de généraux de la guerre de Sécession à d’autres chars américains, dont le Lee, le Grant et le Sherman.

This is a close-up view of the M3A1 front hatch.

 

Besides the M3A1 was another tank.

It’s a Valentine Mk VIIA.

 

Valentine Tank

This British-designed, Canadian-manufactured tank was used by the Soviet Union during the Second World War.

The Canadian Pacific Railway’s Angus Shops in Montreal made 1,420 Valentines, all but 30 of which Canada shipped to the Soviet army. During a Soviet offensive in Ukraine in January 1944, this one broke through the ice covering a swampy river. All three crew members escaped, but the tank sank out of sight. Forty-six years later, residents of the nearby village of Telepino recovered it. In 1992, the government of Ukraine gave this tank to the Canadian War Museum.

Char Valentine

Ce char, de conception britannique et de fabrication canadienne, fut utilisé par l’Union soviétique pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale.

Les usines Angus du Canadien Pacifique, à Montréal, fabriquèrent 1 420 Valentine, dont seulement 30 ne furent pas envoyés à l’armée soviétique. Au cours d’une offensive soviétique en Ukraine, en janvier 1944, le char exposé ici s’enfonça sous la glace recouvrant une tourbière gelée. Les trois membres de l’équipage s’en sortirent, mais le char coula entièrement. Des habitants du village de Telepino dans les environs, le récupérèrent, 46 ans plus tard et le gouvernement ukrainien en fit don au Musée canadien de la guerre en 1992.

I remember having read about it once.

Next tank…?

Maybe tomorrow. Peut-être demain.

Academy P-51A

Pierre LagacéLeave a comment

Day 457

Friday 26 May 2023

There was another reason I had finally decided to follow up on My Forgotten Hobby VI earlier this year. It was about not forgetting Ukrainian people who were still resisting the special military operation launched on February 24, 2022.

This eventually led me to build my Monogram MiG-29 with Ukrainian markings. But I had to make homemade decals since no aftermarket decals were available.

I had started a new build last week even though my Ukrainian MiG-29 had yet to be completed.

So what have I accomplished?

Friday 19 May 2019

The MiG-29 homemade decal sheet got its three coats of clear acrylic paint sprayed outside and the MiG-29 had its clear acrylic gloss paint done later.

You can barely see that but it’s there.

Saturday 20 May 2019

The year was 1959 or 1960. Little did I know back then…

I was playing in the alley behind the apartment building where I was living on Davidson Street in Montreal. There were some Popular Science magazines in the garbage. I picked them up and looked into them. The January 1944 issue was like having an epiphany…

It was my first encounter with the P-51A and I was hooked.

There were lots more fighter planes I had never heard before except the Spitfire when my brother had built Lindberg Spitfire.

In 1958 I was 10 years-old. So what does a 10 year-old kid do? Cut the pages up? Right!

Fast forward 65 years later…

Now I have all the reasons in the world to start building it in 2023.

Sunday 21 May 2023

Homemade decals were tested Saturday evening and they performed well.

Monday 22 May 2023

The MiG-29 has been completed except for painting the pilot.

Tuesday 23 May 2023

I am going to visit Vickie today and finally give her this display.

Vickie?

Monogram MiG-29… My Forgotten Hobby VII and Beyond

Wednesday 24 May 2023

I finally got this in the mail when I was away.

Did I really need another one model kit? My collection looks more than a  small town local hobby shop right now.

Coming back from my little trip to Ontario my wife and I stopped by Ottawa. She likes arts and I like (well dislike) wars. She visited the National Arts Museum and I went to see the War Museum and took a few snapshots.

First nose art…

I’m not an expert on nose art but I know someone who is.

https://www.bombercommandmuseumarchives.ca/noseart.html

Then came the Le Breton Gallery.

The LeBreton Gallery is an impressive open-storage gallery offering visitors a close-up view of large artifacts from one of the most extensive collections of its kind in the world. The glass-walled gallery is bathed in natural light and offers a stunning view of the Ottawa skyline.

There were no guests but many visitors.

Here are some photos of one of the artifacts which looked familiar…

Panzer IIC Tank

Panzer IIC Tank

Lightly armed and armoured, Germany’s Panzer II played an important role in the early years of the Second World War.

Germany originally developed the Panzer II in the mid-1930s, and used it in the invasions of Poland in 1939 and of France in 1940. Although replaced by larger, more capable tanks, the Panzer II remained in service for reconnaissance work and other duties. Its chassis later formed the basis for self-propelled guns and other armoured fighting vehicles. This particular vehicle, brought to Canada from North Africa during the war, was acquired by the Canadian War Museum in 1959.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles Tanks

Char Panzer IIC

Légèrement armé et blindé, le Panzer II allemand joua un rôle important pendant les premières années de la Seconde Guerre mondiale.

L’Allemagne développa le Panzer II au milieu des années 1930 et l’utilisa pour envahir la Pologne, en 1939, et la France, en 1940. Bien qu’il fut remplacé par des chars plus massifs et aux plus grandes capacités, le Panzer II fut tout de même utilisé lors de missions de reconnaissance et pour exécuter diverses tâches. Son châssis fut plus tard repris pour des canons automoteurs et autres véhicules de combat blindés. Le véhicule exposé ici, expédié d’Afrique du Nord au Canada pendant la guerre, fut acquis par le Musée canadien de la guerre en 1959.

Véhicules de combat blindés • Chars

 

Panzer II in the Soviet Union

A Panzer II pauses in a Soviet village in 1941. By this time the Germans were using better armed and armoured tanks for most combat duties, but the Panzer II was still used for reconnaissance and other work.

 

Un Panzer II en Union soviétique

En 1941, un Panzer II fait une pause dans un village soviétique. À l’époque, les Allemands utilisaient des chars mieux armés et blindés pour la plupart des combats, mais le Panzer II effectuait encore des missions de reconnaissance et d’autres tâches.

I am no expert but I know someone who is…

Battle of Moscow Color Photographs – Artur Grimm Collection Part II

Thursday 25 May 2023

The P-51A is almost done completed except for the clear parts which will be added later.