All posts by Hutchins AAron

Born in Deutschland 1965, hometown was Bütthart, parents were not U.S. government employees. However, when father was tricked into joining the U.S. Air Force Civil Service, in 1969, with the promise that we could remain in Germany, we were promptly shipped off to Iran. Due to one of my Iranian educators being disappeared, along with her husband, by the U.S. ally Shah of Iran's Israeli & U.S. created Savak (for the then official terrorist act of promoting the idea that women can vote), and due to my U.S. citizen mother being placed on Savak's Terrorist Arrest List (for supporting the idea that women should vote, at that time the U.S. ally Shah of Iran did not allow women to vote, now they can) we left Iran for the United States in 1973, literally in the middle of the night. At the U.S. Embassy airbase the CIA operated Gooney Bird (C-47) was so packed with other U.S. citizens fleeing our ally Iran (because the Shah gave the OK to arrest any U.S. citizen for such terrorist acts as promoting the concept of voting) that we were turned away by the Loadmaster and had to take a chance on a civilian flight out of Tehran's airport. My father told me he and my mother had three culture shocks; first when they arrived in Germany as civilians, then after being shipped off to Iran as U.S. government employees, then again returning to the United States as unemployed civilians (because so much had changed in the U.S. while they were gone, their only news source was the U.S. Armed Forces Radio & Television Service which heavily censored information about the home front). Since I graduated high school in 1982 I've worked for U.S. government contractors and state & local government agencies (in California), convenience store manager in California, retail/property management in Georgia, California and Idaho. Spent the 1990s in the TV news business producing number one rated local news programs in California, Arizona and Idaho. 14+ years with California and Idaho Army National Guard and the U.S. Air Force. Obtained a BA degree in International Studies from Idaho State University at the age of 42. Unemployed since 2015, so don't tell me the economy has recovered.
Kit Bashing, Reviews

Kit Bashing: PJ Production has new pilot figures: 1/32 Soviet, 1/48 Modern U.S./NATO & 1/72 SAR

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For the second time this year, PJ Production has released three new PUR (polyurethane resin) cast figure kits.  Philippe Jacques (PJ) has just recently issued a 1/32 scale Soviet or Modern Russian pilot, with optional helmets.

1/32 mig pilot1/32 mig pilot parts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new 1/48 scale modern U.S./NATO pilot joins the growing number of 1/48 PJ pilots.

1/48 u.s./nato1/48 u.s./nato parts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally a set of four 1/72 scale helicopter SAR (Search And Rescue) figures.  Two are seated pilot/co-pilot figures while the other two are crew figures (one standing, one kneeling).

1/72 sar1/72 sar parts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PJ PRODUCTION HAS NEW FIGURE KITS

Kit Bashing, Reviews

Kit Bashing: Heller, Fujimi & Hobbycraft F-86 Sabre kits compared

Don’t throw out that 40 year old Heller kit just because it has raised surface detail.  You can always use the wheels, landing gear doors and speed brake doors.

fuselages

The fuselage of the Heller kit has a better shape, but it doesn’t come with the fuel dump (fixed easily), and the area where the elevators attach is the wrong shape (it’s too straight).  The vertical tail/rudders on the Fujimi and Hobbycraft kits are bigger in area, and taller than the Heller kit.  Fujimi and Hobbycraft have subtle recessed surface details.

f-30 wings

The F-30 wings are about the same size in all three kits.  With Hobbycraft (now issued by Academy?) you get the added benefit of separately molded slats.

f-40 wing

Surprisingly Fujimi does not make a distinction on its packaging regarding the type of wings their kits come with.  In their “JASDF” issue you get an F-86F-40 with the extended span, slated wing.  In their “Mig Mad Marine” issue you get the F-86F-30 with the in Korean War theater hard fenced wing conversion.  Fujimi’s boxes just say “F-86F” (at least on the kits I have).

intake trunks

The old Heller kit has the best detailed main wheels. The Fujimi main wheel tires are the biggest in diameter, followed by Hobbycraft.  Photos indicate that the Fujimi tires might be the correct diameter, but the Heller wheel definitely has the best detail.  All three kits have similar nose wheels.  The real F-86 used at least three types of nose wheels: Two types of spoked wheels, and a solid wheel.  Most of the pictures I’ve seen of the solid nose wheel is of South Korean and West German Sabres.

intake trunks

The Heller and Hobbycraft kits have a short intake trunk.  The Hobbycraft kit has the nose wheel bay and cockpit floor molded onto the trunk.  The Fujimi intake trunking also has the nose wheel bay and cockpit floor molded on, but is much deeper and actually goes somewhere.

fan blades

That somewhere is an incorrectly faced engine.  The fan blades should be set back more (there should be a section of venturi before the blades), and the nose cone should be larger, but who’s gonna really notice once it’s assembled?

doors

The wheel bay doors, and speed brake doors are much better, and accurately detailed on the old Heller kit.

nose gear doors

Hobbycraft has screwed up its nose gear door.  They’ve put the locator stubs on the wrong side.  Their instructions give a vague indication of placement on the correct side of the wheel bay, but if your not paying attention and simply go with the locator stubs you’ll end up with the door on the wrong side (it should be on the pilot’s left side).

elevators

All three kits have issues with their elevators.  The Hobbycraft kit has the shortest, with the least angle of sweep, and rounded tips.  The Fujimi and Heller elevators have the same angle of sweep, but with different shaped tips.  The Heller elevator is the longest of the three.  From three view drawings of F-86F-30s it doesn’t look like any of the three kit makers got it right, although Heller’s looks the closest to being correct.  The Fujimi and Hobbycraft elevators look more like earlier F-86A/E elevators (according to three view drawings).

Other notes: The cockpit details on the Heller kit are worthless.  Fujimi has a nice looking instrument panel (not necessarily accurate, but it looks good), and it looks like Hobbycraft has copied the Fujimi panel.  The detail on the side consoles, in all three kits, is spurious at best.  All three kits have similar looking seats.  All three kits have canopies that can be posed open.  The Heller and Hobbycraft kits come with external fuel tanks, while the Fujimi kit comes with Sidewinder missiles as well as external fuel tanks.

You can improve the Fujimi and Hobbycraft kits with some of the parts from the Heller kit, but you’d still need aftermarket photo etch, or resin parts to improve the wheel bays and cockpits (or scratch build your own).

A note on references: In one book I have (no names/titles mentioned) there is a color photo of a South Korean F-86, with the -40 extended slat wing (and solid nose wheel).  At the back of the book is a color profile of the same aircraft, except it shows the -30 hard fenced wing.  It’s just an example to show that you can’t trust a profile, instead use photos of the real thing.

Part 2: F-86 Saber Fujimi vs Heller, or, Nobody is Perfect!

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Corporate Incompetence: East Idaho train company fails to report derailment of Propane carrying cars

“Upon us looking at it, we found that two rail cars had splits in their outer tank.”-Corey Child, Madison Fire Department Fire Chief

“Somebody really dropped the ball on this one.”-Randy Lewis, Rexburg Police Captain

On October 7, a train pulling cars full of gasoline and propane experienced some of the cars jumping the tracks.  Two of the tankers were full of propane, two other tankers had just been emptied of gasoline.  Authorities were never notified.

Local fire officials found out by word of mouth. When they investigated they found two tanker cars with splits.  HAZMAT crews were called in.

Federal Railroad Administration is now investigating.  The train is owned by Eastern Idaho Railroad.  Officials with the train company said they didn’t think it was a big deal.

 

Idaho, U.S.

United Police States of America: Idaho school official searches car after smelling tobacco smoke

A former student is suing after a Timberline High School principal illegally searched his car.  The reason for the search was that the principal smelled tobacco smoke on the student.

The search revealed brass knuckles, and a pipe that could have been used for marijuana.  The student pled guilty to having drug paraphernalia, and concealed weapon.

The student claims the search was illegal because he was 18 at the time, meaning he was of legal age to smoke tobacco, voiding the principal’s authority to search the car on the grounds of smelling tobacco smoke.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Occupy America! East Idaho elderly threaten politicians if their earned Social Security benefits are cut

“Seniors aren’t just numbers.  They’re not line items in a budget, and they’re certainly not pushovers.  Idaho seniors are watching Congress today, and so are 50 million other Americans.  We’ve got news for them: They will hold them accountable on election day for their actions.”– David Irwin, Idaho AARP

“Healthcare costs keep soaring, right along with everything else.  I pay my Medicare premiums like everybody else.  Without this coverage I’d be deeply in debt.” Also, “So Crapo and Simpson have my message and received it today.  There will be a lot more messages like mine in the future, and I hope they pay attention.”-Gene Wiggers, east Idaho AARP volunteer

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? East Idaho home sales suck, so sellers are turning vacant homes into temp rentals, boom for Home Tenders

“People don’t build a 5,000 square foot home to turn it into a rental, but we have a number of those in the community right now.”-Clint Collins, Idaho Falls Rentals

The home sales market is so bad in eastern Idaho that many sellers are turning to temporarily renting out their vacant houses.  To give you an idea of how bad; in October, 2010, Idaho Falls Rentals took on four houses for rent.  Then in July, 2011, eighteen homes, then in August another seventeen.  That’s just one east Idaho property management company!

The plus side for “Home Tender” renters is that they can get a big home for less than the usual rent, but the down side is they have to move out as soon as it sells.

 

Idaho, U.S.

United Police States of America: Man loses hearing because of Idaho police brutality

“…a skull fracture and so he had bleeding coming out of his ear and out of his nose…. And probably one of the worst things he had was hearing loss, because the fracture went very close to one of his ears.”-Richard Hearn, attorney & medical doctor

A man is suing the Pocatello Police Department, after suffering a skull fracture, affecting his hearing, after being tased on February 20, 2011.

According to his attorney, who’s also a medical doctor, he was pulled over by police, but panicked when the police grabbed him.  He ran and the police yelled they would tase him if he didn’t stop.  He complied but the cops tased him anyway.  He fell to the ground hitting his head on the sidewalk.  One of the cops hit him in the head as well.  He was life flighted to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.

A local east Idaho TV station tried to get reaction from the Pocatello Police Department, but the only person authorized to talk about the case is on vacation.

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Occupy America! Police begin shutting down protests, arrests across the U.S.

“…handful of gigantic banks that have simply hijacked the economy and the populations of the world for their own interest.”-F. William Engdahl, economic researcher

Police in New York City have been busy arresting protestors today, the day before major international protests are to take place.  OWS personnel are planning a major march on Times Square.

Also, police in Denver, Colorado, have been dispersing protestors, who were camped out in front of the state’s capitol building.  In San Diego, California, police are busy arresting protestors there, as well as police arresting protestors in Austin, Texas.

October 13, police in Washington DC arrested at least six protesters, some of them elderly.  Many of the protestors in the country’s capitol are disgruntled elderly people, not just disgruntled youth.  According to the local NBC TV station, they were “…arrested for unlawful conduct – demonstrating.”

Economic analyst F. William Engdahl, says one answer is to nationalize the too big to fail banks: “…nationalize major banks and draw a fence around the problematic institutions until they can be sorted out.”

Engdahl says nationalization is not socialism, it is a way of admitting that a capitalist system has failed, and needs to be fixed!

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Occupy the World! Italian Protestors attack Goldman Sachs office, international protests to hit Idaho

Italian students stormed the central Milan office of one of the world’s leading investment banks, Goldman Sachs.  Police chased them off.

Protesters also threw eggs at the headquarters of UniCredit, Italy’s biggest bank.

The attack on the Goldman Sachs office comes a day before planned international protests.  October 15 will see coordinated international demonstrations against the finance industry.

People living in eastern Idaho get ready to take part: Occupy Idaho Falls and Pocatello (as well as smaller communities) are planning to take part.

Watch Occupy Pocatello’s march, from Wednesday October 13.

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. Navy to establish new base in South Korea, China the target

“There is a growing resentment in the two Koreas, and also in Okinawa and Guam. Everywhere people are saying, ‘We have had enough of the US military occupation, it is time to close down the bases and time to find different ways for achieving security.'”-Christine Ahn, Korea Policy Institute

To remember the 2010 sinking of a South Korean ship, South Korea commemorated a new naval base.  It will be the United States who uses that new base.

Local Koreans are opposed to the base.  The base will be completed by 2015.  Analyst say it will increase tensions between the U.S. and China: “If this base is tied to the U.S. missile defense system, it might be part of the U.S. strategy to contain China. Beijing is concerned with the U.S. military getting closer to its territories.  This deal is going to foment a regional arms race, which pits Korea in between the U.S. and China.”- Christine Ahn, Korea Policy Institute

Who said Obama was a man of peace?