Category Archives: Kit Bashing

How to move your 1:1 scale Whirlwind Flakpanzer, in Canada!

Video April 11, 2021 Hutchins AAron

“It’s unfortunately deteriorated to a condition that if we don’t do something now we’re going to lose her, and being that it’s so rare it’s important that we preserve it.”-Steve Faccial, Flakpanzer Restoration Project, March 2017 interview with CTV

Canadian Forces photo by Ordinary Seaman Justin Spinello.

In October 2016, a World War Two German Flakpanzer-4 ‘gate guard’ had to be moved to interior storage on Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden.

Canadian Forces photo by Ordinary Seaman Justin Spinello.

Canadians use a German Bergepanzer (Armored Recovery Vehicle, ARV) to lift the Flakpanzer onto a flatbed trailer.

Canadian Forces photo by Ordinary Seaman Justin Spinello.

“Only two have survived the war. This is one of them. The other one is in Germany, in much better shape.”-Guy Despatie, Flakpanzer Restoration Project, March 2017 interview with CTV

The Wirbelwind is part of the CFB Borden Museum’s Worthington Memorial Park (aka ‘tank park’) collection, this is how it looked in 2004 (see more by clicking here). Notice in 2004 it was still displayed with an open top and ‘guns’.

The flakpanzer-4 has been undergoing a complete restoration since 2017. It’s a German designed Panzer IV that was converted to a flakpanzer, reportedly in Austria. Before the restoration, the flakpanzer Wirbelwind had been on gate guard duty for about 70 years on CFB Borden.

Here’s a video about the running-gear:

Here’s a video for kit builders, about original paint:

Watch more of CFB Borden’s restoration projects on SABOT Videos.

Keep updated about the flakpanzer project by checking

flakpanzerrestoration.com

www.facebook.com/FlakpanzerRestorationProject.

Vehicle I-D:

1-116th Cav, 1-148th FA, Pocatello, Idaho.

1-148 FIELD ARTILLERY GATE GUARDS

Vietnam War era M113 (M132) chemical (flamethrower) tank.

ARMOR MUSEUM FORT LEONARD WOOD, MISSOURI

Kit Bashing, Technology

A-10C: Primer Black is the new Zinc-Yellow?

Image April 4, 2021 Hutchins AAron

U.S. Air Force photo by Alex R. Lloyd.

In 2019, several A-10Cs underwent wing replacement, which included new paint, by the Ogden Air Logistics Complex on Hill Air Force Base (AFB), Utah.

USAF photo by Alex R. Lloyd.

They were the last of 173 A-10s to get the new wing upgrade. I’m not sure if this if the primer paint as most A-10s I’ve seen get re-painted are primered with a zinc yellow paint.

USAF photo by Alex R. Lloyd.

A hanger full of stripped A-10s waiting for their new wings, and new clothes.

USAF photo by Alex R. Lloyd.

A naked A-10C, with brand new wing, gets towed to the paint shop.

A new shark-mouth to go with the new wing for this 23d Wing Flying Tigers A-10, home based on Moody AFB, Georgia, 09JUL2019.

Perhaps there were too many A-10s to paint as by December 2019, painters on Hill AFB began using robots to strip them naked.

A-10C: AFGHAN PHASE INSPECTION

Vehicle I-D: A-10 South East Asia camo

Kit Bashing, Technology

Bare Metal: New ‘Patina’ style F-16 Camo?

Image April 4, 2021 Hutchins AAron

U.S. Air Force photo by Alex R. Lloyd.

On 22MAR2021, a patina camo-ed F-16 took to the sky over Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Whoops, perhaps the pilot was a little to anxious to get airborne as the F-16 was in need of new clothes after undergoing depot level rebuild.

USAF photo by Alex R. Lloyd.

This was a test flight (Functional Check Flight aka Zoom flight) by the 514th Flight Test Squadron, after repairs/modifications by the Ogden Air Logistics Complex.

USAF photo by Todd Cromar.

On 16FEB2021, an ‘elected’ official was shown the bare-assed tail end of our stripped down F-16 in the Ogden Air Logistics Complex (OALC). Hopefully the Congressman was able to control his-self.

USAF photo by R. Nial Bradshaw.

April 2020, a Secretary of the Air Force gets a tour of the OALC, notice the partially primered F-16 in the background.

USAF photo by R. Nial Bradshaw, 23JAN2019.

In January 2019, a different Secretary of the Air Force was lectured on how Utahans rebuild cockpits of naked F-16 two seaters.

Vehicle I-D: NEW CLOTHES FOR A TEXAS F-16

Vehicle I-D: NEW F-16 WRAITH! NIGHT FIGHTER WW-2 STYLE!

Kit Bashing, Technology

Bare Metal: C-5M Super Galaxy Super Strip

Video April 4, 2021 Hutchins AAron

U.S. Air Force by Joseph Mather.

During the Summer of 2020, a C-5M Super Galaxy got stripped for depot level maintenance in the refurbished Hanger-125 on Robins Air Force Base (AFB), Georgia.

USAF by Joseph Mather.

The C-5M is the largest aircraft operated by the U.S. Air Force (USAF).

USAF by Joseph Mather.

By mid-November the C-5M rolled out, but still a little more work needed before test-flight and new clothes.

Photo by Rashida Banks.

In 2018, the World War Two era Hanger-125 underwent a $75-million renovation, supervised by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Photo by Rashida Banks.

Building (hanger) 125 is capable of fully enclosing multiple large aircraft at the same time, for depot level tear-down.

Photo by Rashida Banks.

Hanger-125 has four ‘docks’, which allows up to four C-5 type aircraft, or a whole bunch of smaller aircraft. Building/Hanger-125 takes-up 14.7 acres (5.9 hectares) of land.

USAF by Joseph Mather.

Rebuilders can perform mass-depot level maintenance on several smaller aircraft at the same time, like these F-15s which just happen to be stripped down at the same time as our C-5M, in Summer 2020.

USAF photo by Edward Aspera Junior.

In 2019, this naked C-5 was exposed to a group of looky-loos from other USAF depots, as part of a get-together discussing how best to do their jobs.

Time lapse USAF music video by Paul Wenzel, C-5 gets new clothes at Robins AFB, 2018:

Bare Metal: WISE GUY RESURRECTION

Bare Metal: NASA TRUCKS SAVING THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY

Bare Metal: KC-135R GETS STRIPPED

Kit Bashing, Technology

Re-Build a 1:1 scale F-15 Canopy

Image April 4, 2021 Hutchins AAron

“We are set up to be part of the sustainment effort for F-15 aircraft canopies. We are part of the team that does the replacement parts like the canopies, stabilizers or any of the other flight controls that keep F-15 aircraft flying.”-Alberto Garza-Mayer, 572nd Commodities Maintenance Squadron, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, February 2021

U.S. Air Force photo by Joseph Mather, 11FEB2021.

“After a while, flying during storms or other types of weather conditions, the canopy will develop hazing to a point it will not be serviceable anymore and will need to be replaced.”-Alberto Garza-Mayer, 572nd Commodities Maintenance Squadron, Robins AFB, Georgia, February 2021

USAF photo by Joseph Mather, 11FEB2021.

“The canopies will get disassembled and de-painted. After it is disassembled, we do a frame inspection check to see if the canopy is still serviceable.” -Alberto Garza-Mayer, 572nd Commodities Maintenance Squadron, Robins AFB, Georgia, February 2021

“Once the canopy goes through its necessary repairs, it is resealed where the canopy sits onto the airframe. Then all the holes are located to drill. There are about 3-hundred fastener holes that hold the canopy to the frame. We drill the holes, then trim it to fit within technical order tolerances, make sure it fits, do a final inspection, and install it onto the frame.” -Alberto Garza-Mayer, 572nd Commodities Maintenance Squadron, Robins AFB, Georgia, February 2021

“Last year, we averaged six or seven canopies a month, so we were in the 80-plus canopies completion range. This year, the numbers have been lowered, so we have been doing around four canopies a month.” -Alberto Garza-Mayer, 572nd Commodities Maintenance Squadron, Robins AFB, Georgia, February 2021

USAF photo by Airman First Class Anthony Clingerman, 18NOV2020.

At Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, November 2020, 48th Equipment Maintenance Squadron performed maintenance on a F-15 canopy.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Anthony Clingerman, 18NOV2020.

This included buffing-out the canopy.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Rebeckah Medeiros, 23JUL2020.

Back in July 2020, 18th Equipment Maintenance Squadron personnel at Kadena Air Base (AB), in Japan, were building their own F-15C canopy braces.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Rebeckah Medeiros, 23JUL2020.

This involved using Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) program to shape aluminum stock.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Rebeckah Medeiros, 23JUL2020.

The aluminum braces are necessary to prevent warpage of the F-15 canopy.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Rebeckah Medeiros, 23JUL2020.

USAF photo by Technical Sergeant Matthew B. Fredericks, 19SEP2019.

Canopy inspection on F-15C, Kadena AB, September 2019.

USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Alexandre Montes.

What’s left of a F-15 ‘gate guard’ canopy after 2018’s Hurricane Michael hit Tyndall AFB, Florida. (Photo taken in February 2019)

USAF photo by Naoto Anazawa, 24OCT2018.

Under the canopy, Kadena AB, October 2018.

USAF photo by Naoto Anazawa, 24OCT2018.

Oregon Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Jennifer Shirar.

An Oregon Air National Guard F-15, from the 173rd Fighter Wing. minus its canopy during phased inspection, October 2014.

Oregon ANG photo by Master Sergeant Jennifer Shirar.

Vehicle I-D: IDAHO’S TIGERS & THUNDERBOLTS BLAST THE SKIES OVER FLORIDA!

Vehicle I-D: F-15EX HAS ARRIVED! COMMANDER SAYS “IT’S AN EX-CITING DAY!”

Vehicle I-D: KADENA EAGLE

1:1 SCALE WIND TUNNEL MODELS?

Kit Bashing, Technology

Bare Metal Bombers: Wise Guy Resurrection

Video March 17, 2021 Hutchins AAron

U.S. Air Force photo by Kelly White.

Isn’t it interesting that as the U.S. Air Force (USAF) retires its B-1B bombers (in favor of the new B-21) that the USAF also keeps resurrecting its old B-52s?

U.S. Air Force photo by Kelly White.

In 2020, Wise Guy #6-0034 got resurrected by maintainers on Tinker Air Force Base (AFB), Oklahoma. It’s the second B-52H, that had been mummified on Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona, to be resurrected.

USAF photo by Kelly White.

Wise Guy arrived on Tinker AFB on 01APR2020. The work done at Tinker is actually the final phase of a three phase regeneration process to bring Wise Guy back to life: “From Tinker, we had representatives from Air Force Life Cycle Management Logistics and Engineering, American Federation of Government Employees Local 916, Quality and the 565th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. The team integrated the additional Time Compliance Technical Orders and modifications with PDM [Programed Depot Maintenance] to optimize the schedule. The additional work is approximately 10-thousand man hours.”-Jeff Base, 565th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

USAF photo by Kelly White.

Wise Guy was retired after more than 17-thousand flight hours. The decision to resurrect Wise Guy came in 2016, after a fire destroyed an active duty B-52 (from Minot AFB, North Dakota) on Anderson AFB, Guam.

USAF photo by Kelly White.

Due to a Congressional mandate to maintain a specific number of active B-52s, the USAF decided to replace the B-52 destroyed in a fire, with the mummified Wise Guy.

Music video by Senior Airman Kayla Palmer:

Inspections of Wise Guy began on Davis-Monthan AFB, in December 2018, with the official phase one regeneration process beginning in January 2019: “We brought in aircraft structural specialists and crew chiefs who performed the initial aircraft structural integrity inspections and then transitioned into providing structural support.“-David Strawderman, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center

USAF photo by Master Sergeant Ted Daigle.

Amazingly, Wise Guy was worthy enough to fly, low & slow, to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, for phase two in May 2019: “It is a true testament to everyone who worked on the aircraft. To be able to pull it from storage and get it air-worthy in this short time is nothing short of amazing. True professionals from across the B-52 enterprise made this effort a success.”-David Strawderman, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center

USAF photo by Master Sergeant Ted Daigle.

Video by Airman Maxwell Daigle, zombified Wise Guy arrives on Barksdale AFB:

USAF photo by Master Sergeant Ted Daigle.

USAF photo by Master Sergeant Ted Daigle.

A note found inside the cockpit of Wise Guy, after arrival at Barksdale AFB.

USAF photo by Ron Mullan.

Back on Tinker AFB, phase three was rolling along in November 2020.

USAF photo by Ron Mullan.

Wise Guy had sat, exposed to the elements of the Arizona desert, for ten years.

USAF photo by Ron Mullan.

While the resurrection work was plodding along on Wise Guy, right next door another resurrected B-52H known as Ghost Rider 6-1007 just happened to be undergoing a regular PDM. Coincidence? Ghost Rider was fully resurrected by September 2016.

USAF photo by Ron Mullan.

By the end of February 2021, both Wise Guy and Ghost Rider were ready to fly home.

USAF photo by Paul Shirk.

USAF photo by Paul Shirk.

Wise Guy arrived on its new home of Minot AFB, North Dakota, on 09MAR2021.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Jesse Jenny.

Video by by Airman First Class Zachary Wright, Wise Guy touches down on Minot AFB:

USAF photo by Airman First Class Jesse Jenny.

Bare Metal Bombers: B-1B & B-52H Ghost Rider

Divestiture: ANOTHER B-1B ‘BONE’ SENT TO THE BONEYARD! IS THE END NEAR?

Kit Bashing, Technology

A-10C: Afghan Phase Inspection

Video March 13, 2021 Hutchins AAron

The following are U.S. Air Force (USAF) photos of 451st Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron’s phase inspection (inspection based on flight hours) of A-10C Thunderbolt-2 at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, December 2009, model kit builders notice the plethora of raised rivets on the fuselage of the A-10C:

USAF photo by Technical Sergeant Francisco V. Govea the Second, 27DEC2009.

USAF photo by Technical Sergeant Efren Lopez, 27DEC2009.

USAF photo by Technical Sergeant Francisco V. Govea the Second, 27DEC2009.

USAF photo by Technical Sergeant Efren Lopez, 27DEC2009.

USAF photo by Technical Sergeant Francisco V. Govea the Second, 27DEC2009.

USAF video from 2011, simple explanation of Phase Inspection of A-10C in Afghanistan:

Vehicle I-D:

USN photo by Petty Officer Third Class Drew Verbis.

A-10C SEA CAMO

Pocatello Airport:

The awesome A-10 is the last of Idaho’s Air National Guard air assets. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

IDAHO NATIONAL GUARD A-10C THUNDERBOLT-2 my personal ‘walk around’ photos

Kit Bashing, Technology

Vehicle I-D: A-10C SEA Camo

Video March 8, 2021 Hutchins AAron

The U.S. Air Force’s Heritage Flight operates at least three A-10Cs, one in grey, one with World War Two invasion stripes and now another with Viet Nam era South East Asia (SEA) camouflage.

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Sergio A. Gamboa.

In January 2021, an A-10C was prepped for its new SEA camo at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, in Arizona.

USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Sergio A. Gamboa.

The plane was ready for public viewing by the end of February.

USAF A-10 Thunderbolt-II Demonstration Team photo.

Video by Senior Airman Blake Gonzales of USAF Heritage Flight A-10C in SEA camo, 06MAR2021:

USAF A-10 Thunderbolt-II Demonstration Team photo.

U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer Third Class Drew Verbis.

The SEA A-10C made its air show debut at Naval Air Station El Centro, California, 13MAR2021.

USN photo by Petty Officer Third Class Drew Verbis.

“Our latest message with the A-10 Demo Team is to promote an annual heritage paint-scheme. This year we are inspired by the United States Navy River Rats and the F-105 Thunderchiefs of the Vietnam War. I think it’s a fitting tribute because like the A-10, the F-105 was a dominant attack aircraft.”-Technical Sergeant Brian Pontes, crew chief

USN photo by Petty Officer Third Class Drew Verbis.

Pandemic Overflight: A-10C (C FOR COVID?) THUNDERBOLT-2

Vehicle I-D: ANOTHER A-10C WITH INVASION STRIPES

Kit Bashing, Technology

Vehicle I-D: T-38 25th FTS Heritage

Video February 28, 2021 Hutchins AAron

Towards the end of 2019, the 25th Flying Training Squadron (FTS) at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, painted one of their T-38 Talons in the pre-World War Two colors of the U.S. Army Air Corps.

U.S. Air Force photos by Senior Airman Octavius Thompson.

Video by Senior Airman Octavius Thompson, flight over Enid, Oklahoma, 09DEC2019:

Video, cockpit view, May 2020 pandemic panic-attack morale flight over Oklahoma:

USAF photo by Senior Airman Taylor Crul, 18SEP2020.

The 25th FTS is part of the 71st Flying Training Wing, which got permission to paint one aircraft from each of its squadrons in a ‘heritage’ color scheme.

Vehicle I-D: ANOTHER A-10C WITH INVASION STRIPES

D-DAY F-15E STRIKE EAGLE

HERITAGE SABER & MIG FIGHT IT OUT…OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA?

Kit Bashing, Technology

Cold War Vehicle I-D: Wyoming Shooting Star

Video February 19, 2021 Hutchins AAron

Wyoming Air National Guard photo.

From 1953 to 1963 the Wyoming Air National Guard used the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star to train-up pilots for the F-80 Shooting Star and North American F-86 Sabre.