Profile 67: BEGINNING - "5?" as flown by Joe Foss
Here it is - the starting sketch of Joe Foss's F4F-4 Wildcat circa Fall of 1942, on Guadalcanal.This particular commission is a especially weighty - not just because it represents one of America's...
View ArticleProfile 67 - UPDATE "5?" as flown by Joe Foss
Here you go - it's about 50% done and the obvious parts need to be masked in... but I'm on schedule! Two more posts after this one and this might be the most accurate rendering of Joe's F4F. At least...
View ArticleProfile 67 - UPDATE "5?" as flown by Joe Foss, VMF-121
So. It looks like all I have to do is add the rudder, tweak some shadows and add final markings. I'm still on the fence of what aircraft number to use - 50? 53? 84?I remember in 2001 (or 2000?)...
View ArticleProfile 67: FINAL - "50" F4F-4 Wildcat as flown by Joe Foss, VMF-121
DONE! I presented it to the Commissioner last Wednesday and...they like it!At almost 30" long, this Wildcat is impressive on size alone and because of its size, was a real stretch for me. For my...
View ArticleProfile 68: BEGINNING "xxx" as flown by the 334th TFS
Here it is - my newest project - an F-4E Phantom as flown by the 334th TFS.This sketch - done with a fantastic ballpoint pen swiped from a Hyatt - surprised me with its ease. Some people call the...
View ArticleProfile 68: UPDATE - F-4E as flown by the 334th TFS
Ok. You can look but don't expect to see much. This thing is a long way from reality. But, it's moving in the right direction. The exhaust area was giving me fits a couple nights ago until I...
View ArticleProfile 68: UPDATE - F-4E Phantom as flown by the 334th TFS
Here she is, as she was about 2 nights ago but be warned - THERE ARE TWO MAJOR FLAWS in this rendition! They will be corrected, but since they're going away, I'll leave it to you to find...
View ArticleProfile 68: UPDATE - F-4E Phantom as flown by the 334th TFS
Now it's finally starting to look like something! And we're so close to finishing that the next post will be the final.In the meantime, there's something I'd like you to notice. It's the "Fighting...
View ArticleProfile 68: FINAL - F-4E Phantom as flown by the 334th TFS
Done! I'm surprised, too as I never really wanted to jump into the Vietnam era on account of this particular airplane; the F-4 was too complex, too big to really look good on paper and too ubiquitous...
View ArticleProfile 70: BEGINNING - B-52G of the 77th BS (sort of)
It's begun, (gulp)...If you've never seen one take off and fly, it's an awesome sight.Gangly, huge and wickedly lined, the thing smokes its way across the sky; a defiant, angry pterodactyl soaring for...
View ArticlePROFILES 71-77: BEGINNING - The Missileer Project
To regular readers - I have a little explaining to do.You've noticed that this isn't an "airplane." It's a missile. And not the kind that people launch at Cub Scout meetings - this is the kind that...
View ArticleProfile 71: FINISHED - LGM-30F Minuteman II missile
The missile above is the LGM-30F, "Minuteman II" ICBM.And it is...amazing. No. Not just amazing. It's OMG!What? Not getting the vibe? Hearing crickets chirp in the background?I get it. No one...
View ArticleProfile 72: FINISHED - LGM-25C Titan II missile
It's..."The Titan II."Having just re-watched the bizarrely hilarious movie, "Raising Arizona," Tex Cobb's character of the Apocalyptic Motorcycle Rider came to mind.If missiles were people, The Titan...
View ArticleFinal Flight: George McGovern, 455th BG
Today, the world lost "One of the Good Ones."George McGovern - U.S. politician, social servant and WW2 bomber pilot has died.Undoubtedly, prominent people around the world will weigh in. George had a...
View ArticleProfile 73: "870" as flown by Hank Snow, 173rd Airborne
Behold the Cessna 0-1 "Bird Dog." I've skipped the pencil-to-print progress shots because I've simply had no time. This particular opportunity popped up on the radar and I had to move. It's a long...
View ArticleProfile 74: "Francie" as flown by Lt. Harold Snow
To my regular readers: I'm still here.54 days ago, I took on a weighty project of writing and publishing the bio of Hank Snow. It was a surprise, really - I never expected to do it, even though I've...
View ArticleProfile 70: UPDATE - B-52G of the 77th BS
Stop, start, stop, start...Four and a half months later, I'm back at it; the B-52 I started last August is finally getting some attention. Specifically, a B-52G from Andersen AFB in Guam, 1973.Which...
View ArticleProfile 70: UPDATE - B-52G of the 77th BS
She's taking shape and about half way there. My guess? Two more posts. In the meantime, things are going to get really boring. Or terrifying, depending upon...So.The B-52 is one of the most storied...
View ArticleProfile 70: FINAL - B-52G of the 77th BS
Finished! There's a teeny bit to be done with the engines, but I'll handle that with a pencil on the final prints. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Her pilot, Dave Berkland, is really happy...
View ArticleProfile 75: BEGINNING: "Sweet Marlene" as flown by Rich Hall 602nd FS
It's begun! The A-1E Skyraider flown by Rich Hall of the 602nd Fighter Squadron, circa 1969, Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. Her name is Sweet Marlene.Who's Marlene? Ha. You're going to have to wait for...
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