Subject: Re: USS Essex and David McCampbell's F6F-5 Hellcat
From: "Steve Bamford ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Konley Kelley" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2004 12:39:15 -0800

Hi Konley,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks for sending it in.   

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com
 
Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Konley Kelley 
  To: Steve Bamford ARC 
  Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 12:43 PM
  Subject: USS Essex and David McCampbell's F6F-5 Hellcat

  Steve:

  I finished a 1:700 Hasegawa USS Essex.  Like the 1:700 Akagi kit, it was fun to build.  I also built the little 1:700 IJN destroyer I picked up on eBay.

  The attached images features the USS Essex and my 1:48 Hasegawa F6F-5 Hellcat with markings for Cdr. David McCampbell, the top U.S. Navy ace.  In building the Essex, I reasoned (via some research) that the Essex was camoflauged in the the "dazzle" scheme, Measure 32 (a fun and challenging paint job).  McCampbell did one tour on the Essex then left the ship just prior to a damaging kamikaze attack that sent her home for repairs.  After that, the Essex returned to sea in an overal grey/blue scheme that I guess was common on late WWII vessels in the Pacific.

  I built the Hellcat about nine months ago.  It received the first of my three US Navy Verlindin pilots who had to be broken and crammed into the seats of the Hellcat and AM Dauntless. Despite that challenge, the Verlindin pilots are very detailed which adds to the realism of any kit where the modeler wants to display a pilot figure.

  I now plan to redo my Butch O'Hare 1:48 Monogram Wildcat image on my website with a 1:700 USS Lexington I want to build at the time of the defense O'Hare gave the ship during the early '42 Rabaul campaign with netted him the Medal of Honor.

  For more ace images, see my website at http://home1.gte.net/konman/AcesMenu.html.

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