Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: whiteman on August 18, 2021, 12:48:20 PM

Title: VF-34 F6F-3 "Babes Bouncin Bastard!"
Post by: whiteman on August 18, 2021, 12:48:20 PM: FTJR got me started on this one. He found some photos that pushed me back around to getting this done. :salute

VF-34 was stationed on New Britain and New Ireland, 13th February to 2nd May, 1944. Their roll was search and destroy any Japanese ground targets and surface ships they could find during Operation Cart Wheel, General McArthur’s plan to neutralize the Japanese forward operating base on Rabaul. They did fly missions of B-25 bomber escort, SBD/TBF escort, combat air patrol (CAP) and “Dumbo”missions, but never saw a enemy aircraft during their tour. It was a quickly put together squad with only 5 operationally trained, 10 that had been trained in Hellcats and the remainder were Wildcat and SBD pilots. None completed their pre-deployment Fighter Training Syllabus and only six of the forty-five had flown any night hours at all during the pre-deployment period.

VF-34 had an interesting paint scheme with white spines, and stabilizers, but wasn't the only squad to use that scheme. VF-38, Greebo skinned #5, had the same markings and the two squads have been confused as one or the other or the same. VF-38 painted the cowling ring white along with numbers there and the tail, VF-34 only had the side numbers. In their more relaxed Island setting most VF-34 aircraft also had colorful names and pinup girls. Babes Bouncin Bastard belonged to LT L. A. Edmonston.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51384743252_9c55ba0d1e_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mhGeXb)Vf-34 BBB 1 (https://flic.kr/p/2mhGeXb) by whitemanLS1 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/94381131@N04/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51384743322_36de5d7ced_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mhGeYo)Vf-34 BBB 3 (https://flic.kr/p/2mhGeYo) by whitemanLS1 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/94381131@N04/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51386510100_e091584f6c_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mhRib5)Vf-34 BBB 2 (https://flic.kr/p/2mhRib5) by whitemanLS1 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/94381131@N04/), on Flickr
Title: Re: VF-34 F6F-3 "Babes Bouncing Bastard"
Post by: lyric1 on August 18, 2021, 01:27:58 PM: :aok
Title: Re: VF-34 F6F-3 "Babes Bouncing Bastard"
Post by: Nefarious on August 18, 2021, 01:48:35 PM: Interesting skin and excellent weathering details!
Title: Re: VF-34 F6F-3 "Babes Bouncing Bastard"
Post by: Devil 505 on August 18, 2021, 01:54:47 PM: Very well done.
Title: Re: VF-34 F6F-3 "Babes Bouncin Bastard!"
Post by: oboe on August 18, 2021, 02:23:06 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/aInpg3X.gif)

Standout Hellcat.
Title: Re: VF-34 F6F-3 "Babes Bouncin Bastard!"
Post by: Vraciu on August 18, 2021, 05:52:20 PM: Definitely not one you see every fly. Nice work.
Title: Re: VF-34 F6F-3 "Babes Bouncin Bastard!"
Post by: FTJR on August 19, 2021, 01:51:49 AM: Guilty as charged.. :D

Nice job
Title: Re: VF-34 F6F-3 "Babes Bouncin Bastard!"
Post by: Greebo on August 19, 2021, 07:15:01 AM: Great looking skin Whiteman, had no idea there was a second squadron using those markings.
Title: Re: VF-34 F6F-3 "Babes Bouncin Bastard!"
Post by: whiteman on August 19, 2021, 09:00:21 AM: Quote from: Greebo on August 19, 2021, 07:15:01 AM
Great looking skin Whiteman, had no idea there was a second squadron using those markings.

I've been meaning to crack open my books to see if they over lapped and if VF-34 may have received VF-38 aircraft or they possible saw the other and thought it was a good idea. There is a VF-38 aircraft I've been wanting to get to, "RUTH-LESS" and it didn't have the white markings. Was part of the reason i held off on this for so long, had no clue which squad it really belonged to.

I already had to correct this because I'm still getting them backwards.
Title: Re: VF-34 F6F-3 "Babes Bouncin Bastard!"
Post by: SIK1 on August 19, 2021, 09:11:42 AM: Now that's unique. Great looking skin.

:salute
Sik