Seadude's surprisingly sensationalist........somethings?

[seadude]

Whenever I build and show any sort of model project at a contest or other exhibition, I generally like to have some sort of signage next to the model that describes history of the subject, how the model was built, etc.
For humorous purposes for my Area 51 model display, I made the following warning sign which is based on real Area 51 warning signage that I've seen pictures of on the Internet.         
YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

[TheChronicOne]

 

They look suitably threatening!       Font looks perfect. 

[seadude]

They look suitably threatening!       Font looks perfect. 

The top image is my humorous created sign. The bottom one is a real Area 51 warning sign.

[nighthunter]

I have a spare Eduard 1/144 MiG-21bis I could be convinced to part with...

[TheChronicOne]

They look suitably threatening!       Font looks perfect. 

The top image is my humorous created sign. The bottom one is a real Area 51 warning sign.

Nailed it!! 

[seadude]

I have a spare Eduard 1/144 MiG-21bis I could be convinced to part with...

Thanks, but I have a MiG-21 kit already.

Anyway.........moving right along, I finished up the Eduard 1/144 scale MiG-15. I decided to place it on a small wargaming acrylic hexagon stand for better viewability. As I've said before, in the research I've done so far, it doesn't appear the MiG-15 was ever exploited at Area 51 during the late 1950's or 1960's. Though the aircraft was exploited during the early 1950's at Wright-Patterson AFB.
But........I'm going to build it "just in case" my research turns up differently in the future.





The next model to build is the Mark 1 Models 1/144 scale MiG-17. During my research, at least half a dozen or more MiG-17's were exploited at Area 51 during the 1960's and 1970's. References I am using for all the Soviet aircraft I am having in my display are:
"Red Eagles, America's Secret MiGs" by Steve Davies
"MiGs Over Nevada, MiG Exploitation Projects at Area 51" by Thornton D. Barnes

As for how I'll paint and decal the MiG-17, I am not sure. Numerous -17's were at Area 51 in different schemes and markings. And most photos I have found on the Internet are black and white which doesn't help any with regards to painting camouflage. 

[TheChronicOne]

That's impressive, dude!  Glorious work in that scale... that thing is itty bitty... 

I'm LOVIN' the metal finish!

[zenrat]

Great work Dude.  If I didn't know better I would have said it was bigger than 144.

[seadude]

Ok, the Mark 1 Models MiG-17 is done. Most photos I've found on the Net of MiG-17's being exploited at Area 51 by the 4477th TES are in black and white. I can find no color photos. There is a camouflage measure, but I can't tell what colors are on the aircraft since the photos are in black and white. If I remember correctly, I think the 4477th exploited MiG-17's that were from Egypt and/or Syria, so I painted the model dark red brown and sand type colors as shown in the Mark 1 Models instructions. The black and white photos that I did research also showed USAF roundels on the sides of the aircraft behind the wings. There were no Soviet red stars or other national insignia on the aircraft. Some photos did show MiG-17's with either number 002 or 055 on either side of the cockpit near the nose of the aircraft. However, I didn't have any spare decals to create either number, so I had to use what was on the model kit decal sheet.








The next model I'm starting is the Tamiya 1/100 scale MiG-19 which will probably be painted Testors Silver. At least a few MiG-19's (or derivatives from other countries) were exploited by the 4477th TES during the 1960's and 70's. One example of which was under the code name HAVE BOAT.

[seadude]

Had a bit of an idea last night. I managed to find some old Area 51 base maps that I had purchased back in the mid 1990's. These aren't "official" maps, but are rather based on the research done by aircraft enthusiasts, folklorists, historians, etc. They give a rough approximation of the Groom Lake base during the mid 1990's.
Anyway, my idea is to use maybe one of these maps, have it laminated or put in a poster frame, and use it as a "base" to put underneath my aircraft models. The maps are all 25" x 19", so I'm not sure if all my 25 models that I am building for my Area 51 display would fit. Probably not I guess. But the 9-10 models I am building for my separate 4477th Red Eagles MiG display would. The first two maps might be ok to use, but most likely not the third. I don't want modelers and spectators paying more attention to the map than the models at a model show.
Anyway, tell me what you think. Good idea or not?

[NARSES2]

Had a bit of an idea last night. I managed to find some old Area 51 base maps that I had purchased back in the mid 1990's. These aren't "official" maps,

You might have received a "visit" if they were real 

Like the idea 

[TheChronicOne]

Will look awesome, I think.

[seadude]

I like the map idea too. But like I said, I can only use either the first or second map, but not the third. I don't want people paying more attention to the maps and the details they have instead of looking at the models. I kind of like the 2nd map and may use that as it doesn't have a lot of "distracting" information on it.

[seadude]

The Tamiya 1/100 scale MiG-19 Farmer is done. According to various references, some MiG-19's were acquired/exploited from Indonesia during the 1960's or 70's. But since I didn't have any Indonesian decals to use, I had to go with Chinese markings instead.





The next model is the Minicraft 1/144 scale MiG-21. Several -21's were acquired and exploited by the 4477th TES during the 1960's and 70's. I based my model pretty much on this picture:










After the MiG-21 was done, I went to work on the MiG-23. Again, several -23's were also acquired and exploited by the 4477th during the 60's and 70's, and maybe the 80's too. I based my model partially on this picture which shows a MiG-23 at the secretive Tonopah Test Range airfield in Nevada. The sad thing about the MiG-23 model I built was that the kit has no landing gear doors.  How stupid does a kit manufacturer have to be not to include the landing gear doors? Pretty stupid I guess. 










After the MiG-23 was done, I then worked on the MiG-25. No -25's were ever exploited at Area 51. But some references that I've read mentioned that 4477th personnel traveled to Japan to study and evaluate the MiG-25 that a pilot defected in during 1976.








The next model to currently work on will be the MiG-29. I'm not sure what paint scheme to give it yet. All I know is that I hate camouflage. 





As I mentioned previously, I'm going to use an old Area 51 map that I have and use it for my future 4477th Red Eagles Soviet Aircraft display. I was thinking of displaying my Soviet aircraft models clockwise around the "perimeter" of the map and leave the center of the map open so spectators could view the base and runways. I like this map as there's not much, if any, "distracting" information on it that would make people view the map more than the models. There's lots of "open space" on the map.

[TheChronicOne]

Lovin' these gross birds!!  (144...a gross.... get it.. ehhh.... )   :::shepherd hook pulls off stage:::::

But yeah.... totally digging your stuff here.  Some fine work, if I say so!