Hi Serge,

Here’s another photo of Terry Spencer taken towards the end of the war. Not sure if I sent this one to you before or not. I’d guess that’s a Spit XIVe with the bubble top he’s sitting in.

Dan

First was the book in the image. Found it in my grade school library in 2nd grade so I was 7-8 years old. No one else ever checked it out, but I had it all the time. That sent me down the road. Started building up my own library after that which continues to grow. A visit to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry let me see a Spit I up close. Throw in all the model building and it was a lifelong interest.

Like Skipper44 it jumped levels too. In 1980 I was able to take a semester of college in England and visited the IWM and Duxford. There I saw AR501 up close. The Spit fanaticism took off then, in particular when I started seeing mistakes in the books. I figured that made me sound a bit arrogant, so I thought I’d better back it up. Choosing the XII as my focus I went hunting for pilots which lead me back to England for the 41 Squadron Reunion in 86.

A chance meeting at a local airshow, in the belly of the Collings Foundation B24 sent me on my next project, tracking the story of an MIA B24 co-pilot for his brother. Other Bomber crew projects followed.

Messing with the computer got me doing the profiles. So it goes on and on, but it all goes back to “Great American Fighter Pilots of WW2” 🙂

Dan

DP845 as the MkIV with a mockup of a 6 cannon installation. Made of wood I believe 🙂

Dan

And the back, with some well known names, at least to me anyway 🙂

Terry Spencer, Bill Stowe, “Recco Ross” Harding, Peter Gibbs, Viv Rossow RAAF, Jack Henry RNZAF, Ricky Gray, Jimmy Payne, Lord “Gizzy” Gisborough, Jack Refshauge RAAF, Maurice Balasse, Pat Coleman, Pete Hale, Danny Reid, Bob Fleming, Sammy Samauelle, Hugh Kelly, Dougie Benham(The CO) Jonny Wiley and a few others.

Dan

A photo of the nose of the Enchantress. Somewhat the same angle as the other Mustang photo this thread 🙂

Dan

I reached the peak of my model making skills when I was in the midst of my F4 Phantom building phase so I guess it would go:

1.Hasegawa F4E 1/48th
2.Monogram F4J 1/48th
3.Monogram F4C 1/48th
4.Monogram F4D 1/48th
5.Testors RF4 1/48th (Much modified to improve it. RF4B when done)

That being said, given only one model kit to build the rest of my days, it would be the Monogram P51B. I loved that kit as a kid and the quality is still good enough that it is my favorite kit of all time.

Hasegawa 1/32nd Spit Vb would be a close second.

Dan