Strombecker SBC-4 Spotter Kit

[spider web]

"Mumbly Peg" was a pen knife game that was basically an elimination game.
It was literally made up on the spot and any number of players could participate........for instance, I would start off by positioning the tip of the blade on the end of my left index finger, holding the pen knife upright by my right index finger.  Then I would quickly move away my right hand away while at the same time pushing up my left hand and flip over the pen knife a watch to see if it stuck in the ground.  Everybody followed suit until they succeeded or was eliminated. The first person to succeed in sticking the blade now dreamnt up a way to stick the knife in some other unusual way........and so on it went !   Marbles had a lot of fixed rules.....remember "knuckle-down ?"
Pee-wees were a lot of fun to shoot !  Of course there was always the wise guy who'd try to shoot a ball bearing !
Yes, I also played "Buck-Buck".......lucky we didn't break our necks !

Today, we'd all wind up in court teaching or playing these games with our grand kids for child abuse or endangerment !

Ever make a skooter out of an old orange crate, a 2 x4 and some broken, shoe clamp on rollerskates ?   How about a rubber band gun that used a cut up inner tube ?

[lastvautour]

Anybody else interested in making a spotter plane group cook-up?  I assume that even the OV-10 would qualify. L4 or L5s???

Lou

[spider web]

I'm in if you'll tell me what the OV-10 and other birds you're speaking of look like.

F.Y.I. I found a listing of the US Naval Aircraft Paint Jobs at www.aerofiles.com/USNcolors.html
I also found sample paint swatches on another website but misplaced my note.

What is the time limit on doing a cook up?

I look forward to a little challenge.

Jim

[cliff strachan]

Yes Jim, I've played Mumbly Peg but I just didn't know the name. And yes if I personally I didn't build a scooter from an orange or apple crate there were plenty around. The wood and rubber guns - the rubber from inner tubes held in place by clothes peg triggers - even rifles were also part of the gang arsenal.But you are right if we played some of those games today we'd all land up in jail - that is until everything was appropriately taken over and commercialized.

More but later. We have enough to do just getting Solid Scale back.

Cliff

[R.F.Bennett]

Cook-ups never end here Jim. 

[lastvautour]

Jim, here are a few links to some Spotter or now called observation aircraft

OV-10 Bronco http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OV-10_Bronco
OV-1 Mohawk http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OV-1_Mohawk I think Rafa would like this one
O-2A Skymaster http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-2_Skymaster
O-1/L-19 Birddog http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-1_Bird_Dog

These are fairly modern observation craft and there are many other spanning all of aviation history. A google search for "Observation aircraft", "Spotter aircraft" and Forward Air Controller Aircraft" will reveal many more. So there are lots to choose from. You have already chosen the SBC-4, so that could count as your submission.

Let's start a cook-up post and carry on from there.

[spider web]

"A slap to my forhead!"  It just dawned on me that "OV" stands for observation!
"Duh !"

I just bought myself a Christmas present the wife doesn't know about ! A gift certificate for $10 off came to me from Wood Crafters yesterday and it was so hot in my pocket I just had to go out and get rid of it.  And I did !
I went to Wood Crasfters in Delaware, no sales tax, and bought myself a small Flexcut draw knife and a couple of other neat little tools such as four 4" quick release bar clamps that will help in doing a "Cook Up!"

The razor sharp 5", curved draw knife came with it's own leather pouch to protect the blade, not me.............I chuckled to myself when the clerk told me to be very careful with this tool because it is very, very sharp.
I told the clerk the old axiom,  "a sharp knife cuts one way a dull knife two !"

I don't think he understood me. 

After doing a few test cuts in the shop this afternoon,  rough shaping a fuselage or wing will be even more fun.

[JeffH]

Regarding Spider Web's question about Curtiss SBC color schemes, below are links to a couple of color photos from the Life magazine photo archives:

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?q=1940+Aircraft+Carrier+source:life&imgurl=2c92563635dac534
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?q=1940+Aircraft+Carrier+source:life&imgurl=3dcbdd2bb0e47b50

Lots of other interesting airplane pictures in there too.

Hope this helps,

JeffH.

[R.F.Bennett]

http://www.researcheratlarge.com/Aircraft/YellowWings/index.html

Good site too 

[spider web]

Thanks fellas, I saved the pictures and color spec chart.

I visited the last of the remaining hobby shops in the region yesterday to get some cyro cement and epoxy.  They had on display some terrific, finished plastic models of WWI aircraft. All was needed was to install the wings with a screw and screw driver supplied in the box.
The models retailed for around $12.

Even as nice as these models were, yet they didn't have the feel or appeal of a hand made item.  Craftsmanship is one thing, artistry, something else.
There are people who have all the latest tools and material and still make splinters.

The Spider