Russian Su 24s force USS Ross away from territorial waters in Black Sea

According to several Russian media outlets, Russian Navy Su-24 Fencer jets “forced” a U.S. Navy destroyer to head towards neutral waters after it was noticed by Russian Black Sea monitoring stations heading into Russia’s territorial waters.

Reportedly, the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Ross was heading directly towards Russian waters after leaving the Romanian port of Costanta. Russian Su-24s were scrambled towards the warship.

After the close encounter with the Su-24 jets, the destroyer “then turned around and left for neutral waters,” says RT, suggesting an unlikely violation of the Russian territorial waters by the U.S. warship.

“It seems that the Americans did not forget the April 2014 incident when one Su-24 actually shut down all equipment on the new USS Donald Cook American destroyer with anti-missile system elements,” an unnamed source said to Sputnik News.

http://theaviationist.com/2015/05/30/su-24-over-uss-ross-black-sea/

Fighter Pilot Missing From WWII Accounted For.

The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honours.

U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Alvin Beethe of Elk Creek, Nebraska, will be buried June 8 2015, in Arlington National Cemetery. On Nov. 26, 1944, Beethe, of the 393rd Fighter Squadron, 367th Fighter Group, 9th Air Force, was the pilot of a P-38 Lightning that failed to return from a bombing mission against enemy forces near Duren, Germany.

Another U.S. aircraft in the mission reported that Beethe’s aircraft crashed near the town of Morschenich. Beethe was reported killed in action and his remains were not recovered.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died. Today, more than 73,000 are unaccounted for from the conflict.

http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/wwii-events/soldier-missing-wwii-accounted.html

Final product photos HA7728 P-51D Mustang "Missouri Armada".

Hobby Master 1/48 Air Power Series HA7728 P-51D Mustang 414789 "Missouri Armada", Captain J.B. England 362nd FS, 357th FG, 1944.

John England received his pilot wings and became a lieutenant in March 1943 and was assigned to the 357th FG. It was one year before he scored his first victory. 

The 357th FG was based at Leiston, near Yoxford so they became known as the “Yoxford Boys”. In August 1944 Lt. England became the CO of the 362nd FS until April 1945. North American P-51 D 44-14789 arrived in September 1944 and became Lt. England’s aircraft. 

At the end of WWII Lt. England was the 357th FG second highest scoring Ace with 17.5 victories, one less than Kit Carson. In 1954 John England was killed in France when he avoided hitting a building during a dead-stick landingattempt and England AFB, Louisiana was named in his honour.

Final product photos HA1117 F6F-5 Hellcat White 99.

Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series HA1117 Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat White 99, USS Lexington, November 1944.

There are actually two Grumman F6F-5 “White 99”s with similar markings both belonged to T. High Winters. Winters was the original leader of VF-19 on USS Lexington and in September 1944 was promoted to Commander Air Group 19 and used the callsign “99 Mohawk”. 

The CAGs aircraft were inappropriately referred to as Hangar Lilies (always parked on the hangar deck) with the first one damaged by flak and pushed over board. On the second F6F-5 along with 8 victory markings; there was a flower painted forward of the windscreen.

Duxford Aviation Society - Concorde Nose Lowering Demonstration.

At the Duxford VE Day air show the Duxford Aviation Society demonstrated all the work they have done to put some life back into Concorde. The was a demo of the nose lowering and I must admit I was highly impressed. 

More info and video here:

http://das.org.uk/life-returns-to-co...cts-completed/

 Shuttle

Final product photos HA4551 F-15C Eagle "Double MiG Killer".

Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series HA4551 McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle AF 86-0156/LN, Captain Jeff Hwang, March 26, 1999 Operation Allied Force "Double MiG Killer".

McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle 86-0156 was manufactured as c/n 1003/C384 and on March 26, 1999 during “Operation Allied Force” was assigned to the 48th FW/493rd FS “Grim Reapers” operating from Cervia AB, Italy. 

On this day the aircraft was piloted by Capt Jeff Hwang who managed to destroy two Serbian MiG-29’s when he simultaneously fired two AIM-120B AMRAAMs. The first pilot ejected but the second didn’t. The aircraft returned to normal service with the 493rd based at Lakenheath, England.

The colours on this model look too blue, not in keeping with photos of actual   F-15s operating out of Lakenheath. 

Photo courtesy of MikeH, Photo of the Month, on Fighter Control.co.uk

Final Product photos HA3223 RB-26C Invader ERP 1/32 "Armagnac".

Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series HA3223 RB-26C Invader E.R.P. 1/32 "Armagnac" early 1957. The Douglas A-26 Invader was re-designated B-26 in June 1948.

Final product photos HA3221 RB-26C Invader 363rd TRW Shaw AFB.

Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series HA3221 RB-26C Invader 44-35581, 363rd TRW, Shaw Air Force Base, 1955. The Douglas A-26 Invader was re-designated B-26 in June 1948.

Final photos HL9016 NC-121K Super Constellation.

Hobby Master 1/200 Airliner Series HL9016 Lockheed NC-121K Super Constellation, Project Magnet 145925, 1963.

Originally ordered as a PO-2W Warning Star it was re-designated WV-2-1049A-55-137 c/n 5506 BuNo. 145925 and delivered to the USN January 28, 1958. It was first assigned to VW-3, NAS Agana, Guam as PM-4 but in 1960 transferred to VW-1 still at Agana but now as TE-11. 

In 1961 the aircraft was stored until September 1962 and converted to an NC-121K named Paisano Dos (Friend Two) and assigned to OASU, NAS Patuxent River, MD to map the earth’s magnet field. It was retired in 1973 and scrapped in 1976.

Pre-production photos HA7417 Fw 190A-7 Heinz Bar.

Hobby Master 1/48 Air Power Series HA7417 Fw 190A-7 Werk Nr. 431007, Heinz Bar, CO of II./JG 1 Stormede Air Base, Germany, April 1944.

CW00615 F-14D VF-31 Tomcatters AJ101 Correction.

Further to the notice posted by Century Wings on the 17th of April 2015 the model has been corrected and is looking the better for it.

"We have received feedbacks from our collectors for the new coming CW001615 F-14D Tomcat U.S.Navy VF-31 USS Theodore Roosevelt 2006 Tomcatters. There were several imperfections and our team is willing to accept comments humbly. Also we will make our best to improve in the future! We will fix these issues and correct the colors, also the ejection seat parts as well."