Photos and descriptions of finished models 
built by customers using CanMilAir Decals. 

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"For the grey I tried a custom mix.  I was not happy with the suggested Tamiya XF-12 because I feel it is much to green.  I ended up mixing three different paints, including Model Master IJA Lt Army Green, Model Master Duck Egg Blue, and Humbrol Grey 147.  
In the end I got a colour that was almost identical to  Model Master Aircraft Grey (FS16473), meaning I wasted my time doing all that mixing, which I don't like to do anyway.
The kit I used is the Micro Ace/LS/Arii II release in 1:144 scale.  It was built straight out of the box, with the addition of some smoke coloured quilting thread for the HF antennas.  
As a word of caution, this kit needs a lot of nose weight to keep it from tail sitting."

UPDATE: Massimo entered this model into Edmonton's Northern Wings 2007 show held on October 13 and received an "Honourable Mention" in the Aircraft Smaller than 1:72 category. Congratulations, Massimo!

"Since I thought this would take a lot of paint, for the Grey, I mixed a bottle of 36375 Light Ghost Grey (I think) with 36118 Gunship Grey. The Green is a bottle each of 34079 and 34092 - both called Dark Green!
Then for post shading, I added about 25% white to each mixed colour and thinned it 50-50. Then I cranked down the airbrush and gently brushed each panel until the colour barely started showing. I particularly like the streaky effect I achieved."

Stunning job, Jason!

"This was a Hobbycraft 1:72 kit right from the box.  The overall silver was Model Master Silver Chrome Trim #2734, with Classic White #1145 again from Model Master.  For the High Vis, I decided to use Model Master Guards Red #2710.  
Overall, not a bad kit to work with, but the Otter on floats is a BUGGER to glue and keep aligned!!  
I used your DHC-3 Otter decals, set # 090 which finished it off just nicely."

Another nice job Larry!  

BTW, Larry wants to know if their are any other serving Canadian Army members out there building Canadian air force models.

"In 1930, the RCAF was still primarily equipped with obsolescent license-built designs of British origin. The need was great not only for a new fighter but one suited for the harsher conditions of the Great White North. A design competition was announced and the winner was a design submitted by the Canadian Car & Foundry Co. The prototype aircraft was known as the CF-1 and the experience Canadian Car & Foundry gained in building many license built types was used to great effect. Little known was the part an exotic dancer named Monique and a case of Canadian Club had played in the design. For in late 1929 representatives of the Curtiss Aircraft Co. were on a business trip to Detroit to find a manufacturer for their new engine destined for the latest generation of Hawk fighters. The boys from Curtiss decided to take a side-trip to the well known clubs across the river in Windsor, Ontario and the agents of Canada's intelligence service were waiting. After subtly steering the Curtiss crew to a club called Chez l'Chat, they paid a dancer named Monique to distract them long enough to wrest copies of the plans for the new engine from them and the Alberta V-12 was born. This was mated to an all metal streamlined biplane and the CF-1 was born. The aircraft demonstrated a top speed of 285 m.p.h. and was heavily armed with no less than ten .50 Browning machine guns and two 37 mm wing-root cannons. The icing on the cake was the streamlined spats which would be the envy of airmen the world over. 

The new fighter was called the Toronto Hawk. The example shown here flew with 434 Squadron and showed off its punch to good effect at the 1934 Paris airshow, completely obliterating all targets in an amazing air-to-ground gunnery demonstration. Export orders soon followed and today Toronto Hawk #342 is on display at the Windsor Museum of Aeronautics.

The base kit for this project was the 1/72 Academy P-40B "Flying Tigers" and the wings from a Polish PZL P.11. With a little work to extend the ailerons using sheet styrene, they seemed to match the P-40 wings nicely. I was reminded of the gull-winged fighters of the 1930's and knew I was on to something. I decided to recycle the PZL's struts as that gap between the wings told me to. I also added an extra gun to each of the upper wings to balance things out. Then I used the spatted landing gear from an ancient Hasegawa Ki-15. I filled in the wheel wells with more sheet styrene but the left over landing gear bulges needed explaining so I made some wing-root cannons out of spare parts. 

The entire model was brush-painted by hand using acrylics, including the red "dart" on the nose. Testor's Light Gull Gray was used overall and the cockpit interior was painted with ModelMasters RAF Sky. Tamiya Gunmetal was used on the guns and ModelMasters Steel was used on the prop and exhaust. The "dart" on the nose was PollyScale Red and the tires were painted in Mars Black Artists' Acrylics.

It took me a while to decide on the markings, but I kept going back to a wonderful sheet of RCAF markings for a Canadair Sabre I purchased from CanMilAir [set #003] . I noticed the Canadian Red Ensign would just fit on the rudder and then I noticed the 434 Squadron markings would fit the front of the tail perfectly if trimmed at the right angle. The only adjustment I made was cobbling together two extra roundels from spares and widening the outer blue ring with more spare decals. I can recommend the CanMilAir decals heartily. I had my difficult moments with them, but I attribute those to my own clumsiness and lack of Micro-Sol called for in the instructions."

Nice work Brian!!!!

"This was a real challenge. All the little squares had to be cut out in mask form and secured to the model before air brushing. Hundreds of little mind numbing squares added to the Monogram 1/48 Hornet. The Hornet model needed the "C" bumps sanded off to make a Canadian "A" style Hornet. 
This Hornet was a special form the now disbanded 441 Squadron of Cold Lake Alberta."

Fantastic job Shawn!!

"This is the Monogram 1/48 Voodoo. Built completely as per the instructions except for the removal of the position lights and leaving off a under nose intake scoop. This makes the model closer to the way the Canadian Armed Forces flew the plane.
The model represents the special scheme 409 squadron of Comox British Columbia painted up 101012 for the presentation of the squadron colours in 1977.
The paint is mostly Model Master Black with Tamiya Sky Blue. I think the Sky Blue could be a little to vivid and I should have toned it down with white. Too late now.
Still the deeper blue gives the model a richer look."

 Another fantastic build Shawn!!

"The kit #HC1397 is Hobbycraft 72nd scale with a boxart showing a F2H-3 Banshee in Canadian markings taking off from HMS Bonaventure that I bought off Ebay 6 months ago. The kit is "alright" at best, The decals that came with the kit were crap, even if they were applied to the finished model they would still look crappy from 10ft away!!! So thanks to Bill's CanMilAir decals I bought from him a few months back are excellent to use when trimmed properly and following the instructions give that "painted on look". I cut the wings for folded up position and detailed the cockpit etc . . . from photos I took from the NAM Ottawa museum and ARC walkarounds."

Well, what can I say! Bravo Zulu, Jeff! And thanks for the kind words!

Don's initial comments:

". . . I do speaking engagements on behalf of the CAVUNP (Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations Peacekeeping) and to emphasize or illustrate what the airframe was like that was shot down on 9 August 1974, I purchased a CF yellow SAR model from the RCAF Museum and used it as part of my lectures. But it lacked the impact that a properly painted version of that particular Buffalo would have created."

Don stripped the original yellow finish off and re-painted the model Gloss White, but not being a modeller, soon ran into troubles trying to apply decal set #145. Don asked if I could somehow help him finish the project if he brought it over, and I readily agreed. A quick message to Shawn Weiler of Kitchener, Ontario, found him also eager to help in a worthy cause. A short drive down the 401 on a nice Saturday morning got it into Shawn's capable hands and while I was there, got a tour of his completed model collection - they sure don't call him "Phantom" for nothing! In short order, Shawn had completely re-painted the model, added a few "bumps and lumps" and applied a new set of decals. 

A really big "thank you" to Shawn, for making this all possible!!

Each year, Peackeeping Day is held on August 9. 
This day was chosen because on that date in 1974, the greatest single loss of Canadian lives on a peacekeeping mission occurred. Nine Canadian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Emergency Force in Egypt and Israel, were flying in a Canadian Forces CC-115 Buffalo transport aircraft (serial 115461) on UN service which was shot down by Syrian air defence missiles while preparing to land at Damascus, Syria on a regular resupply mission. There were no survivors. 

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