NOW SHIPPING the
First THREE 1/48 TIDAL WAVE Decal Sets!
(Limited Edition of Only 300 Decal Sets Each)

The best nose art artist I’ve ever seen, Andy “Warhol” Gaster, created most of the nose art decal artwork for these decal sets.

“Self-Portrait”
By Andy “Warhol” Gaster
(Famous Nose Artist)

But seriously . . .

I’m proud to announce the upcoming release of the first three of SIX 1/48 decal sets that will cover twenty-eight (!!!) 8th and 9th Air Force B-24Ds that participated in the famous TIDAL WAVE low level attack on Ploesti, Romania, on 1 August 1943.

This includes a new double-sheet decal set of 1/48 “standard” insignia markings covering 9th Air Force B-24Ds that participated in TIDAL WAVE, which among other things shows 9th’s markings weren’t particularly standardized! (Much more info on this below.)  Ninth marked their ships differently from Eighth Air Force (and the rest of the numbered air forces…).

When you see the wide spectrum of “standard” markings ships worn, you’ll understand why I’ve put the “standard” markings in a different decal set from the nose art/special markings. If I tried to include the appropriate national markings on the same decal with the nose art and other special markings, only one aircraft would fit on a single sheet. This way gives you a MUCH wider choice of nose art markings instead of limiting you to only one.

My PYN-up Decals have always included in-depth instruction sheets, both in full color illustration and prose.

But for this series of TIDAL WAVE decal sets, I’ve taken a somewhat different tack. Each TIDAL WAVE nose art decal set will include an multi-page booklet with decal placement instructions, historical background, and extremely detailed information about the physical configuration and markings for each plane. I hope you’ll find this flood of additional information useful.

Modelers have always told me they buy my decals for the depth of research and accuracy, as well as their choice of subjects. While that obviously makes me feel good, I’m offering this series of decal sets as a “labor of love.” I certainly hope you’ll like them!

A few examples of the kind of details you’ll find in these new sets:

• (Obviously) the nose art precisely replicates the original
• Stenciled data blocks on the left side of their noses were ALL different–even between ships from the same production batch and Production Block–and I can’t describe what a pain in the ass it was to get these correct.
• Tail code letters precisely matched to the actual size, location, and configuration on the original.
• A multitude of differently colored, sized, and proportioned RAF fin flashes applied to both 8th and 9th Air Force B-24Ds present for TIDAL WAVE
• Differentiation between markings worn during the mission, applied but removed before the mission, or added only after the mission was over.
• All these details and many more are called out in the instruction booklet that comes with each decal set!

The eagerly awaited initial release of my 1/48 TIDAL WAVE/Ploesti B-24D nose art and standard markings decal sets are in-house and shipping right now!

This first increment of two PYN-up Decals nose art decal sets* covers 13 different B-24Ds of the 8th and 9th Air Forces that participated in the 1 Aug 43 TIDAL WAVE mission to attack the oil refineries at Ploesti, Brazi, and Campina, Romania. This release contains both fantastic nose art and some historically very important airplanes.

* (Plus the new Cutting Edge Modelworks 1/48 9th Air Force B-24Ds standard markings DOUBLE-SHEET set–see below)

ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT AIRCRAFT

• • Teggie Ann, the 376th Bomb Group command aircraft that led the entire TIDAL WAVE mission

• • Suzy~Q, the 44th Bomb Group’s WHITE V Target Force leader, which led one 44th formation in their 100% successful attack that knocked the Columbia Aquila refinery in Ploesti entirely out of the war

• • The Scorpion, the RED Target Force leader, which led the brand-new and inexperienced 389th Bomb Group in their 100% successful attack that completely destroyed the important Steaua Romana refinery at Campina, Romania, 19 miles north of Ploesti

• • Victory Ship, the BLUE Target Force leader, which led the second 44th Bomb Group formation in their 100% successful attack that completely destroyed the important modern refinery at Brazi, Romania, about a mile south of Ploesti

SUPER-COOL NOSE ART

• • Flak Alley, probably the most recognizable TIDAL WAVE ship of all, with huge female figures on each side of the nose

• • Old Blister Butte, a very widely recognized TIDAL WAVE ship with elaborate female artwork on the nose

• • Satan’s Angels, with stylish and extremely well executed female artwork on each side of the nose–and each side was different!

• • “Death Dealer”, which wore some of the most striking nose art ever carried on a plane (the serial number/code of which has which has now been–finally!!–conclusively proven)

• • Hadley’s “Harem”, which “almost” made it to safety in Turkey after being hit over the target, but was forced to ditch in the Mediterranean Sea only 750′ off the Turkish coast–making her crew “marooned mariners” under international maritime law and therefore not subject to internment (but the Turks interned them for a few weeks anyway).  Her hulk now resides in a Turkish museum, making her the only surviving TW airframe.

• • Honkey Tonk Gal, another extremely famous TIDAL WAVE attacker that belly landed in Romania. She was eventually returned to flying status by the Romanians-which caused a massive dispute between the Romanians and Germans when the Luftwaffe demanded the aircraft be sent to Germany and the Romanians flatly refused

• • The Oklahoman, another extremely famous TIDAL WAVE veteran, whose inexperienced crew flew with the 389th Bomb Group to successfully destroy the refinery at Campina, Romania, and then went on to fly many more missions over Northern Europe

• • “Tupelo Lass”, one of the few survivors of the 93rd Bomb Group’s suicidally brave (and extremely effective) attack on two refineries after being led astray by the TIDAL WAVE mission commander. This ship flew within 1/8 mile of a crack German 20mm Flak battery that cut the 93rd’s formation to shreds just as they were about to pass over the target refineries. Ben Kuroki, who later became–by Presidential order–the only Japanese-American (Nisei) who was allowed to fight the Japanese during the entire war, was a gunner on Tupelo.

• • Utah Man, formerly named Joisey Bounce, flown by famous TIDAL WAVE veteran Col Walt Stewart

(Sorry about the watermarks on the artwork below—I’ve had so much of my art stolen that I have no choice. However, your decal sets will contain NO watermarks, so you can view the markings and profiles in their full splendor!)

1/48 PYND48045 TIDAL WAVE B-24Ds Part 1

Part 1 covers the nose art and individual markings of five famous and important TIDAL WAVE B-24Ds. (Please note the image above contains specific errors to prevent others from copying these markings–sorry about that! Your decal sheet will be exactly correct, obviously.)

B-24D-85-CO 42-40664 Teggie Ann
TIDAL WAVE Command Ship
376th Bomb Group/515th Bomb Squadron

Named for 376th Bomb Group command Col Keith K. (KK) Compton’s two year old daughter, Teggie Ann is perhaps the most easily recognized B-24 that flew on the TIDAL WAVE mission. Carrying mission commander Brig Gen Uzal Ent, she led the entire mission until the great formation reached the mountains of Yugoslavia, where the formation was split in two. She later led the leading increment through the early turn and sightseeing trip to Bucharest instead of Ploesti.

Of the many precision details on these decals, specially note the correct shape of the letter “G” in the name.

B-24D-25-CO 41-24225 Flak Alley
44th Bomb Group/68th Bomb Squadron

It looks like you guys really love this scheme, since you voted it your #3 most popular TIDAL WAVE scheme in the survey I ran a while back. Not only was the artwork remarkable, but Flak Alley was part of the 44th Bomb Groups BLUE Target Force that completely eliminated their important target refinery, Creditul Minier, about a mile south of Ploesti city.

Flak Alley had astounding female artwork applied to BOTH sides of her nose. Representations of this scheme have been attempted before, but the 40+ original photos given to me by her crew members allowed Andy to very accurately portray both pieces of art, which were generally similar but differed in major respects. And they allowed me to get the remaining markings accurate down to the last detail. (One minor but interesting point is the exceptionally unusual “Project Number” stenciled under the data block on the left side nose. More on this in the decal set instruction sheet.)

This nose art was remarkable not only for its brash representation, but also for a hidden story.

As told to me by the crew chief and confirmed by Gen Leon Johnson, the girls as originally painted were sans panties and anatomically correct! This lasted about 15 minutes, until (then Colonel) Johnson, the 44th Bomb Group commander, saw it and calmly told the crew the girls had better be wearing panties the next time he came by. As far as is known, no photos of the panty-less figures were ever taken, or if they were, survived until today.

B-24D-75-CO 42-40604 Satan’s Angels
3rd Bomb Group/328th Bomb Squadron

This is another scheme you guys love, voting her into the top five of your most-requested TIDAL WAVE decals.

SA carried sophisticated and beautifully executed artwork on each side of the nose—and the two sides were dramatically different. The illustration above shows only the left side, but the right side had an equally elaborate and well-executed reclining female image.

B-24D-80-CO 42-40629 The Scorpion
RED Target Force Leader
389th Bomb Group/564th Bomb Squadron

Not many people understand the crucial role The Scorpion’s played in TIDAL WAVE’s success. In this ship Col Jack Wood (later Maj Gen) led his brand-new 389th Bomb Group through Romania’s Carpathian Mountains to completely destroy their target refinery in the city of Campina, about 19 miles north of Ploesti.

The 389th’s inexperienced navigators were given “modern” RAF and USAAF maps that were based on ancient Romanian maps not updated since originally drawn in the 1800s. Luftwaffe cartographers considered Romanian cartographers to be by far the worst in Europe, but regardless of the reasons, their maps were just too inaccurate for the precision navigation required.

Approaching the general target area, Col Wood turned down the wrong valley, believing it was the one that led to their target. Luckily, his crew quickly recognized their error and revised their advice. (NOTE: this was NOT the early turn made by Brig Gen Ent at Targoviste, which led to the 376th and 93rd Bomb Groups infamous sightseeing tour to Bucharest rather than Ploesti).

Upon discovering the navigation error, Col Wood’s superior leadership and airmanship came into play. While flying at low level in the mountains, he turned his entire 389th Bomb Group around 180°, taking them back up the valley to their original course. Upon reaching the correct Prahova River Valley, Col Wood turned south and his men went on to completely eliminate their target, the Steaua Romana refinery, from the war. It remained shut down until after the Soviets captured Romania thirteen months later.

B-24D-95-CO 42-40776 Old Blister Butte
389th Bomb Group/564th Bomb Squadron

Ye olde Old Blister Butte is a perennial favorite of TIDAL WAVE aficionados, and we’re offering it to you for the first time in decal form. Once I discovered a V-Mail letter written by the pilot to his parents on 21 July 1943, we were also able bring it to you in the correct colors. You’ll also note that as a late-Block B-24D, the fuselage star applied at the factory was reduced from the earlier 65” diameter (seen on nearly all the other TIDAL WAVE ships) to the final 45” diameter, making the wing and fuselage stars the same size.

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New Release!
PYND48046: TIDAL WAVE B-24Ds –
Ploesti Heroes #2

Nose art and special markings for EIGHT B-24D veterans of TIDAL WAVE!

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The B-24D “Standard” Markings Decal Sets

NEW RELEASE!
CED48286: 9th Air Force B-24D
Standard Markings DOUBLE-SHEET Set

This DOUBLE-SHEET set (CED48286; see below) of “standard” 9th Air Force B-24D markings covers nearly all the wide variations that organization displayed in the summer of 1943.

This set covers all the 9th AF birds in this entire project of 28 different TIDAL WAVE B-24Ds (except for several aircraft that had very odd RAF fin flashes; those specific flashes will be included with the individual nose art decal sets).

The three 8th Air Force bomb groups that participated in TIDAL WAVE (44th, 93rd, and 389th) were marked differently, and the 8th’s standard markings are included on Cutting Edge set CED48271 (see below).  Because of space limitations, some (but not all) of the 8th Liberators will need RAF fin flashes from the CED48286 9th Air Force Standard Markings decal set in addition to the standard 8th AF markings included in Cutting Edge set CED48271 (see below).

It also includes the very early “U.S. ARMY” lettering seen under the wings of a few of the early B-24D-CO aircraft assigned to 9th AF.

The decal set includes an extensively detailed instruction sheet to help you understand and decide which of the markings to use on your model.

NOTE: Desert conditions very quickly turned the white US star a very pale yellow, which is documented in many color photos (B-24s, P-40s, B-25s, C-47s, etc.). This is contrasted with the bright white bars added to some aircraft just before the TIDAL WAVE mission of 1 Aug 43, and to all surviving ships soon after. Separate white bars are included to allow you model the many aircraft that had simple white bars applied over the star/circle/yellow ring insignia just before TIDAL WAVE, with no red outline around the entire insignia as required by regulation. By late August or early September 1943 all the stars/bars were outlined in red, so complete red/white/blue insignia are also provided. Note that unlike 8th Air Force, 9th Air Force did not overpaint the white stars with gray paint.

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CED48271: B-24 Early Markings

B-24 National Insignia – Early. This set includes all the early national insignia applied to B-24s, except 9th Air Force (98th & 376th Bomb Groups) during the summer and fall of 1943, which are available in set CED48286). This set includes the original 65″ cocarde-only star (Freeman “Type 1″ US national insignia), the original star with yellow outline as applied to some aircraft flying from British bases for better identification by British defense forces; and the RED-outlined 45” star-and-bar used from June 1943 to September 1943 and later (Freeman “Type 3”). Since the 8th Air Force (and some factories at certain times) painted out the white in the star (or star-and-bar) with light gray paint to reduce visibility, we’ve included light gray overlay decals in case your model requires them.

My third B-24 national markings set covering later B-24s with white bars and Insignia Blue outline around the entire national  insignia (CED48272) is also already available.  However, it is not relevant to any of the B-24Ds that flew on the 1 Aug 43 TIDAL WAVE attack on the Ploesti oil refineries because the blue outline was promulgated several months after the mission was flown.

(NOTE: The last three 1/48 B-24D nose art sets cover many Ninth Air Force Libs are shipping NOW, and my 1/48 Axis fighters set will come in the fairly near future.)

My three 1/72 TIDAL WAVE decal sets are also shipping now.  See the at this link.

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