Author Archives: atcDave

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About atcDave

I'm 5o-something years old and live in Ypsilanti, Michigan. I'm happily married to Jodie. I was an air traffic controller for 33 years and recently retired; grew up in the Chicago area, and am still a fanatic for pizza and the Chicago Bears. My main interest is military history, and my related hobbies include scale model building and strategy games.

M10 Tank Destroyer

This mass produced tank destroyer was officially known as the “3-inch Gun Motor Carriage (GMC) M10”.  It is similar in size and shape to the better known M4 Sherman Tank, in part because it was built from the same basic … Continue reading

Posted in Armor, USA | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Aichi M6A

This sleek looking float-plane just missed combat in World War II and was part of a unique operation. After the jump, a look at a particularly intriguing “what if”.

Posted in Bomber - Naval, Japan | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

Junkers Ju88A-4

This medium bomber was the most produced sort used by the Luftwaffe during the war. After the jump, a brief look at this German work horse.

Posted in Bomber - Tactical, Germany | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

The Liebster Award!

So I’ve been nominated for a Liebster Award by my fellow blogger at Amateur Airplanes.  This is an unofficial recognition passed between bloggers to acknowledge favorite sites with small readership.  So it is an honor indeed to be recognized by … Continue reading

Posted in Administrative, Miscellaneous | 5 Comments

Sd.Kfz 232 8-rad

Most combatants used armored cars derived from light duty trucks to serve as reconnaissance vehicles for fast moving armored divisions. But the German approach was unique, join me for a look at a Heavy Armored Car.

Posted in Armor, Germany | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Grumman (General Motors) FM-1 Wildcat

The Wildcat will always be best known for its role in the epic carrier battles of 1942 against the Japanese.  But the type served in a number of other roles too. After the jump, let’s look at an Atlantic Wildcat.

Posted in Fighter, USA | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

How Sure are You?

The Value of a Claim and Combat Intelligence In a swirling, twisting dogfight a highly trained but inexperienced fighter pilot gets his first shot at an enemy aircraft.  He fires, and after seeing a burst of smoke the unfortunate target … Continue reading

Posted in Dave's Essays | Tagged | 25 Comments

Programming Note

It is official, my posts have now caught up to my finished models. The “on my workbench” widget at right could be thought of as “coming attractions”. But it offers no information about how long things may take.  I put … Continue reading

Posted in Administrative | 5 Comments

Marder III Tank Destroyer

This ungainly looking vehicle was improvised to add serious anti-tank capabilities to mobile formations. Join me for a brief look at this German Tank Destroyer.

Posted in Armor, Germany | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Lockheed P-38E Lightning

The P-38 Lightning was the best American Fighter in the early part of 1943.  With high speed and long range it could be very effective when used by pilots well familiar with its capabilities.  But its complexity and maintenance needs … Continue reading

Posted in Fighter, USA | Tagged , , | 15 Comments