Scott Hemsley

Like I mentioned in a PM, the centre of the pylons are a scale 6' from the wing root ... much easier to measure than from the CL. Six feet (6') in 72nd translates to 25.4mm. However, if your references show RAFG Sabres with no tanks,, you'll be just as right to leave them off as you would to include them. Choice is yours. Btw, I completely agree with Paul on the decals-over-the-speed brakes. Scott

Using the photos in a book on RCAF Typhoon ops (Typhoon and Tempest; the Canadian Story by Hugh Halliday), two things jump out. One is the painting on the dust cover, depicting a 440 Sqn. Tiffie (I8*R, s/n PD589) with partial invasion strips on the lower fuselage, with the top of the stripes running immediately below the squadron codes & s/n. I never noticed it before this thread, but the (full width) lower portion of the Sky band is overpainted in white, the top aligned with the partial invasion stripes. And a photo of another 440 Sqn. Tiffie (Pg.76) being recovered (I8*T, full s/n obscured) again shows partial fuselage invasion stripes with the Sky band treated in a similar fashion as described for. I8*R. In fact, the white stripe is marginally wider than the tail band and that's what appears to give it away, considering it's a B&W photo. Scott

A little too close inboard. Look at Sabrejet's drawing and note it's position to various panels on the wing ... but you're close. Actually, your pencil was right over the position. What I did to get the position was to tape the wings/fuselage together then with the ruler up against the fuselage, mark it from there. Just quick word about nose weight, seeing that one photo you posted. A good place for weight is 1/2oz cradled as far fwd in that 'box' that's created when you put the wing halves together. That's at a point fwd of the MLG and there's lots of room in that fuselage so that it doesn't interfere with the cockpit interior. Scott

Lord Riot, ... check out my 'RFI' (somewhat restored after the PB fiasco) for the measurements for moving the wing fences and the drop tanks. They're too far outboard on the kit, OOTB, regardless if the build is for a RAF F.4 OOTB or a Sabre Mk.5 . FWIW, both were externally identical once the RAF retro-fitted the 6-3 hard-edge wing to their Sabre Mk.4's . It was initially delivered to the RAF. (and remained so for a period) fitted with the narrow-cord, slatted wing. .http://s15.zetaboards.com/72nd_Aircraft/topic/809310/1/#entry22084578 Moving the wing fences is very easy. Simply cut away the existing wing fence and cut a slot for the new location of the wing fence in the upper wing half. Then slide a suitably sized piece of plastic sheet into the slot. Finalize the shape of the fence once it's firmly secure. As for the drop tanks, simply fill the existing holes & drill new ones for the pylons, in the proper location. If you think you might replace the canopy as I did (but don't have a Heller canopy lying around), I've since found that the Pavla vac canopy matches the Heller canopy, perfectly in terms of shape and a corrected framing. However, the rear decking will have to be shimmed to account for the correct foot-print of the Heller/Pavla canopy/'hood'. The kit is too 'pinched' in it's taper. I guess the image doesn't show in the 'tweeted' link, so here it is... Scott

To my earlier post... Black Knight mentioned this... That's true, but I don't use calipers ... instead preferring to use the scale ruler (1/72 and 1/48 scales) that was offered by the modelling magazine 'Scale Aircraft Modeller', years ago. Each foot is broken down into 3 inch increments. Visually, it looks the part. When I used the method I described above, on my Eduards (Profipack) Spitfire IXc, nothing appeared out of place according to the references that I had. Unfortunately, I had no period photos of the subject aircraft other than the kit placement instructions (including the mis-placed re-applied s/n on the stdb side)., but the positioning of the stripes on the aircraft and their relation with the various markings agreed with period photos of other 401 Sqn. aircraft, taken during roughly the same post D-Day time period (July 1945). .

Thanks Tony. Guess I'll have to try to pick up a couple of those along with the Pavla 'Mk.2' canopy. I've got a Mk.2 & a Mk.4 waiting in the stash (both based on the Airfix kit). Scott

I assume the canopy is the Pavla vac set for the F-86A? Never seen on used, always wanted to pick one up, though. I only ask because I had the (now OOP) 'Scooby Productions' narrow-cord wing with the idea of initially using it on the Heller (later the Airfix) kit like yourself, except it proved to be anything but a drop in fit to either kit. It appeared tp be made for the Fujimi kit which has a much wider fuselage compared to either of the aforementioned kits. Scott

The last part of your statement (my underlining) pretty well sums up Special Hobby kits. I've got several of their kits in the stash and I can attest that none of them are "out of the box" builds, nor are they 'quick builds. They will take some TLC, some solid (but still within reach to the average modeller) modelling experience and time, but a successful build is well worth the extra effort. Scott

Thanks, Ray. I guess that settles it. I'll have to go with the Flightpath offerings. Scott

Romeo Alpha Yankee... An invaluable 'hijack' ... thanks and yes, it was Ron's Resins I was thinking of. Ron's Resin's ...still around? (I'll have to check, tomorrow). One thing I noticed though, the engine's from Ron's Resins had a 'lip' to help in mating to the wing/nacelle ... Flightpath don't. I guess that means hollowing out the back of the cowling and gluing a few location tabs of your own, or did you have another method with your "J" engines? Scott

Magnua87 ... mind telling me what nacelles you're planning to use? I'm looking for 2 sets myself, but with Attack Squadron closing down before I could move on it and Oz Mods out of the picture, all can find is the Flightpath offerings. I'll probably end up with them unless I find better, but from the online reviews I've read on them, even thought they claim to be designed for the Italeri kit, the extent of the surgery (implied) required means that they're far from a drop-in replacement - unless the ones they offer now have been re-done in the time since the reviews were written. Scott

You could always free-hand brush it, like they did back then. When the order came down (late) June 5th, (I believe), there wasn't really time to mask ,.,, at best, just follow a crudely measured chalk outline, and use anything that spread paint. If you look online, you're bound to find plenty of period photos with less-than-perfect Invasion Stripes. However if you must mask and you're doing 1/72, the 6mm wide Tamyia tape measures out to a scale 18" - the width of the stripes used on aircraft like the Spitfire, Typhoon, Mustang, etc. Spray the white and using the tape, mask of each stripe (white & black). Remove the 'black' stripes, spray and presto ... invasion stripes. I just did the 1/72 Eduards Spit IXc that way with no problems. Of course,, my masking wasn't perfect ... or was it? Scott

If it helps Mike, all is forgiven. To those of us who would rather have a Bolingbroke and haven't had the opportunity to get the new-tool Blenheim IV or IVf, that's good news. Scott

mackem01; Letraset only released a few sheets and those were all (the then current) markings for the Canadian Armed Forces (post-1968) and not any for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Canada stopped using code letters by the late 50's. Unfortunately for modellers, Aero Graphics was the first and to this date, the only decal mfgr to release post-war RCAF code letters. I say unfortunately, because it was not only a physically small sheet with limited lettering, but it only had the one size. Scott

Thanks, Scimitar. Those sprue shots, retc. give a good idea of what to expect and by the looks of it, if you're prepared to put in a bit of work, one should be able to get a decent Britannia out of it. Of course, I'd be looking at either a RCAF Yukon or an Argus. Jury's still out on this, but it's very tempting. Scott