Robin

Very interesting model that has an excellent finish. This seems to use the same system of upward firing cannon as that used on the Me "Shrage Music" that the Luftwaffe used with great success.

Excellent build on this kit. G-BOAC will always be my Concorde, as on 18 October 2003 I flew on her from JFK to London on one of the aircraft's last flights before she was withdrawn from service. A superb finish. Robin.

Great to see this aircraft model on show again, what an excellent build. This took me back to one of my more interesting jobs in MOD, this was in about 1980 and involved me booking RAF personnel and their families on non regular aircraft flights to non regular destinations. On this occasion, my task was to get a Norwegian Pilot serving with the RAF, together with his family back to Norway for a holiday. I found out that there was an Argosy aircraft due to fly out of RAF Benson on a navigational training exercise round RNoAF bases in a few days time. After getting authority for the family to fly on the aircraft, I found out that there was a spare seat available and booked myself also. So. a few days later I pitched up at Air Movements at RAF Benson and boarded an Argosy, I remember that the aircraft was rather noisy and very bumpy as we were at fairly low level, especially when we started doing 'touch and goes' at the various airfields. As we got closer to Bodo, where we were to night-stop, we encountered some rather stormy weather and when flying over the mountains on the approach I swear that the wings were flexing up and down, that was one rough landing that I was to remember for a long time and I don't mind admitting to spending quite a long time staring into the regulation paper bag. However, after an excellent 'Smörgåsbord' meal in the hotel, I do remember walking round the quayside at midnight looking at the assorted seaplanes moored among the fishing boats, I still have a corkscrew, fashioned out of a walrus tusk to remind me of a most memorable flight. Robin.

The 18th of October is rather a momentous date in my life. On this day in 1960 I reported to RAF Cardington to begin my 2 Year National Service Conscription in the Royal Air Force. As there was no getting out of it, I made the best of the 2 years. I was one of the last few to be called up, as conscription officially ended on 31 December 1960. The majority of those conscripted were going into the Army, but as I had served in the Royal Observer Corps for 5 years I was made an exception. After I had completed my 'square bashing', and trade training, I was not posted to some far off exotic place, but to RAF Hendon in North London. Again on this date, but quite a few years later, in 2003, I was at JFK Airport in New York getting ready to board

Sorry, but I am joining the party a little late. In the early 1980s I was working in the MOD in Whitehall and I was invited up to RAF Marham to go flying with 55 Sqn on a tanking exercise. After going through all the safety procedures I climbed aboard Victor K2 XL511 which was in all over camo, for my ride. The flight deck was fitted with six seats, 2 ejector at the front, 3 plain at the back and one on the right side that was usually used by the crew-chief, for me. This seat was mounted on rails that enabled it to slide forward to the front seats and rearward to the rear crew seats, in this way I was able to look out of the pilots windows to watch the Lightning and Phantom aircraft that we were to refuel as they 'checked in', before they peeled off to the rear to plug in. In the rearward position I was able to look through periscope and see the aircraft plug in. The Phantoms were in the 'new' light gray camo which had recently been introduced, a fantastic sight and an unforgettable experience. Robin.

I was issued with my 'Coverall Aircrew MkII' in early 80s, still hanging behind the door. This is in green with lots of zips, pockets and knee map holders. It was always worn when flying, but I never wore any badges on it as I was not officially aircrew. Robin.

Hi Bjorn. You certainly made a fantastic model of MY aircraft G-BOAC. I flew from New York to London on this Concorde in the in July it was withdrawn. Congratulations on the excellent finish that you put on your model, it is perfect. Robin.

Hi there, welcome to BM from the Garden of England (Kent). My daughter and family live in Whistler, as they are very much into skiing. This morning she sent me a video of a bear that wandered into their garden garden yesterday, not the usual thing you wish to meet on your travels. Robin.

Just seen in the local press that Hobbycraft will be opening a new store in the Strood Retail Park, near Rochester, Kent on 9 October. Sadly, the store that they have had in Maidstone for many years suffered greatly from the Covid pandemic, and is now a shadow of its former self, and the last time I was in there had very few model kits. As Airfix are very close in Margate we can only keep our fingers crossed. Robin.

Excellent piece of modelling, I have the Airfix kit on the bench at the moment, unfortunately, I do not think that this will progress much further. Robin.

Hi. You certainly made an excellent job of your build, I well remember the Winter of 1960 as it was then that I joined the RAF to do my National Service, and some of my mates were posted to Aden after we had finished our 'square bashing'. The change in the weather out there would have been quite a shock to the system after the snow that we were having in this country.

Did anyone watch the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday and have to endure the rendition of the Austrian National Anthem that was massacred by a drum and guitar band, it was a disgrace. Robin.

Hi John. You also make a valid point. Being conscripted for National Service was an episode of history, and dependent on your date of birth you were either lucky or unlucky, I was unlucky in that I was called up, but I was lucky in that I went into the RAF, a move that decided my future way of life. When I completed my 2 years Service, I joined the Civil Service in the Ministry of Defence and for the next 35 years I was still part of the Military. Luckily, I spent most of this time working for the RAF and was able to get many hours of flying in a wide variety of aircraft. Since retiring over 20 years ago I am still involved with the RAF doing charity work, unfortunately age has caught up with me and I am not as mobile as I was. However, this did not prevent me attending a Service of Remembrance last Saturday for an Australian Spitfire pilot who was killed in June 1944 when his aircraft crashed as he was returning from a "Rhubarb" sortie chasing 'V1 flying bombs'. Robin.

Hi Clive. Rather interesting that most of your replies have been from members referring to their relatives, however, I was actually conscripted to do my 2 years National Service. In mid 1960 I had just completed a 6 year apprenticeship in the printing trade, having been born in 1939, and so I received my papers to report to the local office for conscription and medical. In mid 1960, the Government had decided that National Service was to officially end on 31 December 1960, everyone who was then accepted would have to go into the Army. However, soon after leaving school in the mid 50s I had joined the Royal Observer Corps, and so, having worn a 'Blue Suit' I received a 'little chitty' which said that if I was accepted for conscription I could go into the RAF. Therefore on 18 October 1960 I reported to RAF Cardington to be enlisted into the RAF for 2 years National Service, and as they say, "that is history". Robin.

Please excuse my joining the view. I was never in the ATC, but in 1961 I was doing my National Service in the RAF at RAF Hendon. At the time the ATC were holding their annual Summer Camp on the airfield, this included glider flying, My job was flying a desk as a clerk in Station HQ, and so I met many of the ATC staff during my work. One lunchtime I was invited to go for a flight with them, as I had never flown in a glider, I wandered across the airfield to the the launch point where I met my pilot and I almost chickened out, because he had an artificial leg. I am not sure what type of glider it was, but it had side by side seating and it had a high wing, I think we were launched by a winch. Because the airfield was under the approach for RAF Northolt our altitude was rather limited, and so we were not up very long, but it was long enough for me, the flight was most enjoyable and we got a good view, it was one to add to my long list of aircraft I had flown in. Robin.

Hi Ray. Will look forward to your work on this kit. In 1993 I attended the Moscow Air Show and we flew out on an Il-62 of Aeroflot from Heathrow, because the aircraft was fully booked, a number of us were put into First Class. Unfortunately, the aircraft had seen a lot of wear and was showing its age, but it still was a comfortable flight. The return flight was on one of the newer Russian airliners, not sure which, but it was very smooth. Robin.

Hi. just a tad late to the party. I built one of these several years ago using a 1/48 model from the Revel Mustang/Harvard Air Race Dual kit. Not sure if you are aware that Gerald Scarborough did a conversion of the Cavalier Mustang that used a R R Dart for power, this was described in the 1974 hard-back Airfix Magazine Annual 4, using the Airfix 1/24 scale Mustang kit. In the article he provided 1/24 and 1/72 scale plans. I would remind you that this conversion was done in the days of carved balsa wood. Robin.

Hi Tom. Hope that you are keeping well, I somehow managed to miss the latest opus, but it looks to be up to your usual excellent standards. I remember the SAS Seven Seas at Heathrow when I was 'spotting' there in the late 1950s and early 60s. Robin.

I found this weeks programme on the Hurricane very interesting, look forward to seeing it flying overhead joining the Spitfires from Biggin Hill that are regular over-flyers. Robin.

Hi from the Garden of England, my daughter lives in Whistler. Robin.

Hi Laurie. Your apron is coming along great. My Daughter, who lives in St Helier tells me that the local news reported that the Jersey Air Lines Devon that is sitting at the airport has been sold, I had a look at it when I visited Jersey for the Air Show in 2019, it looked like it needed some TLC. Robin.

Hi Alex. That Red Square scheme takes me back to 1960 when I flew from Manchester to Zurich in a BEA Viscount for a holiday in Lucern. In fact I still have the Red Square buttonhole badge that you were given. Sorry, I forgot to say what an excellent job you made of the finish. Robin.