NAVY870

Aires also give you the well named forward hell hole (forward engine access compartment) as part of the gear wells. There's two doors that hing on the centre line and swing down for access. It reality its a wide open space but Aires have molded the "movie can" ammo tanks in place, which is properly poor form unless the aircraft was loaded for bear and about to go out to play. You can see the access panels on 76 below, just as easy to close them up. As an added bonus there appears to be a damn fine example of English aeronautical engineering keeping 76 company

Not really my thing (distinct lack of deck hook folding wings and Royal Navy above the serial number) but I'll be sure to get one so Airfix has some money in the tin to produce things with the aforementioned good bits.

One of the best series I've watched. Special effects are first class, story line is very well written and will keep you guessing, Cast is first rate. Lots of swords blood n guts ( a few bits I avoided) quite a few naughty bits Daenerys Targaryen is very watchable but I think Peter Dinklages Tiryion Lannister steals every scene he's in. Bend the knee and watch it.

Our Scooters internals were the same as their USN sisters. I use Humbrol 140 dark gull grey (the FSN number escapes me the moment) The only major difference between the aircraft was the colour of the linings on the side walls Light grey in some and a apple green similar to that found in the Wessex cockpit, this was in 878 881 and possibly 876.

We had this fat sod back when I was working nights, I call him a fat sod because he was a sizeable slovenly gent with poor personal hygiene and an attitude that would make Atilla the Hun think it was a bit much. This fine speciman of the human race was found of a bag of chaps (crisps to the Englishmen) and was not above bullying smaller people for chip money. A couple of us got jack of his antics right quick and decided to have some fun. At first we tried super glueing 2 dollar coins in interesting locations but porky had a chisel so that didnt last long. The our apprentice, who is truly evil made mention that the machine our chum was operating had a large counter weight that allowed the control pendant to be moved about, it also had a very narrow ladder to access the top of the machine. Next night saw a bag of chips hanging from the counter weight, fat guts jammed firmly in the ladder wailing and carrying on a treat, a large amount of people walking past all suddenly struck deaf and blind and a large amount of school boy like giggling coming from the electrical shop. I do have one or two stories of mischief from my RAN days but I'm not sure if I can still be arrested for some of those

They are ill mannered louts of things that were made by the agents of Satan to bring woe to the poor unfortunate knuckle dragger's sent forth to do battle with the vile beast. They leak from every orifice, ensure that every component serviced on a regular basis is surrounded by a veritable field of lock wire split pin ends and any other razor sharp sharp outcropping that may be available (to be fair that's not just Furies that's just about every British aeroplane ever) and bet you about the bonce given half the chance. The engine will start when it wants to and will sign off when it wants to, doesn't bother it if your back on the ship/ground when it does. Access to the cockpit requires the dexterity of a mountain goat and the assistance of a knuckle dragger who can hang onto the aircraft with his toes while cramming the green man in the office. Damn things are properly fast when everything works though but even on flat pelt they dont sound half as good as a Firebox.

Where are you at Lowie? My bricks and mortar dealer of choice is Modelsports at Dapto (south of the Gong) They are well stocked with Hasegawa and Tamiya plus a few of the more esoteric manufacturers as well. Their prices dont make your eyes water (cept for the 1/350 Tamiya Yamato but I still bought it anyways) I dont use any of the others around especially those well known theives that have a name that ends in "co"

Point 1, Agreed but it looks properly awful. Point 2, Fair enough, to be honest I've not seen them before, the 2 at Nowra and our bird dont have them. The 3 flyers I worked on were ex Iraq aircraft so I cant use them as a reliable source. Point 3, Disagree, look at the pivot point, its at full extension. I wonder if the aircraft was on a jack when it was lidared.

At the risk of banishment to the naughty step for making accuracy comments on a photo there are a couple of things that stick out. Deck hook knuckle looks way too big (I have an actual Sea Fury deck hook leaning against my bookcase and no I dont wish to sell it!) Somebodies over inflated the tail wheel strut, extensions far too high The leading edge of the fin appears a bit sus, the whole fin looks too wide. Later gear doors with the tear drop fairing Whats with all the rivets on the tail surfaces? Still the rest of it looks ok and I'm niggly over aircraft I've worked on. I hope Airfix sells a truck load.

Looks the dogs danglies but I do not like the weathering on that build. Sea Furies do not blow great grey sheets of soot down their flanks, they do little black fluffs out the top pipes and a exhaust oil sludge mix from the bottom ones. I have a large collection of Fury pics and even the ones on combat operations off the Battlestar Sydney dont look anywhere near that grotty.

One would hope Chief had a word with Able Seaman Rock Ape swinging on the gear door.

It has the underwing rockets and the revised glare shield over the instrument panel with the ARN 6 radio compass indicator - specific to the RAAF aircraft only. There may be revised cockpit sidewalls as RAAF aircraft were changed around a bit to get the ARN 6 controller to fit but as I have yet to see the kit I cant be sure. Our Meteor A77-868 was used as reference in this kit.

Very nice

The Fighting Eight Hundred and Sixteenth South Coast Vertical Assault Squadron on the occasion of our last operational detachment to RAAF East Sale (the polite name) in the counter terrorism role with the steely eyed killers of the SAS (lovely chaps, hated the Crabs as much as we did) as part of Operation Bursa. Taken at the CO's request in 1986. After this the Wallies reverted to the SAR role and the taxi service for the chaps in black fell to the brigands of 817 Squadron and those godawful Sea King things. Muggins here is back row eight in from the right. For further reading on Operation Bursa please make your way here https://www.faaaa.asn.au/snippets-history-operation-bursa/

They weren't being retired for that flight, they soldiered on til 1989 with 723 Squadron. HU-816 decommisioned in 1987 in Wessex then recommisioned as HS-816 in July 1992 with the Seahawk S-70B Bravo