David@ SBX Model Shop

I live in Tuddenham St. Martin which is a village between Ipswich and Woodbridge. Ten years ago, it was - wow what is that noise - it's an ASR Sea King - wow what's that noise - it's an AAC Apache! Now it is (perhaps 10 times a day) - oh another Apache - wonder if this one has Prince Harry in it. I am told that the skies around here back when Bentwaters and Woodbridge were operational was - to quote 'like an airshow every day' - can you image B-36 flying over here let alone Voodoos and laterly A-10s. But what we get is yet another Apache. they are so well painted that what you actually see is a very dark blob in the sky. Both the Apaches and the Sea King come out of Wattisham and we appear to be a turning pint for them on their way to the ranges forther north. Still the ASR Sea King does a Christmas trip around with a Father Christmas in the door - or at least they did a few years ago. They saw me taking a picture one Christmas and circled round lower so I could get a better shot! David SBX Models

We are expecting the Czech Master resin Bristol Sycamore HC.14/HR.14/Mk.51/Mk.52. around the end of February - resin and £37.20 - but it will be a very nice kit if other CMR kits are anything to go by. Code on our web site is CMR1146 David SBX Models

You can buy from us in the UK without any shipping charges and we have access to the full range of Hannants and Creative Models stocks. Try us - +44 1473 785327 or http://www.sbxmodelshop.co.uk. BTW, we had a real shop in Ipswich up until one year ago but all we were selling in the end was paints and glues. Even the people coming in the shop only wanted the latest stuff out last week. If we stocked it and didn't sell it in two weeks, we were stuck with it. So no shop now - just a phone and an web site. David

Hi there. Not an expert but the www.seatejectcolor.com/ website says that it was MB Mk.4 seats. We can supply these in 1/72 from PJ Productions PJ721208 at £2.99 for a pack of two or Airwaves AES72027 at £2.99 also with 2 in a pack. Delivery would be £2.00 David SBX Models http://www.sbxmodelshop.co.uk

Just to let you know, Johnsons Pledge Multi Surface Wax is the same thing except that it is re-labelled, and for some reason given a smell and a slight beige tinge in the bottle. Being a floor wax, it doesn't dry beige. It dries extremely klear and glossy as ever. I use it on canopies and as a pre-decal coat and it does everything that the old Klear/Future did. Available at Sainsbury/ASDA to my knowledge. David SBX Models

This is my attempt at a Royal Navy AS4 Avenger. It is based upon the Academy Avenger with a Quickboost ASH radar fitted. The decals are from Xtradecal and went on like a dream. The aircraft is currently sitting here with its Pledge Multi-Surface Wax finish which was for the decals. I have the canopy to line out and fit. It should then be finished, Before I fit the canopy I am going to try a coat of Satin Varnish so that it shines but not as much as it does at the moment. The Quickboost radar doesn't come with any fittings so I had to search out a photo and scratch build the mounting out of plastic card. It may not be perfect against an actual AS4 but it is close enough for me. For the full story to date check out my modelling blog David SBX Models

Here is the Admiral Seafire 46 finished except for the canopy, which I have lost. I am going to ask th big 'H' if they can supply a replacement when I put my next trade order in on Monday so we will see what happens. Along the way, I lost three of the wheel covers and broke off the arrestor hook on the 'sting' tail. Oh and I also lost the tail wheel. So I don't think that it came out badly considering. For the full story check out My Modelling Blog David SBX Models

That was my guess david

I have just got hold of the AZ Model Attacker F.1 kit in 1/72. I have been looking at the instructions, which are the usual short run sparse type. On the last page, they give you the decal layout and one of the decals is quite interesting. Just in front of the jet intake on both sides, you are supposed to put a decal saying the following: "KEEP WHEEL ALL FROM INTAKE WHEN ENGINE IS RUNNING" Needless to say, I am getting hold of the ModelDecal sheet for this aircraft which should have an English translation of this! David SBX Models

Thanks for that. Why 'former' customer? David

I am just getting to the point of finishing touches on the Admiral Seafire 46. I have lost the 3 of the four undercarriage doors! Can't find them any where. I have one that fixes to the undercarriage strut so I have been able to copy that one to make another for the other side. I now have to make a pair of the doors that close over the wheels. However, I have a question. I lots of the pictures that I am looking, I think that these doors are closed again once the wheels were deployed. Is this correct> In the photos I am looking at of later mark Seafires and Spitfires these doors seem to be missing in the view which makes me think this. Can anyone put me right or confirm? I know that this isn't a 46 but it is Griffon powered http://www.flickr.com/photos/egwu/4905683400/lightbox/ David SBX Models

Oh the joys of Britmodeller. One of our members in France has sent me the required bits off the sheet. Thanks to VG 33 for his help - also posted on the 8th. Arrived in Suffolk from France on 10th!. David SBX Models

Hi there. I am shortly to start a Special Hobby Sikorsky HO3-S1 which I am hoping to do up as a Westland Dragonfly. However, the only decals I can find are currently out of stock at my main trade supplier. Much as it goes against the grain to pay retail - grin - does anyone have this sheet that they are willing to let go. You will also get a thanks on my blog - how can you refuse :-) It is described as follows: Model Art MA7251 Republic F-84F Thunderstreak, S-51 and Dragonfly (11) Republic F-84F (4) 28844 1-PB EC1/3 Argonne with green tail stripes1956; 29030 3-HK EC1/3 Navarre Suez Ops with yellow/black fuselage ID bands; 29003 4-SA 1/4 Sauphine; 29000 4-UF 2/4 La Fayette; S-51 (4) French Navy Escadrille de Servitude 58S 1952; Z111 ELA 5; 119VB ELA 52; ELA 52 111.VA all Indochina 1952; Dragonfly (4) WP948/901 HMS Eagle Ship's Flight 1952; WG751/GJ10 705 NAS 1953; VX600/531 705 NAS Culdrose 1959; WH708/960 SAR Flight Hal Far Malta. I will pay a reasonable price plus postage of course. Thanks in advance David SBX Moels

<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> The Gannet gets its first coat of primer </h3> As CODs were painted in a dark grey blue, I have given the fuselage and the wings a first coat of my favourite primer - Vallejo Polyurethane Black. As usual, this has brought out th areas where the filling might not be as good as it should be. Some great news though. In looking up the aircraft as supplied in the CMR kit, I find that the COD Gannet that is depicted in the kit was actually flown by my old scouting contact - John Sillett. It seems that he had a panel blow off whilst flying it. This means that, given that the Alley Cat decals have one of his AEW3s on the sheet, I will end up making models of two aircraft that he flew. Not a bad tally given that he is only recorded as flying 5 Gannets in total. Here are the pics of the current state of play. As you can see, with total disregard to my sanity, I have gone for the wing fold option! As you can see, this seam needs a bit more work. These are the rest of the wing fold. As the middle parts will have some decals on, these all have to be painted and decalled before I can put the wing fold together.

I have spent the afternoon doing some more work on the fuselage. I now have loads of lead shot in the nose and have fitted the cowling around the front. It all needs quite a bit of sanding and filling but it is great fun. Mind you, I am using Gator's Grip to stick all this - it is slow curing but much easier than super glue. David SBX Models

I have put the two fuselage halves of the Gannet together. Unfortunately, I have got the cockpit sitting a bit wrong so the Navigator's seat is a bit one sided towards starboard. Plus, with the filing I had to do to make it fit, I will need to repaint bits of the cockpit edges again. As you can see, I had to use some filler on the fuselage. Again, not sure if this is a slight warp in the resin or me. However, it was not a big deal. I have now to put some weight in the nose. Then I can start to put the details parts for the nose onto the body plus I can fit the blanking plate where the radar dustbin would have been. I have been looking at the wing fold and managed to persuade myself that I could go ahead with that, and if it didn't work out, come back to the straight wings. However, because of the inaccessibility of the inner parts of the wing surfaces, once the wings are folded, I would have to paint and decal the wing before I attempted to put it together. That rather makes it a big commitment and, as some decalling is required, there would be no coming back without getting a replacement decal sheet. However, at the moment, I am minded to go on with the wing fold. It will make it a much more interesting model. You can see and read more about my modelling on my blog at :http://www.gsmblog.co.uk David SBX

Unfortunately, AFAIK, Magna are the only ones that do a 1/72 Skyraider AEW so I am stuck. It is on the end of my list though so I may be dead before I need to do it - grin.

Also try http://www.paint4models.com/ Aaron has done a tremendous amount of work on this one - you can filter and sort so it is really interactive. David SBX Models

Very nice. I have to do one of these in 1/72nd as part of my postwar FAA collection. I only know of the Magna kit in that scale - gulp! David SBX Models

I got mine in Sainsbury's - we used to re-market Klear by buying it in ASDA so try both of them. Try EBay - this link http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pledge-Klear-Mul...=item415ee1fd66 for a bottle at £6.49 with free delivery (it's not not me selling, I will add). If you do get some, don't worry about the muddy colour - this doesn't affect the final transparency of the finish. David

I have always been a big fan of hand brushed Klear to get a great gloss finish. I have now switched to Pledge Multi Surface Wax and find that no different and just as good at giving a gloss finish. Because it is self levelling, brush painting is not a problem. In fact I find that if I sptray Klear then it takes too many coats to get a good gloss. Here is a picture of the wing on a 1/72nd Seafire that I am currently working on. This is the pre-decal coat but you can see how it works out - and yes it is brushed on.

I sometimes think that to those who work in 1/48 or 1/32 on seeing a 1/72 cockpit blown up big enough to see thinks - humm - a bit scrappy - but that's the nature of the beast for most of us.

I am embarking on an FAA project and am currently building an Admiral Seafire 46 AND a Czech Master resin Gannet COD. Here are some pictures of the Gannet cockpit. This is the first resin kit I have attempted and please remember that this is 1/72nd at 200%! For the full story of the build check out http://bit.ly/vUChds and sign up as a follower to see progress on this and my other projects.

Thanks for the info and glad that some manufacturers actually think about their customers. David SBX Models

Along with an English Electric Lightning and a Hawker Harrier! David SBX