Mark761

This looks interesting. What's the wingspan? Do you intend to do a 1:144 lightning or two as interceptors? Mark. PS - you've dropped a tin of paint on the floor.

Hi Dave, I think the colour is pretty well spot on. I don't think it would have been a metallic colour, at that time it would have been solid. I did the shut lines of a Tamia 1:14 RC Truck using a thin permanent marker, but the gaps were deeper and wider if I remember. I have a mate who has a 1:1 Mark 2 that sort of colour, I'll send him a link to have a look. It'll make him jealous. Mark. Edit to add, will be interested to see how the wash turns out.

That's a very nice finish. As has been said, if it looks like what it's meant to be, it is. I doubt if any manufacturer will be able to produce a 100% accurate shrunk down model, there has to be a compromise somewhere. Mark

Very well build Dave. I have an XJ40 in almost the same but modern colour. Cannot remember the name. Not a criticism of your build, but the panel lines on the body around the spats are not terribly deep and do seem to blend back in with the rear wing after painting. I wonder if they need to be re-scribed prior to painting / given a wash to give a better definition? The real car did have quite tight, but well defined panel shut lines if I remember, unlike the XJ40 which you can drive a bus through! I have one in my stash to build as well, I am assuming yours in the 1:25 Tamia kit? Noted the metal decal(?) problem, is this something that Bare Metal Foil could be used for? Were there 2 different boxings of this kit, I seem to remember a racing one with tape on the headlights as well as a plain one. Mark.

A fantastic finish. Well done. Mark.

"It is present on both the Hendon and Cosford examples - so it was obviously a fleet-wide fit!" Well said Ken. I've sat there and taken a photo like that as well! Mark.

Didn't know JB did a Stolly, Airfix re-released most of their kits a few years ago I seem to recall. Lots of good '80s British Army kit! Dartmore was the other name I couldn't remember. I seem to recall the reviews of the kit said it was a mongrel of a Stolly, being a mix of a mark 1 and mark 2 vehicle. A bit like that brilliant Mk 5 Chieftain 1:35th kit, which is as much a Mk5 as fly in the air.

There are a few kits out there, in varying scales and price. KFS do a 1:24th; Matador Models do a 1:76/72nd, which was the BM Models(?) kit; Accurate Armour do a 1:35th and there are at least 2 other 1:35th scale kits that were / are available, but the manufacturers names escape me at the moment. Airfix also did a 1:32nd soft plastic version that appears on auction sites and elsewhere quite often. Mark. It was BW that Matador got the moulds from, they released it last year and it's around £18. PS - you've made a brilliant job of the model.

Getting back to your 1:1 painting, that looks suspiciously like the back end of a Volvo 480. I had one of them for a short time after I inherited it. Valued at £60 for the "estate", it sold in a car auction a couple of years ago for over £2000. It's not an F reg by any chance? Getting back to your other build, good work, they don't all have to be painted up to match the box top artwork.

A very nicely finished model. Well done.

I've seen these for sale. Was it easy to build / paint? Could you post a short review? Thanks. PS - it certainly looks well done.

Foamy Mr Muscle oven cleaner is supposed to be good on chrome plating on parts as well as paint. Put the parts in a plastic bag, scoosh in the cleaner over the parts, seal the bag up and leave for 24 hours or so. It might need a second go. It should then wash off.

Withams WSV the MOD dealers, currently have a Sea King airframe for sale via an on line auction. Lot no - 7348, tail number ZE368. Currently £2.5k, finishing on 17 Feb if anyone fancies one. Missing a few parts: sponsons, left entry door, winches, engines, main rotor, tail rotor, seats (all), flight controls, 99% of the avionics, windows (they are there, just not fitted) and most of the interior padding to name a few. Unfortunately, "Airframe is not in flying condition." As for the suggested potential uses!

Does the rest of it fit together as well as the nose does?

There are some interesting points raised in the AAIB bulletin issued last year if you read it. I think that the CAA may well be carrying out more stringent checks using the rules that are already in place rather than producing new rules. There are a number of questions that the AAIB / CAA need to get answers to, not the least of which is should the Hunter have been flying at all? The section relating to the ejector seat and the ejector mechanism maintenance is a bit of an eye opener. From the way it reads, there does appear to be doubt within the report, that the rules in place were being strictly followed and dare I say only receiving lip service. And it continues. Bearing in mind 11 people on the ground were killed, I think the AAIB will be going through this incident with a fine tooth comb to ensure as far as possible, this never happens again. Personally, I would rather that there were no displays of "private" fast jets at all this year or next year if need be, if it meant that in the future there was no risk of an incident at an air show and we could all enjoy them in relative safety. As for the rise in fees, maybe someone at the CAA has realised the amount of work needing to be done to approve an air show and has adjusted the fees to reflect that? AAIB link https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/5677d6bfed915d144f000000/S4-2015_G-BXFI.pdf