Troffa

Thanks for the image Alex, beyond my skills- I've been looking at PRXI's for a while now and all of them that I have seen photo's of have the headrest installed, but this unidentified PRXI is the only one I've noted with a venturi visible. Just interested in the reason for this presumably rare fit.

Is it a Rudder Bar?

At the 6 Minute 17 Seconds mark in this video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie3SrjLlcUY there is a shot of a small Sperry type venturi tube installed to starboard side of a USAAF PRXI, just aft of the wing trailing edge, below the star and bar. Not something I've seen before on the Spitfire, of any mark. I've searched BM and the net in general, and had a quick flip through my go-to spitfire references to no avail. Anyone have any further detail on this installation? Do watch the video all the way through, its a superb bit of documentary film making. Cheers, Troffa

Upgrade to existing in-service airframes, over the next five years, with the first Upgraded aircraft back in service in 2019. A midlife update program similar to the GR1/ GR4 Tornado that the RAF got. Of course, once the technical integration of the new Avionics and Airframe changes are designed and produced, Boeing could offer the Block III Standard aircraft as a new build to any future customers cleared for the technology, or as a separate upgrade scheme for existing customers like the RAAF.

No worries!

OK, Caveats ahoy here: Assuming that the GR4 you are going to build is in the overall Medium Sea Grey (to British Standard BSC381 637) scheme, then it would appear that the closest paint in the Vallejo scheme is 70.870 Medium Sea Grey. Whilst this sounds great, Vallejo Medium Sea Grey is actually matched to the US Federal Standard 595 colour (or should that be color?) FS 26270 which is, according to the links below, is close, but not quite a match for the British version of the Colour. If it were me, it would probably be close enough for Jazz. Vallejo colour charts here: http://www.acrylicosvallejo.com/en_US/downloads Handy paint standard comparison web page here: http://www.e-paint.co.uk/Colour_alternatives.asp?cRange=BS 381C&cRef=BS381 637&cDescription=Medium sea grey Topic on britmodeller discussing the GR4 Colour scheme: Happy modelling! Cheers, Troffa

That is an absolutely spectacular model, superb build, excellent paint finish, realistic weathering. Awe inspiring. Show stopper. Cheers, Troffa. Off to put his airbrush up for sale. :-)

Did someone say Apache? The Academy kit is a retool of it's "A" Model kit, with additional sprue parts designed to represent the "Longbow" Apache, based on the then current Boeing "MSIP" (multi-stage improvement program) Apache. The MSIP Apache was essentially an "A" Model with the Longbow International Fire Control Radar (FCR) on the mast extension above the main rotor head. The Academy cockpit is that of an "A" model and portrays the multitude of Analogue dials of that model on the instrument panels, and includes the prominent Circuit Breaker panel that is installed in the Pilots (rear) cockpit on the left hand canopy arch. (this CB Panel is not present on the D) This A model cockpit also means that prominent Dual display units in each cockpit that define the D model are sadly lacking. In common with several early "D" model kits, the Academy issue provides the builder with a sprue carrying the prominent D model side sponsons (termed "EFABS", for Extended Forward Avionics Bays). These new standard EFABS are designed to be installed over the Kits already moulded "A" model sponsons, which were much smaller, elongated teardrop shaped affairs. Unfortunately, the MSIP Apache, whilst carrying the FCR, did not have the mahoosive Environmental Conditioning System (ECS) which is essentially two refrigeration systems (One each side of the aircraft) designed to keep the much enhanced Avionics suite (and incidentally, crew stations) cool, especially when operating in hot and sandy climes. This means that the Academy "D" model EFABS end at a point, aft of the stub wings, whilst the production standard EFAB ends in a blunt fairing that holds the large Heat exchangers and exhaust fans for the ECS system. Above is one of Gary Steadman's excellent UK Apache photographs from the BM Walkround section showing the aft end of the Stbd EFAB. The UK AH Mk1 has the same EFABS as a US AH64D . You can see the two exhaust fans on the aft end in a rough figure 8, plus the large Heat Exchanger (Think car Radiator) on the side of the EFAB, just forward of the exhausts. Note also, the light green unit with 5 black dots, mounted just under the FCR Radome. This is separate Avionics system from the FCR, called the RFI, and is reproduced rather poorly in the academy kit and not at all on the box art. Below is a shot of the Academy Kit which illustrates the "Pointy" aft ends of the EFABS, lacking the ECS installation, aft of the stub wing trailing edge, as tooled. The Academy kit was also re-issued as a limited edition by AFV Club, with etched details and new decals, unfortunately this edition of the kit did not address the fundamental issues with the base kit, with the etched fret for the cockpit still representing an Analogue "A" Model cockpit. Opportunity missed. The Italeri kit is better, in that it's new EFABS are the correct configuration for a D model, but again the cockpit retains the anologue A model instrument suite. After market sets from Eduard and Aires are available to correct this issue, but cost as much as the kits in question. In short, in my opinion, you have already built the one of the best two AH64D, that from Revell, which is the only kit (to my knowledge) that contains the UK HIDAS Defensive aids suite on an additional sprue. Even though it too is based on the old Monogram kit, It has a D model cockpit out of the Box, as does the Hasegawa kit, which is considered by most to be the best example of this venerable gunship. Hope that helps, any questions, please post or PM if you prefer. Cheers, Troffa

Saw this over at Hyperscale: http://www.hyperscale.com/2017/reviews/kits/shizuoka2017preview_1.htm

British Airways state "paints (excl. water-based artist paints or artists' oil paints), solvents, varnish, etc." as prohibited. So if you can get some water based Acrylics you should be OK, but even Tamiya Acrylics are Flammable and as such are also prohibited. Not really worth the risk for a few tins of Humbrol in my opinion. But that will leave more room for kits!

As Humbrol Enamels are Flammable, data sheet here: https://www.accesstoretail.com/uploads/documentation/ACF721F.pdf you are not allowed to have them in your baggage, either hand, or hold. BA Regulations here: https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/baggage-essentials/liquids-and-restrictions This is because the 200 ml of enamel paint your 4 tinlets will contain pose a significant fire risk, (along with the 20 tons of aviation fuel and 200 litres of duty free scotch on your average flight)

One method not yet mentioned, paint ordnance stripe area with stripe colour, (yellow?) let it dry, then mask out the stripe with your favourite (i.e. Tamiya) tape. Then paint the whole thing the requisite top colour (Olive Drab?) . Remove mask. one stripey bomb. :-)

Thanks Mr Harrier Pilot, so the green lense still shows white to the naked eye, but at a reduced intesity if viewed through NVG. And the IR light/ strobe is invisible to the naked eye but visible through NVG ?

Glad to be of help! What are the red letters in the earlier scheme? They look like "CV" or "CD" to my aged eye, either Charlie Victor for the tail code or CD for Canadian? I'm more familiar with the "Army Co-operation" AC designation for 5 Sqn. Good luck with the decals. Regards, Troff.

Anti-Collision beacons are traditionally (and probably legislatively) "White" for daylight, "Red" for Night. In my day we had a similar (if not the same) Anti-Col Beacon on the Tornado F3, and initially, the lense cover was swapped out dependant on day or night flying. Later on in it's service, a modified light assembly was fitted that allowed the lamp to be either red or white at a flick of a cockpit switch. That Bluey-green lense on some Harrier Anti-Col Beacons looks suspiciously like one optimised for use with Night Vision Devices. (i.e. NVG equipped crews can see you, bad guys can't.)