Mark Joyce

Thank you, Michael. That's about the one Stirling book I don't have! I might have to track down a copy. Cheers, Mark

Thanks Chris and Dave; I do appreciate the replies. Apparently my memory is quite poor, for I had checked out several builds of the Italeri Stirling, including the General's outstanding build when I first started my Stirling many moons ago (I build very slowly and quite erratically) but somehow had forgotten he had used those same markings. I'll just use the excuse that I just recently jumped into the kit again and decided to go with the 214 kite! Again, many thanks to both of you for answering my post so promptly. Mark

This is one of the options on the Printscale decal sheet that I'm hoping to use on my Italeri Stirling Mk.I I've searched the Internet along with my books but haven't located any photographs of this particular Stirling. Does anyone know of any? I would like to believe that Printscale had something to base its decals on. The main things I'm hoping to confirm are that it has the astrodome on top of the fuselage (Italeri has options for with or without one) and if it has the FN7A dorsal turret. Many thanks in advance! Mark

Mark, Thank you for the prompt response! Based on this information I will use the Airfix pattern as my guide. Kindest Regards, Mark

Hopefully this is the right place to post my question. I've not found an answer elsewhere yet! I'm building the Airfix Blenheim Mk.I, using the kit decals for Squadron Leader Scarf's aircraft from No. 62 Squadron. As I've started to prepare to mask the kit for painting, I've noticed that the pattern of the camouflage scheme on the instruction sheet differs from most of the photographs I've seen of other Mk.Is. I know the "fine print" on the instruction sheet indicates the details of Scarf's aircraft were pieced together from available information, but can anyone confirm if the pattern shown is likely accurate or if Airfix is simply wrong in this aspect? TIA for any assistance with this. Kindest Regards, Mark

Thanks for the input, everyone. It appears these photo-etch curtains won't be visible from the outside, so I just painted the interior side a medium-dark grey. I'm a little concerned about how well they will attach to the fuselage, especially considering that I have already painted the interior, so it remains to be seen if I'll even end up using them.

Thanks for the replies. My wife votes for purple, it being her favorite color, but I'm thinking something along the lines of beige might be more accurate! By the way, very nice build, Patrick.

Working slowly on my Italeri Stirling Mk. I. The Eduard photo-etch set for the interior has the window curtains. I'm trying to determine the best colour for these, and if there is a difference between the interior and exterior sides of them. It appears the exterior side is white (which, at least to me, seems counter-intuitive for nighttime operations!) whilst the interior looks darker, at least in the black and white photographs I have...but this could simply be a photographic illusion. Any input? TIA, Mark

Dan Rowan, of "Laugh In" fame, flew P-40s in WWII. He shot down two Japanese aircraft before he was downed and seriously wounded over New Guinea (this per Wikipedia). Interestingly, P-40N s/n 42-104949 is being restored to airworthiness and was flown by Rowan during the war (again, per Wikipedia). I need to check my sources and see if I can find any photographs of it. Mark

I agree with John; they definitely capture the look of the seats more realistically than the kit ones. That being said, I found them so difficult to work with in trying to bend them correctly then glue them once together that I gave up and reverted back to the kit's. I've pretty much only used the Eduard seat belts and instrument panel with its associated pieces on my build.

While working on the interior of my Stirling, a combination of events provided a respite with the painting and gluing. As a result I decided now was as good a time as any to open up the remaining windows in the fuselage. My plan was to match the correct clear part to its corresponding opening, in the hopes that I can provide the Goldilocks size: not too small and not too large, but just right. Unfortunately, I quickly discovered that the Italeri instructions pretty much list all windows as "13E," whereas the clear sprue has myriad part numbers for the windows. That being said, can someone who has built the Mk.I tell me the proper numbers for the windows, at least for those not designated in the instructions? Many thanks in advance, Mark

Welcome, Davide! I am new here myself but look forward to your Italian-themed builds. I have an interest in Mediterranean operations during WWII and hope you have or might model the Macchi M 200, 202, and 205, which really gave the P-40 (my favorite airplane) a run for its money! Your English is fine and much better than my Italian, which I have been struggling to learn prior to a vacation my wife, daughter, and I have planned later this year to Italy! Kindest Regards, Mark

It might be even more glacial than my typical build, which proceeds about as fast as molasses flows in January in the Artic. That Italeri photoetch is horrendously thick. I actually broke one of the seatbelts in half trying to get it to bend around the seat contours--a first even for me. I just ordered Eduard's interior set so have to wait for it to arrive. I guess I can work on opening those fuselage windows in the meantime....

I build rather slowly and am not the best at getting around to pictures, but will see what I can do (Or, to put it another way, my work will never look even remotely as nice as yours so it's a little embarrassing 🙂)! I'll look into those pens. Thanks for the tip and, again, outstanding build you did!

I have not used Print Scale decals, but now that you mention it I vaguely recall reading somewhere about how easily they curl up. Thanks for the reminder!