RichardH

I can add: Breguet Mercury (Air Inter Paris-Toulouse) Vickers Varsity Chinook Bell 206 Sikorsky S76 Wessex Beaver (On floats) CSA 235 (might have been a CN 235) Harrier T4N Hawk TMk1 Beech 300

There was a definite change in blue when the gold speed bird scheme was introduced. When the tail markings of two parallel white stripes was in use the shade of blue was very dark (in poor light it was almost black, not dissimilar to the “navy blue” used in RN uniforms, so midnight blue might be a good choice for that era. When the gold speed bird logo came into being, the shade of blue was noticeably lighter - I think USN sea gloss blue would be close. Have you tried contacting the BA heritage people?

Although considerably later than the Corsair the oxygen bottles on the Boeing 707 were dark green (not as dark as Brunswick green). As the design/specification of such things tended to change slowly in those days, there is a reasonable chance that Boeing were just continuing with an existing standard.

From memory, the blue used changed when the gold Speedbird logo was used on the fin and midnight blue would be a good starting point. But prior to this, when the two horizontal white stripes were used on the fin, the blue was much darker (almost black). Neither colour was glossy, varying from satin to matt according to age. As a thought the British Airways heritage centre may be able to help.

Considering the lack of cockpit space, the age and capability of the aircraft, I would suggest that one of the Ferranti ISIS series of gunsights may have been fitted (but be careful of what you search for!!!). There was also a similar gunsight made by SAAB, but both my memory and Google fail me in providing any further detail.

That would be good if you can find them.

Not wishing to hijack the thread, but as apprentice I never heard the term "Appo", and even when I went back to work at the Apprentice Training School I didn't come across the name. As for the APs, I wouldn't know because, in HMS Cranebank terminology I was a "greenie", . Any way let's hope the markings are for LHJ, if only to mark its contribution to aviation training.

Oops, that should have been "apprenti"!

Please make it LHJ. A note to BZN20, whilst we were called many things, "appo" wasn't one of the them. Of the more printable names, a common collective term was "apparenti"

All this got me wondering what my replacement was like. The original was cracked, the replacement isn't. As for optical distortion, whilst neither are optically perfect (was the full size one?), the distortion level is on-par with the acceptability of the panel lines (don't get me started!).

Emailed Airfix yesterday for a replacement canopy, got a prompt reply saying how the problem is being addressed and a replacement canopy today - now that's service!

If you are talking about the square holes that are just forward of the upper antenna and visible with the canopy closed, these are the cabin pressurisation outlets.

Thanks for the information everyone. I rummaged through the stash and found the Vb Trop kit with the IWG markings and yes it does have the internally framed windscreen - one job less!

OK so I'm about to undertake something that is probably beyond my capability - conversion of the Airfix 24th scale MkVb into a Mk9 using the Heritage conversion set. I can probably cope with adding cannon stubs, making a round rear view mirror and maybe changing the cannon bulges to slim ones, but the bit that is going to stump me is how to convert the windscreen to an internally armoured one. Does anyone have any ideas on how this can be done, or is there an after market one (and for all the other bits as well)?

from both the plans and the picture it does look as if the whole engine moves. On the drawing the engine bearer appears to be bolted to the bulkhead to the right of the engine through which the prop shaft passes. That's an awful lot of ironmongery to swing about!