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I recently got one each of the new Sword RF-8 Crudaders: The RF-8A (for the purists, the F8U-1P), and the RF-8G. Tommy Thomason has recently posted a thread on his Tailhook Topics blog with his initial impressions, which are rather favourable.. http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2023/12/sword-172-f8u-1prf-8-photo-crusader.html Tommy can be reached directly at: [email protected] Myself, i'm still in pitched battle with my Hasegawa Skyraider, but i have managed to do some initial test fitting and so far... mostly so good. -d-

Being part way through trying to build the Revell F4U-1A I've decided to give up the ghost and find another kit as this one is quite the worst kit I've attempted to build for quite a long time. Admittedly I was swayed by it being considerably cheaper than the Tamiya offerings but this has turned out to be a false economy as the kit is truly awful with every piece having to be fettled, sanded and filled, and the quality of the parts and the fit are also extremely poor. In addition the prop is the wrong type/shape for a 1A and it also features two locating points for the drop tanks which were a feature of the 1D but not the 1A (so is it an A or a D?) Before potentially making another unwise buying decision can anyone suggest the best option please as Academy and Hasegawa are also possible alternatives given that I'm looking to build either a 1A or 1D version? Regards Colin.

I'm thinking of making a Grumman Hellcat later this year so doing a bit of research in advance to ensure I have what I need based upon either the F3 or F5 from Eduard in 72nd scale which seems to be the go to kits in this scale. I'm happy with most details as the MDF guide I have seems to be pretty comprehensive but I have one question regarding the tail/arrestor hook arrangement as this is proving to be a little elusive. I'd hoped to model the kit with the arrestor hook deployed but from all the pics/diagrams I've seen there is nothing showing it deployed when stationary, only in action photos when one is in the process of landing. I've looked at the sprue shots and instructions of the kits (I haven't bought it as yet) and the arrestor hook is not provided as a separate item and barely seems to be represented by just a small 'bump' at the base of the tail. As Eduard kits are normally very highly detailed I would have expected the hook to available as a separate piece as it is quite important, however if it is never seen unless during the process of landing then I can see why and I can then build the kit accordingly but just want to check first. Regards Colin.

I'm thinking of making a Grumman Hellcat later this year so doing a bit of research in advance to ensure I have what I need based upon either the F3 or F5 from Eduard in 72nd scale which seems to be the go to kits in this scale. I'm happy with most details as the MDF guide I have seems to be pretty comprehensive but I have one question regarding the tail/arrestor hook arrangement as this is proving to be a little elusive. I'd hoped to model the kit with the arrestor hook deployed but from all the pics/diagrams I've seen there is nothing showing it deployed when stationary, only in action photos when one is in the process of landing. I've looked at the sprue shots and instructions of the kits (I haven't bought it as yet) and the arrestor hook is not provided as a separate item and barely seems to be represented by just a small 'bump' at the base of the tail. As Eduard kits are normally very highly detailed I would have expected the hook to available as a separate piece as it is quite important, however if it is never seen unless during the process of landing then I can see why and I can then build the kit accordingly but just want to check first. Regards Colin.

Dear All, Some snaps of my recently completed Kittyhawk 1a, my first model in over 25 years! Not up to the standards I regularly see in this forum and certainly not one for the purists as I coded it RED, the name of our sadly missed Basset Fauve basset, but I think it's a fair representation of what the aircraft looked like. Apologies for the pics being so large, will have to find a way of reducing them next time. Regards Colin.

Does anyone have suggestions on the best, by which I mean simplest, method to mask off the 2nd/final camouflage colour once the first colour has been applied please? In this scale it's a bit daunting so all methods/suggestions very much welcomed as I'm about to apply the second colour this week. In the past I've tried using thin ribbons of blu-tac to mark out the scheme and then applied masking tape to fill in the shapes but is there a better/simpler way of doing it, for example would micro-mask do the job perhaps? Regards Colin.

Dear All, I'm thinking of buying the CMR 72nd scale kit of the Seafire 1b but have no previous experience of this makers products so wondered if anyone has already been down this route and could comment on how good the kit is as it is not cheap at £24+. I've also never built a resin kit before so are there any things to bear in mind, such as the correct adhesives to use, when building and painting the model I wonder? Any/all advice very welcome before I take the plunge as I'm also interested in the CMR Spitfire XII, when it eventually arrives at the Big H, but not sure how accurate their kits are generally and how complex they are to build for someone with modest skills. Regards Colin.

Dear All, Having perused many of the excellent recent builds of these two aircraft it makes me realise just how 'unrealistic' my efforts are when it comes to painting the exhaust manifolds as they still end up just looking like painted plastic. I'm not after any trade secrets, and I know that practice may eventually make perfect though sadly not true in this case, but can anyone share some basic tips on how I can get them to look as if they are actually made from metal and far more like the real thing please? Apologies if this has been raised in a previous thread/topic. Kind Regards Colin.

Here we go folks, one more done and my first commission build for 25 years Some of you will have seen my first conversion of this great little kit, I enjoyed it and went to town on the detailing, this one was a bit more gentle. This one is for a paying customer so I hope he likes it. This ain't no Diecast. With the first build I did. Enjoy the pictures and thanks for the support- comments and likes throughout the build. For those who haven't yet been bored to death with this build here is the link to the build:- Dan

Hi all This is a homemade conversion of the Modelcollect T-80BV kit, converted to one of the recent T-80BVM configurations. I painted it with Tamiya acrylics and weathered it with Humbrol enamels. regards Alex

Hello folks, A while ago Airfix released a newly boxed version of the dH-88 Comet but it was "The Green 'Un". For me, the iconic Comet is Grosvenor House so when they recently released that version I bought one. I'd read a number of reports detailling the ancient molding of this one (late '50s for the original I think) but decided to take the plunge anyway. The model is offered in the new red box style of current Airfix releases but the plastic is showing it's age. There are very fine raised lines on the surface which will prove a challenge to sand around. The fit of some components looks to be a bit vague at best and the cockpit detail is none existent, two amorphous pips on top of a flat deck suggesting the crew. So, where to begin? Inspired by several 1/72nd scale builds here on Britmodeller I decided to attempt a little additional work. As many know, the Comet has a big glass house looking canopy so that seemed a sensible place to begin. I carved away the flat decking on both fuselage halves and added a semblance of an interior. I did n't go all out on this as A/, it's all black and B/, I planned to add a crew (from the old 1/72nd scale Tiger Moth) to fill out the space. With these modifications complete it was necessary to take a long hard look at the kit canopy. The clear plastic is very thick. My copy has two air bubbles trapped within the plastic and the shape is not accurate. To allow a better view inside the modified opening and in an attempt to improve the shape I smash molded a replacement from clear packaging material. A resin master was carved from waste resin pour stub and mounted on stilts so that the plastic sheet would clear the template. The canopy shape of the full sized bird is quite complex so it took a number of tries to get anything resembling the real deal. Equally, it took even more attempts to arrive at a part that fitted the opening adequately. I used scissors to cut each canopy but it was trial and error to get a good enough fit and there was plenty of waste. Finally I ended up with a passable (for me at least) result which is much clearer than the kit part. I've joined the two fuselage halves together now but one task on the horizon is re-shaping the spine of the fuselage aft of the glass house. The kit depicts this as almost triangular yet the real Grosvenor House is more rounded. I have replicated the rounded edge to the canopy so I'll have to fill in the gap. Initial thoughts are two-pack modelling putty like GW "green stuff". Thinking ahead, if anyone has any ideas about re-creating the thin lines of the canopy framing I'd very much like to hear them. The framing is made up of at least two different thicknesses some of which is inside the canopy glazing. In this scale it is very thin Plus, it needs to be red on the outside and black on the inside..... Anyhoo, I've made a start and the canopy framing can be done later. Once the glue has set I think I'll have a look at the profile of the nose. From staring at reference photos it looks as though I might be able to tweek the shape a little to improve the look. Thanks for stopping by. More when I can. Cheers. Julien has posted up a walk-around of the Comet by Mark Mills in the Walkaround section. See it here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234954337-de-havilland-dh88-comet/

Hello fine folk of Britmodellerland, If I may, I'd like to share my latest model? I've been tinkering away merrily with the old Airfix dh-88 Comet racer for about three months or there abouts. The old girl needs a bit of TLC to get the best from her so I did some work on the kit in an attempt to model "Grosvenor House" as she appears today. Thanks in large part to some fine images by Alpha Delta 210 (see here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234968762-de-havilland-dh88-comet-grosvenor-house/ ) and others in the Aviation Photography forum plus the walkaround here on BM http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234954337-de-havilland-dh88-comet/ I had plenty of reference material to work from. For those who have n't seen it, there is a WIP thread detailling the specifics of what was tackled here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234967804-airfix-72nd-scale-dh-88-comet-new-release-ancient-molding/ I'm not as used to photographing the smaller scales as I am the larger scales so I apologise if the images are n't too clear. Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy them anyway. These next few are a bit closer in an attempt to show some details. Lastly, a couple of shots in front of a scenic backdrop. A big thankyou and two thumbs up to everyone who helped me along during the build. Now, what to build next? Cheers for now.

Hi folks, I just asked this over in the "interwar" area but realised I might get help here too. I'm hoping to replicate Tiger Moth, G-ANSM in 1/72nd scale and need a source for suitable code letters please. Can anyone point me in the direction of decals or paint masks? Your help is appreciated, Cheers, Guy

Hi folks, What is the best source for black fuselage and wing serial code letters for my 1/72nd scale Tiger Moth please? I'm looking to replicate G-ANSM but don't know the actual size of the lettering used or who produces a suitable decal/paint mask in 72nd scale. Any help is appreciated. Cheers, Guy