Magua87 Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Hi, all. I was working on a 1/72 Airfix Meteor F8 in Belgian colours. Unfortunately the decals that came with that kit were abysmal (a bad batch, maybe) and I'm looking for a new colour scheme. I've picked up Xtradecal X72071 and am interested in Meteor I-189 of the Red Diamonds or Ruiten Vier. The instructions show the aircraft with a fuselage fuel tank; lucky as I had already added one to the aircraft. However, all the photos I've found of the aircraft during it's time in aerobatics shows the aircraft without the fuel tank. See here, and here. Two questions. Were these tanks fitted for longer flights? Could I assume the Ruiten Vier flew with fuselage tanks when not performing? Secondly, and unrelated to my previous questions, what is this I can see at the top of the red circle on the aircraft's nose? Source I've noticed it on photos of the aircraft in question, but it's not present on the kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 The Ruiten Vier Meteors were used for day to day service operations when not attending airshows, so it would seem logical that the belly tank was sometimes fitted. The black panel in your pic looks like an access hatch: http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/images/meteorf8_ref1.jpg HTH, Andre 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don McIntyre Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Is it possibly a gun camera port? It looks like it might be glass in Magua87's photo. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stever219 Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 The hole at the centre of the nose is the ram air intake for the cockpit ventilation system, the opening above, painted black in Magua87's photo is indeed the gun camer aperture and the oval-ish panel above and behind that is the access hatch for the camera. As Hook said the ventral and under wing tanks could and would be used for day-to-day operations but did tend to affect the handling of the aeroplanes so were probably left off for display flying. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magua87 Posted January 22, 2017 Author Share Posted January 22, 2017 (edited) I Iove the collective knowledge on this site. Thanks all for your help! Edited January 22, 2017 by Magua87 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magua87 Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 While we're on the topic of Dutch meteors. I assume they had the same stencils as the RAF aircraft on the fuselage fuel tank? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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