Nigel Bunker

Well tonight I had a delivery from Amazon where I had purchased two of the Airfix 'Vintage Classic' Pumas for £11.03 each with same day delivery. As I perused the plastic I noticed that on the sprues containing the fuselage halves air filters and aerials had been added, and this must have been for the Heller release. So I have no need to hunt for the Heller kits, that's a bit of luck. So now I can build an HC.1 and an HC.2, Sometimes things do go my way.

I think you'll find the TSR.2 was going to be called the Eagle. Merlin was the name destined for the F-111 in RAF service. Glad I've still got part of my stash of 1/72 Airfix TSR.2s in the loft.

Which scale, 1/48 or 1/72?

Makes you wish Airfix would reissue their Napoleonic Collector's Series.

I bought some spare parts on 'a well known auction site' and tucked away in it were these two figures that I cannot identify. I'd like to complete them and mount them up so can anybody help? Thanks for looking.

I have just finished 'Sharpe's Storm' by Bernard Cornwell. A cracking read, with Major Richard Sharpe and Sergeant Major Patrick Harper fighting in France in 1813. According to Cornwell's notes, this may be the last of the Sharpe novels as the woman who has always edited his books has died and I suspect he may not want a new editor. Counting along the bookshelf, I see it's number 19 in the Sharpe saga (not including the short stories).

I have often wondered why Convair didn't do a tandem seat F-102, as they did on their F-106 instead of the side by side conversion whixh looks as if it has all the aerodynamic qualities of a brick.

The AD-4W variant was an unarmed flying radar, but other Skyraider types were armed with 4 x 20mm cannons, up to 15 external hardpoints and were used in the attack role.

I'm hoping that with the increase in defence spending we might see more F-35As and Typhoons, with perhaps the return of some absent Squadrons. How I long to see a Typhoon with a black tail and 74 Squadron's tiger stripes.

My first IAT was at Greenham Common in 1973. We lived in Reading and the week before Mum asked if I knew there was an air show at Newbury at the weekend. So on the Saturday I departed on my Honda 70 with a packed lunch, Dad's Zenith SLR (no chioice of lenses in those days - 50mm take it or leave it) and a few pounds in my pocket. I was staggered by what I saw there - most of the aircraft I had only come across before in the Observer's Book of Aircraft. P-2s, P-3, C-141, Do 28, S-2, lots of F-104s, C-160, C-9, NF-5 to name a few plus almost one of everything the RAF & RN were operating at the time. I returned home having spent all my money (so many model stalls), used al my film and slightly sunburned. A truly great day out. For mke. IAT, or RIAT has never been so good since.

I regret the cutting down of the tree but I am more concerned at the damage to Hadrian's Wall that they caused. It's been there for nearly 2000 years and it now requires restoration - I wonder how much that will cost to do?

I noticed that the P-8 Poseidon that flew in the VE day review had pylons fitted - I presume this is for all nine of them?

As did the BBC's expert. They must have been using the same script.

Scale?

+2 for lead wire.