71chally

The earlier (simpler & cheaper) release Fujimi Spey Phantoms can be worth buying as they're great for modelling 'in flight' and posed on stands, especially as they feature a single piece canopy and undercarriage doors.

Wow, in 48th it would be able to lift the model the display table!

I hadn't realised that the Israelis, Japanese and Americans had operated Phantoms as well, whatever next, that they were also built in the States and not powered by RR Speys?! Be interesting to see a Finemolds v Fujimi Phantom kit detail comparison.

The code letter allocated to the serial would change as aircraft would be struck off charge or moved units, etc. Great info from @dambuster I hadn't realised there was any logic applied to the allocated unit code.

Thee very finest engraved panel lines! Surprised, and delighted, to see this fantastic kit reissued by someone else as it's one of the few that Fujimi have recently reissued themselves. Certainly a very broad range of markings in this kits decals, never Fujimis strong point.. Interestingly 001 and 010 flew as a pair for one display season (1977?), one fully armed up and the other with nothing loaded at all, would make a nice modelled pair!

Basically, the WN serialled Gannets were built with portholes, the rest of the AS.1s/AS.4s not. The Trainers from all serial ranges were built with them. In some photos of the relevant aircraft the portholes are almost impossible to see, but they are there on closer scrutiny. Some of these aircraft later had the portholes plated over, visually given away by associated riveting etc. Of the aircraft without portholes, some seem to have been delivered with the plated over holes, while others were built without the provision at all.

Hope this helps if you're doing a white one. When the Buccs were in all over Extra Dark Sea Grey the pods were also painted that colour. Flight Refuelling Ltd Mk20A Refuelling Pod by James Thomas, on Flickr

I was wondering if it could be a TV MARTEL controller, but can't find images of one now. British grips tended to have different 'rippled' material and switches to that shown, the grip kind of looks American to me, could it have been presented to 12 Squadron from a US exchange?

Might be worth trying the National Archives under the 77 Squadron entries, they seem to have the Operational Record Books from October 1916, https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8454045

If the Scimitar kit is as detailed as those Sea Fury molds then I can not wait!

@CJP apologies, I should've said dull silver instead of light grey. I don't know the reasoning for the different colours, but I'm minded too think they started out with Sky and then went to a dull silver finish in the wingfolds Here's some examples of the greeny/gold and the red preservatives influencing the colour of the wingfold,

Hi Chris, unfortunately all my stuff is boxed up at the moment, but I believe that sky or dull silver were used in the wing folds. The zinc chromate colour finish is possibly from the era when a godly coloured preservative wax was applied to wing folds and undercarriage/bats etc. There was another short period when a red preservative was used, making the wing folds appear red painted.

I agree with Mike, mid grey for the structure with light greenish padding. The SONAR gear wouldn't be fitted if it was dedicated to the torpedo drop role, and many HAS.7s ended up carrying out utility and training roles anyway. Also ditto the conversion work for HAS.7.

The Italeri and Revell H-19 is precisely that, a Sikorsky H19A to D. The engine grill pattern is what determines the different versions and across all the boxings of this kit it doesn't vary. I believe it to most closely resemble the H-19B but is a bit generic. What the kit definitely isn't straight from the box is a HRS-1 to 3, HO4S-1 to 3 or a Whirlwind, despite the kit sometimes being issued as such. H-19s had a unique windcsreen arrangement, and lacked certain other equipment of the other versions. Depending on how fussy you are, this is the basics on how to 'de H-19' the kit and to modify the engine grill work, The tailboom discussion applies to the majority of S55s, be they Sikorsky / Mitsubishi H-19s or HRS/HO4S/ Westland Whirlwind, the canted down tailboom was a modification introduced across the breed to reduce the chance of rotor blade strike to the tail during some flight manoeuvres. It was introduced from a certain date so applied to all airframes built from that time, and to a large number of existing airframes already in service or use. The canted down tailboom is actually quite subtle and sometimes the easiest way to identify if an S55 was so modified is by the vertical tail features, the original straight boom had a very slender vertical tail fin (more of a tail rotor support in reality) with downward V tailplanes, the modified boom has a far more beefier tail fin with straight tailplanes. The kits have been issued with both tailbooms at different times.

On a serviceable Hunter the auxiliary inlet doors are closed unless the engine demands extra air when putting on power, this can include some taxying and moving off conditions. However I've got pictures of Hunters taking off and performing go arounds where the doors are closed, or one/some are open and others aren't, so I don't know if side slip and attitude have anything to do with it aswel.

...ha ha, very true!

Yess, this is the boxing I'm after! Love the beaver in the final black and dark green AAC scheme. Great alternative schemes aswel.

oh absolutely they do, but let's say that 40% of people making the first Buccaneer kit want to improve it, and only 5% of people making the new kit want to, then the market might be less inclined to produce upgrades for that kit.

...is it not a case of the old kit needed aftermarket and new one doesn't?

Blue Shadow was fitted to both sides of a small number of B.6(Mod) that mainly served with 51 Sqn, so I'm hoping Mikromir will get around to this version one day. I agree with you, I really like this kit and glad that S&M and Mikromir/AMP have considered the various parts for the different variants.

Very nice build, I hope you don't mind me saying though the port nose wheel should be painted red and the starboard green. They were colour coded as the port wheel contained a clutch system.

Some of the Royal Navy instructional films are good for deck detail, unfortunately hard to find for the era that you are modelling Soloman but you might be able get some details from these filmed across the various RN carriers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYvF9P5PZSk

Hmmm, stb'd inboard wing and fairing?

I would be all over that!

Why would you even join in the thread just to say that, just ignore it if it's not your idea of fun.