Pappy

Aaah, that would make more sense though a B707 vs MR.2 dogfight would be very interesting to see! Thanks very much Roldand, cheers, Pappy

G'day JJ, A lovely job. Can I ask what you used for the RAN "Storm Grey", it does not seem like an easy colour to match, cheers, Pappy

I would also add that the ejection seats need to be replaced as a minimum, the Italeri (Esci) seats are awful! A pair of resin seats dresses up the cockpit very nicely for only a relatively moderate outlay cheers, Pappy

I agree that a modern perspective casts the film in a different light but I don't think that is how the film was originally envisioned. There is definitely an anti-war /authority theme in place but when viewed through the perspective of a different generation, a film can be seen differently. Compare for example the early James Bond movies to the later ones and you can see how the evolution of the female roles change from that of trophies and glorified 'set dressing' to fully fledged characters that have their own agency. In the case of K/H, it is interesting to compare it to "Three Kings" which initially resembles the K/H arc in which a breakaway group of soldiers decide to get rich during the chaos of war, but the movie takes a rather different turn as it progresses, FWIW I am a big fan of K/H too! cheers, Pappy

Cheers Ratch, I like the color, just the right amount of brown but still a red hue. It sounds like the QE2 was a TUFT (Taken Up From Trade) ship as well. I remember at the time seeing news stories about how the floors and some of the finishings were covered in plywood to protect them. Still, there are worse ways to go to war... cheers, Pappy

Lovely work Ratch! May I ask what colour was used for t red hull area? How did the QEs come to be involved? I know that there were several TUFT ships involved (the Atlantic Conveyer being the obvious example) , was the QE 2 also a TUFT ship? Looking forward to the finished article, cheers, Pappy

Marvellous!

Awesome, you can show the rest of us how to add the tail wheel brake as well. I am still out of the country so the bench is but a distant memory for now.... Pappy

Thanks Selwyn, Back in Mirage days, the RAAF did employ AIM-9B Drill rounds, all over oxford blue with white "DRLL -Not for flight" stencilling. I think around the 1980s, the RAAF changed to follow US/NATO FS595a colour standards but the Army and RAN still employed some UK speciifc colours like 'Eau de Nil' for smoke rounds etc. Just to mess with everyone, the RAAF employed the AIM-132 ASRAAM CATM with its Hornets which which did have the two pale pink 'acquisition round' bands and the body was not painted FS36375 but a lighter colour, possibly a BSC colour but I typically use FS36622 but that is just me, The F/A-18s also typically employed 'practice' 20mm ammo. These rounds could be loaded, flown and were intended to be fired, however the projectiles were just solid but painted Deep Saxe Blue. The bottom line is that although many people use the terms practice/inert and drill interchangeably, within the ordnance sphere these have very specific meanings (which can mean different things in different armed forces) but things like NATO colours are universal. The RAAF is not part of NATO obviously but does use NATO standards. Now if someone could please explain how Australia is not part of Europe but is part of Eurovision!! cheers, Pappy

In UK terms the word Drill would be used for a round used to familiarise load crews with loading and unloading weapons and these are typically not authorised for flight. Captive in this case means that the store is retained by the aircraft as it has no propulsive means i.e. rocket motor of its own, however in the case of an AIM-120 for example this may still have jettison capability dependent on the type of suspension equipment (launcher versus rack) employed. The suffix CATM (Captive Air Training Munition) is usually used to denote a captive round e.g AIM-9X CATM. The CATM rounds have a ballast equivalent in lieu of a rocket motor and explosive warhead but retain an active acquisition capability so the pilot can still use it to "Lock-On" to another aircraft. so these rounds feature a blue band (denoting an inert fill) where the rocket motor(s) and warhead would be This provides a valuable training benefit as the pilot can go through all the cockpit switchology procedures to acquire an enemy aircraft while still experiencing the performance limitations of a jet loaded with stores i.e weight, drag etc. There are other colours that are used but not commonly seen such as orange typically used on test and evaluation rounds to denote the presence on non-standard equipment, cheers, Pappy

I believe in you

I believe that Mike (Root Editor) has already started a build review of this kit as well Pappy

Top gouge Enzo, I can't wait to see what you do with the kit! cheers, Pappy

Noice! Pappy

Can't really argue with that... Pappy

G'day Deano, One other thing you may wish to add is the additional plates on the upper rear fuselage and upper tailboom area if not included in the kit. It looks like some sort of armour in case of a turbine blade failure? It is quite prominent and appears raised above the fuselage skin. The pictures of the fuselage halves you have posted don't have this feature moulded on so not sure if this is provided as separate parts. In 1/32 something like .010" plastic sheet would suffice. Due to complex curves involved I would suggest the easiest way to get the shape would be to lay some masking tape over the area on the fuselage and trace the pattern onto the tape, then just peel off the tape and apply to the plastic sheet and cut out the required shapes. The plastic sheet can then be glued in place. The other thing is that both forward doors should have clear lower panels (not just the right door) which may be too late for your kit but it may help someone else. A quick online search of HH-65 Dolfin/Dauphan should yield some good pics. The box art also correctly depicts this. cheers, Pappy

G'day Deano, I am coming to this very late but I agree with you. The real thing actually has a 'dam' in the rear cabin which looks like a glossy orange/red floor covering to prevent or limit the amount of seawater that is sloshing about when the rescue diver is employed. The dam covers most of the rear cabin floor and rises above the floor a small distance, sorry I do not have pics

Looks 'Mazing Paul! Pappy

What a great looking jet! Pappy

Stunning effort Rob, cheers, Pappy

Yup, that or the trim tabs are huge! Pappy

Thanks John Cheers Werner. Ref the 'other side', clearly there were two sides. The comment was not intended to be a political comment in any way, but given that this is BRIT modeller, the majority of entries would unsurprisingly be Bitish in nature as you would expect. No offence was intended at all G'day people, Some colour going on. The jugs were painted My jet will be depicted in theatre. My research indicates that these were not installed during the mission flown by Teniente De Navio Crippa on 21 May '82. This was an armed recce flight. Contemporary pictures show the tanks lying on the ground and there seem to be marked tonal differences between the upper green paint used on these and the aircraft, appearing somewhat darker than the jet. As they will be lying on the ground next to the jet, I filled their mounting holes. I will also need to add some suspension lugs and fuel/air probes to complete them. The underside panels have finally been tidied up I have now started adding some paint to the jet. Determining colours on these jets is a black art as information is often second and third hand and does not seem to use 'conventional' colours. Some types like the A-4s and S-2s being ex-USN types are no brainers but the Macchi is not one of them. I have arrived at an approximation of the colours based on contemporary pictures taken prior to and during the conflict The paint has only been roughly applied at this stage to determine colour compatibility. I will tidy up demarcation lines once satisfied with the paint matches cheers, Pappy

You are most welcome Paul. The picture you supplied of your subject aircraft loaded with the GBUs shows the forward nozzles painted. I realise you want a relaxed build with the emphasis on enjoyment rather than a perfectly accurate replica. From the progress pictures it seemed like you were still in the midst of painting so it did not seem an especially onerous task to overpaint the forward nozzles given you obvious skill with the air brush. I apologise if I have overstepped, but since you were attempting to depict a specific airframe (and supplied a ref pic) it seemed appropriate The forward nozzles were later left unpainted and later Harriers adopted the practice, cheers, Pappy

Nice progress Paul. The forward nozzles were painted in the camo colour, the aft nozzles remained unpainted. Also the aft u/c doors were generally closed on the ground. The kit doors on my FRS.1 did not quite meet as they were a tad short width wise but this was not a great issue as these doors usually sagged slightly open with hydraulic power removed. Your kit is looking fantastic cheers, Pappy

Are you going to correct the step at the wing tips and the dogtooth as well? Pappy