Truro Model Builder

Wandering slightly off topic, I never did understand why the Sea Harrier FRS.2 was redesignated F/A.2 (and later FA.2), unless it was some ridiculous attempt to harmonise with US designations. And, talking about Tornados, I also seem to recall the RAF looking at a dedicated maritime strike variant to replace the Buccaneer (S.5 or some such). If I remember right it would have retained the F.3's longer fuselage with the Foxhunter radar optimised for anti-ship search, and with four Sea Eagles as standard.

Colour? It's black and white! Seriously, it's good to see, though I agree that the fuselage stripes don't quite work. Blame the Typhoon's designer.

Quite frankly it's downright embarrassing and an absolute disgrace. If it happened inside the UK SAR region, which is an enormous piece of the Atlantic Ocean, we'd be begging the French or the Canadians to respond, and I would hope that the relatives would seriously think about taking the UK government to court for negligence. We are bound by treaty to be responsible for SAR ops in our region, and a C-130 with nothing more than binoculars and the Mk1 eyeball just doesn't cut it. Thankfully some elements of the media are beginning to cotton on to this fact, and both this incident and the search for the missing Malaysian 777 have brought it to the fore. I am hoping that questions will start being asked. A serious incident, akin to Piper Alpha or the recent South Korean ferry loss, in UK waters, without the expertise and capabilities of a fully-crewed MPA, is an even more horrifying prospect. And that's before we even think about the other roles of such an aircraft. Quoted from the USCG page on the HC-130J: "The HC-130J aircraft has a unique mission system suite installed on the aircraft. The mission system suite includes a two operator workstation on the flight deck, a nose-mounted EO/IR pod, a belly-mounted surface search radar, as well as other communication and surveillance sensors."

Unfortunately Revell don't make money out of Tamiya's kit. And the Tamiya Corsair has a RRP of £16.99 while the Revell kit will be in the shops for £6.50. I know which company will sell more Corsairs once it's out. Going by Revell's normal M.O. they will be thinking of other variants already.

That looks nice. And they're thinking about short span Royal Navy variants as well.

So, that's the V-force sorted. Nimrod, anyone?

We need some new 1/72 Hunter kits, and we need them NOW.

I've recently read The Arnold Scheme about the RAF pilot training programme in the southern US, and the vast majority of the airfields had metalled runways and aprons. The aircraft were kept almost obsessively clean, even during the busiest periods, to fall in with the US Army way of keeping everything neat and tidy. A lot of British trainees felt that some of the training hierarchy didn't actually realise there was a war on.

What you stick through yer 'air in the morning. I tend to use Humbrol enamels for brush painting, though Tamiya acrylics are beginning to appear in greater numbers on the workbench these days. Lifecolor is my brand of choice for the airbrush, though they also brush well.

But each of the three partner nations pursued their own MLU programme, so that a GR.4 is different from the German IDS-MLU for example.

Unlikely, though we can but hope. Am I the only one who thinks that the fuselage stripes on that Spitfire look just a bit too neat and tidy?

Most successful helicopter? Hmm... So what about the Sea King, Huey, Bell 47, Puma, Gazelle, Mi-8/17, Mi-24, CH-47, CH-53, UH-60 just to name a few. Actually, why is there no AS.350 Ecureil/Squirrel in 1/72?

And yet... ...life goes on.

All power to their elbow. Heller was another company that blazed its own trail with regard to the subjects it kitted. No doubt because it was the only major French manufacturer out there, but they did quite a range. It would certainly be nice to see some new moulds from them, but they have quite a back catalogue that they could do quite well with as well. Did I mention the Gazelle has 705 NAS markings included?

That will look very nice next to the Airfix T.1...

When you consider the number of countries that use the C-130 I am very surprised it has not been more readily available in kit form. If I remember right, there have been two 1/144 mouldings (Minicraft and an ancient one), two 1/72 (Airfix and Esci/Italeri) and one 1/48 (Italeri). The market is ripe for an all-new moulding.

I've always thought that the RSAF three-tone camouflage was by far the nicest looking non-special scheme worn by any Tornado. Looked nice on the Hawk too.

Never mind all that, it's got 705 NAS markings included!!!

Maybe they could try a house swap for a week with somebody who lives in Hounslow or Cranford. Then say they have a problem with aircraft noise.

Crazy. Just crazy. The south east is screaming out for more runway capacity, and people are dicking around with grandiose schemes at LHR and LGW and Boris Island without seeing what is right under their noses.

Done. I will be copying it to the planning applicants. "Dear Sirs It has been brought to my attention that there is a planning application regarding the amount of aviation activity at the former RAF Bentwaters airfield. My understanding is that eight aircraft are to be based there rather than the one currently in residence, with associated maintenance activities. In addition 960 aircraft movements per year and the possibility of an annual airshow are included in the application. I wish to state my support for this application. I have no connection at all with any of the applicants or businesses that may be involved, or Bentwaters Park in general. My attention has been drawn to the application by the activities of the Bentwaters Campaign Group, who are opposing the application using what seems to be a great deal of rhetoric out of all proportion to the proposals. I feel that the organisers of the campaign could not have lived in the area prior to the closure of Bentwaters as an active military airfield, as the projected increase in activity is nothing compared to the daily flight activities of the United States Air Force who were in residence at that time. I believe also that some of the information on their website could be seen as misleading. Furthermore, Bentwaters is in an area that already sees a great deal of aerial activity. I note that there are three active military airfields (two of which house fast jets) and a number of general aviation airfields within a reasonable radius, as well as one commercial airport. 960 annual movements at Bentwaters, which equates to less than three a day, cannot be considered a substantial increase when put alongside that activity. However, such an increase would surely bring an increase in employment, and in these days when the country is attempting to claw its way out of recession, that surely can only be a good thing. I note that the increase in tourism is given as a reason not to grant this application. I live in an area that is heavily dependent on tourism, has areas protected from development and is home to a commercial airport, four general aviation airfields and a busy Royal Naval Air Station. Aside from a handful of people who feel noise of any kind, be it church bells, farmyards or playgrounds is an affront to civilisation, or aviation enthusiasts who are particularly attuned to it, aircraft noise is barely noticed. As I write I am looking out on a busy pedestrianised high street. A light aircraft trailing a banner in support of a political party has just flown over the town at minimum altitude over the town and, quite frankly, nobody is paying it any attention at all. There is more reason to object to some of the buskers who 'entertain' the shoppers. We live in the twenty-first century, on an island with a population of over 60 million. It is impossible to go about our daily lives without affecting others, and while we all have a responsibility to limit the effect we have on other people, to demand that our little bit of the island is isolated from the rest of it is unrealistic and selfish. Yours sincerely..."

I find these people remarkable, I really do. How long ago were there, what, forty or fifty A-10s based at Bentwaters and Woodbridge? I will be writing in support of the application.

I wonder if Eduard could be tempted to do the Avia S.199. It would go very nicely with the Israeli Spitfire...

239 now. Ozmods do a Hawk T.1 in this scale, but I would like to see Revell bring their usual skill in that scale to the subject, particularly a T.2. Heck, I'd like a T.1, T.2, Mk200 and a T-45 but I shouldn't be greedy, I suppose.

It most certainly does: http://www.t7models.com/tips-and-hints/