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Truro Model Builder

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Everything posted by Truro Model Builder

  1. Hell will freeze over first before Revell will do anything other than recommend their own paint range. It ain't rocket science.
  2. This may help to explain what is happening. Our very own Tiger Hobbies has mentioned the issue:
  3. He should have done it with a fast zoom, just like Jack Lord in the old Hawaii 5-O opening.
  4. With the wings and fuselage moulded separately EE have certainly allowed themselves leeway. But I do agree that their prices do provoke a sharp intake of breath.
  5. Fair enough, but none of those are insurmountable issues. The pylons can be resited, the vent panel can be modified, the wing fences can be thinned, and so on. I do think the cockpit cannot be seen clearly enough to really pass judgement on. And no, while we should not HAVE to do these alterations, it does not make it 'fatally flawed' etc and neither should it herald the usual anti-Airfix rants from other contributors with an axe to grind. NOT YOU, TONY. In any case, true judgement can only be passed when you have the plastic in your own hands, and it will be different for all of us. Many will happily build it out of the box, others will modify what they perceive to be wrong -as happens with every plastic kit, whether it carries the name Starfix or Wingnut Wings. For myself, I will be buying one and will doubtless alter it as I see fit.
  6. Never mind the Sabre. Going off topic, that Zero build is magnificent.
  7. That scheme could be called Dog's Dinner, as it appears to be several shades of vomit.
  8. Very, very nice indeed. A superb piece of work and, as others have said, good to see a Huey in something other than the usual finish.
  9. Lovely job. I agree about the turret. Looks like they were trying to squeeze it in and gave up part way through.
  10. Ostensibly there were no differences between a Mk.I and a Mk.III, save that the former had Rolls-Royce engines and the latter had Packard engines. Early production Mk.IIIs looked identical to Mk.Is, but as production continued there were minor changes, including the larger bomb-aimer's glazing, different tail gunner's turret, paddle-bladed props and Lincoln-style tailfins. Of course, some of these were fitted to some Mk.Is so it is never straightforward. As always, research the aircraft you wish to build. I would like to build one of the last MR.3s, which had paddle blades and Lincoln tails. Though the H2S blister is included and the flare chute is easily scratchbuilt it is not possible from this boxing, but I suspect you are right that the aftermarket boys will be quick off the mark with any number of extras for this kit.
  11. I suspect the same will happen with the Squirrels and Griffins at Newquay.
  12. Oh yes! Excuse me, I think a little bit of wee just dribbled out.
  13. Draken -or whoever wins the eventual contract- could well look to buy Hawks (not necessarily from RAF stocks) to fulfil it, but I would expect whichever platform is used to be entirely subsonic. Which may still mean Skyhawks of course... If it is ex-RAF Hawks they would need to maintain a base in Cornwall or Devon. The reason FRADU originally moved from Yeovilton to Culdrose was because the Hawk T.1, which relies on internal fuel only, has a much shorter range than the Hunter GA.11 with four external 100-gallon tanks. Airwork or SERCO or whoever it was that ran FRADU at the time found that they could not maintain an adequate flight time on tasking. Of course, a different type could well mean operating from Yeovilton again.
  14. Draken International is probably in a good place now, having recently purchased all of Cobham's flying operations -which include the Falcon 20s operating out of Hurn and Teesside. It will be able to demonstrate that it can safely operate ex-military jets, having done so for quite a few years now on similar tasks under contract to other countries. And for the curious, Draken's fleet elsewhere currently comprises thirteen Skyhawks, 23 Aero L.159s, 22 Mirage F.1s, 25 MiG-21s and twelve Atlas Cheetahs. Some of the Skyhawks are based in France, and it has purchased another 25 Mirage F.1s from Jordan.
  15. Believe me, Revell instructions are works of art compared to the painting guides Kinetic provide.
  16. 736 will stand down and decommission on 30 September. In the short term No.100 Squadron will take over 736's tasking and 1,700 annual flying hours to carry it out, no doubt swelling its complement with some of 736's Hawks. Unless the squadron wishes to spend most of those flying hours in transit from Yorkshire to the south coast and back it will have to create a detachment at Culdrose to undertake those duties. 736 recently moved its HQ to a newly rebuilt hangar on B site at Culdrose, which no doubt took large sums of money. They've been there for five minutes and are now disbanding. That's about par for the course. As for long term, there are a number of companies out there who will doubtless like to tender for the work. Be interesting to see what aircraft they intend to carry it out with.
  17. I take it you've not bought any Kinetic models lately then?
  18. Aircrew may be omnipotent supermen (and women these days) and humble with it but they do not always notice everything. A Royal Navy flight safety film made in the 1980s (which I am sure some others on here have seen) highlights a number of actual incidents, including one in which the crew of a Junglie Sea King did all the usual pre-flight inspections, got in and started up. As they got airborne there was a terrific vibration from the tail rotor so they put it back down again, shut down and went to have a look. One of the tail rotor blades had been replaced after the preceding flight, and the blade had been fitted back to front so that the trailing edge had become the leading edge. It had been inspected, signed off, inspected by the pilot and yet nobody had noticed it.
  19. The C-130J v. A400M argument reminds me a lot of the C-130K v. C-130J argument when the 'Js were shiny and new. There were lots of Hercules stalwarts convinced that the new aircraft could never do the same job as the trusty old 'K. Now we get the same argument over the Atlas. Military aircraft always enter service only able to do part of their job -look how long it took for Typhoon to become truly multi-role. The RAF does not have to rely on the Atlas to do a lot of the jobs the Hercules does at the moment, but when the latter is retired (whenever that will be) the Atlas fleet will take on those duties. Doubtless it will require money spent on it to do so but I have no doubt it will fill those roles and become an incredibly versatile machine as a result. And in thirty-odd years time its crews will be arguing that its shiny, new replacement won't be able to do what the Atlas can.
  20. The Wedgetail is the only 'available now' option, hence why the RAF went for it, and I can see why there are calls for the USAF to do the same. I cannot see the USAF opting for an E-3 replacement without the usual rubbish: a big programme to see what else it can do, and can we combine it with this programme as well, and what else can we get it to do, oh and can it be built in this State please and look at how the costs have shot up in the meantime, oh it's been cancelled as a result and now we'll have something else instead and meanwhile the E-3s are costing lots and lots more money to keep flying. Just buy the thing already and save the pain and heartache.
  21. Funny coincidence. I had an email only the other day from somebody in Nigeria telling me I had won a Jaguar in a prize draw and to claim it I needed to move £20,000 into a bank account. Seriously, I always thought the Nigerian Jaguar camouflage was the best ever worn by the type.
  22. I seem to recall that initial RAF Tristar flights were carried out by a mixture of BA and RAF crews, and there is a photo somewhere of (I think) ZD953 wearing full BA markings with a military serial number.
  23. Superb artwork. Build what you like as you like.
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