dad's lad

I have a spare (either Heller or Italeri) but I'm away from home right now so unable to check.

Thanks that helps. I've painted mine black for now but may change my mind before mounting it on the aircraft. Clive

Thanks Dave, I was furtling around in my loft and came across a rather large box labelled Lancasters, knowing that I had "some" of the old Airfix Lancs, I was surprised to find that the box contained no less than FOURTEEN! (4 x Dambuster, 2 x Grand Slam, and the rest generic B.I/B.III in either grey or black plastic). Anyhow, back to one of my original questions, I dug out one of my collection of books on the Lancaster and found a nice picture of AJ-C in a bank to port where the towel rail was clearly visible. Clive.

I'm wanting to build a 617 Sqn Lancaster from the dams raid but my starting point will be the 1980's Airfix Dambusters kit. Clearly this is less detailed than the newer release so I'm using the instructions from the newer kit to help fill in some of the missing details. Apologies if these questions have been answered before but Googling doesn't give me any answers. 1) The ventral gun I have found a thread on this site so have some information. 2) Towel Rail aerial, is this correct for a DB Lancaster? 3) Part G.12, is this one of the spotlights? If so, it seems to be pointing backwards. 4) What is part G.7? I've seen it on other Lancasters and it's the wrong (pilot's) side to be the forward spotlight. Outlet for a trailing aerial perhaps? 5) If G.7 and G.12 aren't spotlights, where should they be other than in the "nose" and "tail" as most references dictate? 6) The mine itself. Airfix would have one apply red and yellow stripes around the mine. I would suppose from normal RAF practice that the mine would be marked to indicate the filling (torpex?) so how accurate are the Airfix instructions? Photos of Gibson's a/c don't show any form of light band on the mine that I can see. Any other pointers that I need to follow (I already know that I'll have to drill out the windows in the fuselage)? Thanks in advance. Clive Sorry I can't seem to link to the instructions on Scalemates for assistance. Clive.

Thank you all for the fantastic answers, I'm going to use that scheme on my upcoming build. Clive

I've seen plenty of picture of Bf.109's with a high demarcation line on the camouflage before blotches were added to the fuselage sides, but did the Bf.110 ever operate in such a scheme? Techmod decals have one machine A2+BH (bottom below) in this scheme but I've not been able to find any photographs to corroborate it. I think it looks really neat and makes a difference from the usual subjects. Clive

It was the same on their Bf109 and their P-51B/C was too narrow at the windows behind the canopy. Clive

I have a V-1 that came with the Revell Arado and also the Heller Reichenberg. I don't know if the piloted ones were made differently but the Heller one is distinctly weedy compared to the other one. Also does anybody know the origins of the the V-1 that came with the Airfix Meteor a while ago? Clive

Many thanks for those lovely reference pictures. As I intend to make the subject of the Airfix kit, the only reference that I have regarding wing tip yellow is their instructions which show just the absolute tips as being painted. Clive

Many thanks for the comprehensive reply, I'll be in touch shortly. Clive

As I mentioned in a previous thread, I'm attempting to build subjects that Airfix kits covered in my dim and distant past but using newer kits and where necessary aftermarket decals whilst accurizing the markings. My first on the bench is the P-51 Fools Paradise IV and my next one will be this: I have both ICM and Airfix kits to choose from. Airfix's instructions don't identify the unit, but I believe that it is SG.2. So on to my questions: There's not a lot of pictures that I can find online but those that I can seem to show a yellow band around the tail where the "F" is in the picture. Should I need this? All pictures show the individual aircraft letter to be dark (black?) with a white outline, is the Airfix suggestion of a white letter possible? Airfix suggest 70/71 upper colours and I'm assuming a mottle of 02, is this a fair assumption? Yellow wing tips or not and if so, how far inboard? If anyone can help it would be appreciated or better still, if anyone knows of an original image that Airfix based their markings on even better. Regards, Clive.

I'm using the Tamiya kit with the fillet-less tail conversion in resin. I'm afraid that I'm rather glacial in my modelling and not sure that my skills are up to snuff for a WIP.

Thanks for all the replies everyone, I think that I have enough to be able to crack on with FPIV. Clive

Got yellow 14 on my list too but using the Academy kit.

That is brilliant thank you, I also now have an idea of how far out the Overlord stripes start should I decide to go for full dress or partially covered as per the photo. Clive

Thanks for that, I'd already found the thread regarding the nose colour hence not asking. If, as you say, the black wing stripe would have been too far outboard, would there have been one in what can be called the "normal" position such as this?

I've recently started on a sort of nostalgia trip based around my memories of building Airfix kits in the 60's. The basic plan is to build the same subject that Airfix kitted back then but using newer kits and aftermarket decals where possible or original Airfix decals if necessary. On my bench right now is Fools Paradise IV, which the Airfix original paint guide got nowhere near being accurate. Having acquired the Xtradecal set for Fools Paradise IV, I have a few questions: This picture clearly shows black bands on the horizontal tail surfaces which Xtradecal have missed, but, as I'm more likely to build my kit without Overlord stripes, here's what I am wondering: a) There appears to be a lighter coloured stripe running across the tail above the serial, would this be evidence of an earlier black stripe that has been removed? b) Whilst the stripes on the upper wing have been overpainted, there is a distinct darker stripe about 3/4 way outboard, is this an earlier black stripe showing through? Looking at pictures of other P-51s, some appear to have the wing ID stripe closer to the fuselage whilst others appear to have them in around the position seen above. c) Am I right to assume that the lighter coloured rudder is merely due to reflection and the difference in material rather than yellow paint? Thanks in advance Clive

I think there may be some truth in this, the Italeri kit in this build is definitely not the ESCI kit of which I have several, although the Italeri kit that I have has raised panel lines that are just as exaggerated as the Matchbox "mad trencher". Clive

That is brilliant, that you John. Clive

Thank you, I can use the Duxford airframe for the torpedo bay detail but I'm really looking for what there is forward of there, is there for example, a box of gubbins similar to that which you have added to this build. Clive.

Thanks but I think that the Duxford version has the original front end not the extended Whirlwind nose. Clive

Those plans look excellent, I don't suppose that they show what happens underneath a Royal Navy HAS.9 that is fitted with a torpedo bay by any chance? I'm converting an Italeri S-55 using a resin nose. Clive

I've decided to take a break from WW2 subjects and make a start on my collection of Italeri S-55, H-18 helicopters. All except the float version will be built to represent Westland Whirlwinds of the RAF or Royal Navy using resin conversions where available. I know that I need to change the windscreen to remove the middle pillars and that the undersides will need to be fettled with but I have a few questions about internal colours. Having taken pictures of the museum exhibits at Newark and Caernarfon, I think I'm right in saying that the cockpits were black with a grey instrument panel and the cabin (notwithstanding any soundproofing) was Dark Admiralty Grey, the "padding" alongside the transmission appears to be a blueish green. If anyone could confirm that would be great. The one area that I've no idea about though due to access restrictions is what I'm calling the "engine deck" behind the cockpit. Any ideas please? Thanks in advance, Clive.

Top job, what colour blue did you use? Clive

Heather, I believe that the engine nacelle had a circular intake which you could represent south a circle of black decal (I wouldn't suggest drilling if you want the wings to stay on)...