dad's lad

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)...

Excellent news, far too few options for RFC aftermarket decals at the moment. Hopefully my own local hero Albert Ball will feature. Clive

Hi Jan, when do you plan to have the Nieuport decals available please? Clive

Excellent, thanks so much. Clive

Thank you, any other external differences from the Mk.X that I need to be aware of? The number of machine guns I believe. Clive.

Well you live and learn...

I'm well acquainted with the rather prominent bulge for the Sperry autopilot on RAAF Beaufighters but being the curious type, I've always wondered what was the specific reason that RAAF aircraft needed these and Beaufighters operated by different air arms didn't. I could assume it was due to large distances having to be flown over the Pacific but beyond that, I'm stumped. Any experts care to enlighten me please? Thanks, Clive.

Actually Bob it's quite the reverse at the moment, I can get the Aeroclub one from Ebay, or King Kit. The Roden one I've only seen on King Kit and whilst I was waiting for my monthly "allowance" for kits, somebody nabbed it. Even Hannants doesn't have it listed to be able to backorder and I'm not aware that I can order directly from Roden. Clive.

Well that looks like a landing accident!! Thanks everyone for your replies, I now have a choice of kitbashing or buying the more readily available Aeroclub model which I could detail with parts from a cheap(er) Revell Dr.1 Clive

I'd love to but it seems they've been pooped on by a rocking horse...

Wow thank you very much, that is most comprehensive. Don't know if I'm brave enough now but we'll see. Clive

If I wanted to build a Fokker D.VI using a Fokker DR.1 fuselage and Fokker D.VII wings in 1/72, how much would I need to reduce the wingspan by? Wikipedia only gives overall wingspan of 8.9m for the D.VII and 7.66m for the D.VI, but no respective widths for the lower wings so would they be reduced by the same amount? Clive

Thanks all, some great answers.

Reminds me of when we went to see HMS Victory years ago, some CPO treated us as if we were signing up! My Dad muttered something to the effect that we'd come to visit the Navy not bloody well join it...

Thanks, I've often seen in films conscripts going through assessment but it always seems to be the Army.

Hope this is the right forum for this question but I've always wondered, if you were "called up" during WW2, how was it decided which branch of the armed services you would serve in? Thanks, Clive.

I'm by no means an expert on WW1 aircraft but I think that Fokkers had a seam along the bottom where the canvas was joined. Maybe a small bit of stretched sprue to actually highlight it rather than try and eradicate it. Clive.

Wow thanks for the comprehensive reply, I'll remove the blisters when I do my conversion. With further regard to the MPM kit, I know that common consensus is that the colour call out is wrong and that they should be PRU blue and not pink but I'm trying to find whether one if the marking options is correct, the one with the red/blue fin flash as I think this looks rather cool compared to the more common red/white/blue. I do know that the given serial is genuine for a PR.X (MD194). Oh, and as per your suggestion, I plan both a PR.X and PR.XI so invasion stripes are definitely a possibility. Clive.

References that I have found state that the PR.X was developed AFTER the PR.XI but utilised the same wing. Now I know that the PR.XI had those little blisters just forwards of the landing gear but the only picture of a PR.X that I can find where the underside of the wings is visible doesn't show them. Is the picture showing a non production PR.X or did they really not have the blisters? Thanks in advance. Clive.

Wikipedia (yes I know) suggests that RAF Vampires operated in "secondary roles" until 1972. Clive.

We first came to South Wales in 1969 and on a day trip to Lydstep Haven were well and truly buzzed by low flying Vampires which were being "shot at" from the Manorbier range so I'd have expected them to still be current in 1966. Clive.

Personally I wouldn't trust the box art for anything even down to what kit is in the box. I've never seen such a poor illustration, the perspectives look all over the place. Bottom line, your kit will at least LOOK like a P-38, unlike the box!

I was the same with the original Airfix Bf109G in that lovely pale blue. Propellor and wheels all black and a coating of H27 on the top of the wings and fuselage. Looked the bees knees to me at the time. Clive

Even Model Alliance cannot agree with themselves it seems. I've just looked again at their decal sheet and there are TWO interpretations of what I assume to be the same aircraft: One in PRU blue with no name, code letter S (incorrectly captioned as PP880 although the profile shows BP880) One in dark blue with the name Flying Scotsman, code letter S and serial BP880 Madness...