David A Collins

Aha, I've found some better photos! Thanks for looking.

Matchbox 1/72 AWA Meteor built as TT.20 WM224. I built this 10 years ago, and added an Aeroclub towing winch sometime after these photos were taken. This shows '224 earlier in it's target towing life. At some point, it suffered a hit from a stray cannon shell in its rear fuselage. Resulting in the aircraft receiving a complete rear fuselage from a different aircraft that had a ground incident. If you look at photos of '224 taken after it was sold in the 70's, this is why the dayglo striped pattern on the rear fuselage doesn't match the block dayglo pattern on the rest of the fuselage.

Hi Julien, It's amazing to see where where wood and doped linen still creep into a jet design!

Hi Julien, The leading edge of each Meteor nacelle is formed from machined laminated segments of a hard wood. (Approx. 3" deep if memory serves me correctly) This wooden ring is wrapped in a single layer of doped Irish linen. The bulk of the nacelle is made from aluminium though. The aircraft pictured may have had its nacelle leading edge replaced.

Result! Alley Cat have released some 1/48 decals for the Vampire, and these include 604 Squadron. These have been duly purchased and will find their way into another Airfix Vampire F.3 in due course

Hi alzictorini, Having personally restored or created several original aircraft instrument panels in aluminium/tuffnel including: Vampire FB.5 and T.11; Meteor F.4 and NF.11; Hornet F.1; Sea Hornet PR.22; and Tempest II, I can say that you have done a superb job on this Hampden. It's indistinguishable from the original. Amazing work.

Lovely work Britman.

Wonderful. I too had my first flight in WB627 at 5AEF! It was in the summer of 1987 I recall.

I guess, with the covers off displaying the gas turbine that the undercarriage could alway be glued onto a diorama display base! This should prevent it being a tail-sitter.

This engine is a nice addition. Its going to need one serious nose weight to counter the imbalance though!

The Dalrymple and Verdun published book by Tony Buttler has several excellent TT photos within. Also, others can be found in the web.

Hi T-21, I bet it was sad to stop flying these Tempests. Fingers crossed we will see two Tempest II's flying this year. One in the UK and one in Canada

All paints are Humbrol rattle cans. Yellow is Gloss 69 I think, over Matt 33. Both appeared satin when dry. I'll be adding the towing attachment and also the anti-foul post beneath the rear fuselage, when I've scratch built them. The wires are beyond my skill to add, but if you search Britmodeller you'll find Mark's Heller Tempest TT.5 from a few years ago. He did a splendid job, including all the bells and whistles

Hi T-21, Wow, what a coincidence! I hope I have done it justice. My friend Mark Gauntlet provided the colour artwork I used for this. I believe his father was ground crew a RAF Pembrey for his National Service.