Black Knight

I think; aluminium silver. The preserved Luft Hansa 52 was always bare aluminium.

I'm sure someone else has done it more recently than '79. I watched it live on TV with no.1 son when he was a teenager - he's now 27.

Sure, its not long ago a pedal powered flying machine flew across the Channel [and back?]

During the testing of markings which led to the Americans adding bars to their roundel, it was found that shape was seen earlier than colour. At a distance the two white stars, one on each wing, surrounded by blue, was seen to be similar in 'shape' to the new practice of the Germans, using a white outline cross. The addition of the side bars, took the shape seen from a 'square' to an elongated rectangle. to eliminate even more doubt the markings were reduced to one on one top wing. One exception to this was the P47 which often carried a star'nbars on each wing surface, usually in oversize, as i.d.to AA and others.

I've built the 'Aces' boxing and it was Airfix' Mk1, not the Heller IIC or the old 1/11B/IV.

For the BBMF Hurricane, it is a IIC, without the cannon, so one wont need to re-scribe the top wing.

I'm not 100% sure on this but I do believe the Smer boxing is the Heller kit.

The Heller was a IIC. Airfix sold it in its own boxing as 02096 in a blue box, with 'Battle of Britain 50th Anniversary,' on it, from 1990 to 2010 when this number [A02096] was used for the new mould IIC. Any I got were un-boxed, from the BBMF set usually. [info gleaned from the ATF forum] HTH, F

I wish I was as 'clumsy' a painter [as you claim to be], then I could do maybe as good a job as you. These really are excellent. and I agree, the white hi-light in the eyes does work

A lot of modelling is 'perceived perception', Amy, Amelia and some others did not look overtly female in their flying kit. The outside clothing covered it all. For example; when Amelia did her trans-atlantic flight, landing near Londonderry, it wasnt until she removed her overalls that the wife of the cottager realised this small pilot was female. I'm in a vintage sports car club. Many of our members wear leather flying helmets, Irvin jackets or overalls whilst racing. And to be honest, from a short distance away the females look just like the males.Its just when they're in their cars, or I see them from a closer distance can I recognise who is who. A worn Irvin looks like any other from a distance. What this waffle is about is; if you put any pilot in kit, who is on the small-ish side, on an aeroplane and say it is Amy J, nobody is going to gainsay you.

As an aside; Not too long ago I was painting up a model vintage car. I wanted it besplattered with mud. So I used Humbrol 29 Earth. Now as it happened, soon after I was in the actual field where my model car was set and getting mudied. I brought home lots of samples of mud from that field; on me boots, hat, coat, trouser, cameras..........; I compared these examples with the Humbrol 29, and those with perfect colour vision could see no dfference in the shade. So Humbrol 29 is an exact match for earth in a field in county Down, - map reference available,

Hi Rich. Vincent Black Shadow please, ta, F

I'm jumping in here with little knowlege, but you who know better will put the correct info into place. What about the Corsair the Germans captured when it crashed in Norway? I believe it was FAA. The Germans had a problem transporting it because the pilot refused to tell them how the wings folded. Was it in TSS? I dont know where my photos of it are but it didnt look normal TSS [nor DSB], it did look overall a mid-tone, with a very light tone under the wings. AFAIU the Germans never repainted it all, just added yellow to wing tips, tail and engine cowling. If I could only remember which books.........

Yes, but it does depend on the varnish. Kleer/Future darkens it a bit, Humbrol varnishes darken it more. My own contrived mix darkens it only slightly. Just say about how light Humbrol Earth had become; I found an old acylic 30ml pot of it and used on a Gladiator, the more recent shade was closer to 'Light Earth' compared to it. It was closer to US Mid-Tan.

Yes, it is a new issue. They're going back to the original formula. Over the years it had got lighter, and lighter.

I would say, go to a good automotive supply store which sells cans of touch-up paint in spray cans. Nearly all of these are now acrylic paints [but the carrier can be cellulose = lacquer]. Look up European cars in the reference book and you may well find the correct silver for Aston-Martin, or the Rover Silver. Other cars will have used this same silver under different names, maybe even a domestic one. The store may be able to mix you up one can of spray if its not available on the shelf.

Before blutac I used a sliver of masking tape doubled back on itself, in a loop. On the end of a length of sprue, for positioning parts. For jigging, it was modelling clay, aka plasticene. For masking, copydex, or just the tape.

I have a different photo of a shot down REAF Mk9, it shows a 'c' wing. Going by photos of Weismann's IDF/AF 17 the 14 is too big. F

What about Newark [?] air museum - home of the 'Friday 13th' Halibag. Have I got the right name/right place chaps? I've not been there myself but..... maybe..... someday...... I'd fogotten Brooklands. Their restoration workshed is sometimes accessible. Last time I was there they had just finished recovering the fuselage of their Wellington and they allowed my no1 son and me to enter it and have a good look. No-one watched over us, just trusted us not to mess up anything. They were rebuilding, also, a Hurricane IIB recovered from the wastes of Russia. The motor museum there is also worth a visit. About £12 per person entry fee, I think. ah, georgeusa, driving in the UK is not as easy or fluid as USA. One must allow a lot more extra travelling time. In N.I. I allow 35 to 40mph travelling time, in England I allow 15 to 20 mph travelling time.

I concur. I too have one of these on my 'small stash' shelf.

I too need these. I have cheap reading glasses, from the £1 shop, in +1, +1.5, +2, +2.5 & +3 and use them according to how close I need to go. I have a few pairs of each, cos I keep setting them down then losing them, in a model box or something. Tonight I'm using my 'opti-visor' with its +4 lenses.

Steve, --- something which you PREFER more than a Manx Norton! Shame on you! And here am I hoping to learn from your experience of building these kits. So am I the only one to venutre with a M'bike then? Ah well, say laa veee. Fred

This is not within your stated requirement but if you have time and inclination visit the Royal Navy Dockyard Museum at Portsmouth and visit HMS Victory and [HMS] Mary Rose in its new hall. A trip through Victory can enlighten one.

Most of the display content of the Imperial War Museum in London has been moved to Duxford [iWM] as the IWM [London] undergoes a refurb for next year.

Museums: Duxford [Cambridgeshire], Cosford [West Midlands], Hendon [London], Yeovil [somerset] Model emporiums: Hannants [suffolk & London], Hornby/Airfix [Kent] Those are my choices.