SleeperService

Like @Bullbasket I was going to (continue to) step back from GBs for another year but I'm up for all the AFV options including this one. Sadly my Pershing builds from the FIRST GB are almost exactly as they were.

Count me in even if just a substitute. Most likely Soviet or British but no idea what yet.

I'll be up for this No idea what I'll enter at the moment though.

The Universe demands that I put my name down for this and finish a GB entry. I've just completed a sort out of my stuff and am looking at three possible subjects right now. I'm favoring a Beaufighter Mk.II with Merlins just to be awkward, although the Blenheim Mk.I photo recce jobbie is appealing. The distant third is a Beaufighter Mk.V with the turret, possibly the dumbest idea in a very large field of Dumb British Ideas, it could only be worse if burdened with floats.... Note for @Enzo the Magnificent my fragile grip on reality means all three or even more than one aren't going to happen. Every time I hear the news I think I'm getting further from reality despite the shrinks saying I'm getting better. 🤪🚌

It's been a while but looks like it won't be long now. Not quite here but on the way to the maternity ward at speed.

That is starting to look really special Bravo! I've just ordered two masking sets as well as life is too short. Having the Airfix and Eduard combo as well I'm thinking Wendover to deal with the canopy issue.

That's because they never were bronze that being a myth built up over time based on the colour. The cowling heated up considerably around the exhaust collector and 'burned' the metal as it does most metals. It was always burned steel so you've got that spot on. Very good builds there I've been thinking Westland Wendover for my Eduard boxing something your observations have convinced me of. Airfix used Ken Cross(?) for information as he's drawn the whole aircraft in CAD at 1:1 scale so the Airfix kit should be as close as a model can be but the Eduard kit canopy is certainly suspect which is why I never started the kit. Lovely work and a very informative thread. Thank You.

I have the KN 2-seater and the ICM kits. I'll dig them out and start 'fettling' to cause a new kit. Thinking business jet proposal for the KN back-end....

I also hope for a boxing with the ESSS which was a common fit back in the Cold War. I'm happy that ICM are providing rivet detail as it's far easier to remove if not desired but hard work to add if it's not there. Got to say that ICM are really targeting my wallet well recently.

I see what you mean. Even allowing for the canopy being open is the angle of the canopy rail compared to the windscreen rear steeper in the Halberd kit?

I think @Sabrejet is onto something about the canopy shape, the Eduard fuselage appears to taper too sharply from about 2/3 of the cockpit back. The Tamiya (and ICM close enough to be a twin) look bulkier in this area. The Falcon conversion as HERE looks to be correct. The ICM Spitfire has a similar issue needing a 0.5mm spacer just behind the canopy tapering down to the tail, in this case the Eduard P-51 may need a similar treatment. Oddly the artwork seems to show the right configuration while the resin canopy seems to taper in too soon in plan and the profile curves down too near the front rather than following the front cockpit curve a little longer then curving down quite steeply behind the rear cockpit. My knowledge of bubble tops is limited but having a lot of car bodywork experience putting the Eduard and Tamiya P-51D side-by-side shows where the fuselage shape differs. Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this and, if right, Halberd may be able to modify their product. Was the Temco canopy fitted to converted P-51D-25s produced for the USAF changed when Cavalier rebuilt them for export in the early 1960s?

The group is private so invisible to most of us.

It's a lot easier to build in flight! Either a clear disc with prop blur or rotating the blades isn't difficult. You're right about the gear bay shape being different but matching the kit. The walkround on this site will help with details. I'm not certain but the new wingtips may include a span change as well as the beefed up trailing main gear arrangement. The Aerocraft gear is brass as many in the UK and elsewhere noted the sagging main gear - the plastic is quite soft in every boxing I have and will sag pretty quickly. The decals may be an issue as the guy's brother who has his kits and stuff has been through the pile and can't find anything similar - it's possible he created the image and printed them. I'll find out. We've got Skegvegas in the UK and a pretty dire place it is too, I hope the Aussie version is nicer.

Google provided images and links to various NASA downloads for the general pod shape this image shows the pallet dimensions and I just made it up as I went along. Note that she has been rebuilt with a turret from a standard Reaper but no info on sensors fitted. I strongly recommend the BAM parts HERE and the Aerocraft undercarriage HERE the BAM set sorts out the inaccurate undercarriage bay and missing fuelling point and is easy to use, the Aerocraft set means that your Reaper doesn't become a tail-sitter. Since building mine I have found that the propeller is usually in reverse pitch as the kit depicts, this is part of the shutdown procedure and is only different after maintenance (sometimes). A late friend gave me the Forestry service decals and I have no idea where they came from they are just under 5mm high on the fuselage and about 2/3 the size of that (as with the meatball) on the pod. I'll try and find them.

I built one in 1/48 way back which is on the pile to rebuild after the bookshelf collapse of '18. I'd love to see another built Ikhana - The Friendly Drone as my neighbour called it. In other news my Shervick project is a non-starter... it'll need some serious research as there is little on the interweb not even reliable dimensions. I do have a second option though assuming it arrives soon, if not then I'll go to Plan C once I've worked out what that will be....