vildebeest

I was by chance reading Michael Bowyer, Interceptor Fighters of the RAF last night and he gives the following figures as at 3 September 1939 30 single seat fighter squadrons Mandated strength per squadron, 16 Initial Equipment, 5 reserve, so 21/squadron Actual numbers, 570, so 19/sqn on average Pilots - 659, so 22/sqn average. Paul

I used the kit piece for the main strut from the wing and contrail struts for the ones attaching to the fuselage. If I were doing it again, though, I would think about replacing the main strut. The key I think is to be able to get a really strong joint between the main strut and the wing and the wheel spat. Also to use some sort of jig, both to hold it whilst drying and to ensure that they are angled forward by the exactly the same amount on both sides at the first attempt. Paul

I have built the Valom Harrow. I would consider myself a fairly average modeller but do not recollect any huge problems. It was fairly detailed, the clear parts were fine as far as I am concerned - the clear parts have been criticised on earlier kits. The main difficulty was getting those huge wheels and fairings hanging in the middle of the air right. That took several goes. The plastic for the struts is quite brittle and most of was replaced and, being short run, the positioning of the struts is inexact. My advice would be to think carefully about how you are going to do the wheels before doing anything with them. Paul .

Gordon - technically - arguably! - operational at Habbaniya against Iraqi forces.

I think we can include Short Singapore, mid-war type that only just made it but in an active role (with RNZAF). Also arguably Wapiti which I believe flew actively with Indian Coastal Defence (Merlin made a vague approximation but I am not sure we can count that.) Gauntlet was produced by Aeroclub and previously by Pegasus if they count as injection tooling, also I thought more recently? Paul

Paolo I do have a copy of the plans but they are a bit of a mess. I got them many years ago when they will still held by Aviation News, however, they had run out of original plans, so they sent a copy on three overlapping pages, which I then cut and stuck together to produce a single plan which has since fallen apart! So if you have no success with them, let me know and I can send you something, but it will be a bit of a jigsaw puzzle to produce a single plan. Paul

There are the plans by Ian Stair originally published in Aviation News, if you do not already have them. No idea how accurate they are. A quick search shows them available https://www.tandymedia.com/product/vickers-valentia-victoria-aircraft-plan/ though I have no experience of these people. Paul

In my Airfix PSL guide, which is by Michael Bowyer rather than Jerry Scott, it states as follows: From the Munich crisis, training aircraft had upper surfaces of wings, tailplane and fuselage camouflaged in DG and DE. The fuselage sides to about three quarters way up were left yellow, likewise the wing undersurfaces, top and bottom. LG and LE on lower wings of bi-planes "is not believed to have come in until April 1940." Paul

For anybody looking for a Bulldog prop for the Airfix kit, there is now a resin replacement available at https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/KORAD72160 No idea how good it is. Paul

Many thanks for the detailed answer, Jack. Now you mention it, it is obvious that removing the whole rocker cover and putting completely new ones on is the way to go. I also like the idea of a hole in the rocker cover to accept the push rod. I wonder whether that can be done by drilling the hole in plastic first then cutting out? I see you also put in an extension at the front of the engine where the push rods go into the crank case which makes sense. Drilling a hole, then two holes within the hole, 14 times shows real dedication! Paul

Jack, that's lovely work there. The push rods and rocker covers to me give the Jaguar its character. I am pondering at the moment what to do for one for a Flycatcher. Your photo does show how rough the original resin was, and although it is not expensive in itself , the cost of postage to the UK makes it unattractive if it is going to need a lot of work. What did you do with the rocker covers? I assume on the resin they do not extend forward of the cylinders but that you have managed to build them forward. Paul

No, no numbers or markings, just national insignia on tail, on top and below wings. Paul

There is a profile in SAM Combat Colours, Pearl Harbour and Beyond, possibly based on these photos, described as dark olive drab 31 and neutral gray. Paul

Unsurprisingly, I do have it. I have not built it yet, so am not going to comment on accuracy or fit, but in the box it looks reasonably detailed, It is, I believe a re-pop of the earlier kit they did a few years ago which I missed out on, so there will be a few builds around. On the specific markings for the kit, as you say, the box shows it in action with Japanese fighters, presumably intended to be the Endau raid. The decal options are for two camouflaged versions, one 36 Sqn, one 100 Sqn, "late 1941, early 1942" and two silver versions. However, the only offensive armament is torpedo, there are no bomb racks or bombs. Moreover, on the colour scheme, the torpedoes are shown with bright red fronts which , someone will correct me if I am wrong, I thought were for training versions and not really appropriate for war. In any event, I believe there was only one operation, at the very start of the war, where torpedoes were used, by 36 Sqn. There are lots of questions about Endau Vildebeests, but one thing that is certain is that they carried bombs, not torpedoes. So to build a wartime Vildebeest involves some work, I am probably going to use the bomb racks from the Airfix Swordfish - I assume they would be the same although I haven't checked yet. The camouflaged versions are given as dark earth and dark green. There was a long thread on here by people more learned than I, which came to the conclusion that it was all rather unclear, but dark earth and dark green was certainly a possibility, indeed a probability to some. Paul

Hi. my Aviation News plans are not at home, which means they will be at my Mum's house, and it will be a couple of weeks before I am there again. Paul