StevieD

Does anyone know of photographic evidence of the kit subject R4+LK ? One profile I’ve seen (I know don’t trust a profile) shows this in a possible scheme of splinter RLM 70 Schwarzgrun/RLM 71 Dunkelgrun on the upper surfaces. Wouldn’t mind a bash at that if it could have been a possibility. Many thanks

That is truly world-beating rivet action!

Which do you reckon was the most heavily riveted Airfix kit? The one that sticks in my mind is the P40 Kittyhawk. Even as a kid I knew there was something wrong there...

Wow! Many thanks for this. I will have to go back to the museum and photograph this. all I can say -relying on memory - is that DO BERLIN looked like it was un-retouched. Also the 'puss in boots' character - again as far as I remember - is wearing a Polish beret. (My father was in II Polish Corp and I have photographs of him in a similar beret.)

Thanks for that! Yes the 301 Squadron site shows nothing, although one Wellington carries a witch that looks like it may be from the same artist. Regarding 'Berlin', the nose art at Hendon reads DO BERLIN without the 'a.' Maybe the crew were getting anglicised. Strangely the Model Makers Decal sheet has TO BERLIN

At Hendon last year I came across a piece of nose art on a wall. Alongside a polish chequerboard is a ‘puss in boots’ character brandishing a sword while riding a bomb with the inscription 'Do Berlin!’ It had no explanatory caption. Despite much searching I couldn’t find a photo of any aircraft carrying this nose art. Then I came across a Model Makers Wellington decal sheet that shows the aircraft as 301 Squadron GR-O serial Z1259. This Wellington was flown by F/O Mieczysław Stachiewicz who sadly died of Coronovirus this April at the grand old age of 102. Questions…

Ground crew on Polish squadrons were Polish as they all come across at the same time. Took then a while to adapt to English technical manuals etc but as far as I know 303s would have been Polish

This must have been covered before but I was wondering about the red diagonal fuselage band on at least two of 303s Hurricanes in 1940. RF-J (V6665) and RF-A (P3120) Theory 1 – this was a squadron/section leader marking carried over from Poland. Theory 2 – This was an experimental ID marking requested by the British. (Think someone has documentation to back this up) If a non -specific order was given to put a red band around the fuselage I suppose the ground crew would have carried it out in the same style as they had done in Poland. But bearing in m

Yes, I did wonder if it was reversed in France as a sign Poland wasn’t free. It was the variation in Britain that confused me. I suppose there were a lot more things to worry about at the time but I know there’s a Polish tendency to be accurate about these things – my father was Polish! As JWM shows most were correct orientation but even within squadrons you can’t be sure - Tadeusz Schiele’s Spitfire V of 308 has ‘French style.’ I’m just finishing 307 Defiant EW H. Not finding any actual photos I followed the instructions on the Model Maker Decals, then re

The Polish chequerboard. In 1939 the red square is always at top left. In Morane/ Caudron photos from 1940 the red square is top right. In Britain it varies. Is there a correct orientation for the chequerboard? I’d imagine it should be as 1939 but why did it change in France? Many thanks

Thanks for that! I've just found photos of the G-2. I know you can't trust a profile but there are just to many North African 109s with that yellow recognition marking for it to have been a repeated mistake.

Yes white nose tail wing tips and fuselage band. But lots of profiles and decal sheets show a yellow lower nose. Haven't found any colour desert shots - well at least ones not colourised.

Hello About to have a bash at Joachim Munchenberg's G2 from Libya in 1943 as shown on the Xtradecal sheet. It doesn't show the lower yellow nose ID that's seen on most profiles and photos of other desert 109s. Should it be there? Thanks

Special Hobby 1/72 Gant My first SH kit and a real gem, although I understand they're not all like that. Fiddly cockpit though. The decals were terrible - fell to bits as soon as you looked at them so couldn't save the stencils. Would definitely build another though. Thanks for looking

80th Anniversary of outbreak of WW2 next year so how about a 1/72 PZL P.11c? I went into Foyles bookshop in London recently and couldn’t find one single book that dealt with September 1939. I think we’re in danger of thinking the war started in 1940 at a place called Dunkirk. There’s a P.11c at the Krakow aircraft museum to go look at (although the wheels put on during restoration are all wrong.) How about Gnys' aircraft for the (generally accepted) first allied kill? And could be boxed up as dogfight double with the He111 or Stuka. T