aerotechi

I can't find a definative answer but I found in the pilot notes the B2 states "Fin Anti-icing System 8. Fin anti-icing is inoperntive, apart from the temperature gauge used to detect any hot air leak." For the B1 "(a) The fin anti-icing system, at present inoperative, is similar to the wing system. Hot-air supplies, from the line that supplies the bomb-bay heating system, are mixed with cold air from the twin intakes in the dorsal fin. The cold-air intake area is varies by an automatically-operated butterfly valve." And under airframe anti-icing "NOTE: Pending further trials the system is only cleared for use when Mods. 686, 777 and 940 are embodied, and the wing duct blanks intoduced by Mod. 1144 are removed. Part of Mod. 686 blanks off the fin anti-icing system." It sounds like it was only a trial system fitted that didn't achieve its aims. I can't think of anything that has Fin anti-ice nowadays so they probably found the fin wasn't worth the complexatity of the system and the subsequent loss of engine power. If someone has a copy of AP 101B-1902-7 or the older desigation AP.4505 Vol 6 it may have more info.

Thank you. Interesting about the serial number. I was working from the 50s colour film which looked more dark blue then pale although I did try to colour correct using a red ladder as a rough guide. Thank you all.

Recently finished this Airfix 1:72 Vickers Valiant. 99% out the box just with some tinkering with the decals and the normal brake lines for the gear etc. Went together really well with minimal filler except the engine intakes which needed much filling and sanding in the worst place to need filler. The kit doesnt have the horizontal strake inside the intake lip so had to add that and as I made it as XD818 as she was during operation grapple I had to remove what I assume are the refuel light storks on the nose to each side of the probe. The decals I went with the standard RAF roundel colours as most of the pics of the aircraft at operation grapple show her with dark roundels and what look like maybe dark blue reg, unfortunatley no dark blue reg so had to go with the lighter blue but I think it looks acceptable especially as its on antiflash white. Painted in my normal humbrol enamels and sprayed with Wurth high gloss white. Except the gear doors which I used halfords appliance white till I found it reacts badly with enamel and had to do it all again in humbrol 130! One of the biggest issues I had with the kit other then the intaks was the tail fin flash decal, it places over the vortex generators but the decal as no slots to accomodate them so some hand painting and adjustment is required. Altogether a nice kit and nice to build. Link to the IWM site showing operation grapple and some nice shots of XD818 leading up to the drop which where very useful for reference. Operation Grapple So here is XD818 as whe was in May 1957 serving with 49 Squadron. As always she looks far better in the sun even when lacking a good place to take pics outside.

Yes its is in NMF and its just an unpainted skin panel. From memory I was told that its a main structual skin and was subject to repeat inspection for cracks etc so they left it unpainted so they didnt need to keep paint stripping for inspection/ paint hiding the cracks. Im sure someone will correct me if Im wrong.

This is the best views from the servicing manuals I have access to.

Always nice to see a well built PR spit especially from my grandfathers squadron maybe even one he worked on.

Thank you. Ive a few kits with invasion markings some with decals and some painted and the decals on the others are slightly less translucent. In future I dont think I'll risk the decals or I'll undercoat in white.

A nice simple little model this straight OOB. The only thing I wish I’d known earlier is how the camo shows through the invasion stripes. A little research shows this aircraft crashed in March 45 killing the RAAF crew of 2. Crash info

Thanks. It is my intention to go for one of every mk. I've the F6 in 1:48 already

Thank you all. The green and NMF has certainly grown on me.

Another Lightning added to the collection, have to admit the green and silver looks far better then I thought. This being the airfix 1:72 F2A it comes with an intake blank so with that I had to add some more GSE so scratch build abused and crashed GPU, (this was more an experiment made from old sprue and drinks can), also added some chocks, gear pin flags, pitot cover, and exhaust cover. Also discoverd I am no good at writting really small with paint. Altogether quite a nice build now just need the other marks to add to the F1a, F2a, and F6 I now have.

Lovely build of the frightning lightning. Going for the one of each mk set?

Thanks Al, Ill have to look at your threads. I know 4 guns 2 missiles is out due to the firestreak pack taking the space for the gun pack.

Thank you both. Some interesting infomation there.

About to start my next build XN793 Lighning F2a which brings a couple of questions. (Airfix 1:72 starter set of only XN793) Read that most Germany based aircraft didn't have refuel equipment fitted yet most pics I see have the refuel fitted. Was this just for flagship 92? What colour was normal for the firestreak? I always thought they where white then saw lots of the F2a flying with green firestreaks and now XN793 with one white and one green fitted. XN793 Germany flagship 92 Or should I build it as a 4 Aden F2a? 🤔

Fantastic build. Love the very subtle chipping. looks spot on!

Lovely build.. Just about to start this kit myself.

Thank you, I came very close to leaving it. Ive only ever thrown one model in the past. I do have the airfix corsair but might have to look at the trumpeter or tamiya kits.

Another old kit build I got off a friend. This one the original mould going back to 1970. I had high hopes with this one despite its age having build the 1:32 DH Sea Venom. I knew it wouldn't be the most detailed and prior research told me it was incorrect wth a cockpit floor but I had a cunning plan! So heres my cunning plan list to correct the lack of detail etc. cut cockpit floor out, reposition rudder pedals and use some cotton to give an under floor structure look.(for those who dont know. The F4U-1A had no cockpit floor and the belly window from the F4U-1 was deleted) ... That was the plan till I discovered the seat looked oversized so some chopping and sanding and trimming later I have a floorless cockpit with added O2 bottle with a little side detail. Add some tread to the tyres. After trying cuts and scribing the discovery of heating the knurled end of a broken craft knife and rolling it on the tyre although not great did look somewhat better then the alternative. No gear bay sides. Insert some PVA soaked sponge into the gaps and cover with a little filler- again not great but far better then the gear bay caves! Lack of engine detail on a 1:32. Cut some wire and heat to insert into engine case to act like push rod tubes rather then the floating in mid air nowhere near the cyclinders, and cotton for the ignition leads. Gear doors with zero detail (theyre just smooth) - again not my best work but a soldering iron to just add some recesses and notches Now I get to the problems with this kit or my one. Excess flash everywhere - Not too much of a problem just a small irritation Sink marks, malformed, missing plastic,- some leading edges look like they have been hit by a boulder. large sunken area on one wing needing filling up. Parts not fitting together/ misalignment. Gap between copit forward glazing and after sliding section and forward and fuselage. wing halves cut outs not aligned etc etc. The wing is held on at the fold by a single 1mm square hinge. The weight and moment arm of the outboard wing breaks this very easily I've broken and repaired it about 4 times each wing. If you want the wings down just glue it don't hinge it as they dont meet in the middle without a big gap. Landing gear - for such a large and quite heavy wing the gear is just attached with 2 spindley attachment points that bend and break with sidestays that just float in midair. The wing fold stays are about 1-2mm too short to sit comfortably. I don't like to moan about models rather then just advise with tips I've found whilst building for others to watch out for but to be honest I almost gave up on this build. I had intended to try to give the paint some Pacific sun fading but with the fragility I daren't touch it. I broke the wing again just putting decals on and again re folding the wing after the picture taking. (Its now on the shelf drying again with clamped tweezers and bracing for the 5th time) Vought F4U-1A Corsair, VF-17 Squadron, US Navy Ondonga, Solomon Islands, November 1943 And the amount of flash on the frames and even frames not complete.

Theres a couple of paints I use depending on the level of polish etc I'm looking for. Humbrol 11 and 56, used for more tarnished or painted silver panels. Some panels on the lightning are painted silver not NMF so these add that nice slightly darker or matt look Revell 90, 91, same as above Revell 99, ideal for the intake ring. Overall I paint in revell 90 and add in the others for variation or if spraying I use Plastikote rattle can in metallic silver or brilliant metallic for polished or unpolished look. (rattle cans I get from hobbycraft, Hobbycraft rattle can)

Thanks. Just the one left the F-102 which is in the stash.

Thank you. Something to keep in mind for later on. I have although its also 1:48 scale so dwarfs the others, but will match the F-102 in 1:48 when I make that one.

Another one finished this time the 1:72 Hasegawa F-106A Delta Dart. Another old kit needing lots of filler especially around the wing joints and some rework to get the canopy and nose cone to fit, and missile bay doors that just kept wanting to fall off! This aircraft 72470 of Massachusetts ANG 102 FIW 101FIS "Cape Cod" (demonstrator at 1985 Copper Flag) build in San Diego and shot down as a target drone Feb 1994 over the Gulf Of Mexico by an AIM-120 AMRAAM. Tha just leaves the 1:48 F-102 Delta Dagger in the stash to build to complete the Century Fighter Series.

@Angell328 may know having his own production line going.

Thank you. Yes the pics on the museum website show the old desert colours coming through in a few places.