Angus Tura

That's a prettty nice result given the difficulties you describe, Mr.O. I'm sorry but, like Henry Ford, I like black. Alan

That's alright then... Hello. Progress has slowed but not stopped. Quite a bit of painting done but getting a bit sidetracked also: I hate doing the same bit of a model twice: it's such a waste of time. However, I put some decal red placards on the ejector seats. I've cut these out of a sheet of fantasy printshop red. In this photo it looks red but in reality it was a muddy sort of maroon because there's no white backing on the decals. So, I've taken them off and replaced with these cut from the spare fin-flashed on the Hannants

You have stolen my thunder! I think I've found the answer to my Blitzbuild-DNF-Blues: a one piece kit. I hope it will be acceptable: This s the OKB Grigorov 1?700 Sea Shadow which was an experimental stealth ship. It looks a bit like a half-submerged F-117. Although there is only one part in the model, I'd like to do it in the blitzbuild to try-out making a seascape. I hope its OK: plenty of other part-o-penic kits around if not! Alan PS: why is there no thread for this in "future GBs"?

I get that. As we already know that there are at least two windshields like this out there, how confident can you be that the new one coming to you will be any better? Alan

Dear Pappy, That is too bad. I haven't opened my canopy bag yet and now I'm dreading it. The customer service is good as you say, but not good enough to complete your build on time. I had a similar problem with a (still not finished) Airfix Hurricane last year albeit the canopy was not too narrow, but too wide for it to look OK slid-back: I made up this little jig: It's just two matchsticks, and a bit of matchstick in between, epoxied to a bit of wood. The two matchstick aren't quite parallel, converging towards the

Funny peculiar, or funny ha-ha?

So, a little update. Here are my bits and pieces semi-painted: The cockpit and seats are nearly done and its all prepped up for more black and then light aircraft grey in the interiors and landing gear. Here are the sidewinders modified, or at least, half-modified. I've cut off all the fins and cleaned them up. They're not long enough to be the acquisition rounds (or whatever: they look a bit like AMRAAMs to me). They've been drilled out to accpet the rods but then I didn't have a bit of tube of quite the right diameter. So they

Hi, Not much done. The turret needs a lot of help to fit: Pete, "I'm glad you asked me that question," usually means "I haven't the foggiest". That would have been the truthful answer to your question. However, I have read up on this. I've certainly seen it happen to old model car tyres which have become a bit gooey and stuck to polystyrene, and I've seen unpainted Dragon DS tracks get very brittle. I am not an industrial chemist but I understand that it isn't a "reaction" as such. Rather, the soft plastics are not inherently

Matt, That is looking great. I'll certainly follow this. Could we start using "draining board" as a unit of length, like Blue Peter used to use "double-decker bus" as a unit of height? It the wheels are down, and there's a chap sitting in it shouldn't the jet nozzles be pointing down? Alan

Hi, again. Thanks Mr.Minion. A little more progress today. I've been trying out the fit of the tow cables which are molded in vinyl. I'm keen to use them to be completely OOTB but the "on-the-way" web-review mentioned above thought them not much use. I know what he means but I do think they're usable. The clamp-thing on the back of the fuel tank is quite a tight fit without glue and I think I can paint it in situ without the cables and then add the cables and paint them. They feel terribly delicate, and they're going to need a bit of painting

These are looking very good, Dave. Reheat bezels are a bit of a collector's item these day, Alan

Hello. Long inactivity. I got a bit bogged down in the fender fit and side-tracked by the Revell BAe Hawk GB. Here are some little fillers for the glacis, The front and back of the fenders seem to have been cut back on the RAAC centurions in Vietnam. I based that on this reference which I've had hanging around for ages. Having cut them back they needed thinning out: The fit of the fenders to the hull is a problem however. This is partly self inflicted. I could just clamp the fenders on, apply the glue and wait but I'd

Very nice, Enzo. I'm looking forward to seeing this done. The old Airfix version was a particular favourite in my youth, Alan

Right!...he said decisively. Here are all the bits and pieces ready to start painting. These all need a wash and I can start getting some paint on tomorrow, Alan

I'm glad you asked this before me, Paul. I haven't the foggiest what they are. They are on the real thing on online pictures. I've seen one build of this that seemed to have blanking behind each hole, and I did think that looked better. I'm sure someone here will know what they are. Alan