Andrew

Thanks for that, Mark. PM inbound. Andrew

Mark, Is this over JB? And which FFG? When was it taken? And (final question) an S-70? I left MELBOURNE in June (is there an emoticon for sheer relief) but spent plenty of time in JB (no flying serials though) earlier in the year. Oh, very nice Sea Fury, by the way. Andrew

Hi Periklis, Great stuff, and clearly you're keen to do a very thorough job. Keep at it please. Your cockpit has come together very nicely, and the engine bay is just stunning! Thanks for your pics. Andrew

So true...... mmmmm, Lightnings. Thanks for posting your pics, John (although it took me until one of your replies to work out which kit it was - I'm a bit slow in the evenings). I agree that the pair look great together. It sounds like you've worked hard to get this one finished, but full credit to you for persevering. It's great to hear that you've got more to come and I look forward to seeing your progress on those; keep 'em coming. Andrew.

You guys are on the ball; I was going to research further today but now have the answers! Thanks very much. Stef, I look forward to seeing more pics, as your progress has been stunning (and more than a little inspirational). Your recollection about the rear antenna I believe is correct; I will check my reference pics to confirm this. (insert mad dash to locate said pics) Have just found them, and you are right with your placement of the tailcone antenna; it is definitely off-centre and sits lower left, looking forward. I can send some pics I've pilfered off the web if you like. Hope this doesn't come too late.... Thanks for all the assistance, and good luck with the rest of your build, Stef. Andrew.

Hi Martin, Thanks as ever for your prompt assistance. I'll look into these Greek units a bit more closely; when I get 'round to doing an Hellenic F-4E, it will have the ECM bits more often associated with USN jets and the new additions of course. On the subject of ex-German RF-4s, I've noticed that some (both Turkish and Greek) have lost the Norm 83(?) camouflage and acquired a SEA-style scheme. For me this diminishes their appeal though, as I prefer to see them with the evidence of their former owners. Just a quirk I guess.... Anyway, back to Stef's thread...... Andrew

You're making great progress, Stef. Good luck with the rest of your build (not that you need it), and it's great to see Periklis and Martin keeping you on the straight and narrow regarding the updates and modifications. Thanks guys, as it's kept me informed as well. If I may ask another question about Greek F-4Es, which squadron is 338 Mira, and which is 339? I notice that many of the jets have an archer figure (?) on the tail. Is this a squadron emblem? I've also noticed that several updated F-4E in your intended scheme often carry tanks of another scheme. In this amazing thread of pics taken by Chris Lofting at Andravida earlier this year, I'd swear that some are carrying ex-German RF-4E bags, or perhaps they're Gunship Grey? Anyway, thanks for your pics and keeping us informed of your progress; look forward to seeing more as you're able. Andrew.

Thanks for the further pics, Fred. The kit looks quite good, especially from the rear quarter. Your paint scheme looks spot on; are the colours straight from the tin? The Sky in particular looks exactly how I perceive it from photos, but never seem to acheive myself. Well done. Andrew

Hi Shane, Glad I could help, and agree entirely about the forthcoming (I hope, I really, really hope.....) Gekko sheets in 72nd. If I remember correctly, Richard was intending to include TA-4s on the sheet(s) as well. I'm all for that! Perhaps in the New Year? Merry Christmas! Andrew

All are really impressive, Gary. Congratulations on a year well-spent. Gorgeous Sabre, and interesting to see an F-104 without anything on or under the wings. Hope to see more of your work next year. Cheers, Andrew.

G'day Shane, This information is from Richard Chafer's amazingly well-researched Gekko Graphics sheets for Kiwi Skyhawks. The colours are: 34102 Medium Greeen, 34079 Dark Green, 30219 Tan and 36622 Light Grey. Hope this helps and good luck with your build. Andrew.

G'day Fred, Despite your hassles the kit still looks very nice. Thanks for persevering and sharing the pics, and your experience thus far. I was one who excitedly bought the kit as soon it appeared in my LHS, but was disappointed by the cockpit (among other things) and have relegated it to further down in the pile. It's great to see that your building anyway and building well. Great stuff and good luck with the remainder. Andrew

Les, Your Spitfire is progressing beautifully. Congratulations and here's hoping that the final stages are trouble-free; I look forward to seeing the finished product. Andrew

Graham, Many thanks for your examination of the new Revell Lanc and comparison with the Airfix and Hasegawa kits. As someone who would like one, perhaps two (pushing it), Lancaster(s), but doesn't have either the Airfix or Hasegawa ones, I've waited semi-patiently for the Revell kit to be released. I'm now a lot better informed about the contents and merits of each kit, and am very grateful for the time you've taken to analyse them. Thanks in particular for the pics which demonstrate so effectively what you encountered. While the upshot may be that I'm still uncertain which kit to get, at least I've seen what I'm getting for my dollars and am pre-warned about any problems etc. All the best with your builds; I'd be chuffed if you could post some more pics one day of your progress. Cheers and thanks again, Andrew

To Martin, Doc and Sandy, Congratulations on your fine efforts; apologies for not saying so sooner. Thanks for your in-progress threads as well. It's great to see variety in the schemes chosen and it reminds me of the varied service that this aircraft has seen. Andrew

Awesome Gary, This is really coming together; looks like all your effort is paying off. Hopefully with your time off you'll be able to make even more progress - perhaps there's not much more to do before painting? Awaiting more pics.... Andrew

Looks good Dave, What markings/scheme do you have in mind for it? Looking forward to seeing your progress. Andrew

All are really nice, Mike. Well done, particularly with the B-17. I look forward to more of your efforts. Andrew.

Concur with the others, great stuff and a very productive year. I really like the Seafire and Canberra. Keep them coming. Andrew

Afternoon all, With the sense of timing of a retarded sloth, I'm finally putting my hand up for a meager contribution to this Group Build. I probably said something similar for the last GB, but this is different...... this is Jaguars! Mmmmmmm, Jagalicious..... Okay, enough of the intro. My intention is to bang out a few Hasegawa/Hobbycraft kits in 72nd. Nothing like overextension...... If the plan comes to fruition, then there should be the following: GR.1 from II(AC) Sqn in the mid-late '80s an A from the AdA in Chad browns, again from the '80s Omani single-seater, with TIALD pod Indian two-seater in the current grey scheme Disclaimer: The first few days of leave make a man think that everything is possible. Experience suggests that a miracle will see one of them finished. Anyway, should be fun. I've enjoyed watching the builds so far, and can't really defer getting involved myself any longer. Standby for news/pics. Andrew.

Great job, Jen. Thanks for the pics, as I was curious to see how it would finish (but not surprised it turned out so well). Back to the Jag now? Andrew.

Hi Jen, Thanks for the pics and your description of shading black. I've found both very informative, and it's a stunning build I'll enjoy following to completion. Andrew

Great to hear about the intakes, sounds like you've successfully avoided my usual pitfall of spending so much time on one small area all for dubious gain and a big case of the doldrums! With the CBLS, you didn't happen to get photos or dimensions of the one on the Tornado did you? If so, would you be willing to share? Irrespective, my desire to see more pics of both your Jag and the CBLS remains. Considering your previous reference of head-on photos, that's an amazing bit of scratchbuilding. I've spent hours looking at phots in books and online and have come up with 'close enough' drawings sketch scribble on a napkin, but have yet to commit razor saw to precious scrap plastic. When I do, look out world! It will undoubtedly be the most accurate handmade model of a superseded, forgotten bit of stuff hung on planes that saw service no greater than fifteen years ago. Nice touch on the 'armed to the teeth' reference too; still chuckling! It seems as though discarded 1300l bags will be the next weapons to undergo the JDAM/GPS guidance fin and vane kits upgrade. Whoa, better rein in my slightly narrower digressive streak. Keep up the great work, and looking forward to your next update. Andrew.

Hi Jen, I like your progress so far, although the very wide lazy streak in me argues that the Italeri intakes look adequate (note not necessarily correct). Tough call I'm sure as to how much effort to expend on them, but all that really matters is how close they are for your satisfaction. Just on the topic of CBLS, from what I can see you've created a very fine representation. I'm yet to scratchbuild mine (either -100 or -200 series), but when I do, I hope they turn out comparable to yours. It looks just right and by itself is worthy of more photos; perhaps later when painted? I'm looking forward to see how the rest of your build goes - everything suggests it will be absolutely awesome. Cheers, Andrew

Hello all, Just wanted to post my thanks to you gents, RB in particular, for the detail regarding FAA Corsairs. I've learnt heaps as I read this thread and take in all the information. Cheers, Andrew