Tail-Dragon

According to Patrick Martin's "Royal Canadian Air Force - Aircraft finish and markings 1947 -1958" finishing instruction 42402-2, the outboard 60 inches (top and bottom) were finished in 'red 9-2' as well as the horizontal stab top and bottom, but NOT the elevators or ailerons (silver doped fabric). Center of the upper roundels was on the color dividing line (60"), but had a 1 1/2 inch 'clearance' line around the roundel in the airframe color, while the lower roundel centers were 100 inches from the tip. Red 9-2 info Courtesy of IPMS Canada - Canadian colours guide - " In the days the Red Ensign was the official Canadian flag, 509-102 was the only red specified for use by the RCAF and Army aircraft for roundels, fin flashes, the flag, hi-viz areas, warning markings, etc. Due to weathering & local sources, many variations occurred in the colour. It’s also the colour of the Canadian Coast Guard helicopters & ships. I find a good match for this red, is Model Master (enamels) “Guards Red” on a matt white under coat. 1-GP-12b: 9-2 1-GP-12c: 509-102 (Gloss) Hue: 0 Sat: 24" https://www.ipmscanada.com/1989/01/01/ipms-canada-canadian-colours-guide-1989/

I just compared the canopies from the Testors/Italeri Lysander to my half completed Gavia/Eduards kit. While the plastic is basically one piece (vs 5 sections on the Gavia) and thicker on the Testors, it is still very clear, and with some careful trimming should fit fine. I assume the same will be true for the Vacuform replacement. Is one piece broken, or are all sections smashed? If you have access to and old Testors/Italeri/Hawk kit you could cut out a replacement section easily enough.

On the first posting profile it is shown as yellow, which tracks with the photo.

Hurray for Hollywood!

Just out of curiosity, I looked in the IPC for the P-51a for the wooden seat installation and found this (p/n 91-53058) ... ... and in the IPC for the AT-6 wooden seat (p/n 01-53074) ... ... sure looks similar to me.

I found that Tamiya XF23:1 and XF02:1 came close enough to the colors used in the film. (At least they didn't use HA-1112's for the Spits - "Eagles over London"!)

I have both the Classic Airframes, and the Trumpeter kits. I certainly would not call the Trumpeter 'great', but it is miles ahead of the Classic Airframes. It will require much more work than you should have to do on an expensive kit, but that's Trumpeter for you. They seem to fall into two categories - those that can be corrected, and those that can't! (think - Vampire flying egg!)

This is interesting. 'ThomasP' posted on ww2aircraft.net the following ... Beaufighter Mk I / Hercules III or XI, prop was DH Ø12' 9" Beaufighter Mk II / Merlin XX, prop was Rotol Ø12' 0" Beaufighter Mk VI & X / Hercules VI, prop was DH Ø12' 9" Wellington Mk I,!A,!C / Pegasus XVIII, prop was DH Ø12' 6" Wellington Mk II / Merlin X, prop was DH Ø12' 9" Wellington Mk III & X / Hercules VI or XVI, prop was Rotol or DH Ø12' 9" Stirling Mk III,IV,V / Hercules VI or XVI, prop was DH Ø13' 6" Halifax Mk I / Merlin X, prop was Rotol Ø12' 9" Halifax Mk II & V / Merlin XX or 22, prop was Rotol Ø13' 0" Halifax Mk III & VII / Hercules VI or XVI, prop was DH Ø13' 0" Lancaster Mk I / Merlin XX, 22, or 24, prop was DH Ø13' 0" Lancaster Mk II / Hercules VI or XVI, prop was Rotol Ø13' 0" Lancaster Mk III / Merlin 28 or 38, prop was DH or NK Ø13' 0" Could it be that Lancaster Mk I needle prop will work as a substitute prop for the Trumpeter Battle? The difference between 12'6" (Battle) and 13' (Lancaster) works out to .065 inch per blade in 1/48. P.S. That will work! Upper prop is Trumpeter, lower is a spare needle prop from the Tamiya Lancaster. other side ...

Elevators are mass balanced to balance level at the hinge point. Just as a side note - some of the aircraft I used to work on had mass balance weights on the leading edge of the elevator made from DEPLETED URANIUM! If corrosion was spotted, it was almost a HAZMAT situation!

Here's how the kit gun turned out with a little rework, Theres not a lot can be seen unless you open the observer's hatch/canopy...

Naw, in Britain, they drive on the left side of the road, hence the door on the left! In the USA, they drive on the right!

Warpaint on the 217 has photos of a 217K carrying 4 torpedoes, and profiles and a writeup of 217K's with the Fritz X.

I'm curious as to the meaning of "Inside artwork is historically unedited". Could that mean unverified guesswork?

It does look like the front plate curves forward to be parallel to the fuselage. The corroded artifact shows this, but interestingly it has side plates that are absent from the in service aircraft.

Images of the Mark IVf with and without the blast sheild ...

This could be another case of 'paralysis by analysis'! I have found that if I wait for that final, definitive, inconvertible proof of every paint used, the color of the dirt ground into the paint, the exact pattern of the field applied scheme, etc., I would never be able to finish anything. This hobby is supposed to be fun, not the quest for perfection in an imperfect world. Build, paint, enjoy!

That was my understanding also. Sand yellow and light blue, with the olive green added at a local level. A hard pattern to match exactly, but I tried.

Damn autocorrect! Thats 'Tutors' ... my hope still stands.

Hopefully it won't be released for the 100th anniversary of the Tudor in service! (2 years since first ordered)

This is the Classic Airframes Grumman J4F Widgeon in 1/48 scale. It is finished as a USCG aircraft in early war colors, that was used in anti-sub patrols, armed with a single depth charge. In August of 1942, one USCG Widgeon was erroneously credited with sinking U-166 in the Gulf of Mexico (later found to have been only annoyed!) Nice kit, but the rib tapes looked like 1x4 planks, and needed to be substantially reduced. Also missing was the half moon steps to access the USCG configured upper hatch. Finished in Tamiya acrylics with kit decals. Thanks for looking, Colin USCG J4F Widgeon, Classic Airframes 1/48

Thanks! Yes, I'm going to do a double build of the Airfix kits, one a day fighter (kit decals), and the other a 410 night fighter using the Xtracolors decal sheet. I also have a Classic Airframes (shudder!) that I might do as an ASR aircraft. For reference, I have the Mushroom Yellow series book, the Crowood book and the Warpaint book. Do you have any tips or warnings about the Airfix kit?

Perfect! That's exactly what I needed to know, thanks very much!

This particular plane had no Radar, and was identical to the daylight versions. Thats why I question the time and labour to strip and refinish the entire cockpit (granted, the outside was being painted black)

I am building the Airfix Defiant NF 1 as a 410 Sqdn. machine and could use some assistance. As I understand it, the Mk 1 Defiant night fighters were repurposed day fighters, as such, would the wheel wells have been silver, or repainted black. My other question is the cockpit colors, should they be cockpit green, black, or some combination of the two? it seems awkward to have repainted the entire cockpit black, but anything is possible. Thanks, Colin

Thanks everyone, it was a challenge (and there's still a lot I could have done better) but in the end, it was fun and I'm happy with the result.