Steve Coombs

Using a soldering iron or a pyrography tool works too and gives you a bit more control over the proceedings.

Lovely work there. I built one of those in the same timeframe you mentioned, done with tube glue and a hairy stick. Generally clean but for some absolutely filthy exhaust stains (I overdid them), and long gone now, alas.

Ah, that could be awkward if you've already closed the fuselage on the wings, but I've had success with this method: Cut out the 'box' in which the wing seal is to fit (the 1/72nd scale Revell Tornado kits already have this feature, ready for an insert.) Measure out a suitable piece of silver-grey foam rubber to fit. I get the stuff from a local craft shop. Make sure it's not too thin because you will be using some edges of it as mating surfaces. Score some fine vertical lines into it (look at photos of the real thing to get an idea). I also give the foam rubber a brown wash (Games Workshop's Seraphim Sepia works for me) to make it look a bit mucky or worn. Cut the foam rubber in half horizontally. Add some plastic strip to the inside of the fuselage parts level with the edges of the 'box' to provide a larger surface for the foam rubber to sit on when supergluing it into place. Glue one strip flush with the fuselage above the wing, and the other equally flush below the wing. Assemble the fuselage-wing-fuselage sandwich. I find the nice thing about this is that the foam rubber accommodates the wing regardless of the angle of sweep, and also wrinkles a bit, like the real thing. Any help to you?

Oh dear. That started promisingly, ran out of steam in the middle, and perished miserably in the third instalment. I fear The War of The Worlds is going to be one of those stories like I Am Legend - everyone is familiar with it to some degree, but nobody is brave enough to film a straight version of it. And I want to know why the Martians don't fall over at the speed with which they move.

Late to the party here, but Games Workshop's Corvax White is a splendidly opaque base coat. Then put an acrylic gloss white of choice on top. Your Mr Hobby gloss white might work better if it has something to latch onto.

A bit late now, but FS *5450 is Air Superiority Blue, the colour the first F-15s were before they were repainted in different shades of grey. Available as Hataka A155, it appears.

Very nice indeed! Did you make your own home brew for the engine collector rings?

You might have got away with it if you'd pointed out the fuselage is adapted from an F-14 kit.

Has anyone experimented with heat shrink tubing used for electrical insulation? Paint the bomb the colour of the band, slice off a ring of tubing (it comes in a variety of internal diameters) of a suitable diameter and width, and apply it where the ring is to be. Shrink it with a soldering iron or hair drier so it conforms to the contours of the bomb, and paint the bomb the colour of the actual bomb. Wait until everything is properly dry and cured, then peel or cut the band(s) off. I'm going to give this a go on some F-15 ordnance once I've finished the Tempest I've been working on of late.

To the 31st of March. It's on the website, but not so obvious. Call up the booking calendar, move your cursor to the right of the current date at the head of the calendar, and click the blue chevron/arrowhead that appears to advance to the next month. It would be a lot easier if the chevron were permanently visible onscreen... Get in quick, book your tickets, and enjoy the experience! I really need to point out I have no connection at all with the organisers, dotdot, except as a happy customer.

Ooh, I don't need that, but I want it!

I went there back in the summer, and fully agree. It's been given an extension until March next year.

To be fair, if you build the Bandai kits, the Death Star base and stand cry out for the vehicle to be in flight. Which means putting a pilot in and indulging in exercises requiring deep patience to get the decals on said individual's helmet.

I did try my best - I bought six Swifts (botched one, built two OOB, and used various AlleyCat conversions on the others).

I have just calculated that a new SYVDE cabinet from IKEA will do the job nicely. It even has room for another nine of them!