LN-KEH

My list: Avro 504K, Avro Anson, Westland Lysander SOE transport, T-6 / Harvard, Westland Lynx family from prototype to Wildcat, Il-2 Shturmovik & DH 88 Comet MVH Knut Erik

Hei, An Argosy visiting Stockholm - see http://www.airliners.net/photo/BEA---British/Armstrong-Whitworth-AW-650/0229552/L/]http://www.airliners.net/photo/BEA---British/Armstrong-Whitworth-AW-650/0229552/L/]http://www.airliners.net/photo/BEA---British/Armstrong-Whitworth-AW-650/0229552/L/ http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/2/5/5/0229552.jpg

Hei, My Russian is rather limited - what is the meaning of the red circle with text inside - for instance on page 14? Upgraded moulds or new decals or? TIA Knut Erik

Hei, There will be another chance to listen to and talk with Simon Owen, leader of the Airfix research and development team at RAFM Cosford on 17th February 2016 http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/whats-going-on/events/airfix-scaling-down-reality/ MVH Knut Erik

Looks better than the Fairey Gannet MVH Knut Erik

Hei, I am confused by the Airfix Sea King releases. Wanting to build a Norwegian version, I have found on the Airfix web site: The new mould Junglie for release on the first day of 2016 - http://www.airfix.com/uk-en/westland-sea-king-hc-4.html Good for building the version used the the Marines to drop-in during exercises in Norway The new RAF rescue helicopter is only available as a gift set and for release end of March 2016 - http://www.airfix.com/uk-en/shop/new-for-2016/westland-sea-king-har-3-1-72.html It does not say what the extras are - maybe a Prince William pilot figure? Airfix lists 134 parts. The old Sea King kit with new Norwegian decals is not available at the moment: http://www.airfix.com/uk-en/westland-sea-king-har3-mk43-1-72.html#product-view-reviews Airfix lists 81 parts. So is there a new mould Sea King kit (no extras) somewhere on Airfix web site that I have overlooked? MVH Knut Erik

Hei, The C-54 / DC-4 was used by quite a few airlines and armed forces around the world - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Douglas_DC-4_operators - even if there only of dozen or so British operators. Plenty of colourful schemes - Revell can release a new version every year. KEH

Hei, My suggestions are all for 1:72 unless otherwise stated Near term: Avro 504K - WW1 centenary, multiple versions possible (bomber / night fighter / trainer / civilian / foreign) Junkers Ju 52/3m - we have an original German built one standing next to the He 111P, multiple versions possible both Luftwaffe, other Air Arms and civilian before and after WW2. C-130J - stretched - in use by RAF and many other nations, available J kits are crude modifications of old H-kits. Modern Britsh Army vehicles suitable to load into the C-130J. Westland Lysander - several versions, can start with the agent pick-up. Medium term: Blackburn Skua / Roc, the rebuild of a Skua is ongoing in Bodø - Dogfight Double with HE 111P. F-35A/B/C - new NATO fighter, if they get permission to LIDAR it? HP Hampden - rebuild in Cosford. Hawker Fury, Sea Fury and Tempest - among the best looking aircraft ever - also as target tug. Sikorsky S-92 rescue helicopter - Airfix always likes to come up with something unexpected. Long Term Boeing C-17 transport for US, RAF, NATO, Canada and Australia. Heinkel He 115 - one is being preserved at Stavanger-Sola Curtiss P-36 - when they are done with the P-40 series. Westland Lynx Wildcat - the current version. 1:350 HMS Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales MVH Knut Erik

Could we get this one in 1:72 as well, please? KE

Hei, There is also a Ju 88A1 under rebuild in the museum where they measured up the He 111P1

Hei, Some mixed suggestions from me: BE2e in 1:72 and larger scales Important Fokker fodder with no decent kits available. Dornier Wal (early version) in 1:72 and 1:144 Used for many exploration flights, can base it on the replica in Friedrichshafen MiG 3 in 1:72 Important WW2 aircraft type with no good kits available. Convair 240/440/580 Metropolitan 1:72 and 1:144 Many versions, civilian and military (Australia, Canada, LW, Italy, US) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_CV-240_family Dassault DA 20 Falcon in 1:72 USCG, Cobham plc, FedEx and many other military and civilian operators https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dassault_Falcon_20 MVH Knut Erik (Can help with documentation on most of these aircraft)

Airfix supposedly measured up another aircraft at the same time as they did the He 111 at Gardermoen. My guess - the Ju 52 3/m which is an original German built one and a timecapsule from 1940 as it stayed in a lake until it was raised and restored to high standards. I would welcome an Airfix Skua and Roc, they are releasing a number of early WW2 aircraft - for instance the Do 17 and Whitley. KE

The Norwegian Skua project is in Bodø, sharing the workshop area with a Ju 88 and a Me 109 - http://luftfartsmuseum.no/fly/project-blackburn-skua-l2896-green-a/ The He 111 is on display at Gardermoen along with a Ju 52 3/m, the Ju 88 is in the workshop, location is near Oslo airport - http://www.flysam.no/ The distance between Oslo-Gardermoen and Bodø is close to 1000km. KEH

Hei, There is a good quality Cessna 180/185 vacu-form with resin parts available from Khee-Kha, it is the one used by lndecals. http://www.mtaonline.net/~zdk/kit005.htm http://www.mtaonline.net/~zdk/ MVH Knut Erik

Hei, Skua L2896 (Green «A») is under slow rebuild in Bodø They have recovered a number of Skua wrecks and have so far finished rebuilding the front cockpit section and the engine. http://luftfartsmuseum.no/fly/blackburn-skua/ And yes, the Airfix model is based on the He 111P at Flysamlingen - Gardermoen and will have 5J+CN as one of the marking options. A Skua would make a nice dogfight double for the Heinkel 111 - or a RAF or Norwegian Gladiator. MVH Knut Erik

Hei, I have visited Poland a couple of times over the last few years and checked out the local model shops. In Krakow I found one good shop and several in Warszawa. My impression was: Prices on new Airfix kits were close to UK prices. Prices on Revell kits close to what I have seen in the rest of mainland European. Polish made kits were cheaper than anywhere else (plastic and resin). Kits made in neighbouring countries (Ukraine, Czech Republic and Russia) were lower than in most other European countries. Also my Norwegian kroners have lost a lot of their value lately, the exchange rate has gone from less than 9NOK for a GBP to the current 11.65NOK. It is pretty much the same story compared to Euros and Dollars - a 10-25% drop is good for Norwegian exports and those visiting us, not so good for those of us who travels a lot outside our country. So I expect Airfix and Revell to get 20% more expensive for me in 2015 - it remains to see if Russian and Ukrainian kits will get cheaper. MVH Knut Erik

Graham Boak wrote >The Norwegian He111 is in a decidedly battered shape: it isn't going just "drag and drop". I beg to differ, the He 111 at Gardermoen was restored from an aircraft that had made a successful emergency landing on snow with little damage to the airframe. It had a dubious colour scheme for a while, which has been corrected. As it stands now, the main missing parts are to my knowledge the undercarriage doors (other wrecks available to donate parts had also bellied in) The shape is right and the interior pretty much complete, so it is a good starting point for Airfix. It is a He 111P, so if they want to make a H should they visit the other Norwegian He 111 project - http://www.nofmf.org/html/heinkel.html Another well restored German original standing next to the He 111 is a Ju 52 3/m, would have been easy to Lidar it at the same time

Hei, Ben wrote: The Airfix guys were taking measurements of a plane up in a museum in Norway recently IIRC Lets see what they could find in Norwegian museums that isn`t available in the UK: In Stavanger-Sola - http://www.flymuseum-sola.no Heinkel He 115 under restoration - only old and inaccurate kits in 1:72 Arado Ar 66 & 96 - Ar 96 being kitted in the Czech republic. Caproni Ca 310 - done by MPM / Special Hobby PBY Catalina - accessible in UK museums Oslo-Gardermoen - Flysamlingen - http://www.akersmus.no/flysamlingen/?mid=2897 Junkers Ju 52/3m - this is a German built machine salvaged from a lake and restored to very high standards - all current kits have their faults and the Airfix offering is really old. Possible to release in multiple versions, including civilian. Heinkel He 111P - possibly the only early He 111 available, even if the Hasegawa kit is OK would this match 75 years of the Blitz and replace the old Airfix offering based on the much later transport version in the RAFMuseum. Junkers Ju 88 - an A1 under restoration and preserved wrecks - done recently by other producers Northrop N-3PB - I think Airfix will leave this one to the Czech small series producers RF-84F - never in British service - so not likely for Airfix BE2f - WW1 theme 100 years ago,possible with many versions (served with the RFC). Rumpler Taube - ditto, first aircraft to bomb England Spitfire XI PR - could be kitted parts from other recent Airfix given a new nose etc. Northrop F-5A/B F-104 Bodø - http://luftfartsmuseum.no/aircrafts/aircrafts-on-display/ Junkers Ju 88 (2x reasonably complete, parts of others) - done recently by other producers Blackburn Skua - Airfix has surprised us earlier Avro 504K (Dyak) - hanging from the ceiling so difficult to access. PBY Catalina - accessible in UK museums FW-190 - also available in UK museums Fokker CV - not the kind of aircraft I would expect from Airfix. Northrop F-5A CF-104 My money is on a new Heinkel He 111 to replace the old Airfix kit, with the Blitz 75 years ago next year. Alternatives Ju 52 3/m, Ju 88, Skua and BE2e/f. All the above German aircraft have been kitted by Airfix, but the moulds are far from state of the art. MVH Knut Erik