WV908

I did have a look but unfortunately the photos won't load Cheers, WV908

Morning all, Posted on request from Alan, An updated photo of the Buccaneer kit, with something else Alan will be along shortly to provide commentary. Cheers, WV908

Hi Jordi - I was mainly hoping to find a kit that provides the right engines, props, windows etc and then carve the rest in to shape. It appears this may be possible from the Ventura, although I'd need to change the rake of the windscreen. Cheers, WV908

As Lockheed twins seem to have surfaced as a popular topic of late, I got to wondering - what would be the best starting point for a 1/48 Lockheed 12 Electra Junior? The only potentials I have found are the Classic Airframes Lockheed 14 and the Revell Ventura. I've found mention of a Lockheed 10 in 1/53, but I doubt that would be much good. Cheers, WV908

Hi Alan, With regards to B.2 versus B.1, the main differences bar the wing are the size of the intakes, the shape of the exhausts and the lack of an ECM tailcone. The B.1 also has taller nose gear The main differences between VX770 and the B.1 are the shorter fuselage (at the point you mention) and the fact that VX770 did not have a bomb aimer's blister. VX770 also had eight airbrakes instead of the later six, although I don't know at what point in the production run it changed. Due to the B.1's and prototypes having the same wing planform bar the kink modification, I wonder if there would be travel in providing two different leading edges and having the fuselage at full (B1) length, with an option to cut down? If the kit is purely modelled after VX770, you can't build any other Vulcan from it, as even VX777 had the longer fuselage. Cheers, WV908

At the request of Alan, Here is the box art; He has confirmed in line with bentwaters81tfw that it will be released with the flush version of the payload bay which will be closed, but is looking at producing the bulged payload bay and the bay interior once the production run has been completed, to supply those who want it. Cheers, WV908

Hi Alan, A question that's probably on a few people's minds straight away - do you plan on producing the original straight wing, or the modified kinked wing for the Vulcan B1? If straight, I'll be chopping an inch or-so out from behind the cockpit and building VX770. If kinked, I'll be building XA900 Cheers, WV908

Secondary sweepback is there too, it's just not visible in the photo Cheers, WV908

Hi Rob, it's a trick of the light / photographic distortion. It all depends on what angle it's viewed from, but the nose taper is correct. Cheers, WV908

Airfix needs to get the tooling to break even - there's more chance of people buying three different boxings than three of the same boxing. Look at the recent Canberra boxing which has sold poorly (to stockists) - Airfix has provided new decal options into the same kit (literally) and shortly people will be going crackers for them. Cheers, WV908

With the Vulcan, Airfix already had the 80's tooling, which was making money so there was no rush to upgrade it. I'm glad it wasn't first as then it would have been done by the team which did the Canberra and Valiant (Nimrod of the same era was tooled by Trumpeter), so would have had a lot of innacuracies. For the Phantom, the 1/48 Hasegawa kit is still very good, if not a little outdated in it's method of construction, but Airfix usually works irregardless of things like this. The problem with a 1/48 Airfix Phantom is the slating of the 1/72 kit for missing two vents and some other insignificant things - this hurts sales. Knowing you've already 'messed up' the same product in another scale, business sense dictates that even if you fix this it will hurt sales and development costs etc will not be worthwhile. A B-24 has unofficialy been on the cards for a while (not many knew of the 17 although it was rumoured after the Lanc). I can't say I've heard much on the possibility of a 29. Cheers, WV908

All I can say from what has slipped out over the years; 1/72 Vulcan depends on Victor sales. Also look at the gap between Valiant (2011) and Victor (2017) 1/48 Hunter FGA9 - we know this is coming after the F4 1/72 RAF Bucc - parts for an S.2B are in the cads 1/72 Beaufighter Mk.I/II - Mk.x kit is not tooled up to accomdate these 1/48 Stuka - same as the Beau 1/48 Lysander - has been mooted as possible 1/48 Hunter T7/T8M - Airfix directly said no, hence the upcoming conversions 1/72 Canberra B.2 - Airfix said no, hence S&M model 1/48 Hampden - has been mooted as possible 1/48 Phantom - mooted and possibly killed off 1/72 B-24 - mooted to be the next 'Heavy' once B-17 variants are finished with. Cheers, WV908

It says so in the specification for the scheme. This scheme is a funny choice - they could have picked the prototype, they could have picked one of the record holders, they could have picked one of the last T.4's in RAF service, but they chose a fairly boring LAG scheme with those dayglow strips everyone loves to hate to do. Still nice they have picked something. This is the first time raspberry ripple Canberra decals have appeared in how long? Pre-ordered! Cheers, WV908.

Hi Alan, Thanks for the offer of replacement parts I'd certainly like to take up the offer of the undercarriage bays and cockpit canopy. The burner cans are correct for 300 series Olympus engines, and I'm building XM594 so all is good there. I've already devised a plan with the wings that I hope will work, mainly involving a lot of grinding the inner surface. The only other thing is I'm short of 8 mainwheels if you'd be able to provide them? We've previously been in contact via email so I'll fire one off soon Cheers, WV908

Thanks Mike, only this one works for me too Cheers, WV908