Gannetfan

My plastyk lynx AH7 arrived today. The infra red filters over the exhaust look very small compared to photos but will do as a template. Rest of the kit is essentially surplus. The tow launchers are bit skinny. BUT the whle thing cost only 4.50 delivered!

The pictures I have seen of the Hasegawa kit look very nice indeed but as for the kit being new I cannot say. I quite understand the point about the awful MIG 29 I bought one of them so if the 117 follows that trend early on then maybe not so good.😕 But The revell looks nice too. Academy does one too anyone know anything of it?

I think you are right there Geoff, but I have noticed a trend over the years for manufacturers to make fewer and fewer "multi versions" in one kit. Say once you may be offered the option of opening a blank window and you have extra glass for it on the sprue. Doesn't seem to happen so much now on newer models. So yes I agree. One or two HAS Seakings with options for the variants would be nice. Course I'm alright jack as I'm sitting on the parts to make my ASAc cab, I have them spare from the revel kit I converted. I'm biding my time...... :-)

Thanks guys yes the hasegawa version looks both accurate and a nice model too. Love it in grey but it I'm going retro. Black it shall be

I thought I would try some of the mesh from the paint filters used at some of the places I visit. They have a variety of mesh sizes at about 280/12 micron and so on. It's pliable and paint proof for painting and easy to cut. I'm going to cut to shape, superglue in place then use very thing rolled out length of miliput to put along the edges to represent the mounting bracket

Yes it's really very simple if you have the right parts to add. I used the revel HAS6 which I got lucky and found at a local model store a while ago. The real plus for me was the shape of the nose on it, but I feel the sponsons aren't right hence using the airfix model sponsons which I think are just right. I got my kit of this for 99p off eBay! :-D I've never looked at the various differences in models so I can't say if the MK41 is suitable but I imagine, given that you only need the really basic parts, it should be ok. Yes Ark Royal decals seem easier to get but mine off Eagle, I think I got the squadron right above, was not available so I had to improvise!

Hi meatbox I did thIs conversion too and bashed two kits together to make my 826NAS one for HMS Eagle. I used the revell Seaking for the fuselage and the sponsons from airfix with revell undercarriage inside. Then I used the 5 bladed rear rotor from the airfix kit. I scratch built a sonobuoy that looked half descent in the end and have it dangling under the cab in my cabinet. I didn't fit the anti icing screen on mine as photo refs showed it initially didn't have it. I think this question is resolved above. One issue I did have was the decals. I had to buy 3 sheets of white decals numbers and titles from various manufacturers to do the markings I wanted. I did #143 from Eagles air wing. I used xtacolour RAF Blue for the overall colour and painted two silver square patches around each engine exhaust as this showed on the pics I had. I'm quite pleased with the result although the paint doesn't lend itself to brushing. But mostly I just left stuff off or removed a few little bits, oh almost forgot if you are going from an HAR then the two bubble Windows need to be filled and the port side windows need to be looked at too Good luck, it's good fun retro making a kit sometimes

Hi everyone, In the mid 90's I was stationed at RAF Colishall when an F117 on detachment in Holland somewhere was playing games trying not very hard to penetrate the UKs radar defences developed engine trouble. For some unknown reason the jock forsakes the options of Mildenhall or laken health a few more minutes "up the road" and annoyingly diverted to us at Colt. I was on the station reaction force at the time and was "knocked on" by my colleagues of the much loved RAF Police to join the " Aircraft guard" The yanks were still very touchy about the jet in them days. So I dutifully drew my weapon and trotted off to the shed it was tucked away in.I drew the night shift and We had a ball wandering round it and poking our noses into this and that bit of the thing. Now I want to build a nostalgic model of the plane but I have never attempted it before. Can anyone recommend the best 1/72 scale kit out there of this unique plane?

I too have had this plan for a long time. I have the stone /sand Op Granby Lynx on a set of Modeldecals I bought years ago and it has long been a hankering of mine to build a 1/72 scale Lynx in this great colour scheme and with the filters. How do I get hold of TOW missile launchers for it as well?

Absolutely fantastic pics, not just a wealth of useful reference material but such good quality images showing so much detail on the aircraft. I love to link various different squadrons from one ship to the next so it was really nice to see the F8's and A4's on the deck. I'm looking at cross decking USN squadrons that visited the Eagle so l can look at the options from the USN to build in to my collection

It's nice to be able to contribute to a thread like this about a subject I really like with like minded people. I never knew either of our two "big carriers" (this is my polite way of saying I'm a bit younger than you guys ;-) but I imagine they were something to see. I had the good fortune to visit a couple of our US cousins floating cities in the early 90's when we contributed to thier expedition to the Middle East. I also went aboard all three of the Invicible class at one time or another. They were exciting trips and left me with a real interest in naval aviation. I'll certainly try to get hold of that book on Eagle, I recently finished a 1/700 scale conversion of the Fujimi kit of Eagle to her in her final guise using the photo refs I could get off line. I have two of these kits, as launched and now as decommissioned and they sit in my cabinet surrounded by the 1/72 scale planes that flew off them. Good luck with the builds, will we get pics? And if you feel the need to talk about the models you will need give me a shout I may have some tips on them! He said immodestly. Rick

Hi scimitar, yes I believe sea venoms operated off Eagle, online there are some views of them certainly during the Suez Crisis. I'd admit I worked on an assumption they had flown off her as the Sea Venom was an important type to the FAA and served off most our flat tops of the era. The Skyraider REALLY interests me but the kit in 72nd really puts me off. I've been building models for years but two things I'm not great with. Resin and vac form. I don't have the patience. As for things like the Wyvern I'm going to be controversial now and say it has to be the ugliest aircraft in British history and that's from me, a fan of the Gannet! The final issue with the other types you suggest, and it's a lovely list, is space. Im running out! My cabinet is bursting at the seams. I have also built up a collection of Westland built choppers and would love to have a 1/72 dragonfly to add to it but it would be easier to find the proverbial rocking horse manure! I have one whirlwind a helicopter I do like and my youngest daughter says is "cute", go figure, but I did mine as an RAF SAR aircraft and it looks nice as a splash of colour on the shelf!

Hi fatalbert, just thought I would drop you a line to say I'm currently in the process of building all the fast jet and 50's types that flew off Eagle at the moment. To date in 1/72 scale I have built; Novo Attacker Airfix Seahawk- really simple kit that's easy to build. I used Model decal set to get 897 NAS. I also later built another Seahawk I was given that I had no box or instructions for so I don't know where it came from but wish I'd had it first its a lovely model! Sea venom- although I have yet to put any squadron markings in it as I don't have an Eagle NAS for her yet. XTRAKIT Scimitar- nice model to build with a few little bits needed to be corrected. Kit decals for 800 B flight (I think) Revel Sea Vixen- quite a poor model needing lot of work to make presentable. Kit decals for 899NAS Airfix Buccaneer SB2- basic kit and used modeldecal set to get 800sqn Frog Wessex HAS 1 as the ships flight rescue bird- model decal set 99 Novo Gannet AS1- budget getting tight to went "cheap n basic" I scratched together decals for 826 squadron Sword Gannet AEW 3- nice model, loved building it, used Alleycat decals for 849NAS And finally, Sea King HAS1 - scratch made from an EBay acquired Airfix SAR kit (I got it for 99p) I filled and flatted bits and bobs including Windows etc then scratched together the markings from various places for 826NAS but have yet to pluck up the courage to hand paint the sea beast thing that is the white squadron emblem on the cabs side behind the cockpit. I've yet to build a Wessex HAS3 but will do soon. Just as I said I thought I'd mention it as Eagle has always been in my opinion in Ark Royals shadow so nice to know someone shares my interest!