fishplanebeer

This is a cut and paste from the main WW2 section where I also posted this good news. "After Airfix announced their new 72nd scale Mosquito BXVI there was concern expressed that the shots of the new kit on their web site showed it having the incorrect 'blister' type side windows instead of the correct 'blown' type. However I've just received formal confirmation from the company that the kit will actually include both types so enabling the unpressurised BIX version to be built as well if desired" Regards Colin..

OK, will do. Regards Colin.

Hobby 2000 seem to major on re-issuing Hasegawa kits (plus some Fujimi) but at a fraction of the original Hasegawa price, or what they now cost second hand, so I've back-ordered their Beaufighter Mk. 1F/C and Arado 234B-2 from the big 'H'. Some of the Hasegawa kits being re-issued aren't perhaps the best current examples of a particular type, for example their Mk1 Hurricanes (nice decals mind) but some are well worth seeing again such as the Macchi C.202, Brewster Buffalo and D.520. Regards Colin.

As an enamel user I can vouch for the Xtracolor X218 as it looks pretty good to my eye, although my eyes aren't quite what they used to be! Regards Colin.

OK it's not quite the quality of the recent SH Bf109E-4 (what is?) but none the less it looks pretty good to me and up to AZ's usual high standards of late. We may even see the Hispano-Suiza engined and trainer versions in due course along with the modified BoB film version as well? Regards Colin.

Not quite sure if this is the correct place to confirm this but hopefully it is relevant and of interest. After Airfix announced their new 72nd scale Mosquito BXVI there was concern expressed that the shots of the new kit on their web site showed it having the incorrect 'blister' type side windows instead of the correct 'blown' type. However I've just received formal confirmation from the company that the kit will actually include both types so enabling the unpressurised BIX version to be built as well if desired. Happy to have this moved and/or deleted if deemed to be more relevant to another area of the forum. Regards Colin.

David, Sorry I couldn't be more helpful with my reply but hopefully another member may be able to be more precise and give you what you are after as there seems to be quite a few who are able to dig out very detailed information and drawings of the Spitfire. Being reliant on published materials and plans I'm always amazed just how much detail is available to those in the know so I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Regards Colin.

Same here, no pics. Regards Colin.

I also only have scale plans to work from, as I think is true for most of us, so unless you can lay your hands on original drawings for the Spitfire then this is probably as good a way as any to gauge the size of the ports. As the difference between 9" and 10" in 48th scale is approximately 0.5mm you should be OK with this approach. Regards Colin.

Just checked Sovereign's UK site and they have Ocean Grey/ACRN07, Roundel Red/ACRN27 and Roundel Blue/ACRN39 currently in stock, along with GSB/ACUS34. Regards Colin.

It may be worth dropping James at Sovereign (Colourcoats) a quick e-mail to confirm the correct blue that you are after along with possible alternative sources/outlets as well. Have just ordered all the required 4 colours from them for the supposed 3 colour camo on my F4U-1A Corsair so they certainly seem to know their stuff. Regards Colin.

Super build and the weathering looks spot - you must tell me your secrets as every time I use an oil wash it disappears when I use a cloth to mop up the excess! I remember Revell did this same example in 72nd scale back in the 60's and I still have one somewhere in my stash so it also brings back many memories. Regards Colin.

If you prepared to use enamels then Colourcoats/Sovereign Hobbies do an extensive and accuate range of IJN/IJA aircraft colours based upon extensive research by Nick Millman who is a bit of a guru when it comes to all things Japanese. Regards Colin.

This is a kit that I made 25+ years ago before I recently re-joined the hobby last year and decided to give it a bit of a re-furb as the original paint job seemed to be OK. I originally made the kit out of the box with the undercarriage retracted so had a bash at restoring it in the wheels down position to avoid it getting damaged again as prior to the refurb various bits had been broken off and lost. In the end I added the new undercarriage from the current Airfix Mk1, the prop and spinner came from the old Airfix Mk1, the tail wheel from the Eduard MkVIII as it is not required for this versionand the canopy hood and rear section from a Rob Taurus set. Now I can finally get on and finish my Zvezda Bf109F2/4!

Stunning build and finish that makes this rather ungainly bird take on a whole new perspective! Regards Colin.

One of my next projects that I'm preparing for is the Airfix 72nd scale A6M2b 'Zero' using the kit decals for the Pearl Harbour example flown from the Akagi, so overall grey with black (black/blue?) cowling. My one question is regarding the correct colour of the prop blades as the instructions say silver at the front and black on the reverse but I've also seen references to blades on the Zero being painted brown. Having never built any WW2 Japanese aircraft before I just want to check which is correct , and if it is the former then what if any logic was there for this? I've discovered that Lifecolor still produce the Aotake metallic blue for the internal structures/wheel wells so this is now on order but in terms of enamels, Humbrol/Xtracolor/Colourcoats, can anyone please suggest the best grey to use? I know Xtracolor do an IJN Grey and Colourcoats do Hairyokushoku IJA Grey but they seem to be distinctly different shades, and Humbrol have no specific grey labelled as being appropriate for WW2 IJN aircraft. Regards Colin.

I've still got a large bottle of the original 'Klear' which will last me an eternity but it does have one major drawback in that it is a real 'task' to remove. Simple warm soapy water or other household cleaners make no impression so you have to use 'Windex' or similar ammonia based products to get it off. Nor sure if its latest reincarnation as Pledge has the same ingredients as I did read in another thread that this may not be the case. Regards Colin.

Just to add that the Airfix kit shown was also sold/boxed as a Spitfire Va/A02102 from which you can also build the IIa as well, but more importantly it is exactly the same kit apart from the decals, with all the relevant parts for an early Mk1. I've seen both on E-Bay and they go for between £15-£20 so not cheap but you will end up with lots of spares for future projects. Regards Colin.

Many thanks for all the great information of the F4U-1A interior colours. Just a final question, what are the problems/issues with the Revell F4U-1A kit as on first appearance it looks pretty good but I haven't done any test fitting as yet? I'm not averse to doing some fettling but if they are major I may go for the Tamiya one instead. Regards Colin.

Dear All, One of my next projects will be the Revell 72nd scale F4U-1A Corsair which, whilst not as fine as the Tamiya equivalent, looks to be a good kit and at less than half the cost of the latter. The kit itself has two decal options, one for a Marine Corps unit in December 1943 and the other a Navy unit in February 1944, one of which I will be using, and both have the same colour scheme shown which has a mixture of white with blue/grey outer wings panels for the undersides. However after searching this site via Google and also referring to an article on interiors colours in the October 1981 edition of SAM I'm slightly confused about the correct colours for the wheel wells, engine cowling, oleos and the internal sides of the undercarriage doors. Some suggest that all would be in the external colour, so white in this instance, yet others refer to the use of chromate yellow unless it compromised the underside colour? I've checked my SAM publication on the Corsair (MDF 18) and pics of preserved examples in the US show white being used for the wheel wells, oleos and undercarriage door inners (including the tail wheel doors) but as museum pieces don't always get it right can I safely assume this to be correct? Other pics in this book show chromate/zinc yellow primer being used in the gun bays, engine cowling/bay and inner tail section, with interior green for the cockpit all of which I'd expected. Regards Colin.

Rob Taurus also do an excellent vacuum 'flat' canopy set for the Airfix Mk1 which you could use either on a conversion of to replace the kit canopy of the early Mk1 Airfix boxing. Regards Colin.

Re books that have all the Lanc serial numbers I have three, the two already mentioned (The Definitive Record by Harry Holmes and The Story Of A Famous Bomber by Bruce Robertson) plus The Avro Lancaster by Francis K Mason. I haven't cross checked them mind so it's possible that there may be some differences, however in many cases new books simply re-use information from previous publications so I expect all 3 to be pretty much the same. The good news is that all 3 are still available on Amazon. Regards Colin.

You could always ask Airfix for the decal sheet for their BI/PO-S which should have 137! That said they've just quoted me £8 for this sheet as mine was damaged when bought but at least it's a possible route to think about. Regards Colin.

Not forgetting that the Seafire III also had the later style 6 exhausts fitted to their single stage merlin engines along with some IIc's as well, and I've even seen a pic of a hooked Seafire Ib similarly attired. Regards Colin.

The fuselage diagram is on page 539 of Shacklady so if you have or can borrow a copy it's well worth it as it also has some good pics showing the forward mounted spools in place. In addition Warpaint No 72/Merlin Seafires has a good set of 72nd scale plans for all versions showing all the various mods that were made. Regards Colin.