fishplanebeer

Really nice to know that I'm not the only one who is only able to produce something good instead of some of the amazing stuff that I see on RFI that makes me want to give up trying! I'm with you on this and it looks really good to my eyes so well done and I look forward to your next one. A kindred spirit. Regards Colin.

My point is I don't think the manufacturers deliberately or knowingly made an early version, especially Airfix where all their decals are for BoB machines, it was them not paying attention to detail. The KP Vb doesn't have them either, at least not the version I have, so I still think it is down to a lack of understanding of the aircraft that they are modelling and a lack of attention to detail. Regards Colin.

Unless these three manufacturers all used the same 'early' plans their omission is purely down to lack of attention to detail and/or poor research on their part. Adding them is not a major issue, albeit a little tricky with my hands and eyesight, but some more recent kits have been criticised for far less, for example the new Arma P51's where there was great debate about some riveting on the inside of the u/c doors. There again at almost £20 a go perhaps expectations were somewhat higher which I can appreciate. Regards Colin.

I'd always assumed they should be there on the early marques so it's very good to know that for once my assumptions haven't been completely off the mark. However it's rather odd that all the Spitfire 1's in 72nd scale don't have them as I'd have thought at least one manufacturer would have got this detail right. Regards Colin.

As most if not all 72nd scale kits of the Spitfire 1, such as the Airfix, Tamiya and KP, do not have them can anyone confirm when they were introduced (I'd always assumed before the BoB) and when and why they were eventually removed and/or became surplus to requirements? Apologies if this has been covered before but I couldn't find a related post. Regards Colin.

Looked again at a larger sized pic and I still can't see any wire, plus there is no evidence of the wire going down into the fuselage, the usual prong on the mast is missing or very small and there isn't a connector on the rudder from what I can see. The pic I have of it after it was handed over to 54 squadron in February 1941 definitely shows no aerial wire although the IFF wires were still there. Regards Colin.

Just to add that the Airfix 72nd scale Mk.Va kit allows you to build a Mk.2a with the decals for EB-Z 'Observer Corps'. Regards Colin.

Almost all my pics of Mk2's are from around the May-July 1941 period and all of them show no sign of the aerial wire so I can only assume by this time the VHF radios were pretty standard fit, although it is quite possible that others still had the older radio. However a good photo to look at is the well known one of P7666 of 41 squadron taken in December 1940 (sometimes also referred to as P7618) which shows no wire and which is also then pictured whilst flying with 54 squadron in February 1941 before its loss on the 20th April, with its codes changing from EB+Z to KL+Z in the process. Regards Colin.

Early Mk.2's such as those entering service in 1940 would have had the aerial wire when built/first entering service as the VHF sets were not available at this point but later one's had these sets and the early ones would probably have had the VHF retrofitted as well. Not sure about the IFF wires though as I have pics from 1941 showing them in place and others where they are absent so having them is quite possible, but in 1941 it's more likely than not that there would be no aerial wire. Regards Colin.

I'm still none the wiser as to why the Mk.X had no aerial mast even though it was fitted with the same radio equipment as the VIII, IX etc... Regards Colin.

Whilst perusing the internet I came across a very niche web site where as chap/chapess has listed all the radio equipment used by the RAF with their relevant codes, including ARI reference numbers, so this may be of interest. It's entitled the GMB's List of Air Ministry Equipment Numbers and is at: www.air-ministry.uk/airequip.htm For example it provides specific details on the TR1133 and TR1143 sets used in later Spitfires plus a vast amount of stuff on ARI's in general so is worth a look at and has even highlighted what seems to be a possible error in Shacklady although the author of the list does say it may not be error free. In Shacklady page 395 it refers to the Spitfire X having a TR1143 Transceiver and an A2171 Amplifier however this source confirms that it was the A1217 Beam Approach Amplifier that used with the TR1143 and the TR1133. Regards Colin.

The beam approach aerial is often seen on later marques as a small bulge on the under side of the fuselage but in the Valiant Wings book covering the Griffon engined versions it's referred to as 'the boat antenna of the ARI' so just wondered what ARI actually stands for? Also roughly when and on what marques did the aerial begin to appear? Regards Colin.

I have an Iwata Eclipse airbrush and use the 0.5mm nozzle for most work at a psi of around 14-16 which seems to work quite well, plus I have the 0.35mm nozzle if I want to do really detailed stuff. The pressure and paint thinning is a matter of trial and error as it can/will vary between different paints and pigments but for me a ratio of 70:30 paint to thinner works well with all the enamels I use plus Tamiya acrylics as well. With varnishes I tend to go for a 60:40 ration of varnish to thinner in order to apply a thin-ish coat. As for priming I now use the Tamiya grey primer in the aerosol as it provides a good basis for the paint to grip, shows up any defects in my build and is pretty much essential when spraying lighter colours such as yellow and white. Some compressors will only deliver a maximum psi of around 18 with a 0.5 or 0.35mm nozzle so if yours is similar then you will need to thin the paint down to at least 70:30 to get good atomisation and smooth coverage. Regarding temperature I never spray when the air temperature is low, as in below 10 degrees, as this prevents correct atomisation and you can end up with a rough and uneven finish. Plus I wouldn't warm your paints up before using as they will work absolutely fine at room temperature and warming them up just makes them artificially runny and more difficult to then judge the correct consistency as they will inevitably begin to cool down and thicken once removed from their heated cabinet. HTH. Regards Colin.

Love the way they've done the Corsair which looks so much better than a 'perfect' paint job. Regards Colin.

The post has appeared twice so just to reiterate my other reply I'd love to see the extra pics you have if possible. Regards Colin.

My previously held opinion of the D.520 have been corrected as I always assumed it was quite small as in similar in size to the Morane 406 but clearly it is somewhat larger and more impressive. I'm assuming the best kit in 72nd scale would be the Hobby2000 issue of the Hasegawa kit or is the RS kit worth considering perhaps? Regards Colin.

The photo seems odd in that to me the D520 was a much smaller airframe than it appears here or have I got this wrong? All the kits I've bought in the past have been smaller than this in scale as this one seems to be on a par with a Typhoon! Regards Colin.

My previous Badger BA1000 now needs replacing after 16 years so can anyone say if this is a good choice or would the Fengda 186 be a better bet? The Fengda is a wee bit cheaper but not by that much if the Badger is likely to be better quality. Regards Colin.

Typically with a 0.35mm nozzle what sort of air pressure should the compressor (any compressor) be able to deliver, accepting the fact that the gauge itself may not be bang on accurate? I usually spray at around 18-20 psi for general coverage with a paint to thinner ratio of 3:1 or 2:1 depending upon the colour (the latter for yellow and white) and that has worked fine until now but perhaps the fact that the compressor fell off its shelf and landed on the floor may have affected things somewhat? I'm happy to shell out for a new one as at the moment it is impossible to spray the white undersides of my Hellcat and the project is now stalled. Regards Colin.

I currently have a rather old Badger BA1000 compressor which has worked OK until now but I think it may have a problem so just want to check. I'm using an Iwata Eclipse with the 0.35mm nozzle and the highest indicated air pressure it will deliver is around 16 psi which seems a tad low even allowing for the fact that the gauge cannot be relied upon to be bang on accurate anyway. When I attempt to spray the maximum coverage it will deliver at its indicated maximum 16 psi is around 0.25 inch/6mm wide which seems quite narrow and suggests a much lower psi is actually being delivered. Also when spraying into the palm of my hand the pressure just doesn't feel as strong as before so I'm thinking it is losing its compressive power and may need to be replaced but just want to check before I have to splash out. Regards Colin.

I know the forum has a strict policy when it comes to anything political, which I agree with, but it is very sad if this is the case as even us modellers cannot not attempt or should pretend to live in splendid isolation and ignore salient external factors which can be a matter of life and death in the real world. I don't wish to be banned myself so I will choose my words carefully but in the current climate I have chosen not to purchase anything of Russian origin and indeed Asda have stopped selling Cif cleaning agent for this very reason, so I am not alone and I'm not aware that Asda have received any criticism or been banned in any way in the UK. This is absolutely my personal choice and I'm not advocating that anyone else should do the same as we are all free to make our own decisions but none the less I have taken note of a very high profile modelling retailer who has not adopted this approach so I will no longer be their customer and will look elsewhere from now on. Regards Colin.

What's happened to Tony or is it not possible to say? Regards Colin.

I'll add the Anti-Flash White to my impending Colourcoats order and feed back on how it looks. Regards Colin.

I've asked this in another post but had no specific answer so can anyone please explain why the PR.XI and all similar 2-stage Merlin marks had an antenna aerial but the PR.X did not given that it carried the same/similar radio equipment? Hopefully there is a Spitfire expert out there who may know the answer. Regards Colin.

Just noticed that Colourcoats do an RAF Anti-Flash White (BS4800/5252 00E55) ACRN37 which appears to be a very subtle shade of pink so would this be suitable in 72nd scale perhaps? Regards Colin.