rossm

There's a pic in the Warbirds Illustrated No.20 on the Harrier which shows a GR.1 with the probe and the door partially under it is clearly open, Ross

Photo of PA379 of 683 Sqdn in Coastal and Support Squadrons by JDR Rawlings and of H/PA475 (? pretty sure of the 5) in Scale Aircraft Modelling Vol.6 No.2 Some photos in the Air Britain Lancaster File of ones like TW663 and TW669 which were modified for photo work but the history does not show them as converted to PR.1, also PR.1 TW901 of 82 Sqdn Scans if you want them, Ross

Thanks for the info on the black. Binnacle is a nautical term from the days of sail for the bit that holds/shelters the ships compass but it seemed to describe the huge cover for the instruments better than anything else I could think of ! I've just taken off the tape around the nose and there's going to be a tiny bit of filler needed, not a disaster but I was trying to avoid it. Just couldn't get everything to line up and stay lined up. Ross

I've been making progress but just to show it's not all plain sailing here's a shot of my build a few minutes ago. Note the clothespegs to clamp the nose - in fact joining the fuselage had to be done in several stages to get best fit, also my attempt to get the 'big mouth' seam-free and the white plastic strip on the base of the fin (to the right of the peg) to fill in a 'setp' in the moulding. Finally there's filler in the holes in the lower wing as the reference photos do not show pylons and some Krystal Klear filling the join between cockpit tub and rear bulkhead. What I'm not sure about is how much of the area around the cockpit shout be black - the binnacle for sure but how about behind the pilot ? Ross

I've edited my first post to add some more references but I've also been building. I started with all the parts from my F-16D kit that were relevant to the single seater - all bar the upper fuselage and the 'big-mouth' were there. The F-16CJ finally arrived today and you can see I'm just about ready for it. Sorry it's not the best photo but it's modelling time, not photographic studio time ! That's a Quickboost seat, not the awful kit item. Good weather today/tomorrow so not a lot of progress to be expected but maybe more on Monday when the forecast is dodgy ! Ross

That silver option looks like an RB-57E 'Patricia Lynn' variant ? If so, did they give you the cameras in the nose that they missed in 1/72 ? They don't seem to show in the sprue pics but they should be something like this : That's as near as I could get my 1/72 one anyway. The build appeared in MAM December 2008, if anyone wants it PM me and I'll risk Neil Robinson's wrath by sending you a copy of the article. Ross

This is my first build thread and I'm not sure if a non-British subject really should be on here but the decals were provided by a fellow Britmodeller and he deserves to see they're being used so here it is. As the kit is still on its way from Hannants this is just a reference and planning post : Decals - Two Bobs 1/72 F-16C Arctic Bandits. The wing commander's aircraft was the option I was given. Kit - the Hasegawa 1/72 F-16CJ. The decal subject is a plain F-16C Block 30 so I can nick the wheels and doors associated with the later model to turn an F-16D kit into a DJ. I plan to build SFTB apart from (maybe) a Quickboost seat. This photo shows the aircraft before(?) it became the wing leaders a/c but is a good reference for the walkway stencilling. This photo shows the aircraft prety much as on the Two Bobs sheet Here is a colour photo of the ACES II seat. And here the hyperscale ACES II page. I have also ordered an AN/ALQ188 jamming pod from Wolfpack Designs This link (thanks Habu12) gives pretty much everything to model vipers and tells me 86-314 has the MCID (big mouth) intake so a good job I ordered an F-16CJ ! If the kit arrives today the weather forecast for tomorrow is poor so I hope to make a start then. To be continued (I always do like to state the obvious!), Ross

Well, based on the 'Modeller's Datafile' and 'The Aircraft of 100 Group' I think it was a swivelling seat with the radar scope at the rear of the cockpit but also access to the front fuselage for the Radar Op to change the cannon ammo barrels (see 'Night Fighter'). So in action he faced the rear but at other times could be either way round.

OOOer, I'm just going to throw a spanner into my post above - the Peter Lewis book also has a page of drawings for 1922-36 which do not show 608 Sqdn but the 604 Sqdn ones are inverted compared to the 1946-59 version.

Here is the relevant bit of the Peter Lewis book. Note the murky colour of the 'stone' is different from the yellow in e.g. the 609 Sqdn marking so is not just down to the age of the book

That's a fantastic link - many thanks. As A PS - does anyone have spare the decals for one a/c from the Two Bobs Arctic Bandits sheet in 1/72 ? or the Flanker option from their F-16 Aggressors sheet ? Thanks again for the link, Ross

Just to add to my previous reply...... If the Californian coast from Santa Cruz north to Half Moon Bay appeals then Cornwall is similar (but better !).

I'm reviving this topic because I now have some kits (and thanks to another post some better painting guides) but I'm still confused. I now have the following kits and bits..... Academy KF-16C Hasegawa F-16D Hasegawa F-16D (Block 50) Model Alliance World Airpower Update pt1 (Polish and Greek F-16D's) Model Alliance avionics/parachute spine for F-16D I want to maximise the return and interest (colour schemes and operators) so the plan could be (depending on your feedback).... Polish F-16C Block 52+ using the Academy kit from the box - but why does the Czechmaster European Block 52+ F-16D conversion for the Academy kit show a new intake ? Also the code numbers in both the Model Alliance and Two Bobs Polish Jastrzabs sheets are black where photos show grey and they are a unique style - any ideas for replacements ? If not I will just use the Academy code numbers as they are the right shade and size and they provide a full range of numbers to 'grow your own'. Greek F-16D Block 52+ using the Hasegawa F-16D Block 50 but with the small intake from the kit and the P+W exhaust plus the Model Alliance spine (and maybe some conformal tanks). Not sure if this has the different nosewheel door with a bulge referred to on another post for Greek single-seaters ? and is this suitable for a Block 52 ? F-16D Wild Weasel the other two are the ones I really want, this is the 'kluge' to use up the spare kits and bits and it would sit well alongside a Wild Weasel Thunderchief. I would use the Hasegawa F-16D with the big mouth intake and decals from the Block 50 kit and the GE exhaust. Then to get the heavyweight u/c I would make casts of the wheels from either Academy or the Block 50 kit. For the bulged doors does anyone know if these are suitable ? otherwise it's a bit of filler on the outside and to h*ll with the inside ! I'm aware that only the Academy kit has the correct main u/c legs and nose u/c but I'll have to live with the incorrect ones for the Hasegawa kits. If you got this far - thanks for your patience and thanks in advance for replies, Ross

What about Cornwall ? gorgeous scenery, great climate, beaches.... In the West - IPMS branch, Culdrose, not sure about the LHS In the East - mostly Plymouth based for clubs and LHS but Liskeard also has a presence Devon (Plymouth, Torbay, Exeter) is also reasonably covered and you're getting closer to Yeovilton (under 2hrs from Plymouth, less from the others). OK, no big museums (small one at Davidstow) but that's a great reason for you and the other'arf to go travelling which leads to another snag - miles from anywhere - with a hidden plus - miles from most troublemakers. I was going to say miles from loony councils too but Cornwall CC is just restructuring which probably means our previous mostly good services will start to go to pot.

Magna are planning to release a "Civil Liberator I/II" which will have the required wings/engines but I don't know what it will include in the way of the fuselage. Also the rear turret position was just a set of doors that some twin .50 cals could be poked out of. I suspect there were various styles of opening and gun mounting.

IMHO the best thing to do with an Airfix Beaufighter is put some Magna MkII wings on it (Link To My Build). Although the tailplanes have dihedral they are the correct (short) span for the flat tailplane. As I had a Hasegawa Beaufighter and an Aires resin set I nicked the Hase cockpit for the Airfix kit and it fitted ok. At 32 quid I wouldn't plan on repeating the exercise any time before hell froze over !

Does anyone have Icarus set 72-001 Greek Jets ? If so please could I have a scan of the F-16 instruction drawings ? If you've got any of the serial numbers spare that would be even better. I've got the Model Alliance sheet but the instructions are wrong (2 colours with the same FS number) and I want to do a single seater so I need a different serial (if I'm lucky I can resequence the MA one, if not...) Any other correct camouflage/markings drawings would be appreciated as an alternative, Thanks in advance, Ross

The Putnam has an IWM photo which appears to show the windows. Several more pictures on the IWM Website seem to show the windows. Put in sparrow as the keyword and you'll get them.

The 'FAR EAST' bit only appears on Modeldecal 36B (and presumably 048B in white) and I suspect it's sized for 1/72 scale. There are 'ROYAL AIR FORCE' titles and single letters in various sizes which will probably be the way you have to go and could do for the serials as well. It's still available from Hannants website and if you get a sheet of roundels as well (Xtradecal is probably better than Modeldecal if they do the sizes you need) you'll probably get them post free.

As stated above Contrail often released updated versions of their kits, the early ones in bags are really for collectors but the later boxed ones don't seem too bad apart from the transparencies which are better in the Sanger version. I have the Sanger version of the Harrow and the transparencies are much clearer than the ones in the Contrail Manchester I also have. If you're willing to tackle a vacform then the Sanger kits are probably OK for you but I wouldn't recommend one of these relatively big ones as a first vacform, get a little one from fleabay to play with before you commit to an expensive one. Rareplanes, Waku, Modelland are some manufacturers I've found to be quite good, early Airmodel and a lot of East European ones generally not so good. Aeroclub can often provide detail parts (engines, props, guns) if the kit ones are not up to scratch.

The Air Britain serials book only lists 35 Squadron for this aircraft, Ross

Hopefully a quick question - What colour(s) should the interior bits of a Liberator be - specifically an RAF GR.V ? Cockpit and fuselage is interior green (sometimes called chromate green ?) ? Wheel wells ? Interior green or that horrible yellowy colour called Zinc Chromate ? Inside of engine cowlings ? Rear turret black or RAF interior green (it's a Halifax turret) ? Thanks in advance for any help, Ross

I went to Cosford the day before the Nats last year and didn't notice it. Am I going blind or has it moved ? Ross

Eagle Strike Typhoon Intruders - these went on fleabay a few days ago : Typhoon decals

I know there was a Glencoe kit, and a Maintrack one and there's a CMR resin due soon. I imagine CMR will be good but expensive and the Maintrack one probably is a tricky build but what is the Glencoe one like ? Thanks in advance for any advice, Ross