rossm

If you're depicting the ferry configuration you'll want the ferry tanks as on my model. I'll try to turn up a reference photo in a day or two.

The conversion article I sent you has drawings - did you not get it?

I believe so and having looked around some more I can't find any clues for the offset one. There is a flare chute but that is to the port of the navigators entry hatch so it's not that, I can't even tell if that was fitted on all versions.

The best I can do is that the TFX had two downward identification lamps and the front one was amber.

Hannants have stock of Modeldecal sheets 78 (NMF) and 94 (Green) which give a good selection of stencils, I'm not a Lightning guru to know if they're complete.

PM me an email address and I'll send some drawings & references

I may have misunderstood some of the posts - I agree with you about complete overpainting, it's the partial overpainting I wasn't sure about.

I agree it's hard to draw a conclusion - the band appears to be lighter than the underside colour for a start. Moreover, although clearly a panchromatic film we don't know if any filter was used on the lens. It was quite common to use a red or orange filter to darken blue skies and this would affect the relative tones of colours on the aircraft as well. Some experiments I did a while back suggest a red filter makes Sky and Dull Red much the same tone, both slightly lighter than Azure Blue or MS Grey. Also the grass/scrub on the ground looks dark and you might expect it to be more like straw during an Italian summer. I'd be interested to see the source of the overpainted sky band being common in the MTO statement - is it true or is it an erroneous conclusion based on a misinterpretation of a monochrome photo that has been published somewhere and then repeated iin multiple places? I don't know and I would believe in it more if there was documentary evidence.

Fantasy Printshop do a range of lettering e.g. https://www.fantasyprintshop.co.uk/decals/aircraft-decals/fantasy-printshop-decals/us-45-deg-id-numbers-and-letters/

Sorry to hear of this. I was in Cornwall, now in Devon. There was a trader - T7 models - in Truro but he closed down a couple of years back. There used to be someone trading secondhand kits in Plymouth market on Fridays & Saturdays but I haven't looked in since the pandemic hit. Even so, that's not particularly handy for Helston. There is a club in West Cornwall https://sites.google.com/site/cornishscalemodellers/home I guess you'll be travelling down the A30 but if you prefer the A38 then I can let you have some packing boxes left over from my move if you need them. There are traders other than Kingkit who deal in secondhand kits, I can recommend them and https://www.modelsforsale.com/ based on purchases, I've not used either of them for selling off kits. There are others like Plastic Pastimes, Kit Krazy............and others who usually advertise in modelling magazines and Aeroplane etc. who might be worth contacting if they happen to be in a convenient location for you.

The Sanger kit is still available https://www.sangereng.co.uk/vickers_windsor_1.htm Maybe an email would get a copy of the instructions?

Hi Jerry, It's my belief they were painted during conversion to Coastal Command standards at Prestwick but I need to find the reference for that as it is just a hazy memory. It may have been in a thread on here? Cheers, Ross

Er, yes, I was being dim, sorry Do these help?

IIRC there were 3 sizes - 50, 100 & 200 gallon. The only AM I can see is the 100 - https://www.freightdogmodels.co.uk/product/freightdog-1-72-dh-mosquito-100-gal-slipper-tanks-2/ I can look for photos in books but I don't have anything that will give dimensions for any of the sizes.

Having now seen that photo - just to muddy the waters - the Fighter Command trials mentioned in the article found Dark Green and Dark Earth gave the best results! The article does say it was decided not to use this scheme though and Beaufighters seem to have been the aircraft used for the trials.

There was an article on Intruder Hurricanes in Model Aircraft Monthly Jan 2008 which gives more detail of the trials, including the note that 12 Group ran their own trials independently of the Fighter Command ones. No mention of Bostons though.

"Silver Wings" says "The Fury's airframe was similar to that of the Hornet but had been modified and slightly strengthened in places. The radiator area was greater.........." Looking at photos again the Hornet cowling is slightly different with the panel line for the upper part below the exhausts as opposed to above them for the Fury.

Looking at the drawings and photos in the Putnam the prop is subtly different (just the boss?) and the structure behind the cockpit where it changes from metal to fabric also looks slightly different. But both differences are small.

As far as I am concerned the main errors are the mark number on the box and the suggested colour schemes - but then I want to build a TT35

Airfix error is my gain as I want to build a TT35 of 3CAACU. I have an Aeroclub ML winch but need to know the exact location on the bomb bay. Also I think I need the buffer unit - a sprung pole with a triangular support - but I don't know the dimensions for that. I don't know if there's anything else. Please can anyone fill in the gaps?

I use PVA - no heat issues at all but it takes a while to go off.

You need to fill the cutouts in the rear fairing as well.

Ducimus Camouflage & Markings for the Blenheim suggests RO-X of 29 Squadron had sky undersides in a photo caption and the port underside is definitely pale. Paul Lucas "Battle for Britain" has colour profile drawings of BQ-O from 600 sqdn and L8740 NG-Q both dated July 1940 with Sky undersides. I think I've seen photos of both but it's not easy to tell the difference between White and Sky in fuzzy period photos and both were starboard side photos so the Sky is probable from the date but not confirmed by a photo. Graham Warner list a number of Fighter Command losses in July-September 1940, all bar one were Mk.If - don't know how many were all black though.

The only references I can find suggest it's painted but I'm not entirely convinced. The only clear photo I have that shows it is of the NF.XV.

Try looking through this thread for some sources for aviation related fonts - not just RAF