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PaulR

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Posts posted by PaulR

    Harrier GR9 reinforcement plates query

    in Aircraft Modern

    Posted

    Evening all,

    Am busy updating my Airfix GR7 to GR9 and I am know that they have had external plates added to the rear fuselage, just behind the rear nozzles. In fact, I am sure that there was a harrier build thread here which showed what one modeller did, which of course I can't find. Does anyone have any pics of these plates, or links to pics online? I tried googling but to no avail. Thanks for any help.

    Regards. Paul

    1/72 Tornado which is best?

    in Aircraft Modern

    Posted

    Hi Doug,

    cheers for your comments ref.my earlier post! I don't think I did a particularly good job of explaining what I meant by the nose drooping - I think what I was trying to say was that I think that where the tip of the nose cone finally finishes is too low, and I think that's because the upsweep of the underside of the nose is too slight, and the downsweep of the top of the nose cone is too exaggerated. Mind you that's probably an impression exacerbated by the overly tall canopy! I tend to go on photos, by the by. Anyhow, it's all down to the beholder and all that! Am intrigued (on a different note) about your involvement with the F3 - can you say in what capacity? I've always been interested in the F3, ever since I first saw pictures of the prototype when I was 12! You might even be able to answer another query I have been unable to bottom out - which is when the straight, modern style of underfuselage flare dispenser began to be introduced. This as opposed to the angled version they used in the first Gulf War.

    Regards,

    Paul

    1/72 Tornado which is best?

    in Aircraft Modern

    Posted

    Hi,

    just thought I'd add my 2 cents to the Hasegawa F3 vs Italeri/Revell F3 debate, as I happen to be building both! As with most things, it depends on the question you ask. If you want the better kit, then get the Hasegawa, as its engraving, break down of parts and general fit are much better than the Italeri/Revell kit. However, if you want the better model then its the Italeri/Revell hands down. As detailed earlier, the Hasegawa F3's upper fin is wrong, but the glaring error that completely ruins it for me is the nose, which is too deep, and droops far too severely from the windscreen downwards. This also distorts the position of the windscreen, which angles down;whereas the real thing does not, or at least not too the extent that the Hasegawa kit does. Less obviously is that I think the whole fuselage/canopy is too deep, something that extends right to the rear fuselage. This is very noticeable in the area from the wings to the tailerons, which is very slab sided and sharply cornered; the real thing is slimmer and rather more rounded around the corner, and the Italeri captures this well. The Hasegawa rear end is also badly off, the nozzles for example being too small. I'd also treat the claim that the Italeri/Revell canopy frame is too far back with a certain degree of scepticism; it tallies up with pictures of the real thing in as much the rear cockpit has a smaller 'share' of the overall canopy, and its worth noting that the Italeri canopy frame matches the Revell GR1 canopy frame position exactly. I think it is less that the Italeri/Revell canopy frame is too far back and more that the Hasegawa frame is too far forward, possibly a function of the belief that Hasegawa is generally better quality and therefore must be right!

    Certainly, of the two F3s I have built so far, it is the Italeri/Revell F3 that looks by far the best in terms of general appearance, but just be prepared to spend alot of time sanding and filling that forward fuselage! As far as my Hasegawa kit is concerned, I'm going to do it as a wheels-up-on-a-stick job; I have carefully removed the radome, sanded the top half of the fuselage very slightly and reattached the radome. This has cured the worst aspect of the kit, i.e. a nose that looks as though it is drooping to the ground. The overly tall/deep canopy I'll just have to forego . . .

    For what it's worth!

    Paul

    where's the 1/72 B2 canberras?

    in Aircraft Cold War

    Posted

    Hi all,

    having seen the recent plethora of canberra kits both 1/72 and 1/48, could anyone explain why on earth no one has released a B2 in 1/72? I have had the 'future releases' MPM B2 on order at the Big H for literally years now, and my hopes were raised when Airfix announced their 1/72 series. . .only to have them dashed! I would have thought that of all the marks to do, this would have been the most popular given the range of markings, but maybe that's just me! Is any of the aftermarket boys planning a conversion for the B(I)8? I think it would just need the gold fish bowl canopy insert and revised intake bullets and you're there. Maybe a job for Two Mikes?

    Have a pleasant weekend,

    Paul

    23 sqn Tornado f3 query

    in Aircraft Modern

    Posted

    Evening chaps,

    Am gearing up to do a 1/72 revell/italeri F3 in 23 sqn colours, and with the Bosnia fit of late 1993/early 94 of small drop tanks, BOZ pod and full fit out of Skyflash and Sidewinders. However. I can't see from any of the photos I have if they are equipped with rear fuselage flare dispensers. Was the F3 fleet in general, and 23 sqn F3s in Bosnia in particular, fitted with these in this time frame, and if so were they the angled Gulf War version or the later version that is standard now? In fact, while I am on the subject, when did the later flare dispensers become a standard fit?

    Many thanks in advance for any light on the above!

    Paul

    what squadrons would you like to see reformed?

    in Aircraft Modern

    Posted · Edited by PaulR

    Hi all,

    I was just contemplating my Classic Airframes Hornet, and deciding on the 80 sqn purple/yellow sqn markings when I thought about how good they would look on, say, a Typhoon or Tornado. Given that my basic interest modelling wise is colour schemes and sqn marks, I got to thinking about all those bright sqn markings from the fifties, particularly on meteors, sabres, hunters, venoms, canberras etc and how they might look on modern day harrier, jaguars, tornadoes, typhoons and so on. Aside from the obvious sqns like no.74 and 56, what other sqns would people like to see resurrected? I'm thinking here more from a point of view of aesthetics more than anything else. I could definitely go for a 98 sqn Tornado F3 with the purplish red bars/white zigzags and the Cerberus badge on the fin or a 118 sqn typhoon, but what do others think?

    Out of curiousity!

    Paul

    Calling Paul Parkes :)

    in Parkes682Decals

    Posted

    Hi Paul

    Just a quick message reference the 'decal request' post from me, about 98 sqn Hunter decals. Cheers for your PM - have sent a couple back with the info you need (I hope!) but am not sure if you've received them. Would you be able to confirm if you've got them? Many thanks!

    Regards, Paul

    decal request!

    in Parkes682Decals

    Posted

    Hi Paul,

    Have been directed to you by several other chaps on this website! I was wondering if you could quote me for a set of decals, specifically 1/48th Hawker Hunters for 98 and 118 squadrons. The profiles I would like were covered by Xtradecal on their 1/72nd 2 TAF Hunters sheet from a while back, but I think these were themselves derived from profiles in the Warpaint monograph on the Hunter. The same profiles are also on page 691 of Scale Aircraft Modelling December 2002. I don't know how that squares with copyright issues etc, but I would be grateful for your comments and if poss a rough price.

    Thanks muchly,

    Paul Ryle

    Anybody here do decal commissions?

    in Aircraft Cold War

    Posted

    Hi.

    Not sure if this is the right place, but I was wondering if anyone here does (or know someone who does) decal commissions. I would like 1/48th Hunter markings for 98 and 118 sqn, as per the sadly unavailable-now-that-I-want-it 1/72 Xtradecal sheet from a couple of years ago. I think there was a Canadian guy called Mike Grant who provided this kind of service, but I don't know any more. Any clues would be much appreciated!

    Regards, Paul

    Raf Harrier Force 'restructuring' Query

    in Real Aviation

    Posted

    Hi all,

    Was wondering about the Harrier force restructuring that is imminently about to take place. Is the number of airframes (currently about 70 all told inc. 2 seaters?) actually going to reduce, with some being withdrawn/permanently retired, or is it 'just' a reduction in squadrons and the associated personnel costs. allowing fatigue life to be extended until JSF finally arrives?

    Would be grateful for any comments from those in the know!

    Best regardS, Paul

    1435 FLT Typhoon decals

    in Aircraft Modern

    Posted

    Hi there,

    Was looking at the wheels-up-to-be-mounted-on-a-pole 1/72nd Typhoon I am in the throes of completing (am reverting to my childhood in more ways than one) and was wondering if any decal manufacturers were considering doing the Falklands marks as currently carried by the Tiffies now based there. Am thinking Xtradecal maybe - its about time they released one of their periodic RAF update sets!

    Would be interested if anyone knew.

    Best regards, Paul

    Airfix 1:72 Spitfire Mk. Ia retool

    in Aircraft WWII

    Posted

    Just read this thread about a new tool Spitfire 1A, and cpnfess to being irrationally saddened. The Airfix Spitfire, as well as being the most accurate Spitfire out there, is also the most iconic kit for me, being the kit I started out with. Things move on, and for the most part the better, but somethings I don't necessaily want to see improved!

    Yours, stuck in the past, Paul!

    Rafale colours - any good matches?

    in Aircraft Modern

    Posted · Edited by PaulR

    Hi there,

    have been inspired by the recent rash of Rafale builds to dig out my Revell 'M' and 'B', but am still unable to find a consensus view on the the colour scheme. I have seen FS36320 (Dark compass grey in USAF terms) quoted but I find highly unlikely that the French would use American FS references! In addition, this looks a little too blue to my eye. Furthermore, every picture of the Navy M looks alot darker than the Air Force B/C variant - is there actually a difference in the colours used between the two services, or is this just the impact of weathering at sea?

    In any instance, any advice on accurate matches would be appreciated. I am generally working in acrylics now (Tamiya and Xtracrylix) due to the fact I don't want to clog my fab new Iwata airbrush with hard to remove enamel, but any good matches would be great.

    TIA, Paul

    Norwegian F-86 ejector seat query

    in Aircraft Cold War

    Posted · Edited by PaulR

    Hi all,

    A bit of an obscure question but I have just got my Vingtor decals for those colourful Norwegian F-86F sabres (just knew someone would do them sometime!) and was about to get cracking when I realised that somewhere along the line the Norwegians replaced the standard ejector seats for more up to date Martin Bakers. I think I remember reading this on a old Cutting Edge decal sheet which I have since lost, but I am sure it said they were 'Martin Baker 5H' seats or something similar. Could anybody confirm the type or even better point me in the direction of a 1/48th resin a/m seat - close enough would do.

    Many thanks in advance,

    Paul.

    What should Xtrakit cover next?

    in Aircraft Cold War

    Posted

    Hi all,

    I've recently just got my Xtrakit Scimitar, and got to musing about their possible next releases. My first thought would be a good Buccaneer, but then I spotted my Warpaint monograph on the Gloster Javelin. Having tried and failed to get a copy of the OOP Airfix kit, I wonder if there isn't a gap in the market here? Nice big kit, several different marks, some nice unit markings and squadrons - and it would go just perfectly in my 'RAF air defence' line up in 1/72nd!

    What would other people want to see?

    Regards,

    Paul

    P.S. do any of the people that run Xtrakit read these forums? Would be interested to know!

    Rafale colours?

    in Aircraft Modern

    Posted

    Hi all,

    am about to start my Revell Rafale B, and was wondering what a good colour match might be for Armee De L'Air (spelling?Ed) Rafales. The instructions recommend Revell 374, but I've not heard good things about Revell paints, so am casting around for alternatives. I used FS36320 on a 1/72nd build once, but it looks far too blue when I look at photos of the real thing.

    Thanks in advance for any guidance.

    Paul

    whirlwind diorama

    in Aircraft WWII

    Posted

    hi all,

    am currently building my airfix whirlwind (thanks to the answers to my 'mixed grey' question BTW) and am intending to model a diorama based on a picture of a whirlwind standing in a sandbagged revetment, surrounded by trees. It is a picture from the warpaint monograph. One problem though; how to make up loads of 1/72nd scale sandbags! Any suggestions on how to tackle this?

    Thanks in advance,

    Paul

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