TheLurker

I'd forgotten all about Blue Circle radar! Yeah I know software is never done. Today was spent working through the bug backlog on one of our current projects and our stuff is trivial by comparison with flight control systems. Ahh, wouldn't be surprised. Journalists have been known to hmmm... over-simplify for the sake of a good story. I'd still be worried about the reliability of testing in a synthetic (simulated) environment. We use simulations to test some aspects of our very, very much less demanding software and we still get occasional unpleasant (albeit not life threatening) surprises when we try it out in real life. Mind you that could say more about the quality of our simulators than the use of simulated environments for testing.

A bit of both, but the thing that troubled me most (and, annoyingly, I can't find the original story at the moment) was a report that a block of testing was skipped and the justification offered, as reported - so keep the salt handy, for skipping the block didn't strike me as convincing.

Having seen two or three in flight, merciful heavens but they're noisy on final appoach, I don't think they look too bad and I expect when they've shaken the snags out they'll do the job they were designed for pretty well. However, the thing that troubles me about the F35 is the intermittent trickle of reports in the computing trade press about the way the software testing (it's a computer with wings and weapons) is being handled; "Not well" is a good summary. How much reliance can be placed on those reports is another matter altogether, but the overall tone is not reassuring.

Welcome and I do so hope you're doing it as HMS Campanula.

"... . I am a novice modeller, who isn't that good at arts and crafts, ..." Welcome and don't worry about being a novice; everyone starts there. Go digging in a Latin primer to see why. The skills and the results only come with time and practice so don't be discouraged if your builds aren't as pristine as some you'll see here. Some of the contributors here have _decades_ of experience. Give it enough time and you'll get there. In the meantime just enjoy making things 'cos the next build will always be better than the last. Oh, and one final thought; patience and slow, careful building go a long way to making up for skills you don't _yet_ have.

One of my favourite aeroplanes and beautifully done to boot.

I was very pleased with results that I got from unadulterated Tamiya flat Al (XF-16) for the canvas covered areas on my most recent build (1/72 Gladiator), but that was a brush job and it may behave differently when airbrushed.

Given the number of aeroplanes Biggles wrote off I'd say the most accurate model would be a heap of broken spars, stringers and canvas / linen. Or mebbe just a pile of ash.

Θαυμάσιο αεροπλάνο! Μια εξαίρετική δουλειά!

I look at builds like this and I think to myself, "Give up now, you're never going to produce anything half so good." Cracking build.

Thanks for the compliments. I don't know for sure, but I think it's likely that Hornby used a simple calculation based on volume of previous sales, including on-line sales, of each kit and current orders for each kit from retailers to decide which it was best to drop. It is a shame they've had to do that, but I'd rather they dropped a few lines, even if the models they drop are particular favourites of mine, and continued trading than went to the wall.

That looks like a lot of work, but well worth it for the result. How did you get the wood grain effect on the props? It's very effective.

Ta. For what it's worth the doped canvas areas are Tamiya's flat Al. acrylic, 3 or 4 v. thin coats, and the metal panels Revell's metallic Al ditto rather than the overall Ag that Airfix and the Shuttleworth original use. I have sneaky reasons of my own for trying out that combination. I have to say that the Tamiya was a joy to work with, it went on cleanly and smoothly with almost no evident brush marks and the Revell wasn't too bad either, although I did have to flatten and repaint one or two tiny areas to get rid of lumps. The transfers were fun. Thank goodness for wetting/fixing solutions. I decided against putting on the rigging datum point legends after having put the oil filler legend on. At normal viewing distances (and with my old eyes) such small details are unreadable and look more like flyspecks than anything else. If you look at the "TinyTransfers" image in the build record showing the "grip here" legends you'll see what I mean or perhaps not if your eyes are significantly younger. For those of you with this kit in your hoard. There are a couple or three steps that can usefully be brought forward in the build sequence, many (all?) of which are probably obvious to experienced kit builders, but if you do want a copy of my build notes let me know and I'll either post them somewhere hereabouts, suggestions for a suitable thread welcomed, or PM you. Whichever is best.

I think the only way to get an Airfix Mk I kit is now from the double kit, A50179, but that doesn't come with the 73 squadron or Irish Air Corp transfers so you'd have to go to third party for those schemes, assuming they're available elsewhere. I'm more disappointed about the withdrawal of the Mk I Hurri. kit as I had (vague, unformed) plans for that. As for the compliments; thanks very much all, but I wouldn't look too closely as there are quite a few imperfections.

Well I've joined so I'd better contribute summat. OOB build of AIrfix's MK I Gladiator. Build Record Cross posted this in the kit review: The bad news is that Airfix have suspended production of this kit (and A02067 - Hurricane Mk I). I got the following back from Hornby Customer Care when, it no longer being available on their website, I queried the short production run, "A02067 and A02052 have indeed been discontinued from this years range. Due to trading results earlier in the year we have had to discontinue some kits and postpone others from the range. These kits may come back but this will not be this year, the production run would have been longer but we have had to down size the range."

Thanks both. It's more a matter of season and weather. What modelling I do is kept for the winter months when outside stuff can't be done and I'm not a "serious" sort of modeller anyway. I'll put up a link to my last build in the "Ready" thread shortly and you'll see what I mean.

An intermittent builder of models and not terribly good at it either, but it keeps me off the streets in the winter.

Just finished building this one. A nice involving build. I was unlucky in the kit that I got had some moulding damage and more flash than I would have expected for a new tool mould but it is still a good buy if you can get your hands on one. The bad news is that Airfix have suspended production of this kit (and A02067 - Hurricane Mk I). I got the following back from Hornby Customer Care when, it no longer being available on their website, I queried the short production run, "A02067 and A02052 have indeed been discontinued from this years range. Due to trading results earlier in the year we have had to discontinue some kits and postpone others from the range. These kits may come back but this will not be this year, the production run would have been longer but we have had to down size the range." Not being a super detailer I thought that the level of detail on the transfers (yes I am that old) was a bit OTT for 1/72 - the rigging datum points! - and I'm quite happy with the instrument panel being rendered using transfers; it keeps cost of the kit within reasonable limits and if you don't have an open cockpit option anything else would be overkill. If you're interested my build photos. Disclaimer : I'm an intermittent builder so no super detailing or airbrush work. ETA - Don't follow the build instructions blindly. There are a couple of dry fit operations that need bringing forward in the sequence. I made notes if anyone is interested.