JamesP

Cheers I really appreciate that.

Many thanks. A Sea King and Whirlwind will eventually join it, hopefully before I start pushing up the daisies!

I've actually forgotten when started building this kit, whether is was before I after university, so lets say almost 30 years in the making. I started as a Revell owned Matchbox release so all grey plastic. Thanks to an excellent conversion article in Airfix magazine Vol1/#6 Feb 1989 and subsequently a super walkaround in (IIRC) Aviation News I made a start on the conversion as well as adding a lot of small detail and improvements. Here's a run down of the work done: * Removed and rescribed the raised panel lines. * Crash-moulded air-scoops, hatch handles/hinges from stretched sprue * Grab handles from wire * Modified pipework on underside to match the HAR2 more closely * Fuselage windows squared off and replaced with crash mould glazing. * Front windscreen re-glazed and framed. * Side windows replaced with crash-moulded examples to pose open. * Airwaves PE used for grills and cockpit detail * Added extra detail to the rotor hub * Winch detail - I could have improve the housing as it's very simplified * floatation gas bottles * Spot lights * Aerials, so many aerials! Over the years I added the 4+ book which has some lovely scale drawings and more recently the Haynes book which helped me redo the rotor head detail. The excellent ModelDecal sheet #95 which provides a number of Rescue Wessexes and HC2/HU5s. I can't recommend this sheet enough as it provides full stencils with variants so I could pick those that matched my references. Big thanks to MarkyM607 for providing a spare rotor blade that I snapped when trying to add some droop. The lack of droop is the only thing that detracts from the finished model. So here is XR507 of 22 Sqn St Mawgan, circa 1990

Hannants don't process backorders immediately as they give you time to fill you basket with other goodies or even hold it back if they know another backordered item is due to arrive soon to save you postage. If you're eager, as others have done, you can move the backorder to your basket and hit the complete order button. This is all explained on Hannants website.

Just landed at Hannants

The finish is simply stunning.

Can't remember if I have the exact model but I have a Sparmax 0.5mm w/side cup for the same purpose. I don't use it a lot but it works fine once you've gotten use to it. Don't test on you latest build as you are likely to hose the model - AMHIK! My only issue is the side loading cup needs to be removed to fully clean it - just flushing with cleaner will not get rid of of all the paint especially where it attaches to the body.

For hand drilling I would avoid those brittle Carbide bits like the plague - I purchase a set and broke two just getting the ridiculously tight box open. I use a pin-vice as I have never need to use a motor tool for plastic ( but then I've never wanted to drill out all the portholes on a Titanic kit) and use the "Microbox" drills sets and just buy packs of the specific size then those small than 0.5mm inevitably break.

Oh yeah! I've got the full set, and have built the Healey. Yes the four British Sports cars were tooled in the UK and probably designed here too. They are also a lot more detail than Revell (US) American 1/32 cars of the time. Revell UK was set up so Revell could trade from within the UK and avoid import taxes, similarly with Revell (West) Germany gave them access to the Common Market at the time. The kits later appeared the Advent brand that was sold in department stores I believe.

Which probably explains why such errors keep creeping in to their releases. I’d welcome the subject if by another manufacturer but I can’t see AZ/KP improving on the sweet little Airfix kit beyond a handful of engraved panel lines.

Those SD Valkyries are surprising good and fully transform.

Can't believe any hosting company it still charging for SSL certs since Let's Encrypt issues them for free and renews automatically. There are few specific situations where they can't easily be used, eg you service is load balanced across multiple instances. IF you have shell and root access your server you can install it yourself.

If you can use Let's Encrypt the certificate is free and can automatically renewed every month. https://letsencrypt.org/

I can PM you my drawings for the glazing decals if you’d like.

Yes Yes Yes!

Blimey Charlie. The excellent photography really shows this model to it full potential.

Technically there is a gap for an inaccurate one.

village photos SSL issues, right click on the photo link and open in another tab,

This review for the GR3 shows the extra sprue https://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/kits/airfix/kit_airfix_18003.shtml . Looks like nose and RWR on the tail and you are pretty much good to go.

Everyone complains about the latest reformulation of Humbrol paint so there is no reason it can’t be reformulated again. The only question is whether this is economically viable, though since Humbrol must have known this was on the cards why the seeming late reaction? Maybe a stock issue?

Thanks Greg these are very good points. I agree needle size is a misnomer. However I do attempt a thorough cleaning of the airbrush including the tip with a twist of tissue paper soaked in cellulose thinners. As to thinning, I’ve tried over thinning the paint to no avail. Also the issue occurs start away so it’s not the particles settling out. I may look at alternate methods of cleaning the tip.

I’m having exactly the same issue as the original poster. I used to be able to spray metallics through my Iwata Revolution CR(0.5mm) but over the last year I constantly have problems with spray stop/starting or just needing the needle fully retracted to get anything out. This includes Alclads, Vallejo Metal Color through to enamels. I can spray all kinds of non metallics absolutely fine. Unfortunately this thread quickly got off topic as I don’t see buying even more paint a solution as what I have should work fine. Could I have worn out/ caromed the airbrush tip, which is stopping the metallics particles from following for example.

I was comparing the box schemes with the side views you posted.

The box shows RB with a yellow and pointier spinner?

The instrument panel decal looks a huge improvement over recent ones (black with everything drawn in relatively thick white lines).