Irish 251

Bootneck I have the metal undercarriage from the Aeroclub conversion if that would help. The main legs don't have the retraction jacks but they wouldn't be difficult to make. Not sure that I kept any other parts when I disposed of the model. Let me know if interested.

This looks very nice. I see that the original short fin is the only option in this boxing. Presumably there will be further issues with the fin of increased height that became standard on the 707 and 720 series.

The November 2025 issue of "Aeroplane" magazine has the DC-8 as the "Database" subject and, to my eyes, gives a good account of the differences between the variants of the type. https://www.key.aero/article/aeroplane-november-2025

Yes, looks like the same one in overall green - coded "I".

In case of interest, here is XT676 in overall green at Newtownards in 1987. I'm not sure sure what the reason for this non-standard finish was.

That C-47 went to Iran in June 1957 via MAP. No reports on it since then (source Air-Britain C-47 production list).

It makes my head hurt. Maybe he is paid by the word.

The main takeaway from the usual lengthy verbiage seems to be that, in time, other versions of the Wessex will be provided for, e.g. "For this project, Ethan was handed scans from two different preserved aircraft by his researcher, along with details of which variants of the helicopter his design would need to encompass..."

9 a.m. GMT would be 10 a.m. local time but their other post does say 9 a.m (BST).

OCU Buccaneers by photo date: https://www.airhistory.net/pub/show.php?type_basic_id=2254&oper_unit_id=391&sort_by=sort_date_desc

For anyone with a subscription to Key Publications online, this articles contains additional images, including ones that show the mix of exhaust stubs fitted during service. https://www.key.aero/article/inside-story-irelands-two-seat-spitfires The article is dated August 2023 and I presume it appeared in print around that time (although co-author Tony Kearns had died in January 2021).

That's really excellent.

The 2009 book The Irish Air Corps - An Illustrated Guide, by Joe Maxwell and the late PJ Cummins, contains information which may be useful in relation to the Irish aircraft, including the following: The forward fuselage fuel tank of the trainer variant was reduced in size to accommodate the front cockpit being moved forward. This was offset by putting fuel tanks in the former cannon bays. The two 0.303 Brownings were retained in the wings and underwing attachment points for rockets or bombs were also retained. The Irish aircraft were used for advanced flying training and weapons training. All six Irish aircraft were delivered in 1951, so they would have had the two-colour celtic boss on delivery, rather than the three-colour version which was introduced circa 1957. As per the photographer's caption to one of the photos linked earlier in this thread, serial 163 never received the silver finish. I should mention that most of these images were taken by an Irish enthusiast, Ken Richards, who sadly died in June 2023. As there are few enough period photos of the Irish Spitfires, other than a handful of official images, we can be grateful that Ken captured these back in the late 1950s. There are two other shots on the AirHistory.net website: https://www.airhistory.net/photo/7709/162 https://www.airhistory.net/photo/11632/163

Excellent, and the SAAF markings and dayglo trim make a change from the versions more often modelled.

Bear in mind that in the two images posted above, there are slight differences in the coverage of the blue and green, and in more recent images in museums the scheme is slightly different again, so the chances are that the aircraft has been repainted at least once, and maybe more than that.