JosephLalor

Certainly no hint at the Mirages and Mysteres to come from Marcel Bloch's rebranded company.

You've reminded me of another Joy Division single from a bit earlier. I was walking along Astor Place in New York one evening back in 2007 when I heard what sounded like someone shouting. Mystified, I looked towards the street and saw a young black guy going by on a skateboard. Enlightenment dawned when I heard him go, 'And then we can daaance.' Splendid B side in 'Novelty' as well.

The Matchbox Hueycobra was an eye-opener for me. It would never have occurred to me that a helicopter could look like that. It looks like a shark in the previous post.

I'm sure no harm will be done either way. I dressed up the cockpit of a Monogram Tigercat with cut-down cockpit components from a scrapped Academy Hellcat. Well it was another Grumman after all.

My first paid job was a Christmas job at what was then Quinnsworth, now Tesco Ireland, in the old Dundrum shopping centre. One evening I was trying to bring in a line of recalcitrant trolleys which seemed to have a collective mind of their own and were not exactly bending to my will. Eventually a gentleman who had been talking to a friend intervened and helped me to get the trolleys into line and under way. I could have sworn for years after that the man was the actor, Donal McCann.

I believe a certain amount can come down to the translators. I'm told that in the original French version of Asterix in Britain, McAnix the Scotsman, on being given his 'magic potion' says, 'Pas du sucre, du lait, un nuage'. In Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge's translation that becomes, 'Nae sugar Mon, just a wee drappie o' milk.'

Rather perky look to the nose area caused by upsweep of the underside if I recall correctly

Hi Christophe, I don't know if you made your model eventually but I've been trying to sort out the serial of AN-V of 417 Sqn myself with a view to completing the 1/72 Tamiya Spitfire Vb. I'm aware of the BR483 listing. I haven't come to a decision yet on the serial number but the armament configuration seems quite clear from a well-known photograph of AN-V with other aircraft of 417 Sqn over Tunisia in 1943. The blister is positioned aft indicating (to me at any rate) a Vb. If it had the 'c' configuration I would expect the blister to be more forward against the main spar. As noted above, I suppose it could have been a Vc with a replacement 'b' wing. It would be great if a photo turned up showing the port side, given that I'm a bit of a '--Look at the black cows --This side of them's black' type.

FF is correct for 132's squadron code. I don't rightly know what would have to be done with existing kits to get a IXB. As far as I know that designation came from the cropped supercharger impeller and not the wing/armament arrangement, but don't quote me on that.

The photo of Joseph Hyde with the CO's dog was taken at Detling in 1944. The Squadron was No 132 and was on Spitfire IXBs in March of that year.

The Spitfire seems to have a Vokes Aero Vee filter. Mk IX?

A bit like the 747 in a photo which appeared on Flight International's Straight & Level page, with a caption inviting the reader to understand that the captain had left his wallet in the aft toilet. My wallet wouldn't have that effect, no matter what the moment arm.

Hi Al, Looks like your kit has both styles of prop. That being the case, all you need to do is use the cuffed prop, cut down the fillet and do any restoration work on the tailplane fairing and rear fuselage as necessary. I'd say you're good to go.

Looking forward to seeing this project pan out. I've long had my eye on this kit, but I think I'll make do with the Italeri kit and its short fuselage.

Nice to see this one coming along in good style. I had this kit in the mid '70s myself and thought it was magnificent. It was how I learned that there was an aircraft called the Vigilante and that the US Navy had a carrier called USS John F Kennedy.