marty_hopkirk
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Posts posted by marty_hopkirk
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I had similiar issue BBC Radio 4 researcher contacted me with respect to interviewing my late father about what part he played in Cuban Missile Crisis (he was Chiefy of 617 at the time). But, he was far too ill at the time - I'm not sure what he would have told them as he was always very tight lipped had he said had he been fit enough to speak, possibly mindful of the OSA.
It is pretty clear from what the researcher told me in conversations with him, that the Squadron ORBs from the time had been santised
Marty...
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One of my dads friends from his RAF Lindholm Lincoln days was a Flt Eng. on these R45s................My dad didn't find out until a Channel 4 programme blew the lid. He phoned him straight away and asked him about it. He said how did you find that out? There is a TV programme all about it,its on now. I can't tell you anything,its still secret! He got an AFC or AFM but we're not sure if he got it for that or being the only one that survived a RAF B-29 Washington crash landing at Marham (I think) He was in a rear facing Flt. Eng. seat, it broke free and he was still strapped to it on the Runway. There is a well known Photo of these 45s lined up at Skulthorpe,the crews lined up in the foreground and a Lincoln in the background,he's on that. I can't ask him anything as he's in a bad way at the moment with Altzheimers.Horrible thing to see.He was also the VC-10 Flt Eng on that BOAC advert in the 60's on youtube.
The programme is "Timewatch: Spies in the Skies" and originally aired on BBC 2 in 1994 - an edited version has done the rounds on cable TV through the years.
Not sure the crews were overflying Moscow, they were looking for far more sensitive sites.
Marty...
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What they are dancing around it the fact that they are produced in India and all the supposed issues associated with that. There, I said it....
Thank God Airfix did not choose the US of A to manufacture their kits - they would be worse we all know that America does not care about QC and goes chasing the dollar and will skin anyone to to get that last cent.
Marty...
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I think that John meant that the moulding is contracted to another company which is located at a distance from the Airfix team. Eduard definitely mould their own kits so they don't have that problem.
But, why is that an overseas issue? One could design a project in Truro and it be manufactured in Dumfermiline? Why the abroad reference? That was the baffling point.
Marty...
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Almost all the moulding and production has been done abroad with all the attendant problems as well as the world financial woes.
John
Why is this an issue? Are not Hasegwa, Tamyia, Special Hobby, Eduard et al produced overseas?
Marty...
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Then of course, there are the wheels! Believe it or not Mr Airfix, there are still many modellers out there who prefer unweighted wheels. Why not include two sets of wheels? weighted and unweighted.
What is wrong is with weighted tyres, explain yourself.
Marty...
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i read somewhere , possibly in Meddings 21st century visions book , that some aerospace engineers "borrowed " or built a model of TB2 , stuck it in a wind tunnel and discovered Meddings had designed a very efficent lifting body ..... and as for Thunderbird one...... it bears a remarkable similarity to the English Electric Lightning in planform (ive always thought Derek based it on one !)
Urban myth methinks. I have the book "21st Visions" and don't recall that passage.
Gerry Anderson in his theatrical show did mention about Fireball XL5 being picked up as the basis as HOTOL design - not sure that is true either.
Marty...
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I have dug both my Doves out, here are my observations:
Rareplanes
- Injection moulded u/c and props.
- One sheet of styrene
- Decals
- Clear styrene browned and probably unusable.
Hannants
- White metal u/c and props
- Two sheets of styrene (one large sheet same as the Rareplanes, second small sheet with the asymmetric tailplane)
- No decals (possibly lost?)
- Clear styrene, is fine and useable and includes two sets of both canopies options
Both have the same set of instructions (photocopied) - other than the clear styrene the Rareplanes styrene has aged better.
Marty...
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"AT THE REQUEST OF WARNER BROS. AND THE STANLEY KUBRICK ESTATE, THE RETURN OF W. DE RIJK HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THIS SITE."
oops!
Thats good news. It's akin to some one tipping up and over painting the Mona Lisa - well done Warner Bros and the Kubrick Estate.
Marty...
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I have always found the toilet bit incongruous. Surely Floyd as an experienced spacefarer would know full well how to usesuch a toilet already?
That is a huge assumption, nothing in the book or film suggests that - that scene I venture is put in as a little bit of humour around the mundanity of space travel.
Marty...
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Anything this far advanced cannot be cancelled on a whim. I don't know the true values, but you have to look back the best part of a year to see how the factory slots are booked for production. The actual production, printing, packing, transport across half the world and distribution may take much less time than that required for forward planning. There will be penalties for stopping the process.
The word here is 'whim', a product will not be cancelled on a whim. It will be thought through and if the losses through sales and production are thought to be greater than the cancellation losses there is no reason why it could not be cancelled.
This is of course is hypothetical, as the posters further up stream suggest this particular product is just running a little behind schedule and has not been cancelled, thats all.
Marty...
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I have both the original Rareplanes bagged issue and the later boxed Hannants version - I'll check later.
Marty...
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Extremely promising.
Marty...
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From memory the Rareplanes Dove has the option for the asemetric tailplane.
Marty...
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Mitchell devver is how it is pronounced
Meanwhile.......
Back on the Airfix Swift topic. Am I the only person on this forum that is NOT looking forward to Airfix's eventual release of the Swift, or come to think of it, the Airfix Shackleton as well?.
Looking at Airfix's poor track record regarding "new generation" new tool 1/72nd scale kits that they have manufactured over the last few years, (Canberra,Valiant, Gnat, Vampire, Harrier) to name a few, and their obsession with producing every single 1/72nd scale kit with grossley overscribed, deep wide out of scale panel demarcation lines. That leaves a completed model, even if it is made by the most competent, professional builders amongst us looking something very similar to the Corgi Classic range of diecasts.
Then of course, there are the wheels! Believe it or not Mr Airfix, there are still many modellers out there who prefer unweighted wheels. Why not include two sets of wheels? weighted and unweighted.
Then there are the canopies, oh those canopies! On first sight they look good. Nice and shiny and clear. Great but... Look more closely and you will discover the majority if not all, carry the same Airfix trade mark. Identical, internal impregnated squiggly molding line that usually runs from the cockpit windscreen across the canopy hood. Impossible to remove even by the well proven methods. Vampire, Harrier and Gnat are the worst.
Not to mention the bad quality control issues that are plaguing the Swift.
So good luck to all you Airfix fans, WHEN they finally get their act together and release the wretched thing.
Down the years I have not been a particular fan or gone out of my way to buy Airfix kits for a myriad of reasons. But I can't disagree with the above more, Airfix have significantly upped their game in the last couple of years.
I give you the quarter scale Gnat and the recent Dornier Do 17, Blenheim Mk1 and Vampire T11 as a handful of examples.
Marty...
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Was that the thing that fell in a big hole? Not sure but I think that was the 1st TB on TV. Just checked it was the 2nd, 1st was mentioned by Albeback,Trapped in the sky. Must get the box set.
The series is a revelation on the new Japanese BDs - it's a big buy, but worth every penny. These remasters were supposed to have had a European release last year but didn't (UFO however did).
What ever you do don't buy the ITV Studios BD set, it has the wrong aspect ratio and the remastering is not a patch on the newer set.
here is the Euro UFO BD set, for those interested (same remaster as the previous Japanese set?)
Marty...
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Your wish has already been granted. Pick your fuselage length:
http://www.72airliners.de/epages/64654398.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/64654398/Products/K72-04
http://www.72airliners.de/epages/64654398.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/64654398/Products/K72-03
Cool...
Hopefully 26 will print a range a decals. Always loved the 1-11 from when I first flew on a Eagle from Gatwick back in the late '60s. Going up the rear air stairs is a memory that still sticks with me.
Marty...
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, ATR didn't do anything to sort it and a couple fell out the sky up to that point. I wont get on one as pax. I didn't much like working on them either,thats by the by though.
I spent the vast majority out in South East flying here there and everywhere on ATR 72-500s (mainly Cebu Pacific) and I would have no qualms about traveling on them - in fact I applaud them for having backward facing seats.
I even flew up to KL from Cebu on a Air Asia Airbus - I have to say both Air Asia and Cebu Pacific beat the pants off European budget operators. It was refreshing to have decent leg room.
Marty...
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If memory serves, that would be the ill fated example in the technically inaccurate but nonetheless very watchable movie "Sound Barrier"? Nice idea.
Allan
I think I'm right in saying tth film is VERY loosely based on Geoffrey Dehavilland, like all David Lean movies it highly entertaining plus quality footage of 1950s aviation. i was joking by the way that Airfix should include Prometheus markings, the spares box wouldn't take to much of a hit to do the necessary.
Some interesting behind the scenes stills can be found here:
http://old.bfi.org.uk/lean/material.php?theme=1&type=Photograph&title=sound_barrier
Marty..
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As much as I like this, even at my age I still don't understand it. I get the "film of 2 halves" with the mad computer...but the monkeys, the "slab", the old bloke in the bed and the space baby...nope!
The real beauty of the film is one reads what they want to, there are not many films that have that accolade. I would suggest you read Clarke's short story the 'Sentinel' which the film was based on - in which the monolith is a an early warning of human development the film extends that by appearring at pertinent points in mans evolution either as an early warning or an influencer.
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I hope Airfix have the gumption to include the Prometheus markings in their kit.
Marty...
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I would like to purchase one of these, but it appears near impossible to do so.
On a slightly unrelated note - I hear there is a 1/48 Shell liveried DH Heron kit in the works.
Marty...
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As a brand new series it would probably be ok. As a relaunch*, it's abysmal.
Well to the target audience (which is NOT the fan boys) it is a brand new series. If you like the 'old' TBs, it is still there to admire.
Marty...
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Given that most of the likely candidates have announced their releases this year, and there's nothing in the Rumourmonger section, one would assume that the answer is no. Maybe next year .......hopefully (though I'd prefer the F8)
Yep, another vote for an F.8. Although I have the HK 1/32 F.4 with the Fisher F.8 conversion and Profimodeller detailed engine to be getting on with.
Marty...
1952 RAF roundel size for 1/72 Mach2 RB-45C
in Aircraft Cold War
Posted · Edited by marty_hopkirk
The irony of this, the British Government is still in denial about the RB-45 and Canberra overflies of Soviet territory - whilst the Russians will give one the serial Nos of the aeroplanes involved and the US administration will do the same.
Marty...