Jazzy Jase

Sorry, I'm not spraying the markings. I'm just not using those green decals for the canopy.

Cheers Howard, thanks for the picture. I have the Eduard masks and I'm not going to use the decals either. I was thinking of spraying the green inside the canopy, but yours looks fine done from the outside so I will most probably do what you did.

Very nice. I like the shadowing effect around the panel lines and restrained weathering. I'm building the same kit in FBVI form for the D-Day group build. What did you do about the cockpit framing? The instructions would have you put some green decals inside the canopy. It looks like you have painted them though? From the inside in interior green? Any chance of a close-up of the canopy?

Posted this over on Mossie.org but not had any response. Can anyone here help? I'm building a model of Mosquito HR241 for the D-Day group build. The instructions for the decals say it is an FB VI from 418 sqn, TH-M. They also show the aircraft as having a four-pronged aerial on the nose and an aerial mast on the fuselage, behind the canopy. However, the instructions I have for the kit (Tamiya 1/72) list only the NF II as having either of those aerials. It also shows the NF II as having some sort of aerials on the wing tips, as well as an extra set of lights on the rear of the wingtips. From what I have researched, these aerials are related to radar. Could HR241 have been retro-fitted with the radar? And should I fit the wingtip aerials and extra wingtip lights? I also need to figure out whether to put the radar screen inside the cockpit. Jason

Yep. I figured that because they are both pretty much the same colours I can paint them both at the same time. So I've got to build them at the same time too!

Ha, not at the speed I build. It's taken me over 4 months to build my Lancaster and I still haven't finished it.

Made a start on the Typhoon. It's going to be Typhoon RB222/TP-E from 198 Squadron. I'm building this simultaneously with a Tamiya Mosquito. Both using Xtradecals Normandy Invasion set. So far I've removed the cockpit parts and fuselage from the sprues.

Made a start on the Mosquito. It's going to be Mosquito HR241/TH-M from 418 Squadron. I'm building this simultaneously with an Academy Typhoon. Both using Xtradecals Normandy Invasion set. So far I've removed the cockpit parts and fuselage from the sprues.

Very nice. You've done a much better job of the weathering than I've made of mine. What did you use for the aerial wire? Also, one of us has attached the aileron actuators on the wrong way around becsue mine are the opposite to yours.

Thanks for the quick responses. I don't have any lighter fluid so I will give WD40 a go (everyone has a can of WD40 right?). Will just do a quick test to make sure it doesn't remove Klear.

An Eduard Mask has left tape residue on the canopy glazing of my Lancaster. How do I get it off without damaging the clear plastic? I've tried sticking tamiya tape to it and pulling it off, but it's not working. The tape had been on for 4 months.

I've nearly finished my model and I have one last question... Would this aircraft have had aerial wire running from the tails to the cockpit area? I can't see any in the photos. I think I can just about see a thin, white, vertical aerial coming out of the rear of the cockpit glass though.

Phil, the wash does come off, it's just that I find it very difficult to remove it from some areas, such as around small raised details or where the wings meet the fuselage. Maybe the technique of washing it over the entire model isn't for me. Have you ever just tried running it down the panel lines with a smaller brush and wipin g the excess away? I won't be requesting a refund, but thanks for the kind offer. Thanks to everyone else for the advice. I will look into oil paints.

Great work Spence. How are you filling in the panel lines? The FAQ book suggests penciling them in or brush painting with thinned acrylic. I haven't tried either of these techniques yet and was just wondering how difficult they are?

I always thought these didn't mix well with acrylic paints?

What do you all use for colouring/shading recessed panel lines? I've used the Promodellers wash a few times now and I don't really get on with it. I find it very difficult to remove. It's okay on large areas, but I can never remove it from around intricate details and I often end up knocking pieces off. Also if the panel line is very shallow I can't remove the wash from the surrounding area without removing it from the panel line.

Nothing that interests me there either. I haven't seen anything on the 2009 release lists which floats my boat, except maybe the new Airfix Spitfire IX. Good job I've got a nice stash to build!

Thanks for the tips. The decal itself was not broken, it just wasn't covering a raised area very well, so I cut around it. It was only a very small area so I touched it up using Vallejo Model Air 87 - Dark Sea Blue. According to IPMS Stockholm, RAF roundel blue is called "Dull Blue Insignia" and matches FS:35044. My conversion chart matches that to Vallejo Model Air 91 - Insignia Blue, but this looked too dark against the decal.

What colour is the blue in WW2 RAF roundels and who makes an acrylic paint to match it? I need to do a little touch-up on a decal that went wrong. Cheers, Jason

I may have found a solution for the "D" problem... 1/48 scale decals! Unless I am mistaken 1/48 is 1.5 times larger than 1/72. So to get a 1/72 24inch "D" I can use a 1/48 16inch "D"? I've also been doing a little measuring of the photos (atached again below). I haven't really taken into account the curvature of the fuselage, but on the colour photo I think the side roundel is about 1.3 times taller than the "D". Assuming the roundel is 36 inches then the D would be 27 inches. I also measured the first black and white photo in the same way and the "V" comes out at 24 inches. The "D" does look a bit larger than the "V" in comparison to the roundel, so is the "D" likely to be 27 inches? If so, I can get a 1/48 18inch "D" that works out at 27inches in 1/72. Confused yet?

That sounds entirely plausible. I can't get 56in type C decals but I can get 54in, which is 0.7mm in 1/72 so I can live with that. Hmmm, this "D" is starting to become troublesome. I'm thinking of maybe making a template and spraying it on.

Right, I've done some measuring of the kit decals and multiplied by 72. They've come out as follows: Wing top roundel: 51 inches Wing bottom roundel: 32.6 inches Side Roundel: 34 inches Serial number: 7 inches tall Code: 25.5 inches tall These don't conform to the standard RAF sizes from the aftermarket decal suppliers very well. My guesses for what to use would be: Wing top roundel: Type III 50 inches, or possibly 54? Wing bottom roundel: Type II 32 inches Side Roundel: Type III 36 inches Serial number: 8 inches Code: 24 inches, maybe 30?

I hadn't noticed that the sky band had been overpainted, but it is quite clear in the colour photo now you mention it. Do you think they would have painted the squadron "D" code white at the same time as it looks white in the photo. (And gives me a problem as I can't find white decals for this!) Also, I think you can just about see the serial number under the tailplane, which looks white too. Again, I hadn't noticed the lightness of the grey on the wingtip or tailplane until you mentioned it. Could it just be the light fom the sun making it look lighter? The aircraft in the colour photo has a camera hole in the starboard side, but the other two photo's, showing the port side do not. Would the camera hole only be on one side? The instructions tell me to put glass on both sides? Is it also safe to assume that the squadron "D" code would be the aft of the roundel on the port side too? Thanks to everyone who has given me information so far. It is all much appreciated.

Please can you elaborate? Are you saying the aircraft won't be Dark Green, Ocean Grey and Medium Sea Grey? Or are you reffering to the roundels?

Thanks, that's a useful link Pat. I agree that the code letter is white as it is the same colour as the white in the roundel. I also agree that the roundels on the top of the wing are type III. The information on the website you've lnked to says the roundels on the bottom of the wing should be type II. You can't see any of these roundels in the pictures though, so I will just have to go with that and hope it's right.