canberraman

That's a beautiful rendition of a model that is rarely seen these days. From the description it sounds like one of the best of the Airfix 1/144th airliners. C'mon Airfix, how about a reissue? Mark

Kev, I've got several in my stash to build including the Magna 1/72 resin so count me in! Mark

An excellent Comet with a flawless finish. You've certainly improved the rather basic Airfix original. I do like that 60s BEA scheme. Mark

Hi Neil, Your Super VC-10 looks like its off to a cracking start and I wish you well with the rest of the build. Coincidentally I'm doing a 101 Sqn RAF VC-10 K.3 at the moment using the Airfix K.2 tanker with BraZ resin plugs, wing leading edges and engines. I have to say I was a bit disappointed with the fit of the fuselage plugs and they need an awful lot of filler to get them to blend in with the Airfix fuselage. After completing the fuselage I rather wished I had cut off the inner lips from the resin plugs as I reckon they would have fit better if they were just flush with the plastic. Oh well, too late now (for me). Looking forward to seeing her finished - you can't have too many Tens! Kind regards Mark

A beautifully built and finished Hunter that actually gives the superb Revell version a run for its money. Mark

Can't normally get too excited about UAVs in real life but your model is a beauty - very well done! Mark

Lovely pictures in great weather, and well done to 'junior' for his great skills at such a tender age! Glad to note though that I'm not the only one who can't break the slides habit Mark

Very nice indeed! Reckon you've got that peculiar silver/grey colour and sheen just right - well done! Mark

Excellent and inspiring build General, she really looks the part. Thanks also for providing the build guide which will be most useful to the rest of us when we begin ours Mark

Paul That's a lovely F8 you've finished. High speed silver finish and 19 Sqn checkerboards is a winning combination! Thanks for showing. Mark

A beautiful Victor! All that hard work super detailing and improving the kit has really paid off, very well done indeed. Mark

I guess the main reason for white primer is because white top coat is notoriously difficult to get to look good. By providing a white primer it is more likely that any top coat will look 'richer' and the base plastic will not show through. In the days of yore when Matchbox kits were manufactured in all kinds of vibrant colours, it was always necessary to put on a white primer to hire the underlying colour. White primer is also so much better than grey if your top colour is red, yellow, orange as well as white itself. Mark

Two reasons spring to mind: To expose any surface defects that may need further attention (sanding or filling), and to provide a base coat over a dark coloured plastic (and hence require less coats of top colour). Mark

Gents Many thanks for the kind words and I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment expressed by many that it will be a very sad day indeed when the last all British airliner retires. By my reckoning, if the last example retires in 2013, then the type will have seen active RAF service for 47 years, will this be a record or did the Canberra PR9 just beat it? Regards Mark

Hi Antony, It's a bit tricky to give you exact measurements because as you will see, the wing fence is a complex shape with a rounded leading edge that curves under and a sloping trailing edge but I will do my best. If for whatever reason these dimensions are inadequate, I can send you a scale template drawing of the ones I made from 1mm plastic sheet. On the longest horizontal base the fence is 38mm in length. The top horizontal is 35mm length. The height at the leading edge is 4 mm, at the trailng edge it is 33mm. Hope this makes sense but pm me if you need more. Kind regards Mark

A single RB-211 turbofan engine was test flown on VC-10 XR809 but it seems that there was never the will or the money available to re-engine what was by most standards a small fleet (only 54 VC10s built) so the RR Conway continues to this day as the sole powerplant. Regards Mark

Hi again, In response to Iain (32 SIG)'s request for more VC-10 pictures (see 'Scene around Brize' in Aviation Photography), I've dug out a few of my digipix taken at Brize and elsewhere over the past few years. I've tried to capture as many of the different variants as possible and to provide a few internal shots to show the different layouts. The office of a K.3 Cabin layout of a K.3 showing the large internal fuel tanks A partial aeromed fit on C.1K XR807 C.1K XR807/Q prior to its retirement to the breakers at Bruntingthorpe XR808 of 101 Sqn but still wearing its former 10 sqn insignia C.1K XV101/S of 101 Sqn C.1K XV104 wearing the VC10 40 years special tail as seen at RIAT 2006 C.1K XV102/T on approach to runway 26 at Brize Nose of K.3 ZA147/F An ex BA Super VC-10 which following conversion became K.4 ZD242/P Thanks for looking, feel free to post additional 'Ten' pictures to this thread if you wish. Regards Mark

Gents Many thanks for the kind words. Agree it will be a sad day indeed when the mighty Ten finally retires! Cheers again Mark

A beautiful Boston Woody in a seldom seen colour scheme. Well done, you've done a grand job despite the pitfalls. Mark

Hi again Have been working in the Cotswolds during the last couple of weeks so took the chance to photo some of the locals at Brize whenever the opportunity arose. Tristar K.1 ZD951 from 216 Sqn Hercules C.3A XV209 0f 47 Sqn Hercules C.5 ZH887 24/30 Sqn VC.10 C.1K XR808/R of 101 Sqn C-17 ZZ172 from 99 Sqn OK, not taken at Brize, but these two shots of Voyager KC.2 MRTT016 taken at RIAT departures day represent the VC.10 and TriStar replacement. Thanks for looking, c&C always welcome. Mark

I believe it's already been announced that 101 Sqn will become the second Voyager sqn after they stand down from the VC10 which means 216 Sqn will lose out. Mark

Evening Have just found about some RAF sqn changes or renumberings that are due this year. • To meet the requirements of the SDSR, there have been a number of changes to RAF squadron numberplates over the past few months. More announcements are also expected. • Some numberplates will be put onto the “Dormant List” (comprised of historic squadron numberplates not currently allocated to existing units). Numberplates placed upon the Dormant List will be considered alongside others already there, taking into account seniority and role, as new squadrons are established. IV® - ex Harrier GR9, dormant since Dec 2010 Sqn will be re-equipped with Hawk T2 in 2011 10 Sqn ex VC10, dormant since 2009, will be re-equipped with Voyager in 2011 XIII Sqn - ex Tornado GR4, dormant since Jun 2011, Sqn will be re-equipped with Reaper in 2012 14 Sqn - ex Tornado GR4, dormant since Jun 2011, will be re-equipped with Shadow R1 in 2011 19® Sqn - Hawk T1 at RAF Valley will be placed on the dormant list 42® Sqn - ex Nimrod MRA4, dormant since May 2011, will be placed on the dormant list 51 Sqn - ex Nimrod R1, will be re-equipped with Airseeker in 2014 55® Sqn - ex Dominie T1 will be placed on the dormant list 76® Sqn - ex Tucano T1 will be placed on the dormant list 85® Sqn - Grob Tutor will be placed on the dormant list 111(F) Sqn - ex Tornado F3, dormant since Mar 2011 will be placed on the dormant list CXX Sqn - ex Nimrod MR2, dormant since May 2011, will be placed on the dormant list 201 Sqn - ex Nimrod MR2, dormant since May 2011, will be placed on the dormant list 207® Sqn - Tucano RAF Linton-on-Ouse 207® Sqn will be placed on the dormant list Interesting that there's no mention of 1(F) and 43(F) which I suspect will be the next two Typhoon sqn at Leuchars/Lossie. Regards Mark

Hi Antony Thanks for the comments. I'll try and post some pictures of the underside when I get a moment but the conversion is pretty straightforward. I simply cut a square shape out of the fuselage halves in which the HDU is moulded. Then using 2mm plastic card I covered the hole and then with more plastic card cut shape I filled the gap. After the fuselage halves were cemented together, I covered the square with a couple of layers of Humbrol filler and then sanded smooth and to the contours of the underside fuselage. In answer to Kevin's question, the 101 Sqn anniversary decals were from Two Six set no 144-298. Regarsd Mark

Hi Anthony The RAF C1Ks were supposedly the 'hot ships' of their day being that they were essentially standard VC-10 fuselages mated to Super VC-10 engines and wings. In addition to the suggestions already made, you will need to remove and fair over the centreline HDU that was only on the K2 and K3s but not the C.1 and C.1K. There is also a very different passenger window set on the C.1 and a large freight door on the port side, but I think the Two Six decals represent these features. You will however, need to fill in all the window holes on the K2 fuselage and then sand down to make them flush. I did a partial C.1K conversion (less the BrAZ engines) on BM couple of years ago pictured beneath, and intend to do a K.3 at some point. Good luck with your build! Mark

Fellow BM'ers Thanks very much indeed for the kind comments regarding WD790 and my 'later' UK Meatbox collection - high praise indeed for which I am truly grateful!! Cheers all Mark