npb748r

Thanks everyone this has been really helpful and some great links. Cairnsy that's perfect - I'm going to go with the early deployments using the AMRAAM and three tanks option. Thanks Neil

Hi Jon, that would be really lovely. My uncle was Lesley Barnes, stoker 1st class, he was 19 when he died. There are some photos of HMS Mourne and its crew on the IWM website including photos of Lesley. I'm lucky enough to have all of his wartime records, his last letter home to my nan which he sent a week before he died, his pension papers and the telegram telling nan that he had died. Really touching especially his last letter home. My dad was in 298 squadron at the time, a rear gunner on the Halifax and a few months after Lesley died their flat (in Queens Park, London) was hit by a V1 and destroyed so 1944 was not a good year for the family !! Really looking forward to watching the build. regards neil

lovely, if you don't mind I'll watch with interest. My uncle spent most of his war service on HMS Mourne and unfortunately never survived its sinking a week after D-day off the Lizard. Whatever ship you end up replicating, I'm looking forward to seeing it progress.

I worked with a chap who wasn't interested in Christmas either, he spent every Christmas day on a homemade punt-type boat on a small lake pike fishing with a couple of bottles of port and a full stilton round until the dreadful day (his words) was over !

thanks for the picture, also very helpful with regards to painting and weathering. I've seen a number of pictures of aircraft with asymmetric load-out - I've read the fuel tank on the left wing gets in the way of the of the targeting thing (or is it a jammer ?) and I assume the empty pylon on the right wing is about weight distribution. Other than pictures like this which I'm making a guess at what's going on, I've not found much useful supporting information. I assume the silver material over the back seater is a sun shade ?

Hi all I'm just about to start building the trumpeter 1/32 kit of the F/A-18F. The weapons that come with the kit aren't current but I have the revell F/A-18E which I've given up building in frustration and it does come with more modern armament which I can use. I've been attempting to research on the web what the weapon options are for RAAF aircraft but I'm struggling to find very much. Got some good data on the original hornets in RAAF service but not much on the super hornet. I would like to build a fully loaded aircraft with a mix of air to air and air to ground weapons, ECM pods, etc. If anyone has any information or could point me to some decent reference material it would be really appreciated. thanks neil

this is the bit I'm really looking forward to seeing (not really the primer but what comes after!). I recently finished a F-117 and wasn't happy with the end result in terms of weathering so looking to learn from your build.

really sorry to divert the banter back to the subject in hand but........ I know as much about Zeppelins as the UK government knows about not throwing the odd party or ten during lockdown, as I've got this kit on back order, any suggested reading/reference books ?? thanks neil

I've owned several cars that smoke like that !!

I'm starting to work on building from my stash rather than buying new as I'm not getting any younger and I am getting poorer !! I've realised I should have thought more than just buying kits at the time of purchase - I've pulled out the 1/32 Trumpeter F/A-18F and the 1/32 F-117. I wanted to build the F/A-18F as a RAAF aircraft, Ronin used to produce decals but they are out of production. The kit decals on the F117 are a bit plain and Caracal produced decals that are now out of production. Having search the auction sites for a month with nothing coming up I'm moving to plan B. The kit decals will have to do for the F-117 but I thought there must be some modern RAAF decals for any other aircraft that I could partial use however I've not managed to find anything. Any suggestion, I'm hoping my searching skills have let me down rather than nothing has been produced !! thanks in advance neil

good picture, that has some great colours in it, will be a work of art on its own if replicated. How do you think the kit detail on the inside of the petals compare @Alan P ??

you've just made my mind up - I'm building mine gear up which will be the first time I've done that since about 1976ish !!! Really enjoying watching you build this, thanks for sharing.

having spent some time looking at the SR-71 in my reference books and online, it's really apparent that the great big expanse of black is actually a proper mix of colours and weathered a fair amount. Should make it an enjoyable painting process and a great opportunity to practice weathering techniques on a black canvas. Be interesting to know how you plan to approach it ?? I've now got my kit but planning on learning from you as you progress before I start. thanks neil

I bought 2 kits together from them last year, took ages to get to me - nearly a month. After purchase I assumed the kits were not UK based after even though the website implied it was UK but there was no comms once I hit purchase other than initial confirmation. I was just about to make contact when they turned up in the post. It put me off using them again. I bought 2 kits together from them last year, took ages to get to me - nearly a month. After purchase I assumed the kits were not UK based after even though the website implied it was UK but there was no comms once I hit purchase other than initial confirmation. I was just about to make contact when they turned up in the post. It put me off using them again. I bought 2 kits together from them last year, took ages to get to me - nearly a month. After purchase I assumed the kits were not UK based after even though the website implied it was UK but there was no comms once I hit purchase other than initial confirmation. I was just about to make contact when they turned up in the post. It put me off using them again.

any suggestions on availability of pilot figures ?? All of my kits are closed up panels and wheels down but with the stand included I'm thinking about modelling the plane in flight should I get it (using your WIP to help make a decision on that so no pressure !!!). Not sure if there are any aftermarket little humans in the correct gear to sit in the front and back cockpit ??? thanks neil

When I finally get my hands on the kit I think I'm going to treat it like a 1/350 ship build. Without the experience of having the plastic in my hands, I'm thinking black paint for the windows on mine, that's as much as my eyes and sausage fingers will cope with I think.

I'm not sure I want to dive into the world of scribing as I know my accuracy wont be that good. Whilst watching your build with interest I'm now starting to think about different ways of achieving a similar result by cheating such as decals or painting. I'm waiting to see how noticeable these improvements are on your build as, if I'm honest, I'm not overly concerned with accuracy and if something proves too much of a faff I tend to ignore it and wipe it from my memory (the modelling equivalent of sticking ones head in sand !). I'm also wondering how to display the finished model - it lacks wheels (planes) and doesn't sit nicely on strips of wood (boats), I'm way out of my comfort zone. Really enjoying the build, thanks for sharing.

That rather depends on @npb748r. Martian very clear and very obvious why it's needed from the picture. Having never scribed a kit, I for one would be happy to see progress of this work !!!

what is the next stage all about ?? You mention loads of scribing, would be good to understand what and why - if this had wings and was made of metal I'd know instantly what you planned to do but being new to floaty things I am clueless (as I have been for most of my life really !!!). By the way, on the back of this post I have one of these on backorder at an online store so following with interest so I can learn something.

Black looks really good - to the point where I've got one of these to build and you've just made the decision on colour scheme for me - thank you !!

I love pictures like this, makes you think that perhaps we seek a level of painting perfect that doesn't match real life. The engine on that first picture looks like it could be a BMC engine with the amount of oil streaming out !!!

also had one sitting in my stash since before Hadrian built his wall (my wife says I'm prone to exaggerating but it has been there since the late 70's I think). Having just gone through your post from start to finish I'm digging it out and will give it a go. An all black nightfighter for me I think, I'll enjoy working with raised panel lines again and like you will try and detail some of the interior. Proper modelling for a change in this day of easy build, accurate models with a plethora of aftermarket details. Thank you - you have enthused me !! neil

that's one giant leap from a Dalek to a Destroyer - I sort of understood you weren't short for space when working on three 1/72 ships however you must have a fantastically large man cave to fit that in as well !!

Hi Alun, really enjoying the build, I've contemplated several times building a 1/72 scale destroyer (as a static model) but keep putting it off, I tell myself it's due to cost and size but a big part of it is confidence in my abilities. In the meantime watching your build is as enjoyable for me ! One quick question - what is bog ??? thanks neil

pure porn like this so early in the morning is not good for this old heart. Born in 1962, this film along with the dambusters, battle of britain, thunderbirds and airfix kits sums up my childhood !!!!!