unlikeKansas

I've tried masking tape and then cutting it with a really sharp blade, but no matter how carefully I do it it always ends up with a score mark on the model. That's why I tried to think out of the square with this technique

Probably something that is common knowledge to the general population, but I've never done it before 1) Scan the painting instructions from the model of your choice e.g. Airfix Vulcan 2) Scale up the painting instructions from the scan using your favourite photo manipulation software (the scale up factor for me was 280% to get it to 1/72 scale 3) Print the scaled up instructions at real size. You may need to print several pages to get the whole model covered. Especially for the Vulcan on an A4 printer 4) Cut the scaled up instructions into the masks required 5) Dip the masks into a dish of water. (80 gsm printer paper sucks up water like a sponge) 6) Lay the wet masks on the model to be sprayed 7) Spray away 8 Remove the masks when the paint has dried 9) I was pleasantly surprised by the result. The camouflage for my Vulcan has a good hard edge, so obviously this technique won't work for feathered edge camouflage As I said, first time I've ever tried this, but I couldn't afford the 20 pound vinyl camo masks for a 1/72 Vulcan that are available from various suppliers.

What is your longest S.O.D project? I've currently picked up a Tamiya 1/48 Lancaster that I started in n about 1982 for my then partner's father who's brother (my partner's uncle P/O Jeoffrey Tilbrook) had been killed when LM574 JO-J was shot down on 25/06/1944. I was going to build it as his aircraft, but the internet wasn't as good back then so I didn't know that LM574 was JO-J The build went into abeyance on this issue and then things got messy. The build lasted longer than the relationship, so now I am picking it up and completing it for friend straight out of the box with the Tamiya decals (or were they transfers back then?) as PO-S. My friend for whom I am building it just wants a Lanc to display in the reception area of his business, so doesn't care what it represents, so just completing it straight out of the box. Can you beat 37 years on the S.O.D? As an aside, even though I have no more contact with my partner of back then I still feel the need to do LM574 JO-J and will probably use the current Airfix 1/72 BIII to do it. Just hope it doesn't take 37 years because I'll be 101 by the time I complete it

For A21-35 the starboard one on the nose, the starboard one on the tail and the starboard underwing will all be pointing the wrong way. Luckily I've got a 30 year old (approx) Roodecal sheet of RAAF and RNZAF roundels that should fix the problem. Good walk around for this bird here http://aviationspottersonline.com/30th-anniversary-hornet-scheme-walk-around-2

Thanks Nuuumannn, So that's at least one serial per air force identified, and pictures for RAF, RAAF, CAF. Without sounding ungrateful, do you have any pictures of NZ 2401 at the time. I assume it would have been in the standard Hi viz scheme, of which there are plenty of pictures on the interweb, but did it have any special markings for Fincastle '88? Also on a side note, Fincastle 1988 according to everything I have found was at RAAF Edinburgh South Australia, but Airfix's colour scheme in their Nimrod kit has the aircraft at Richmond NSW as does the pictures displayed above in Paul Bradley's post. Tony

Thanks Paul, I have those 2 pictures already courtesy of Google. Tony

Airfix's Nimrod has markings for an MR2 which competed in the Fincastle competition at RAAF Edinburgh in 1988 and Dekls.com.au have decals for an RAAF 11 Sqn Orion that was also at Fincastle in 1988 (http://dekls.com.au/Decals/Aus/P3/72/11/DL72003.htm) What I would like to do is model a representative aircraft from each of the 4 competing nations. This means 1 X Airfix Nimrod and 3 X Hasegawa P3C Orions. 2 Orions for the RAAF and RNZAF Orions and the third, with modifications, for the CAF Aurora, all of which I have in stock. What, after much Googling, I do not know is which RNZAF and CAF squadrons and aircraft took part in Fincastle 1988. I assume the RNZAF squadron was 5 squadron, but his is only my assumption. Any help, links, pictures would be much appreciated. Tony

Got 2 of these, so will watch this thread closely. I also am half way through converting the 48th Airfix F1/F3 to a T5 using the Aeroclub conversion fro many moons ago. So eventually hope to have 3 Lightning T birds to show

Or even their website. They're there for their sales

Also remember that inkjet printers do not print white. So you can either print the decals onto white decal paper and then cut very carefully around the images. Or print onto clear decal paper and have to paint the white parts manually

Just looked at my electronic copy of the mag. No problems with page 48, but the bottom image on page 81 is slightly pixellated, but still viewable. Perhaps they send their rubbish copies out to Oz on the assumption that we're all convicts and can't read anyway.

My daughter's name is Jenna. I have banned her forever from dating anyone with a surname of Taylor

Have to agree with you FatFlyHalf. Fantastic build of an iconic aircraft, but it looks like someone chucked a patchwork quilt over it.

Aprox 1.4 Kilograms

This one slipped the memory, but as I am currently reading X-Planes of Europe by Tony Buttler & Jean-Louis Deleze and got to the chapter on FD-2 today, I thought I'd mention it. On 10 March 1956 the Fairey Delta 2 broke the World Air Speed Record, raising it to 1,132 mph (1,811 km/h) or Mach 1.73, an increase of some 300 mph (480 km/h) over the previous record, and thus becoming the first aircraft to exceed 1,000 mph (1,600 km/h) in level flight. A 38% increase in the record.