TheyJammedKenny!

This is an evening's worth of work on the interior. It's not a precise representation of the real thing, nor are the frames and longerons perfectly aligned, but it's a start. When painted grey-green and viewed through a 1/2" x 1" aperture (the paratroop door), it should do nicely. Part of the rib-work aft will be hidden by the paratroop door, which I need to re-scratch--or find the missing door--and secure against the interior. I could have spent more time getting everything perfect, but to what end? Before I paint, I'll add some more detail to the framework, like various bags (for the life jackets?), as well as the windows, just to get them in place. I also added some stringers to the left fuselage half's roof, just in case someone makes a quick inspection there--but I don't want to overdo or overthink this. The C-47 cargo floor, with the rear-end straightened out, will do nicely I think.

Looks great! I don't think you're missing anything on the vertical stabilizer, aside from maybe what you suggested. I had the impression, perhaps mistaken, that the Airfix kit's was a little too swept, but that appears not the case.

Stunning work on this! Really can't believe this is the old Airfix kit, and I'll quickly run out of superlatives to describe it. Looks spot-on. Alex

Nicely done! Your paint scheme really improves the looks of this aircraft. What's the payload today? Racehorses?

@Antti_K: jump in and join the fun with Valettas! Ready? That's a sextant for you! Ours featured a periscope so you could push them through a small opening without depressurizing the aircraft. Nice "whiz wheel," too! Yup, sharpen those pencils! The lesson plan is all about dead-reckoning today! In my opinion, we need to train a new set of navigators, just in case we're denied GPS services, if you know what I mean. Looking forward to seeing next steps on this model.

Welcome from DC! You're not far away at all. Jets are cool, and I build 1/72 postwar stuff. I think you'll enjoy it here. Alex

Nicely done! It's got to be tiny! Lovely little thing, and I'm most impressed by your freehand brushwork. Do you have the series by Andrzej Glass on the history of Polish aviation? Not sure if it's been translated into English yet, and no color photos, unfortunately.

Beautiful workmanship as usual! Thanks for updating us on the Moth's progress!

Beautifully done! I love the contrast between old and new. The VC-10 does not appear overwhelmingly huge in comparison, which is surprising. Uganda just (re?)started this airline, and we'll see how it goes this time! I've heard Uganda is a wonderful, wonderful place, but I've only been as far south as Kenya. Some day, perhaps!

Great job on this B-17 and wonderful story. Had I brought in a model to my school classroom, it would never have lasted even the day, unfortunately. You had very disciplined and well-behaved fellow pupils!

Here are the engine cowlings and carburetor intakes. The cowlings' mounting against the rest of the engine nacelle is dodgy, and will probably rely on the carburetor intakes to properly align. I wouldn't have designed a kit this way, but there it is. The engine faces are bare-bones representations of the real thing, but that hardly matters, considering that it will be impossible to see past the prop hub and after-body. I briefly considered fabricating the cooling fan, but frankly, getting it symmetrical and looking right is beyond my abilities. Also, I've only seen clear views of the fan on early '50s Valetta aircraft. After that, it all gets really vague, so I can just imagine some irritated crew chief tossing out this damaged part after major field maintenance. Anyway, I'll just paint it dark grey and have done with it. All things considered, the fit is not bad. I gave the engine and intake joints a quick sanding on a flat surface and they went together without major hassle, then used the tool you see in the lower right corner to "true out" the cowling faces. Generally on this kit you need to follow @71chally's advice and largely ignore the part number call-outs on the instruction sheet, and carefully fit each part before cementing. If something looks like it belongs somewhere based on your photo references, and it's on the parts tree, but not in the instructions, use it! Use the force:

I like your problem-solving. What do you think about the leading edge sweep on the Airfix kit's vertical stabilizer? Does that need to be adjusted slightly?

Nice! That didn't take long at all, did it? It seems that the turn-around time on the mail service is improving. How much did you $$ to obtain the custom decals, if I may indecently ask, and how many sheets were you obligated to purchase to make it worth Arctic's while?

Those are some really impressive results! I love the careful shading along the panel lines. Did you pre-shade using black, against a primer coat? I'd say the olive drab looks just right.

Ah--is there an international law professor in the house? If so, please come quickly, and bring your library along! LOL. Thanks, Serge.

All: just to be clear, the SR-71 never crossed into Czechoslovak or Soviet national airspace. As Serge points out, its flights were precisely planned. It had an inertial navigation system and star tracker that achieved amazingly precise locational accuracy considering its vintage and lack of recourse to satellite-facilitated navigation. Any intercepts over continental Europe would have been on the Czechoslovak side of the border--meaning the interceptor would have remained inside its national airspace but on a parallel track with the SR-71. How far inside national airspace is the question.

Welcome from DC! Pocher kits are amazing when built, so would love to see your work.

Yes. The mains and nose-wheels were only 1" diameter apart: 39" on the nose, 40" on the mains. Boeing lightened this design in ways big and small, and the landing gear changes were among the numerous differences. I don't know if the skin was thinner also.

Awesome builds! That Belvedere is an awful kit, and you really turned it into a looker--to the extent that a Belvedere can ever be considered attractive. Was there any air-to-air combat during this campaign? I think the RAF intercepted an Indonesian C-130, but that was about the extent of it. Do correct if I'm wrong!

If I were you, I'd get hold of a Pucara that no-one else wants and steal the engines from it! Even the real thing is unloved. You may also want to scratch-build the half-circle bulges around the gear bays on the underside of the wing. These are quite prominent on the Jetstream. I, too, like this kit, but I think the A-Model kit will present fewer headaches.

Very nice! Beautiful job on this baby. I had no idea Invicta was still in business in the 70s, much less flying 720s! Regarding the size of the landing gear wheels, please keep in mind that the 720's main gear wheels were about the same size as the nosegear--in fact, the difference is almost nil. According to Al Lloyd's D&S Boeing 707 and AWACS, in 1/144, the main gear wheels are .275" in diameter, and the nose gear wheels .27" in diameter. Al should know: he was a customer rep for the 707 series aircraft.

Gorgeous build! Really looks the part.

Jon: first, my sympathies over the loss of your beloved pet. That's really hard, especially in these times. I'm glad you can maintain some professional detachment regarding the SAR job--you obviously are doing what you love, and that's important. Regarding the model(s), I appreciate how important it is to keep chugging along with this. Sorry about the decal mess!

Oh, what a lovely-looking aircraft this Dakota is going to be! Such a classy shape. Looking forward to seeing your work on it. Which airline? DAN AIR? Alex

LaurieS: Great! What brand did you win at auction? I'd be interested in seeing your work on it when you do receive it in the mail. If it's Airmodel, it'll be challenging. If it's the all-resin S&M model, it should go together with a snap. Woody37: good to know I'm in excellent company with my interest in this plane! James: To give Valom credit, they did their best (I think) to capture a surprisingly complicated shape and got it mostly right. I'm trying to make it look right to me, which is, admittedly, highly subjective. Others won't care, nor should they. You've executed some difficult work on yours, including with the dropped flaps, which will have most impressive results--along with all those blasted astrodomes on the T.3. Also, thanks for the feedback on the aircrew uniforms!