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Wez

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Posts posted by Wez

    Southern Europe GB 10 Jun-1 Oct 2023

    in Future Group Builds

    Posted

    10 hours ago, Enzo the Magnificent said:

    I'm going to restrict myself to building from The Stash for this one (if it gets through the Bunfight).   But that's not helping me in the slightest. :fraidnot:

     

    Spanish AV-8S.   In memory of a wonderful detachment to Naval Station Rota in the late 80s.

     

    Greek Mirage F1   Aegean Ghost scheme?    How can anyone resist that?

     

    Italian Fiat G91     Well...  I've been waiting to build one of these for decades.

     

    Italian F-104S     In the late all grey scheme.   Again, how can anyone resist that?

     

    Regianne Re 2005 Sagittario...   in 1/48 scale?  How good will that look?  

     

    Great choices Enzo...  ... build them all!

    • Haha 3

    Dutch F-104G....early? Late?

    in Aircraft Cold War

    Posted

    12 minutes ago, tempestfan said:

    However, I believe there was some coordination and collaboration between both countries regarding maintenance and upgrades.

     

    I always thought there was a lot of commonality between the European NATO users of the F-104 and the CF-104 but as time has passed I've realised there were also a lot of subtle differences, the avionics fits for a start, there were different sensor suites between the various nations so the cockpit layouts would be slightly different, likewise there was a difference in the cockpit layout between interceptor and ground attack optimised versions as shown in the Lock-On book (at that price I'm definitely keeping hold of it, it really is a good book).  Engines and their associated exhaust nozzles are a difference I hadn't appreciated until lately too (I knew about the longer nozzles fitted to the F-104S but hadn't appreciated that the F-104G had longer as well as the short versions).

    Airfix 1/72 Meteor F.8

    in Aircraft Cold War

    Posted

    1 hour ago, noelh said:

    Some  interesting points  there @Andrew Patmore . It just goes to  show  that even when a squadron is equipped with  'new' aeroplanes. It doesn't  mean  they're pristine or new. 

     

    The 'mucky yellow' paint  you  mention is probably very  similar to the yellow zinc chromate anti corrosion primer used by the US  It's  easy  enough to  mix up. It being just  a dull yellow. Add a bit of black or green to almost any  yellow and that's it. 

     

    You  also  mention rusty rivets. Well aluminium  rivets don't  rust  obviously.  I imagine you're  referring to the  black rings around rivet heads.

    It's  called  fretting  as was explained to me by an Aircraft Engineer when I asked about them on a very old and tired aeroplane. Essentially the very slight movement of the rivet in the hole over the years produces a black oxide powder. Definitely visible on your Dad's 5th hand Meteors.

     

    Add to that the general build up of carbon from flying around the  polluted air of 50s industrial England and you'd  soon  have a very scruffy jet.

     

    Some rivets are steel and although they shouldn't rust they can although it would be very bad form to let them do so.  Likewise fretting rivets (although it does happen, they would normally get dealt with pretty quickly lest they cause greater structural issues).  Us aircraft engineers don't like loose skin panels.  Sometimes the countersink may be slightly larger than the rivet head but that's usual, most of the metal bashers I worked with aimed for a perfectly flush finish even though they were allowed up to 0.010".  Dirt will accumulate around raised rivets and those that aren't perfectly flush.

     

    Andrew,

     

    At the time your dad was in the mob, they were flush with manpower (National Service), so keeping aircraft clean was easier than when there weren't a large number of airmen to keep occupied (in order to stop them getting bored), also the gloss finish would help (although that would weather with age).  It does look a bit worn on that jet.

     

    That's the first time I've seen a 74 Sqn jet with the markings on the nacelle, thanks for sharing that.  What's the serial number?

     

    Any battery acid resistant paint would be gloss, fairly thick and should fill any of the gaps in the bay.  Matt paint could potentially absorb the acid and you don't want it getting in the gaps.

    • Like 1

    Dutch F-104G....early? Late?

    in Aircraft Cold War

    Posted

    55 minutes ago, tempestfan said:

    The Verlinden Lock On may also be worthwhile - I think it appeared ca. 1983 and so would probably cover the KLu birds in their twilight days.

     

    The Verlinden book is great for Belgian Starfighters although much of the details would be applicable for Dutch F-104s.  It's certainly worth getting if you see it.

    • Like 1

    Dutch F-104G....early? Late?

    in Aircraft Cold War

    Posted

    That may depend on what markings you're planning.  The Dutch were early adopters of the F-16 and therefore early disposers of the F-104, it could be that that the late standard mods described apply to the Italian and Turkish F-104s so maybe the late mods don't apply to the Dutch F-104s.

     

    I'm putting a call out to Martin @RidgeRunner, he knows a thing or two about Starfighters!

    • Thanks 1

    Southern Europe GB 10 Jun-1 Oct 2023

    in Future Group Builds

    Posted

    2 hours ago, CliffB said:

    Sorry if this has been asked before @Wez, but what's the situation re. foreign forces based in and/or operating in these Southern European countries (for example, you've mentioned the defence of Malta)?

     

    Thanks

     

    Foreign based are fine providing they are actually based there, for instance 56 Sqn on Lightnings were based in Cyprus so that's acceptable, but 56 Sqn with Phantoms only went there on detachment e.g. APC, so that wouldn't be acceptable.  Does this help?

     

    Dassault Super Mystere decals

    in Aircraft Cold War

    Posted

    40 minutes ago, Moggy said:

    Later on the French Air Force painted the aircraft in a fetching South East Asia camo. :)

    Some of them got a shark mouth painted. Later on they got really grubby - making for a more interesting model 😜

     

    After I'm finished with the IAF ones I will definitely be doing a grubby shark mouth-ed Super Mystere 😇

     

    Cheers, Moggy (Special Hobby 1/72 Super Mystere aficionado)

     

    Not seen a shark mouthed Super Mystère, shark mouthed F-100Ds yes, the air frames are similar but not the same.

    Airfix 2023

    in The Rumourmonger

    Posted

    36 minutes ago, trickydicky210 said:

    Just received the latest AMW which comes with a free 2023 calendar 

     

    The 12 images are nothing new and all in the current range:

     

    Anson

    HMS Fearless 

    1/72 Meteor F8

    Do17

    Dambuster 

    Austin K2/Y

    1/24 Spitfire ix

    Bugatti Chiron 

    Tempest

    1/24 Harrier

    He111

    1/48 Buccaneer 

     

    Yes, it's fair to say there's no giveaways from the calendar.

    Southern Europe GB 10 Jun-1 Oct 2023

    in Future Group Builds

    Airfix 2023

    in The Rumourmonger

    Posted

    28 minutes ago, Ray S said:

     

    Yep, downscaled 1/72 Javelin will do for me!

     

    Variant(s): 1/72 EE Lightning F.1/F.1A/F,2/F.3

     

    I will be happy with those.

     

    Ray

    Ooh! Me too! I forgot about the Lightnings! :doh:

    What music are you playing VIII.

    in Chat

    Posted

    Gorillaz featuring a certain Paul Simonon and Mick Jones...

     

     

    ...followed by a certain Mr Mick Jones and the Damned's Tony James...

     

     

    ...followed by a latter day Jones Strummer and Mick Jones effort...

     

     

    ...then all three of them together (this song is as relevant now as it was in 1978)...

     

     

    • Like 5

    Airfix 2023

    in The Rumourmonger

    Posted

    18 hours ago, trickydicky210 said:

    If you could name only 4 new kits for 2023 in the following categories:

     

    1 in 1/48 upscaled 

    1 in 1/72 downscaled

    1 variant of an existing release 

    1 completely new tool but linked or similar to other previous new tools ( ie Tiger Moth, then Chipmunk, maybe another trainer?)

     

    My guesses…..

     

    Upscaled 1/48 SeaKing 

    Downscaled 1/72 Chipmunk 

    Variant 1/24 Spitfire Mk VIII

    Similar Type: 1/48 Harvard

     

     

     

    Ooh!  I'll play!

     

    Upscaled: 1/48 Vampire T.11

    Downscaled: Head says 1/72 Hunter F.4, heart says Javelin

    Variant: 1/48 RAF Buccaneer (come on, they took it to war unlike the Pugwash Flying Circus, the RAF version should have been the initial release)!!

    Similar Type: 1/72 Harvard IIb

    • Like 1

    Uncle Frank's scary Night fighter - Finished!

    in Gloster Meteor STGB

    Posted

    29 minutes ago, franky boy said:

    It’s just a bit limited run. The surface and other details are really nice. Just put it down for a couple of days if it gets too much. 

     

    I'd say that's a common misconception about SH kits, these are not short run kits, they're meant to be long run kits the same as any of the major manufacturers however, because SH started as a short run enterprise, its just that their design process is still getting there (they improve immensely with each new kit).

    • Like 3
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