Wez

I'll drop you a line separately Martin. Just another thought, the Academy kit gives you a separate insert on the wing for the refuelling and non refuelling probe panels.

The Academy kit is very much an E/G, it features the alternative fuselage inserts for the auxiliary intake or without, both types of canopy, both types of airbrake and both types of tailpipe. The fuselage inserts can be a pain (clamp and shim) and there can be some sink marks on the wing but overall I rate it as a good kit (FWIW).

Off the top of my head, I think the D had the longer tailpipe like the E, the Academy kit gives you this as well as the clear canopy without the reinforcement. Also, I don't think the D had the doors on the wing for air to air refuelling but that's an easy job with a bit of filler.

I would go with 11 but with an awful lot of light grey added.

Esci or Italeri, they're similar but not the same, either way, they're better than the Trumpeter kit

I was thinking of suggesting this very topic, so sign me up please!

Yes! Count me in!

Good question, my original intention was to feature the markings used in the region but if you're modelling for instance, a Ferrari or a Ducati, you wouldn't necessarily model it with Italian numberplates would you, so for that reason your Spanish CASA 212 in Swedish markings would be eligible.

Some parts but not all, remember, a lot of parts used would be what we now refer to as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), it would come from all over the RAF supply system, it would be finished to the relevant spec for that part. The spec would say matt black but one manufacturers matt black may not be as matt black as another's (it will still be black though).

Another vote for black

Final instalment of Chez Wez Punk Weekend (the wonderful Mrs Wez is hoping for something more melodic for next weekend's theme). This is more modern stuff starting off with Blood Red Shoes (this is 14 years old but the 14 year old me would have loved this)... ...this is a new band to me, I heard this on Craig Charles' 6Music afternoon show in his Trunk of Punk feature as I was driving home (don't worry folks, I'd started at 0630 so I wasn't slacking off), I fell in love with it right away, its attitude and the lo-fi scuzziness appealed... ...finally, a band I've championed before, very much in the ethos of the punk, female led bands of the first wave, enjoy... I feel I've monopolised this thread this weekend but hopefully, you've enjoyed it? If you haven't, what's wrong with your ears??!!

Same for me

Chez Wez Punk Weekend continues with American punk this time, the early stuff starting with... ....the Ramones! Hard to chose one from a host of favourites but this one from their second album seldom gets played, I love the drum break... ....1,2,3,4! ...this lot contained two ex New York Dolls (Thunders and Jerry Nolan), the song is actually written by Dee Dee Ramone, the band were plagued by an appalling heroin habit and were credited with introducing British punks to the habit, it was through the band that Sid Vicious met Nancy Spungen which plainly, didn't work out well for either of them. Thunders guitar on this is brilliant... ...finally, the artsy side of American punk, this is such a great song, Tina Weymouth's bassline is a classic! Chez Wez Punk Weekend's final instalment will be some current bands who certainly have that punk ethic!

Punk weekend continues, this time with offerings from groups with female lead singers. Punk brought us some great female artists, these are some of my favourites... ...first up X-Ray Spex with the late, great, Poly Styrene... ...followed by Penetration fronted by Pauline Murray... ...finally, no line up of female led groups would be complete without Siouxsie Sioux, here is an early line up of Siouxsie and the Banshees with McKay and Morris (some say the best line up but I don't agree, their replacements were Budgie and the sublime John McGeoch, in my mind, the classic Banshees line up)... Punk Weekend continues with some American punk

How did I miss this? Sign me up please!

Punk weekend continued on Friday evening at Chez Wez, this lot got a sound listening to whilst I was cooking dinner... ...this one was the soundtrack to my angst ridden yoof! It really resonated with the young man who knew there was more to the world than a small island off of the south coast of the UK, these lads from Northern Ireland knew how I felt... ...there's so many great songs I could pick from this band, if you have the time, seek out "The Crack", such a great album... ...finally a great Scottish band with one of the finest guitarists of the time, the late, great Stuart Adamson... I'll be listening to some female fronted groups for the next instalment

I've declared this weekend punk weekend in Chez Wez, first instalment is the British First Wave starting with the only band that matters... ...followed by Johnny and the rest of those Pistol Boys... ...and finally, a tribute to the Shangri La's... Remember, punk is for life, not only for 1976! More instalments to follow which will include women in punk (can you guess who might be included there)? American first wave punk, British second wave of punk and latter day punk

Currently half way through Fighters in the Shadows by Robert Gildea which is a critical, historical examination of the French resistance during WW2 and how the narrative got skewed to exclude the efforts of women, religious groups, foreigners and non Gaullist groups from the official view. The bravery and fearlessness of some of the protagonists is both inspiring and humbling, the duplicity and complicity amongst so called leaders is staggering and appalling. So far, we're just getting into 1943,I'm expecting things to get rather more vicious as the war progresses.

DB, The only decals I can find for an F-1CR are these and these all of which are in the standard European scheme AFAIK

I'm liking the sound of this, count me in.

I'd be careful with those profiles too. Modeldecal 18 has markings for HAS.1(SAR) XS880/057R of Ark Royal's SAR Flt in 1970, it describes the colours as being Dayglo Orange whilst in Modeldecal 99, there's some options for later cabs (HAS.1(SAR) XS881/046CU in 1979 and XM841/510PO in 1973 both of 771NAS as well as HAS.1(SAR) XM868/517PO of 772NAS in 1982), on this sheet they state: "Wessex HAS.1s used for SAR duties typically carried large dayglo orange-red areas fore and aft; in their later period of service, gloss signal red (BS381C:537) or roundel red (538) was used in some cases in place of the flourescent dayglo colour, which in itself varied from deeper red shades to brighter orange red shades." Modeldecal were meticulous in their research and I'm inclined to go with their assessments of the colours. FWIW, this picture shows a HAS1.(SAR) with the dayglo to the red end of the spectrum whilst this one shows it looking more orangey (especially compared to the cab parked behind it).

I want mine, I want mine now! I'd love one of the schemes to be one of the later TFF or 85Sqn schemes, a bit of LAG and Dayglo, what's not to like? As for the wheels, difficult beggars to say the least, two drag struts and a mudguard for a tricky beggar do make!

The F.2 was built with the ability to carry 4 guns, two in the upper nose and two in the lower nose but if the latter were carried, I'm sure that the Firestreaks could not be carried (so you either had 4x guns or 2x guns plus 2x Firestreak). This capability was carried over to the F.2A so there was no need for the guns in the ventral tank which was just as well given the Lightning's paltry fuel load anyway. I've never seen an F.2A with guns in the ventral tank. According to my old Warrant Officer who'd been a Lightning man in the UK then at Gutersloh, the F.2A's were reckoned to be more slippery than the F.6's which coupled with the better harmonisation of airframe and engines achieved with the 200 series Avon's in the F.2A's meant better fuel consumption and they could achieve slightly longer sortie times (a gnat's crotchet and a half as opposed to just the gnat's crotchet).

Yes! Sorry for missing you and thank you for prompting me about it, you've got us into the bunfight. No, that counts for the Middle East in my book. @Enzo Matrix another entry for the bunfight!

IIRC, the bore of the jet pipe is the same but longer on the 200 series Avons when measured from the tailcone transport joint. This means that the upward curve on the underside isn't so steep and coupled with the parabrake housing gives the appearance of being bigger. @John Aero measured all of this for his Hunters many years ago, hopefully he'll be able to provide some good gen.