Wez

The baggage pods were modified from a rotary weapons dispenser and fellow Britmodeller Derek B was producing some masters for Model-Art Decal System to release as an accessory - you can follow his thread here Derek B's Gannet Pod Thread As for the aerial wire arrangements - you really need to get some photo's of the aircraft you're planning on modelling to suss out the arrangement. It's not that COD Gannets in themselves had different HF aerial wires, it's that the aerial layout changed during the course of the aircraft's life. Early COD Gannets had a similar arrangement to the AS Gannets initially but this changed around the late sixties/early seventies. The Warpaint book has information on when this occured and has some good photo's too. Model-Art Decal System have just brought out a sheet with some COD Gannets on their sheet MA7257 - Hannants has them Linky - they're nicely printed but the blue for the roundels looks too bright - almost ultramarine rather than roundel blue which is what I think they should be. I think that colour pictures make the roundel blue seem brighter against the oxford blue of the airframe and has perhaps led to the colour being interpreted differently - can't say for sure, it's only conjecture on my part and I'm not really bothered as I have plenty of spare roundels. HTH Wez

I'm in the process of making my Toko 1/72nd Sopwith Snipe in the 32 Sqn markings circa 1924 from the Model Alliance Silver Wings sheetMA-72157. Whilst I'm happy with the exterior colours I must confess I don't know much about the interior colours of interwar RAF aircraft in general and the Snipe in particular - could anybody help me out? Am I right in thinking the Snipe's airframe was of wooden construction and therefore any framework would be varnished wood? As for the linen portions of the interior would they have been red doped first followed by silver dope (thus giving a reddish silver appearance)? I was hoping to do this as a quick Christmas project alongside my Hobby Boss 1/48th MiG-17F so any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance Wez

Can anybody help me out with a scan of the instructions for the subject kit - I can't find mine. I'm torn between a 151 Sqn example or a 213 Sqn option from the Model Alliance sheets. Any help would be gratefully recieved. TIA Wez

Edgar, I always thought that the reference to a Q-Type harness was a generic reference to a "quick release" type harness similar to those used today. When I think of a Sutton Harness, I think of one with pre-positioned holes on the shoulder straps through which a pin passed and was secured by a locking pin like a split or sprung R type pin and was the type of harness fitted to Hurricanes and Spitfires during 1940 for instance. It was my understanding that the "Q" Type (in the generic sense rather than any manufacturers designation) was introduced circa 1943 and gradually supplanted the original Sutton Harness I've described. Regarding the photo of a Spit XIV with a Sutton type harness I can believe that aircraft were built to an earlier standard because that was what was specified in the contract - after all, it was the job of the MU's to bring production aircraft up to the latest modification standard - although spares shortages could preclude this. Aircraft Publications such as an Illustrated Parts Catelogue or the Servicing manuals typically lag behind the actual modification state - these being covered by by other publications, those publications supported by the manufacturer taking some time to catch up. Regards Wez

Deffo the airframe shown on the box art is that of a later HC2 however that colour scheme ONLY applies to an HC1 - much different beast altogether! Wez

Chris, This looks a neat build to me - good effort What's so wrong with the Academy kits anyway? Keep up the good work. Wez

One method I've tried is to scribe the line, lay some heat streched sprue into it and then sparingly apply some liquid glue. The problem is that this method only really works on straight lines and it's difficult to get HSP to exactly match the original surface detail! Perhaps that's why many modellers resort to totally rescribing a model Wez

Manuel, Brett Green interviewed the man from Airfix at SMW - the result is on the 18th November update on his website - follow this Linky. He says that they will be taking a look at some of their older items and making new tools of them - although not the entire back catelogue. We can only wait and see what this means... Wez

That's nice work Manuel! Like that lots I've just picked up the single seater - looks very nice too, looking forwards to building that one it's a vast improvement on the old KP kit. Wez

Great build with fantastic weathering - very impressive The Bucc was never called the Brick in service though. Please post more of your builds Wez

As I can't make Telford and it's only a few miles up the road I thought I'd take a look. Wez

Lookin' Good Derek! Wez

Me like that lots Didn't think there was much in it between a Super Sabre and a Super Mystere - pretty comparible in size. Wez

Thomas quotes the change over to the Tempest tail as being around MN309 - he based this on the fact that the latest serialled aircraft that appears in a photo with the small tail is MN304 whilst the earliest photo'd with the big tail is MN311. Also he quotes a Gloster Test Pilot's log book entry which remarked upon having flown MN309 with a Tempest tailplane. The Warpaint book has a few photo's showing Typhoons with the large tailplane and three bladed props - p19, bottom photo, MB582 HH-A of 175 Sqn - large tail (you can see it encroaching on the sky band), 3 blade prop. p20, bottom photo, MB658 I8-E of 440 Sqn - large tail (if you study the photo you can see where the tailplane L/E reaches the fish-plates), bent 3 bladed prop resting in the snow. p24, bottom photo again, RB195 XM-K of 182 Sqn post war - late production batch with large tail and three bladed propellor. I don't know whether MN200 was the prototype aircraft for the Tempest tail? As for changing the engine to accept a different prop - my understanding is that the Sabre had a pretty low time between overhaul so I guess it could be the excuse for three bladed props appearing on large tailed aircraft. Anyhow, I'm happy with my plans for MN819 now. Regards Wez

Chris Thomas published some research in MAM 4 years ago on Tiffie mod's, from his information MN819 would have had a large tailplane however it is not automatic that the aircraft had a 4-bladed prop. You're right when you say the large tailplanes came in before the 4-bladed props - IIRC there were problems with the seals in the governer for the propellor constant speed unit, if these went the propellor ran-away and wrecked the engine, this was difficult to detect in time with the Sabre as its cruise rpm were very close to its maximum and so it was very easy to wreck the engine! From stuff that Chris Thomas has written I understand that if an aircraft has a 4 bladed prop it will have the large tailplanes - the were apparently stability problems if this wasn't done. Having re-read the MAM article, Chris Thomas states that 4-blade props were the norm by MN601 but that aircraft could could come off the line after that with 3-blade props to fill gaps in 4-blade prop availability. It's interesting to note that late in the war/immediate post war period some Tiffie's were seen with 3 blade props. I now think a 4 blade prop is most likely for MN819 - I would still like to see a decent photo of this aircraft to confirm the spinner markings. Regards Wez

Yeah - you're right, I'll go with that then. The other problem I have at the moment is establishing whether it should be a 3 or 4 bladed prop but as the Academy kit comes with both I could just paint them both up and swap as required. Wez - fellow no brainer.

Ironically Danny, when I did my Avionics assimilation course, the room in Fulton Block that I did my radar practical in was the very room I was accommodated in during training. It still had my graffiti in the form of a thumbnail carving of my name in the putty of one of the windows (that had been by my bed-space). Admittedly, secondary double glazing had been introduced in the intervening years! The radar I did my practical on was the EK180 off of the Sea Kings (IIRC). The RAF's Jag's never had a radar! The great thing about being at Cosford was during the first twenty weeks of training we were taken through a history of aircraft development with pertinent information about our particular trade - this meant many visits to the Museum (FOC I hasten to add) to demonstrate the developmental changes. The TSR.2 was held up as being the epitome of a "Weapons System". Wez p.s. Your avatar BTW - we all know that it's a fantasy, there's no way on Earth that a Merlin could hump a Wokka!

Graham, Spirals - generally associated with the Luftwaffe yes, but given the nature of the RP Tiffie operations and the rumour that the spiral might put off the flak gunners aim you could reasonably expect the spiral to be adopted especially by a Sqn CO. On the other hand, it's just so un-RAF until you consider Brookers personal markings which provide the precedence and the possibilty that senior pilots may have discussed things like markings and there's that well known attitude within the RAF for promoting esprit d'corps. Oh, and there's the other thing that stops it being a post-war marking - those pesky invasion stripes, their use just nails it down to a particular period that just happens to be pre-VE Day by a long chalk. The photo I'm talking about clearly shows FULL D-Day stripes and is claimed to have been taken at Holmesly South which places it firmly and squarely around D-Day! Can you offer any more information? Best Regards Wez

Windy, The man is clearly a charlatan - let me rlieve you of your burden... Wez

Anybody got any poop on this one? The Eagle Strike Decals show it with the spiral, MDC for their 1/32nd scale beauty show it with the forward part of the spinner. Who's right? Wez

Danny, Like most military aircraft, there would have been a few radar bits such as RadAlt, Doppler and RWR however, the Jag lacked a ground mapping and Terrain Following Radars - the Tonka had these. I would suggest that a ground mapping radar and TFR would have been required for deep penetration in all weathers into enemy territory. The TSR.2 would have had these and I'm pretty sure the systems developed for the Tonka's were a continution/refinement/development of the system originally envisaged for the TSR.2. Sorry, no photos of a TSR.2/Jag/Tonka next to each other although the latter two really are much smaller than the TSR.2 - I recall being gobsmacked at the size of the beast the first time I saw it at Cosford back when I was a sprog airman. I think the Tonka seems big 'cos of the fin and the Jag 'cos of its stalky undercarriage - it's all allusory I'm afraid. Wez

Derek, Just had to go up to the loft to get some paint and actually managed to find the Magna pods. The first thing I noticed is that they're perfectly circular in profile with no flat on top and they lack the strakes/hinges. The pod is 8mm in diameter and is made up in two sections with a combined length of 35mm. The pylon is attached to the tank and is 17.5mm long x 2.25mm wide. The aft end of the pylon is 3mm high rising to 4mm at the forward end - the top of the pylon curves to match the wing profile. I also dug out the Mark.1 volume on the Gannet which has some 1/72nd scale plans of the rotary dispenser (which is what I believe the baggage pods were made from) as well as the Universal Wing Carrier - pylon to you and me. In these drawings the pod is 7mm in diameter, the flat section on top being 3mm wide, the pod itself is a gnat's crotchet over 29mm long. The pylon itself measures out at 22.5mm long x 2.25mm wide. Aft depth measures out at 2.75mm, forward is 4.5mm. There are two sets of sway braces - the first set a 5mm aft of the pylon leading edge, the second set at approximately 11.25mm from the leading edge. I'd scan this section of the plans if I could be sure that my scanner wouldn't shrink/expand them. HTH Wez

Hi all, I'm thinking of doing this Typhoon for the D-Day GB, it was based at Holmsley South in the New Forest around D-Day and was flown by the CO Sqn Ldr "Jack" Collins. The question is what was the colour of the spinner and how was it divided up? In Squadron Signal's Typhoon/Tempest In Action the spinner is shown as being medium blue and sky with the nose cap (forward half) of the spinner in blue. In the Warpaint volume on the Typhoon, the same colours are used but the division is in a Luftwaffe type spiral. The only picture I can find of this aircraft is in Chris Thomas & Chris Shores book on the Typhoon and Tempest. The aircraft is taxying at Holmsley South but the spinner is in shadow and it's difficult to make things out. Does anybody know for sure what things should be or where there's a good photo of this beast? I've tried googling but so far drawn a blank (although that could just be down to my search criteria). Any help would be greatly appreciated. TIA Wez

Derek, This is good stuff - Magna did some underwing pods for COD Gannets some years past. I know I haven't fitted them so they must be lurking somewhere up in the loft. I'm pretty sure they came with the pylons moulded on, the next time I'm up there I'll have a look for them if it helps? Wez

'Taint lack of interest - at least not this side of the pond The trouble is, there's all of these people telling us we should be making 1/48th scale kits only they're too short sighted to see that the one true scale is 1/72nd Being in my early forties I'm not so old and infirme that I need large lumps of plastic to stick together in order to make a kit I know - I'll get my & on my way out of the door - at least I won't have to visit Specsavers before I do! Wez