JohnT

Don't suppose its an RC F4 that you have in mind Dave? how about something like this? http://www.chinalakealumni.org/IMAGES/1987...7%20PMTC-44.jpg Look - no hands !

Nice pic on todays main Cybermodeller page http://www.cybermodeler.com/index.shtml thought to share it is he doing a roll?????

Matthew I have both stucked away in the stash so will send on but can't do till Monday as I nick, er use, the office scanner, not having one at home. That ok? JohnT

Can I ask a daft question? Am I right in thinking that its like this 1 The first Lancaster release and the Dambuster version have crap engine nacelles and need the Belcher bits resin to be made acceptable 2 The new release of the Lanc has better moulded nacelles and does not need the Belcher bits resin 3 The new release is still not perfect and might still benefit from the Belcher bits resin 4 The Belcher bits resin is good but a fiddely fit ?? Or am I way off ???? thanks JohnT

Hi chaps my wifes friend has pitched up with an ancient photo of what looks like a Wright Brother contraption in her Grandparents farm in Fife before WW1 and she asked me if I could identify it and tell her all about it as she knows that I know all about aircraft. Er... no But I thought you chaps might - or at least know the best place to ask. I'll post the photo later after scanning it but I can't do that right now. The pic is very poor quality as you might guess and would benefit from enhancement by someone who knew what to do. It looks like they are either assembling it or taking it apart. Local rumour and gossip handed down said it was the first flight in the UK but I am sure I heard that was Cody at Farnborough so that has to be wrong. Anyway any pointers gratefully received. John

Thanks and for the duration of the World Cup I am an honourary Yank - I got USA and Switzerland in the office sweepstake !! So go USA go !!!!

Hi I have the Classic Airframes 1/48 Baltimore but don't fancy the foreign users decal sheet. Anyone know where I might get a typical desert camo scheme in 1/48? I did wonder if it would be that hard to cobble some roundels and code letters together as a few profiles seem to have just one aircraft letter and no squadron codes showing. Happy to buy any unused sheets anyone might have. Thanks John

very nice pics. What aircraft was it from? I mean was it a restored example from a museum? I ask as the pics look very current and good quality so I assume they are not elderly. thanks for posting as they will really help with my build John

Rocket Assisted Take Off installation perhaps?

Hi Nick very interesting pictures. What do you make of the apparent warping of the fuselage skin in the photo with the chap hanging out of the cockpit? Wrinkly or what ! Did you come across any colour photos of black intruder Boston/Havoc by the way? John

Following Nick's original enquiry is it safe/reasonable to assume that Havoc nightfighter intruders had the same interior colours as the day bomber Bostons? Or can nothing be read across? I am about to start on an 418 Sqn RCAF lamp black intruder with the MDC conversion set and a little help from Aviaology's publication on Canadian Aircraft of WW2. If I get enough bottle I will post the efforts as I progress but it will be a slow build due to the usual family obligations coming first ! Thanks for any advice John T

Found a photo of a crash landed N3196 coded XT-L mostly behind a hedge ! force landed by Stapme at Forsham Farm on7 Sept 1940. No obvious personal markings but very poor quality pic

I just had a quick look at David Ross's bio and he writes that at 09.34 on 5 Sept 12 Spitfires of 603 Squadron took off fromRochford with Stapme in N3196. He goes on to describe the days action in detail but does not say if there was any break in the action but has Von Werra crash landing at 10.10 at Love's Farm, Winchet Hill, Marden Ross is not too complimentary about Von Werra's character ! Well worth a read I'll have a look at my 603 Sqn history to see if that adds anything more John

I read a while back they built more than the one. Does anyone know how many and what happened to the others? John

sorry no the profiles are side colour views of Vanguard and also "Merchantman" aircraft showing the various airline liveries they were painted in rather then more detailed diagrams showing areas like undercarraige. very helpful for painting a finished model but not for the construction. John

Hi Scale Aircraft Modelling 1996 April issue had a 2 page colour spread of profiles and colour schemes. I can scan this and e-mail it to you if interested. Send me a pm with your e-mail address if you want this regards John

Thanks thats very helpful. I hope to make a start in the next week or so and will be happy to post some progress - or lack of - shots. John

Thanks for all the ideas guys. I hope to get started on what might be a mamoth task soon. Pigsty has pointed out a very valid problem in that each mag could have 2-3 articles or whatever that might merit an entry. Scanning them all over several hundres magazines will take... too much modelling time So to start I think I will content myself with indexing to an excel spread sheet and using that as an index to storage boxes. Then I can scan relevant pages as I do builds or as I can help out anyone wanting a particular reference for a build. Thanks again for the input chaps John PS EDIT I did the first 20 mags onto an excel spreadsheet and it took 45 mins to scan read and enter so its going to be a marathon as I suspected! Still once its done - and I have been amazed at what I have re-discovered already !! Copies of official company demarcation camo paint schemes for Gladiators for one!

By the way - does anyone do an aftermarket 1/32 Malcolm Hood vac canopy for the Mustang? Had a look but couldn't see one John

Thanks thats very useful to know as I could have been mislead when looking at the Polish Mig in our local air museum at East Fortune Airfield which I have now learned is actually a Letov S103 which they describe as a Czech built Mig 15 bis. They also have a cockpit section from a UTI from the same source. John

They look a decent shop just moving some older stock they thought they couldn't sell to the locals and I am sure that they would either post or reserve a set. Heck - I am not that far from there - 20 mins - and if you pay over the phone I can pick up and take to my office in Edinburgh and maybe you could collect from there if you were desperate for a set

real deal I think? Osprey Aviation Elite JG 54 Grunherz by John Weal Aircraft of the Aces Series Japanese Army 1937-45 Henry Sakaida BF 109 F/G/K Aces Western Front John Weal BF 109 Russian Front John Weal P 40 Warhawk Aces of CBI Carl MOlesworth American Aces WW1 Norman Franks Osprey Combat Aircraft 23 Arab - Israeli Air Wars 47-82 Shlomo Aloni That about cleaned out Osprey aviation stuff though they has other aviation books in the sale but I had most of them already Lots of army and ship stuff though and Osprey Kreigesmarine titles I recall - wish I had paid more attention

Yes indeed - both volumes are wrapped together in shrink wrap stuff and have the sale red label on them £60 odds down to £20 on the nose seemed like a deal to me I was even tempted to buy all 3 sets and stick em on evil bay but probably more hassle than it was worth ! I would have been well put out having bought my 2 vols at full price if I hadn't got 8 Osprey Aces etc publications at a fiver each

Hi I was away this weekend and on stopping while driving through Haddington, East Lothian, I popped into the local bookshop that has a sale on. I picked up several Osprey publications at two thirds off and saw not one but 3 sets of Bruce Blanches (and others) comprehensive 2 vol history of 603 Sqn. Rather pig sick as I paid the full price on these some time ago (over £60) and they were on offer at only £20. Thinking some of you chaps might be interested I spoke to the owner and yes - they will take orders over the phone and post out Details are Kesley's Bookshop 29 Market Street Haddington EH41 3JE tel orders prefered (they seem to have net problems from time to time) 01620 826725 fax 01620 826814 Just tell the family a its a bargain b ideal for fathers day Hope this of interest to someone John

Although I departed the modelling scene for decades I still bought all the usual mags every month and bought books etc. The net result is I have a garage full of ref material all not indexed and when I want to do a 1/48 Hustler for example I recall, yes I bought a mag with a long article on the type, plans, profiles etc all with that in mind but where the b****y H**l is it? then turn to So having done an excel spread sheet of the models, resin, decals, aftermarket stuff collected over the years all for the "retirement" and now wanting to get cracking I thought perhaps a good idea might be to get the mags out and either catalogue anything that might be useful and then re-pack them all. Then I had a thought. Could I scan magazine style resources and keep it electronically for ease of ref and perhaps sharing with fellow modellers for personal reference only or would the storage space required just be so phenomenal it is not possible? If desirable, whats the best method for proceeding? Please remember this BMer has just learned to switch on the computer and is barely aware that you can get re-writable discs. I do have a spare pc from my now closed business and a source that can add huge amounts of memory at minimum cost it seems so I understand. I am sure the the more techie amongst the BM'ers will have thought of this before and may have some helpful suggestions - other than sitting down in a dark room with drink that is !! John