AlexB

It would take me 24 hours to do the rigging! Looks great!

I'm late to the party here, but the original late 1960s Airfix F-111A kit (before it was "retooled" as an F-111E) featured the TFX style tapered rear end components. Not a nice kit mind!

Oh yes, those CRM pilots are very good, cheap too (even considering the additional E6.50 needed for postage). Is anyone stocking them in the UK or are they only available direct?

Some while back I made some (very) rudimentary pilots for my 1/144 scale Tomcat, and given the accuracy and detail of the original kit they were fine for that, but they wouldn't win any awards! I spotted a guy was selling 3D printed pilots on eBay and asked if he'd considered 144th scale versions... he had considered it, and was about to do them so, I waited a couple of weeks and hey presto ordered a bundle of 5 little pilots just to see how they look. They arrived this morning and appear to be finely detailed to my eye, certainly adequate once under a typical canopy on any little 1/144 scale jet. I'm yet to attempt painting and using them, and as I'm shortly moving home it'll be some while before I get around to that. They're from https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/cocamp-7821 He presently does two versions; a pack of 5 pilots with seats for £6.25 (these ones) or a pack of 6 pilots without seats for £6.45 (both including UK delivery only) I have absolutely no connection to the guy, these were bought by me, I just thought they're worth sharing with the rest of you if you're on the look out for some generic modern military seated pilots for your 1/144 scale aircraft in flight. I like them, I think you might too!

Finished it then?

Oi Medland!! Two years!! Update us! 😂🤣

I believe this old kit is closer to an F-4B! It's the original Hasegawa tool, and they just added different Rolls Royce engine nozzles to their F-4J boxing. It certainly isn't really a Spey engined variant, but it was the best anyone could hope for in the late 1960s!

Hmmm, not convinced they're these - the seats I have are one piece and don't appear as crisply moulded as some other Aeroclub seats I have.

I just Googled what Mk.4s were fitted to, and got a much longer list. I distilled it to the things I'm interested in.

A few tweaks with a needle file, plastic strip, and some fuse wire will sort those little issues. These will be used on some ancient Frog/Matchbox/Airfix kits - I recon no one will much notice under a 1970's kit fishbowl canopy 😂 They're a better representation than the rubbish seats that come in the old kits. Cheers All

Cheers Chris! I've got some resin seats for a Lightning in a box somewhere, but comparing photos they're close enough for me! They'll pass as "good enough" for the Mk4, which was fitted in loads of other aircraft too, including; · Canberra · Hunter · Jaguar · Alpha Jet · Sea Venom · Lightning · Buccaneer · Jet Provost · Gnat Thanks again

Hello all! I have acquired a small number of white metal ejection seats in 1/72nd, second hand. I believe they're a 1960s/70s Martin Baker design, but can't quite figure out which model. Any idea? Ta very much! Edit: As of 17th June '22 we have an idea what these are, probably one of the seemingly endless MB Mk.4 variants - would still like to know exactly what they are, but they'll suffice for improving ancient Frog/Airfix kits.

Nearly a year on Mr Medland! I expect an update soon! 🤣😂🤣

That looks great! I've got one of these kits and the Caracal decals in the stash... Need to get back into occupying the dining room table!

Yes, just go to the website. Spare parts service – https://www.revell-service.de/en/spare-parts-service/

Yes, that would be bad. I explained the circumstances and expected to pay. I do recall getting replacement decals from Airfix for no charge years ago too (probably early 1980s). I wrote to them asking how much they charge for a decal sheet because I didn’t like the options in the matchbox buccaneer kit I’d been gifted! The Airfix buccaneer decals arrived within a week, no charge!!

Folks are often quick to moan when things go wrong, but we should also congratulate when they go right! A few months ago I purchased a 1/72 Revell Red Arrows Hawk kit from a vendor on eBay and it sadly arrived without the clear sprue. The vendor gave a full refund and informed me there was no need to send the kit back. No quibbles, so that was good. I spent a little while trying to find a vacform canopy for the kit, to no avail. I found a 2nd generation Airfix canopy in my spares box, and a trial fit suggested it wasn't quite going to work. I then thought I best check with Revell to see if spares are available. I completed the form on Revell's website and awaited a response (they explained at the time there's a back log due to the pandemic, so I knew I'd have to wait) Eventually I got an email from Chloe at the Tring UK office, I explained what had happened and expected to be asked for a small payment to at least cover postage, but she said she'd follow up with the German side, and I waited... Just yesterday I started wondering what had happened, as a few weeks had passed, and this morning by complete coincidence a surprise package arrived with a Deutsche Post label. The canopy has arrived!! Fabulous result, and now no excuse for me - a build must commence.

As title, is anyone aware of any commercial offering of decals for ZZ191 in 1/72nd scale? The aircraft looks amazing in it's splinter camo - https://www.jetphotos.com/registration/ZZ191 Cheers

I love the simplicity of them. We've become so obsessed with fine details (he types with a pair of 1/72 quickboost resin seats on the desk!) I think I aught to wind back to those simpler times, there's something truly delightful about these models.

Thanks for the responses. I was under the impression they were built from scratch, and not kits as such, but looking more closely they likely were indeed kits of some kind. The Wellington is rather heavier than I thought it would be, and while the little FW190 appears to be "deal" I wouldn't be surprised if the Wellington was of hardwood, or perhaps pitch pine. My friend is looking for the missing parts of the Wellington, and hopefully in the drier air of my house the wood of the FW190 will shrink a little allowing me to ease the wings back on.

An old friend is having a clear out and found a couple of wooden models he was given as a child. He recalls that they were made by a gentleman by the name of Charlie Barber who was a BR WR signal man at Kings Sutton near Banbury in the 1950 and 60s. They were passed to my friend when he was a child, probably around 1960, and they were already old by then. He says Charlie showed him the plans he'd used and there were more aircraft, but he can't remember where they ended up. As you can see they're rather battered and dusty now, having been unloved in a barn for at least 25 of the last 60 years. They look to be about 1/72 scale, and I gather this was the scale used during WWII to produce recognition aids. Can anyone shed any light on whether these would indeed have been the kind of thing used during the war?

I only just found this thanks to fellow biker*... holy bovine! Sublime. Absolutely perfect. I just need to don the old flight jacket and take it for a spin if you don't mind. *Gary Medland - comment above!

Super work!

I've just had a similar scratch building cockpit adventure on a 1/144 Heller F-14A. Much fun! No, really! Loved it.

Brilliant! I'm going to have to have a go on which ever rubbish old kit I attempt next! I'll share any useful interiors I produce on here!