Richard Humm

Actually, it's a lot easier to find equivalents for current Heller paints - they use the same numbers as Humbrol!

Unfortunately, the list above is the full conversion list that Humbrol put out. I know Heller did a KLM Blue as well (9069) but don't have an equivalent.

The ZTS kit might be the old Ruch one from the 1960s, which is even older than the Revell. I think the IBG kit is a brand new tooling. There's also a recent tooling from Arma Hobbies, which will be very nice if it's like their Hurricanes and Wildcat.

Getting started. I decided to do this straight from the box, as I haven't been able to find much in the way of cockpit detail (just a couple of cutaway drawings of the D510). Kora does do a resin cockpit set, but I want to get going as I have at least one more kit to do in the build. The instrutions start by adding the manche à balai (control column) and siége(pilot's seat) to the plancher (cockpit floor). It suggests there should be a mark on the floor for the seat, but there wasn't one I could see on mine, just three ejector pin marks on one side (so I treated that a

Heller paints - those of you building from yellow or black box Heller kits will find the paints listed as being their own brand. I've drawn up a list based on a Heller painr card and added the Humbrol equivalents from a chart Humbrol put out in the mid 1980s. 7001 Gris amiral – 27 Sea Grey 7002 Jaune vif – 99 Lemon 7003 Rouge vermeil – 60 Scarlet 7004 Vert – 101 Mid Green 7005 Blanc – 34 White 7006 Bleu – 104 Oxford Blue 7007 Or – 16 Sovereign Gold 7008 Alu – 11 Silver Fox 7009 Bronze – 12 Copper Plate 7010 Noir – 33 Black 7011 Bordeaux - 73 Wine Red 7012 Bois

The first twelve kits nicely fits into the first four years of Heller. 1957 Caravelle 1/100 1958 Vautour 1/50 Magister 1/40 Trident 1/50 1959 Etendard IV 1/50 Véronique 1/30 PARCA 1/30 Coléoptre 1/50 1960 Alizé 1/50 DC-8 1/125 Super-Broussard 1/75 (though the box apparently said 1/50) SPAD VII 1/40

Yes, 1958 for the Trident - it was Heller's fourth kit, after the Caravelle, Vautour and Magister. It might be possible to get the oldest kit into the build - reissues of the Caravelle aren't hard to find, and I do have one in my stash...

Actually the first release was kit number 159 in 1978. One of the last of the yellow boxes, I think.

We'll see - I'll have to clear a bit of space on my worktop, but we do have until January...

When I got home from work today, there was a card through my door saying a parcel had been left with my neighbour. It was rather a large one...

I haven't seen this one before your copy, Tony. How does it compare in size to the Series 1 Airfix Great Western?

As several other people are doing the 510, I thought I'd start with the other variant. The box - despite it being the black box, I bought it from Pat Lewarne (AKA Collectakit) at the RAF Museum show on 20 May 2012 for a fiver. The box contents - still sealed in the bag! I'm going to have to take the sprues out to build it. Instructions and somewhat yellowed planche de décoration Some aftermarket decals I bought a few years ago. I'm pretty sure I've got that cockerel design on a Mirage sheet somewhere as well.

IIRC it has a short fuselage which has the bottom rear sloping up at too great an angle - I've seen it referred to as a tadpole tail.

I didn't want to take Heather's Ju 52 thread off topic. but fightersweep said that he couldn't think of an Heller WWI kit. There was one of their very early ones - a SPAD VII (in Guynemer's markings, naturally) in 1/40 scale issued in 1960. I think it's still available from Smer.

I'm not promising, but I have got a Paris bus that I bought on Ebay on the way...