Jon Kunac-Tabinor

I was very flattered to be asked to do a build article for the Meteor, and to use my own decals in the September 2019 SAM. So if you fancy a Meatbox with some natty stickers, we are here to assist!! Cheers Jon

I've been searching my refs too, and I cant find anything to verify the scheme. 1964 would be very late for an RVNAF Bearcat to have been operational, they were pretty much replaced by A-1s at the start of the 60's, - so maybe this was an airfield decoy? cheers Jonners

Alors, la francaise est la deuxieme langue preferée pour moi, donc que l'espagnol est un troisieme, et un troisieme pas bien retenu aussi. But I like the fact you correct me- so if I'm ever down your way- I can get it wrong properly! Jnnrs - protein all the way. Steak anyone?

I think I might actually put it a little differently. "Desea nuevos cojones? Gastar uno cento y los necesitareras" But never the less- I like your style! Cheers Jnnrs ( I've given up vowels and carbs)

HI I finished this about 6 years ago. There are pics somewhere I can try an upload again Jonners

Just to provide balance here. One of my two Spitfire XIVs came missing the separately bagged clear sprue. Ok that's bad from a packing QC angle, but I emailed Airfix, got a reply later that day asking for product code. I sent that and had a second reply the next day saying they would post out a clear sprue. This arrived, well packaged by post 2 days later. So they can do replacement parts service, and do it quickly too. All businesses make mistakes, but it's learning from them and ensuring you minimise the chances of them recurring that is the secret. Airfix's problem seems to be poorly moulded plastic. The new Spit sells for £21, The big Hellcat for £120. If making those £25 and £130 financed whatever it took to sort out this issue, would any of us think they were too expensive? I very much doubt it.. cheers Jonners

The problem with the overhang at the rear of the saddle tank being though, that while it is "there" in 1/48th scale it's so minute as to make any attempt to meaningfully replicate it look like a pice of battleship armour has been bolted over the tank. I'd say we are talking a few thou of an inch in scale, and creating that subtlety subtly will be hard. If you look at photos of the real thing it's hard to spot sometimes at anything other than "walkaround" close up distance, or when the sun is at the correct angle. I'm not saying modellers shouldn't try if they so wish, but that I have a feeling that if we start seeing saddle tanks with more lip than Hanging Rock then that too will look awful. This might be a case where an aftermarket resin piece could be cast with the correct dimensions ( or would resin suffer from the risk of unpredictable shrinkage?) Cheers Jonners

So to paraphrase the fixes video: Apply a spacer. Use a bit of filler. Jonners

Nope I was referring to this one: I don't think I was disrespectful to him- just that he appeared to value good fit over accuracy - as he seemed to gloss over the woeful shape of the Trumpeter P-40F in another video and I pretty much quoted what his view was. I think his view is wrong. Cheer Jonners Paul is a member here but hasn't posted since April 2018.

Morning. Sorry been away. Can I help? Jonners

Expecto Spitamus!!

Hi D-man. In short I don't know! Perhaps we in the UK are more willing to overlook some of Airfix's shortcomings, or maybe we dont see them as being problems? I'm not saying this to somehow indicate Americans are more picky, just trying to think of reasons. I guess it would be interesting to see how a first boxing, differs from a second run of a given kit, where there had been comment on it initially. For instance, I have built 3 first release Meteor F8s, and they were all in the softer bluer-grey plastic, like the new Spit is. I just bought a Korean War boxing, and that is moulded in the darker, more neutral, grey, like the P-40B. I know the fit issues on the Meteor well, so it will be interesting to see how it builds with this plastic. It does also seem that we might be seeing a general trend of modellers wanting perfectly fitting, well engineered kits over all the other desirable things in a kit. I'm thinking that Trumpeter often give this, and inspite of the many critics of their accuracy policy, they must sell OK. Even Tamiya's new Spit 1 apparently has an "off" undercarriage rake angle, but it's ignored as it's so well engineered. Maybe we live in a painting & finishing obsessed time? It's quicker to crack on with the paint if the model just slots together and is cleanly moulded. To perhaps extend this point more generally, we live in an age where "look" is everything, where spin and PR constantly overrule content, so why should modelling be different? You could call this entitlement, or rising consumer expectations, or just hobbyists wanting an understandably easier life! I suspect the plastic is actually the issue though. I'd love to know why Airfix use the blue grey softer plastic - cost perhaps? cheers Jonners

I think what we are seeing is inconsistency in the kit moulding. The fact that mine assembled fine as did David Collins, yet the online chaps one didnt, suggests that something is amiss. I'm struggling to work out how he gets his UC to wobble around like that though - the fit of mine was good- I admit its not a standard way to install a UC leg, but his are just wobbly as anything. It should be pointed out that Airfix have you apply the UC door to the leg first though - which does help locate the sit properly, as the door locates onto the upper end of the bay cutout just enough to hold things, but even so the legs on mine were a better fit than his regardless. The video guy also says on his Trumpeter P40F review "we can deal with accuracy issues, mostly; but if the thing doesn't fit in the first place... I think this chap likes to have well fitting kits as a sine qua non benchmark. My view differs. Neither is right, but then my Youtube review of the Spitfire would be different too. cheers - I've wittered on too much - a bed beckons. Jonners

I suspect that yours will look pretty decent too!! The problem with "online" is that TBH we live in an age where sometimes one has to be outspoken to make one's mark. I'm not saying that's totally the case here but you can put a spin on things ( I don't mean the prop!) that can push a view one way. As a case in point, there is flash on the rudder actuator pistons and control column framework part, but the part is about, what? 5mm x 8mm? You see that zoomed in on and lit like an SS interrogation and it looks awful. I just picked my model up and put a spotlight on - and even beaming direct into the cockpit it's right down at the bottom and tricky to see. I'm not saying that the flash isn't there as it is; nor that it's right a new tool, new mould should have it; it shouldn't. But it does seem a little over dramatic the way it's presented. I realise the guy that did the Youtube vid is well respected and a really, really, really top modeller but there's no comparison of cost between the Airfix kit and the Tamiya Mark I, nor an explanation why the Tamiya pistons are not parallel either. It's all very well doing these "nude" builds to show the modeller an "honest" representation of what the kit it- BUT - and here's the BUT- that is not the way 99.9% of modellers make kits. We cut parts, clean up, test fit, trim, paint, glue, fill etc. Perhaps I'm just older now and more tolerant of a wee bit of intolerance in my plastic! I used to be a right git when it came to Trumpeter and their excuses for accuracy, but I actually can't be bottomed now. People buy them despite what's said, so whats the point? Idiots. Life has more important issues to oppose and defeat than flash on a model. Sorry, that went a tad soapboxy - and it's not aimed at you dear chap at all. I look forward to seeing your Spit! Cheers, Jonners

I think that as long as you can scrape a little flash from some of the smaller parts, you will be fine. You shouldn't have to do this, none of us should, but that's where we are.| I Hope you enjoy your model. And, thank you for looking and commenting too cheers Jonners