phat trev

I have a few questions about the Seafire 47 I want to share, I hope some here can help. Would anyone know of the final airframes that may have been used after front line service had ended for the type? Also, on the sides of FAA Seafires the aircraft carry a large black ID number (for example 188) on the side of the fuselage (and often under the nose) what does this indicate as it does not match the serial (stenciled under the wings and also on the fuselage side) Maybe someone knows the ID codes of the aircraft serials below which according to the book supermarine seafire (warpaint series) where the very last Mk47's made? VR465 VR466 VR468 VR469 VR470 VR471 cheers

Wanting to convert an Academy 1/72 F4U-A back into the prototype. I have found a super build in 1/48 using the Tamiya kit. http://www.hyperscale.com/2009/features/xf4u148dw_1.htm so the infomation given is a good start. (moving the cockpit looks scary?) What would be good are some plan views of the XF4U-1 if anyone knows of where their may be some?

Wow thats stunning. You have made me put out mine (Javelin...) and start it.

Very good Tempest, enjoying the detail ! congrats!

I had better explain myself! The Ventura one is a great model but I cannot be bothered with the tidying up (and some detail on the fuselage pieces are not very well moulded) Therefore I am grafting the tail and 'low back' and the deep chin onto the Academy model and with the new wings and a few other details I should get a clean looking Seafire. Steve, I did think about crafting a Seafire 45 but I love the look of the FR47 more so. As the GB does not start till the 5th no more will be done until then! Well apart from attacking the tail of the Academy kit...

My entry to the GB ia a Seafire FR47 made using the Academy MkXIVc and Ventura Seafire F47. (The main parts, with some TLC to follow)

Hi Robert. The Spitfire you are querying is not really a true T9 it is a modern conversion of a Mk.IX Spitfire. The colours are indeed a little odd (but nice looking) being green and light grey upper and a blue/grey? belly (an HF scheme prehaps as PT462 may well have been a high altitude version at one point? but i expect the colours to be false...I stand to be corrected) As for PT462 serving with 253 Sqn someone else may know this? I believe this Spitfire may have flown for the Israli airforce at some point -IAF) Actually no 'real' twin seat spits were ever painted in RAF Camo (as none served with the RAF) the ones you see today in these RAF schemes wear them as a tribute to a particular airframe or show the airframes original colours? hope this helps and someone else can prehaps give more or better information. PT.

Thanks John and Graham.

I am wondering if anyone can shed some light on RAF trainer colours during WWII? Having seen numerous pictures (from various sources) of aircraft such as Tiger moths, Oxfords etc.. in yellow with differing amounts of green/brown camo covering the upper wings and sometimes the entire topside (also some left all trainer yellow) would the degree of camo used on a trainer show what training role an aircraft was used for? Hope this makes sense....

Just did a quik google search and I got this one, looks good- colourful scheme also. http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http...=1t:429,r:1,s:0

Great looking Tempest

early mouldings did yes! this one is a little more upto date with the proper 6 on each side.

Hmmm ok, thanks Chuck. Maybe taking the 'kink away maybe a better idea (hasegawa) and cutting the corrected shape from the Revell wings to glue onto the hasegawa model. (the revell wing does not fit the hasegawa model in and around the intake which is a damn shame. Lots of big gaps) As for the Academy kit, I am keeping all the main parts together as it does look good, maybe a little fat around the cockpit? and i am going to replace the rudder and tailplanes.

Thats looking really good now! The stripes are great.

I have managed to get around the D Wing on the Hasegawa model as I have an old set of wings from the Revell P51B (Just a bot of TLC and a file needed here then. Maybe I can use the Hasegawa D wing on the Academy D model? or does this not solve anything?

WOW, I could just climb in anf fly away in that F4F! (after putting the wings down first obviously..) Stunning effort!

Looks great so far! What scheme are you doing? Using a pointy rudder you should do a late war Mk.IX or Highback Mk.XVI.

Many thanks to PhoenixII on here for selling me an Academy F-51D. I have read there are faults with the model dispite the nice engraved detail. What should I be looking out for and improving/ correcting? The F-51 is being built alongside my Mustang Mk1 (Academy) and P-51B (Hasegawa)

I am looking to lengthen the fuselage of the Xtrakit 1/72 Supermarine Swift (ie. to fit an extra seat in the cockpit) My first idea was to just to go at with a dremel but what is getting to me now however is how to 'plug' the gap created by 'stretching' the two fuselage halfs, If anyone give any hints on carry this out please, I would be most grateful.

Although the Swift can be nominated for one of the most beautiful.

What, 4 Furies!!! edit Those are going to look awesome. Have you done anything extra to 'smooth' out the fabric effect of the moulded plastic? Doug on here used 0000 wire wool (still to pluck up courage to do mine as it sits in a box with only the cockpit started) Did you make the 1/48 Kestrel Engine?java script:add_smilie("","smid_133")

That is stunning! Have you filled in the some panel lines and added the rivets? how did you do them?

Interior 'dirty work' painted, Just got to get that Airfix cockpit part to fit when closing each side Still in need of a plastic instrument panel for this Spit if anyone can spare one please? Raised details would be best as I can then dry brush it. It would be great if someone could help?

Thats a an interesting view, moving the wings back 2mm (would be easy to rectify)

Its is a really good model, much better than I had hoped! Struggling with the wing/fuselage joins, I do not think it is the kits fault, I have used Revell Putty to fill the small gaps and have been sanding these back down. I have reached a stage where the join is nearly smooth but with a few areas of 'raised' putty that are really going to show after primer and a paint job. Shout out for a bit of help: I have used acetone based nail varnish remover (wifey) to smooth and remove squadron green putty, would this work with the revell stuff?