Steve Collins

Don't know if/when RAF jets changed, but USAF F-86s changed about 1953 or so, to the best of my knowledge. Steve

Not only doesn't it have engines (I can get those from CMK if I want them anyway), it doesn't even have engine faces to go in the intakes. Straight through shot except for the spar. Mind you, it does have a place to mount the faces, just no parts. Also, nothing between the instrument panel and the front of the cockpit. There are no paint callouts throughout the kit, even though there is a paint list at the beginning. Other than those things, it is a nice kit. Fit is not bad, either. Steve

Same way at Ramstein in the late 80s. We shared deliveries of the first non-CONUS Block 30 F-16s with Misawa. All were NSI GE-powered jets. In fact, 86-244 may have been one of those jets. The number rings a bell for some reason. Steve

You can contact Rowan by looking here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?showforum=227 There's a topic in there on how to order the decals. Well worth the effort. Steve

To at least partly answer your question, Tony, I use Future for a gloss coat prior to decals and as a barrier prior to doing washes. I spray it through my airbrush straight from the bottle at about 15 psi, first coat just a mist coat, followed about every 10 minutes or so by another until I have the shine I want. I will then use it as the top coat over the decals when I'm done. I also use it to put that clear-as-glass shine on canopies. I DON'T spray it, as that will take forever and be much thicker than you'll want. I dip my canopies into a small container holding enough Future to immerse the entire canopy without letting it go (I hold it with a pair of nicely pointed tweezers). Prep the canopy first by making sure it is as clean and clear as you can make it. If you have a way, try to remove any static electricity that may have been generated during the clean-up (I use a Zero-Stat gun from my vinyl record days). Dip the canopy slowly into the Future, watching for bubbles adhering to the plastic. They're caused either by a foreign substance on the surface or residual static. Just raise the canopy back up a bit and try again. When you're able to immerse the entire canopy without bubbles, slowly extract it and hold it vertical for a bit, letting the Future drain to one corner, if possible. Gently touch the corner to a bit of paper towel or lint-free cloth to wick the excess Future away then place the canopy on another paper towel in a box you can close up. Leave it there for at least an hour (I usually do canopies just before finishing for the night and leave them covered until next time to dry. Lastly, Future (or your local equivalent) can be used to mix with flat (matte) acrylics to create semi-gloss or gloss colors when airbrushing. Hope this helps some. Good luck finding something similar locally. Steve

No offense to anyone on here who sells PE scissors, but you can get the same thing by purchasing a pair of fly-tying scissors. Make sure you get the kind with the micro-serrations on one edge. I've been using them for a couple of years now and get much better cuts that what I used to get with a knife blade and tile. No contest. Steve

It appears to be the marking of the 552nd Bomb Squadron, part of the 386th Bomb Wing. Based on pictures that show the aircraft code, that's the squadron represented by the 'RG' code. Don't know what's in the lower right, but it's a white skull with black hair streaming behind sitting on a red bomb. I'll post a pic of it in a bit. Steve

I believe the GSi paints are the lacquer-based Gunze paints, as opposed to the Mr. Color water-based ones. And I agree, Vedran's post is very helpful. I'm writing down that information myself. Steve

I do have the kit, because I needed the 'shark nose' version of the F-5E, but I'm not going to be doing it as Swiss. If anyone wants just the decals and a copy of the instructions, please let me know and I'll get them to you. Steve

You will note, however, that the Matchbox kit is 1/72 scale. I don't know of a 1/48 kit of the Hawk 200. Just, as previously stated, conversions. Steve

To answer at least part of your original question, in 1/72, Eduard and Roden have put out several very good to excellent kits over the last ten years or so. The Eduard Nieuport 17 is, quite simply, fantastic. Most of the other Eduard kits are up to the same standard. The Roden kits are a bit more fiddly, but build up into very nice looking airplanes. Their later issues were better than their earlier ones, naturally. Each does planes the others don't, of course. In 1/48, pretty much the same can be said for both manufacturers. Classic Airframes are more limited run than the others, with all the things that go along with that, but they are the only game in town for certain aircraft. Steve And yes, 1/72 WWI aircraft are small. So?

My favorite snip from the movie is still when Slim Pickens breaks the war order card and decrypts the message. "This is it, boys. Nukler war, toe to toe with the Rooskies." Steve

Great looking Pibber, man. I've got one in 1/72 that I've started to do a couple of times. Seeing this makes me want to get it and start again. One thing I noticed, the 40mm rounds for the grenade launcher have blue tips. Blue tips are always dummy rounds. Probably not the best thing to take into combat unless you plan on really bruising up the bad guys. Other than that, it's a real beauty. Steve

And the avionics bay is not that hard. It's all just square folds. It only gets tricky when you try wiring the boxes. Steve

Wow. My first thought after seeing that picture (before reading the caption) was 'brakes! Brakes! BRAKES! Damn.' And can you imagine how that cockpit smelled. Steve

You can also get some information at The Ejection Site. Steve

Agree. Paveway was about the latest PGM carried by the Kfir. And when they used PGMs, the pylon was a bit different. Had the kink up on the leading edge of the bottom of the pylon. Go here (since I can't get Photobucket to cooperate with me right now) to see a picture of the GBU on the correct style pylon - Kfir-GBU Steve

Matt, Why can't it? I'm pretty sure I have pictures of the Sufas taking off heading toward Lebanon with those aboard. I'll have to check my files. And I know I've seen video of those being fired from left wing center stations on F-16s before. Just curious. Steve

I'm about as outside as you can get - located out here in the desert Southwest of the USofA. I'll take a shot... Wymondham - Wi'-mun-dum or is it Win'dum? Swaffham - Swaaf-hum (as in Baa-baa) Marham - Mar-hum Haverhill - Havrill Tell me how I did. (and I know Leichester is pronounced Lester) Steve

So when I fly into Heathrow and go into downtown London, I'm not in England? If I've been there, but never visited Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, or Wales, I've only been to the UK, not to England? Really? All four times? When I travel here, I say I'm going to Texas or Nevada or Ohio or California. When I traveled to the UK, I said I was going to England. And, if it's not England, do you speak UKish? Trust me guys, I'm kidding. I'm Scots/Irish/English/Cherokee myself. Steve

Barnes & Noble, usually in the aviation section of the transportation rack. That's where I usually find mine. Steve

I think there is also a difference in the overhead glass in the cabin. Both location and size. I'll have to check my references. Steve

Nigel, You might consider contacting the fighter squadrons that are the legacy of the 56FG. They are at Luke AFB outside of Phoenix, AZ. While the 63rd Panthers stood down in 2009, the 61st Top Dogs and the 62nd Spike are actively involved in training the world's best F-16 pilots on a daily basis. Each squadron will have an officer responsible for heritage information and may be able to help you gather what you need. If you wish to contact them, let me know and I'll see what I can get for you. You see, I was a member of the 56th FW here at Luke prior to my retirement and am now employed as a civilian contractor on base. Steve

To answer the earlier question, it's about 250 miles from Yuma, which is very near the California and Mexico borders, to Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson. It's all freeway except the last couple of miles, though. If you're in Yuma this summer (can't imagine why, though), come up to Phoenix August 4-7 for the IPMS/USA National Convention. We will be having a tour to Pima on Thursday, 5 August, and you can purchase the optional tour of the AMARG to go along. If you go to Pima at any other time, you can purchase a ticket at the museum to do the AMARG tour. I got to crawl around inside the fuselage of a "waiting to be restored (spelled 'derelict')" B-18A behind the museum at the old Lowry AFB when I was going through a school there. Too bad it was in the shape it was. It did have the .30 cal mount in the nose blister, though. Steve (IPMSUSA2010 Convention Vice Chairman)

It's a beauty, Seamus. I look forward to reading about it. Going to be doing an Israeli version o f the earlier, four-blade-prop, Hummer. Steve