keefr22

Sadly it seems that way worldwide. Did catch a Lufthansa 747-8 going over the house today, so a few passenger jets just clinging on... Keith

Cool! Profil24 or another 1/43 gem? Looking forward to seeing this one built! Keith

Was that down to poor packing John? I'm getting very wary of buying models from private sellers on ebay, as too many of them now seem to think that shoving models into a plastic bag is good enough! Last two I've had have done that but I was lucky in that only the boxes were damaged. Keith

Thanks for sharing the video M, great watch! I'm subscribed to Harry's Garage but somehow missed it! Mr Murray really is a brilliant designer and also has a great taste in cars as witnessed by his Mk1 Escort he got Retropower to build (also a great Youtube video series!) Keith

After finally being 'properly' let out of 'shielding' been out two days running - first time in over 6 months! Anyway, not a particularly exciting spot but another of those common as muck every day cars no longer seen, an X reg, dark green, Citroen Xantia estate (although I guess estates were never that common) in fairly tidy looking condition, but a bit dirty so looked like a daily driver. K

I think it is their personal equipment connectors -- which I think (again) would connect to their oxygen mask and G suit (although these guys don't seem to be wearing one?) and to 'somewhere' in the jet (I want to say the side of the seat, but could be wrong on that and it might be the side console). My only fast jet experience was a 40 minute post maintenance test flight with an instructor from Valley in a Hunter T7, and I really can't remember where things went, way too excited for that! Keith

That is simply lovely, and the colour suits it perfectly! Really gorgeous model! I've got one of these in the 'get to one day' pile and was thinking of building it as an 'outlaw', but seeing how nice yours looks I think I'll reconsider that! Beautiful work! Keith

Does it still fit John? Lost mine many years back - luckily.....!! I found one in Hobbycraft recently in the sewing section! I'd used my service issue one for many years until I lost that too - I find them great for marking out plastic for cutting etc Keith

Nope, you're spot on John, I'd completely forgotten the timescale Giorgio's jet is from! And a quick google can find Frightning drivers wearing them; I like the guy in the middle's tiger stripe brain bucket...!! Excellent!! Keith

Very good! It'll be intersting to try and put it together Tony and see what it turns out like. You never know the Tate Modern might be interested....!!

Our flying suits had two leg pockets G, and they were actually sewn into the legs and open at the top so you could shove maps and the like into them - no straps required, I think that's more a U.S. thing. They had clear plastic covers which we wrote stuff like radio freqs on with chinagraph pencil. Our instructors, ex front line guys who had more important stuff to write on them, said they used chinagaphs in case they were shot down as chinagraph was easy to rub off in a hurry.... Also, don't know how far you want to take the detailing given the scale, but they'd have oxygen masks dangling from their helmets (right hand side IIRC) and an oxygen & G-suit connection tube on their right side. Good piccie here; https://c8.alamy.com/comp/G4HNKY/armed-forces-royal-air-force-english-electric-lightning-raf-binbrook-G4HNKY.jpg Keith

That's OK Paul, I often forget what year we're in now...!! K

He still wouldn't win....!!! K

And more power to your elbow! It's coming on really nicely! As to the arches, the rears on early Mk2's were commonly known as forest arches, and the top of them ended below the swage line of the body. These were later changed to 'tarmac' arches (although also used on forest cars!) which are 'sort of' what Esci did on the rear of the kit. The thing is, they seem to have got mixed up with the car that Italeri depicts on one of their box arts (the white Monte Carlo works car with blue side stripes). Problem is that car was one of three 'Monte specials' that Ford built just for that rally in 1979 and they were nothing like your usual MK2 rally car!. These really bent the rules (probably past breaking point!) with the engine being moved, wheelbase altered etc etc. They also had much bigger, squarer (looking from the front) arches and the kit seeems to be somewhere between these and normal tarmac arches! If you're talking about the sheet you showed in post #123, it appears to have most of the decals for Roger's 75 & 76 RAC cars and his 75 Scottish rally car. LAR800P was his 75 RAC (door number 6) & 76 Scottish car (door number 1) & the famous POO (POO 505R) was his 76 RAC Rally winner - & it was only POO that had the different 4 'headlight' grille. It was also start number 6. HTH & sorry about all the waffle! Keith

That's bigger than many model railways over here...!! Keith