Stuart Wilson

Thanks for the replies. The drawings are a great help. I'm still not sure about the fuel vents (that I thought were arieals). Would they have been deleted at the same time as the Jettison pipes? They're clearly on early a/c but when they were deleted seems to be harder to pin down. The kit also has four circular windows either side of the rear fuselage. Few a/c seem to have had more than 3 and 2 seems normal for later a/c. It's quite wierd how indistinct the instructions are. For example they indicate cutting out the upper nose windows for the BII. But they are already cut out on the kit and there are optional windows for the GRII that the instructions don't mention. Which I now see need to be filled and sanded, leaving the upper half of the port side one clear. Still, it's a modern kit of a Halifax in 1/72 for £20. I shouldn't complain! Can we have a Stirling next please? Stuart

Hi, Started the new Halifax, lovely kit, lousey instructions. Anyway I want to build HR926 of 35 Sqn, a BII Srs1a and the nose windows are frankly perplexing. Which ones should it have? Come to think of it which ones should the GRII Srs1a in the kit markings have? Some windows seem to have been deleted and I don't know when, any ideas anyone? Also there are 3 small arials on the upper wing that are optional. What are these and what versions are they used on? Revell don't seem to indicate. I assume the three fuel vent pipes bettween the engines on the underside aren't on the late Merlin powered aircraft? They really need to ask the person who did the instructions for the Airfix Swordfish to do theirs for them. I built their Lanc and Ju-88 recently and didn't have these problems but I know both a/c well. I've not built a Hally since the Matchbox kit came out. Any help gratefully recieved Stuart

Great! I really want the BII Series 1A but assumed it would be in the second release and the first would be a BI/BII. Does anyone know if a standard BII Srs 1A can be built from this? I assume they're very similar to the GRII? I much prefer the look of the later nose/square fin. Really looking forward to this now. Stuart

Here goes: 1/72: Halifax III Stirling Lancaster II (modified from existing kit) Manchester (as above) Blenheim Lightning Hunter Typhoon Sea Vixen 1/48: Tempest Hunter 1/350: Ark Royal 1976 Eagle 1966 Hermes (I want 60s but 1982 will sell better) Type 23 Belfast County Class Any RN Destroyer from 1930 - Present! 1/700: See 1/350 Oh and some decent Daleks. Not the plastic bumper car ones from the Matt Smith era though! Stuart Wilson

A 1/72 Lightning is a no-brainer surely? I'd like to see a 1/350 Type 23 (before they sell them all off!). Disappionted that the T45 won't be out for a year or so. A 1/72 Blenheim would sell well and a Hawker Typhoon should be a given. How about a new 1/72 Tornado? I know we'd probably all prefer a Javelin or Hampden but it'd sell well and if they don't make a profit they go bust. A 1/72 Sea vixen would be lovely, I know Dragon are doing one but it's a 60's British fighter and it would feel better with Airfix on the box! In 1/48 we NEED a Tempest! Come on Airfix, How many Spit XIIs did we each buy? (Who needs more than one XII?) We'd all buy at least as many Tempests. Then I want a 70's Ark. In 1/700. Or 1/350. I mean I really want a 60's Eagle but i'm being populist here. I'd like a 1/72 He-115 but I expect Revell will come up with that sooner or later, however there still isn't a good, easily available Ju-87 D/G in 1/72. Do-17Z anyone? ME-410? 262? The list could go on...... Stuart Wilson

Hi Wayne, The Tribal class destroyer is available from Trumpeter in 1/700, They do the Eskimo and the Zulu as well as a Canadian one, the Atherbasken? (I may be wrong with that name!). The Tribals would have all been similar to start with so I assume you can make most of them with minimal changes, at least to the two RN kits Stuart

Just found out that Babcock are instaling the Phalanx CIWS on Daring over the next few weeks so make sure you keep those parts to one side to update your model. Stuart Wilson

How about Extra Dark Sea Grey over White with a big 899 sqn winged fist on the tail. Or overall EDSG with an 809 sqn phoenix. Stuart Wilson

Hi, In "Luftwaffe fighters and fighter bombers over the far north" by Brekken and Akra there are numerous examples in 74/75/76 mostly with JG5. Of couse many could simply be errors of judgement of B&W photos except for W.Nr 3523 recovered from a lake in 2003 in mid war greys with a yellow nose, rudder and underwing panels, painted over a desert scheme of 78/79 applied during a factory rebuild to E-7 standard. The a/c was delivered to JG5 in late March 1942 and only lasted a couple of weeks before its loss. Hope this helps Stuart Wilson

If you can get you hands on a Product Enterprises diecast eagle, they're much more accurate and to the same scale. You could use that as a reference. Unfortunately they're out of production and cost 40 quid when they were available. I think that Warp made an accurate mixed media kit in the same scale too but that costs even more. Federation Models in the 'States might have them. As far as putting a cockpit in. The mock up of the cockpit used in the filming wouldn't have fit in the exterior seen on the models. I remember the 44" ones on display in Blackpool in the '70s and what you could see through the windows was really crude, just a couple of figures. I always wanted a fleet of Eagles. Got five of the PE ones and would buy more if they started making them again but it's not the same as building a kit. Good luck with it. Stuart

Thant looks very nice. I just happened to finish my USAF one this morning that I bought to use as a test for Game Workshop metallic paints and I was thinking of building another. I really wanted another Korean war one but decals seem thin on the ground for that. After seeing yours I might just build an RAF one. I wonder if we buy enough of them Airfix will release one with the original slatted wing. Stuart

I really hope the idea of the RN using some sort of "Navalised" Typoon would go away as it's just the sort of daft idea that politicians love. Without them having a clue how hard it would be to actually achieve, how much it would cost and how long it would take. Look how long it took the US with all their money and experience to navalise the much smaller and simpler Bae Hawk. We need a plane that they can have on deck by the end of the decade and that's affordable and to me that means the Super Hornet. The only other thing I'd consider would be Rafale but it'd probably cost too much. If we had two operational carriers and say three 12 aircraft squadrons of F/A-18E/Fs with a training squadron of say 14 (total buy around 80-90 aircraft inc spares) that would mean in normal peacetime conditions you could have 12-18 aircraft per ship or 24 when one ship is out for refit. In surge conditions you could have 20 or so if both ships were operational and 36 if only one was available. The result would be affordable. Also if the surge was an international effort like the current situation in Lybia you could host French or US aircraft. In the event of a serious long term deterioration in the world political situatuion such as another cold war it could be assumed that defence spending would rise and the S/Hornets could be supplemented by a couple of squadrons of F-35Cs (once we're sure how much the thing will actually cost). I'd rather see two RN carriers with Super Hornets than one with F-35s. Also the RAF probably wouldn't want them so they'd be RN owned and operated like carrier planes should be. Lets see...800 as the training unit, 801 and 892 with the E model, 809 with the F, 899 could get the E-2D............. And all of them in EDSG over white.

Apologies if this has been asked before but does the parts breakdown make a Hawk 120 series possible? I'd love to do a T2 or an Aussie Hawk. Stuart Wilson

I for one prefer the unstaggerd waist position as it means that there are plenty of camoflaged options for those who don't like NMF and still a lot of NMF options for those who do. Only around 230 Douglas built aircraft were built with the staggered positions and camoflaged. While Boeing and Vega built a lot of NMF airplanes with unstaggered waist guns. This is probably why Monogram chose this type for it's iconic 1/48 kit. And they've certainly sold a few! Stuart Wilson

Hi, You'd need to check the paint colours on HX982 as most Mossie VIs were Medium Sea Grey overall with a Dark Green pattern on top. Tamiya depicts MM417 with MSG undersides and an Ocean Grey/Dark Green uppersurface which appears to be correct for that particular aircraft according to photos. This was probably a repaint as the upprsurface colours are carried further down the fuselage sides than normal. However, there's no guarantee that HX982 was the same (Pickards a/c was MSG/DG for example). Stuart Wilson

DON'T use the Dragon Panther G with Zimmeritt for Cuckoo. Cuckoo had horizontal zimmeritt ridges like a Tiger, the Dragon kit has the more common verticle ones. Also a lot of the Zimm had come off the front. You're better off putting the zimm on yourself. I've never seen a photo of Deserter so I don't know what she looked like. Stuart Wilson

That's right, They're seldom seen until quite late in the war and on warbirds. I belive the mod was authorised in late '42 but were still not common after that for a while. Usually only on "A" and "B" wings althought the Shuttleworth Vc has them. Stuart Wilson

Ok how about this: A couple of squadrons worth of Super Hornets and ........Sea HawkII!! We get the plans for the T-45. Stick a Hawk 200 Nose on it and build enough for say 12 a/c per ship. I realise this isn't going to be the best combat a/c in the world but since WWIII isn't likely to break out without a few years warning (one of the big players heavily rearming and talking up a conflict) it'll be adaquate against the terrorists and failed states we're likely to fight for now while providing an affordable way to ensure there's enought carrier qualified pilots to move up to the F-35C if a major war looks likely and defense budgets rise as a result. It'd take less time to upgrade a bunch of Hawk pilots to the F-35 than re-commission the ship, get a crew and train new pilots from scratch. Stuart Wilson

Can't we just put the Buccaneer back into production? Update the software and stick a modern radar in and buy a couple of dozen Rafales for air defense? In reality though I'd rather we had 2 carriers with 18-24 Super Hornets each than one with 12 F-35Cs Stuart Wilson

Hi, Sometimes there is a slight sheen but then I personally think a dead flat is unrealistic, especially for aircraft. The white thing I have had happen on some Lancasters. I think that it's where the varnish was too thick. I usually thin with Humbrol thinners but ran out halfway through varnishing the Starship Enterprise "E" on Friday and had to use bog standard turps from a DIY store I use to clean the airbrush and you can't tell the difference even though half the saucer is one mix and half is the other. Bottom line, mix well apply thin coates. Stuart Wilson

The one in my stash has both. Kit 09862 marked as "No 198 Squadron" I think it was the last release of the kit. You'd still need the bigger tailplanes. I've got some from Airwaves along with a Normandy intake for when I get round to it. Stuart Wilson

Very nice, a lovely build of a lovely kit. I have built three of these and plan to use the PJ conversion to do a T7 just as soon as I finish the Airfix Canberra to go with them. There's something about that era of jets that the current ones just can't match. Stuart Wilson

Hi, I'm sure I read somewhere that the F/A-18F has a rear cockpit that can be re-configured for the trainer of combat role in service. I may be wrong of course. Stuart Wilson

Hi, Halifax, Blenheim and Stirling seem to be obvious choices as I'm sure a company like Airfix could do kits to a reasonable standard and make money on them, without the risk of a Hasegawa one coming along and taking all their sales away. My money would be on the first two as they could do multiple variants and paint schemes. I can't see most people wanting more than one Stirling. Having said that the lack of a Lancaster II or Manchester in styrene is bordering on the criminal. Ooh! I seem to be on a Bomber Command vibe right now. Stuart Wilson

Is anyone producing 1/72 decals for this scheme? I've had the Hasegawa kit in the stash for years (since it was first released) and that might just tempt me to build it. Stuart Wilson