Max Headroom

I will leave my comments to 1/72 Meteor 8 Canberra B.2 Fairchild C-123 Gnat Strikemaster/JP5 F-101 Harrier T.2/4 - TAV-8A Lynx Gazelle Balliol (lol) MH

Serelle That is a great build and I love the weathering. As to being shiny, just tell everyone it's been raining! MH

Now I'm confused! Well at least the fuselage shape of the mk.1 is ok - I think. The only shortcomings I can figure out are as follows: no cockpit detail except for the serene Frogman withid hands on his lap! small slit type windows to the rear of the cockpit glazing missing wingspar/bulkhead aft of the pilot vague guiderails for the dorsal cockpit hatch (on my model the hatch is a 'short shot' so I will have to cut it off and open the cockpit and remodel them anyway) vague dorsal escape hatches - modelled as indentations oversimplified turret thick rudder trailing edge However the basic shape is there and if you remember it's an early 1970's model it should be ok. MH

I've not had the benefit of running a tape measure over a real Blenheim - pity, but I photocopied the wing planform from SAMI and MAP plans (both corellate to within a gnat's thingy) and overlaid a cutout onto the Revell wing. I marked out the difference and you see my conclusions in the posted photo. Incidentally the Airfix wing matches the plans. I had originally bought an Airfix IV with the intention of cross kitting them onto the Revell fusealge but there is no match-up at all and have concluded that there is no possibility of pursuading A to fit B. So which is right, FROG clones or Airfix - dunno to be frank but one is certainly out. I have convinced myself that Airfix got it right. However, be wary of plans! If anyone on this forum can give facts and figures please help - please!! MH

I'm sure that I read somewhere that the CO of a soon to be reactivated squadron, could choose which 'plate' to dust off. 74 Sqn sharkmouthed Tiffie or Lightning II please? MH

try this http://www.zap16.com/zapnew/wp-content/upl...74-may07-02.jpg bear in mind it's a contemporary photo (copyright of whoever took it). MH

..........and then Firefox goes off line. You can see where the surplus plastic needs removal and the aileron repositioning. I've not done the deed myself yet, but I don't think that vigorous sanding is an option and you will have to make the cuts and slice out the wedge. Hope this helps MH (sorry the pic is a bit on the big side but I'm just relieved to have it uploaded, downloaded or whatever)

Problem. I've tried twice to upload the picture and I got this message THE FOLLOWING ERROR(S) WERE FOUND You have entered a link to a website that the administrator does not allow links to MODS HELP! Have you blocked Photobucket? MH

Bill! Following your Blenheim build with interest. One comment though - have you glued the wings together yet? In plan view the trailing edge outboard of the wing break is wrong - very. I have a piccie on my laptop where I have marked out what's wrong on my Revell boxing of the kit. If I can get to grips with Photobucket (forgotten my password) I will post it. Oytherwise, the fix I am planning involves a cut from the trailing edge to mid chord, another from there to the wing tip, slicing a wedge out and glueing back what's left. I think it's simpler to do than describe! Stand by MH

Small and perfectly formed! Excellent build. MH

Thanks Dave! I got the impression that there was a really serious problem. I think I can live with this error! I must admit that I hadn't noticed that there was a similar problem with the XIX and I don't recall any adverse comments about it except for the incorrect upper aileron hinge line and over zealous panel engraving. MH

Gotta be 457 Sqn - look at the Sharkmouth. Someone's already converted the Hasegawa Vb. See here on Hyperscale: http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...%26tbs%3Disch:1 Still Can't afford one though! Ho hum. MH

Does anyone have a comparative side-by-side picture of the new Airfix wing as compared to another which is 'right'? I am curious to see the extent of the chord problem. MH

I think the Italeri Vb is much maligned. I have it and the Airfix Vb and in my opinion neither is perfect. A short list of plus and minus point would be Italeri plus points engraved detail throughout cockpit detail three piece canopy internal detail nice transfers minus points prop/spinner looks odd oil cooller oversized aerial 'blobby' Airfix plus points fine raised detail simple to build minus points no cockpit detail incorrect wing plan view - incorrect aileron hinge line - sweep starts from wing root making outer wing too narrow open wheel well crude/incorrect windscreen (incidentally their Vc is worse) I would use the Italeri kit and use the prop/spinner, aileron and oil cooler from the Airfix kit. The Airfix kit was ok in its day but Italeri has more right with theirs. MH

Intruiging! I too googled R5727 in pictures and came across this: http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...%26tbs%3Disch:1 most of the way down the page there she is, flying over Montreal........camouflaged. A repaint? As to the Liverpool connection, yes it was home to the Roots shadow factory bulding Halifaxes (GR.V's I think) and was the home to the UK operation of Lockheed. Originally set up for receiving Lockheed Hudsons shipped to Liverpool docks, it ended up being a facility for all US built aircraft shipped to Liverpool, both for UK and US air arms. I'm struggling to think why it should be Liverpool and not Woodford where they were built. Maybe some American/Canadian equipment fit perhaps? Interesting also that it appears to be an inbound flight from Prestwick, so obviously it had come back from Canada and was on its way back somewhere? Have you tried the FlyPast forum? MH EDIT Re reading the memo, it states that the fuselage is black on both sides aft of the roundel. The fuselage was modular and was comprised of 4 interchangeable parts. (Nose/cockpit/forward fuselage/rear fuselage). Could it be that it had a replacement and camouflaged Canadian built rear end? It is also interesting that it is referred to by (part) of its serial rather than its subsequent Canadian civil registration. Still all speculation though.

Give 188 Squadron a chance! http://www.raf.mod.uk/history_old/h188.html MH

I thought the Finnish aircraft were ex French examples captured and reconditioned by the Germans? I believe they also re-engined their Cylcone examples with Twin Wasps. MH

10/10! MH

I've just dug out Air Enthusiast 23 - it's the one with the Chino Zero on the cover. It has an article "The RAF's Little Indians" a nine page article including a cutaway, of RAF use from initial acquisition but concentrating on use in the Indian theatre. Some nice shots of 5 Sqn machines, BB975 OQ-X is the only one with a full code/serial tie-up. If anyone wants a copy PM me. I also recall Brian Derbyshire doing an in-depth rundown in an IPMS magazine 10+ years ago (no idea where I put it). As far as I recall he concentrated on the Wright Cyclone engined variants, which is what the RAF and Commonwealth had most of anyway. MH

You're certainly doing it justice! MH

Max Headroom many of Lindy`s (the Victor) have been videoed by staff so i`ll ask and see if anyone plans to do a video of this and if they`ll post it on the net somewhere for eveyone who can`t attend to watch. James Excellent! MH

This month's Air International (p.7) also reports that two of the pre production MRA.4's, ZJ516 and 518 have been retired and are now at Woodford "awaiting disposal". It begs the question why? Would it not be cheaper to bring them up to full spec and put them into service and save the bother of modernising (ie rebuilding 90%) of two other MR.2's? If that was not practical then surely they could be used as engineering aids/spare parts sources with whatever squadron is due to get the production examples. In any event there is no way either would be preserved and will more than likely end up either scrapped or as fatigue test specimens or whatever. More MoD procurement stupidity. Shame. MH

I came across this http://www.skyraider.org/skyassn/memberpic...well/cowell.htm Unfortunately the only tie up is WT121 MH

For those of us unfortunate to be on the wrong side of the Pennines will YAM be videoing the arrival and posting it on YouTube? PLEASE!!! MH

Lovely job so far. What markings are you using? MH