tony.t

swearing deleted

Zacto, AMS and Renaissance all make nasal corrective parts and the last two make plugs to lengthen the drop tanks. I'm transferring the Master Details Deuce burner from my unbuilt D (which will be Armée de L'Air) to my intended CT ANG F. Res Kit hopefully will make some nice wheels and Eduard will inevitably provide cockpit placards that look more realistic than the Trumpeter bubblegum machine versions. I just hope Trumpeter have retained the angled AAR probe and the SUU-21/A practice bomb pods. The stores options appear to be an 87 jammer, rocket pods and Sidewinder Bs. Tony

Connecticut ANG here we come! Just need a Master Details Deuce A/B mod, plus nose and drop tank inserts and, of course, the right decals. Interesting that the specs indicate an etch sheet for seat harnesses, vinyl tyres, plastic-only landing legs, and 7 sprues fewer than the F-100D kit. Guessing they've ditched the unnecessary engine and trolley (or it's a typo, ditto with around 240 fewer parts). Great news after a very long wait, Tony

The spare parts link doesn't work properly on my iPad 2 (something that's happening more and more often). Great idea to suggest a Mk.VI.f to Revell, using their existing tooling. However, I need to leave that to those who know all about markings. Frustrating, as it's such a fine looking kit! Tony

Indeed, the unused may not be included in the parts total, but the Revell website photo showing a pile of parts seems to offer only the horizontal tailplane. Looks like I'll have to buy both TFX and Mk.I kits from which to make just one Mk.VI NF model (and waiting for some great deal to facilitate that), or holding off until Infinity do their 1/32 Beaufighter. Revell's policy may be a sound one to maximise sales, and I genuinely wish them well as it looks to be a fabulous kit. But all they needed to do was include the Observer/Navigator's bubble hood in the TFX boxing. Maybe other variants will follow? Tony

Yes, you're right, which means the parts reduction is hitting airframe options harder. Do Revell have a for-a-fee spare parts department? I think I'm going to need the original TFX kit with the new clear sprue. Tony

Superb craftmanship aided by innovative use of an autoclave airing cupboard. Tony

Just remember that most of those early flat nose FMS RF-4Es were essentially RF-4Cs with dash 17 engines, lacking the E No.7 fuel cell (which you can't see) but retaining the C port fuselage RAT and red stripe. Those decals do look enticing! Tony

I'm hoping those like me are not out of luck in getting a Mk.VI NF out of this kit. I notice that "new parts" unfortunately means 25 fewer parts: 163 as opposed to 188 in the original boxing. I suppose that could be extended fin fillet parts, rockets and torpedo etc., but given the new flat tail option (6 parts?), the bow & arrow and wing antenna and some kind of radar display (6 more parts?) that means a net loss of about 37 parts. Please Revell, just include both types of observer/navigator bubble hoods in each kit. Tony

Looks nice. Waiting for the instructions for 03854 to become available to ascertain whether the thimble nose and pointing-uppy tailplane are included, to facilitate a Mk.VI NF. Otherwise it'll take both boxings and leave a lot of unwanted spare parts. Tony

I'm just hoping HKM come out with the F-4K/M tail kit soon so we can at least have something to decorate in Phantom markings. In fact, a 1/16th scale or bigger generic F-4 vertical stabiliser (fin) could be fun. Could do a bunch of flamboyant Naval markings as wall decoration. Tony

Air Chance already has. Tony

So, more Lancaster noses, and then we can get the kit in instalments when Lanc Wings-in-a-Queen Mary-trailer comes out, followed by more bits of Lanc on jigs and in lorries. I wouldn't mind a B-29 nose; or just the aft end of the FG.1/FGR.2, so we can at least have a bit of Spey Toom to decorate. Tony

If that's the case, a Grumman Duck is back on the possibles list. Tony

Me too, but caughtinthemiddle — who has inside knowledge — has said it isn't any of the subjects we tossed about earlier, which tragically rules out the F-4K/M for the immediate future. If the Ju 52 proceeds it'll have a different code number. At the mo we're concerned with what 01E033 is. My guess is Bf 110 G-4, but I'd rather it was a Convair F-106. But it could just as easily be a Me 410 or A-20 Boston. If it has propellers it's likely to be twin-engined, which rules out a Supermarine Walrus or Grumman Duck, and it's under the WW2 tab so a jet may be an outsider. Tony