Biggles

Does anyone know how to contact a trader under the above name? I saw him at the Cosford Show back in February (I think) where he was trading alongside Freightdog Models. He was selling conversion sets to convert 1/72 Grumman Trackers into the Turbo Firecat (fire bomber) version. I did not have the money to buy one at the time, and stupidly forgot to ask for his contact details. Colin at Freightdog kindly provided an e-mail address, but I have had no response to that. Does anyone else know who he is or how I can contact him, as with Syhart decals having just come out with decals for Conair and the Securitie Civile I am now in a position to make this long-awaited (for me!) model? Thanks Mike

These look quite good. With the etch for the vehicle - and remembering to add the figures whilst the vehicle is being built (a dry fit on a partially assembled vehicle confirms you CANNOT add them when all the bits are together!) this should look good. I think I'll be adding the legs torso and head, then the arms when the rest is assembled to make sure they 'grip' steering wheels etc. This will be a bit fiddly with the filler, but dry-fitting beforehand and preparation of the joints should make it reasonably easy. Paining the uniform camo - after the base coat - will make many 'modern' modellers go very cold (hello Mike!) as they are forcibly separated from their airbrushes and have to remember how to use a hairy stick! No problem for us luddites....

Could be either: 1/ My first solo - landed with a right big grin on my face 2/ Cadet flight on a Nimrod (they never stopped cooking/eating!) but is probably: 3/ Glider flight in Derbyshire. Got caught in a 'wave', went up like a rocket but silky smooth, me and the instructor just sitting there with arms crossed and feet off the pedals admiring the view. (with full airbrakes out we were still maintaining height! Had to wait until we dropped out of the back of the wave to return to base!). Completely silent and (as I said) silky smooth. Sorry, but in all my powered flight experience (OK I've never flown a Tornado at 50ft) that beats them all into the proverbial cocked hat.

Just a note for those interested. I am going to Poland this year and was researching interesting places to visit. Whilst the museum itself looks a definite place to go if you are there, if you go to its website and click on the "Archive digitization" link you can access a wonderful variety of scanned document and images. From the few inutes I've spent looking, I have found pilots notes for german Arado 96, Halifax III (in German!), He 111, and lots more. Similar soureces for Polish, French, and other aircraft. If you scroll down there are a number of archived photo albums, some at least from WW 2, and I've seen useful images of Spits, Hurris, Mosquito etc etc etc. A lot of the site is in Polish (quelle surprise!), and the photos are not labelled, but nevertheless I would say definitely worth spending some time investigating if you are interested in WW2 aircraft (Allied and German) and post war Warsaw Pact aircraft.

I think Dave is right. However, could be an interesting "what if" don't you think? Could go alongside my conversion of the Airfix kit to my local Police forces up-armoured Aston Martin with prisoner restraint area and sunroof-mounted fifty cal.

I've taken the risk and will be going - have got tickets for Sat, Sun and (for the first time) Monday (Departures) as well. That way I hope there will be chance of at least one good day weather-wise, plus the opportunity to photo the 'static' flying. Bought them months ago at cheapest possible prices, and am lucky that I can afford them! Luckily I live about an hour away, so travel not a real concern for me, and I am aware that there may well be no/very little US participation this year, but with the reducing opportunities to see ANY fast jets - even RAF - these day (due to reducing budgets etc etc) I have decided I need to take all possible opportunities. They will never be the same as they were in the 1990's for numbers, but in 10-15 years time we could well be saying that about this years show. I hope to go Waddington (thats a LOOOOONG day!), Culdrose (brilliant in good weather), and Yeovilton, and also really regret the decision of Kemble to stop their Spring Airshows (the Sept one is nowhere near as good). I don't know if there is a Navy Days at Portsmouth/Plymouth this year, but if there is, I will be attending there as well. I wish the Army would also re-start their firepower demo's at Larkhill as well - those were amazing. You miss all these when they don't occur, so I attend when and where I can. Ticket price is little immaterial (although when RIAT reaches £50 IN ADVANCE I may reconsider!) as I don't get much opportunity to take days off in the week, so airshows are my only way of seeing 'real' military aircraft. As (outside modelling, of course) this is my main interest, I will happily sacrifice food, clothing etc to ensure I have tickets!

Oh dear, thats two (new) Revell and four (!) old Airfix lanc's gone for burton! More expense, but its only money and you can't take it with you! Mine's going to be 'Micky' Martins AJ-P - I'm sure I have the decals around here somewhere...

Outstanding Mandrake! Rear view (if you'll excuse the expression!) as well - which is exactly what I needed, as I found one front three-quarter view in a book on the SAS I found in a local charity shop a short while ago, but could not tell what the rear turret/hull layout was. While a little blurred, your pic is enough for me to go ahead. The Scorpion kit is coming back out again!

Thanks Magman2 - excellent Chieftain/Challenger pics (shame no Scorpions, hint, hint...). But seriously, thanks very much. Looks like to Scorpion kit is going away and Tamiya Chieftain coming out (with a little expenditure with Accurate Armour...). Ta Ivan - got that manual - it just did not have any pictures of the real thing in it, so was looking to check its accuracy!

Hi Does anyone have or can tell me where to find pictures of armour used by the Omani armed forces? Specifically their Scorpions, Chieftains, and Challengers. Theres no end of pics of their air force, but nothing of their armour. There is one quarter view of a Chieftain in the new Kagero book, and I have the Osprey modelling manual of the Challenger, but I need pictures - especially of their Scorpions! Any help greatly appreciated!

Chilean target tug bridles? I think this one is a bit esoteric even for Britmodeller! If you find anything out this could be a bestseller if you publish it! Anyway, I've not much idea either I would imagine that Chile would use a 'standard' bridle as I believe their drogues are of standard tubular or 'flag' design. As for the fit to the Invader - have you tried looking at companies like AirSpray of Canada? Whilst their Invaders were used for fire bombing there is something in the back of my mind that says one or two were also used as target tugs. However, I did find the following site which has some Invader tug pics - including a Chilean Invader: http://napoleon130.tripod.com/id640.html (Sorry, I haven't the faintest idea how to link to this site!) However, if you have not already seen it, the images on there may help. Sorry I can't be of more assistance.

A long shot perhaps, but Bronco do sets of Bailey Bridges in 1/35 that are not too expensive. You could swap the bridgelayer layout of tank carrying bridge to a bridge carrying a tank (AFV Club Churchill AVRE?)? Mike

Whoops. Sorry. Put it down to overenthusiasm. Anyway, whats an airman doing pretending to know something about targets?

...oh, and it was used post war (in Korea as well) although didn't last until the 70's.

Hi I presume you are looking for a plastic kit, rather than resin. In the latter Matador Models and Milicast do quite a range in 1/72 (1/76). (I'm looking at getting their M9 REME half-track conversion...). For £15 I'm afraid 1/35 scale is more or less out - the AFV Churchill AVRE's are very good kits but are VERY fiddly with hundreds of parts and cost some £40+. In plastic 1/72 or 1/76 there is not a lot REME related. There is the previously mentioned Matchbox/Revell Churchill AVRE Bridgelayer which is quite nice if you can find it. Esci did a 1/72 Churchill with AMRCR mine plough. Post war I cannot honestly think of anything in plastic without running to a resin conversion/scratchbuilding. No hang on, hang on - what about the Airfix 1/76 Churchill Bridgelayer? Costs £13.99 at Hannants but should be available in the usual places and is still current catalogue. The wheels are a little fiddly but then so are most Churchill kits. It makes an impressive little model when built up and whilst not 100% accurate is quite acceptable. If you want something more 1980's or later I can have a look through my Tankograd book on todays REME over the weekend (sorry, I'm out tonight!) and post again if anything comes up.

Try Skytrex. 1/300 (I think) but at that scale you cannot tell the difference!

Hi Malcolm Apologies for not responding earlier - been away. Thanks for passing this on to Castoff. I have to admit I hadn't heard of them before, but from now on I shall be watching their website like a hawk! Couple of interesting Cent bits on there already... (although I already have 2 Lion Roar Mk III turrets). Heres hoping! Mike

Hi You might have problems here. Crews I'm not sure about as frankly I've been looking for a decent 1/76 or 1/72 Cent to put them in first for years. Apart from the Cromwell Models resin range there basically aren't any. Please research Cromwell Models VERY carefully before you send them any money... There just may be a chink of light on the horizon as Cromwell appear to be working with another company called Military Miniatures (?) who are - slowly - bringing out some of their Israeli Centurion versions. If they sell enough of those, who knows where that will lead? Plastic kits? Apart from the ancient and terrible Airfix job, there aren't any. For perhaps the best tank of the 1950's and 1960's in the world, thats just ridiculous. In 1/35 I have a couple dozen AFV Club kits of the marks 3-6. Just waiting for them or Accurate Armour (Come on, come on...) to bring out conversions for the long hull versions (7 onwards) so I can do my Cent 12 AVRE, Cent Marksman, etc etc. Best of luck and if we keep on asking Airfix, who knows what may happen? Mike

Tempting... But even more tempting for me would be a Leander class frigate or two, As a smaller ship, they should be a bit cheaper, which means I could afford more than one of the various weapons fits, backdating to Type 12 (or was it 15 - never can remember!), foreign variants, etc etc

Cheers Mike, nice review. I'm looking to get one of these - but which one? There is another plastic kit of the M-ATV out by Panda Hobby. I understand that the consensus of opinion so far is that the Panda kit is for the more 'advanced' modeller as it has a great deal more etched brass in it. Panda also seem to have ignored the dreaded licensing issues and have tradenames like 'Michelin' on the tyres, not 'Michelic' (or similar). There are also some issues in that the Kinetic kit is some 0.5 cm larger all round than the Panda kit. At the moment there are no side-by-side reviews which state which is the more accurate, so for the moment you pays your money and takes your choice... Mike

Picked up a Revell 1/72 Hind -D/E at my regular shop last weekend for £1.50 as well. I get some 3 - 5 kits a year from them, and it could have be more but I don't do Le Mans racers! Not telling you where mine is (!) but the secret is to get to know the people who run the shop, and visit regularly. They are not supposed to hold stuff back for anyone, but if you are pleasant to them and they know you'll be in every week.... Good luck.

And on this subject - is there anyone else paying for a 1/350 scale model of this to be brought out? Any version will do - either I can scratchbuild or White Ensign can then do all the various versions, and even backdate to the Rothesey class! I can only wait and Gee up HobbyBoss/Trumpeter!

There are a number of new Valentine variants coming out - one of which (MiniArt?) seems to show a Valentine I in a 1940 dark green early war colours. Sorry, can't be more specific as I am not sure whether these were used in the BEF, but a possibility?

Was reading about this a few days ago in an old issue of a military modelling mag (Model Military International, I think). If I remember correctly an ex-REME mechanic had written in who worked with the SAS on their vehicles. The pink was very pink, but the amount on it on each vehicle varied. Wheels were often green or a mix of green and pink, as they were replaced quite often. Seat covers were NEVER pink. Sometimes just the rear bodies and bonnet were pink, with the footwells and undersides green. If you can find any references, I would suggest using them. Also, apparently the pink was quite hardwearing and the crews took good care of the finish, often touching up paint chips. It should therefore not be too heavily weathered. On the model, do not include the canvas cover on the rear watercan/cargo carrier, and apparently the rifle sleeves on the front sides were removed very quickly as they collected sand which got into the guns. Can't remember owt else, but hope that helps as well! Mike

Hi I regret I cannot remember the exact differences off hand. I do remember that I bought the Lion Marc turret for the Cent 3 (I'm going to be doing the Korean War version), and you will need the early 20pdr gun (the one with the short muzzle counterweight). AFV Club do sell the 20pdr barrel separately. Without wishing to push other websites too much (!), I would recommend visiting www.missing-lynx. If you type Centurion into the search box you will get a number of hits - some of which deal with the 3 and how it differs from the 5. Mike