ErikB

Hi everybody, I'm busy with a quickie project; Tamiya's Merkava Mk.1. Looking at walk-arounds on the internet I see that the museum pieces have both the ball & chain protection at the back of the turret and the anti-slip coating on the horizontal surfaces of the tank. I'd like to finish the model as a vehicle from the 1982 Lebanon era. Are the ball & chains retrofits from the period that the Merkava Mk.2 and newer entered service, as I believe it was one of the modifications from Mk.1 to Mk.2 as a result from lessons learned during the Lebanon war with the Mk.1? Was the anti-slip surface in place from the outset or was it a later modification? Thanks in advance! Cheers, Erik B.

Can you elaborate? My HK Mossie's nose does in fact taper, so I'm afraid I need some more info on what kind of taper, how much etc. etc. Of course, in this instance I waived your advice in your signature "not to take any posts you make seriously"! Cheers, Erik.

Hi guys, Before I bought the Airfix Hurricane "Ragwing" kit that also includes Belgian markings I had already bought the Kora Models decals. There are significant differences in colour, proportions and dimensions. What are your opinions as to which does resemble the originals best? Cheers, Erik.

Something went wrong with transferring the photo files, I think. The resolution horizontal X vertical is different than when the photo was made by the camera.

Wow, great Mike!!

Brilliant, Stew, thank you!

Thanks!

Hi guys, In 1/32nd some figures can be found for Spitfires and the like but they are labelled as "Mid-Late War". I would be interesting in fitting a pilot in Revell's Spitfire Mk. II, built as an early 1940 Mk. I. So what are the differences in flying kit? Any pointers to books or websites dealing with this are very welcome too! Cheers, Erik.

Ah! Thanks, Bill!

Very nice! I also like that you chose the Dutch version!

Ah! Which are they? I only know of the "Aviation of Japan"-blog.

Hi guys, Does anyone know where the drift sight was stowed on the bomber versions of the Mosquito? On the FB it was right in front of the nav, above his chute but on the bomber?.... Thanks in advance! Erik.

To clarify why these colours don't make sense: the blue instruments show coolant temperature, the inner yellow ones; oil temperature and the outer yellow ones show oil pressure. The red instrumenst show boost pressure.

Hi guys, I've seen photos of restored Mosquitoes that feature coloured bezels on the port side-panel. Hairy Hippie, Flickr, TA634, Mosquito Museum Eduard copies this in their 1/32 set: eduard.com But I've also seen instrument panels that had bezels in their natural colour: Brussels Air Museum Restoration Society - bamfbamrs.be Mosquito NF.30 Belgian Air Force Besides that, in my earlier years I have been a train engineer, also driving diesel locomotives. The colour coding used at the Dutch Railways was the same as used by the WW2 Luftwaffe: -Blue; air. -Yellow; fuel. -Brown; lubricant. -Green; coolant. Unless the RAF used very different colour coding (Always a possibility, of course!), these colours don't really make sense to me. Can anyone shed light upon the matter if these colours are post-war / restoration mods (like the ubiquitous red crowbars in Spitfires...) or indeed used on production Mosquitoes in the RAF during WW2? Thank you in advance for your insights! Erik.

Thank you all for your replies! Very helpful!!! Welllll.... On page 32 of "Aeroplane's" special edition "Mosquito; Britain's World War II Wooden Wonder", the PFF / Main Force bomber version's Parachute Drill is published: PILOT gives order "Prepare to abandon aircraft". NAV acknowledges, removes nav board and the supporting rod from socket and stows board in the nose BOTH Ensure that ther helmet chin straps are unclipped and that their K-Dingies are correctly attached unless it has been definetely established that that the aircraft is over land, when the Nav has to disconnect his K-Dingy. PILOT ensures that bomb doors are closed and turns oxygen to "Emergency"and continues to breathe deeply. NAV turns oxygen to "Emergency" and commences to breathe deeply; releases safety harness releases hinges and lock of inner escape hatch. Nav stows inner hatch in the nose / Nav releases pressure in cabin and clips to starboard side. passes oxygen tube from right-hand side, under his legs to the left side. PILOT when abandoning by parachute becomes inevitable, gives order "Jump! Jump!" releases safety harness and lowers seat to the fully down position. NAV acknowledges, removes parachute pack from stowage in nose and places it on Pilot's knees: jettisons outer escape hatch by pushing jettison pedal and catch with his left foot. He then jettisons inner hatch and nav board throughescape exit, unclipsoxygen tube from his harness and turns left to face aft. NAV clips on parachute pack, ensuring that oxygen tube is passed outside the pack, removes his helmet, throwing it with oxygen tube into the rear of the aircraft, steps backwards and lowers himself through escape exit. PILOT as Nav is leaving aircraft , unclips his oxygen tube from his harness and draws his feet backwards. Grabbing the hand-hold (under front coaming) with his right hand, he stands up, lifting his parachute as high as possible to clear seat and side arms, turns half left by pivoting on right toe and brings his left foot over the seat to a position just aft of the escape exit. PILOT removes his helmet and faces aft, then lowers himself through escape exit. BOTH will find it a helpto hold the starboard side of the Pilot's seat with the right hand when leaving through escape exit.Should the navigator find it difficult to pass through the exit, the Pilot should assist his egress by giving him a good push with his foot. Ah, yes, didn't think of that! Shrapnel in the chute would be hard to spot if the chute wsn't unpacked! Logical! Silk is a natural product and therefore prone to rot if not treated carefully. Nylon for parachutes wasn't the norm yet...!

Hi all, I know the Mosquito pilots wore seat-pack parachutes and the nav's had clip-on breast chutes that were on the bomber noses stored in the nose and on the FB's stored on a shelf at the front cockpit bulkhead. Seeing as quite some kits come with seat cushions for the pilot, I wonder if the parachutes were kept stored inside the aircraft? Entering a Mosquito wasn't really a relaxed experience with that parachute on your bum... I need to know if I have to give my HK Mossie an empty bucket seat or not... Thanks in advance! Erik.

Sorry for the late reaction, guys.... Too many fora, too little time and sometimes one slips through, I'm afraid.... Imagine that some of us also find the time to actually build a model!! Anyhow, thanks for your answers! Cheers, Erik.

Guys, I posted this on ARC too but to increase the possible replies: As I understand it, the colors for the Kfir C7 gear in Israëli service were: - Wheel wells white. - Inside of gear doors Light Grey FS 36375 - Landing gear legs and wheel hubs Light Grey FS 36375. Is that correct? Thanks in advance! Cheers, Erik B.

Hi everyone, I have got the Great Wall Hobby F-15C MSIP II kit. I'm looking for photos of the avionics behind the cockpit of the USAF variant. They seem quite hard to find, however. I found photos with all of the missing and the Verlinden Lock-On from 1989(!) has them covered because they were classified at that time. Maybe Jake Melampy's F-15 book contains photos of this area but sadly I missed out on it and the book is OOP I want to know how the wiring (if any) runs from the boxes to where ever and what the shape and color of the boxes is. I have found one photo of the area with boxes, only this is an F-15CJ, I don't know if they use Panasonic or Sony avionics or the same as the USAF?... Photo from www.afwing.com I hope someone of you can help me out! Thanks!! Regards, Erik.

Please elaborate?

Ah, sorry, Chris! Indeed! Anyhow, the fact that a ham-fisted Dutchman pranged it is a nice bit of background, isn't it? And maybe he wasn't ham-fisted at all, but just a victim of the strongwilledness of the mechanics of the Typhoon....

Dutch decal has a decal sheet in Dutchies in the RAF. One of the options is a (reasonably) unknown sqn CO's aircraft that was pranged by one of his pilots, one of said Dutchies, of course! THE a/c is a late fourblader bases at Helmond or Eindhoven, late autumn 1944. I'm afraid it's a Bombphoon though. Take a look at www.dutchdecal.com Hope this is of some use to you. Cheers, Erik.

Thanks, gents!! Cheers, Erik.

Hi gents, I'm planning on building the Airfix 1/24 Typhoon as MN131, PR-M of 609 Sqn, Thorney Island, June 1944. I understand it was a 3-blader with the small tailplanes. I see a LOT of different cockpit colors used, what would be the right colour for the seat? I've seen them in grey-green and black in online-builds while Airfix recommends light grey... I've seen the photos of MN235, but that aircraft is hardly original anymore.... Thanks in advance for your insights! Cheers, Erik.

Hi Paul, Is there a possibility that you would do a correction set for the F.4 canopy? The kit canopy looks seriously squashed and the windshield isn't entirely correct either. The canopy is the most important for me as I don't think myself able to make a "good enough" canopy myself. Luuk from DutchDecal knows several more areas that would benefit from some adjusted shapes in the F.4... Cheers, Erik.