roym

can anyone confirm if the metalcotes have improved? I bought several tins of the polished steel and gunmetal that are useless. The last few of the matt alu and to a lesser extent the polished alu seem ok (maybe old stock) but the other two were some of my favourite metallic paints, which made the loss all the harder to swallow. I haven't bought a tin of metalcote in over 18 months, as I suspect the stock in the LMS is still the old (useless) stuff. (The last I bought was actually a tin of matt alu in the original 80's black tin, and it was perfect!)

Roy, Thanks for that link. Perfect! Cheers (the other) Roy

Thanks, it is the flightpath engines I've got. Are these applicable to an -E? Or rather, when did the short nacelles stop?! And I gather I can I build any vanilla trash hauler from C-130B to C-130H with what I've got here? Are there some specialised variants that I can do (MCs without Fulton gear, HCs without HDUs....)

Hi all, Just recently picked up an old issue Italeri C-130E (Fat Albert Boxing) at a show, for a song and while the decals are probably shot it did come with a set of resin longer engine nacelles. Are these applicable to the -E model, or should I leave them off? I will need to get some aftermarket decs for this, so to ensure I get something appropriate what marks of Herc can I build from the box with/without my resin engines? I'm aware that the kit may have some shape issues, but if the only difference is a few aerials I'll plug on. (I'm not going to put AC-130 or C-130J decs on a C-130E, but what CAN I build?) I'm tempted by old superscale Canada scheme, modern USAFE or maybe SEA scheme.. so many! Cheers.

I'm so glad I didn't try to build that kit....... When I said enjoy the kit, I never meant to cause all this....... Top Job!

Nice one Tim, and I'm just putting the touches to mine as we speak! I've done mine as the option on the old Matchbox kit boxtop using older microscale decals. For inernutshell Kit is a classic, fit is a bit iffy in places but no worse than most Airfix (and better than a lot of Airfix from the same era) and comes with quite a decent interior (Full bomb bay and cockpit detail) and is a heck of a lot cheaper than Hasegawa (and is more easily available...)

Opened out an old revell re-issue Matchbox 1/76 chaffee for the son and found that the vinyl tracks that were soft and wrapped in a bundle are now as hard as the kit plastic styrene, and snap if you try to straighten them. Is there a cure? Or are they gone? TIA (a rare armour builder) Roy

Just as well it was OOB then.... Only real bug is the tailplanes have a droop. Wasn't there before the fall M'lord..... Thanks all.

Bill, the kit above is a model of HR744 and is currently available from Revell using the markings supplied in the box. It is a re-issue of the old Matchbox kit from the early '80s, which had the markings for HR792 supplied in the box. The only way to acquire these is from second-hand kit dealers, ebay or asking for the original Matchbox decals on here as I did. HTH, Roy

Some more.. needs more weathering and is completely OOB, so has gross inaccuracies, but most of those who will see it couldn't tell a Lancaster from a B-17 anyway... Also fills a nostalgia gap from my youth... Cheers, Roy

Long convoluted thread >>HERE<< Managed a recovery on this one. Things were going well, main airframe assembled, all filling and sanding done, white primer on all bits, all glazing masked and attached bar turrets, and I sprayed an undercoat of HU27 followed by Dark sea grey. I then dropped the model........... Fuse join split open from the tailwheel opening back on the underside, and all along the top from the tail right up to the pilots canopy. Cockpit became dislodged, engineers canopy and dorsal windows came out, and the nose/fuse seam on the port side opened. Anger was tempered because I had not invested any time or money on aftermarket bits/improvements...... Looking at these pics show the seams I had dealt with are visible again (behind the canopy most noticeable and also the bomb bay doors...) Anyway, here we are...

Thread resurrection time! I did get that Halifax model finished, even after dropping it, and got photos too! Only just put them on Photobucket though... Here's a couple, and I'll put more in the ready for inspection thread.... Cheers for all the help. I may just buy another Revell ex-Matchbox kit for the superb decals for when the new one comes out, I doubt it will have the same Aircraft covered. And to think we all thought we'd never see a new-tool halifax. Oh we of little faith.... More in the RFI area Thanks again, Roy

Oh happy days. As kids we used to spend our summer hols throughout the '80s staying with my aunt and cousins in Barry. Visited this place many times. Bought an Airfix Stuka and Helldiver from the gift shop and had tea and cakes in the Viscount 'cafe' too. There was a few rareites there. Can't understand why they cut up the Mystere, F-100 and T-33... Don't remember the warty Canberra but do remember the hovercraft thingy. Does anyone know was the red and white Hunter an accurate scheme, and can I build it from the 1/72 Revell F.6? Saddest part, with all the summers I spent there, I never knew about the airshows that used to be held at RAF St Athan. Never got to one. Looking at the list of participants over the years on the site posted by Chris makes me want to cry....

First they bought ex RAN HMAS Melbourne, ostensibly for her scrapping but they dismantled her piece by piece and studied her construction as they did so. Then they bought 2 ex Russian Kiev-class, and studied them. Then they built 2 mockups, one a concrete clone that resembles a Nimitz class in layout, based in a lake, and another a replica of a Kuznetsov flight deck and island, on top of a building (big building). They will build their own carrier soon enough, don't doubt it. AFAIK they have removed the vertical missile launchers from Varyag as was mentioned above. I do believe they will use her for training purposes, initally, but remember this is also a country that builds it's own Su-27 clones, Su-33s are not that far away. Should also be an interesting counterfoil to Japan's helicopter/harrier COUGH COUGH carrier er I mean destroyer DDH....... Plenty more interesting reading here.... http://www.varyagworld.com/

Excellent. Thanks!

Revell page here for the jerries; http://www.revell.de/?id=203&KOKANR=01...p;sp=1&nn=1 and here for the yankees... http://www.revell.de/?id=203&KOKANR=01...p;sp=1&nn=1 Its the 1/76 scale that has me interested. Loved these as a kid. Funny I've never done any other armour/military figs ever since but have done the Revell re-issues of the Matchbox armour, if these are the original figs then I must get them to go with the little dios from the kits.

Planning to do this in 1/72 myself, can anyone confirm the paint scheme in Humbrol numbers please? The sand looks like normal Hu63, and the green is either the 105 marine green or one of the US greens (117 or similar). What I'm stuck on is the brown/grey/purple effort, and the underside colour. I can't decide if the fin panels are grey or white; pylons look to be silver/aluminium, as are undercarraige. What about the cockpit? TIA Roy

Can be viewed here; http://www.matchboxkits.org/product_info.p...products_id=316 Click on next under the box pic. click on pic to enlarge. Simples.

Hi all, I've just got hold of the previous issue of the Airfix 72 Bucc, along with some Aeroclub bits (thanks MurphV!) I also recently acquired an original Frog kit from the dark ages. I plan on building the Airfix as an Ark Royal RN example using some Xtradecals which have been patiently waiting a number of years for this day. What I'm wondering is how good/bad the Frog kit is? Just looking and comparing the parts on the sprue, the shapes and sizes of both fuselages and wings/tailplanes are very close. Yes, the frog has no wheel wells, compressor fans or even a reasonable cockpit to speak of, but I'm thinking that the Aeroclub bits will do as much for the Frog as they will for the Airfix? As I said, shapes look very similar, so my second question, should I build the Frog kit? Should I try to flog it (has it any collector value)??? Or should I just give it to my 8 year old? It actually has what appear to be usable decals, only very slightly yellowed, (easy fix) and only the UK nat insig is slightly out of register. Not a bother if I do the interesting South African Scheme.! I also have several other RN schemes on that Xtradecal sheet.

Oh........ dear.............. God.......................................

thanks Seahawk, just nabbed the second book mentioned from Amazon for a fiver all-in. I have the Aviation Workshop book on the Ark but really it should be titled Air Wings of Ark Royal. Useful in it's own way, just not what I need. Anyone know of any plans that don't cost a small fortune?

Looking for a decent photo ref for Ark Royal IV in her phinal Phantomised phit. Plan on converting the Fujimi 1/700 kit. Or even 1/700 plans. Any recommendations from the BM collective? Cheers, R

Just about to start an Academy B-17F in 1/72, Olive Drab over neutral Grey, same size and style insignia as the Memphis Belle (pre-43 type, no bars). The kit I have is for Fort Alamo, one with post-43 stars'n'bars. I've found some older style insig in the decals folder spares. What I need to know is what size (approx diameter in mm) do I need for wings and fuse postitions? As I'm building such an aircraft, would a 1943 B-17 on a ferry flight across the pond from US to UK (via North Africa) have guns fitted, guns stowed or no guns at all, fitted later on arrival? The photos I have are inconclusive, at least for the dorsal and ball turrets. Lastly, Humbrol 155 looks very brown for fresh olive drab (ideal for faded though) whilst 66 looks way too grey, more like modern helo olive drab. I've found a tin of 108 though, a discontinued colour formerly known as WW1 green. Or would 86 be a better bet? Not trying to start a discussion on OD, just what humbrol looks right to the eyes of the experienced BM collective!

Thanks are due to Graham and Rossm for the last two posts. I've finished the Halifax, OOB as much as possible. I'll stick a photo up as soon as I take one (and as soon as it stops raining, so I can take a decent one outside. 3 days constant now.) Not one of my better efforts, but considering I dropped it, I reckon a good save.... Graham, would the MkV Hali still have the dorsal and tail turrets, and other fittings as per the GR in the Matchbox/Revell kit.

Check out Revell's site, To be fair to Revell they normally note whose moulds they are; -Matchbox, Monogram, etc. With a parts count of 34 don't expect much. I built one when I was about 11 and even then felt I had been robbed cos I thought it was a dog. (Compared to the Matchbox one anyway!) I later painted it in a SEA style scheme with black sides and unders (a-la AC-130) and thought it looked decent enough as a '60s COIN style bird, but still didn't look like a Mustang. Shape is "interesting", and while I'm normally one who is happy with "well, it looks like a spitfire to me" scope of modelling, the shape of this is just soooooo wrong. (Coming from someone who just finished the Ex-Matchbox Halifax OOB..... and likes it.) Might be worth it for the decals though, as the Halifax ones I just used were simply stunning.