Nigel Bunker

Well TSR2 was eventually replaced by the Buccaneer, and that made it into Gulf War 1 before being retired, so why not?

If you can get hold of the Warpaint on the Typhoon by Chris Thomas (regrettably long out of print, I think), the profiles give details of the prop/tailplane congiguration for the subjects shown.

The wing tips were not strong enough to carry missiles - perhaps shoulder mounted pylon launchers as on the Tornado? As to loads - I would think that anything carried by Buccaneers or Phantoms in the strike role in the late 60s/early 70s perhaps progressing to LGBs and cluster munitions (I am thinking of those pods the Tornado used to carry under its fuselage) as it came towards the end of its service in the 90s.

I bought a copy of this book, via Amazon for a tenner. It is a good read, but obviously done from a French point of view (interviews from French model shop owners and people in France who worked for Matchbox selling their kits). There is a picture of nearly every kit box, in colour, along with listings. A few literal translations in the book (where it was translated from French) could have been spotted by a competent native English speaking editor, but they add to the book's Gallic character. And on a personal level, I would disagree with comments about some of the kits made by individuals in the book. But that's my view. I recommend this book but I feel there is room for a fuller history of Matchbox kits, perhaps along the line of the latest Arthur Ward book on Airfix.

Well it was wooden construction, so I am guessing much of the interior would be unpainted. Just a guess, unless anybody knows better?

Wonderful spelling on the box: Fhantom not Phantom as it should be. this mistake has been uncorrected for about 20 years as I recall.

I suspect not until they clear their stock of single seaters, or have it substantially reduced.

Wasn't the Heller kit also boxed by Airfix?

I suspect that might be the Kitech copy of the Italeri F-14 (Wilkinsons were knocking them out several years ago at £2.99). Kitech had a habit of "borrowing" other people's work.

Wasn't the order changed to F-35C models from F-35B?

I suspect they will be delivered in whatever colour the MoD orders them in - generally planes are finished to customer's specifications. So the grey men will specify grey paint.

I have used Eagle Strike and had no problem with them.

The font of all Flanker wisdom has spoken.

To be frank, the best thing Revell could do with their A400M kit is put it on the back burner until it starts to go into service, as there are only prototypes flying at the moment. If they do that, perhaps Jennings' friend could be re-assigned to upgrading their 144 C-17 to 72 scale. Please.

Richard "Search" on this forum is your friend (see here). However, to summarise, the concensus is that the Airfix kit has the best overall shape, though some aftermarket bits will improve it.

Please include an RAF camouflaged one for those of us who struggle with silver finishes.

I could be wrong on this, but I think the clear radome was introduced post war, and was not very common.

To be fair to Airfix designers during the late fifties and sixties, they normally based kit markings on a photograph, though their interpretation of black and white photographs was not always accurate. (We still have the same problem, so nothing ever changes). So somewhere there must be a photo of TD+XI - perhaps a trail through some fifties aircraft books might provide the answer.

I believe the CIE (Commission International d'Eclairage - the international lighting commission) has identified 49 identifiable different shades of white. And that doesn't include "near Whites" such as creams, beiges, etc. Don't believe me? Try painting a sample of every White model paint side side by side and then notice the differences. And I think the CIE found over 30 shades of black. I won't start on colours. PS, I could relate the story of the major public building that had items finished to the same specification but when items from two different manufacturers were put side by side, there was a clear tonal difference even though they were both painted with paints supposedly to the same standard specification.How do I know? I was there.

Please do some two stage Merlins in 72 scale - I am running out of Matchbox Mosquitos. I'd prefer them for the Airfix kit, but if they are for the Tamiya, well I'll make them fit.

Poetic licence is the way I model. If I was painting, I'd be an impressionist - it looks like what I started out to make, but cockpits and the like give an impression of what it should be, not deadly accurate with every dial & switch. It won't win me any prizes, but I model for fun, not competition.

Perhaps the moderators might like to look at this thread and take whatever action they deem necessary.

Sorry, but MoD insist on keep moving the goal posts and then the manufacturers never tell them at that stage what the cost implication is or what the delay will be to in service date. Look at the role call of MoD errors since the Sixties - F-111K, AFVG, Chinook (the placed and cancelled 1967 order), Nimrod AEW, Chinook again (HC.3 mess), Nimrod MRA.4 (Each prototype costing in excess of £1billion, the whole project £789 million over budget and nine years late) - and that's just the ones i can think of offhand - I expect there are more. MoD carpets must be 6 ft off of the ground with all the errors they sweep under them.

If I was paying £18.50 for a kit, I would be very unhappy at having to replace wheels because of the "the well undersized nosewheel and lack of hub detail to the mainwheels". I guess one will not be coming to my house.

Considering how long it takes to get an aircraft from design to service these days (I consider it to be a fault of both MoD and the manufacturers), the only option is to buy something in production. The Nimrod MRA4 was a flawed concept - refitting ancient aircraft is barmy. If you wanted a new car, what would you say if the dealer offered a 1970s Ford Cortina, but offered to update it? I know what my reply would be. P-8 is the only viable option other than getting some P-3s out of Davis Monathan and spending a fortune upgrading the electronics. By the time they went through the system, they would be bore costly than a P-8. An Airbus option would be good - but we need the aircraft soon, not in 2021 when all the bugs are ironed out. Look how long it has taken for the A400M to fly, let alone reach service. And don't let the MoD specify UK parts into the P-8 or we will end up with a repeat of the Chinook saga. MoD - Mess-up or Deny? Muddle or Diddle? Certainly not Ministry of Defence