Patrick Martin

so then you then you, like myself are a serial starter?

A total of 677 P-80A were constructed although some sources claim 676. The first 344 production P-80A were finished in a protective light pearl-grey paint finish. The paint was not a success due to peeling and wearing, as such subsequent production was left in natural metal finish.

On the Seafire; the RCN Dark Grey Light Grey started changing (nothing to do with Sky) in mid 1947. I am trying to sort out of the RCN machines just prior to this - which were in TSS and which have just the one colour EDSG on upper surfaces. There are plenty of photos in the TSS but there are a few where it really looks like just one colour topside. So by serial is/was there a way to find out when this change was made? In the Cuncliff-Owen production PR338 to PR506 (not all RCN) - we are sure at least up to PR478 are TSS (which is close to all) At Westland production SR446 to SR 645 & SW781 to SW921 (not all RCN) - we are sure SR 545 was TSS and SW846 was EDSG. So at this point I think the answer is somewhere between SR546 and SW845 in just the Westland production for FAA and RCN. Nespa? Thanks Pat Thoughts - Ideas?

Hi All: The over all colours of the Seafire XV have been a bit of a mystery. There has been lots of discussion on the switching of the basic RAF day fighter scheme colours to the FAA TSS of Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey variegated over Sky on the Seafire III. But for the Seafire XV was there a change from TSS to just Extra Dark Sea Grey as the upper colour (like on early Sea Fury)? If so when would it have come along in production Seafire XV at Cunliffe-Owen and Westland? Patrick Martin

As usual the kit flag and roundels are all wrong PM

How about a new 1/72 highly detailed kit (of interest) at a good price, gets released just ahead of its announced date. PM

Solved at last thanks PM

More photos please!

Is there are rigging drawing someplace for this? PM

Let me know how you are progressing every now and then on your Sea King, I will do like-wise on mine. PM

And the gear on your Heller kit will at some point break.

Think of how much fun you could have with this one. Working at Airfix knowing a tour was coming through the office.... you could build all sorts of one-off kits just to get all the rumours going. Put an all black Special Hobby Barracuda on a shelf, a Frog Proctor, parts of a Matchbox Walrus all in 1/72, leave Sabre wings on a desk..... PM

Just go with a safe New Year

So if Airfix were not doing the large Vulcan in 1/72, then how many other smaller 1/72 kits could have been done? The same situation could arise new week, is it going to to a large kit or several smaller 1/72......look at all the kits that were done by Frog (all those years ago) that have yet to be redone by right mainstream firm .... Baltimore, Shark, Skua, Attacker, Tempest, Firefly, Proctor and Oxford. They ought to be thinking about getting to some of these before new people (like Arma) get there first. So bring on the new versions of Mitchell, but do not ignore the Liberator, Walrus, Javelin, Sea Vixen, Scimitar, or heaven forbid some Sabre or Harvard variants. Maybe if they feel cocky again, a few more German WWII types or helicopters....

I like all of this kind of presentation - its thought out, its entertaining, its moving on - it has pictures - its great. PM