Patrick Martin

On the Nakajima B5N ... if the wings are folded for storage ... are all flaps and movable wing surfaces in a Neutral position? PM

Following wartime use, the RCAF Mitchell fleet survived the immediate post-war cuts. Seven early Mitchell Mk.I (B-25B) served briefly in 1942. Most of these were designated B-25D, or Mitchell II in RAF nomenclature. Deliveries had been diverted from stocks produced for the RAF. Twenty-nine ex-USAAF machines were also acquired, from the same production lots, resulting in deliveries of B-25D that had seen combat service with the USAAF in the Mediterranean. Most of these were withdrawn from RCAF service early in 1950. In 1951, the RCAF ordered 75 further B-25J, known as the Mitchell III. Thirty-seven were equipped with the APG-40 nose-mounted radar and were designated Mitchell III AI in the RCAF. The AI examples were purchased to assist the training of aircrews going on to the Canuck radar equipped interceptor. The USAF was also receiving re-worked aircraft from the Hughes Tool Company with at least three radar configurations with the designations TB-25L, TB-25M and TB-25N. Six further AI aircraft were borrowed from the USAF between August 1954 and June 1955, also for use at 3 (AW) OTU at North Bay. Several non-AI aircraft had the same nose profile, but without the APG-40 radar late in service. Two aircraft (5220 and 5248) were modified with VIP interiors (if any ride in a Mitchell could be considered luxurious) complete with fuselage flash and were sometimes noted in records as Mitchell IIIST. Three B-25 trimetrogon equipped aircraft were purchased to complete stereo photographic surveys, mainly in the North in April 1944. A fourth Mitchell, now designated F-10 by the USAAF, arrived in April 1945. Two of the four survived until the mid-fifties with improvised nose conversions. The Mitchell fleet served as a light bomber (LB), pilot trainers (PT), photographic platform (Mk.II), radar trainers (AI/AIA) and staff transport (ST). It has also been noted as a target tug, and general transport. The last flight of a RCAF Mitchell was on August 25, 1961. drawings and all colour details can be found in .... Royal Canadian Air Force Aircraft Finish and Markings 1947-1968 By 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.

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

I know of 32 aircraft that carried the pod but - this does not mean all 32 were wired for them. The EMI reconnaissance pod was developed to be carried under the centre pylon only. It first flew in 1969, with XV406 at the Hawker Siddley test base at Holme-on-Spalding Moor and also with XV415 in 1971. It weighted in at 1,702 lbs (772 kg). The Matchbox 1/72 version was WAY too big, the Fujimi way too thin, the aftermarket Odds and Ordnance seems about right and I have not seen the Aircraft item yet. Between 18 and around 23 pods were used. The pod was introduced into service by No.6 Squadron, with one flight maintaining limited use until the role was taken over by No.41 Squadron. No.54 Squadron was tasked with some service trials, including clearing the firing of the AIM-7 while carrying the pod. The pod had a short life with the main users, No.2 Squadron at RAF Laarbruch and No.41 Squadron at RAF Coningsby, between December 1970 and March 1977. When the massive EMI reconnaissance pack was introduced they were finished in overall Gloss Light Aircraft Grey, with a blackish-brown stripe on each side for the Linescan. In common use with the pod was the flash tank - LS-93A Electronic Night Flash System. These were modified Sargent Fletcher tanks to accommodate an oblique F.95 camera with a 12 inch (30 cm) lens or an F.126 medium-altitude vertical camera. The aft tail cone was also replaced with the LS-93A Electronic Night Flash System built by Chicago Aerial Industries. An intake provided air flow for the flare dispensing system. Without the fuel content, the converted tank weighed 489 lbs (221.9 kg). A single modified tank could be carried under the port wing. The ‘flash tanks’ were in standard finish, except the new nose cone was gloss Dark Sea Grey. Several were noted painted in non-standard configurations. See the Modeldecal sheet for markings detail. There are are lot more details in the AirDoc book on the British Phantom Vol.1 by yours truly. Patrick Martin

Very very nice PM

Excellent presentation well done PM

I am told by a very very reliable source that Big H will have stock of the Spitfire Vc next week for sale. Looking forward to this.

There are 2 on YouTube tonight

The oddity is some retailers saying they have it (Spitfire Vc 1/72) and others not, now weeks apart. As a modelling marketing person - Airfix would sell more kits retail overseas (not just in Europe) if they had a surface shipping option or even regular air mail post. If all retailers (at least in the UK) had the some product at the same time - the price field would be more level. I have seen an Airfix 1/24 Hellcat with a 'do not sell before' date sticker on it in North America. So shipping to wholesalers/retailers has been done in advance in the past. Greed is still rampant in this world, covid or not. Covid has been around long enough for marketing people to take delays into consideration by now. PM

Yes it is all rather odd. Had a bunch on back ordered with 'Big H' since before Pontius was a Pilate. Is this all a big game by Airfix? Is this how the Beaufort and the Vulcan are going to play out as well? I can sort of understand Airfix trying to make more out of retail sales (but for weeks first?) itself but in the long run it is just going to miff a lot of people off. Another bad PR move by the upper management at Airfix. If on backorder with 'Big H' its 7.49, if ordered today at Wonderland it is 12.49!!! From the overseas shipping view - the bit Airfix does not get is - they always use a shipping company that uses a broker, which means duty/customs no matter how small the order is, including handling fees. There is no option to use regular surface or air mail post. They make shipping expensive compared to anybody else. PM

very nice - proof it can be done

The first antenna on 402 looks just like the Search and Rescue and Homing (SARAH) beacon system, it was an emergency locater device carried by many RCAF aircraft. The beacon itself was small enough to be carried in a Mae West life jacket, with an up-to 20-hour-transmitting battery life. The receiver-equipped (searching) aircraft would have a set of forward-facing bi-lateral antennae and would fly along the proposed route of the missing aircraft or conduct a search pattern around the last known location of a missing aircraft - hopefully with a SARAH beacon in operation. The receiver operator, looking at a scope, would be able to tell if a radio signal was coming from left or right, until the location was overflown - in theory. In practice, it was not that simple, as geography and the angle at which the transmitter was sitting could at times make for large errors. The system was used by all larger RCAF aircraft types involved with the search and rescue (SAR) role (mainly the search portion) including; Argus, Canso, Labrador, Lancaster and later the search and rescue (SAR) role North Star.

The finish colours of Dark Sea Grey and Dark Green were applied on upper surfaces with Medium Sea Grey for lower surface. Markings were to be taken from drawings Identification Markings 5208. Pat Martin

try these... Atlantic Air Fan 198006 article 21F sqn Atlantic ANG Air International 198111 article 3d drawing Atlantic Air International 201205 article Italy Atlantic 2 Air International 201901 article Atlantic ALT to 6 Air International 201912 ident upgrades Atlantic Air Pictorial 196201 article Atlantic Aviation Historian 020 article crash Farnborough 1968 Atlantic Aviation News 09 01 article Atlantic Aviation News 11 25 article KonM Atlantic Flying Review 196004 article Atlantic Flying Review 196301 article 3d Atlantic Flying Review 196411 kit review Heller 100 Atlantic Flying Review 196506 article drawing Atlantic Koku-Fan 198903 photos GN Atlantic La Vitrine du Maquettiste 0036 article plans 72 Atlantic La Vitrine du Maquettiste 0036 article MLD Atlantic le Fanatique de L'Aviation 198006 article FN Atlantic le Fanatique de L'Aviation 198008 article 21F FN Atlantic Scale Aircraft Modelling 200302 article colour views Atlantic 2 Scale Aircraft Modelling 200302 article colour views Atlantic Scale Aircraft Modelling 200302 kit review Revell 72 Atlantic Scale Aircraft Modelling 200404 kit review Revell 72 Atlantic Scale Aviation Modeller 200310 V9 #10 kit review Revell 72 Atlantic I Scale Aviation Modeller 200706 V13 #6 kit review Revell 72 Atlantic Warplane 00032 ident colour views Atlantic 2 Warplane 00032 ident colour views Atlantic Warplane 00059 article 3d colour views