RAL

Tom I'd go with EDSG and DSG with NMF undersurfaces. It's difficult to tell whether the images of "Clare" have been colourised (if so, someone has done a damn fine job of it) and while it appears to be an off-white colour, that just doesn't stack up against the available evidence for the C&M of these flying boats. It is of course possible that the planing hull and lower fuselage sides have been treated with lanolin as a hedge against corrosion ... has this distorted the colour? This reference may be of assistance: http://www.users.waitrose.com/~mbcass/Flying%20Empires.pdf I'm pretty sure I have a drawing of the camouflage pattern used on our Aussie S.23s during the war. I'll see if I can find same over the weekend. RAL

Tom A few more that may help (or hinder): Clare: http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/MillsStephen/6434L.jpg http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2682/4505465062_d43c4e7311_z.jpg http://www.users.waitrose.com/~mbcass/clare.jpg Cathay: http://maltagc70.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/cathay.jpg Camilla: http://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/ryan-stm/images/img05.jpeg RAL

Have a look on: http://www.aussieairliners.org/shortfb/g-aetz/2545.270.html There's an image of G-AETZ in her war paint taken at Rose Bay, Sydney, NSW in 1941 ... There may be other images about. HTH RAL

Dave Here's a discussion on RAAF Foliage Green that may be useful: http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/foliagegreenrefgb_1.htm Regards RAL

McY, Danni, Daniel and Dave Many thanks for your individual responses; they are appreciated. McY - I believe that you are spot on with the towing attachment at the rear of the ventral tank on VZ476 (VH-MBX). Thank you for posting the image. Danni - I must be getting old. Why I didn't think of you in first palce is beyond me? Many thanks for posting the diagram(s). Daniel - what can I say. That is the most comprehensive list of references I've ever seen posted on a modelling site. All saved for further research, noting it will take me some time to work my way through them. Good stuff! Dave - I hadn't realised that this topic had been discussed before. Thanks for the heads up. Regards Roger in Oz

Hi Mick I'm more of a lurker than an active poster. I did think of AMI but as the towing lug was a UK innovation, I thought that our UK colleagues would probably have more definitive information. And to all, apologies for the use of capital letters in the heading of my post - I forgot to change the draft before I posted. Cheers Roger in Oz

A colleague and I are currently researching the use of the Gloster Meteor F.8 and T.7 in the TT role in the RAAF. We know that the T.7 when used in the TT role had a lug installed to the rear of the auxiliary fuel tank which was used to hook up the cable and banner which was laid out of the runway. The aircraft was merely taxied forward until the cable was paid out and then took off on the sortie. It appears that the F.8 could be similarly configured for the TT role as there are references to such use by operational squadrons of the RAAF e.g. 75 Squadron (11 Aug 1955) - trials with a Mk.8 towing 'normal' banner. 77 Squadron (22 Aug 1955_ - using Meteor as TT for air-to-air firing practice. 75 Squadron (6/7 June 1956) an intriguing entry where it is noted that Meteor towed a 'radar reflecting' banner for tests with the CAC Sabre gun sight. The standard procedure following the end of a TT sortie was to fly low, parallel to the runway and slip the cable and banner, then land the aircraft. This seems to have been applied to both the Meteor and the Vampire in RAAF service, although the latter used a simple bomb slip for towing purposes. I suspect that a similar towing technique was used by the CAC Sabre in the TT role although the tow hitch was merely a toggle held in place by the closed air brake. The cable was released by popping the air brakes. But I digress Regarding the Meteor towing lug, I dont yet have definitive information on the positioning and attachment of this TT fitment. My early understanding was that the towing lug was fitted to the rear of the ventral fuel tank attachment point but this could compromise the use of the tank (?). For TT work, I would have thought that the additional fuel would be necessary and therefore Im now of the opinion that the TT attachment was on a hard point aft of the tank so that the ventral tank could remain installed and the towing lug was a separate fitment. Errol OHaras story of his ride in a Meteor T.7 on a TT sortie has provided me with the only clue to date: http://web.archive.org/web/20080801015408/http://www.gunnies.asn.au/squadrons/77/77sqn_images/errols_day/errol_o.htm CPL Keith Dad Roddom, and his offsider, disappeared under the Meteor to hook up the target cable to a release unit at the rear of the centreline (Ventral) fuel tank. This suggests that the towing attachment point could be at the rear drop tank mount as that area was already strengthened and mounted to the rear main plane spar. You don't get much stronger 'strong points' than that. In fact, it seems that it was highly possible to carry the ventral tank and a banner. Looking at the ventral tank of the Meteor, if you left the rear fairing off the ventral tank as was often the case, it may have been possible to attach the tow point to the substructure at the rear of the tank. Then, in an emergency you would have been able to jettison the tow (the lug was operated electrically by the aircrafts camera button on the control column) and drop the tank by pulling the handle inside the cockpit. My colleague, an engineer by trade, baulks at the idea of having to go through the design and certification process to install another strong point just to tow a target when one was already on the airframe where you needed it. Therefore, our conjecture at this stage is that the UK boffins came up with the towing lug for the F.8 (and T.7) for use in the RAF and that we Aussies merely adopted it for RAAF use for both the F.8 and T.7 Any and all assistance would be appreciated. Roger in Oz

Armando That's actually the ADF fairing that was used on RAAF Meteors in Korea. You can get a better idea of the positioning from the following: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/gallery/albums/Meteor-A77-15/Meteor_A77_15_001.jpg http://www.cbrnp.com/profiles/quarter3/gloster_meteor/meteor_f8_raaf_a77-446.jpg Roger

Hi Daniel Like you, the DAP Beaufort MKVIII has been one of my favourite aircraft since childhood. My elder brother and I actually carved ourselves a Beaufort each from balsa way back when. They were our pride and joy although the C&M left a lot to be desired; hand painted using Dulux enamel paints from Dad's workshop ... sadly, neither model survived the endless wargames that were played in the backyard Cheers Roger

Hi Steve UK = RAF By Kiwis, I meant RNZAF aircrew ... same would apply to RAF I guess where aircrew from the Commonwealth (RAAF, Canada, SA etc) seved in RAF squadrons on Beauforts. Cheers Roger

If I recall correctly, it's been a couple of years since Special Hobby announced their forthcoming 1/48 Airspeed Oxford and 1/48 Bristol Beaufort. While we have the Oxbox, there's still no sign of the Beaufort. Given that the aircraft was operated extensively by Australia (built by the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP)), Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Turkey and the UK, I would have thought that there was a pretty good market for a 1/48 scale Beaufort. Is there any news on a likely release of this important WWII aircraft in 1/48? Special Hobby/MPM?? Regards RAL

G'day Rod This seems to have been a fairly standard RAF finish at one time judging by these: http://www.airplane-pictures.net/images/uploaded-images/2008-5/5/14488.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/SE-FNP_%28WP867%29_DHC-1_Chipmunk_taxiing_at_Borglanda.jpg/800px-SE-FNP_%28WP867%29_DHC-1_Chipmunk_taxiing_at_Borglanda.jpg http://www.dehavilland.co.za/images/DHC-1%20Chipmunk%20C1-0706%20ZS-URC%20James%20Wardle%2003.jpg It would be a toss up between Red and DayGlo ... Cheers Roger

Great job, Tony, on the Contrail Beaufort. I have that kit in the collection but the more I've looked at it, the more issues I've found. Like you, I've been tempted to graft Tamiya Beaufighter bibs and bobs onto the vacform but that doesn't overcome the basic issues with the fuselage contours. Hi Tom. I exhaused all my avenues 'down under' with my modelling colleagues. There's many of us in Oz still hanging out for this 1/48 Beaufort, so I guess it's a case of sit back and wait. Thanks anyway for your responses, guys. Cheers RAL

Has anyone heard anything at all as to whether Special Hobby are still going to release a 1/48 Beaufort, especially with the bits and pieces to model the broad fin DAP Mk VIII? The planned kit has been showing on the Hannants site as a future release since Adam played fullback for Jerusalem ... Enquiring minds Down Under would like to know. Regards RAL

I'd be removing that tow chain from between the elephant's hind legs before any towing takes place!

The Austers were Gipsy powered and flown by 16 and 17 AOP Flights for medivac purposes as well as aerial observation duties. As far as I know, they were never marked with the Red Cross of an air ambulance but rather retained their overall Foliage Green finish with standard SWPA RAAF roundels and Medium Sea Grey serials. I guess that rules them out of your quest too. There's a drawing in the National Archives of Australia for the stretcher design and installation in Austers. The latter is only an indication of location in the aircraft so I'm surmising that the installtion never occured operationally. Cheers Roger

Some RAAF WWII air ambulance aircraft that may be of assistance: Avro Anson Bristol Bombay DH82 Tiger Moth DH83 Fox Moth DH84 Dragon DH86 Douglas C47 Ford Trimotor Lockheed Hudson Taylorcraft Auster Tugan Gannet Vultee Vigilant While not specifically air ambulances, other types that were used for evacuation purposes (civilian refugees, troops and repatriated POWs) include: Avro York Dornier Do24K Consolidated Catalina Lockheed Hudson Lockheed Ventura (disarmed) Lockheed Lodestar Martin Mariner Short Sunderland I hope this is of some help. Roger

John is correct. "A79-417" is a bogus RAAF serial and was never applied to a RAAF DHA Vampire. The Vampire in the image is one of several ex-Zimbabwe Airforce Vampires imported into to Australia by the well-known local aviation identity, Judy Pay. This particular airframe (Serial R1382) was restored at Wangaratta for the Moorabbin Air Museum (VIC) and has been painted as a RAAF F.30 complete with false serial. Australia operated one imported FB.5 (A78-3). The locally built machines were designated F.30 and FB.31. Roger

Your observation re the rather blunt end of the drop tank is spot one, Danni: http://www.focalplanes.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/62_12-Aussie-Vampire-T11-A79-667-with-scratched-Day-Glo-on-nose-S172A.jpg http://www.focalplanes.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/62_12-Vampire-T11-A79-667-S171A.jpg Cheers Roger

The cockpit interior of the CAC Boomerang was Interior Grey/Green, FS34226, Humbrol H78/XtraColor X10. HTH

Thanks, John. I suspect that you may well be right re HK's Mk4 and mating the F.8 components from John's vacform. The fuselage plug shouldn't be too difficult. Cheers Roger

Thanks for the update, Harold. All good things come to those who wait. I look forward to the release(s) in a couple (or so) months time. Cheers Roger

Thank you all for your responses. I've checked your website, John; that 1:32 Vampire really looks the goods. Has anyone built your 1:32 F.8 Meteor? It would certainly beat trying to modify an F.4 Cheers Roger

Thanks, Julien. I'll check out the AMS website. Cheers Roger

Thanks, Dannielle. I must be getting old; didn't think of using the Search function. As for the Delmar, I found a link to the Delmar rig as used by the Luftwaffe Fiat G.91 target towing aircraft. I'm pretty sure it's the same rig used by the RAN on the Sea Venoms and can therefore be fairly readily adapted. I'm away from my references just now but I locate it when I get home and post same. Cheers Roger Thanks, Julien. Danielle's advice was sound as always. Cheers Roger Thanks, Julien. Danielle's advice was sound as always. Cheers Roger