BritJet

Very nicely done, makes a change from most airliner schemes. @Mikey-1980 I think it would have been an MD83 back in 1991 Steve

No real problems but the instructions and fit of some parts are a bit vague in places. The rotor head support and undercarriage struts need a bit of care to align. Just take your time with it and you'll be fine. Enjoy it! Steve

Yes, it's the old Matchbox kit and construction has a few quirks but it's not a bad kit. Some suggestions for you; The tail joint is very weak and likely to break at some point also there is usually a step between the fuselage and tail which is difficult to deal with. Cut away the lip on the rear of the fuselage halves and clean out the opening. Find some sprue that will fit into the tail unit to brace across the joint. Pack inside the rear fuselage so the sprue is a good fit. Glue some thin plastic card onto the rear face of the fuselage halves and make a hole in the middle to take the sprue – this is to shim the joint and avoid the step. Trim the plastic card on the outside once the parts are joined together. The fuselage is very flexible due to the design and needs to be braced under the top-deck. Cut some lengths of sprue and glue in place avoiding where the cockpit opening/parts are. The intakes do not fit very well as they get opened out by the lip on the nacelles – remove the lips and just butt-join the intakes. The jetpipes usually fit ok but if not remove the lips there as well. The tongue on the wings is not thick enough and the joint will be sloppy. Insert some plastic card to shim until the joint is tight – make sure it is clear of the wheel well. The radome shown on the instructions for the NF14 is too long. The NF14 radome is the same as the NF12. Add weight to the nose. None of the above are difficult to do but will help reduce the amount of fill, sand, repeat that this kit is known for. I've built 9 or 10 of these and these modifications avoided them all taking a very short flight...... Hope this helps. Steve

Cockpit look fine, you can't see any of it anyway once the fuselage is closed up so there's no point in any extra work on it. Have you decided on a colour scheme yet? Steve

Some Canberras had 24" fuselage serials but yes 48" under the wings Steve

Thanks, I spent a fair bit of time looking at alternative colour schemes before I bought the kit and Lithuanian seemed easy enough to do but different from most airline schemes. Those panel lines are exactly how mine were, as you've probably found already they soon clean up. I found the depth of the panel lines to be look right once painted. Steve

I built this kit last year but the Orel Avia decals didn't appeal so I printed my own for Lithuanian Airlines. It's a lovely kit but be careful of the sharp edges on the fibreglass parts. Some of the panel lines on the wings need to be cleaned out to remove small lumps of resin but on the whole no problems with building it. It's a lot bigger than it looks in photos! Hope you enjoy it. Steve

Apart from the new fuselage, the wings were extended in span inboard of the nacelles but reduced in span at the tips so the overall span was the same. The nacelles and tailplanes are different. Steve

I used to use Experts Choice decal paper that came in packs of three but they seem difficult to get now and the single sheet packs work out quite expensive. I now get my paper from Amazon - something like this - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07T4PXKXF/ref=sspa_dk_hqp_detail_aax_0?psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzNUlQRkhVS0c2WkFKJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTA2OTg3UEdGUVA1M0tBSjdFJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1Mjk3Mjc4WDRKQkg5TUNHQTEmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9ocXBfc2hhcmVkJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ== Where you've got the XI HO L on your sheet, should the I be a J? You might want to have a look at using Inkscape (free!) for designing your artwork. I've got a laser printer than can print white if you need anything you can't do any other way. Hope this helps. Steve

That will work, when you print onto the white paper an have clear coated, cut up to the black rectangle no closer than about 0.5 mm. If the printed area gets cut into then the ink will bleed. As you've got to leave a border around the printed area there will be a white line all the way around. You can either touch this up with the black paint or maybe you could incorporate it into the design? Steve

They seem to still be there - http://www.demobbed.org.uk/locations.php?location=8886 Steve

I've had a Badger 350 for about 40 years and it was the first airbrush I had. The 350 was a good place to start with airbrushing and I learnt a lot with it, I still use it for larger areas and Alclad but once you try a dual-action you'll appreciate the difference when it comes to the extra control available. You can get a 350 (or a cheaper clone) for very little money and like any tool it's always good to have an option. The 350 is easy to use and very easy to clean, I would say easier than the 200 (which I've also got) as you don't have the needle and so many seals to worry about. The parts are cheap to replace as and when needed. What's the problem with your 200? Definitely start saving some money for a compressor as it will pay for itself very quickly and remove the constant wondering about having enough air left for the job and then cleaning. It's much easier with a compressor to take your time learning new techniques as well. Hope this helps. Steve

....and to make the Handley Page HP88. Steve

This might save you some time and effort - Canberra P12 conversion Steve

Thanks both. I didn't think there'd be much in the rear cockpit but thought it worth asking the question. I won't be getting the others finished today as the paint is still very sticky, I might have to strip it off and start again if it doesn't dry properly. I did both WD790 and WS838 back in 2016 and have got the leftovers from the AlleyCat decal sheet for WD790 as I used the AirDecal set, I printed the decals for WS838 myself. PM me your address if they're of use and I'll send them to you. Happy New Year. Steve