Aeronut

The drone is a Shelduck and was taken off display in the museum during the revamp in 2018 as was the EP9 and a Miles Magister (which has returned to the RAF Museum's store at Stafford) to make room for the Islander and A109. The Gazelle belongs to the Army Air Corps recruiting/exhibition team who have a van containing the tail boom and stub rotor blades.

Search Facebook for the 'Historic Army Aircraft Flight' there is a section of photos of their Beaver AL1 taken in operation and during maintenance. If you are interested I have scans of the Air Publication pages covering the UK exterior colour scheme and (all) markings dated 1964.

Those of us who have built Valom kits before take care to test fit the canopy BEFORE gluing the fuselage halves together. Once bitten and all that, but the choices of subject just has us coming back for more.

It was always thus. Who remembers the media reporting 'Army Helicopters' operating in Northern Ireland that had the words ROYAL AIR FORCE plastered on their fuselages?

I wonder why a Wildcat if Airfix are re-releasing their 1:48 Lynx HMA8 this year? After all apart from the rear fuselage and engines there's a fair deal of parts shared between the two types (that's why all Lynx were stripped of usable parts for the Wildcat project at Middle Wallop). Thinks: Airfix couldn't be saving on tooling by re-working the Lynx tool, could they? and the re-release is your last chance for a HMA8 before the tool becomes the Wildcat.

Can I recommend you search face book for the Historic Army Aircraft Flight (HAAF). One of the engineering team is a keen photographer and modeller and has populated the site with walk round photos of the flight's aircraft showing details of the exterior and interior taken during normal ops and during servicing (so there are also photos of areas usually hidden). Further the Black Knights post, the light grey sides (door panels) are likely to be bare alloy, the floor is brown phenolic composite and the insulation/lining is tan/light brown.

I'm a little at a loss as to the choice of subject for the two Quickbuild models. They seem to be squarely aimed at the US market. Do JEEP even sell that non customised thing in Europe?

For those of you contemplating a nice Beaver (sorry I couldn't resist) can I recommend looking up the Historic Army Aircraft Flight up on facebook. One of the HAAF engineering team is a keen photographer and posts many photos of the HAAF's aircraft (Beaver, Scout,, Sioux, Auster Mk 1, Auster AOP9 and Skeeter), taken during maintenance and operations. ie. more detail than a modeller could ask for (although he also does requests if you do need more).

The metal wings (sharper tapered and longer span) came in post war with the Series II Anson C 19. However, to prolong their lives some earlier airframes built with the wooden wing were refitted with the metal wings. The Anson Mk I currently airworthy in New Zealand is one such aircraft. (ie. modellers beware)

One would hope so as it was a plywood skin not ties like the CA or fabric like the ancient Airfix 1:72 kit. However, the CAD seems to show that the surface is a little tired, presumably Airfix's designer has been looking at a museum example that hasn't flown in many a year.

Oh yes, something to look forward to in 2022. I've rigged and derigged one back in the 1970's for the Aircraft Preservation group I was a member of when we would cart it around airshows. I also have a copy of the evaluation report from the AFEE where it was towed by a de-rotored Hafner Rotabuggy and flown off a seaplane Tender at RAF Calshot.

So the big kit will be a 1:72 Ark Royal to put all those Phantoms and Buccaneers on. Maybe a Gannet as well, but no Wessex as 'apparently' helicopters don't sell (how can they if they are not kitted 🤬). To those who will complain that a 1:72 Ark wont fit on their shelves, Airfix have a solution, the kit comes with wall brackets for the starboard side so that you can attach it to the wall and the kit becomes the shelf. 🤪 As the Advent Calendar thread has been closed can I ask question here. Should we read anything into the fact that of all the Hornby brands that have an Advent Calendar Airfix is the only one with a door on the 25th?

I'm surprised you didn't suggest the two seater you've been hankering after.

There were plans to use the Hotspur on D day, not as a coup de main but as a transport for Canadian Spitfire Sqns. The gliders would have carried spares, ammunition, fuel and ground crew, towed by the Spitfires they would service on the Advanced Landing Grounds set up behind the Beachheads. Fortunately/unfortunately the idea got no further than squadron trials early in 1944.

Options would be Lysander, Audax, Hector, Master II and Spitfire (Mks I, V and IX). Tony you did know that the Hotspur, Horsa and Hengist were all originally designed to be able to drop paratroops didn't you?