CliffB

That's great Pat - congratulations! She looks a very different beast to the Lufthansa aircraft on box art . Cheers

Thank you @Bertie Psmith and @Corsairfoxfouruncle The link to the BM thread was extremely useful Bertie (yes, I have read it all ). Apparently the fin mounted air intake on the B2/K2 served cooling systems for tail mounted ECM/radar equipment. The thread also provides dimensions for the prototypes and it seems that Lindberg have got their length and span figures exactly right! As I'm posting, I'll take the opportunity of adding this quick snap. Cheers

@Rabbit Leader, I'm sure that much of the success of the GB is down to the enthusiasm shown by you and Pat Now that the Gallery entries are starting to build up, may I suggest a possible change to master list please? Would you consider changing the colour of the kit name from red to green, once the first example of that kit is in the Gallery? I know that the builder's name is greened, but changing the kit name too would have greater visual impact. Cheers

Ok, my desk is now clear of Matchbox-shaped things, so I feel at liberty to open up the Victor . Being white plastic, it's hard to photograph the surface detail so you'll have to trust me when I say that it's all raised. That aside though, the parts are very nicely moulded, with virtually no flash. I'll be dealing with the raised panel lines via a combination of removal and/or re-scribing. Those of you familiar with the Victor will immediately spot that the nose is significantly shorter than the one on production aircraft. Contrary to what I'd thought though, I now think that the tail fin is actually the correct height for the first prototype. However, what is definitely missing is the prominent forward extension at the base of the fin - it looks as though it houses an air inlet of some kind (for an APU?). I'd be interested to know precisely what function it serves, if anyone knows please . The wings look OK to me (again, others may know better), and it's interesting to see that all the control surfaces are provided as separate pieces. These appear to be poseable (in a fixed position), rather than moveable. There's also a nod to detail in the wheel wells. The kit includes four Sapphire engines and a pair of hinged access doors on the top of the wings. I think that these are solely for the benefit of modellers who want to show off their handiwork, as I don't think that they were there on the actual aircraft. Cosford museum has a Sapphire on display (albeit the more powerful version used on the B1), but unfortunately it doesn't look much like this plastic... Beyond the main parts, there's a small selection of other bits, although my second-hand kit is missing a couple of the cockpit windows. I don't think that should be a great problem. As you can see too, the decals have yellowed beyond redemption, so I'll have to source or create some new ones. Lastly, I should mention the old school, 60s style instructions which are quite fun' Cheers

Could you sign me up for these two gap-fillers please Dave? They'll be my April and May builds, so I'll wait until nearer the time before setting up the build threads. Cheers

PK-306: 1/32 MG TC The build thread is here. Cheers

And here we are finished It's been a great little kit to build, with no particular vices. The running gear does seem quite fragile in places, but despite my ham-fistedness nothing broke. At the start of this thread, I did say that this would be my only Matchbox entry but, surprise surprise, I've changed my mind! There'll be more to follow. In the meantime, thank you once again to all who supported this build and especially to Dave and Pat for their outstanding commitment to this most excellent Group Build. Cheers

Just my personal view Dave, but I would suggest not having a poll. I don't think it's really what this GB is about (knocking out lots of kits and re-kindling childhood memories etc,). It would also save you and Pat a lot of work . Cheers

Thank you @arfa1983 @81-er @stever219 @Col. @trickyrich @Adam Poultney and @Corsairfoxfouruncle As Dennis says, the playground Victor is actually pretty cool and was obviously made by someone who appreciates the subject. Behind it is a fully equipped Vulcan cockpit, complete with a voice-tube to the Victor (great fun, if not completely accurate ).

I think it may have deteriorated a bit since the Museum decided to display it permanently outside.

A great choice John

I'm getting ready to start now, so I popped over to Cosford this morning to grab some close-up shots of their Victor.

Definitely yes and in particular this Young Ones performance!

I must admit to knowing absolutely nothing about steam locos Pete (despite having spent most of my life living next door to the Severn Valley Railway). Nevertheless, I can already see that this is going to be a very attractive model when it's finished .

Good luck with your mission Tony. I can imagine massive doses of satisfaction when that lot's finished .

The interior's looking really nice John, with plenty going on . Cheers

I'm coming to the conclusion that I'm maybe just a little too old to get the full nostalgia rush from Matchbox I did buy a couple of their early releases, but by then kits had to compete with the thrills of my Raleigh Supermatic moped! I'm still enjoying the GB though

I'm looking forward to this one David Some years ago my late wife and I were on a city tour of Buenos Aries. I was really excited and kept saying "I hope we're going to see the River Plate, I hope we're going to see the River Plate". Eventually of course we did and it was incredibly dull, grey and boring. My wife never did understand what all the fuss was about! Cheers

I like the idea of a 'single year' Group Build Adam . Personally, I'd prefer to see non aircraft subjects included too. I can't see the downside in doing this (most people are still going to build their planes), and even a few extra votes from the broader appeal, could well make the difference between getting through the bunfight or not. It will be interesting to see how diverse the subjects end up being in Big & British (not long now !) Cheers

An unusual beast, beautifully put together and photographed

Thanks Pat. No problem sending you some number plates - just PM me with your address and reg. no. . I should add that the font I'm using is not 100% correct. I keep meaning to track down something better, but somehow never get round to it! Unfortunately, the headlights didn't go well. What I printed was too fine to be visible and the decal film made the lenses look foggy. It was worth a try though Cheers

Yes please Mark, with a helicopter of some sort. Cheers Cliff

That's a mighty beast Mike and looks particularly nice with everything opened up . Congratulations! Cheers

Still moving forward - the chassis is now complete Just the bodywork and radiator to finish off now... Cheers

That's looking fabulous David - it will almost be a shame to paint it!