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Ed Russell

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Ed Russell last won the day on March 17 2023

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  1. Despite the generic title this is history of the P-51 Mustang. It is a political. engineering, commercial and operational account of the development of the Mustang. It covers all of the events of the deveolopment in the US and UK and the operational history with the 8th Air Force. It's an interesting book in that it is somewhat patchy - some parts are in a breathless and overcooked style but most of it is calmly factual. It deals with the corruption that accompanied the war effort. Corruption and the pig-headedness of many of the leaders of many fields in all of the countries involved are recurring themes. It seems to be pretty accurate in aviation-related facts but a little lacking in the broader picture - Sweden was neutral and not occupied by Nazi Germany as asserted a couple of times. There is a good insight into the characters of many fighter pilots and leaders. The word "overclaiming" is never mentioned on either side. I don't know that I would buy it but definitely worth borrowing from your library, like I did.
  2. A camouflaged Seafox is a rare thing. It seems there are more models and profiles in camouflage then there were real Seafoxes. Edit - oops, I am guilty of thread drift!
  3. Still some available https://www.redroomodels.com/product/red-roo-vultee-vengeance-canopy-1-48/
  4. I have seen a couple built and they are pretty good. Patrik's build is equally nice. Your title looks like it's from a dating app 😀.
  5. Interior colour - There was no readily available information at the time the instructions were done. - There is an article in the 11/2021 ADF-Telegraph by John Bennett The RAAF 1932 AGI No.35 specified a mid-toned Grey Green for Wapiti fuselage decking and cockpits when aircraft had been refurbished in Australia. This was a lighter shade than the darker colour when aircraft were delivered in UK. (Ian Baker's) AHCB #66 estimates this lighter shade as close to FS24159, or BS 639 Light Slate Grey. The BALM reference designates this as K3/75 Grey Green Cellulose Enamel for general aircraft maintenance as a decorative and gloss finish. In the wartime ‘Spartan Camouflage Colourings‘, a paint colour chart for RAAF paints for Specification 3K5, K3/75 had been dropped but there are two colours which were close – these were K3/190 Light Slate Grey, and K3/189 Dark Slate Grey. The greenish olive in this latter colour came out more with weathering.
  6. Some people even have mistakes in their signature line 😀
  7. Surprise was probably the main reason. The flights were at dawn. Australia's defences were woefully under=prepared for WW2. The flight over Sydney was recorded as a Curtiss Seagull (reasonably enough as Chicago carried them). The flight over Melbourne was spotted by an AA battery but they could not get permission to open fire. (They probably missed something on the triplicate form 😀) Incidentally Sidney BC named for Frederick Sidney who served in the survey branch of the Royal Navy. Sydney NSW named for Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney who was the English Home Secretary.
  8. There is a standard pattern for RAAF single engine aircraft, based on the RAF one. However, not every aircraft, particularly repaints, followed it. The builder of the P-43 linked above @oz rb fan is a member of our local model club and painted the P-43 following our interpretation of the photos.
  9. The Watanabe E9W was a two-seat single-engine floatplane designed to be easily dismantled for hangar stowage on a submarine. It was standard equipment on the large IJN aircraft-carrying submarines of the B3 and other classes until replaced by the E14Y. The aircraft from submarine I-25 made several flights in late March 1942 over Sydney and Melbourne and then more flights over New Zealand. Then in late May 1942 I-21’s floatplane flew over Auckland and then over Sydney, reporting a ‘battleship’ in the harbour, which was actually the cruiser USS Chicago. Interestingly reports of these flights identify the plane as an E14Y. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_naval_activity_in_Australian_waters#:~:text=In addition%2C I-25 conducted,and Hobart (1 March). https://www.ozatwar.com/japrecce/recce02.htm https://www.pmhps.org.au/2022/02/february-1942-war-comes-close-to-home/ Subsequent research by historian Michael Claringbould in Japanese archives has shown that these flights were carried out by E9W floatplanes. This work was published in Avonmore Books Pacific Profiles #8. This comprehensive review article was written after the book appeared and would seem to be as definitive as we can currently get, except maybe for the colours! https://www.mhhv.org.au/the-confused-identity-of-the-japanese-submarine-aircraft-that-overflew-sydney/ The profile of the E9W reproduced from the book does not appear to be in any recognisable IJN colour scheme. Conversations with the very helpful Nick Millman have led me to believe it would have been in the same colours as the later E14Y – N1 Black Green over Light Grey. Ab unopened tin of Humbrol Authentic paint was used for the N1. It was found to be in excellent condition despite its age. There is good information about the Humbrol IJN colours here. http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2010/06/humbrol-authentics-japanese-air-force.html The Choroszy 1/72 E9W was picked up in Krakow, assisted by @JWM and @KRK4m. It is a very nice all resin kit – not for beginners but not of great difficulty by resin kit standards. The resin is clean and well moulded. Duplicates are supplied for the more delicate parts. The fit is very good. https://www.scalemates.com/kits/choroszy-modelbud-a71-watanabe-navy-type-96-reconnaissance-seaplane-e9w1-slim--1090757 Biplane floatplanes are an alignment challenge. The lower wings were attached to the fuselage using pins in a jig. The floats were joined with brass replacement struts, again in a jig. Not having Hemp 168 or anything like it, the lower surfaces were painted with a Humbrol mix aiming for a warm, near mid-grey, with yellowish undertone like RLM 02. The floats were attached with the plane in a cradle and temporary braces put in to keep them level. One strut on each side was replaced with brass. In pictures all the struts appear to be black or dark green. The upper wing required a more sophisticated jig than Lego, although the latter is much easier to set up. The upper surfaces were painted with Humbrol Authentic Colour N1. There is an unpainted panel on the forward fuselage, the cowl was a mix of black with a bit of purple and the propeller metal front and black rear. The rigging was fine wire and stretched sprue. The markings are an unknown but it would seem reasonable for it to carry I-21 markings as they are present in other E9W pictures. The data panel on the rear fuselage is too tiny to read! The trestle and warning markings appear universal on all E9Ws. The ground handling trolley comes with the kit, as do the trestles. Every E9W picture on a trolley seems to have some IJN types standing around so these were included. They were press-ganged from Airfix Japanese army soldiers with a bit of surgery and cement (quite difficult on these polyethylene figures) and painted mostly white to match the pictures.
  10. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/forum/85-modelling-tips/
  11. Very nice job. Nice use of the paint pen. The pens work fine with non-water based paint also - SMS lacquer in this case. They don't wotk well with enamels. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235102132-tachikawa-ki-54-hickory-special-hobby/ Clean with lacquer thinner then water.
  12. Poor quality supermarket bacon - egg Decent bacon - just bacon Lots of other things to put sauces on.
  13. Nice build and good restrained weathering. Good use of aftermarket bits where you can see them. About the only extra you could have used is this https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235046121-preliminary-inquiry-correction-for-academy-catalina/ Nice job!
  14. This one does occur on Britmodeller.... Feel free to copy it and add it to threads where appropriate.
  15. PM me your email and I will see if I can find our instuction sheet. Cheers - Ed
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