Ed Russell

All covered in Post 10 and later discussion of the dates

You may be looking for something that doesn't exist. For example, just looking at some more or less sequential Fw190 and Bf109 aircraft which fell into RAF hands, there appears no system to the serials Fw190A-3, MP499 Fw190A-4/U-8, PM679 Fw190A-4/U-8, PE882 Fw190A-5/U-8, PN999 Bf.109E-3 DG200 Bf.109F-4, NN644 Bf.109G-6 VX101 Bf.109G-6 TP814 Bf.109G-14 VD364 or if there is, I can't see it. There may have been some system for cataloguing the large number of post-war prizes but most were scrapped (not scraped) pretty quickly for their metal content and any sytematic physical numbering of them seems unlikely (except in some bureaucratic ledger) and I'm not aware of photographs to bear this out. For lists of captured aircraft, if you didn't think much of the reference mentioned above, you are going to have to do original work in libraries and archives.

Where can the rest of this series be viewed?

Have you done a build article anywhere? Very nice work.

Genuine colour photos of crushed coral airstrips - note the lack of colour in the actual strip. http://www.google.com.au/imgres?sa=X&hl=en&biw=1680&bih=839&tbm=isch&tbnid=GOtd6de_X6DMHM:&imgrefurl=http://www.airfields-freeman.com/HI/Airfields_W_Pacific.htm&docid=x172y701ksQfZM&imgurl=http://www.airfields-freeman.com/HI/Palmyra_HI_05Aug1_ne.jpg&w=965&h=861&ei=8yB5UYywGIKQtQb_oIGgBA&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:0,s:0,i:83&iact=rc&dur=3388&page=1&tbnh=186&tbnw=200&start=0&ndsp=27&tx=120&ty=62 http://www.google.com.au/imgres?sa=X&hl=en&biw=1680&bih=839&tbm=isch&tbnid=fnFh3zidxWLjUM:&imgrefurl=http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php%3F3639-MALDIVES-Gan/page2&docid=t6pht7jmP7BQSM&imgurl=http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Gan/Gan29.jpg&w=1024&h=625&ei=8yB5UYywGIKQtQb_oIGgBA&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:28,s:0,i:176&iact=rc&dur=656&page=2&tbnh=175&tbnw=288&start=27&ndsp=38&tx=130&ty=67 http://www.google.com.au/imgres?sa=X&hl=en&biw=1680&bih=839&tbm=isch&tbnid=UeiYsbRF-x2HAM:&imgrefurl=http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php%3F3639-MALDIVES-Gan/page2&docid=t6pht7jmP7BQSM&imgurl=http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Gan/Gan30.jpg&w=1024&h=626&ei=8yB5UYywGIKQtQb_oIGgBA&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:27,s:0,i:173&iact=rc&dur=450&page=2&tbnh=175&tbnw=287&start=27&ndsp=38&tx=173&ty=75

Poor quality pic but reputedly IAF PR.19 http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Aircraft/Spitfire/SpitPR101.jpg Bonus - one from the Bahamas (:>) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUPERMARINE-SPITFIRE-PR-19-RAF-80th-Anniversary-Aircraft-Stamp-1998-Bahamas-/400411919482

The CMR Mk VIII RAAF Spitfire kit has a scheme similar to this. The instructions include an information sheet largely prepared by Peter Malone which includes an interesting and all-too-familiar bureaucratic explanation for some of the Foliage Green / RAAF Sky Blue examples. Here's an extract. Two new RAF squadrons, Nos 548 and 549, were formed at the end of 1943, with RAF pilots and RAAF ground crew. In April 1944 they began to receive their new aircraft from each of the three aircraft depots. They were delivered camouflaged, mostly in the Foliage Green over Sky Blue scheme. At the end of April the RAAF issued a new instruction stating that camouflage on day fighter aircraft was to be removed to bring them into line with P-40Ns being received from the US and the anticipated Mustangs. In the event this order was subsequently modified at the request of commanders in the north to allow camouflage to be retained for operational aircraft. However the point does not seem to have been understood by the RAAF’s Eastern Area Command who ordered that all of 548 and 549’s Spitfires were to be stripped of paint shortly before the squadron moved north. This extremely unpopular order had to be carried out by the few remaining ground staff and the pilots. The two squadrons eventually proceeded north to Darwin in June. There, they were amazed to be told by the North Western Area Headquarters that their aircraft would have to be camouflaged before the squadrons would be considered operational! The repainting was done over a period of time and it was not accomplished before the end of the year. The Foliage Green over Sky Blue was the scheme mainly used, although at least one 548 Sqn machines was painted to match the H.F.VIIIs that 457 Squadron was then receiving.

I believe Italeri are seriously considering reworking the moulds to produce the stretched version. However they most likely would update them to resolve problems in the original kit so it may well be a long way off. The conversion above goes some way towards a good model (not just RAAF but other operators) but I believe it has its own problems - I don't have one here. There are fairly accurate replacement engines available from Ozmods - Model-Craft in the UK.

The Coronado "awful kit" can be built! Just make sure you hold it down so it can't escape! I think all I missed was that the twin tails are a little undersized.

Just about there - aerials, nav lights, turret framing (and the base) I have been having problems pinning down aerial colour. Some but not most appear painted white. I have seen bomber (Monica etc) ones in a steel blue colour and this is what I aimed for Plastic tube (stretched plastic handle cotton swab - tip from Libor Jekl) and 2 thicknesses of brass wire. Glue together and squash the tube a bit. Unless there are any problems the next post should be in RFI

JMGT (not JGMT) JM is, I think, Jean-Max They may be associated with Battleaxe kits Here's a 'box lid' http://www.swannysmodels.com/Potez.html

Very nice! I have done a few of the CMR glider kits and they are good fun. Not too complicated but stillcan be a challenge. Nice work.

This is very nice work by a master of vacforms. Someone will now bring out an injection kit!

Removing the cockpit masking tape showed, most unusually, a bit of paint bleed so it was cleaned up and the framing done with decal sheet. It needs a bit more clean-up and the circular 'cutters' supplied as etch brass need to be fitted. Next were some small details like the control horns. The Italeri ones are unusable and have been replaced by lengths of tapered plastic (cut from a comb) and lengths of brass wire. The aerials were added.... the later type DF loop housing is from an Airfix Sunderland suitably re-shaped. Then on to the suite of ASV aerials. The dorsal ones were made from plastic rod (re-shaped rockets) suitably tapered with brass wire dipoles. I used scale rulers, tape, dividers and plans to get the orientation correct for the dorsal and lateral holes in the fuselage. if I had thought about it more, I would have done this before joining the fuselage halves!!!! I then realised that I would need to fit the underwing aerials first as I'd never be able to work on the thing once the fuselage aerials were fitted. So these were made also from plastic rod and brass wire and the positions marked, using a jig to ensure symmetry. Fitted into position they looked quite nice. They were probably supplied in a blued finish (alkali treated to form iron oxide) but the underside ones are clearly painted in pictures. I think this model is going to be quite difficult to handle once it's finished so I will make a base for it. The next step is to drill out the wheels for pins to be fitted to anchor it to the base.

and a squadron of these So which colour is up for scrutiny next?

Here's a resin kit I haven't seen before - surrently the only option beyond scratchbuilding http://www.ebay.com/itm/L-M-resin-1-72-Caudron-C-449-Goeland-/330903058415?pt=UK_ToysGames_ModelKits_ModelKits_JN&hash=item4d0b5bf7ef

Good - I hope there's a Chesapeake option............ there is some discussion re colour scheme.

L-4 vs Fi156 http://armedforcesmuseum.com/last-and-most-unique-dogfight-of-wwii/

Is this the same kit as issued some years ago? http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234935109-vought-chesapeake-in-172nd/?hl=chesapeake Post 6, the yellow wing one.

The story is certainly true but it's most likely the victim was a Ki-43 (which more than likely mistook Archer's Wirraway for a Zero!) http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/HistoryRecord/HistoryRecordDetail.aspx?rid=508

Extrapolating from other Pegasus installations, I dare say you are right, and it's easy to fix at this stage, but looking at many photos shows the whole nacelle interior including engine to be a sort of dark grey shade in b&w photos. Museum examples are as you say.

The caption in the book from where the photo was mounted says "Spitfire Dark Blue" The page heading is "Rayak" but this may or may not refer to this photo. I am pleased this little photo has generated a useful discussion and especial thanks for the additional pictures.

Float rigging - here you are....... http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234930547-italeri-sunderland-mk-ii-raaf-10-squadron/

I am delighted to see one built out-of-the-box more or less. It bears out my thoughts about those awful panel lines. You have done a pretty nice job here. I think the weathering is quite good - Sunderlands did have a hard life and some were very tatty looking indeed.

+1 for plasticard instead of putty. Great work you are doing here - I really enjoy this sort of build!