Patrik

Mine arrived today. The plastic is (as expected) identical with the Hawker Hart boxing, plus there are two additional small sprues with parts specific to Audax - exhausts, message pick-up hook and flare brackets.

Two views at the completed internal structure before it disappears in depths of the fuselage for eternity.

I could not help it. Wonders of 3D printing in practice. The size of the real thing is just about 6 x 6 mm.

The propeller in the kit (left) had rather suspicious shape. First I tried to correct it, but then I gave up and hunted my stash for replacement. Which was found, though it had to be trimmed for about 2 mm on each side and then reshaped. However, I am happy with the result.

I had no success with the previous boxings. It was just ebay, and directly from Ukraine. On the other hand, I have had only positive experience with the services from the Ukraine so far.

Great news and even better future prospects.😃

Can it be without (pre-war) or with (late) the cutout for the carburettor air intake in the rear of the cowling? I will post pictures later today.

It has not been mentioned yet, however photos of No. 56 Squadron Bulldogs with larger fins, tailwheels, and additionally engine cowlings and exhaust muffs can be found, with at least three serial numbers known. Fortunately, Bulldog references - compared to many other interwar gems - are quite numerous.

Fairey IIIF is a genuine can of worms. I have spent quite some time studying the subject, and I have been consulting Kora models on their IIIF/Gordon/Seal boxings (except the first two). If you want I will be ready to assist you too.

Started working on the interior. Basic construction completed - a combination of evergreen profiles, wire and PE pieces from the dedicated Part S72-075 set. In fact, the PE set contains the entire internal structure, but I know from previous experience that fitting it inside the fuselage is more or less impossible task, therefore I opted for the combination. Now some painting to do and then all the missing bits.

56 Squadron is an excellent choice. Have you considered the earlier variant of the marking as well? So far, I have been able to locate two photos, J7414 and Grebe trainer J7535. The photo of J7414 is rather small, but you are well known for unearthing surprising pictures, so you may have more luck here.

Yes, I did. Excellent information source. Thanks for the hint anyway.

Was supposed to be a joke, now you made me count it.😉 Used the list by @Dave Swindell as a base and modified it. 1. Reprofiled rounded front 2. Opened oil tank fillers 3. Opened up and reprofiled link ejector chutes 4. Raised side panels outboard of guns 5. New panel below the guns 6. New panel above the guns 7. Asymmetric cutaway on port side of coaming 8. Instrument panel 9. Instrument panel 10. Ammunition feed cover Some were not easy to spot. I am not counting the guns. They are not mine, bought them from GasPatch. And I am not counting the drilled holes either.

The build has stalled a bit due to lack of modelling time. At least I was able to finish the modifications of the area in front of the cockpit. Now, find (minimum) 7 differences.😉 Both broken gun cocking handles were successfully found, safely stored, and they will be glued back later on, when they are definitely out of harm's way.

The space in front of the cockpit is unfortunately completely wrong. Correction - phase one - destruction.

I admit it is a bit on the heretic side, and I always feel a bit like Galileo, when I write it ("And yet it moves"). Though apparently he never said it (loud).😉

Grebe completed, RFI thread is here:

Another interwar gem completed. This time it is the venerable Aero72 kit of Gloster Grebe J7361 in the early version of No. 32 Squadron’s blue marking, before the blue bar was extended aft of the roundel, therefore sometime between June 1925 and March 15th 1926, when the airplane collided in a haze with a Bristol Fighter. The Grebe was repaired, returned to the squadron and later was transferred to No. 25 Squadron, where it ended its (rather short) service in February 1928. The available photography allows the interpretation that both fins and the propeller hub cover were painted blue and the wheel covers red, and this is what I did, because at least to me it looks pretty attractive. Built more or less OOB plus some scratchbuilding. Seat belts by Eduard, guns by Mini World and GasPatch, gun sight by Tally Ho! and wheels by Tony @TeeELL. Build tread is here: Brush painted with my usual mix of enamels by Humbrol, Revell and Tamiya. Decals from the kit, which, except the rudder serials, worked just fine even after some 30 years in storage. As usual with me, no rigging.

Hi Colin, send me a PM with your email address. I will send you an article on the Avros. Patrik

Wheels painted and installed. With just a few final details missing, I think I can invite you to RFI next week.

The photos above don't quite do the wheels justice, because they do not show the beautiful tiny details clearly enough. I confess I was lazy to play more with the lighting angle. However, before my holiday, I managed masking and painting the red covers, and only then the details became fully apparent. So yes, I am definitely happy with the wheels, thank you Tony!

After an epic journey trough postal and custom offices, replacement wheels arrived, the kit is closer to completion once again.

OK, email on the way.

Tony, do you have the article on the Hucks Starter from Aeroplane September 2021 issue?

Mk.II/IIA differed mainly internally. With the RAF, the safest bet is the serial number. J9567 to J9591 and K1079 to K1101 were Mk.II, the rest Mk.IIa. Externally the difference in engine version is not that easy to spot, though early Bulldogs had engines with valve gear covers, but probably just the first “J” series. From the published Airfix schemes, only the photos of J9576 show it with the valve gear covers, K1088 and A12-1 are without them. Therefore, the most obvious distinction is the different style of oil cooler. Otherwise both versions, at least until 1933, look almost identical. The propeller spinner yes/no is not a good lead either. It seems to me it was an individual choice, dictated probably by a desire to lower the nose weight (Bulldog was known to be nose heavy). Regarding tailskid/tailwheel and enlarged fin, in August 1933, K3513 from the last Mk.IIa series was fitted with wider track undercarriage, larger fin and tailwheel, and by the end of 1933 all Mk.IIa still in service were modified identically. The export versions differ similarly to the RAF airplanes, some come from the Mk.II series of 92, and some others from the Mk.IIa series of 268, the available references give quite clear overview on this matter.