RJP

Scalemates does list this as a re-release of the Accurate Miniatures kit so a search of reviews under that name?

I have been married to her sister for nearly half a century. It is a moment to be cherished for it is unlikely to come again.

Thanks to both, this has been very helpful.

I live in Toronto and that photograph of Island Airport really got to me. Can you help settle a friendly argument? I can positively identify every type in the picture, except one. The cabin biplane at lower right - is that the sole Waco SRE used by the Norwegians in Canada? My sister-in-law says it isn't and I just can't let her get the better of me!

It might have been a B-17F. It had no chin turret and the clear nose appearing (and often being) longer than what you often see on a B-17G.

We are seeing products of two different manufacturers. The FHxxx and FJxxx serials were built by Fairchild in Hagerstown Maryland USA, the numerically-only serialled machines came from Fleet Aircraft at Fort Erie Ontario, ie on our side of the border. Those with letter prefixes were to UK contracts, I suppose under Lend-Lease. The numeral-only serial numbers were supplied under Canadian contracts. The differing sources ought to explain the varied marking standards, roundels and fin flashes. The topic of RCAF serials gets muddy. Early in the war, many UK-built machines (eg Ansons and Battles) found their way to Canada (after being taken on charge by the RAF and sometimes operational service) for use as trainers. Many (most?) were re-serialled when they were taken on RCAF charge.

Mushroom Model Magazine Special - Westland Lysander by Kightly has a good range of interior photographs both vintage and survivors. Not just instrument panel shots but structure as well. The usual cautions about restored machines, etc, etc

I seem to recall a wing chord difference. Was the Heller too broad, the Matchbox too narrow? I suppose I will now have to dig into the stash and see what survives. . .

One thing to watch out for is the tape's adhesive drying out and letting go. I can't speak to brands but I seem to recall 3M Scotch brand on my desk at the time. It looked fine in the short term, a few years maybe. After that it seemed to lose interest.

Some here: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/search?type=Cierva+C.30+C.30A+Rota+Mk.I+(Avro+671)&date_taken=&information=&tag_fields=[]

Postage is a common complaint but the effect can be ameliorated somewhat. Individual items don't weigh much, you are mostly paying for attention from the postal services so it is possible to depress the unit cost by buying multiple items. One retailer I like suggests getting together with a couple of friends to buy in bulk. Yes, it increases his sales but also saves a few bucks. He assumes, rather kindly, that I have friends. I recently ordered several decal sheets from Hannants. The three sheets came to less than 22 pounds (no VAT on exports) but postage was another 11 pounds international signed. Was it worth it? Yes, it was to me. A special purchase to clear some of the stash and I really didn't need anything else. I can say that Ultracast sets a fine example for customer service. In fact, before I finally retired I had a gig teaching customer service and routinely cited them as an example of how things ought to be done. Quick, efficient and friendly.

Ultracast has a selection of exhausts for various Spitfire kits as well as Hurricanes. Is this the sort of thing you're after? https://www.ultracast.ca/default.asp

I'm in the midst of a stash clearing exercise and came across an example of the Skybirds '86 Hornet F.3, a gift from my late brother. It's long past time I built this kit and I was wondering if there is anyone hereabouts who had ever done one and might have any pointers to share? I've done the usual googling and come up with a few ideas but there's little first hand knowledge online. The company ceased trading a long time ago, before this internet thingy really took off! Thanks in advance.

It's years since I did one but I had some success (well, I thought so) by applying the Special Night after all else was done and decalled. The reasoning being that everything else was painted using finishes that were less matt so the roundels and other markings tended to show up as comparatively glossy. Vintage photographs bear this out if you know to look for it. This meant the trick was to apply a dead matt black finish and no overcoat of any kind. I also found that Testors flat black from the square glass bottles gave a very matt finish, no sheen at all. There were few Testors colours I thought much of but the flat black was amazing. Oh, and I brushed it on neat, no thinner and no airbrush. As I said, a long time ago. I still see the stuff in shops but haven't been building much lately. I hope they haven't changed the formula.

Is there a source for this, confirmed or not?