At Sea

So researching 'my' Tornado F.3 it turns out she was built in 1990-1991. Build number at Warton was 859/AS130/3418 and taken on charge as ZG735. 1991 - 1994? as CO 5 Squadron RAF 1994? - 1997 as AZ 56 Squadron RAF 1997 - 2004 as 36-10 MM7232 Aeronautica Militaire 2004 Struck off charge at RAF St Athan and sadly scrapped. If anyone know any more of flew in her or worked on her I'd be interested to hear about it.

This technique is very good. So far it has sorted out all of my normal fit issues.

Normally my builds of this kit have ended up like this, then sliding the nose on: So it will be interesting to see how this improves on that. I will however be using my pylon technique: Slice the pylon 'bit inside the wing' off. Then sand excess away: And finally add to top of pylon, giving a good positive location for the Pylon.

In the spirit of OOB building here is the cockpit using the kit decals. And I have started by following the 'Nathan' Technique. Very neat & fuss free so far...

Italian ADV's with 36° Stromo. Useful to all for weathering of light grey schemes. https://theaviationist.com/2009/03/30/a-day-in-the-life-of-the-36-stormo-of-gioia-del-colle/

Thanks Col. so far I am following the Nathan method on YouTube. Makes sense. https://www.florymodels.org/vlog/2020/6/10/revell-148-tornado-ids-video-build

Better late than never, and thanks to the twin miracles of horrendous weather at sea and Amazon Prime I made it! I have decided on the Italian Airforce scheme for the Tornado ADV in my Mark 1 Dozen sheet. What better way to 'enjoy' this time of year than by thinking of sunnier climes! Lots of info here: https://theaviationist.com/2009/03/30/a-day-in-the-life-of-the-36-stormo-of-gioia-del-colle/ Should help me turn this: Into this: Credit for the photo to the Aviationist blog liked above.

Wings on. It's defiantly not an Eduard kit, but nothing a little filler and a swipe with my old friend Sandy Stick won't sort out! This is as far as I'm going on-board. It'll have to be packed in bubble wrap and safely transported home to be finished. Will update later.

STOP PRESS... I'm in! We are going to be weather bound on the South Coast for the best part of the next week, now I reckon if I get my skates on I can get this started & finished in time. The joy of Amazon Prime and an understanding wharf manager means I should have a 1/48 Revell Tornado ADV by tomorrow afternoon. Not sure what it will be yet, just going for an OOB build, then look through my decals and stencils at home. I have a choice of 11 Squadron, 25, Squadron, (already built 23 Squadron), 29 Squadron, 41 Squadron JSAOEU, 43 Squadron, 111 Squadron, 1435 Flight, OCU plus an Italian scheme for 36 Stormo. Very tempted to build an Italian bird as you don't see them modelled that often. Still not sure about the Japanese ADV with digital camo... My OCD struggles with WHIFF modelling!

I like it... Build another 2 and a supply boat for the full 'North Sea Hijack' Diorama! As for weathering, I work in the North Sea and everything was new and shiny once. I'd be very proud if that was mine!

Nice WiP & a great result. I have one of these to build so will refer to yours.

Very interesting. So sad that the missing men have never been resolved, or that those that flew as bravely as any 'Ace' were sworn to secrecy and kept that secret. As a tragic aside there is a very harrowing book I read a few years back 'Stalin's Slave Ships, Kolyma and the Gulag fleet' by Martin J Bollinger. This details the appalling movement of men and women from the Eastern ports to the high Arctic, and the depravations and brutality therein. The ship's were Lend lease vessels, and on occasion actually dry docked by the USA in the USA as part of wartime agreements still in force post war. It is alleged in the book that US personnel, possibly Korean war POWs were moved via these vessels and worked to death in the Gulag. It is entirely probable that this could have included the above mentioned missing Americans. Another gruesome 'discovery' by the author is that the prisoners of the Gulag may be the last humans to have eaten Mammoth, given the meagreness of the rations and the occasional find of a frozen prehistoric beastie! So after my tangential wander into crimes against humanity and culinary oddities, great work on a tough kit!

Nicely done, much here to take away for my Mustang P-51A build.

Hi CC. Was going to be RAF dark earth / dark green with just roundels as AG345. But it’s going to be the box top scheme of Capt. J.J. England’s No.75 of the 311th Fighter Group, 530th Squadron, Burma 1944. I’m going to play with some airbrushing techniques as it’s a mono-colour scheme.

That's interesting, good to know and now my official excuse!

Got some paint on the insides. Not having Zinc Chromate I used my Light Olive spray, dry brushed some Humbrol 90 Sky over it and then some Tamiya Aluminium. I used some spare bits of seat belt etch on an old fret as the Sutton harness I brought with me would be wrong for a US aircraft. Please so far, should pass muster through the canopy. I have ordered some Zinc Chromate for the wheel bays etc when I get home. That ejector pin mark is annoying, I have since moved a lap belt to cover it.

So I've made a start! Last couple of weeks I built an Eduard Spitfire Mk.1 and had some bits left over. So I added some ephemera to the Mustang cockpit and used some spare fuselage framing to give the internal structure some detail. Will look okay through the 'glass' I reckon. The dark grey plastic is Eduard's.

I just realised I missed a de-icing stripe on the barn door. There should be 3 chevrons. Easy to add as they were only masked and the dusted over with some Citadel Corax White.

Beautiful work.

When I am away at sea I often bring a modelling project with me to work on, The last few spitfires I have shown are the fruits of this. I am however rather restricted to the amount of kit I have available and things like air-brushing etc are just not happening, so I usually build the aircraft up to the point where it is an assembled fuselage & wings and then finish the rest at home. This is my 'tool box'. Humbrol aerosol Light Olive as my generic 'cockpit colour'. This trip my project is a P-51. I initially wanted to build AG345 as I always though the Allison Mustangs looked very smart in the green & brown RAF scheme. However I have the wrong P-51 for this as AG345 has the under nose mounted guns. Then opening the box I found this: And being a sentimental kind of guy figured that as AM don't exist anymore, and it's a 'First Edition' I should build it in it's intended scheme. Not being a 'heavy weatherer' I will build it as a 'clean' build but will try some new techniques when I get home as the SEA conditions were very hard on aircraft. It still won't be the full 'Burma campaign look'. I may even leave off the kill markings and keep it cleanly delivered. Looking forward to this as have never built an AM kit but heard good things, also have looked as some of the stunning work produced by others on here on the AM Mustangs and Apaches and their ICM descendants.

As I had both in the stash it seemed and easy workaround. Plus as my 'Not MH434' shows the other bits didn't go entirely to waste!

Bugger.. That's £20 gone on a digital camp decal sheet then!

Looks great! Watching with interest as I have one of these although I do declare I have no idea where I am going to put it once done! LOL

Only in my head I’m afraid. Would look amazing in the Digital Camo 2017 F-4EJ scheme.