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At Sea

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Posts posted by At Sea

  1. So, how about a hawk?

    Could one theoretically buy a second hand (or even new) Demilitarised Hawk and fly it? has anyone tried?

    I would imagine that one could probably buy a Hawk new from BAe as a private individual, they are a training aircraft after all.

  2. If you de-activated the after burner it may have problems getting off the ground...

    Ahh, did not realise burner was necessary, just used to get it up quicker or for shorter runways. Oh well, guess I'll buy something with a bigger wing with my millions! LOL

  3. What are the rules,

    lets say, for instance, I won the euro millions a couple of weeks on the trot so no money worries what sort of ex-military aircraft could I buy? / What would I have to do to it to get it into civil hands?

    I know the Phantoms are not allowed to be sold airworthy to any NGO and that afterburner jets are frowned upon but could I buy a Tornado GR4 and have the techy war stuff removed and the afterburner de-activated? Of course I would paint it in an old RAF Germany green/grey camo scheme.

    Also, what you buy if you could?

  4. Hi,

    I am currently a brush painter using Humbrol enamel, I have almost run out of almost all of my most commonly used colours and was thinking of going over to acrylics for convenience as much as anything else.

    Questions, can I still use Halfords car primer as a base or will the acrylics not like this? Will I be able to use microset/soft and then later brush over with satin laquer as I currently do? Am I right in believing that I can just run the brushes out under the tap?

    For some rarer colours (flesh, matt yellow etc etc) can I continue to use enamel until my stock is exhausted, or will this cause me many headaches?

    Cheers.

  5. Why has no airforce ever used a Boeing 747 as a tanker, surely this would make sense??

    Loads of 2nd had ones about, huge endurance and a very big lift capacity, also they have the advantage of the upper deck hump allowing space for 2 crews and sleeping arrangments if necessary withoug comprimising the loading space.

    Imagine, for long distance combat sorties using KC747's with 2 crews and using some internal fuel space for the aircraft and some for the refuelling? Surely a 24hr sortie would not be un-realistic, they could then be well outside the danger area and refuel the inbound and outbound fighter / bomber / recce aircraft as necessary.

    Look at Libya, 1 or 2 KC747's flying a box over the Med with all the aircraft going to and from using them as an aerial petrol station, 5 could provide almost 24/7 coverage with one spare for technical issues.

    Probe & Drogue on the wing and a flying boom centreline aft. A NATO refuelling service. I think I have inspired my own 'what if' build!

  6. The reason for all over camo on low level types is that from a 'hiding' point of view it does not matter really what colour the aircraft is, all over dark sea grey or all over dark green would make little difference to visibility at 500kts and 100ft from above.

    What DOES matter is the change in colour, if the aircraft is manouvering hard at low level then it is quite possible that the first time you see it will be when something catches your eye, in training it was all too often the 'flash' of a light grey underside that alerted the other 'combatant' to the presence of the aircraft. By using an all over scheme if the aircraft does bank over the colour visible from above stays the same, and the is no 'flash' to catch the eye. Similarly the canopy is also a dead give away as the sun can glint off this in a simlar manner to a heliograph mirror.

    Strangley pilots have always been reticent about not having a highly polished clear canopy. ;-)

  7. Hi,

    I have picked up a 1/32 tornado from Revell in the original boxing.

    Ithas not arrived yet, but I was wondering if anyone has built this kit and if there are any good tips, what is the panel line detail like etc etc.

    I am planning a green/black late '80s Luftwaffe build, though am tempted to do a MarineFleiger build if I can get a good decal set.

    Thanks for the help.

  8. Hi,

    I am a chief officer in the merchant navy. I work on aggregate dredgers and have some original general arrangment plans at home for some of the ships I have sailed on. GAplans are usaully 1:100

    If anyone wants an interesting project I am happy to get the plans copied and send some photos of the ships for the cost to me.

    The only real bug bear is getting the plans copied so I will have to fnd someone with a very big photocopier!

    The ships I have good details of:

    Arco Adur (sister ships Arco Axe, Arco Avon, Arco Arun, Britannia Beaver) 1987-1988 Appledore Ferguson North Devon.

    ArcoAdur.jpg

    Sand Falcon (sister Sand Fulmar) 1997- 1998 IHC DeMerwerde Hardinxveld Holland

    SandFalcon.jpg

    Sand Weaver (similar but not a true sister to the Sand Wader) 1975 Ferguson Brothers Clyde.

    2011026.jpg

  9. Thanks every one for your help.

    I have bought some model-strip as suggested in the 2nd post and will try it, I'll post the results up when I get home on leave and give it a go!

    It works incredibly well! Used it and have now stripped another Lightning. Also I was amazed at how good the aerosol Humbrol Metal Cote aluminuim is.

    Pics up soon, once I get me, a camera and my models together!

    Thanks, as always for the advice.

  10. Hi,

    A friend of mine was having a clear out and gave me a model aeroplane as he knew I build. So it arrives, a 1975 dated Concorde in the airfix skykings range.

    Now,I think it is a very special thing as it has survived so long and was happy to have the kit just as a 'nice thing' but recently I have been thinking of building it.

    a Should I build it, or leave well alone as it a rare artifact to be preserved for time immemorial. ie keep the kit and buy another Concorde to build.

    b If I did build it are the yellowed decals just going to fall apart and make a mess as they are older than I am!

    Thanks for your thoughts.

    If anyone here collects unbuilt kits then I would be up for a trade for something buildable if my Concorde is geninely very rare and collectable.

    Cheers.

  11. Hi,

    Have to strip my Trumpeter 1/72 lightning and start again, using Modelstrip and not having an air brush wondered what you guys would use as an off the shelf aerosol to paint a natural metal lightning. I have some Volvo Spark-Silver but the metallic flakes are very coarse, anyone got any good suggestions?

    Cheers.

  12. Hi,

    I have come back to modelling after many years away and have found so much pleasure in this, however this time around the research is as much fun a the build.

    The first kit I attempted a couple of years ago was a Trumpeter Lightning F Mk 3 which I built 'out of the box' but it was missing the paint chart. I made it up using the box top art work and now it looks so wrong it makes me itch. Dark sea grey over light aircraft grey with early 60's decals.

    Could anyone please inform me of the best way to remove humbrol enamel (2 coats of brush painted grey and one of satin laquer) from this kit so I can start again using the modeldecal sheet I have bought for this aircraft (1960's all metal 19 squadron RAFG).

    Thanks and sorry if this is posted in the wrong area.

    Cheers. :-)

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