torqueofthedevil

The other fishy thing about that pic is the date - C Flt 22 Sqn stood down on 1st July 2015, so there were no Sea Kings on standby at Valley on the date shown on the photo! As each unit closed, the aircraft were ferried away to storage within a few days.

Folks, Sorry for joining in late. When people talk about the engine bulge, do you mean the lump on the port side aft of the rotor mast? If so, I believe that was the space for the third generator (AC alternator, to be pedantic!) which was needed for the ASW kit on the pinger versions. The other marks had it as well, even though only two genes were fitted, to save making a different fairing

I have a few pics of German Tornadoes at Cottesmore in 98 if they would be of any use. Let me know and I can scan them

Great pics of a superb model! Makes me want to do one myself. One of my reference books (sorry, I don't have it to hand) states that at the end of April 1945, JG301 had two serviceable Ta 152Cs on strength. That said, there is no mention of whether the pair ever flew a mission, let alone saw combat. But then any Allied or Soviet pilot who encountered a Ta 152C would probably think it was a 190D...one of those questions which will never be definitively answered!

I can tell you that the real one wasn't much better, when it arrived at the (then) Southampton Hall of Aviation for display (1993 if memory serves). I was a cadet from the local unit, sent to buy T-cut to sort out the paint, and when I got back I remember watching the squadron boss hammering screws into the wing/fuselage join

I enjoyed that kit years ago myself - simple but perfectly passable. I went for a winter finish and was pleased with the result. Yours look amazing!

I agree, it looks bigger than it is, which I also think is a compliment to how you have done it. Did you spray the markings because you couldn't get the right decals, or to get an authentic sprayed-on appearance?

What you say is true. I just feel slightly in awe of the people who go to town on the detailing and weathering, and end up with absolutely remarkable models as a result. Maybe one day...!

Thanks. Just don't look too closely! Thank you. I must say that I'm pleased with the result, even though that's solely due to the eye-catching colour scheme!

Thank you, but most people manage a higher standard in the smaller scales than I do in the bigger ones! I just don't have the knack of proper detailing, nor the patience to try

Here's what I have been up to in recent months. Pretty crummy compared to what everyone else manages to achieve, but they have kept me busy!

Beat me to it Dave. No use to the crew whatsoever! But very good for conspicuity to other aircraft, and not just in the hills - equally valid over sea or normal countryside. And before anyone asks why a yellow helicopter needs added conspicuity, something spinning at the speed of the blade is much more eye-catching than something moving at the speed of the fuselage (which was often stationary!). And not all the HAR3s were yellow in any case.

Why? It needn't be difficult to conduct some tests on an operational unit. New paints delivered to factory, batch of aircraft selected for trial and painted, and delivered to front line unit. This also has the two benefits of saving effort and fuel conducting the full set of tests in Germany, and of getting feedback from the people who actually needed the camouflage

Thank you so much. Without the link, I would not have found this fascinating video

Wow that was quick, many thanks both!

This is a stunning photo which I haven't seen before - which (unit), where, when please? I'm guessing the answer to the last question is 'May 1945' but that's not guaranteed!

Sure. What I would like to check was whether the reference to the first batch of HC2s was to new aircraft, or simply to the first tranche of HC1s to be upgraded and repainted

...which were HC1s when they arrived, weren't they?

I don't know the precise explanation in this case, but in the military, the usual explanations for something like this are either a change of supplier which causes a minor change in the equipment being supplied, or a deliberate modification to improve the performance of the equipment or the personnel using it. Or, to expand on the first point, the procurement system allowing minor variations in spec to enable two or more manufacturers to mass produce the same item without wasting time and effort on making the products absolutely identical.

Disagree - one constant in the military is turnover of personnel, so every unit would have had at least some FNGs with very little experience

Having spent many years around military aircraft, I would say it's impossible to give a definitive answer to your question. The condition of each aircraft - not just stencilling but cleanliness etc - varies wildly depending on its age, the time available to the ground crew and their motivation at the time, and the direction they received from their superiors. In the hours before and the days and weeks after Overlord, the only thing that mattered (as in most military situations other than parades and airshows) was generating the maximum number of serviceable aircraft. At some units, the direction would have been 'Just put the bloody stripes on and get your heads down ready for the big show'. Other bosses would have mandated strict adherence to every detail, and kept the men working all night if need be. In the latter case, some of the ground crew would have worked until the boss disappeared, and then downed tools in favour of sleep or food. Other ground crew might have worked faithfully all night but simply not had time to finish the job, leaving some aircraft finished, others lacking some or all of the detailed markings. That said, how practicable would it have been for operational units to apply stencil data on the eve of a big operation? As someone else has said, stencils were usually factory applied - I doubt front line units would have had stencils available especially at such short notice. I think the best answer is check your references, but if in doubt, go without!

Which scale are you talking? The 1:32 Hasegawa Hellcat can be done as a -3 or a -5

A bargain as well, at less than seven bucks!

That's probably the same stuff inside, but mine is in one of the small cubic glass bottles which they used to use (for Liquid Poly, Maskol etc) before they moved to the round ones

Thank you, and that's an interesting idea for cleaning - I've always used white spirit up to now. Humbrol's own stuff only needed a few drops in the paint cup - same goes for the stuff you use?