torqueofthedevil

After many years, I have finally run out of HCT which I have only used for thinning Humbrol varnishes, and I can't find a replacement anywhere. Is it no longer made? And if that is the case, will the cellulose thinner I can see on the Halford's website work just as well?

I have one on order and am very much looking forward to getting it! I have nearly finished the 1:18 Fw 190A-5 in JG1 markings, and I'm going to do the A-8 as a late-war F-8

The German language book of colour profiles by Claes Sundin and Christer Bergstrom is adamant that two airworthy Ta 152C-1/R31s were at readiness with Stab/JG301 on 30th April 1945 (without stating that the two aircraft actually saw combat). The profile shows Green 13, w/n 110028, in what I take is RLM82/83 over 76, with a plain black spinner and RVD band (yellow leading).

I can't see it happening myself - there just isn't the demand for large scale helicopters. The Trumpeter Chinook is (I think) the newest injection kit, and for a model company that is a much more appealing subject than the Gazelle, let alone the Alouette. I agree that a big Sea King would be amazing - so many variants and colour schemes to choose from. But I'm not holding my breath!

Thought so! No worries, I've been working nights this week so I feel your pain!

Many thanks, very interesting. Yet the restored Fw 190 in JG1 markings is Yellow 4! And a different book of mine has a profile of a Yellow 6. Puzzling! Thanks Jack, I wasn't aware of that site. Much appreciated!

Folks, As far as I can tell, the 1st and 3rd Staffeln used individual numbers in the Staffeln colour with black outline, whereas 2/JG1 had black numbers with a red outline. Am I right, or did 2 Staffeln ever match the other two? The period I'm interested in is early 1944 ie the second striped cowling era. I have tried to find out for myself but I don't have enough references to reach a sound conclusion. Many thanks!

Yes, usually seen on the later models - standard I believe on the A-9 and F-9

Many thanks!

Agree - I have 2, 4 and 5, 1 is on order and I would dearly love to get hold of the last one ! Any idea where to find it, other than scanning eBay and Amazon repeatedly?

The first aircraft shown looks like Red 31, the aircraft belly landed by Bruce Carr after 'borrowing' it from a German airfield at the end of the war

There's some useful gen in this thread: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235072347-messerschmitt-bf109e-kits/

Once again my thanks, I will enjoy the links in full when I have more time. Looking at Yellow 13, I'm amazed that the bar is black, when it looks so different to the rest of the visible black paint. The whole subject is a minefield! ...but I'm glad you did!

Thank you for this - very interesting. What colour is the bar on Yellow 13? I can see why people have assumed that the RVD bands are yellow - to me they appear to be an identical hue to the numbers! Whereas the bar is clearly darker

Thanks Andy

Thank you Graham. Not a great joke, I admit!

Forgive my ignorance, but why brushed on? Could it not be sprayed?

I don't think any aircraft had canons under the wings, although I suppose they might have enjoyed the prospect of getting closer to Heaven...

There are There are 3 colour photos and full-page 4-view colour profiles of 5F+12 in the MMP book - two of the three have been reproduced above but the third hasn't. The uncertainty about which of RLM 82 and 83 was dark and light appears to have surfaced in the late 80s: Airfoil No 5 has the main article on the Last of the Luftwaffe with RLM 82 dark but a separate panel with an update stating RLM 82 light - this is perhaps the only publication which has both possibilities on consecutive pages! Not a criticism at all of Steve Sheflin, who created fascinating publications of wartime aircraft photos and profiles. As an aside, I can also vouch for Montex masks - I have recently started using them (in 1:32) and am pleased with the results, partly because sprayed markings look good, and partly because the range of marking options has now expanded significantly.

Whole of the west coast? I never saw or heard of the 'SAR is a secondary role' brigade north of Fort Bill. To me, the west coast doesn't even begin till about Torridon

Bear in mind that there are effectively two 1/32 109Es made by Eduard - the Weekend kit and the main version. The Weekend version is fine if you're tight on time or budget, but some of the compromises inherent in a kit such as this struck me as a bit odd!

A small point: IFR is Instrument Flight Rules! Refuelling equipment is usually referred to as AAR

And Revell also did a D-11 at one point if memory serves

I just found the fit of some of the parts difficult to achieve - but only because I was expecting more from a brand new kit which reviewers had said was on a par with the best on the market. Both the cockpit and the gun compartment need very careful test-fitting before you put a dab of glue near them, because without absolute precision, the fuselage doesn't fit at all. Like I said before, this says as much about me as the kit itself - I think I was careless this time because I was expecting a straightforward assembly without much effort! The end result was fine though

Some years after first dabbling in the bigger scales, I am still surprised at how much bigger the larger scale models are when complete - I know that is a daft thing to say, but the sheer bulk of some of them is more than you might expect from simply comparing the basic dimensions. Having done a dozen or so 1/24 models, I have settled on 1/32 for the moment as the best of both worlds. The 1/24 kits are really impressive but they take so long (even for a deeply average modeller like me!) and they don't actually fit on a typical depth of shelf! I actually did the Revell 262B not long ago and didn't particularly enjoy it - mostly my fault, I'm sure, but I feel the rave reviews I have seen for the kit are a bit too generous. Conversely, I would recommend the Revell 1/32 Mosquito - very basic, but it goes together pretty well, it looks about right and it's a pretty impressive beast! I'm doing one in the Swissair scheme (Galland Circus eat your heart out - this thing is more colourful) and I like the idea of doing an American PR.XVI if I can manage to do some modifications - again, relying on a distinctive colour scheme to mask the shortcomings of the kit and the modeller! One word of advice - you can, if you wish, spend ages and ages on the cockpit, engines, gun bay etc, but don't feel like you have to use every part in the kit unless you have a huge amount of time to kill. The cockpit is definitely worth doing properly in the larger scales, but if you decide to finish your kit with every panel open, you will probably double the time taken. Nothing wrong with that, but you might feel like you have got a bit bogged down if you aim to create a competition winner first time out!