sanguin

Tony, The UK IPMS website Decal Bank section lists a set of Italeri 1/72nd Patrouille Suisse markings as available. Try this link: http://ipmsuk.proboards.com/index.cgi?boar...amp;thread=2447 The Decal bank is run by Colin Shipton-Knight, a member of this forum as well as IPMS and is a very helpful gent. He may see this and join the thread or you can follow the Decal Bank instructions and contact him direct. Kingkit has a range of F5 Tiger kits on sale as secondhands: http://www.kingkit.co.uk/kingkit/1_catalogue_freeview.php Search for 'F5 Tiger' or just 'Tiger' if you like tanks and Tigermeet aircraft as well! New I/72nd Italeri F5 kits are seemingly impossible to find from the major UK model shops, but the smaller ones may possibly still have some lurking in stock. eBay is another source, of course, but Kingkit may well be your best bet. Good Luck, John

Dear Paul, The Heller kit is 1/50th scale and is available from Kingkit, not too expensive. However, the final entry on this thread may dissuade you from buying it, although equally it may just be a challenge to your modeling sensibilities: http://www.pprune.org/archive/index.php/t-116986.html In 1/72nd there is an old vacform from Expomodel about which I know nothing as to quality or availability: http://www.oldmodelkits.com/vacs.html But much more likely is the PJ Resins 1/72nd SV4bis kit, no longer in stock with PJ themselves but SBX have one lurking: http://www.sbxmodelshop.co.uk/cgi-bin/abtw...21421??PJ721001 PJ did two versions, this is the only one of the two that I have currently found available, the other was the SV4C which is likely to be the one you actually need! Hope you get what you want, All the best, John

The story of my life. I have just bought an ESCI GR5 Harrier kit in 1/72nd. It is to be blue with the Flightdec Pegasus 11-61 colour scheme. It looks sort of pretty and just a lot different. As a bonus it is meant to be fairly cheap fun, too. So, as someone who knows nowt about Harriers, why is the ESCI GR5 so lamentably awful, please? Is it a question of "If you want to go there then don't start from here" or is it something reasonably easily fixed? Or is everybody now falling about laughing at the news that somebody would actually pay money (not a lot) for an ESCI GR5? Guidance, please. Thanks John (only slightly blushing....so far!)

Dear Vulcan, I have no information on Proctor IV interiors, but there is one being restored at East Kirby: http://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/museum/aircraft.htm I suspect that a polite request to them may be the best that you can do, nobody else seems to be able to offer much so far. I did find this as well: http://cgi.ebay.nl/Aeroplane-Monthly-1983-...r-/400155961790 but I have no idea of what it may contain about Proctor interiors! Even pilots notes do not seem to cover the rear cabin layout. An internet search for 'RAF wireless training' taught me a lot about Nissen huts and cold weather, but nowt about Proctors beyond their having poor serviceability. Sorry I can't help any more, John

For those of you able to pay rather more than Airfix prices, may I suggest a look at the Heritage Aviation kits? They do Grosvenor House in 1/72nd and both Grosvenor House and Black Magic in 1/48th. Their site is here: http://www.heritageaviationmodelsltd.com/ I must confess that I have bought neither, but they do look very nice and they are available..... For the Francophiles in our midst, Aeroplane magazine did a two part feature on the French trials of the DH 88 for mail flights. November 2009 and September 2010 are the relevant issues, a fascinating exploration of one of those murky aviation byways by Philippe Ricco. Makes a change from the red, black and green racers that we know so well. Mind you, sort of mini-Mosquito version would be nice in camouflage, too..... Unarmed, of course, I suspect the recoil of a gun would probably cause self destruction! John

Can anybody guide me to a source of information about M5A1 recce tanks (either turreted or turretless) used by the Guards Armoured Brigade? I know there is one called Walthamstow from the 4th battalion Grenadier Guards in late 1944 and early 1945. The Missing Lynx site has been helpful, but not conclusive, as to the presence or absence of a turret, can anybody here give me some help on this? Thanks, John

Lawksa'mighty, what a tangled web we weave! Dennis, my thanks for those pictures. So....Meteor 3, thanks to erk either repairing or breaking the elevator/rudder cables, seems to have been photographed with black codes. However, the outer ring of the fuselage roundel should be yellow and this looks very black on the print, indicating that the original film is more ortho than truly panchromatic. Also the black serial EE289 does look darker than the code letters.... Meteor F8 in stylish silver does clearly seem to have red fin (and presumably nose wheel door) letter in red. The F8 in camouflage has a fin code letter which is bordered in white or silver with a dark, possibly blue, centre. In my early days of working I used to use FP4 (or sometimes HP5) film and Ilfobrom paper to take and print pictures as a hobby. One thing I recall was the difficulty of making repeated prints with exactly the same range of tones. The three pictures above are perfect examples of how seemingly straightforward black and white images vary, just look at the tones of the red, white and blue roundels. I could study the prints offered and say that the codes on the Meteor 3 are black but could not reliably refute an opinion that they are red or blue or even dark green. The camo F8 roundel and fin flash could even be a blue/white/blue Greek one from the tones, it doesn't look to be classically red, white and blue. The perils of interpreting colours are well known. At some point in the next couple of weeks I will have to decide whether to go red or black for the F3/F4; I am easy with red for the silver F8. I await other views! Lacking any pictures, I have suddenly realised that the Mosquito TIII could actually be all over yellow, as may the Oxford, not silver or camouflaged. I am chasing a copy of the Ian Thirsk pictorial history book for some guidance on that one. My thanks to all of you who have contributed to what has become a very interesting thread. Little did I know what this would produce when I asked my original question! John

G in Black? B*GGER! Just when I thought I was winning, Bill! However, I still believe that VA882 is correct for the Mosquito TIII and VA382 as cited by SAM is wrong. After all these years let he who is without sin cast the first stone, though. Finding a typing error in vintage SAM must be a rare event, I suspect. Nowadays is a different matter. John

Bill, I am sorry, but I have to query the bit that you quoted from SAM 1984 Vol 7 No 1 about the Mosquito TIII in posting 9. SAM cites the aircraft as VA382 RAA-A but VA382, if it ever existed, was after the end of a block of Bristol Buckingham serials. However I do have TV983 and VA882 as TIIIs that were issued to 500 Squadron; I suspect that SAM reported VA382 when they meant VA882. Isn't it amazing that a typographic error takes 26 years to come to light! Apologies if someone else has a prior claim to this discovery..... Now, were the TIIIs in silver with yellow bands or ocean grey/green/medium sea grey? Decisions, decisions! And if silver, then what colour were their codes? Will it never end? My thanks for the Coronation information. For some reason many 500 Meteor pictures are notable for having covers over their canopies so you can't tell if the F8s are fully glazed or have metal rears. Again the difficulty in differentiating between black and red on many monochrome pictures becomes apparent. John

Gentlemen, I am deeply grateful to you all for the incredible amount of information that you have supplied. It is a constant source of amazement to me that there are so many pictures and facts out there, lurking in so many unexpected places. The 'Cold War Shield' book is one I do not have, my thanks for the list of names and serials/codes. The photographs from Ta'Qali were a real bonus, but the lurking Vampires were a complete surprise. I knew nothing about them before and so far I still know nothing more! Tedious as it may seem, when I lived in Malta as a schoolboy (army brat) from 1962 to early 65 we used to play rugby at Ta'Qali as it was one of the few places that had proper grass. The ground was like concrete, but it featured some real green grass in the winter. It tended to encourage quick passing and avoiding tackles, though. By then the airfield seemed to be effectively out of use, but the main runway was still in fairly good condition. I assume that the RAF had it on a 'care and maintenance' basis at that time. I think that the consensus suggests that red codes are more likely than black for the F3 and probably F4 Meteors, this isn't something I know about. I always assumed that post war all serials and codes were in black or white, a assumption based on b/w photos and various transfer sheets. This post war stuff has been a steep learning curve for me. Is the use of red for codes a quirk of 500 Squadron or was it more commonly seen than I ever expected? I assume the red is the bright, post war roundel red and not the dull hue of wartime codes. The steam train drifted gently into Faversham as we were about to use the underpass to reach the best free house in town. I hope you got a picture, Bill, because I didn't! Thanks again, John

Gentlemen, My grateful thanks for such amazing information! Bill, unfortunately I will not be at the Medway meeting. For reasons unknown Medway plan their show every year for the same weekend as the Faversham Hop Festival. I have no evidence that Medway modellers are staunch supporters of temperance, in fact my limited experience indicates the reverse! This Faversham celebration of the powers of the hop involves Morris sides, music, steam trains, friends from all over the place, laughter, sometimes a Spitfire display, more music, dancing, more friends and a lot more music. Oh, and the beer. Lots and lots of beer. Therefore I am committed to further testing of my liver. The magazines I left at Beaneys were indeed in the days of Kevin as proprietor of the sadly demised Best Model Shop In Kent. Dennis, your nom-de-styrene namesake is abundant around this area, we have hedgerows full of blackberries plums, damsons and especially an abundance of sloes. They are the only thing that makes gin even remotely palatable! The Harvard I know about, I have the decal sheet and a kit or two with a proper canopy and exhaust but the picture is superb. The Oxford is news to me, I had not seen that mentioned anywhere before. I assume that the RAF had such an abundance of aircraft at that time that squadrons had a degree of leeway in gathering 'second line' planes. I will assume silver, with or without yellow training bands, to give twin engine experience to budding Mosquito pilots. The Mosquito. I have NFXIX as TR352 and TR354 then NF30s NT279, NT351, NT430, NT603, NT606 (RAA-H), NT619 (crashed after undercarriage collapse Gravesend Jan 1948), NT620 and MV557. I am assuming, in the absence of any other information, that they were all in green/medium sea grey with black serials underwing and white codes on the fuselage. As to the codes on the early Meteors, black or red? I have lots of black lettering, a quest for red is called for now! You are correct, the long-gone Kits At War sheet does have red codes. There is no list that I know of that links serial numbers to the 'named' Meteor F8s, every picture I have seen with a legible name does not have a visible serial. The Munich Anson....the Airfix kit in the stash is now to be extracted to go onto the 'pending for some time in the vaguely foreseeable future' pile! As to the colour of the uppersides I suspect that it may well be green and earth, but possibly not in any standard pattern.... I will return to this thread later, when head and liver have returned to normality. My thanks again, John

Ecky thump! The RAA code in red? Every drawing I have seen has RAA in black on the III. Every picture, black and white I know, has never made me think of anything else. But red does look like black on most photographs.....mind you, both MPM and Dragon have the RAA-B codes for EE420 in black on their transfer sheets. Who do I believe? The differing roundels I knew about, and the S7 codes were, I now must assume, in black and not red....... Mr Clark, Bill, my old pal, my copies of SAM dating back to the year dot (well, the earliest I recall buying was from '79 or early '80) were last seen in a large pile on and beside a chair in Beaneys for anybody to take away (along with things like Modelaid International, Air International etc) for free. So the copy with the Royal Auxillary Airforce has long gone from my possession. I spent so many years following Flygvapnet that nothing much else was kept. In my dotage I have found an interest in 500 Squadron and am also collecting stuff for Raspberry Ripples out of sheer perversity. I know you have always had a soft spot for British jet propelled metal, but I shall leave the Boscombe stuff until I have got the Kent thing out of my system. Dave, my thanks for someone not removing some of their loft insulation and giving it away, anything from SAM that you can find will be much appreciated. John

I am trying to build most of the aircraft types used by 500 (County of Kent) Squadron, RAF. However, I have encountered a difficulty in deciding on colour schemes for some aircraft. If there is photographic evidence then most points become sort of straightforward, but if I cannot find any images at all..... So, 500 flew Mosquito NFXIX and NF30s from Nov 1946 until some time in mid/late 1948. Were these in Dark Green/MSG as I suspect or possibly silver as is this picture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DH.98_Mo...48_edited-2.jpg of a 605 Squadron aircraft in April '48? I have not yet found an image of a 500 Mosquito, but assume that they were in camouflage finish. 500 also flew a small number of Spitfire F22s for which I have not yet found any pictures, were they NMF or silver or camouflaged? Equally the Meteors III/F4/F8/T7 flown by 500 all seem to be in High Speed silver from mid 1948 until probably 1954-55 when some or all F8s were painted in Dark Sea Grey/Dark Green/Silver. However, does anybody know if any of the IIIs were still in the Ocean Grey/Dark Green/Medium Sea Grey wartime finish when first issued to 500? Just as a point of interest, the F8 WF714 COs aircraft with the squadron-striped tail was one of those given a camouflage finish, probably not long before it was was written off on 8th September 1954 at the APC in Malta. It kept its blue/white/green tail markings despite the new colour scheme. I suspect that by the disbandment of the Auxilliary Squadrons in early 1957 all of the F8s were camouflaged. Any help or advice gratefully received, in the absence of anything definitive I shall revert to my normal "That is most likely, so please prove me wrong" mode. Thanks, John

Gentlemen, I have a book entitled 'RAF Hawkinge In Old Photographs' by Roy Humphries which shows some partial images of 277 aircraft including Walruses (or is it Walri ?), Lysanders, a Defiant and a remarkably unhelpful Spitfire picture. The two best pictures of the Lysanders, undated, have twin 0.5 Brownings for the Observer/Gunner for rear defence. One clearly has red BA codes (no other letter visible) which seem to have a sheen and are not matt but the other seems to show paler letters, again BA only, possibly sky or medium sea grey. Or, remotely possible, yellow......but really it looks more like grey or sky. Yellow codes do seem rather exotic for flying over Dogger Bank, but there were some naval gunnery ranges out there, I believe. The Defiant is clearly coded BA-A in red, no serial visible and the presumed use of ortho film makes the camouflage demarcations markedly contrasting. Spinner not visible, no sky fuselage band. There is a thin yellow band around the fuselage roundel. The bottom image here: http://forum.planetalk.net/viewtopic.php?p...5cf938d9d24fafe is nothing like the camouflage scheme on the picture I have, nor are the code colours correct. The pattern does not match the green/earth Defiants at the top of the link, either. I am happy to copy the pictures for private use if anyone wants to contact me, but they are lacking any serials or final code letters. The Spitfire show nothing apart from the pilot, although it claims to be of a 'clipped wing ASR Vc', the Walrus pictures are fairly well known (HD908, BA-D in red, port side image). There are a number of pictures of 277 aircrew, though, for those who may be interested. I await news from those who know more.... John

There is one 'local' bonus with Historex. If you look up stuff on the Historex site and then phone them, you can arrange to go to their warehouse on Dover sea front and collect the goods in person; you have to ring the bell, say who you are and when you called them and they let you in to climb the stairs and get served. Depending on what you want it can save a lot of postage and as a bonus you can spot lorries/buses/ferries/exotic cars and the rather interesting range of people that you can find only in Dover. Oh, if you find a decent pub in the town please let me know where it is..... The Hobby Shop in Faversham actually stocks quite a range of kits, http://www.hobb-e-mail.com/ is their site and they also have Humbrol/Tamiya and Alclad paints. They do mail order, too and the prices are very competitive. I am but a happy customer. The demise of Beaneys was tragic, it was the best model shop in East Kent. Interestingly, the superb Hythe shop that closed had previously inspired inspired the owners of the Faversham shop to open up many years ago and now the son runs it as his father has retired. The magnificent Sevenoaks shop sounds a bit like a wonderful place that existed towards Bromley Common about forty years ago, a store to find all manner of quirky kits and odd boxes. Turners used to be quite a useful shop but I haven't been there for a good few years, the two shops I recall from Thanet are long gone and a place the size of Canterbury has virtually nothing, primarily because of colossal business rents and rates (so shopkeepers assure me). So, like most of us, I use mail order and the internet for many purchases. The downside of that is the lack of chat and banter; good model shops are places to chat as well as buy, There is a fishing tackle shop near me that always has at least four gents, with cups of tea, debating life, the universe and nearly everything. I wander in to buy my lead wire/holographic sheets/fine line and a three minute transaction takes at least thirty if you want it to. That is what Beaneys used to be like and that is what every hobby shop should try and achieve. That is what on line and telephone shopping lacks, although I must say that speaking to a real person is always better, and I am usually pleasantly surprised that the idea of customer care is alive and well in model shops. Real shops stock things that you may not want, but buy because they are an interesting variation on your interests or represent something totally different to the norm. You see the box, ask another modeller if it is any good, a third person chips in and wham! you have just bought a 1/35th Velociraptor instead of the two tins of paint and a Revell Walrus to be finished in Swedish markings that you had planned to purchase. That is how life goes, thankfully. From amphibian to dinosaur. So you go home and build a stealth velociraptor with six shades of airbrushed grey and someone says it should actually be olive green, sand and sky.... That is model making. If you find a good shop, enjoy it and let others know, please. John

Rodders, This is the best that I have currently got for 'Hart Models' http://www.asam.co.uk/plindex.html Go to the price list page 27, the Scammell recovery trucks from Hart are HT95, 98, 99....price c£70 this year. I can't find an image of the kit or the finished model on that site, but it may just be me being thick. I am told that the 1/35th Accurate Armour one is excellent, I have seen a couple of superb builds but it is expensive, about twice the price of the Hart offering. However, I suspect that their 1/48th kit is just as good and about the same price as the Hart kit: http://www.accurate-armour.com/ShowProduct...mp;product=2070 and: http://www.missing-lynx.com/reviews/48/aak...reviewjl_1.html I have never knowingly seen either the Hart or the 1/48th AA kit anywhere so I can't comment further. Wespe do a resin 1/72nd kit WES72044 which was well received: http://smallscaleafvforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1981 and a 1/48th kit WES 48106. The 1/72nd kit is at Lonewulf Models: http://www.lonewulfmodels.co.uk/sub_catego...5&sc_id=58# I haven't yet found anyone in the UK with the 1/48th kit in stock, but I haven't looked far to be honest. It is on the Wespe site: http://www.wespemodels.ro/-c-24.html I have built two 1/35th Wespe kits and they aren't too bad at all; the Commer Q2 with trailer and the Leyland Retriever/Coles Crane. Reasonable fit, they look 'right' and were not fraught with difficulty. Much less complex (but equally rather more basic) than an Accurate Armour kit. I would imagine that their smaller scale kits are equally as good. For differing views on Wespe kits: http://www.amps-armor.org/ampssite/reviews...367&Type=FB http://www.swannysmodels.com/DiamondT.html I hope this is of some use, I'm sorry I can't say how good or bad the kits actually are, but perhaps someone else may know. I have searched for any conversions for the old Airfix 1/76th Scammell tank transporter without any success, nor can I find any plastic, resin or white metal kits in 1/72nd or 1/76th apart from the Wespe offering. I'm sure there was an Airfix conversion back in my (and the kits) youth, but I cannot see anything at the moment. Good luck, John

Philippe, The Kopro 1/72nd Spitfire VII kit sheet has codes in Sky for 602 Squadron (MD114 DU-G) when in the Orkneys (note this, Colin!) Feb 1944 when it shot down a Bf109 recce fighter, Sky for MD188 PB with no other code from Culmhead Wing June 1944, Sky for ON-W, no serial visible, of 124 Squadron, Bradwell Bay June 1944 and Sky with thin black outline NX-O MD120 of 131 Squadron, Colerne March 1944. The last one is 'named' Spirit Of Kent in white on the fuselage ahead of the cockpit port side. All are Medium Sea Grey over PRU blue. DU-G has r/w/b fin flash and fuselage roundel, the others have just r/b fin and fuselage roundels; all have r/b upper wing roundels and no lower wing roundels at all. PB and ON-W have full w/b/w/b/w invasion stripes above and below the wings with full fuselage stripes as well. I have no other references for their markings, just the kit itself so I cannot give any honest credibility to the Kopro choice of colours or even overall schemes, but it ooes seem to follow the trend that others have suggested. Perhaps they followed the same logical path that everybody else has followed. It may not be correct, but it is the most reasonable choice! Best Wishes, John

Alex, Sadly they are two quite dissimilar aircraft. The Virginia is larger, heavier and quite different to the older Vimy. These links may explain a bit: http://www.military-aircraft.org.uk/bomber...vimy-bomber.htm http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapo...s_virginia.html I too want a 1/72nd scale Virginia X for my slowly developing collection of 500 Squadron aircraft and I looked long and hard at converting the Vimy before rejecting the idea. I know that I will have to scratchbuild if I want a Virginia, and I'm told that it isn't too difficult by those who apparently know! Finding decent plans is my difficulty at the moment, if anybody has the drawings from Aviation News 14/06 and can send me a photocopy I would be very pleased. Then it will be down to acres of plasticard and reading my copy of 'Scale Model Aircraft' by Harry Woodman to try and fire my confidence. Sorry I cannot be more helpful, John

Phil, As the Irishman said "If you want to get there then I wouldn't start from here...." However, after these links: http://www.gengriz.co.uk/RNprops3.htm which uses the long-defunct and probably unobtainable C Scale set, but despair not, because http://airfixtributeforum.myfastforum.org/sutra171295.php may cheer you as it has something more useful..... So Aeroclub do a conversion set (K829) for which you will also need an Aeroclub resin engine cowling (V214) Both are currently listed as being possibly available from The Aviation Hobby Shop, but you will have to ring them to see if they are actually in stock. http://www.tahs.com/ is their website. If they don't have them available then I suspect that an e bay quest is called for. However, Magna also do a 1/72nd AEW Skyraider (MAG2472); I have successfully used their Skyraider TT kit with some Airfix bits to build my Swedish target towing version. TAHS also list that and may have it in stock as well, just ask. I have always found TAHS very helpful so good luck. John

Mark, I cannot say anything about their bi (tri, quadri...)plane kits as I have never built them. However they are earlier RVHP kits; my experience is limited to the later Beech 200 and Metro kits in their Swedish incarnations. Those later kits are excellent, nice resin, no real air bubble problems, pretty good fit and actually really nice. They are very expensive but do tend to cater for those modellers interested in some of the more obscure corners of aviation. Hannants do have some on their 'special offer' which may allow you to sample something for a bit of a discounted price-a bit less of a loss if it turns out to be a pup! There are a few builds on the internet that may or may not be helpful: http://www.internetmodeler.com/2001/may/fi.../RVHP_Wight.htm http://modelingmadness.com/scotts/mod/us/c12.htm http://www.bubbamoose.com/models_rvhp_be12.html http://www.aeroscale.co.uk/modules.php?op=...ent&id=2465 Good luck, John

Dear Sir, No gentlemens aerial carriage would be complete without a Puckle Gun. A useful weapon against snakes, elephants, lions, polar bears and triffids. Guaranteed to put the wind up anybody unaccustomed to rapid fire. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Puckle Yours faithfully, John Peto Esq.

Gentlemen, My thanks for your help so far. Any Ventura serials or codes that you may find to link to 13/500/27 Squadrons would be helpful, Nick. 500 Squadron, using Hudson II and Hudson V (or VI), went from Bircham Newton to St Eval to Gibraltar and then to various bases in Tunisia (but mainly La Senia and Blida). Their task was to hunt submarines in the Med and approaches to Gib. In December 43 the squadron allegedly inherited the Venturas from 13 Squadron, but maintained a three flight, 24 aircraft complement with 16 Venturas and 8 Hudson Vs (or VIs....). Just to add to the interest, in January 44 they discovered that for the second year running they topped the 'least flying accidents' table for General Reconnaissance squadrons. I assume that 'GR' is part of the Coastal Command structure. In July 44 500 Squadron handed over its aircraft to 27 Squadron Royal South African Air Force. So post July 44 27 Squadron Venturas probably looked incredibly similar to the pre July 44 500 ones... I have the Minicraft Ventura kit which features a 'green octopus' marking around the dorsal turret and this is shown in the Osprey 34 'PV Ventura/Harpoon units of WW2' book on page 65. The picture is, I am embarrassed to admit, very, very similar to the one of the 500 aircraft and so I am tending to believe in the US 'two blues and white' scheme. One thing that is apparent, no matter what colour scheme I do (within reason), so far nobody can definitively say I am wrong! Can anyone help with confirming or refuting something else, please? I have seen internet references to Ventura V FP633 being shot down on 1/4/44 in a 'friendly fire' incident and a Beaufighter was suggested as the offending aircraft. This is not mentioned in the 500 Squadron history, but then nor was the undercarriage collapse of the Boss mans F8 Meteor at Takali, Malta in September 54. This was WF714 which had the flashy tail stripes (Corgi, Xtradecal sheet 72114ish) and was written off....If anyone can add to the possible fate of FP633 I would be grateful. Thanks again, John

Being a bit daft I am about to start building a 500 Squadron Ventura V for which any photographs seem to be quite scarce. Well, almost non existent, really. I have looked at every book that I think may help with little success. 500 squadron were excellent at taking pictures of their assembled crews in front of a parked aircraft, but not just of the aircraft itself. However this link: http://www.rcafventura.ca/pages/archives/v_0f7e.htm shows such an aircraft in all its glory. But can anybody advise me on what colour scheme they think it it has? I have read the Ventura threads already on this site without really getting any better camouflage ideas for Venturas in the Western Med. The lack of contrast seems to indicate that it probably isn't the normal temperate 'extra dark sea grey/slate green over sky' scheme, but it is seemingly two-coloured. Could this be one of the 'two blues' upper surface schemes and azure below used in the Med that I have seen in some books? Or is it more likely the extra dark sea grey/dark sea grey/sky scheme? I will cheerfully accept the advice of those wiser than I for I know nothing about these aircraft schemes. The preceding Hudsons that the squadron used were almost certainly in the EDSG/slate temperate scheme with sky undersides for the earlier Hudson I and 'white' for the Hudson IV and I will use that when I come to build them. Any suggestions gratefully received, Thanks, John