sanguin

Try this website: http://modelsua.com/Rexx.html I'm sure I found the site somewhere here on Britmodeller a while back, but i may be wrong. I've never used the supplier or the product, but it has to be worth a look. Good luck, John

Dear Graham, The first thing is that there are a lot of Vincent photographs on the internet with no message hook fitted at all. Secondly there are a lot of images of a Players cigarette card......... However, like you I think that the Vincents that are fitted with a message hook all have it mounted on the bottom of the starboard undercarriage leg and the hook part seems to be clipped or held by a wire under the centre fuselage in line with or just behind the boarding ladder as in: http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac6/Vickers%20Vincent.html http://www.mediastorehouse.com/vickers_vincent/print/639844.html http://8squadron.co.uk/history_1939-1945.php I do not know how the observer/gunner retrieved the message-I must assume there was there a hatch at his feet through which the rope with the message could be pulled into the fuselage. Although it is a nice painting, this is by an artist I would regard as producing a reliable image, although I have not yet seen a matching photograph. I hope that this 'second opinion' helps you to decide that you are correct, All the best, John

Dear Mark, If you do a search for 'Harvard' on this bit of the Britmodeller website you will find all sorts of information. Of the many threads available here, this is actually one of the most useful, I bookmarked it a while back: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.p...&hl=harvard Effectively the Harvard II has a slightly longer and more heavily framed canopy and a long exhaust pipe, otherwise from a 1/72nd modellers point of view it is the same as the currently available kits (well, it is to me....) John

Useful information, Paul, but that means more advice needed, so who can help me with this one: where do I get a 1/72nd scale replica of a 6 inches by 6 inches brass plaque to fit on the base of the model tail pylon upon which is legibly inscribed "Paul c was here. It is all his fault."? Thanks again, John

Gentlemen, Much appreciation for your helpful advice, I knew that the apparent abundance of kits in no way reflected the availability of the version I sought! I now have, thanks to my son-in-law and his love affair with ebay, a Revell Merlin on the way-the cost is probably outrageous (about £25 including postage) but a 'new' Italeri H21 Shawnee kit by mail order is almost as much so it is all relative. I suppose the naval variant will never be as popular as its land-based brother and a reissue is possible but when is another matter. Now, to tiger or not to tiger, that is the question..... Thanks again, John

I want to build a 1/72nd Merlin HM1 in the near future but am now baffled and bemused by which kit I should be using. Italeri and Revell both had issues from a few years back for which the HAS1 kit 1219 by Italeri seemed to fit the bill to make an HM1 but is now not as available as I hoped. However there are now two current Italeri releases, the HC3 kit 1316 and the TT1 kit 1295. Does anybody know which of the two (if either) contains the bits to make an HM1? Neither box lid shows the under fuselage radome that the HM1 needs and I believe that the rotor head on the HAS3 boxing may not be meant to allow blade folding. So am I left seeking an old kit to make an HM1? Any advice gratefully received on this question, thanks, John

Gentlemen, my thanks. It seemed to be too good to be true but just for once it seems that it is true. My only surprise is that this version has seemingly not been mentioned before, seemingly virtually every other Lynx is in some form of camouflage. I will now await the Belcher conversion to appear, it will certainly make adding the white ETPS lettering a great deal easier. Having used some Belcher decals/transfers before I know they should be excellent. Thanks again, John

I seek wisdom from those who know, please. The Airfix 1/48th Lynx AH7 kit, is it suitable as a basis with limited changes to build an AH5(X) as ZD285/ZD559 or AH7 ZD560 raspberry ripple from the ETPS? It seems that I have to not fit the exhaust diffusers and then add the pitch/yaw/roll vanes to the roof and probe to the lower nose; can it be that simple? Oh, and do a smart paint job, too. Is it as straightforward as I suspect or have I missed something/ Thanks, John

How do you define military? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Antonov_An-2_operators The DH Tiger Moth, Rapide and Dove were pretty alphabetically widespread, too. John

Nicely done, Graham. That book is one that I borrow on an inter-library loan as I usually need it so rarely. Now that aircraft name had me guessing, because I googled 'Thaba Boshu'. This gave me the African Thaba Bosiu (which I thoughtlessly discounted for a Madras Squadron) and I then found an Indian link that turned out to be one of those "How do you transcribe this word into roman letters" where it can be either Thaba or Thada. Thaba seemed to fit in as an Indian name until I discovered that actually Thaba/Thada seems to mean a cenotaph, hardly a likely name for a wartime aircraft, methinks. I suspect that as it only arrived with 234 Squadron from AST/MU5 on 8/12/41 it was probably in the later Ocean grey/green scheme with sky band etc. but claim no expertise in these things. John

I am no expert, but I think the Skyvan is similar to the Shorts 330-200 which is in turn the predecessor of the Sherpa. The 360 is a slightly larger airframe. So, if I am correct then The Aviation Hobby Shop has 1/72nd decals by S and M for the Skyvan, have a look at their website: http://www.tahs.com/Kits/S&M%20DECS.htm All the best, John

Paul, This thread may be of some help in terms of the badge on the Carrier and there is another image linked in the thread too. http://www.network54.com/Forum/47208/threa...help%2C+please- I don't know if you have noticed, but the Wellington shown in the original picture I found is a Mk II with Merlin engines.... Malta had a whole range of Wellingtons serving during the war, though, so you can do your own research but if you want to stick to the picture then try this for the MKII in 1/48th: http://modelingmadness.com/reviews/allies/gb/earingwimpy.htm http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.p...topic=234911647 The pilot story: http://www.killifish.f9.co.uk/Malta%20WWII/North_Africa.htm http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/...d-war-ii.355726 And a few wrecked Malta Wellingtons: http://www.killifish.f9.co.uk/Malta%20WWII/Wellington.htm The Malta Wellington squadrons seem to have been 38 and 104 with a number of detachments from N Africa and transients 'borrowed' as they staged through the island. Have fun, John

I suspect that Carriers were generally Army property; if the RAF Regiment blagged any then it was probably much later as the Regiment was only formed in February 1942. As to Malta, I suspect that the defenders were soldiers for most of the war. The manpower situation was such that at some times it was down to all hands that were available, irrespective of badge or colour of uniform. Now, there are two photographs that may interest you. Graham was absolutely correct about the Beaufort and the Matilda tank, see here about half way down the page: http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showthread...e-desert./page4 However, there is this thread from Britmodeller, found lurking in the aircraft section, scroll down this to the end: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.p...77&hl=malta A carrier, Malta 'dry stone wall' camouflage, towing loaded bomb trailers with a Wellington in the background. Winter with an unusually thick layer of mud on the ground..... I think the crew are probably army, not RAF, despite the hats (which were in general Army use as the Field Service Cap despite the apparent adoption of the beret years before). Note the 'Malta Cross' plate on the front of the carrier; this may just be a Malta Command badge but equally may indicate that the carrier is actually assigned to a Malta Defence Regiment unit. The serial number T28576 may be of some help (I will ask if anyone can help on the Missing Lynx site). All the best, John

Gentlemen, My thanks for your response despite inadvertently appearing in the wrong era-truly is the Canberra one of the immortals, traveling through both time and space. I will google from beyond to make a decision, but still I find the idea that a duff old kit may be more collectible to some than a marginally better new kit rather strange. Then again, I never collected stamps and an enthusiast friend still vainly seeks the imperfects..... John

Saving myself until the coldest weekend of the year I went for a rummage in the loft. In the depths of the mountain of boxes that form a crucial part of our domestic insulation system I found an elderly kit, long missing and only vaguely recalled. Purchased, I believe, at Stoneleigh many years ago it is an Airfix Canberra B(I)6, Series 5, coded 9-05012, 1/72nd scale. Also within the box is an ED Models resin T19 nosecone (to convert it to the Swedish Tp 52) but no transfers; I suspect they were donated in some swap for Swedish markings years ago. Question: is this worth building with its resin nosecone or is the, somewhat criticised, new improved Airfix B(I)8 kit with a Heritage B2 conversion and the ED nose a better bet? I would love to say that money is no object, but..... All opinions gratefully received. Thanks, John Now how do I get this back into 'Cold War' which is where I thought I had started? Help, Gromit!

Shaun, Something to exercise your mouse, may be helpful: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pvdac/6330993483/ http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=903505 http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=904241 http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=900504 http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=847258 http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=783578 I presume you have scoured this site, a great source of information: http://theaviationist.com/f-104-tribute/ Finally, things that actually move: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzCXCRfr_pg http://vidgrids.com/italian-airforce (Not TFs, but interesting to watch the ground crew.....) Then for real history enthusiasts who want to learn more without boring pictures (but keep an open mind): http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopic-t-553.html John

This isn't quite answering the original question, my apologies for that, but it may be of some use to some of you. Just to perhaps add another bit of. albeit secondhand, information my uncle was an ex Halton brat who spent from mid 1942 until the very end of 1945 in India and Burma. Prior to his posting to India he had serviced Battles, Ansons, Spitfires, Hurricanes and assorted biplanes in the UK from mid 1939. Those he always considered to be well cared for, but I cannot recall ever specifically discussing their cleanliness with him. Being ex Halton, I suspect that the UK airframes he worked on were actually kept in good condition otherwise he would have commented on it. His recollections of servicing Hurricanes and later Spitfires in India and Burma were quite definite. In terms of mechanical care they were usually short of parts and there was very much an attitude of 'make do and mend' rather than just getting something from the stores. The stores were few and far between. Cannibalising of some airframes was quite normal to get enough aircraft airworthy. Cosmetically there was never much chance to keep the aircraft immaculate. Heat, humidity, dust and mud did little for the appearance of the Hurricanes in particular. Fabric coverings were always difficult to look after, he told me that old sweats said that the old silver dope was better than any camouflage paints on preserving fabric surfaces. His view was that pre war they had more time to pamper their aircraft! Later when he worked on Spitfires he told me that things improved a bit but there were still shortages of paints and 'touching up' was with whatever came to hand. The sunlight made some paints 'chalk' and appear much paler unless they were thoroughly washed to restore their original hue. The servicing priorities were the engines, electrics, armament and cockpit (particularly the canopy). Scruffy was the norm for most of the airframes he looked after, there was neither the time nor the resources to improve their appearance. Now this is 'scruffy' as defined by a Halton man; it does not mean that the aircraft were totally disgusting to look at! He finished his Indian experience servicing Thunderbolts, for which he had a great respect. He thought that the standard of finish on them was much better (and more durable) than that of the British aircraft, something that seems to be vindicated by available photographs. John

Dear Daniel, As I assume you are well aware, the information on the internet is to some extent based on the 'Wings of Air America' book or vice versa. As to the true hue of blue, it depends on when, where, photographed with what film etc. and how printed/scanned/screened. We will probably never ever know. I would suggest that Humbrol 25 matt blue is near to many pictures, Revell 56 is darker and may be a better match for a few but in some other images Xtracolor X335 Sabena Blue seems very close. Humbrol 14 is too light and any of the PRU blues or Humbrol 157 Azure blue are also wrong. For those who want to see for themselves, try these: http://vietnam-hueys.tripod.com/Air%20Amer...home%20page.htm http://www.utdallas.edu/library/collection.../Leeker/204.pdf http://cs.finescale.com/FSMCS/forums/t/119443.aspx http://s12.invisionfree.com/ScaleModelsMal...?showtopic=7351 Of course you could always venture into the weird world of blacks and their range of hues.... http://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviati...quiet_one.html# Humbrol acrylic Railway Dirty Black is a brilliant paint, Tamiya NATO black is so different can it still be classed as black? All the best, John

Ecky thump, chaps! Next thing you will be telling me that British aircraft engineers don't now wear slightly eccentric tweed jackets, all scientists now do not wear white coats and the slide rule is no longer used..... I still have a geometry set in a metal tin......works in all weathers, no batteries required. It features a degree of accuracy and precision that is far better than my varifocals can now cope with. 'nuff said? John

Dear Gary, Whilst Mrs Sanguin enjoyed watching Masterchef or somesuch programme she recorded last night I had a Google and came up with a few more sites. I assume that you know the Comet homepage: http://www.oocities.org/capecanaveral/lab/8803/fcometli.htm There is also a De Havilland site; the man who runs it is also an enthusiast for 'skins' and computer models 3D aircraft. Look at his 'X-Plane' section and read about his Comet 4. He may well be worth contacting as he has a lot of Comet data that he used for the 'build'. http://www.dh-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/DH-1...evelopment.html This list of cut-away drawings gives Air International April 1977 as having a Comet 1 illustration: http://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/cutaway.htm Isn't it brilliant that someone has shared all of that effort with us all? If you want to live dangerously this may be of some help, but not necessarily! http://www.filestube.com/d/de+havilland+comet I'm always well wary of downloads of unknown provenance; the few I have downloaded so far have been fine but a good friend had a major disaster a few months back doing the same thing. Good luck, John

Dear Gary, Whilst I do not know the actual dimensions and have not yet been able to see them documented anywhere, this may help: http://www.airmuseumsuk.org/museum/dhaircr...0Comet%201A.htm http://www.airmuseumsuk.org/museum/dhaircr...0Comet%201A.htm That age old technique of print and then scale, using a pair of dividers to measure the door or the fuselage height and then compare with the windows.... This is a resin kit review that may be useful as well: http://kits.kitreview.com/fl006reviewbg_1.htm This fuselage is at the de Havilland Heritage Centre in St Albans, Herts which is currently closed until next year. Their website is : http://www.dehavillandmuseum.co.uk/ If you email them with your question there may well be a response. Best of luck, where do you find the dimensions of any aircraft windows documented? John

Dear Tony, Good question. She was display flying in 2010 and early 2011, but then this was reported: http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=139560 although I suspect it inadvertently refers to a T7, not an F58. I think it really is SE-DXM as we know her. I know no more, as yet. An overshoot can be quite damaging, though thankfully it seems nobody died and I hope there were no injuries, either. These might be of interest: http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/530145.html an image from 2010 with the red nosewheel door. Note the ?camera port in the sabrina.... and then a film link, none too brilliant, but much better than nowt: John

Dear Tony, Whilst not claiming any great expertise, I have spent a few years reading about and modelling the aircraft of Flygvapnet. I have a few Swedish books that are perhaps not so commonly found in general circulation. My only set of Acro Hunter decals are identical for port and starboard, with the aircraft flying upward from left to right above the lettering. I suspect that you are seeking port side views, not starboard. I have a small colour picture of Acro Hunter 'G' in Kronmarkt by Hellstrom and Fredin which shows the aircraft in September 1962. This is a 3/4 frontal view from starboard and the aircraft on the logo are flying up towards the nose; incidentally the front nosewheel door is red with a white 'G'. I also have a drawn profile of Acro Hunter 'H' in an ancient book called Att Flyga Ar Att Leva, published in about 1976-77. This is a port side view which shows the logo with the aircraft pointing up and to the rear; the upper left aircraft is in line with the windscreen-canopy frame join, the lower right aircraft points to the forward corner of the ejector seat warning triangle. However this is an illustration, not a photograph. It is dated as being from F18 in 1962. This indicates that the aircraft faced forward on the starboard side and rearward on the port side. I suspect that is the reason as to why views of the port side are rare, the starboard side looked much more exciting! The later Acro Delta team with the Draken used 'handed' badges on the fin, with the aircraft flying forward and upward on both sides. I tentatively agree with the Acro Hunter markings on the restored Hunter SE-DXM, although I can't comment on the exact placement on the port side. Starboard side: http://aerobaticteams.net/acro-hunters.html http://www.airfighters.com/photo/73317/M/P...er-F58A/SE-DXM/ Port side: http://www.airfighters.com/photo/73316/M/P...er-F58A/SE-DXM/ I hope that this helps a bit, if there are any good port side pictures then I would like to see them. Good luck, John