Selwyn

Has anyone got any information on the AM39 Exocet missile rail launcher? i understand this missile can be both rail or eject launched In hope Selwyn

U tube video of the typhoon RIAT display, this shouldn't be allowed with a 4000lb bombload! selwyn

I am going to go for a real Nerdy nit pic! the Sidewinders should have Red AOTD covers on them. (sorry I'm being really ANAL!) Notwithstanding, probably the best Brit Phantoms I have seen in many a year! Selwyn

Building the old 1/72 heller kit. Were French Air force F84G in natural metal finish or silver painted? I understand French swept wing F84F were painted silver, but I can't find anything to say the straight wing "G" was as well. can anyone help? Selwyn

knowing what these kits go for individually, At £21 it represents remakable value for money! Selwyn

Simon The switch you refer to is the Weapon fuzing switch. Off is obvious, R/P is rocket pod. This setting routed the firing line down to the rocket pod through the pylon, missing out the release unit . N, T, and N/T settings are for Bomb fuzes. Aircraft Bombs can be fitted with either a Nose or a Tail fuze, or both. This switch selected which of the two fuzing units on the pylon energised (the nose or tail) and would subsequently arm which particular fuze. or both on release. Nose fuzes in my Harrier time were normally for airburst, (952) tail fuzes (947, 951) for impact. so potentially the pilot could select in the cockpit the method of Bomb detonation. In fact on Airburst he would usually set N/T because if the nose fuze failed for some reason, the tail fuze would detonate the bomb anyway. On modern aircraft Fuzes can be set for both impact and airburst so usually only one fuze is fitted in the tail, and fuzing protocol is now part of the store programming. The stores system now automatically selects the required Fuzing for each particular store. and gives the correct HUD aiming info. On Harrier GR1/3 Configuration was much more simple. There were five rotary "patching switches" under the armament panel, located under the clear aircraft switches (above where the Pilots left knee would be (a swine to get to, and difficult to read as you normally had to do it upside down!) These were simple rotary switches with letters on them that you set to the aircraft configuration. For example A configuration with two SNEB pods, two drop tanks, and an empty centreline would read "R (rockets)-F (fuel) -OFF-F-R". Three bombs and two tanks would be put in as B-F-B-F-B- simple! These I understand enabled the correct weapon aiming info in the harrier HUD. Selwyn

I would give my right ear to see an aircraft painted like that...............! (Sorry!) Selwyn

Simon the RN 2" pod was not a MATRA pod, It was an entirely different system and as far as I know did not incorporate heat shields. The 2" rockets were not pointed but dome shaped, which probably precluded the use of a shield, I think it was a 30 shot launcher as well? The M155 launcher could not have its single /ripple selected from the cockpit. The switch I mentioned was a two pole toggle switch marked A & B The settings were easily remembered by Armourers as A= All & B= Bits! The pod came from the bay with the setting marked on the servicable label.Occasionally these were marked or set wrong, on one occasion a Harrier with four pods all selected went to the range, when the pilot pressed the trigger he expected six rockets but got 82! A very smoky day on the range. We also used to go "mini rip" wher you would put 9 rockets in, one in every second tube. Probably as an economy measure.. Selwyn

I am afraid that you are quite wrong Simon. The M155 18 shot launcher was not a training pod, it could and was used for both training and operational use. The usual load for training in the RAF was 68mm SNEB rockets with smoke heads. (coloured eau de nil) the smoke was emitted by a chemical that was in the frangible head that broke on impact with the target and gave a "puff" of smoke. You NEVER used the fibreglass shield with these as the smoke heads smashed on impact with the shield as they left the pod. The fibreglass shield was used when High Explosive Anti Tank (HEAT) SNEB rockets were used, (hardly a training round!) the shield prevented aerodynamic heating of the HEAT heads in flight and the rocket punched through them on launch. the Shield was fitted between the pod cone shaped nose and a metal fairing with holes that trapped it in Place. If you study photos this can be seen if you look closely. The M155 Launcher could fire single shot or "Ripple" which meant as long as the trigger was pulled the rockets would fire. this was only selectable on the ground, you had to take the nose cone off the pod to reach the switch to change the setting. The other SNEB pod in use in the RAF was the M116 disposable 19 shot launcher. This had HEAT rounds only and had a round dome nose made out of asbestos phenolic if I remember correctly. I only ever saw one of these in training and I have recently seen a picture in the early 1970's loaded to a GR1 Harrier on exercise. I think they must have been set aside for war use only. They fired ripple only and the last firing pulse jettisoned the pod. As far as I know the RAF only used smoke and HEAT variants of the SNEB rocket. Selwyn

Adam go to http://www.avrovulcan.org.uk/nukes/we177a_b.htm second picture down shows a white WE177 complete with Vulcan carrier on a blue type "O" weapon trolley Selwyn

The bombs depicted in the kit bear no resemblence to any British 1000lb Bomb. pre war, WW2 or otherwise. Postwar 1000lb bombs (Mk 6 onwards) were introduced in the early 50's. all marks since then upto the current Mk 20 are dimensionally the same the differences being in fill and suspension system. The only exception being the mk 7 which was slightly wider in diameter and had a "boat tail" that accepted earlier bomb tail units. You could use any currently commercially available modern british bomb as long as it had a balllistic (non Retard tail) to depict the bombload but 21 of them might prove expensive! The Valiant bomb carriers could probably take wartime 1000lb bombs, there must have been plenty still available in store in the early 50's. I understand that the Lincolns still used them in the Malayan emergency in the mid 50's. Selwyn

Watched the Rehearsal of the RIAT Fairford Typhoon display yesterday. A great display routine, one of the best I have ever seen. The crowd are in for a bit of a treat. I must admit the inverted flypast carrying four 1000lb Paveway II LGB and drop tanks was a bit of a pose..............................! Selwyn

Simon How do you know it does not look "bluey enough?" Any one of these colours could be right or wrong, and unless you have something painted in wartime Ocean Grey to compare it to You are on a loser from the start. I suggest you paint your model in the OG colour you feel is correct , who is going to argue with your choice anyway? Its called artistic licence. Selwyn

Ingo The Airfix Sea Vixen kit pods are 2inch (50mm) rocket pods used by Royal Navy aircraft (and RAF Harriers when embarked on a carrier) they fire British 2inch rockets. The other pod (on the right) is the Matra 155 rocket pod for firing 68mm SNEB rockets (a French design)and were used only by the RAF. 68mm SNEB rockets cannot be used on carriers due to safety concerns. They are two different rocket systems the rockets are not interchangable. Selwyn

The Paveway II and enhanced Paveway II are based on the UK 1000lb bomb Enhanced Paveway II + does not exist! it is at best a project. "Paveway" refers to the standard of Guidance package. that is attached to the nose of the bomb. Both bombs generally look identical (search paveway on the aircraft modern and cold war forums to see images) the only visual difference being that the Enhanced Paveway II has two GPS antenna "Bumps" on the top andbottom of the guidance and a wirting conduit running from the guidance to the bomb tail. This is secured to the bomb body by two large silver jubilee clips. Selwyn

The Correct description of this item is a Universal bomb carrier" Selwyn

Definition of old age I remember XV 997 being delivered brand spanking new to 4(AC) Squadron at Gutersloh.........................................! (late "81" IIRC, memory fades with old age?) Selwyn

The bomb being used in Libya is the Enhanced Paveway III. "The Paveway III" refers to the guidance which on Paveway III is laser only. Enhanced Paveway III is laser and/or GPS guided. The British 2000lb bomb although it looks like the US GBU is not the same. It is configured differently and is not interchangable with the US version. It uses a UK fuze, US type fuses will not fit. The tail unit, although it appears similar is different to the US item as it has a arming vane at the back to arm the UK fuse. (visable in the pictures above) GBU is a US designation and is not used by the UK. Selwyn

Cant help on the weight issue but I can add that the Mk 7 was Notoriously unreliable The Alvis Leonides engine installation was never a success. it was a more powerful engine than the US wright engine and caused transmission failiures. There were also design problems. One of the biggest was that the air intake for the engine was on the bottom near the front RH wheel (a box structure clearly visable on pictures) It was found that when using the dipping sonar close to the sea surface, on several occasions a big wave splashed the aircraft bottom resulting in seawater in the Carburettor system causing engine stalling and the Copter having to ditch! Selwyn

Gents I am just about to start a build of the FROG Blackburn Shark These two aircraft were products of the early 1930's had the same 3 man crew had the same defensive armament and were dimensionally just about the same. As part of my research into the Shark I was able to compare the performance details of both aircraft. Strangly the Shark was lighter (empty weight) had a more powerful engine, was faster , had a longer range, and could carry a bigger torpedo/bombload than the Swordfish. So can anyone tell me why did the FAA replace the Shark with the Swordfish as it appears that it was a step backwards in capability? Any Ideas? Selwyn

HEEEELP! Last night dropped the clear sprue into the jaws of the carpet monster. I moved my wheeled computer/ Modelling chair to retrieve it and, "CRUNCH!" yes I got both Canopies. So the question is: Has anyone got a spare F8 /FR9 canopy in 1/72 They might let me have? I looked for an Aeroclub replacement but they seem to have stopped trading. Selwyn

Proximity of pylons has little effect on stability, what effects stability is the aircraft centre of gravity which is affected by the stores carried not pylons which are mainly a permanent fit.. If you have heavy stores on one wing and nothing on the other is an obvious example, the size of the store also has drag implications. Proximity of pylons can cause problems during store release due to aerodynamic effects. every aircraft is different in this respect. Your reference to Buccaneers probably refers to problems they encountered aerodynamically with that particular type. If I remember Bucc pylons were repositioned on later build aircraft, probably as a result of those trials at Boscome. Selwyn

I work for BAE Systems They are definately for aircraft use! Selwyn

Having had experience of 2" rockets the moulds look very accurate to me . 2" rockets are not pointed, and do have rounded heads so the moulds are correct! Selwyn