Selwyn

Its the Bristol under nose turret, its definitely not a torpedo sight. Selwyn

MACE was unique to RAF and RSAF Tornado, German and Italian Tornadoes use standard bail lugs. Selwyn

Slater, The UK Mk 22 PB was designed to be recovered and re-used up to three times. Being by design a hollow thick walled bomb the lugs/lug pockets were the usual main damage points when they were dropped. The lug pockets were replaceable items being bolted into the bomb case from the inside, so after recovery you opened the bomb by unscrewing the complete base plate, and renewed the lug pockets. That process then allowed you to fit new lugs. You then cleaned it up, repainted it Deep Saxe blue and used it again. After every drop the base plate was marked. After three drops if the bomb was still in relative good condition, the bomb was again repaired, repainted Oxford Blue, clearly marked "Drill, not for flight," and then it could be used for weapon load training by ground crews. Selwyn

There isn't much "wear and tear" on live weapons or practice weapons, they are usually just taken out of storage and dropped! You do get age related fading on live weapons depending on how they are stored, not so much on practice as they are used far more often than live so they don't sit in storage for long periods Selwyn

If it is painted light blue it is a Practice bomb not a dummy. the term DUMMY or INERT is used to designate an inert (free from explosive) weapon and these weapons are stencilled with the word DUMMY or INERT on them to show this. Practice weapons are not necessarily inert. If its a US Paveway weapon its FS 35109, a UK 1000lb Paveway is Deep Saxe Blue Bs381C 113. Selwyn

Yes, British aircraft were painted high speed silver, as bare metal didn't last long in the UK climate! I think the only natural metal finished aircraft was the lightning, but even they ended up painted. Selwyn

The fin tip error was on the 1/72 kit not the 1/24! As the 1/24 kit was issued later as a GR3 it would be prudent to ask if anybody has the GR3 parts and Laser nose from that kit going spare if they has built it up as a GR1. Selwyn

Yes the bombs are totally incorrect the RAF does not use any Mk 80 series bombs or their related GBU's. The bombs used on the RAF jet is the 1000lb Paveway II(UK) sometimes found very incorrectly labelled as a CPU123. More appropriate would be BL755 cluster bombs which was the standard Warload for GR3. Selwyn

Just note that this seat strap arrangement is only good for GR3 post 1981. GR1 and G3 upto that year had a conpletly different arrangement with no long straps. Selwyn

Lovely build, I have been doing a conversion to the Mk4 in 1/48 based on the Tamiya kit. Looks a bit too dirty for my liking, You would be in trouble on your squadron if you let your silver painted jets get in that state! But each to his own, your kit your rules! Selwyn

Finally finished! other pics in the gallery Selwyn

Selwyns Meteor conversion PR10 from NF 11/12/13

Think you have made a slight error here, The canopy was wider than the fuselage as it opened by sliding back over the aircraft spine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_Hampden#/media/File:Loading_bombs_onto_a_World_War_II_Handley_Page_Hampden_(4821425043).jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_Hampden#/media/File:RAF_Bomber_Command_1940_HU104656.jpg Selwyn

Just to let you know that one of the key features of the Hampden was it was entirely flush riveted! Selwyn

I will let you off, just this once! Selwyn

its been in the finished gallery for about a month! Selwyn

Quick update, Not been able to get any modelling done this week as life got in the way! but finishing this is on the top of my hit list. Watch this space! Selwyn

The Occre B type isn't very accurate, and it was sold as a Dennis B type which was strange as Dennis didn't make B types! Selwyn

The 1000lb BOMB to 1000lb Paveway II (UK) would be a quite difficult as the No 120 tail is very different from the 114 tail supplied with the kit. The US mk82 to GBU 12 would not be much easier as again the tail unit is again very different from the tail supplied with the kit. Selwyn

The cockpit was BS 381C Dark Admiralty Grey 632! Selwyn

legs were light admiralty grey bs381c 697 Have seen the wheel wells in both white and primer yellow. Selwyn

Never ever seen one of these built up before, What a lovely job, great paint scheme, I'm very impressed! Selwyn

A Meteor update, due to circumstances I have been a bit busy to get to the bench as much as I would of liked, so not much modelling time in this week, but still I managed to get the paints out and get on with this kit. So it was on with the Medium sea grey and PRU blue with a big a masking session in between, (good stuff that Tamiya tape!) and the result is below. Paint came out OK, so its time to move on to the decalling phase, As I said at the start of this build I shall be hitting my decal stash for registration and ident letters. I can use the kit roundels and wing lines on the build, but the tail markings will need to be replaced or modified to fit the different type of tail unit. So, its out with the sharp knife and scissors. Its one of my favourite bits in a build as applying the decals to me transform the kit into a proper model representation of what you are building. It also means the end is in sight! Watch this space! Selwyn

No, but there is a photo of them dragging a couple! so they obviously did use them. Selwyn