tomprobert

There really are some wonderful pictures here - and the thing that strikes me is the variation in finishes on the airframes. Some are weathered to the point of looking as if they are going to fall apart, and others are more or less pristine. And this varies hugely between air forces, and also within the range of a particular aircraft type in a particular air force - it's really quite fascinating! Thanks for sharing! Tom

Decal debacle over!! I’ve been re-enthused and have raided the spare decal stash and have cobbled together enough stencils to at least give a representation of a Vulcan - the green/grey camo previously damaged on the nose through stubborn decal removal has also been corrected and repaired. The roundels came from Xtradecal and I’m just waiting on delivery of some stencil lettering for the serial on the fin. Thankfully, I managed to salvage the Aeroclub fin badges and got them applied ok. I’ve also painted the smaller detail areas and it’ll soon be ready for some matt varnish. Air brakes, bomb bay and gear doors need adding first - a job for another day. Anyway - excuse the terrible lighting in my kitchen and the too-shiny appearance at the moment, but I think I’m back on track… More when there’s more… Tom

I'd be very happy to - I think a 1/48th example of a Stirling would be a really popular kit (along with a new-tool Halifax) and if HK are going to do the Sunderland and Halifax in 1/32nd I'd be hopeful they would do a 1/48th version of each too, as they did with the Lanc.

The Sunderland is massive in 1-32… …and the Halifax too! I have one of those built as well. In fact it seems HK is rumoured to be following my lead (by that I mean I spend 2+ years building one in vac and then HK release one!) so you can bet your bottom dollar a Stirling will be next!

It’s important to remember, gentlemen, that one mustn’t rush these things!

Thanks, Graham - it’s a lovely kit to build and even from the box it has some lovely detail. A super-detailer could have a field day if they so wished, however.

No - but I’ve been looking through the decal stash again this afternoon and I reckon I can cobble enough together stencil-wise to make it work…

The roundels and serials aren’t a problem as I have an Xtradecal sheet for them. It’s the many stencils that are causing the issue - I could leave them off but it would look a bit bland, but having had a rummage through my spares box I have a few odd stencils that may do the trick. They won’t be perfect, but I think I can make it work. I now just need to find the enthusiasm to repaint the affected areas… My other concern is the 44 Squadron badge on the tail and the City of Lincoln badges - I’m hoping if I trim very close to the artwork itself and remove the carrier film silvering will be kept to the minimum. I am going to give it a week or two and will then have a bash and some repairs. Still not in the mood for it to be honest.

Cheers, gents. I did some research and couldn’t find any pictures of 58 Sqn Hunters looking anything other than very clean, so that’s the way I replicated mine.

No worries - I’ve now got a beautiful British Airways decal sheet and this will, one day, be finished in the timeless Landor livery after BA took on the Caledonian DC-10 fleet. Cheers, Neil - and I agree the DC-10 is one beautiful bird. It’s a shame we don’t see much of them these days - only the occasional cargo hauler but even these are becoming a rare sight.

Thanks, Kev - it might make Telford if I ever overcome the decal issue! Yes indeed. There’s no point slogging on with a model if your heart is not in it. It’ll only end up causing more frustration and then, as you say, things start to go really wrong! I’ll come back to it one day, when the mood takes. Yes - they are the original decals. I imagine any kit if the same vintage will have the same issues unfortunately. And an aftermarket set would be splendid - but the market very small, I imagine! This is going to have to be a case of cobbling together but and bobs from other decal sheets - I’m not obsessed with accuracy so I’ll make something work… Tom

That is some incredible modelling, Neil.

Holy thread resurrection, Batman! I found this lurking forlornly in the back of my loft so did some work on it today. I filled in the cockpit windows I’d previously cut out as I have some photo-realistic decals from Authentic Airliners, and also rubbed all the fuselage joints down and made them good. Wheel bays have been made from plastic card previously (didn’t take any photos at the time) and I am now ready for a marathon scribing session… The tail is just plonked on for the photos and will be finished off and added as and when I’ve done the stabilisers and wings.

Greetings all, An Easter holidays completion from me - Revell's 1/32nd scale Hawker Hunter FGA.9 more or less OOB, other than some aftermarket decals from AeroMaster and some home-made FOD guards. This kit is really under-rated in my humble opinion - it has lots of detail OOB and beautiful surface detailing from a time when Revell were at the top of their game. I had no issues whatsoever with the build - it's about as close as you can get to building Lego - and it went together in a few days. Paints were Xtracolur enamels with a splash of Humbrol Matt Cote to finish it off. Some light weathering was done with Mig pastels. All in all a very enjoyable build - and it only cost me a tenner under the table at a show! All the best, Tom Hawker Hunter FGA.9, XG207, 58 Squadron, RAF Wittering, mid-1970s.

Hi Christian, I’m from England but have been in love with the Fortress since I can remember. When I was a wee lad my dad gave me a 1/48th Monogram B-17 to play with and my life long obsession with the Fortress began then and have never stopped! I even visited the US a few years back specifically to fly in a B-17 and what an experience that was! You are correct in saying that most restored B-17s are painted/restored incorrectly but this is due to conservation - painted interiors help prevent corrosion. Why interior green is usually used is still beyond me - although Yankee Lady is painted inside at least they’ve used Bronze Green which is the correct colour. Sentimental Journey is the most accurate warbird - she’s been left in her factory finish aluminium inside. Doors were indeed left in natural wood from the factory - the only exception is the one at the rear of the cockpit which was often (although not always) painted in Bronze Green on the flight deck side. However, this does seem to vary between airframes and batches. All other doors were unpainted. The nose compartment was unpainted in all models, with the exception of the rear bulkhead which was Bronze Green. Models up to mid-batch Fs left the factory with an olive green noise deadening material between the ribs and stringers, but this was deleted from production as it proved to be a fire hazard. Many had it removed when in service, too, revealing the natural aluminium beneath. This was also fitted in the radio room up to mid-batch Fs too, but the bulkheads were aluminium. Bomb bays were unpainted on all G models - including the racks. There were some F models which had their bays painted in Neutral Gray (Memphis Belle included) but I’ve not been able to pin down exact construction blocks yet - they do all seem to be Boeing built though. By the time the G model was in production, no paint was used - including on the doors. However, it does appear that there are some exceptions the rules above. Keep in mind over 12,000 B-17s were built in three different factories. Douglas built B-17s did seem to have more green used inside - I have managed to track down one image of a crashed B-17 and it appears the radio room walls were painted. It’s the only picture I’ve ever found showing paint in the radio room though. Also, with many parts manufactured and prepared by subcontractors, there was/is some variation. I have seen pictures of some ribs and stringers in Zinc Chromate Green primer, as well as other various interior parts. However, B-17s were never fully painted inside - at least I’ve never found a photo of one and the Boeing construction manuals specifically state that as such. What’s important to remember is unless you have a specific photo of the interior of a specific aircraft in time, no one can prove you right/wrong either way - and even if they did it’s your model so who cares!