Harry Lime

Thanks for the tip, but was already aware of these and not in a good way. Various threads on Britmodeller have pointed out that they are inaccurate so the quest for accurate 1/72 CBLS-100's goes on! I'll be ordering a couple of yours for my Kinetic Harriers though, will certainly provide something different to the usual live weapons. Mark.

Since you've stuck you're head above the parapet, allow me to second that suggestion! Such a common store on UK military aircraft yet so often overlooked by after the aftermarket. Mark.

Are we sure about this? I'm not seeing anything obviously pylon looking on this image. To the best of my knowledge, the RAF ones have always had the fairings where the pylons would mount on the wings. Mark.

From Squadron Codes 1937 - 56, Y3 was used by 518 Sqn between July 1943 to October 1946. It retained this code when renumbered as 202 Sqn in Oct 46 and it remained in use until 1951. In the examples given it lists Halifax III as being LK745, Y3-X and a Mk VI as RG843, Y3-O. 518 Sqn was a Meteorological squadron. Mark.

You're right, they didn't have in-flight refuelling using hose and drogue. They did however have HIFR, Helicopter In Flight Refuelling. Essentially, the helicopter hovers over a ship and an empty winch is lowered. Refuelling hose is attached and winched up and the hose attached to the refuelling point nearest the door! (@Wellsprop just posted whilst I was typing this out and his pic shows this). Mark.

Airfix's 1980 release of the Beagle had those markings if you can find some useable ones. Mark.

Dave, yes. Geoff Thomas's RAF Thunderbolts. Mark.

Mark, Superb selection of shots, really enjoyed seeing these! Mark.

Mike, You might not have to wait too long to see another DHC-2 in your preferred scale! Mark.

Sorry, not being a Tamiya user I can't help with that I'm afraid. Mark.

That might be because the actual colour used is BS381c 361 Light Stone. Seems there'e a lot if duff info out there, see this earlier Britmodeller thread for details. Hope this helps, Mark.

Bill, further to Bob's answer, the blue specified for GSE in this period was BS 381C 169 Traffic Blue. The aircraft tug in his image is in the specified blue for vehicles which was BS 381C 633 RAF Blue Grey, hence the difference in appearances. I've not found a model paint yet that is matched to 169 Traffic Blue. Mark.

The finish was bare metal, not painted. KM118 QV-X would fit your request, a port side photo appeared in Airfile 19 RAF Mustang Mk IVs in the November 2009 MAM. Unfortunately my lack of a scanner means I can't send it to you! Mark.

It is rather 'warts and all' isn't it?!

Nick, Thanks for getting back to me, much appreciated. I had noted the camo undersides to the main wings, the red/blue roundel and the darker camo part to the rear of the gun pod but hadn't registered the tail plane undersides so thanks for pointing that one out. I have an image of XV778 from August 1979 that clearly shows by then he was a Flt Lt, but fairly sure one of my written refs somewhere says he was a Fg Off during the '77 Belize deployment. I'm assuming the dark area aft of the airbrake is the panel covering the space that was eventually used to house the AN/ALE-40 dispensers later in the GR3's life? I'm presuming it's been swapped out from a wrap-around camo machine in the same way the back end of the cannon housing has been too. It'd be nice to be able to pin down what the artwork on the laser-nosed GR3 is, my suspicion is that it is the double palm tree artwork shown on the image on p.88 of 'Harrier' by Tim McLelland which was an XZ serialled machine, unfortunately the rest of the serial can't be made out. Thanks, Mark.