Pete M.

Blue Gray was not the same colour as Intermediate Blue....

Falcon kits are mostly still available from NZ: https://www.falconmodels.co.nz/kits.html

I'm sure I've posted these before, but these are from P-40N-20 NZ3220 'Gloria Lyons'. I have seen samples of the Curtiss Interior Green at AVSPECS at Ardmore from P-40B's to N's and they are all the same dark colour! Nothing like the so called standard US Interior Green. This is used throughout the airframe and it appears to be sprayed over a coating of Yellow Zinc Chromate. Photos by Kerry Carlyle and Damon Edwards of IPMS Auckland Branch. Cheers, Pete M.

Actually in Cornwall, but have you looked at Fantasy Printshop's range? Can't see any in 1:48 scale, but they do have Blue with White outlines in 1:72 scale. https://www.fantasyprintshop.co.uk/ I have had good service from them here in New Zealand with reasonable postage rates. Cheers, Pete M.

From the repair manual: FB.1 fin and rudder. FB.2,3 and 4 (with small variations). The booms remained the same for all marks. Cheers, Pete M.

Excepting the FG-ID from Goodyear...not one of my fathers photos taken in Japan when he was there with No.14 Squadron RNZAF appears to have an Ns.Sea Blue forward upper cowling! It is hard to spot, but looking carefully at other RNZAF F4U-ID Corsairs does show the matt finished upper cowlings. Cheers, Pete M.

As promised, Dh Goblin pics from the manual to compare to the Ghost. Of note is the intakes on each side, not a single one as per the Ghost. Airfix got this completely wrong in their 1:48 kit...it's more like a Venom intake!!!! Hope these help, Pete M.

Dh Ghost details from the manual. Micro made a reasonable job of both, but much simplified: The Goblin in the Vampire was similar, but different in front and rear. I'll post some for that one tomorrow along with a few more notes on the Venom FB.I Cheers, Pete M.

I have just received my kit, and find there are no fins/rudders for an FB.1 despite the boxart... all parts, instructions and decals are for Mk.4's. Looks like a kit bash using the Aeroclub FB1 in my stash to get my RNZAF leased aircraft in Malaya! Lots of flash as well, but not as bad as a FM kit!!!!! Cheers, Pete M.

Possibly 'War Eagle' in the USA. Vacforms were supplied by Falcon here in New Zealand, resin from??? I have the 1:48 vac in my stash but would have to dig it out to confirm. Never saw the complete War Eagles sets here. Cheers, Pete M.

Here's a better photo showing the differing tones and colours: Note how much gloss there is on the upper wings compared to the N.s.Sea Blue on the leading edges. Cheers, Pete M.

Below are two photos taken of NZ3220's wings when they were being refurbished by Avspecs Ltd at Ardmore airfield. Note how dark the Curtis interior paint is after some 70 odd years. This airframe stood out in the open at the Rukuhia depot for many years before John Smith purchased it and stored the fuselage in his shed. The wings were stored outside but under some corrugated iron sheeting as a cover! Photos by Kerry Carlyle. Hope this helps, Pete M.

I have just received this kit and luckily, no twisting is visible in the pods. One question I do have is that the undercarriage legs appear to be very anemic compared to both the Aeroclub kit and the CA kit! Do any of you have dimensions for the main u/c legs? Cheers, Pete M.

Hi Sosezi. There are a couple of massive threads here on Britmodeller covering just this subject..just do a search... is just one. Cheers, Pete M.

Ooops, typo...yes should have been XX829...bloody fat fingers! Cheers, Pete M.

It'll be interesting to see if you do receive one! All my messages to Kittyhawk have so far gone unanswered...👎

I'm not usually a jet modeller, but a few years ago during one of my Telford trips to the UK I did a walkaround of the twin seater at Newark as it was right out in the open in front of their hangar and too good a chance to ignore it for others! Revisited it again in 2019 so got a few more photos. Now, what is the original base colour on that one..lots of shades to replicate as I will be doing XX289 as now displayed??? Cheers, Pete M.

Hi Frank. I'm another that received one with the main canopy cracked in half. After 2 years of trying to get a replacement via both Hannant's and Kittyhawk, I found another kit just across the Tasman in OZ at a great price which has now arrived undamaged. I now have a lot of spare parts in one box, but may build a second one as being under maintenance!!! Cheers, Pete M

And Monogram (Revell) also missed it on their 1:48 scale kits..needs a bit of 'fettling' to get it correct. Pete M.

Hi Jim. In my humble opinion, the best RAF WWII rockets are those from the Aires Aerobonus line, but they only do the 60 lbr's, no 25's! Maybe combine the rocket tubes and fins with the Tamiya warheads??? Hannant's are only showing the 1:32 scale kits in stock, none in 1:48. Kit numbers are 480-067 and 320-064. I did a quick review of these for our club's newsletter back in 2016..a couple of quick snapshots attached below: Hope these help. I will also dig out my Revell kit to see what they are like, but I've just finished a move to a new apartment, and many kits are still sitting in large cartons in the lounge! Cheers, Pete M.

Found in a batch of recently digitised photos from the Air Force Museum Of New Zealand archives. I have cropped the original and straitened it horizontally it for posting here. The original full sized image can be found here: https://fotoweb.airforcemuseum.co.nz/fotoweb/archives/5003-Search-the-Collection/Collection/2021-078.21_1.JPG.info The caption reads: Negative from the FE Fennessy personal collection. Side view of Hawker Osprey K3629, from HMS Sussex on the hard at RNZAF Station Hobsonville. HMS Sussex was visiting New Zealand between late 1934 and early 1935. Hopefully some details there for any of you building an Osprey on floats. Cheers, Pete M.

Hendy. Back in the day when this kit was first released, John Adams of Aeroclub released a set of corrected intakes for the CA kits, and a new fuselage 'pod' for the FB5..luckily I got both at Telford back then. Intakes are resin and the 'Pod' is injected, and far superior to the CA effort! Well worth searching out for if doing another CA Vampire kit. Cheers, Pete M.

Done under the Cooper Details brand, his older company before becoming Barracuda. Roy also does wheels and a canopy for the reasonably good CA kit. Cheers, Pete M.

Glad to help out. I do have more general photos of the rest of the airframe if anyone is interested? Cheers, Pete M.

New link to folder, works on my laptop without Dropbox...https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dj0a210hu8yi3mb/AACcPoTwG8RjI7zmxN5GAND3a?dl=0 If not I'll have to post all the individual links or for anyone with Dropbox wanting them, give your email addy and I'll do the invite thing. Cheers, Pete M.