Procopius

I called them lots of names when I used to work on them. None of them could be repeated here though!

I sound like a broken record whenever someone mentions being in the RAF, but that's so cool! I realize it was probably mostly a frustrating, messy job, but getting to interact with former RAF personnel here is for me like how an ancient Athenian would feel if they were making pots next to Zeus.

I remember one of the lineys at Leuchars telling me (jokingly!) that if they didn't leak, they were empty!

Try blow torch on high setting!

I had no idea that one sort or another was preferable for this! I used chrome. It worked pretty well, aside from seeming to leave a gluey residue at times. It's kind of a game-changer for me, honestly. Between this and learning to rescribe, I may be on the cusp of becoming an average modeller. I can sense my wife's increased attraction to me already.

Nice one! Can't say my wife finds me and my models attractive in any way!

I can help you with the masking issue though. The glue cleans off quite easily with some plastic polish on a cotton bud. If you don't have plastic polish soapy water would do too. I have stopped dipping my canopies in Kleer since using this masking method as it sometimes lifted with the foil.

The Future was coming up on mine a bit, thanks for the advice. I think I'm going to be saving a fair amount on masking in the future.

Nonetheless, nice going!

Was about to ask if the second panel line didn't go so well.

I actually managed two, but then hit that level of excitement where I knew if I kept working, something would go "hilariously" wrong, so I stopped.

Hope it's better than a Special Hobby Spit!

If they put a live grenade with the pin pulled in the box, it could hardly be worse than the Special Hobby Spit.

Having already gone all out on a couple of the Airfix XIX I've no desire to get another. There's an old KP IX that can give up it's rear upper fuselage section and a couple spare canopies from a Tamiya Mk.I that may prove useful though. Someday. Maybe. Heard good things about the Eduard/Aeroteam kit so perhaps all is not lost in your quest for a 21.

I hope you're right, the F.21 is my favorite of the final Spitfire marks.

I cross kitted the XIX and F22 from Airfix, really pleased with the result

I wouldn't say that.

Well of course YOU wouldn't, you modest devil! But I've seen your work, and I've seen mine, too.

Royal Air Force Germany since 1945 by Bill Taylor has lots of nice pics - it covers 60/70s/80s as well mind! Pat

I have that one, and I quite agree on the photos! I often browse through it for inspiration and then go spend some money fecklessly.

Cheer up, You could be suffering from a pile of half built kits!

Or even have to go back to college, Where there are young females!

Bloody painful, isn't it? I got some insoles to correct my overpronation. Helped no end

Pete -- I was fourteen when I started college, so college girls seemed impossibly old to me.

Paul -- wife to the rescue on that front, happily. Hopefully I'll be able to run off all this holiday weight soon.

That will freeze the balls of a pool table.

Ouch! Tried to walk 50 yards from one Herc to another at Banak mid winter when dressed lightly. Failed in -minus stupid! Had to run back to get fully kitted. Me, wimp.

Ooh! Coldest i ever saw was -45 in Yellowknife a few years ago. Bad news!

It's ALWAYS a mistake to grow a beard!

My father-in-law thinks its cool, but my mother-in-law, the real driver of my wife's opinions, thinks it's a huge waste of time. I don't get how a grown woman can be so controlled by her mother, but I ran away from home, so.

Women love 2 things' themselves and their mothers, so marry an orphan.

You can pick your friends...........

Hey Buddy, Wanna buy a slightly used AT AT? Stay Warm. Pete

The F-16 is such a pretty wee thing that it would look good in ANY coat!!. However, that's the problem I have with it. The Jag looks mean & nasty!! The F-16 looks like a toy by comparison!! Like the idea though. Give it the Jag's u/c & capability to operate off rough strips and you'd possibly have a winner. Probably need some kind of built in FOD guard on that huge vacuum cleaner beneath it though!!

Sounds great. I was thinking of the same scheme on an f-15

Vote "Vacform", you know it makes sense!

have you got a link,to this friendly forum,and are its membership requirements quite lax,hope so

I'd agree, the vibe on here is the best it's ever been IMHO.

Okay, that's it, I'm going to throw up now!

Oh, anything, really. I'm a sucker for shark mouths. My favorites are the ones on Harriers, makes 'em look like flying hedgehogs.

Never been a fan of the Harrier ones myself - it's all about the Warhawks, Warthogs and Tiffies

And as a gentleman and connoisseur, I trust you come equipped with top hat & smoking jacket?

In America, it just means I don't spit on the floor indoors.

Muzz - ordered Thunder and Lightning just now.

Rick - I'm playing a long game on the current and recent past wars; I should be around for the first set of "the secret story behind" and then the barrage of memoirs defending this or that.

I don't think you'll be disappointed, read mine a good four or five times, in fact must dig it out!

I'm on tenterhooks!

Currently their Tornado GR1, which to its credit had beautiful surface detail before an orgy of sanding and puttying began.

Also, for some reason, ze Germans are never happy unless they've made a kit's landing gear in eighty tiny pieces.

Only 8? Zey are not taking zis seriously enough!

Geoff - have it and love it. Can hardly wait for volume 2.

Zero - been meaning to get this one!

Should get Vol 2 at the weekend as launched at SMW

Yes, I've been saving my pennies until it becomes available. May even order it from the UK and bite the transatlantic shipping bullet.

Romanes eunt domus.

Romani ite domum, surely.

Probably - it's been a while since I did the Classics

Just means you can have loads of fun scratch building the corrections

Got a few of them in the loft