fatal bert

That's a J back end albeit not a Brit one. Certainly don't have roller down for para but the side guidance as you know it from the K is a permanent fit on the J. All this talk of Hercs has got me thinking that I could perhaps nearly almost maybe possibly get round to doing the 1/48 J I've had for what must be nearly 10 years now...... Maybe. Interesting reading Debs. Trying to work out if I know you but suspect you left the K as I joined it. Looking forward to seeing how Snoopy turns out; I did 3 or 4 dets on it as gear monkey too. Still driving the J albeit in my spare time now; day job driving one of Mr Branson's shiny 'planes. PS. Uncle Fester could indeed be a bit grumpy but I also got on with him just fine

PS. that's also a Mk4 but again, there are no differences between this and the Mk5 apart from the fuselage length. As an aside, from a piloting point of view the aircraft are basically the same. There are a couple of minor differences in speeds in certain conditions and it is "easier" to tail strike the Mk4 if you flare too much on landing but that's basically it.

Hi Kev The Mk4 and Mk5 flightdecks are both exactly the same, The only difference between the aircraft is the length of the fuselage - plugs were inserted fore and aft of the wings to increase the volume of freight that the Mk4 could carry. The flightdeck does have three seats with the third seat being on rails between the centre console and the rear desk. I've seen the bits that make up the Italeri flightdeck and know you've got your work cut out. The big cabinet thing looks like it was thought up by the person designing the model cockpit as a well to fill space! Good luck! I did a photo walkround of the aircraft for someone years ago and still have all the photos. Let me know if you get stuck on something - I probably have a photo of it. If not, I can wander in and take one! Here are some engines for you! Some fairly clean ones: And some not so clean. They pick up the desert dirt quite easily! Oh and if you survive scratch building the flightdeck here's another job for you!

Here's a few around the crew door and under the flightdeck This is looking in through the crew door. The flightdeck steps are straight ahead - turn right to go into the freight bay: This is looking from the freight bay back towards this area: PM if you have any further queries about things. I used to fly them (and still instruct in the sim as a reservist).

Here's a few flightdeck pics I took a few years ago. Hope they help.

Very smart until the first engine change leaves it with a grey engine!

Here's a couple more of the tatty old girl.... The blisters are indeed being removed from the Mk 5s due, as my namesake says, to the aerodynamic issues of turbulent airflow over the elevators. As for the neoprene covering, Simon is quite correct as to the whys and wherefores of the stuff. Worth noting that due to the direction of the prop rotation the covering extends all the way up the fuselage on the starboard side but not on the port (first picture above).

Here's a pic I took the other day showing the colour of the neoprene coating on a very faded Mk5... As an aside, does anyone make aftermarket resin LAIRCM blisters for the J yet?