Phartycr0c

Hi Brian, I thought that may be the case, thanks for the confirmation. I did think about it, but having since carefully watched Tonkas touching down, I havn't ever seen them deploy the buckets until the nosewheel is down. Besides, showing the TR buckets deployed, far far to complicated and rich for my blood. I will have the airbrakes out and flaps and slats dangling free. In any case, once the tr,s are cut from the exhaust part Revell provides, there is some serious scratch work to be done underneath and very very little left of the original part. Again the scratchbuilding of the engine bits underneath the buckets. a little complicated for me.

OK Iv'e stopped being such a lazy a@se ive enlarged the openings to fit the Paragon wing loves flush..... much better, Phots to follow.!

Oh no not again! dependant on commitments I may come in with another 1/32 GR4.... 41 sqdn!

M8, iv'e been watching your conversion and your doing a fantastic job without the conversion set. In fact, the conversion is cheating in comparison to your scratch build...... Im not on a timescale really but I need to clear this for the Phantom build, assuming work doesnt get in the way....

Thats some lovely work. Im really looking forward to the paint job. I must admit I have always admired this scheme but was always at a loss as to how to capture it, and a real scaredy cat to boot!

lovely lovely lovely. Have to get me one now I suppose, especially for the price!

Ok not really much to update as todays wet weather modelling fest turned into more time spent assisting my two lads with their respective builds i.e this and this meaning bits and bobs got done on the Tornado. Since my last update I have mainly built the main structures of the aircraft i.e wings tail elevons and fuselage, The lh gun port is filled and sanded and the refuelling door has been scribed wings have been cut and prepped ready for the Paragon flaps and the "tarse" end has been extended and filled (yet to be rubbed down) Ive also included one of the Paragon wing gloves, although im not too sure about this as it sits proud of the fuselage although it is far better than the kit one. Ive also opened up the APU vent, this will be painted at the relevant point. Finally, Iv'e opened up the auxillary air doors on the intakes A little work required on the tail methinks. Under carriage is also done. Im using the white metal Scale Model conversions set due to the weight of the bird. The front strut is thankfully modeled with the oleo extended which will fit in great with my indented display. Next up is the "joining together" ceremony which will allow me then to get her "mr surfacer" prepped and into the paintshop. She will be carrying the large hindenburg tanks, four "skyflash" (sparrows) and four Aims, hence the requirement for metal legs. TTFN

Impressive building in the "scale of kings" love the paint scheme on the flanker and the F4 is something else! Lovely.

That really is a beautiful Sea King and extremely well executed. I love the paintwork and the folded blades is a stunning way of displaying her, Well done!

good news, If I missed it what squadron you doing? Cancel that 11 Sqdn! good choice!

ITS IN! so to speak, the cockpit, the wheel well and the extension plug. All in all it went in nicely however, there was a lot of hacking and filing to be done. The cockpit itself, I have kept to a minimum as most of the detail will be lost as the cockpit, I have decided, will be closed. The project itself will be my attempt at this scene The cockpit was sprayed, washed and drybrushed. and introducing the staff members, but they are for later. Next the wings got a bit of a hack, in preparation for all that lovely ? Paragon resin! Before After lying in a pile! TTFN

A few from me

Ok for all the Tornado followers, Can anyone tell me why when at rest and powered down with wings extended, the GR4 sits with the wings "all together" yet the F3 sits flaps and slats out. Is this config chosen by design on both ac or is it something that occurs when power is absent from the relevant jacks. The reason I ask is that iv'e found a couple of photos which tends to display this anomaly. I have ony seen one GR4 at rest with the flaps down.

Ok, not so much an update, more a statement of intent. Iv'e had a think. Because I have a Paragon Flaps and slats set for the big Tornado I am thinking of popping some staff into the cockpit and presenting the aircraft on a base at an angle as if just touched down. That means everything can hang loose and I can have the airbrakes and such out. what do we think?

Hmm F3,s in the air at the moment...... If your luck is anything like mine, Revell will release a 1/32 updated F3. Pchar Right, and monkeys might fly out of my butt! Will be watching this with interest.

Hi Merv, That would be most useful. To the rescue again!

Yep, with you now... A little filling and re profiling required methinks.

Hi Blacktjet, Im not entirely sure what you mean in terms of the starting point for the extension. I appreciate that the conversion may not be completely accurate, however if you were to trace a line right round the fuselage from the vertical cuts, it would pass roughly through the hinge points. The extension at the back of the canopy is to allow the resin a little "purchase". Is that the issue you are referring to?

Not really much of an update, just to say that after what seemed like an age of cutting, sawing filing and sanding, im left with this What you are looking at is the replacement fuselage underside with the recesses for the skyflash missiles (adapted aim120's in this build btw). In addition the fuselage extension plug was made to fit. This is all obviously before filler and is as close as i can make it given the state of the resin, which brings me on to the next point. When I bought this kit off Meidert some two years or more ago, he was at pains to point out that the rubber moulds had reached the end of their life and as such he wasn't prepared to guarantee the quality of the resin parts. With that caviat, I knew possibly what iIwas getting in to until now. Having completed the fuselage cutting it was time to start on the cockpit. The kit provided new panels bulkheads and ejection seat heads. On close inspection, my eyesight allowing, I noted the following. rear cockpit bulkhead has a chunk missing out of the top curve of the panel. there are a few pits where they shouldn't be on the centre bulkhead and crt panels. nothing major though, the big problem in my opinion is the front panel I feel it is unuseable and but for the tiny difference between the GR and the F3 I think I will be using the Kit part. It sounds like Im having a go at Meinderts work, Far from it! he was brave nough to put the work into this conversion and by heck I will do my utmost to get the best out of what I have got, as, lets face it , it is the only game in town. I want to complete the build as a tribute to the F3 which is finished finally in March this year. Oh and I stuck the huge fin together.!

Due to the weather blighted planned last flights of the Harrier from Cottesmore, the aircraft were given one last swansong in late December when 800 Naval Air Squadron and IV ® Squadron at RAF Cottesmore flew an approved route over several Lincolnshire and Suffolk airfields, then on for a flypast over the MOD and Parliament to entertain a number of UK and foreign dignitaries and massed MP's. The disgruntled yet highly professional former Harrier pilots were specially recalled for this event, laid on by the RAF top brass in an effort to demonstrate that despite the cuts, the good old British stiff upper lip will eventually see us through. This event wasn't well publicised and unusually escaped the attentions of most of the Aviation enthusiast sites. Fortunately an image of the London leg of the flypast was captured for prosperity.

Good grief man! its your own group build........first place Gunpowder 17 second place gunpowder 17 third etc.... Ill be watching this one closely as ive got one for the BG to be done in the lovely Michigan ANG colours. Where's the best place to get the rhino intakes??

Really really nice work. love the seat and those wheelbays are resin works of art. I have an Aires set for my F105 really looking forward to seeing this develop.

It Is! I wanted to see what it looked like Hee hee. I can assure you that I wont make that mistake when it comes to glue it! (I hope) measure twice, cut once, thats what my dad always told me!

AH yes but wait until the air intakes and stuff are on, it wont look THAT bad I can assure you. Thats assuming I get stuff right!

Hi Dave, I was fortunate enough to lay my hands on one of Meindert de Vreeze's resin conversion kits. It was a limited run and has been sat in my stash for a good couple of years. A little bit of hacking and filing of the relatively soft plastic later and this emerges. one gets the impression of what this bird will look like. one decision I do have to make is wether to smack in the paragon Flaps and slats set. If I do Ill aim at doing a "touch down" dio where the aircraft has literally just landed. If not just having the aircraft at rest, in which nothing hangs loose and the rbf tags will be in place with the cockpit open. Decisions decisions.