Mr T

We were there a couple of years ago, have good time and look out for the Pastis de Natal (though you can get them in our local Lidl but prob not as good as the ones you will get there)

From what I have read the evolution of the Swift wing was not straightforward and the lwing planform is more complicated than you would think.

Have made some more progress now another Group Build model had been finished. Started work on the basic kit interior, undercarriage etc. I am going to build the interior OOB as it is quite well detailed and the F.2 canopy is quite heavily framed compared to the F.4 and FR5. The view out of it for a fighter must have been poor. I added one of the new replacement upper wings. A good fit, the only problem being self induced when I took a bit too much resin, but not difficult to sort out. One panel line does no line up, but overall everything matches up very well considering it is resin with the variable shrinkage that can occur. Photos below, the second one shows the difference in planform of the two different marks The tab on the trailing edge of the resin wing is part of the moulding process. I did not remove it to help protect the resin, but one the control surfaces are on it will be trimmed.

Went out with my walking group this am as I needed a bit of fresh air and it was an easy walk so less likely to set nose bleeding again. As we were near Bradford, made a detour on the way home and picked up a Revell Shackleton MR3 and a Sword Skyraider AEW1 I had on back order. Well chuffed with both of them.

I was surprised by the size of the plane compared to the box size. A bit of a reverse to modern trends (although the GWH F15I box is pretty full) where sometimes there is a single sprue rattling around a big box

Thanks for the comments. I thought I better spend a bit of time in the cockpit as there is a lot of canopy. My nose appears to be settling down, which is just as well as a lot on again family wise.

A Dragonfly in injected plastic would be nice, although the Whirlykits resin/vacform is very nice and well detailed.

Looks very promising.

General Aircraft Hotspur II, BT605, 2 Gilder Training School. WIP here https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235056344-f152-another-hotspur-172nd-frogspawn/

The model is now finished and in the gallery. I am glad that this Group build has encouraged me to dig something out of the stash after all this time

Moved on with the 138 over the last day or so and the wings rudder and tailplane have been added. The wings and tail are not the best of fits and filler has been added with some plastic card fillets to fill a gap at the leading edge of the wing and fuselage join. no sure if that is due to my enthusiastic sanding down of the wing. The Spitfire (Sword Mk Vc kit in 504 Sqn markings finished earlier this year) is for scale and shows the 138 as a big aeroplane for a single Pegasus engine.

Nearly there! Masking off canopy and cabin windows. Just a few bits to touch up and then will be in the gallery. Has been a bit fraught in places due to the canopy issues, but faily pleased now it is nearly done.

I have managed to move on a bit with this kit now the Hotspur is virtually finished. The fuselage is together and seems to need a bit of filler. On the photo, you cannot really see it as the filler an plastic are virtually the same colour. Dave, I am sorry to hear about the tinted canopy, I think QC at Novo was never brilliant. I can remember checking kits for sort shots etc as there seemed to be issues.

Listening to the 'Best of Jethro Tull' 1993 double CD I bought very cheap from a charity shop. Some good tracks from albums I have not really listened to. Early tracks took me back to uni days

That looks a very nice build. Keep meaning to build an RAF one, but never got round to it