Graham Boak

Both languages have evolved, but differently. There are some aspects of American grammar which are closer to Elizabethan English than modern, but not all. Spelling is notably different, and not all terms are used with the same exact meaning. I recall an American friend who found dual carriageways quaint, but saw nothing odd about turnpikes. American English has taken more vocabulary from Native American and Spanish, whereas English has taken more from India and Africa.

These were aircraft intended for the RAF, so painted in US paints that were close matches to RAF Dark Earth, Dark Green, and Sky. This last was the poorest match, but still recognisably a duck egg blue. Perhaps a little bluer, a little greyer, but these things are difficult to describe. It is available in Colourcoats as a separate colour. Colour charts for the Dupont British colours used have been published on the net, look for Sky Type S Gray. I wouldn't use H30 as it is too blue for DG, but H29 is good. Other Humbrol options are available - but I don't recall the numbers offhand. 116?

Aluminium was still to be seen in Fighter Command too. If this aircraft was repainted on the outbreak of war - give or take a bit - then this was too early for Sky, but when did it go to the squadron? I would agree that a later overpaint of the underside would provide a less ragged demarcation.

ah, but it is the "faux amis"/false friends that look the same but have different meanings that spoil things. However not many crop up in aviation texts. Story time. After the invasion of Southern France, RAF and French B-26 units were sharing an airfield. The French unit was posted home, to their great joy and a scrambling to get as many aircraft as possible serviceable. The British senior NCO reported indignantly to his officer: "these French are demanding spare parts, they can't do that can they!" Demander = to ask. They got their parts. Someone else will have to tell me what the French is for "to demand".

There is no stopping. I can recommend Red Wings n the Winter War as a guide to the operations of every Soviet unit, with lots of photos and s fair few colour profiles. Probably not for you, though, as there probably are cheaper guides, though it does include Finnish stuff. Actually, if it's not too late, I can thoroughly recommend C J Ehrengardt's Camouflages et Marques de L'Aviation Francaise 1939-45, which is just what id says on the cover. Photos, profiles, tables, and even a bit of text covering pretty well every aspect. Wonderful book. Obviously a fair bit of Vichy stuff, which was surprisingly varied. In French, so full of difficult words such as fuselage, nacelle, couleur, etc.

If you want combat types, then the CAO 200 fighter should be mentioned. One made, one kill, by a pilot on a test flight. No Vildebeests in the ME, and Wellesleys fought over East Africa until later on anti-sub patrols. But East Africa gives you wide range of rarer types.

No. The T-VIIIW was a Fokker design, the Douglas DB8 was a single-engined attack aircraft designed by Jack Northrop, and perhaps better known for the retractable undercarriage version the A-17, or Nomad. I have a feeling that someone, obviously MPM, did the experimental land version the T-9 but I may be imagining this.

That does seem the likeliest answer.

I thought that the new B-10 variants from SH/Azure were not covering the Martin 139, which is the WH3 series is it not? The later one with the deeper belly. RS is always worth looking at for unusual but interesting subjects. Too many to get them all, sadly. Although the FK 51 was operational, the overall light blue trainers make a more distinctive version. There was also a single aircraft in the NA-16 series, but like so many of these variants it may need cross-kitting. It was close to an NA-57 as from Azur, so perhaps with some Harvard bits?

Colourcoats do a set of colours for Dutch aircraft, beware that these are to my knowledge the only accurate ones as there has been considerable misrepresentation in profiles over the years. However there is a series of booklets specialising in Dutch and NEI aircraft that will refer you to the proper colours. I'm thinking here of the D.21 and the DB8: Oh yes, another model subject is the Douglas DB8, which has been available from Special Hobby. I think that Pegasus did a D.23 a long time ago, and if they didn't then I'm sure someone else did so. but more recently. The main problem you will face is that book, transfers and models are all short run and sell out fairly rapidly. NEI subjects are generally more readily available but are not always the right variant. They include Do.24, Catalina, Buffalo, CW-21, Hurricane, Lodestar, P-40, P-51, Spitfire, Lodestar, Lockheed 12, B-25 and Martin 139 (not sure of the designation but several variants of the B-10 bomber).

Sky was not that new a colour, having been in use on Blenheims since the turn of the year. What stocks were available is another question, but certainly some and there seems no evidence of factories using anything other than Sky on new aircraft, so you are only looking at those already in service. On the other hand, the main MU supplying paint did not recognise Sky until late November... Whilst enjoying the possible options raised for modelling, I would be particularly doubtful of more than a handful in "Eau de Nil" as this colour was never available in aircraft-quality paints. Opinions differ. Odd things do happen, but generally in the lack of direct evidence doubt the use of anything other than standard colours applied to Ministry (or other Headquarters) rules. Boring I know.

Or a resurgence of cases will strengthen it, to what it should have been in the first place. Our slackness has lead to more illness and deaths than in those countries who were less sluggish. You can even look to parts of this country such as Shetland or the Isle of Man which responded in a quicker and stronger manner. Though I do like your typo "willingless". The accidental ones are sometimes the best.

Did all the variants appear or just that one?

Try Colourcoats or Precision paints. I suspect Xtracolour do one, but you can look it up easy enough. There is a close resemblance in Humbrol, not sure what they call it.

There is also a nice little kit of the Koolhoven 51 - not sure who by but same comments apply. Special Hobby also include a Dutch Fw 58 Weihe in their range. There was a Fokker T.8W from Aviation Usk, but there's little chance of finding that. Azur do an FK 58 fighter, but French markings of course. If you stretch to Netherlands East Indies there is a much wider range. I suggest you look for Dutch Decals for sources of Dutch markings for a wider range of options of largely non-Dutch built types. If you stretch to "would-have-beens" the Dutch had ordered the Do.215 but they were taken over by the Luftwaffe before delivery. There was going to be a Fokker C.V range but I don't recall it ever appearing. The better modern short-run kits will be fairly compatible with mainstream 25 years ago, but with no locating pins and extra resin/etched metal parts.