Graham Boak

The other driver is the habit of Defence Ministries planning future projects on what they see as their needs (fancies) rather than their potential means. Inevitably when the crunch comes 5-10 years downstream there is a traffic jam of new projects that exceed the available funds. Something has to give.

BrewerJerry's picture has a serial RCAF 8719., rather than an RAF serial.

Thanks Paul: I had the G in my mind but not the number. I've now run it in Windows on my desktop. Still won't run on my laptop (Surface Go).

Won't run on Windows, does on Android. The German biplanes are both Bucker Jungmann.

I'm not familiar with the particular airbrush, but this seems to be a problem further back than the nozzle. Check the state of the seals, and/or the duct from the paint reservoir.

Yes, and possibly this was the source used by JRRR for his work. It was not however widely available. If the aircraft had had a major accident in the UK, it would certainly not have retained the unit codes after repair.

It won't play for me. I think the aircraft on the opening page is a Caudron.

I don't think that this was official.

No other squadron used the shark's mouth, although it was copied by the American Volunteer Group.

1mm would certainly be noticeable on a 1/72 kit: whether it is on 1/32 I can't say through lack of experience. However the human eye is remarkably efficient at noticing small differences. My rule of thumb is that if it is more than 2% out of scale, it will be noticeable. Not over such distances as span or length, but depth on fuselage might be another matter. Not by everyone, either, but by those familiar with the type. So is the fuselage depth of a 1/32 Bf.109 more than 5cm?

Z3675 was indeed sent to Russia after service in 302 Sq. It is recorded as WX.B in JRR Rawlings classic Fighter Squadrons of the RAF, published long before such photos were coming out of Russia. The Polish link does suggest that it could have been taken in the UK. It seems unlikely that the markings would have been retained before shipping and still after delivery into Russian hands. Others beyond those in RAF hands have not appeared. Granted the background does not suggest Britain.

I liked Arrival, but 2001 has to top my list with the original Solaris a close follower. Hmm. Common theme of first contact, but Arrival a bit too predictably Hollywood, especially the ending.

Looks like the Aeroproductas prop of the K, but could it be the cuffless Hamilton Standard?

dekenba is right. No customer is going to insist on expensive contracts died to defence needs that go beyond the range of the government's duration. The world changes: economics forces are unpredictable, political forces are unpredictable. In the US, Congress insists on annual defence (defense) budgets that it then micromanages. There and elsewhere money is pared out of budgets, often by introducing delays, that result in greater expenses being incurred elsewhen down the line. This is entirely incompatible with setting agreements in concrete. And what happens when the inflexible contract fails? The wonderful new machine priced at 2024 prices relies upon 2027 technology which fails to materialise to time and anticipated costs? Or there has been massive inflation in costs for imported materials? Or the US stock exchange crashes causing economic distress everywhere in the Western world? Or the anticipated enemy mellows and "normal" relations are resumed? Or a new government simply has other priorities? (We can certainly find plenty of reasons for such in the UK.) Or an entirely new technology drives requirements into a completely different direction? Every single one of those has happened in my lifetime. Indeed, during my time working in the defence industry. Any one of them can happen again.

Given that Italy was at war with France in 1940, this story lacks some detail somewhere. Are you talking about two different campaigns?

Maybe overshoot after a failed or practice approach? But would the u/c retract before the flaps? I strongly suspect so... maybe he was practicing a flapless approach? Where were you thinking of having the hook?

I think you are right to doubt it, and I would expect Sky (which is Duck Egg Blue) undersides as this had been well established by the time the Whirlwinds became available. The tail band and spinner might well have been Sky Blue, as this seems to have been used by mistake for some time. The other possibility might be having the port wing underside in Night, as this was the case from November 1940 until well into 1941.

The AMO would apply to all aircraft, not just those on the production line. I suspect that this is a case where an AMO would not be immediately applied in training units, but when the aircraft returned to an MU. Either way there is certainly enough time before the final flight for this to be carried out.

Clarke was not the creator of Dune, Frank Herbert was. Rendezvous with Rama itself was good, reminiscent of the older Clarke books, but the two follow-ups were awful. (Much as the multiple Dune sequels...)

One problem is that the end user keeps changing his mind, and when he gets what he asked for he then says he doesn't want it. Another is that he demands that the new product must do everything, regardless of what this implies in development time and cost. (Or, indeed, credibility.) Can I ask just how this "lock them into" is actually going to be achieved?

It's a Mustang. Apache was a name used early (and briefly) in NA publicity but was never adopted. It was used unofficially in Italy for the A-36, also known as the Invader. Which never caught on. They were all Mustangs, whatever the designation.

And they call 1/72 the Braille Scale. I always thought that was inverted. Try the various lenses that are available.

However, as we get further and further away from the events, there will be an ever-smaller number of aircraft that do not fall into the category of "niche" stuff. This is already happening: view the number of postings that are variation of "I've never heard of this..." In truth it is a self-fulfilling prophesy, as only the subjects that are made in large numbers by the big companies become the only ones that have been heard of. A diminishing spiral that can only doom the "main market manufacturers". Variety, it is said, is the spice of life, and people like spice not stodge. To some extent this is just history in action. The further we go from any event, the less the masses are aware of. Inevitable - like death, but we don't just give up and die because of it.

The Aces release was said to be the superior Heller one.

The PM kit has terrible engine cowlings. There used to be Aeroclub white metal alternative, but not available now. I understood that there were two Hobbycraft C-45s, one to the wartime standard with the short rounded upperwing nacelle fairings and the other with the longer postwar ones and altered inner wing. I only saw the later one.