Jonny

I think you mean you have the MUSTANG! I know what you mean, though - I have just ‘ collected’ the same kit and Ultracast conversion myself, along with the’. ‘Wingleader’ book! Good luck!!!

Hi, Dunny ... So very sorry to read of your recent trip to the UK and the reason. I know too much about 'palliative' care having accompanied my wife through it back in 2020. I pray for you and of course for your mum. Take care - best & all that. Jonny PS I have almost prepared myself for 'Operation Manchester'! It won't be long before I start in earnest!

I was hoping to see how Roger made the collector ring struts, too, Chris. Go on, Roger, please explain if you've time! Something - well two things really - are niggling at the back of my tiny mind ... first, and away back, did I spot a seat in the Engineer's compartment? I ask 'cos I'm sure that there wasn't one there! Second, I think Revell also goofed with the ailerons. There was some discussion while Heather was building her Halifax recently and her 'fix' was to fit the kit's port aileron to the starboard wing and vice versa. She needed to rescore the undersurface 'gap' (just a line, no more) accordingly. I am not criticising your work, Roger, just commenting. Best, Jonny

Thank you for sharing this, and all your other model pieces with us Heather! Since starting to read this latest ‘thread’ I have excavated my Revell kit and have located one of John Aero’s engine replacement kits. So lit5le to stop me trying to emulate what you’ e achi3vrc! Well done, you, and many thanks! jonny

Ali, I am following your build with bated breath before I start my own conversion. Something is niggling at me. You have inserted the Lancaster style windscreen de-icer sprays. I've looked at a number of Manchester photos (to try to decide what to model) and I don't recall seeing such things on a Manchester. It may well be some (all?) did have them, of course. I thought I should mention it. I may well be wrong of course and I'm not trying to critisize what you've achieved so far. Jonny

brilliant, Heather. and all of a sudden we're treated to a nice Halifax. Thank you for showing it to us!

It's good to see you're still working on this, Alistair! I was waiting fotr you to finish your masterclas before I started my kit! I#ve waited years for a decent Manchester conversion kit to come along and this one is way beyond 'decent' ... it's incredible. So please crack on with your model. Thanks, Jonny

Yes to above but have you thought to ask Airfix for relacements? So long as the kit is still'current' (I think it is!) then they should be able to provide replacements. I hope this helps, Jonny

Heather, I've been wondering about 'exhausts' too. If it helps I found 2 Quickboost ones in eBay. 'Type A' Quickboost 72 357 and 'Type B' Quickboost 72 358. The latter are 'Saxaphone' but with the 'flared bell' fitted - it looks as though you want the 'plain pipe' version(how else to describe them?). Both are £8:99. Hope this helps, Jonny

Thank you everyone for a fantastic response! I think I have all I need for now. best to all, Jonny

Apologies if this is already covered elsewhere! I am about to build an RAF Mustang Mk. 1, a P40 Tomahawk and other American built aeroplanes (if any) used by the RAF’s II(AC) squadron. It’s a while since I tried anything like this. Years ago Humbrol produced paints in the ‘Authentic Colours’ range. From blurred memory one such was ANA611, US Interior Green. Is an equivalent available from another paint manufacturer? I have tried to identify something but thus far without success! I want to build and finish these models before starting my 1/72 Manchester using Dunny’s super conversion! All responses gratefully received! Many thanks, Jonny

I have just received a note from Royal Mail to the effect my Manchester conversion kit will be delivered tomorrow, Saturday. Lightning fast delivery all the way from Australia! Faster than some packages I've received posted in the UK! I might be quiet over the next few days ... reading Dunny's and Aligauld's master classes! Jonny It arraived 10:30 this morning. Ive been drooling over tye parts too! Beutifully made, very well packed. Thank you, Roger!

In which case, Tom, I withdraw my comment. Right now I cannot recall which photos I mentioned so the actual mark of aeroplane is clearly irrelevant! Clearly not ‘yours’!

Wow, Tom ... A BRILLIANT effort! I remember trying to build the Contrail version of this kit ages ago but frankly gave up while trying to build the fuselage. I rather envy you your skills. When I get round to it I'm going to try to build Revell's early (Merlin powered) kit - I have aftermarket corrections ready!) and the the Mark III like yours. One thing .. Ive seen lots of photos of Hercules powered aeroplanes (mostly Halifaxes). Many seem to have the cowel flaps in a light colour (white or natural metal - it's is hard to distinguish in monochrome photos!). The reason escapes me. I hesitate to mention it but is it possible that the aeroplane you've modelled was so adorned? I am NOT trying to criticise your model which is truly wonderful. Best, Jonny

A 1/72 Avro Manchester? I’ve just bought a conversion kit from a fellow BMer there! Mind you, sitting here reading this thread late on March 31 it’s hard to not notice the thread title refers to April 1!

Well, on the strength of this build so far and having read Dunny's thread, I have just ordered my conversion! So I'm watching carefully, from the shadows! At last, a chance to build a decent Manchester model. Of course, now I'm committed I have that sneaky feeling someone (Airfix?) will market a purpose made kit shortly!

Oh I am so very sorry for you, Heather. I wrote before when your Dad died that mine had too, back in 1987. then I had my Mum to look after and a wife to help me. I'm afraid my Mum died in 1991 but, again, my wife helped me. In 2014 she was diagnosed with Cancer and although treatment was offered and given promptly she went through 4 annual 'reviews' each one resulting in a 'it's gone' result as did the 5th. I was beginning to breathe after that one except my wife didn't feel quite right and asked for further checks. They revealed the Cancer had returned but was untreatable. By then Covid was rampant. Palliative care was provided and I had magnificent support from our local Community Nurses, our GP surgery and a care company but she gently slipped away while I was sitting with her in early August 2020. Covid still raging meant I could only have a severely limited number of mourners at her funeral. I'm afraid I haven't yet had the courage to dispose of all of her clothes, etc. There are some drawers where she kept personal things that I just cannot bring myself to empty. I visit her grave once or twice a week judst to say (literally) "Hello" which might sound stuopid but helps me. I've made new friends who have helped me LOTS. I take your point " All the things we used to go out and enjoy doing had effectively ceased to exist" - that's exactly how it was for me and even now I tend to avoid places where we went to and loved visiting together. @marvinneko's point 8 above "People have no idea what to say or do. Some may ghost you. Some may surprise you by reaching out. Many are clueless but well meaning. It can help them for you to put them at easy or say what you need, even if it's just having tea together or whatnot. Death is a big thing and it completely distorts the energy in a conversation. People can get shutdown by that. They also make weird comparisons like divorce." is exactly right - that's why I feel fortunate in having made new friends and actually only one couple we were really friendly with 'before' are still close friends. Others have melted away. So be it. So ... my advice is for you to make new friends, to gently reintroduce yourself to revising places that you and your Paul loved. Above all, take care of your Mum and ... please don't neglect your modelling. I for one take great delight in reading you accounts! I know that I'm not alone in that! Take care, dear lady!

Hi, Julien, Sorry if I'm repeating what someone else has already said, but Silver Cloud produced a 1/48 conversion set using the 'Airfix Spitfire Vb'. I have one. I am not sure if the base kit is the current Mk. Vb or the earlier one! The instructions are dated 2014. I hope this helps, Jonny

Heather, My condolences about the loss of your father. Mine died December 3rd, way back in 1987 thanks to Cancer and just two days after his birthday. I must say that even now on that day it all comes flooding back - Mum phoning at about 5am and oddly and unusually for her, being chillingly formal saying "I regret to tell you that your father passed away during the night". I dressed, jumped in the car to drive 60 miles to be with Mum and to help her sort things, after asking my wife to phone the office, etc.. None of that will help you but I truly am sorry for you. I really enjoy watching your builds and the results make me look at my own (built when I've time, not often nowadays) and wish I had your skills! Thank you for sharing them with us. So, best wishes for 2025. I'm sure that like me, all of your regular readers can sit back and not expect to see anything new from you for as long as it takes you to sort things and ease back into modelling! God bless, take care, Jonny

Hello, Heather, everyone ... Christmas 2024 is more-or-less over, I'm amazed by how much Heather has achieved over last Christmas and indeed for a long time before! Well done, Heather, and thank you for sharing your builds with us - truly inspirationall! So. I hope we all have a successful & happy 2025. Heather, a special Happy New Year to you, to your BB, and your cat! Thankyou again, Jonny

Hi, Tbolt ... Re. Markings I shall dig out a photo of a Grand Slam Lancaster (one in daytime (grey & green) camouflage) and make up markings from commercial decals. The daytime camouflage with yellow outlined red squadron codes looks so different from the night camouuflage. It'll be a while before I get round to an actual build I'm afraid. I'm sure that at some point in the dim & distant past I bought a Tallboy conversion kit, with bulged bombdoors and the requisite weapon but for the life of me I can't remember where it is! HTH, Jonny

Mine arrived today. The most obvious change is the two bomb halves ... those in the previous kit were solid. Those in the new one have been hollowed out and a plug is included, presumably to help align the two parts. From memory all other parts are the same. My only 'gripe' is that no instructions are included. OK, it isn't hard to work out what has to be done but some guidance would have been nice. I don't recall any being included in the previous kit either. When I get round to it, I shall use the 'Dam Buster' Lancaster kit - mostly because that can be built without the mid-upper turret. I hope this helps! I'd love to see a built up model, possibly as part of a WIP. Jonny

I'm fairly sure that Airfix did, not based on the latest (current) Lancaster kit, but its predecessor. ISTR that the Grand Slam components were fairly crude although the base kit was not at all bad. I'd like Airfix to release a Grand Slam kit, not to mention a Manchester! One can hope! Sorrty to introduce a little 'creep' into the thread! Jonny

(copied from the post I inadvertently entered to duplicate this thead!) I have finally got round to reading the October issue (618) of 'Aeroplane' magazine. I was saddened to read that IWM Duxford's latest plans seem to be to move 3 '4 engined' aeroplanes out of the Airspace hangar - the Sunderland (which belongs to the IWM), and the Comet and York (which belong to the Duxford Aviation Society, DAS) - the Sunderland to an outside location, namely between Hangars 3 an4, the Comet to join the other DAS airliners, and the York to somewhere between 'two of the other Hangars'.. The Tiger Moth currently suspended in Airspace is to be 'disposed of'. The Sunderland's starboard float and wingtip are to swapped with Kermit Weeks's damaged Sunderland. All aeroplanes currently suspended from the Airspace roof will be relocated and Airspace will become a 'Cold War' exhibition. I can't help thinking of the awful state of the Victor before it was brought in from the cold and after years of work left in the end of Airspace - there were rumours that it would eventually be relocated next to the Vulcan!. How long before the Comet, York and Sunderland suffer from the elements I wonder?

Oh you WERE lucky to visit on both days! I elected to go by coach on Thursday. We were dropped off some distance from the pier and boy, was it windy! Dull heavy cloud and a few drops of rain. Just before the scheduled start (14:00) the word came out that the start was put back to 15:00. Not long before that the bad news was another delay till 16:00. I contended myself snapping waves crashing along the beach and trying to 'shoot' the only things flying (seagulls!). A little after 16:00 the Wasp performed but stayed the other side of the pier. By then I and others in the group had made our way to the coach, scheduled to depart at 17:00. Your photos are, as always, super. Thank you for sharing with us. Jonny