Michou

Björn wrote (jokingly) that he might have been a better builder as a kid. I was not a better builder but there is one skill which I no longer have - I painted the cockpit frames of that Comet freehand. Today, I would struggle to position masks in the right place! I don't understand those ageing modellers who say that are moving to a larger scale because of their failing eyesight. Large scale models also have small pieces, and certainly more than a 1:72 scale kit. I just hang a magnifier on my head but I have not found a mechanical aid for an unsteady hand. Mike

The Airfix Comet went together without any problems when it was new. This one has survived the years and several changes of address. I must have built this well over 65 years ago. The idea of creating a stash did not yet exist and models were usually built within a very short time after their appearance on the shelves at Woolworths. Mike

Has our extraterrestrial looked here? https://ipms.nl/artikelen/nedmil-luchtvaart/vliegtuigen-m/vliegtuigen-m-martin-140 Mike

The information which I posted back in 2019 (Mauve, Dockers 2-part Epoxy Hi-Gloss, FS595a 17142) came from the late Dick Ward. It is curious that a British paint company should use an American standard but, perhaps, it was Dick who made the match to the details he received from Fairey. Mike

In an unpressurised aircraft chewing on sweets was a trick which helped equalize the inbalance between the cabin pressure and the pressure in the middle ear. It made your ears "pop". Mike

Hi Peter @PeterB I have sent a 3-view by PM. Look here for a detailed build of the kit: https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2016/08/everest-expedition-westland-pv-3-pv-6.html Mika Jenfors of Arctic Decals has made a replacement (and corrected) decal sheet for the aircraft. Mike

I have found the newspaper article to which I referred above. The sentence of interest starts 12 lines down and @Black Knight has given the text in modern script together with a translation. A portion of the aircraft, a quick release fastener, still exists and its colour is described as between RAL 3000 Feurrot and RAL 3002 Karminrot, but closer to Karminrot. Mike

The idea that D-ISLU might have been blue was based on black and white photos in which the red band on the fin appeared different to the rest of the aircraft. Some 25 years ago I asked a friend working at the Swiss National Library to look for contemporary newspaper reports of the Zurich meeting and one reporter described Udet's machine as red. I have a photo copy of that article "somewhere". The shade of red, RAL 3002 Karminrot, is given in Georg Hoch's book, "Die Messerschmitt Me 109 in der Schweizer Flugwaffe". Mike

Thanks for the information @KRK4m Michael and I apologise if I have mislead anyone. I took the numbers from here: https://hugo.junkers.de/ This morning I have had time to look through the book published by teNeues, "Junkers F13, the Return of a Legend", and found the following. "In the last production batches, the rear fuselage, wings, wheel and float undercarriages were identical to those used on the W33, the F13's successor." Mike

The wings of the F 13 are smaller than those of the W 33 and W 34. F 13 Span 14,82m Area 34,50 square m W 33 and W 34 Span 17,75m Area 43,00 square m Mike

I have found the following in a French book, Aéronautique Navale de chez nous, Editions MDM, 1996. Les unités dotées d’Avenger ont été les flottilles 4F, 6F et 9F ainsi que les escadrilles 2S, 3S, 4S, 5S, 10S, 15S, 54S et 56S. Les porte-avions Arromanches, La Fayette et Bois-Belleau en ont embarqués. Ces appareils ont pratiquement tous accompli leur carrière sur les côtes méditerranéennes, soit en France, soit en Afrique du Nord. La seule opération militaire à laquelle ils ont participé a été l’expédition de Suez de 1956, au cours de laquelle la 9E à partir du La Fayette, a effectué 200 heures de vol en quarante-six missions, en soutien de la flotte alliée. My translation: Units equipped with Avengers were Flotilles 4F, 6F, and 9F as well as Escadrilles 2S, 3S, 4S, 5S, 10S, 15S, 54S, and 56S. They were embarked on aircraft carriers Arromanches, La Fayette and Bois-Belleau. These aircraft spent practically all of their careers on the Mediterranean coasts, either in France or in North Africa. The only military operation in which they participated was the Suez Expedition of 1956, during which the 9E from La Fayette flew 200 hours in forty-six missions in support of the Allied fleet. The book also mentions that the La Fayette carried out two campaigns in Indochina, in 1953 and 1955. Mike PS I have just remembered a book which I have on French aircraft carriers. Concerning the La Fayette: 1953 Campaign in Indochina (Flottilles 3F and 11F). Operations against Dien Bien Phu. 1955 Repatriation of 14F Corsairs from Indochina to Bizerte.

Take a look at Ron Downey's site. https://aviationarchives.blogspot.com/ He is an ex-McDonnell engineer and there are loads of Skystreak photos on the site. He also gives a link to the book, "Probing the Sky". https://www.docdroid.com/hN7AxLJ/probing-the-sky-pdf On page 47 of the book - "To aid optical tracking from the ground, the D-558-1 was painted insignia red (though this was subsequently changed to white, as the red actually made the aircraft far less visible against the dark blue Mojave sky)." Mike

Switzerland had Bloodhound missiles. They were designated BL-64 and a launch site in Canton Zug has been preserved as a military monument. Here is the link to the Canton Zug Military History Foundation - https://www.mhsz.ch/bloodhound/ And a couple more - https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/experiences/events/bloodhound-a-part-of-swiss-military-history/ https://www.pbase.com/karibaer/bloodhound Perhaps of some help. Mike

I have been away from the computer for a week and slow to reply to the posts on November 25. @Graham Boak, The Do 18's predecessor, the Do Wal, had black anti-fouling finish on the wet areas of the hull (Merick, Luftwaffe Camouflage and Markings Vol 1). There are some photos of the Do 18 which show the bottom of the hull in a very dark colour and I find it hard to believe that this is just shadow. What is anti-fouling finish - something which can be applied and removed at will, something more permanent like paint, or...? @Quiet Mike Watch out! The kit provides two water rudders but Aeolus and other early Do 18s had only one. Some references, in German, can be found here: https://docplayer.org/41654471-Dornier-do-18-dichtung-und-wahrheit.html Mike

To which I would add, black for the planing surfaces. The Do 18s had different engine exhaust systems and the kit has an exhaust on top of the wing. This could leave a dirty V-shaped area across the wing so it would seem logical that a broad black band would be painted across the the wing root to hide it. Mike has chosen to model Aeolus with exhausts on the sides of the engine nacelle so the black band on the top of the wing could be quite narrow. That is my guess. Mike

Thanks for all the references and pointing out the errors in the instructions. A most useful post. Mike https://mikek.piwigo.com/_datas/a/0/f/a0ffpoomuf/i/uploads/a/0/f/a0ffpoomuf//2022/10/09/20221009161644-b14f1067-xl.jpg

Years ago, I went to an open day at Creil and took some photos of the Mirage IIICs. The problem is - can I find those negatives! I have a small flake of paint which "fell off" the wing of a IIIC and found it to be a perfect match to colour No.636 PRU Blue in BS 381C, 1964. This is not to contradict Giampiero, FS35164 is the same colour. If British modellers call this colour "Mirage Blue", in France it is known as "Bleu défense aérienne". @Wez Mirage 38 had a natural metal area in front of the cockpit at the time of the crash. The pilotless aircraft was only slightly damaged by the crash and was repaired and flew again two years later. A photo of the repaired Mirage shows a totally black nose. Reference: Mirage III, Tome 1 by Chenel, Moreau and Audouin, DTU 2000. Mike

Phil Brandt's comparison of the SeaMaster kits was on Hyperscale back in 2009. https://www.hyperscale.com/2009/reviews/kits/seamasterscomparopb_1.htm Mike

Beware of the Lufthansa decals in the Matchbox kit. D-AANE "Zyklon" was the single Dornier Do 18F, with an enlarged 26.30m span wing. The model represents a Do 18E with 23.70m span (32.9cm in 1/72). If you want to build a Lufthansa Dornier you will have to make your own decals. Mike

The model looks marvelous photographed in an outdoor setting. Just like the real thing! Michou

Ron Downey is an ex-McDonnell engineer. His blog has a lot of information on the F-15. https://aviationarchives.blogspot.com Mike

A beautiful model, Chris! When I see those photos filling my computer screen I need to remind myself that the model is much smaller. That is excellent work on the small details. Mike

It looks like brass to me and I suspect that it was present on other aircraft but hidden under a coat of paint. It would just be too small to see in the average side view of the complete aircraft. I have a photo taken from behind the tailplane and looking forward which clearly shows the panel under the paint, but it is copyright Wings Over Europe and I can't post it here.

I hope these photos are not too late to be of some use. Tiger Moth G-ANMY at Ecuvillens (Switzerland) 2007. Mike

Don't forget the I.L.-38! Well, it looks like a Myasishchev M-4 but "Detailed! Accurate!" This is the claim of the 1960 boxing whereas the original 1956 release merely stated "Scaled from available data". As a box of plastic components it went together quite well as the rows of rivets running around the fuselage circumference are all present and I obviously had no need to file and paper the fuselage seam. Il-38 Il-38 Mike