wasacop

Me too! Spent a lot of time in the slat bays, forward freight bay and tail!

Only if you get caught!!

There are more aeroplanes in the sea than submarines in the sky! All the bathtubs on the Titanic are still full of water!

Got mine on Tuesday. Was worth the wait to be fair.

Thanks for that! Not had any email or anything! Shall keep my digits crossed!

Have just had the latest issue delivered as part of my subscription and the Hellcat supplement is missing! Has any other subscriber had theirs missing or is it just for those in the shops? Hope it’s not the case as I’m gonna feel mightily ripped off if it is!!!

They would have been the normal very light grey colour. Even full size aircraft painters use the undercarriage doors as masks when they’re shut.

Like Andwil says the little 2’s are lifting points. From memory the other yellow markings on the underside are fuel drain points!

Excellent video however it wasn't filmed at Waddington (they haven't any HAS's there, or Tornados)! It was filmed on 27 Sqn, Marham around 1988-89. I was there at the time but must have been on leave or gate guard or something cos I'm chuffed if i can remember it happening.

The wings on the GR1s were swept fully forward on the ground due to there being a fuel tank in the fin (only on the RAF jets and maybe Saudi ones) which held 440kg of fuel! And when full would sit the jet on its jetpipes if the wings were swept back. The Germans and Italians didn’t have this problem! The F3s being longer didn’t have this problem either!

By 1987 as far as my addled mind recalls the upper fins had gone. I think though I maybe wrong it was something to do with further separation trials that decided they didn’t need them any more! Made my job easier!

Don’t know who that is but it certainly isn’t Bob Grolsch! During the Gulf War the man himself was at least a Cpl and didn’t have ginger hair!, plus I’m sure that’s a Jag in the picture! I used to work with Bob on XV Sqn during his first tour there and spent many many nights in the Mally with him!

Both shoulders were plumbed for fuel! The 3 tanks on the jet in the picture are the standard GR1 tank whereas the tanks on the other picture (the 2 Sqn jet) are F3 tanks. The shape of the tank fin and rear of the tank gives it away!

Good old Grolschie! I think he’s a bit off this time tho! As far as I can remember it’s the ice detector and wasn’t fitted to all the jets! With regards to the tanks the 4 fin fit on the GR1 tanks( not the big juggs!) was changed to 2 fins in the mid 80’s! When they were fitted to the shoulder pylons for ferry or special weapons fit we used to have to remove the upper inboard fin to check the gearbox oil levels and then refit them! What a nause! 4 bolts with tab washers which we would reuse! Apparently they couldn’t be fitted the wrong way round because of a spigot on the tank and a hole in the fin! Oh yes they could! Don’t ask me how I know! When the top 2 fins were removed the recess was faired overwith a plate using the same bolt holes and the spigot was removed! HTH

I hate to say this coz the build is looking really special but the decal under the refuel probe head “PLU ACCESS” should be on the SkyShadow pod and not where it is.