VMA131Marine

Looking forward to this kit! I like the suggestion of Volya Models

Very nice! Great paintwork. I just love FAA Martlets. On thing to note, if you build another, is that Airfix originally screwed up the nose and cowl when they were designing this kit. This is why there are extra unused parts in the Martlet issue. In point of fact, the unused parts are not correct for any variant of Wildcat/Martlet. The Cyclone engine in the Martlet IV is a 9-cylinder single row radial; a much shorter engine than the double row 14-cylinder Twin Wasp in the F4F-4. Grumman had move the firewall forward to keep the C.G. within limits with the Cyclone engine and this results in a longer fuselage but shorter cowl. Airfix originally did not catch this and their solution was the forward fuselage extension. This results in a panel line between the cowl and the wing leading edge that should not be there. This can be seen in the image below, which, I think, is from the same squadron as the aircraft you modelled.

I think there’s no roundel on either upper wing. You can clearly see the port wing roundel on this very washed out photograph and note that the blue in the fuselage roundel appears lighter than the red so I think the fin flash is the standard red, white, and blue from front to back as well.

I’m curious about what happened to the re-tooled Hobbycraft CF-105s in both 1/48 and 1/72. They have never been rereleased by another company since Hobbycraft Canada went belly up. Someone must have the moulds.

Ah, so that explains why there is so much AlleyCat stuff on ModelsforSale now. Those items have been putting a dent in my wallet.

Good luck on your quest, but beware the knights who until recently said “Ni!” https://youtu.be/RZvsGdJP3ng

Weird! They work for me.

Links to a couple of pictures at airhistory.net of this particular airframe Pre-CFM56 (F108) Post-CFM56 retrofit

It’s not often that you find your Holy Grail.

Due early May https://modelsua.com/boeing-rc-135v-w-rivet-joint-c-135-1-144-roden-349

NB-36H Crusader with on-board nuclear reactor now on approach: https://modelsua.com/convair-nb-36h-crusader-1-144-roden-348

I’m sure the Airfix sales department only meant that in terms of what was currently or recently in the catalogue. They never comment on potential future releases or rereleases. That said, the SS Canberra was issued in 1999 and it’s not one of the moulds that is known to be missing or worn out.

The SS Canberra is due for a rerelease. It was last issued in 1999.

I’m trying to decide what is the next best 1/48 Spitfire IX after the Eduard kit; the rest all have issues: ICM - fiddly build because of the full engine and some have questioned the cross-section of the fuselage spine Airfix - a bit clunky in places, but buildable Hasegawa - the fuselage is underscale but not uniformly so along it’s length. Easy to build. Occidental - maybe some issues with the nose profile and the position of the thrust line being too low but otherwise not bad. Monogram - ancient kit, low detail, questionable accuracy, no gull wing Otaki/Arii - actually a Mk.VIII but the best option for building a Mk.IX until the ICM and Ocidental kits came a long. No gull wing but there was a Falcon vacform correction for this.

They are seriously expensive! More than I paid for either Zvezda 1/48 Hind kit I have bought.