TimB

Gluefinger, Kirk is correct. I've checked my photos, and for the GR3, the APU inlet (starboard) had a fine mesh grill, notionally flush with the mould line of the fuselage but often a bit bent. IIRC, the outer part of the inlet was part of the engine door. The APU exhaust had no grill, and was part of the APU. If the APU oversped, then the turbine blades tended to come out of the exhaust rather fast and very hot! Regards Tim

Managed it with 2 Lightning F6s earlier this year. Points to watch: - As others have said, sand to very thin. - Watch which bits need more - you need to take out a lot more plastic and resin near the tip, but other areas don't need so much. - Get it right, and the wing needs very little pressure to close up. If you do not take enough off, the wing will close but you will be left with a visible bulge near the ailerons. - Check the alignment of the leg socket as you go, because only a bit out and you will hit problems later. - Be prepared to add packing behind the flap cavity, to support the rear of the wing. Again, keep checking for fit. - As usual with Aires, if you think it fits, leave it overnight and try again - you usually have to take more off! Regards Tim

As a small plug, Capt Brown will be speaking in London on 29 May, at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. You don't have to me a member (or an engineer) to attend. Tim http://events.imeche.org/EventView.aspx?code=L317&WT.mc_id=EM_130214

Very nice! I don't think I've seen an A-12 given as detailed a paint scheme. Regards Tim

Very nice. Looks like the mockup that Boeing built. Regards Tim

I'll be interested in the engine conversion - I have one of these in the stash to fill in a gap in one of my themes. What references are you using? Regards Tim

Nice! I like the extra detailing, especially in the less usual areas. Tim

Hi, Don, good to see this one being built. I keep looking at the Vostock version in the stash, and not quite summoning up the courage to start it. I'm interested in how you deal with the attachments for the boosters and core - they looked a bit weak to me. Regards Tim

OzH, that's really good. It looks very close to the real thing when they arrived at Benson. Regards Tim

Caerbannog, unless Dragon have completely retooled the model, there are a "few" issues. I have the "prebuilt" version in bits to rebuild someday soon, but I ended up with a long list of errors of varying degrees of difficulty to fix. There is a copy of the list here. It's impressive, but not an accurate scale representation. Regards Tim

My £0.01... All aircraft are subject to constant modification, for performance, reliability, safety, obsolescence, etc etc. In current usage, a Mark is changed when there is a significant change affecting handling or operation, requiring a new Release to Service. UK military aviation processes for configuration management (AvP115 now Def Stan 05-123) and Service Release can be traced back to at least the 1930s. Some aspects go back to WWI - AvP970 edition 2 was issued in 1924), I suspect that Mark has been used since then. It is not surprising that Mk or Mark can be included or excluded - official documents are produced by busy, often junior, people who may well not know the "correct" answer. Nor is it necessarily "incorrect" to use the different versions. For example, "Puma HC2", "Puma HC Mk2" and "Puma HC Mark 2" are all currently unambiguous and permitted. "Puma 2" would not be used officially, as there is already a "Super Puma 2" in civil use. Regards Tim

Merlin, After much experience, most of it of the learning from mistakes type, I use a mixture of acrylics types. I tend to use Tamiya or Gunze for spraying, using Gunze thinners on each. I use Tamiya by preference for brushing as it has more pigment than the Gunze, but using Gunze thinner if needed. I've some Vallejo, but find it does not spray or brush as well as I would like - mostly as the "thinner" is almost as thick as the paint. For really detailed work I use Humbrol enamels, but find I only really need half a dozen colours to cover most detail painting. For white paint to spray, I decant from a Halfords rattle can, and for metallic finish I use Alclad. It is really a matter of having the right paint for the right job - none are useable for everything. Tim

I agree Jonathon's comments. Bear in mind that all colours (and film) are also sensitive to lighting; I have photos that make the same Harrier GR3 look totally different at 40000 ft and on the ground. The GR3s tended to be dirty - especially the starboard wing and rear fuselage - but not very faded. Resprays were not uncommon at first line, with fewer concerns over health & safety and environmental issues. Tim

Really good review - thanks Mike. I look forward to building one albeit as a rather cleaner ac when it was accepted into RAF service. Unfortunately, by the time I finish it they will probably all be junglie Shame no engine/APU detail - I'll just have to try scratchbuilding some. Regards Tim

Nice job. Brings back memories of them taxiiing past the office window. Regards Tim

Very nice - I like the subtle weathering and finish. Tim

The yellow blade was introduced mostly to help low flying fast jet aircrew avoid SAR ac on training flights - on "real" ops, the airspace was dedicated for SAR use. They were not needed in NI, as there were no low flying fast jets - just lots of helos and the odd anti-ac RPG. Bear in mind that there were a lot more SAR ac and fast jets in and around the UK than now.. Tim

Hi Dirk I think the single yellow blade was introduced about 1989, as a conspicuity measure for the SAR ac. At least, the paperwork and first blades were at Finningley by mid-1988, when I left SAR. The one blade was highly visible - you could see the single blade going round well before you could see the yellow fuselage in many cases. Regards Tim

Wow! That is some weathering! Tim

Next up on my list is finishing a scratchbuilt 1/72 Saturn 1B. I've now switched to the Dragon SLA and CSM, and need to do a bit of fettling to get it to fit. I also have to scratchbuild the H-1 engines. I have a plan... Regards Tim

Hi, Graham, try this. It is the original "artwork" for XV738 'B''s toned down scheme. The drawing was copied from the stencil used by the painters & finishers, and is as accurate as anything will be. Regards, Tim

I have accumulated several airbrushes over the past 30 years - an Iwata HP-SBS was my best until I bought the H&S Infinity. I now use pretty much only the Infinity with the 0.4 nozzle. I'm on second one of those as I noticed that I had bashed the old one and distorted the tip. I now use Tamiya and Gunze Sanyo Mr Color, with the Gunze thinners for both. In my experience the combination of Gunze thinner and either paint is almost foolproof. After an airbrush demo at SMW a few years ago by Brett Green, I also started using much thinner paint - 4 -5 medium brush loads in 1.0-1.5 ml of thinner, mixed in the cup. Makes a difference. I do get the spatter you mention, but only if 1) I have not properly cleaned the brush after several sessions 2) I use Xtracrylix, Alclad primer or similar. Bottom line - I nearly bought another Infinity to do Alclad last year, but could not justify the expense - I started reusing the Iwata for it, but still preser the Infinity Infinitly! Regards Tim

Nice job - the "real" Apollo spacecraft configuration. Regards Tim

Completely agreed - with considerable sales potential in France, Germany and a lot of other countries as well as some good markings in RAF service. A full tiger paint job option please.... Tim

I think you might be able to - but you would almost certainly have to disconnect the pitch change links to get the blades to a reasonable angle. I can't see the PCLs on the French photo above, so they may have been disconnected on it. On balance, removing the blades is probably easier. For transport, they were often loaded into the cabin through the rear hatch. Incidentally, operating a Puma from a ship (as opposed to transporting it and flying it from the deck in good weather) is not smart. There is a terrifying video of the French sea trials showing lots of matelots trying to stop the aircraft falling over.... Regards Tim