Dave C

I have the following 1/72 kits in my store of unmades, many dating from the 80’s Pegasus - BP Balliol, Curtis JN-4D Jenny, Miles Master 1, Sopwith Dolphin, Supermarine Seafire 47 Veeday - Fairy Flycatcher, Gloster Grebe I’m interested in knowing if any Brit Modellers has built any of the kits and could pass on any reviews, favourable or not. Thanks

Many thanks guys for your advice & suggestions, the Unicraft resin conversion appears to be out of stock, I will search Ebay otherwise its balsa carving. I found in my unmade box a Russian `Frog-spawn' Wellington for the donator

Can any member advise if there is a 1/72 vac form or resin conversion kit to build a pressurised Wellington B.VI? There was an Alan W Hall article in a 1960's Airfix magazine to convert the Airfix Wellington B.III to one of the high flying Wimpey's I'm not sure I want to carve balsa and seal the new nose with dope & talcum powder!

I do wonder if its my lack of skill. On some recent Airfix builds, I have found that that a lot of filing/fettling/sanding has been necessary to get parts to fit accurately Blenheim & Gladiator - assembling cowlings around Mercury engines without a visible joint Spitfire PR X1X and 22 - accurately fitting wing to fuselage without a visible gap Blenheim and Beaufort - assembling fuselage halves around cockpit interior. I'd welcome any advise, thanks

Many thanks Dave, bzn20 & Ivor David C

I am building a Heller DH.Havilland Dh-89A Dragon Rapide and am intending to finish it as G-ACPP Railway Air Services (City of Bristol) with Arctic Decals when they are reprinted! Question; were the RAS Rapides’ silver doped overall or did they have white fuselage top as with the BEA Rapides?

In 1/72, the available kits for Griffon engine Spitfires are, mark F.X1V, PR.X1X and F.22. I’d like to add an F. X11 and a FR. XV111 to my collection. Questions Can anyone advise if the marks X11 & X1V had the same broad chord fin & rudder? I know that Freightdog Models make a PUR rear fuselage, fin & rudder to convert the X1V into a XV111. Does the F.22 have the same fin & rudder as the XV111, which would simplify the conversion? All the Griffon Spitfire marks have similar fuselage lengths & wing spans, within an inch or two, in the F versions. All except the X11 with a Griffon 111 ( 4 blade Rotol prop ), the other four marks were powered by Griffon 61 or 65’s (5 blade Rotol prop), so nose & spinner shapes should be similar? The only other items I need to check for differences are: cylinder bank fairings, undercarriage leg heights, wheel spokes and propeller diameters? Whilst the Morgan-Shacklady - Spitfire The History tome is IMHO the definitive Spitfire book, it has its limitations for modeller's

Since posting my original query on the demise of Humbrol enamel paint, I've had a series of e-mail exchanges with Simon Kohler of Hornby/Airfix/Humbrol. He has been rather hesitant in his response to my questions. 1. The ban on sales of selling enamel paint [including hobby paint] containing Methyl Ethyl Ketoxime was dated on March 1st 2022. Why did Humbrol not advise this ban on the corporate web site before this date? I am sorry I cannot answer the question as it is not in my area 2. What will happen to Humbrol's stocks of the existing formulated paint? I am sorry I cannot answer the question as it is not in my area, however I suspect they will have to be destroyed. 3. Will Humbrol will be reformatting their enamel paint range? The enamel paints will be reformatted but expect some form of delay as they cannot all be produced at the same time. Rather unsatisfactory answers, I suppose Mr Kohler is not the man to quiz. Who is the CEO of Humbrol?

I want on to the Airfix/Hornby/Humbrol web site yesterday, to order tinlets of Humbrol enamel paint. Whilst the Airfix/Humbrol shop link to Acrylic paints was found, the link Humbrol enamel paints was absent! Have e-mail Airfix customer services. I'm presuming this is a glich and `normal service' will be resumed or is it?

Have any members had any experience of building Kora's pre war Fairey biplanes; IIIF, Gordon & Seal? Are the models 100% limited run injection moulded or is there a high proportion of PUR parts? Finally is the build straight forward?

Many thanks Gmat & everyone else who responded. Unfortunately it appears that Amazon cannot ship this book to the UK, I'll have a search on the on-line UK book shops Dave C

Can anyone advise a colour references for ML-KNIL aircraft in Java & Sumatra and would have ML-KNIL aircraft worn the camouflage colours of their countries of origin? American - Brewster B-339C, Brewster F2A Buffalo, Curtiss Hawk H-75A-7, Curtiss Wright CW-21, Glen Martin 166 and Consolidated PBY Catalina British - Hawker Hurricane Also camouflage references for the Dutch manufactured aircraft in Java & Sumatra in 1941/42 Koolhoven F.K.51 Fokker C.V Dornier Do 24K

In 1956 Airfix released the Gloster Gladiator mark 1, catalogue number 1335 with a 2-bladed Watts propeller as K6142 of 72 squadron. I have a completed model built in the 60’s However, in Jeremy Brooks Sixty Years of Airfix Models there is a reference on page 17 that the Gladiator was modified shortly after release to have a different propeller. I have found on King Kit https://www.kingkit.co.uk/product/airfix-aircraft-1335-gloster-gladiator-mk-ii-faith a reference to “Faith”, so was the Airfix Gladiator reissued in 1956/57 as a Gladiator mark 2 or a Sea Gladiator, with a 3-bladed Fairy Reed propeller as N5520 Faith of the Malta Hal Far Fighter Flight? In the early 1960’s I remember a camouflaged Airfix Gladiator with a 3 bladed propeller in an Uncle’s display cabinet

Thanks Graham & Bob. I raised this query, because on the February page of the FlyPast 2022 calendar, there is a drawing of Spitfire Vb AB264 in what appears to be: U/S Dark Mediterranean Blue or Extra Dark Sea Grey over Dark Earth L/S Light Mediterranean Blue A camouflage combination I'm not familiar with

Can anyone suggest what the colour scheme was of the 15 Spitfire Vb's, flown off HMS's Argus and Eagle in the Malta "Club Run" Operation Spotter 2, March 7 1942? Thank you

Many thanks Wez, I will take your advice & go with the SH FB.9 and see if the Azur FB.5 is still available at a reasonable price Apologies one last question, is the 1/72 Airfix Vampire T.11 accurate?

Sincerest apologies guys, I made an error the Dragon kit is the Vampire FB.5 https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/DN5085 So a new query, is this Dragon kit an improvement over their Sea Venom and is it better or worse than the old Frog model

Has anyone built the 1/72 Dragon FB4 and would you recommend the kt?

Was it a WW2 RAF safety requirement for the front of the cowling forward of the exhaust collector ring to be painted white? Aircraft so fitted with Bristol Mercury, Pegasus, Perseus, Taurus & Hercules engines included: Blenheim 1/1V/V, Lysander, Wellesley, Master 11, Sunderland, Hampden, Botha, Wellington, Stirling, Lancaster 11, Halifax 111, Beaufort 1 & Beaufighter The FAA did not appear to require Skuas, Rocs & Albacores to be so painted thus, nor were US built Wright and P & W powered aircraft; Fortress, Catalina, Liberator, Hudson, Ventura, Harvard, Boston, Mitchell, Marauder, Dakota, Maryland, Baltimore, Wildcat, Hellcat, Corsair & Avenger

Thanks Chris very helpful. I found said clear DF loop in my spares box in a little bag marked Airfix Beaufort; there's none so blind as a modeller wearing varifocals! I didn't use this component on my model of Kenneth Campbell's Beaufort, but it will now go on to my MPM model of Hugh Malcolm's Blenheim V. From one VC to another

Can anyone recommend a source of 1/72 RDF antennas I’ve used up my small stock of Aeroclub white metal antennas Wanted: 1. Circular RDF Loop Antenna [bare wire] 2. RDF Loop Antenna, ADF `football’ in clear Perspex housing 3. RDF Loop Antenna, ADF `football’ in Bakelite housing

Does anyone know if a 1/72 decal is available of this 55 Squadron badge on Westland Wapiti K.1397 photographed at RAF Hinaidi Iraq?

Can anyone advise a source of 1:72 etch, resin or white metal WW2 RAF bomb racks & carriers? Mark 1 bomb rack Mark 2A light series bomb rack Universal bomb carrier Many thanks

I'd like to build a 1:72 Junkers Ju-86 in South African service, searching the net for an Italeri Ju-86D or a Ju -86E to convert into a SAAF Ju-86K or Z, I came across the RS Models http://www.rsmodels.cz/ Ju-86R http://www.rsmodels.cz/?link=view&id=92078 and Ju-86P http://www.rsmodels.cz/?link=view&id=92077 Has any one had any experience of RS Models? The Italeri Junkers Ju-86 is not in the current catalogue but seems to be available via 2nd hand outlets The other site I discovered was LF & KORA models e-shop http://www.lfmodels.com/models-172-convers...=4&sort=20a, conversion & correction sets for Swedish, Austrian South American & SAAF Ju-86K http://www.lfmodels.com/junkers-ju-86k1-saaf-p-744.html Again, anyone one have any experience of LF/KORA? Dave

One of the rarest Frog kits, No F240. This site, has an image of the box artwork and suggests that only 100 examples were actually produced. http://www.oldmodelkits.com/index.php?deta...&scale=1/72 Dave