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INTRO The last time I stuck plastic was about 36 years ago before family and work pushed my aircraft habit to one side. But I was fortunate to be working with aircraft so wasn't feeling too deprived! Now I have time on my hands I was casting about and came across this fantastick forum. I've had an enjoyable last 8 months rediscovering my stash and logging it for future reference - mostly RAF and Luftwaffe from WW1 to end of WW2 with examples mostly from Airfix, Matchbox, Italeri and Revell and a small number of Heller/Humbrol, Hasegawa and Fujimi. Whilst that was fun, i have also been mesmerised by the fantastic builds and discusions and debates from all the experienced guys and girls from whom I've learned a lot. Strangely my stash has increased by 4 Spitfires, a Defiant, a Hurricane and a Fiat CR 42!! It's all your fault for being so inspirational! BUT now it's time to try and put it into practice after being encouraged to do so by responses to my tentative postings. This will be by way of being a "Starter for 10" (sorry to non-uk people who won't know this as a catchphrase from a well known quiz programme) and to see to where we might get. Hopefully by throwing myself on the populace I, and other similar tyros, can learn something and in return provide a few giggles of the "Ha yes, I did that!" type at the disasters that will inevitabley occur ........ To Business If you've not nodded off yet thanks, I will be attempting a Spitfire Mk1 as I do like the year 1940. This will be my recurring theme (assuming I last beyond this build!! ) . Oh go on, be ambitious! I'm actually doing 2 Spitfires!! As a nod to my previous experience I thought I'd compare the 1980 tooling/1986 boxing with a newer generation 2010 tooling/ 2018 boxing. The intention here is to do these OOB but I might try and see if we can't create mayhem and mess by adding a few bits as we go along.... Well at least I think I might have managed ot start a topic.........so thats the first thing done! Thanks for looking, Rob

Another BM inspired build. It’s a new year, following up the completion of my Lynx, I decided that I shall build this zebra helo. I like the striped camo as much as I like the tiger stripes on the Lynx. It makes the aircraft interesting and stands out from the usual camo. Still cannot find an interesting picture of this SeaKing to depict in a diorama. If someone has any interesting scene of this SeaKing, appreciate you can send to me. Anyway, I shall proceed with the build first since my PE parts are delivered. Upon opening the box, I was greeted by a badly deformed fuselage. The box is in good condition, so not sure how did this happen. Looks like I need to do some massaging. As usual, new year resolution is to complete this model and hopefully I will.

Evening All, Having had some complicated builds of late (which shouldn't have been, but various builder related cock-ups got in the way) I was looking for something quick and simple that I could bosh together. I picked up the Vintage Classic Airfix Jetstream from Sywell Aviation Museum the other year - they sell them to raise funds for the restoration of their jetstream. I briefly considered trying to turn it into the one at Sywell but realised that was way beyond my skill set. Someone then mentioned it might make a good what-if subject. The kit is base don the USAF C-10 which was cancelled before any could be delivered, so the whole kit is basically a what-if anyway! I've always fancied doing something in USAF SEA camo, so thought this might be a good subject. I initially thought of doing some kind if tactical/in-theatre medevac version which would allow me to have the SEA camo and leave everything else pretty much as is. But then I thought it would look really neat with a black underside rather than the more normal grey. I figured a role that would need the black underside would be nocturnal monitoring of the seismic sensors that were laid along the Ho Chi Minh trail. And so I arrived at an EC-10 modified with some workstations and aerials for the role and SEA/black camo. Obligatory box contents shot: And my first attempt at drawing out a camo scheme loosely based on the C-130: Really quite tricky doing that and making all the colours line up across the various surfaces. The kit has some stretchers in the cabin, I won't be needed those for the sneaky-beaky role I have in mind. Will probably have a go at blanking out the windows on one side of the fuselage and adding some plastic card aerials. Did think of trying to make some basic operator stations for the interior, not sure about that, we'll see. Scratch building stuff is not something I usually have patience for. So already my nice simple mojo-restorer has grown legs and started sprinting away from me! Don't think progress is going to be that fast as I have a Lightning to finish once I recover from the satin varnish disaster that it suffered last week. Plus real life is getting in the way at the moment... Al.

Three of the Airfix resin buildings - European Ruined Workshop, European Ruined Cafe and Polish Bank. Built as a scenic backdrop against which I can photograph vehicles and figures. It's sort of finished, there may be additions to the buildings as I rediscover bits and bobs, but the concept is laid out. Expect to see this behind many AFVs and men.

Commonwealth CA-13 Boomerang (A02099V) 1:72 Airfix "Vintage Classics" The Boomerang was a WWII fighter designed and made in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC). The design stemmed from the CAC Wirraway, this was a licence built North American NA-16 (more commonly known as the Harvard). Australia had realised in the 1930s that Japan had expansionist ideas and would need its own aircraft industry. this is one reason North American were approached to licence build the Wirraway. After WWII broke out and with the traditional supply of aircraft from the UK in short supply CAC looked at producing their own domestic fighter. Key to this was the recruitment of Fred David a Jewish refugee from Austria who was actually interned at the time. He had worked for Heinkel, and Mitsubishi on aircraft design. CAC had also negotiated that the licence for the NA-16 allowed for them to modify the design. The Boomerang would utilise the wing, tail, centre section and undercarriage of the Wirraway. A new forward fuselage was developed which was wider to accommodate the larger Twin Wasp engine along with a single cockpit. The armament for the new aircraft was to be two 20mm cannon and 4 .303 machine guns. Production was authorised almost immediately as it would provide insurance against a delay to an order of P-40 aircraft and it would keep the production lines open at CAC. The availability of Wirraway components would also speed up production. From design to first production was a staggering 3 months. The aircraft was tested initially against a Brewster Buffalo which was slightly modified to resemble a zero in performance, in addition to testing against a P-40. It was found to be faster though less manoeuvrable than the other aircraft, but it had far better armament, and Armor for protection of the pilot. Performance though rapidly dropped off over 15000 feet. However the maximum speed was only 265 knots well below that of Zero and Oscar. Deployment of American fighters to Australia lowered the need for the Boomerang, however due to the cancellation of the Woomera bomber the Government extend production of the Boomerang. The Kit This is a re-boxing of Airfix's kit from 1965 and as such is a tooling of its time. Construction starts in the cockpit, now there is no real cockpit just a seat for the pilot which fits onto a peg in the fuselage. Once the pilot is in then the main fuselage can be closed up. At the front the nose section and engine is fitted. There are tow banks of cylinders for the engine which fit inside the cowling, a pin then holds the propeller on at this point if you wish to fit it. The completed nose section can then be joined to the fuselage. To the right side of the fuselage the hedgehog style exhaust is fitted. Next up we move to the wings, there is a single lower wing with left and right uppers. Once complete the wing can be mated to the fuselage. The tail planes and canopy parts can now be added on. Turning to the underside the ventral fuel tank can be placed on if needed. The last items to complete the model is the fixed rear wheel and the retractable main undercarriage units complete with their doors. Markings There are the usual two decal options on the sheet. From the box you can build one of the following: No.4 Sqn Royal Australian Air Force, Gusap, New Guinea, Feb 1944 No.5 Sqn Royal Australian Air Force, 1944 (As per the box art, though the Blue fin tip could be wrong for that?) Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion Recommended bearing in mind its a classic. Review sample courtesy of

This may well be the first ever model kit I built myself at age 6. The original one survived 3 moves but has disappeared somewhere along the years - I do remember re-re-re-re-repainting it until it was more humbrol paint than plastic. So: for sentimental reasons, I have one red-stripe box in pristine state & sealed. That'll stay that way. The other one will be an attempt at doing better than 6 year old me. What could possibly go wrong?

Here are the final photos from my 109 build, which I documented over on this thread: It's my second build, so I kept things simple. All standard out of the box parts and I copied the box art to the best of my ability, and added some light weathering. Paint is all Vallejo acrylics. I'm always eager to improve, so I appreciate all critique, tips, and suggestions! The canopy is a bit of a weak point on this build; I've talked about the issues I've had with it over on the build thread (as well as the many other things that cropped up!). The photos:

Now that the Cuban T-33 is almost finished, ma dad gets ready to start the next Latin subject. Hoduras used ten former Yugoslav AF Canadair Sabres from 1976 to 1986. Sources differ, some say ten Canadair F4, some eight Canadair and two F-86F. Gonna use the Airfix kit with Aztec decals. Furthermore a resin seat from PJ Productions, the FAH Sabres have been fitted with a MB 10 seat. DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0004 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr

I completed this a couple of years ago now. My second stab at the old Airfix kit, waterlined this time. No major corrections, though I did add a little PE. The seascape was one of my experiments with bathroom sealant. Thanks for looking.

This is going to be my second Seafire build. The other one being a very early example (a IIc), I’m going for super late in the form of an F Mk 46. I suppose this was the ultimate development of the type and couldn’t be much further from prototype K5054 of 1936. Twice as heavy, twice as powerful, heck of a lot more firepower. With the bubbletop canopy, longer nose, contrarotating prop, huge Spiteful tail and redesigned wing shape, it’s hard to imagine that R.J Mitchell (dead seven years by the time this variant made its first flight) would even recognise it. Indeed, for me the loss of the classic elliptical wing shape for the late marque Spitfires and Seafires kind of means they weren’t Spitfire and Seafires any more (indeed, the changed wing very nearly had the Spitfire Mk 21 renamed the Victor). Anyway, Seafire this one was, so here it is. The subject of my build will be Seafire FR Mk 46 serial number LA546, which served on the Station Flight at RNAS (now RAF) Lossiemouth, AKA HMS Fulmar, in 1948. This airframe was the personal mount of station chief Captain (later Admiral of the Fleet Sir) Caspar John, who was a pioneer of the Fleet Air Arm and the first naval aviator to command the Royal Navy. John was C/O at Lossie from 30th January to 24th August 1948. There is one known photograph of the airframe that shows it with extra dark sea grey over sky (low demarcation line) livery, with spinner, rudder and codes either known or presumed to be yellow. The absence of an arrester hook is notable, so while its maritime credentials are solid LA546 didn’t spend any time on carriers, at least at this stage in its career. I have actually built this subject before: about 12 years ago I built in 1/72 scale from the Jays/Venture kit (not so much built as hewn). The prop was a metal aftermarket jobbie, the decals were from Model Alliance, the canopy was vacform and numerous parts were cannibalised from other kits. I remember it being challenging but was pretty pleased with the outcome. I’m looking forward to revisiting it in 1/48 with a few more years’ modelling experience in my back pocket. The kit I will be using is Airfix’s 2012 boxing of their mid-90’s kit, not that easy to get hold of but I got lucky and picked one up on Faceache Marketplace at a really good price. I’ll be building it OOB apart from addressing a small issue with the overwing roundels. I don’t know yet if I’ll be building the two Seafires consecutively or simultaneously, this one may not make an appearance for a while. Thanks for looking in!

Source: https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/shop/new-for-2018/hawker-hunter-f6-1-48.html Airfix is to release in October 2018 (?) a new tool 1/48th Hawker Hunter F.6/F.6A kit - ref. A09185 Schemes: 1) XF418 - 4 FTS Brawdy 2) XF509 - 4 FTS 3) Dutch AF V.P.

As I've had to temporarily put my Supermarine Seafire FR.47 on hold, @TonyOD gave me the go-ahead to bring this into the group build. It was started at the beginning of the New Year and is currently at the painted innards stage. I intend to do it in the kit 217 sqdn scheme, with EDSG/DSG/Night camouflage. I am hoping for a "no surprises" build . The only extras are an Eduard steel photo-etched seatbelt and the Eduard canopy mask set. I mean, what can possibly go wrong with that?

Here we go then, the first of two builds I’m planning for this GB. My second build of a Brazilian aircraft, but I had the kit and decals for this long before I bought the F-5. Although I’m building an F8, I could get the FR9 kit cheaper, so that’ll be my base. Except once I had the kit here, the look of the FR9 grew on me, so I had to get another to build as an FR9 which is in another thread. Whoops. Anyway, one box top of an Airfix 1/48 FR9 kit: Sprues, which have only received some minor fondling and no parts have yet been removed from them: A selection of aftermarket goodies will come into play to varying degrees during the course of this build, with bits not used here potentially being used for my other build. A special word of thanks has to go out to @Celestialsphere for kindly sending me the Red Roo ADF fairing needed for this build: I’m going for the SEA camo version using FCM decals: The decals themselves look very nice indeed. Sadly, a couple of the code letters at the bottom have some scuff damage, but I don’t need those for this build. Also included are vinyl masks for the colourful edges on some of the versions, which may lead to another Brazilian build one day: Expect a start at some point either after I’ve cleared the decks of the current projects, or when I get impatient. James

Okay so here we have an ill-advised third build. As a background, in a 'cheap, lucky dip' group build, I got Airfix's more recent 1/72 Spitfire 1a, no doubt from a Lidl special, that we all know and love. The rules are that aside from decals, no aftermarket is allowed, and the models must be brush painted. The thing is, I build this kit last year, so it seemed a bit boring to just do it all over again. Really, I saw 2 options: do a 'starter challenge' build only out of the box (but I'd still end up with another BoB spitfire on the shelf); or mod it to something I actually wanted to build, namely a type 300, or a Seafire. I already had plans to mod Airfix's Vc into a folded wing Seafire L.III, but the lack of aftermarket rule would make the propellor and exhausts a bit of a struggle. So the obvious choice would be a quick Seafire 1b mod, but scratching around for wing mods, I realised I had no B wing kit to steal from, but I could pinch a from my daughter's Airfix's starter Vc. So a IIc then seemed appropriate. Really it's an excuse for me to learn some scratch building skills, which so far I haven't done a whole lot of. It also fits this GB's theme and allows to be shamelessly steal all the good research being done already! So yeah, I know there are much better and easier ways of achieving a IIc, but this is what we've got. So where are we? First, I'm sanding down, cutting out and scratching up some flaps out of styrene, hopefully with paper ribbing. I thought it might be nice to pose on approach to landing with everything down. (there's my first effort at the kit; it feels like this one fits rather less well!) The start of filling and rescribing the wings to 'C' configuration; adding the 'fishplates' to the cockpit side longerons and a rough go at the kite shaped supports around the cat spools. These are the thinest styrene I could find, but will need sanding back to not be ludicrously out of scale. I've seen raised details like this done in tamiya tape, but didn't trust myself not to dent or peel it off. As for the hook, after a bit of considering, I think I will join the fuselage halves, thicken the hook area with some CA glue, then chisel out the hook recess. The hook will be scratch out of styrene sheet and rod. I thought it'd be a good opportunity to do a first experiment with moulding and resin; so I've used some silicone to steal the blister from the Vc kit. The first efforts are in UV activated resin, which look a bit bubbly, but I do have some epoxy if that doesn't work, The bubbling seems hard to avoid, so perhaps I'll have to try some dodgy degassing with a cut up tupperware and a bike pump or something. I've even scratched up a never-to-be-seen-again flare rack under the pilot's legs. I'm sure there will be a multitude of other changes needed (new spinner, but the starter Vc one looks overlong to me; coffman starter?; securing rings; cat spools?). I'd love to hear what I've missed if people know, but can't promise my effort level will stretch to all of them! Andy

Hi All, My next build will be Airfix' lovely little Beaufort. Now some of you may have a rather alarming sense of deja vu, as I only completed one of these kits in November 2022 (itself a repeat build of an earlier failure), but fear not dear reader - this will be completed as a Mk.Ia!! I enjoyed the last build, and fancied a different scheme for this project. A bit of light browsing bought up this: I am planning to complete as the bottom left scheme, which is LR906 of No.2 Torpedo Training Unit, based at RAF Castle Kennedy, Scotland, in September 1943. I cannot find any photos of this aircraft, but the scheme appears repeatedly on various decal sheets. As you can see it is finished in white with EDSG upper surfaces, with DSG aircraft codes - until I hear different I shall go with this. I shan't bother with sprue shots as I've already built this kit - here's the WIP if anybody wishes to see it: Now if you look at the above schematics, you may note that the major difference between the MkI.a and the Mk.I is the turret (I think the Mk.Ia also used a later version of the Bristol Taurus). Now I dimly recalled that there had been some discussion on @Rabbit Leader's lovely build a couple of years back, and indeed a search through Dave's most entertaining WIP unearthed that the kit does contain the required turret components. Here's the thread: You will find the turret information on page 4 (thanks also to @AdrianMF for his significant contribution). Here is the clear sprue which shows the two turret types: You can see the glazing for the Mk.Ia Bristol turret bottom left, with the original Mk.I Daimler turret top right (I think that's the right way round?). Rather curiously, the sprues do not appear to contain the twin Brownings required for the Bristol turret, so some scratch-building may be required. The other interesting thing for this build will be the torpedo - my understanding is that training versions of the torpedo had a red or yellow nose, which will surely brighten up the scheme! Anyway, it should prove to be an interesting build! Thanks for looking, Roger

As my early Mk I is nearing completion my thoughts are turning towards my next Spitfire build. I had thought to do a very late marque variant, probably the F Mk 22 or 24, but have decided instead that any self-respecting Spitfire collection needs a classic day fighter scheme, sky-spinner-and-band Mk V in its line-up. The airframe I have chosen is a fairly well known one – for 20 years or so it was the box star of Airfix’s 1/72 Vb, first tooled in the 1970s: Spitfire Mk Vb EN951/RF*D, flown by Squadron Leader Jan Zumbach during 1943. EN951 was originally issued to No. 133 “Eagle” Squadron in June 1942 and flown by Lt. Don Blakeslee, an American, before being transferred to No. 303 “Kosciuszko” Squadron in April 1943 to be flown by Zumbach, a Pole. This airframe was in fact the third Mk V to be flown by Zumbach, coded RF*D and painted with his personal “Donald Duck” emblem. It is a well photographed subject. Zumbach on the left: At one time the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight had their Mk Vb painted to represent this airframe, in fact I have a little bit of history with it, Ten or so years ago I went to a Spitfire “technical day” at RAF Coningsby. This was outside the flying season, so the BBMF planes were in various states of stripped-downness for winter maintenance, and I was able to get up close to them in the course of a very interesting day. Here’s me with said Spit on the day: And a shot of the same aircraft during a different visit to Conigsby: Zumbach himself was a colourful character. He began his military career as an infantryman, but qualified as a pilot in 1938; unfortunately he was unable to take part in the defence of Poland against German invasion due to a broken leg sustained in a flying accident, but his unit evacuated to France where he flew the Morane 406 and the Curtis Hawk. He was shot down in June 1940 but escaped unscathed. The following week he travelled to England by boat, and was one of the founding members of No. 303 Squadron in September of the same year. Flying Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain he chalked up eight kills and one probable. He was shot down again in May 1941, but again was unharmed. By May 1942 he was Squadron Leader of his unit, and was the first allied pilot to come up against the Fw 190. His war ended rather ignominiously when he spent a month as a prisoner of war, having accidentally landed the Auster he was piloting behind enemy lines due to a navigational error. After the war, under a Swiss passport (his Germanic surname comes from his Swiss grandfather) he made a living around Africa and the Middle East as a second-hand aircraft dealer, smuggler and mercenary. Zumbach died in slightly shady circumstances in France in 1986; an investigation into his death was closed by order of the French authorities without public explanation. No. 303 Squadron was one of the most storied units of the wartime RAF. Unlike squadrons made up of young, inexperienced, newly-trained British and Commonwealth pilots, 303’s Polish pilots with their combat experience and aggressiveness (it’s fair to say they had an axe to grind with the Germans over the invasion of their homeland) made them a formidable fighting group, and they scored the highest number of kills of any squadron during the Battle of Britain in their Hurricanes (despite joining the battle two months in), before converting to Spitfires in January 1941. Here they are with EN951: Anyway, that’s the background. The kit I’ll be using for this is the new-tool Airfix Mk Vb, which apart from the decals I’ll be building OOB. @stevej60 is very kindly sorting me out with decals, as the Techmod sheet I had in mind now seems to be discontinued. I'm going to have a look at the kit during the weekend. Thanks for looking in.

Welcome all to my next WIP build, the new 1/72 Airfix Hawker Tempest. First impressions of this one are really good: there's a good amount of plastic in the box, a nicely detailed cockpit, nice clear instructions and two great looking schemes to choose from. Here's the obligatory box shot: This one will be mostly ootb, the cockpit is really closed off so won't add detail other than some foil seatbelts and think I'll use the kit markings to complete the version with yellow spinner and invasion stripes. I started with lots of dry fitting and found the thick trailing edges that others have commented on - why didn't they mould the flaps with the upper surface then have the join underneath? Anyway, I ground away some plastic on both upper and lower parts with my fake dremel tool then sanded the trailing edges until they were just going see through. I've now added the transparent bits, guns (drilled out too) and added the 0.6mm holes required for later. I glued the two halves together this evening and will see how it all looks before a bit of filling around the edges and more sanding away the TE if needed. The biggest modification I plan to make is to do a thorough riveting job on this little model as the larger scale versions I've seen look great with the extra detail. I'll do a bit of practice on an old paint mule and then get stuck in before gluing fuselage and wings together. Thanks for dropping in, more to come soon! Sam

Hi all, After some time away from CAD modelling and 3D printing, I'm back with new products! These are intended as a direct drop-in replacement for Airfix's 1/48 Vampire F3. Postage is, £3 (UK), £6 (Europe), £8 (rest of world). Drop me a message if you would like a kit. F1 Conversion - £12 CAD Individual parts breakdown https://www.facebook.com/WellsPropsModels/photos/a.107592737843774/335846051685107/ FB6 Conversion - £15 Long nose (with nose door) New cockpit (with integral ejection seat) Control stick Export variant main wheels As can be seen above, the cockpit is a one peice direct replacement for the Airfix kit part. As an optional extra, I intend to include the external fuel tanks and rockets. FB30/31 - £16 Elephant Ears intakes Export variant main wheels Control stick ADF Nose Bulge Cockpit (and ejection seat) Seamless Exhaust - £3 (+£1 postage UK only) Cheers Ben

Not sure if this counts as figures but not sure it fits any other category either - feel free to relocate if needed. Anyway this was a £5 eBay purchase; I’d built one before in the late 70’s (started one at least) and thought I’d try again. Definitely a kit if it time - filler was my friend - quite pleased with how its come out in the end though. Airfix Bullfinches 1/1 scale

Anyone who has been following me on Britmodeller will know that in 2020, I became a bit Chipmunk mad. I CAD modelled and 3D printed the DHC Chipmunk. To reward my hard work, in 2021, Airfix announced that they were releasing a new 1/48 Chipmunk! Almost a year ago, I built Airfix's beautiful 1/48 Chipmunk, in the (slightly erroneous) markings of privately owned Chipmunk, based just down the road from me, co-incidentally, I know both the owners! I've always had a soft spot for the Chippie, having my first encounter with the type on work experience at RAF Coningsby - as part of my work experience, myself and my (ex-RAF) late grandfather got a personal tour of the BBMF hangar, during which I got to sit in a Chipmunk, when they were in their gloss black colours. My love for the Chipmunk really took-off (no pun intended) in 2016; as part of my PPL training, myself and a flying instructor flew to Sleap airfield in Shropshire. We were to pick up a freshly re-painted Piper Warrior and return it to the flying club, upon arriving at the aircraft painters, I noticed a smart looking ex-RAF Chipmunk in the hangar and I was kindly shown around. Fast forward to last year, and I had quite an opportunity... A share became available in a Chipmunk, based at the airfield I fly from. Following a viewing of the aircraft, I had some serious thinking to do - not long after, I'd made up my mind... One flight later and I had a serious case of "Chipmunk Grin" Whilst waiting for better weather, so I can begin my tailwheel endorsement and Chipmunk familiarisation - I decided to build the Airfix kit again, in the markings of my new acquisition. I added Eduards PE, wheels, belts, and instrument upgrades. The only other additions were a compass and g-meter above the forward instrument panel and replacement of cockpit control sticks and canopy bracing srut, using brass rod, providing a much better scale size. The lower cowl was modified to represent the later single pipe exhaust, with the exhaust being replaced with brass tube. Airbrushed using Tamiya white and Hataka Light Aircraft Grey / Signal Red - followed by a gloss coat of GX100. The national insignia is from the kit, however I had to double up the roundels (using spares from my previous Chipmunk build), as they were slightly translucent. The individual aircraft markings came from a generic Xtradecal sheet. Weathering was a bit of dilemma, the aircraft itself is about as clean as a Chipmunk can get (obligatory DH Gipsy Major oil streak), but the kit looks too much like a toy with a panel line wash, which was done with MIG PLW. I also added oil streaking and a bit of mud splatter using MIG oils. I'm very happy with this lovely little kit, the only real challenges being the droopy wing and challenging canopy fit. Here is a view with which many an ex Air Cadet will be familiar, before climbing up the wing and into the cockpit - and soon I will be too.... I really hope I have done justice to this soon-to-be 72 year-old lady in model form, and I hope to have many happy flying experiences with the 1:1 scale version Thanks for looking! Ben

As I only built the Ta 154 lower component of my Mistel in the prototypes etc GB, I still have the Fw 190 kit left. I fancy something a bit different, maybe on the Eastern Front with the improvised brown/green camo. More when I have made my mind up. Pete

Hello all, Time to get started on my first entry for this Group Build. This is one I've had in my stash for a while now: an Airfix 1/72 Beaufighter T.F.X. As the kit omits or simplifies some of the cockpit details (e.g. the very prominent heating pipe on the starboard side), I also purchased a CMK resin cockpit, and as I often do I'll also use Eduard photo-etch and paint masks. The aircraft I'm planning to build is an early T.F.X of the North Coates Strike Wing in August 1943. A quick history of the North Coates Wing in 1942 - 1943 The North Coates Strike Wing was formed in late 1942 and consisted of three squadrons - 143 Sqn with Blenheims but converting to Beaufighters, and 236 and 254 Sqns with a mix of Beaufighters Mk.Ic and VIc. The Wing's role was coastal reconnaissance and shipping strikes against convoys usually off the Netherlands. These convoys transported materials vital to the German armaments industry, such as high grade Swedish iron ore, to Rotterdam, where they would be sent up the Rhine to factories in the Ruhr. The Wing's first strike on 20 November 1942 didn't go to plan. The Wing set course for the target without its fighter escort, the two formations failing to rendezvous, and several of the Beaus detailed for anti-Flak duties lost contact with the formation in poor weather. The aircraft tried to press home an attack on a convoy off Texel but the Flak defences and escorting Fw190s of II./JG1 were waiting for them. In the confusion some Beaufighters were hampered by other friendly aircraft which got in their way and did not bomb, while three Beaufighters were shot down (including 236 Squadron's C.O., Wg Cdr Fraser) and seven badly damaged, two of which were written off on return. This was a poor return for one tug sunk and several vessels damaged. 236 Squadron's new Boss, Wg Cdr Neil Wheeler, along with Wg Cdr R. E, X. Mack of 254 Sqn (replaced by Sqn Ldr G. D. Sise when Mack was killed) and Wg Cdr W. O. V. Bennett of 143 Sqn, energetically set about devising new tactics so that the earlier debacle would not happen again, and the Wing entered a period of intense training interspersed with search and coastal reconnaissance duties. In April 1943 the hard work paid off when the Wing attacked a heavily escorted convoy off the Dutch coast. As the Beaufighters attacked the Flak ships with bombs, machine guns and cannon, the "Torbeaus" swept in at low level and aimed their torpedoes at the largest merchant vessel, the 4,906 tonne Norwegian cargo vessel Hoegh Carrier. In an attack lasting just four minutes the Hoegh Carrier and her cargo of coal was sent to the bottom, two M-class minesweepers were set on fire and an armed trawler was damaged. Only two aircraft were hit. More successes followed throughout 1943 as the Wing continued to press home their attacks with cannon, torpedoes and for the first time rockets. The Germans soon started sending some convoys by night, rendering them more vulnerable to the Royal Navy's Nore Flotilla and to mines dropped by Bomber Command. The combined result forced the Germans route many more convoys to Emden not Rotterdam. This was a far less efficient journey to factories in the Ruhr due to canal locks and limitations of barge sizes on the Dortmund-Ems Canal, as opposed to the Rhine from Rotterdam where larger barges could move freely up the river. The first shipping strike using new Beaufighter T.F.Xs occurred on 2nd August 1943, and in a "copybook" attack the Wing's 24 aircraft targeted escort vessels with rockets before the Torbeaus struck the merchant vessel Fortuna, which reportedly sank in only 30 seconds along with her cargo of iron ore. It's an aircraft from this last raid I'm planning to build, and as an early T.F.X will be in the (very attractive in my opinion) Temperate Sea Scheme - not that I dislike the later scheme! Enough of my ramblings for now, I'll be back soon with more on the exact subject of this build and some progress! Matt Bibliography: RAF Operations Record Books AIR 27/1447 (236 Sqn), AIR 27/978 (143 Sqn), AIR 27/1515 (254 Sqn) The Strike Wings - Special Anti-Shipping Squadrons 1942-5; Nesbit, Roy Conyers; https://www.bcar.org.uk/north-coates-history.php

This has been sitting in the stash for a while now. And this is the machine I’ll be building. Two reasons, one I like the scheme, clearly the crew were extremely concerned with being seen at night and blacked out almost all of the camo and secondly, as you may be aware I try to avoid building things with swastikas but I don’t like to leave a model incomplete so if I can find an option without tail markings I’ll usually take it.

Build this quickish one whilst mulling over some B17 adjustments. Seems the instructions of a NMF are incorrect and thanks to those who helped in my question post for confirming that, so decided to build it as the USAF museum in ohio example which was an agressor squadron aircraft till retired. So heres 'Red 39'

Hello Fellow Meteorites ! Let's start on another 1/48 Airfix F.8 Meteor. My contribution to the Group Build will be a Brazilian aircraft using the FCM 48-053 sheet. To contrast with James' (@81-er) camouflaged version, I will be doing this colourful 1966 scheme. I chose this because it has the 'Força Aérea Brasileira' title on the fuselage which appeals to me. Here's a photo of the real thing. I really like jet aircraft parked on grass - try that with an F-22 Raptor.... Proof I haven't started. I will also be using the Red Roo ADF Aerial housing and a CMK resin ejection seat which is winging its way from Poland right now. One of the sprues is warped but only has small parts on it so it shouldn't be a problem, and I won't be installing the cannon. This is my first 1/48 jet aircraft so it should be fun. Cheers Andrew