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Last week my family and I went to Melbourne. While this was our first chance in 9 years to have a holiday as a family my wife and daughter were hell bent on shopping and graciously allowed me 2 days (more or less) to go off alone to "see my things". On the first of those two days I trundled off to Metro Hobbies and snagged a Takom 1/350 P Class airship and an Avis 1/72 Hawker Cygnet. But on the second of my days I trained and bussed to the Moorabbin Air Museum. I have to say that the experience I had there was nothing short of superb! When paying my AU$10 entry fee I asked the ladies at the counter if it would be possible to see some of the restoration that the museum is constantly undertaking. To my absolute delight I got a guided tour of the smaller workshop and storage yard at the main museum area, and the large workshop about a hundred and fifty metres up the road. To give just two highlights of my day I plastered myself up against a Douglas DC-2 that is waiting for restoration, and got to go inside a DC-3 under restoration. I highly recommend visiting the museum and talking to the wonderful staff. DennisTheBear

SS Xantho, Western Australia's First Steamship. St George's Terrace is the main business thoroughfare of Perth and every 20 metres or so along its length, embedded in the footpath is a plaque similar to the one shown below. Each plaque commemorates a year in the history of Western Australia and the most eminent person in the state that year. There are some names you may have heard of; Allan Bond, Dennis Lillee and Bob Hawke for example - I note that Rolf Harris's one has recently disappeared!? But most of the names are those of administrators, academics or business people whose stories are now forgotten by all except their decedents or the most ardent of local history buffs. In the course of my years of work in this city I must have walked past this rather battered looking plaque hundreds - probably thousands - of times without noticing it or giving it a moment's thought. 1870 - Charles Edward Broadhurst - Pearler... About two year's ago, on a lunch break, I dropped into my favourite bookshop and while perusing the local history section found this recently published book. The nautical cover caught my attention. I wondered if there would be schematic drawings inside. I'm always looking for schematic drawings. There were a few sketches in the book, but none of the four-view technical profiles and cross-sections I was hoping for. There was however this artist's impression of a most fetching looking 19th century steamship; The SS Xantho. I started to read and once I started into her story - and that of her owner Mr Broadhurst - I could not stop. It turns out that this vessel - and a rather extraordinary vessel she was in certain regards - was Western Australia's first ever steamship. I'm not going to try to tell her history to you right now, because that would make for a very long introductory post and I am anticipating that this project could last for some time. We can discuss her history in detail later. Suffice to say that this ship sank in November 1872 at Port Gregory, a tiny, tiny settlement 500 km North of the state capital Perth. (See the map below.) Fortunately no lives were lost. Following her loss she was essentially forgotten and sat undisturbed for more than 100 years and was of no apparent significance beyond being a hazard to navigation. The red arrow shows the position of her wreck, right at the entrance to the harbour and the yellow arrow the site of the only jetty for scores of nautical miles in any direction. But in 1983 Xantho was re-discovered by staff of the Western Australian Maritime museum and, due to a number of extraordinary and completely unforeseen factors she was about to be propelled to global fame - at least within the world's maritime archeology community. In the words of Dr 'Mac' MacCarthy, the world's leading expert on Xantho - 'This ship is world famous - in certain circles'. I think it's a shame so few other people have heard of her. Once the Avro 504 is finished I'm going to build a model! Be warned though Britmodeller maritime folks I have great plans for this one, and I'm going to need all the help and expertise that I can get, because this promises to be a research nightmare! Very Best Regards, Bandsaw Steve.

To all of my friends and acquaintances in the great islands down under. I wish you a very good and safe ANZAC Day. I hold all you're valiant brethren that have served and fallen since your nation’s creations with highest esteem and Honor. Dennis

Hello Everybody... I was reading a post by @modelling minion in one of the Corsair STGB Threads. He made a comment that we could do a group build on Kiwi Corsairs and the lightbulb went off. Is anyone here interested in a group build based on the ANZAC History ? Im talking anything to do with Australia and New Zealand be it civilian or Militarily. From the day they started as Colonies to them becoming Independent Nations. Wether in there own defense or as part of the Commonwealth service, in both Peacetime and at War. I believe their were Australian and New Zealand crewed Ships in both World wars. The same for the RAAF and New Zealand Air force. There were infantry and Armored units all over the planet during the wars. Korea, occupation of Japan and Germany, Vietnam for the Australians and participation in East Timor. I think this kind of expresses the idea, if anyone is interested I could flesh it out more. I forgot to add this includes Civilian items also, Planes, trains, Cars, Boats/Ships, and anything else. 1. Corsairfoxfouruncle (Host) 2. Silver fox 3. Graeme H 4. Modelling Minion 5. LDSModeller 6. Cookenbacher 7. stevehnz 8. zebra 9. vppelt68 10. Romeo Alpha Yankee 11. Steve 1602 12. Marlin 12a. Trickyrich 14. JOCKNEY (Co-host) 15. helios16v 16. TEMPESTMK5 17. pacificmustang 18. thorfinn 19. Rabbit Leader 20. Paul Bradley 21. Adam Poultney 22. gary from darwin 23. PhantomBigStu 24. CliffB 25. Wez 26. Arniec 27. Marcin Kaminski 28. Ray S 29. Rafwaffe 30. Jabba 31. Beazer 32. Paul J 33. John Masters 34. Andwil 35. ArnoldAmbrose 36. sampanzer 37. Mancunian airman 38. Threadbear 39. vstanman 40. jb65rams 41. bianfuxia 42. abat 43. Richard E 44. Cuppa_joe 45. mark.au 46. Peter Lloyd 47. fatfingers 48. Scargsy 49. theplasticsurgeon 50. Jpthedog 51. Aidrian 52. davecov 53. jackroadkill 54. 55. Dennis

This is a placeholder for the ESCi kit of the A-4G variant produced for the Royal Australian Navy. I bought this in the late 1990s ago for the princely sum of 3 Irish Pounds. The supplied stores are 6 x Mk 82 500lb "slicks" + MER (for the centreline pylon), 2 x drop tanks and 2 x rocket pods. This is probably standard for most of the ESCI A-4 kits, except the "Aggressor" & "Blue Angels", which have no stores as I recall. I'm not sure if this load-out was carried by the A-4G, but I do know it was used in the ground attack role. It was also used in the air defence role with up to 4 Sidewinders, which is an interesting possibility.

This build started as a "rescue" kit that came to me partially built, as explained in the step-by-step posting: It is a companion of the recently-completed Lan Chile Junkers: My thanks once more to friend, fellow modeler and Ornithopters' member Sönke for kindly donating the rescue kit. My gratitude also to those who helped providing useful information during the build, especially Günther Ott of ADL in Germany. Any inaccuracies in the model are entirely my fault. Last but no least thanks to Mika Jernfors of Arctic Decals, who warned me about the stagger of the seat rows and windows on the original plane, and made a wonderful decal set for it. At the beginning I planned to use it to try some tricks to be applied to a new model (finished as a LAN Chile airliner), but I grew fond of it in spite of the challenges it presented. To start with, Italeri made very little effort to adapt the military boxing into the civil one, leaving many grey areas and some serious mistakes to be fixed by the modeler. I ended up correcting some of the inaccuracies of this old kit and providing some additional interior, and commissioning a decal set for it to be finished as VH-UYA, a machine that saw some limited service in Australia. The most blatant mistake of the kit is that in the original plane the two sets of windows were staggered, the right side being ahead of the left, a fact ignored by Italeri that takes a lot of time and some skill to correct. I drew immense pleasure from the conversion of a machine of sinister origins and use, into an airliner that is not wearing despicable symbols, but instead had a good use, at least for a time, transporting civilians and being useful for peace, not war. VH-UYA presented some color challenges, as it the case when assumptions have to be made based on available black & white photos and/or vague, or generic descriptions. The color choices, which involved some degree of speculation, were adopted after much consultation and study. Unfortunately, for several reasons, it did not have a long career in Australia. Many sources repeatedly state engine issues for all Jumo 205-equipped planes. This diesel engine apparently gave more than one headache to its pilots, mechanics and users. There is some anecdotal information on the Net about this plane, so if you feel curious, do a search for the type and registration, instead of me parroting here what is already out there. This old kit as said is not very accurate and it is devoid of cabin detail, having also raised panel lines, but the fit is quite good, and the engineering uncomplicated, which is appreciated. As many other old vintage kits, it can be converted into a fair representation of the original with some love and time. I would say that skill required for this conversion is within the reach of committed modelers that had already ventured into some kit-improving and detailing. Provided you invest some research and effort, you can obtain a large number of civil airliners from this kit. As stated in the building article, Kora Models has some sets that cover a few of the possible choices (not sure how accurate they are), but combining different releases of the Italeri kit (radial, inline, short tailcone, long tailcone), and doing or commissioning your own decals, you are also set for a nice ride if you are so inclined.

Hi, Anyone got any ideas where I can get the dimensions for the bigger span oz F111 wings ? Like to build one but im not shelling out 50 60 70 quid for one,cant be to difficult to sandwich a couple of pieces of plastic card together and etch out some details

I went to the Tyabb airshow this Sunday - as usual, a nice collection of beautiful warbirds. I'll post photos here from time to time as I get round to processing them, for now here is the RAAF Museum's recently restored CA-18 Mustang being put through its paces. Thanks for looking Julian

I have an old Microscale decal No.353-International Mirage. One of the markings is for an Australian Mirage IIIO belonging to 75 Squadron. One of the markings for this aircraft is large yellow triangles on the wings. I have not found any pics showing those markings. Does any body have pics they can post or explain why they were used for?

Myself and my camera wandered down to the Avalon Airshow here in Victoria yesterday. Its a biannual airshow, and I usually try to attend on one of the trade days Shooting conditions are notoriously bad, with the harsh sun in your face, heat haze and lots of gunk in the air. Anyway, managed to capture these images. I'll hopefully have a few more to add after Thursday. I have also added a link to my full album Cheers Bruce and a link to the album here https://www.flickr.com/photos/131700029@N03/albums/72157678971013968

As well as modelling, I also enjoy doing a bit of photography. This link will take you to some shots that I took at the recent TAVAS Great War Flying Display at Caboolture airfield here in Queensland. Unfortunately, my DSLR is out of action at the moment, so I was using my wife's bridge camera hence why there are no in-flight pictures. Ross

Ok I wont take the credit for this one but the original idea for a RAAF GB really grabbed me for some reason!!! To make it a bit more appealing and a wee bit more inclusive I thought to widen it to include not just the RAAF but to include all Australian and New Zealand service men (and women) and their equipment, be land, air or sea, throughout the years. So I would like to propose an ANZAC in Service GB. I know ANZAC was a term originally used to name the army corps of both countries during and after the Gallipoli landings but it has grown to include all services and is something of great national pride. This is why I decided to use this term for the GB. So pretty much anything from 1914 (its just a starting date) on is in, so a huge range of options here. There would be plenty of scope for the AFV and boat builders as well, which should make them happy. Any equipment that was used by either country would be eligible which should make choices fairly easy. Plus I would like to include Australians and New Zealanders who served with the RAF with Fighter Command, for these the individuals aircraft is eligible. Plus there is Bomber Command where RAAF 458 and 460 Sqn. and RNZAF 60 Sqn. were the main squadrons but there were other detachments to RAF squadrons as well. For the AFVs and navy its a wee bit harder, but I am open to queries. Plus finally 2018 is for us the final part of the ANZAC Centenary with the Battle of Hamel, Villers-Bretonneux being most poignant. So its a very open GB that all members can find something they're interested in to build, and for us downunder to build something to be proud of. ok the list..... 1, trickyrich - host 2, stevej60 3, Silver Fox 4, Caerbannog 5, Cookenbacher 6, adrianm2 7, Plasto 8, TrojanThunder 9, Rob G 10, feoffee2 11, Arniec 12, stevehnz 13, CliffB 14, nimrod54 15, spaddad 16, SleeperService 17, Joss 18, Basilisk 19, DennisTheBear 20, Giorgio N 21, bubbasparksuk 22, Graeme H 23, Cammer625 24, Jon Kunac-Tabinor 25, Rafwaffe 26, Sgt.Squarehead 27, Paul J (Barry) 28, Rob85 29, Admiral Puff 30, PhantomBigStu 31, Antoine 32, TonyTiger66 33, 34, 35,

I don't know if this has been posted before but it is worthwhile listening to. In 1942 the Japanese were bombing ports in the north of Australia, ranging all the way across the top of the continent from Western Australia to Queensland. Several of those raids were on the city I live in now, Townsville. As it happened one of Australia's great war correspondents, Chester Wilmot, was passing through Townsville on his way to New Guinea and was doing an interview with an American pilot when the third of these raids occurred and was able to capture the sounds and give a commentary. This is from the Australian Broadcasting Commissions archives. http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2009-06-08/archive-audio-eyewitness-report-of-japanese-air/1705516

One of my friends, displaying a touching if unrealistic faith in my modelling skills, has asked me to build a Mosquito for her ex-RAF Grandfather for his 90th birthday later this year. I understand that he was with 618 Squadron when it was in Australia working up to attack the Japanese Fleet at Truk and has recollections of the PR XVI photo-reconnaissance Mosquitos which operated with it. By way of parameters, I will be working in 1/72 and trying to keep down costs for my friend as much as possible, so any low-cost, spare part or recycling options would be warmly appreciated. To help me, I have a small shopping list of questions which I am hoping learned members may have the answer to. Firstly, does anyone have any pictures they can share of 618 Sqn's PR XVI Mosquitos? I have seen references from other fora which seem to have embedded links to pictures hosted online but the actual images themselves I can't trace. In particular, what was the colour scheme for the PR XVIs attached to the squadron. I have done some research and the options seem to be two - PRU Blue as stated by one source which I found on Hyperscale or silver, as shown in an RAFWeb profile? Then, can anyone confirm the link-up between serials and codes for these aircraft? I understand that the codes in play were XI (tentatively identified as NS729), YI (very tentatively NS732), and ZI (likewise very tentatively the crashed NS735.) Were the serials and code letters black? Are there any 1/72 decal sets of the actual aircraft available? If not, I have heard that the roundels [and flashes?] were standard RAF-type, with the red of the roundels overpainted with white RAAF-style, thus changing the proportions. Do these exist as decals anywhere? I have in my stash some old Frog Havoc and Ventura decals including RAAF options which look roughly the right proportions. Might I be able to use these? I understand that these Mosquitos, like the Highball B.IVs, but unlike the practice F.B. VI, would have been fitted with V-frame arrestor hooks. Would an arrestor hook from a 1/72 Blackburn Shark or Sea Hurricane be suitable for that part? If not, would it be worth seeing if anyone has a spare Aeroclub white metal one? I understand that their 2-stage Merlins would have been fitted with 4-blade Rotol propellers. Is Blackbird the best source for the 4-bladed props? Also is there any evidence to suggest that the engines would have been fitted, like their B.IV counterparts, with tropical filters? The wikipedia entry, which is my source for the list of mods, isn't clear. If yes, how could these best be sourced? Finally, does the PR.XVI canopy only exist in Vacform in 1/72? Many thanks in advance for your help.

We are pleased to announce a new relationship with Creative Models Australia who were Colourcoats stockists previously. We now have agreed a restock which we are compiling and shall be shipping imminently. Creative Models Australia shall be able to supply customers within both Australia and New Zealand. http://www.creativemodels.com.au/'>http://www.creativemodels.com.au/

Here I present my second AFV build, the Airfix 1/76 scale Matilda finished as a vehicle from 2/4 Armoured Regiment, Australian Army, New Guinea, 1944 (see here for details from the Australian War Memorial, also some great photos here from the same site). Intended as a long weekend quick build in time for Australia Day - and I managed it! The basic kit needed some modifications to make it look more like one of the Australian Matilda's, including cutting down the height of the commanders cupola, the addition of some scratch built stowage boxes and some wire mesh to cover the rear hull - my first serious attempt I think at any kind of scratch building. The model was brush painted with Tamiya Acrylic, the main colour being Tamiya XF-13 (ironically enough IJA Green). Weathered with dry brushing and washes of Italeri and Tamiya acrylics. WIP thread can be found here, many thanks to Sgt Squarehead and Steve (Fatfingers) for advice on colour and the modifications. Really beginning to enjoy these little tanks, a few more may be and I will have the courage to try a larger scale model. Thanks for looking.

Vickers Wellesley, one of those forgotten types from the unfashionable side of modelling. Here's the very first boxing that I will be using for the build: Typical Matchbox kit, basic but accurate to the eye. I'll add a few details but won't be going rivet crazy - actually theres very few rivets in the design as it is a smaller brother to it's more famous stablemate the Wellington and shares it's fabric covered geodesic structure. As befits the simple kit it's appears a simple build: Schemes are two similar green/brown birds differentiated by their engines. Option 1 is a standard short cowl Mk1, but option 2 is more interesting as it is a form generally associated with just 3 aircraft of the Long Range Development Unit that flew from England-Egypt-Australia with the longest leg being 7300miles (in 1938!). But to confuse matters the kit decals arent for one of these 3...but more on that later

Wow everyone is quick listing their builds! Ok for this GB I’m doubling up, not just the colour scheme is Australian but the aircraft was designed and built here as well! So here she is Not the prettiest aircraft ever build but it was Australia’s first combat aircraft to be designed and built here. Initially it was designed as a fighter but it lacked speed and high altitude performance to take on the Japanese fighters. But it was easy to fly and quite agile along with its heavy armament meant it was a good light ground attack aircraft. It featured extensive armour plating over an airframe of wood and aluminium which meant it could sustain heavy battle damage and still return to base...though it was a bit prone to ground looping. I had wanted to build the Alley Cat 1/32 version but it was a wee bit expensive....so I settled for the Special Hobby version. It looks to be a nice model with a resin engine and details. Ok I said it looks to be a nice model but a really close examination reveals that it will need quite a bit of work to get in right.........I should have bought the Alley Cat one! The extras will be Eduard’s PE set and Montex masks, though I thought I had a set of aftermarket decals for it.......will have to have a look. Now just need to get the 110 finished by next break......plus find time for the SciFi build as well!!!

http://www.panoramio.com/user/7396952?comment_page=1&photo_page=1 9 Pages of RAN, RAAF, RAF, RN, RMAF. Something for everyone. I found the link on hyperscale.com. Enjoy Pete