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Beaufighter Hedgehog Exhausts – British/Australian (Q48386 & Q48387 for Revell) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby The Beaufighter was used extensively as a night fighter due to its heavy centreline concentrated armament and capability to carry a dedicated radar operator in a cramped compartment in the fuselage, so damping any flames coming from the exhausts was important for two reasons. It was crucial for the pilot to retain his night vision during flight, as any bright lights could spoil his sight for up to 20 minutes, leaving the aircraft vulnerable and the chances of them finding a target reduced. It was also imperative that the aircraft was effectively invisible to both the bombers they were hunting and other enemy night fighters that may have accompanied the bombers, for obvious reasons. Hedgehog flame dampers got their nickname because of the small triangular spikes that covered the length of the extension, reminiscent of a hedgehog’s quills (vaguely). The extension contained the exhaust gases until they were out of the pilot’s eyeline, and dissipated them through various exits allowing them to cool sufficiently so that there was little if any flame coming from the rear. The Beau and many other types wore this style of exhaust, and they differed slightly between variants. British Type (Q48386 for Revell) The British exhausts were simply extensions to the exhaust stub, and are a drop-in fit to the aft of the cowlings, with a tapering tube facing toward the tail, ending in a point. They attach to their pour stubs on the inner face, so any mistakes removing them for the single block won’t matter much. Beaufighter Mk.21 – Australian type (Q48387 for Revell/others) Each damper on this set is supplied on a separate casting block with ancillary parts included that give you two options. They fit into the back of the cowlings as per the set above, but they are cylindrical and have stoppers at the rear for one version, or a stopper plus two feed pipes back into the cowling for the other option. Again, the parts are coupled to their blocks via the backside, and removal from their stubs is easy, even with a few passes from a sharp blade, which I tried successfully out of curiosity. Review sample courtesy of

S&M Models is to release in June 2016 a 1/72nd Bristol Type 171 Sycamore kit. Source: http://sandmmodels.co.uk/misc-news/first-ever/ - ref.SMK72-36 - Bristol Sycamore British & Australian Issue - http://sandmmodels.co.uk/product/bristol-sycamore-british-australian-issue/ - ref.SMK 72-37 - Bristol Sycamore German & Belgium Issue - http://sandmmodels.co.uk/product/bristol-sycamore-german-belgium-issue-2/ - ref.SMK 72-38 - Bristol Sycamore Civil Issue - http://sandmmodels.co.uk/product/bristol-sycamore-civil-issue/ V.P.

Bristol Beaufighter TF.X 1:72 Airfix A04019A The Beaufighter was originally developed as a fighter variant of the Beaufort, aiming to utilise as many components from the light bomber as possible to speed development, construction and minimise tooling costs. It didn't quite work out that simply, as it needed additional power that could only be provided by the new Hercules engines that was in development, as even a Merlin engine would leave it underpowered as they later found out. This meant a mid-wing mount had to be created so that the props had sufficient ground clearance, and a skinnier fuselage was used to reduce weight and drag. It was still fairly quick to reach production, and although it wasn't as amazing as the Mosquito, it turned out to be a good multirole aircraft, able to assume roles for which it was never intended for. The TF.X was a later mark that was adapted to carry a torpedo slung under its belly, and mounted two Hercules XVII engines that had been tuned for low-altitude performance to improve the crew's chances of survival during an attack. Over 2,000 were built, and they were colloquially referred to as the Torbeau. The Kit The kit is a re-release of Airfix's new tool kit from 2015. The smaller parts dont seem to suffer from the softness I have seen in other Airfix 1/72 kits, though will be needed to remove them from the sprues. Construction starts with the internal structure in that the wing spars for the kit are first attached to the cabin floor. In the cockpit the pilots seat and the flying controls then go in. A pilot figure is supplied if the modeller wishes to use it. Then in the rear compartment the seat also goes in there on its mounting. Again a figure is supplied if the modeller wishes to use it. Moving onto the fuselage halves up front the side consoles fro the cockpit go in. At the rear the tail wheel assembly goes in, different one are supplied if a wheels up kit is to be made. Again at the front the instrument panel goes in with the instruments provided as decals. The fuselage can then be closed up and added to the cabin floor. Underneath this goes the lower fuselage part remembering to open up holes for the torpedo and any stand you are going to be using. We now move onto constructing the wings. These are conventional left/right & upper/lower in construction. For this version the instructions indicate there are a couple of small bumps which will need to filed off. The complete wings then slide over the spars installed right at the beginning. Separate ailerons are provided for the wings. We now move to the tail. Depending on the decal option used there are different horizontal tail planes and inserts to be used. The tail plane is a single part so no worrying about getting the angles correct. This then attaches to the tail and the vertical fin can go on, followed by the rudder. We now move back to the main wings and those engines. Each has a double bank of cylinders outside of which goes a 3 part cowling. The exhaust collector ring goes onto the front of this and hedgehog exhausts down the side (these looking pretty good for this scale in injection plastic). The completed engines can then be fitted to the wings and the intakes are then fitted to the top. Note that these are different depending on the decal option chosen, as again is the nose cone with the Portuguese aircraft being fitted with a radar nose. Now we move to the landing gear. If doing an inflight model then Airfix again provide a seperate set of closed doors for this. The main legs and their retraction struts go in with the wheels going on followed by the gear bay doors. If you then want to add any armament now is your chance. Under the fuselage goes the Torpedo and under the wings four 60Lb rockets each side. The rockets and their racks fit to a plate. The instructions indicate these were only fitted to the RCAF Aircraft. To finish off the wingtip lights are added along with the landing lights. the canopies are fitted along with the rear gun; also the props and sinners are added. Last up there is the dorsal aerial, and for the Portuguese aircraft a largish intake just behind the pilots canopy. Decals The sheet here is from Cartograf who seem to be doing all of Airfix's decals so there should be no issues with it. Two options are provided; NE355, No.404 Sqn Royal Canadian Air Force, RAF Davidstowe, Cornwall June 1944 (If using invasion stripes these will need to be painted) BF17, Squadrilla B, Aviacao Maritima, Portela de Sacavem, Lisbon, Portugal 1946 Conclusion This is a great kit re-issued and with decals for an overseas operator. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

After my recent Brigand build you would have thought I'd learned my lesson, but 'the boys' have encouraged me to do this next: so apparently not. First flown in 1935 the Bombay was introduced in 1939 and retired in 1944. Wikipedia here and, as usual, no colour photos for reference so your guess is as good as mine. Luckily I build OOB and follow the instructions so I'm not too bothered - it's the build that's fun, IMHO (although not in my recent experience). Sprue shots: Three plastic, two clear, two PE (oh joy), IP film and resin engines. Decals for two schemes: - L5838, 216 Sqn RAF, Aldergrove, Northern Ireland 1939 and - my choice, L5813, 271 Sqn RAF, crashed 11.5.1940 in Betheniville, France, stalled on approach to the airfield and crashed killing four and injuring twelve. The usual picture only instructions on folded A5 pamphlet, which I won't bore you with but here's the first few steps: Looks like an interesting cockpit, good. Notice the inset panel in step 2 for attachment of PE. No, it's not clearer 'in the flesh'* Bit worried about this bent training edge: but this will no doubt add to the jeopardy and keep people interested. Hopefully. * Dbl-E, score 1, fnaar fnaar. Off to a good start, with the double entendres at least.

Beaufighter 1F Nightfighter (03854) 1:48 Revell The Beaufighter was originally developed as a fighter variant of the Beaufort, aiming to utilise as many components from the light bomber as possible to speed development, construction and minimise tooling costs. It didn't quite work out that simply, as it needed additional power that could only be provided by the new Hercules engines that was in development, as even a Merlin engine would leave it underpowered as they later found out. This meant a mid-wing mount had to be created so that the props had sufficient ground clearance, and a skinnier fuselage was used to reduce weight and drag. It was still fairly quick to reach production, and although it wasn't as amazing as the Mosquito, it turned out to be a good multirole aircraft once it had matured sufficiently, able to assume roles for which it was never intended for. The initial Mk.1 wasn’t a speed demon by any stretch of the imagination, and some were converted to Nightfighter specification to gauge their performance against the incoming enemy bombers that were attacking London and the rest of England every night by that time. After a few quieter sorties, the 1F began to show promise, downing a number of bombers, the first of which was a Do.17. It was able to carry the bulky early radar equipment without serious penalties, so was a natural for the task where speed wasn’t quite so crucial in the dark. The Kit This is a minor retool of the TF.X from Revell, one of the first to be released from the newly reinvigorated company, and the first new tooling of a Beaufighter for a long time, so it’s good to see them following through with new versions. It arrives in one of their chunky end-opening boxes (think 1:48 Tornado), and inside are sixteen dark grey sprues with a slight sparkle which is a little odd. A trio of small clear sprues, the decal sheet and new-style colour instruction booklet with the obligatory safety warning sheet tucked inside. There are 163 parts in total, and when you pull the wing sprue out of the box you realise that the Beau was quite a large aircraft. Surface detail of the aircraft's skin is restrained, with lots of fine engraved panel lines, and even what appears to be an attempt at replicating the unevenness of the skin of the aircraft around the fuselage sides and on the nose cones, a few of which you won't use. You get a full-length floor inside the fuselage with plenty of interior details, which also includes the wing roots as seen from the inside, the equipment in the back and the radar Op's seat base. The differences are around the cowlings, which are smoother than the TF.X, the original flat elevator parts and the lack of rocket pack trays and thimble-nose that came later. Construction begins with the cockpit, which is stuffed into the very tip of the internal floor, with a portion of the forward spar at the rear, cockpit bracing structure and a three-sided console in front, onto which the instrument panel is fixed, and a decal can be added if you don't fancy painting it yourself. Rudder pedals are moulded-in, and a control column drops into a slot in the centre of the floor, with the seat with moulded-in belts placed hard up against the spar. The rear spar forms the box, and this is full height, with moulded-in doors into the rear compartment, and two ammo drums behind that feed the belly cannons. Behind that is the base for the radar operator's chair, which also has lap belts moulded-in, another framework bulkhead that has a central equipment rack in it. Behind that is an empty space with the tail-wheel well at the rear, which is moulded into the floor as a curved box, and can accept the tail wheel in either deployed or stowed positions by using a different strut on the same wheel. The fuselage can then be closed around the assembly, after de-flashing some holes along the top seam for later use. The nose cone is separate, and you have a choice of two, but we use the original sleek nose that gives the Beau such a nice line. The canopy is fitted next, and has an apron in front of the windscreen moulded-in to make fitting it easier, and a separate top panel for the pilot's exit. My example had taken a hit to the top roll-over bar, causing it to snap off, but as it was a clean break, I was able to glue it back with small dots of super glue. The gun-sight is also clear, and needs partially painting before installation, which would look more realistic if you add some clear green to the edges of the glazing to simulate thickness. The new rear crew member's dome is able to be fitted open or closed, with no machine gun this time around. Now for the wings. The lower wing is a full width piece, and includes a short length of the lower fuselage to give it a strong join. Four small holes must be opened up in this area before proceeding, after which the gear bays are constructed in the lower half of the "power egg" from individual panels and a front bulkhead. Behind them the flap bay is completed by the addition of an upstand part that spans the gap between lower and upper skins. This is of course repeated in both sides, and the upper wings are glued in place once this step is completed, then the flush landing light, the supercharger intakes and wingtip lights can be added along with the inner and outer sections of the flaps, which can be posed open or closed, by adjusting the leading-edge tabs that are present. The ailerons are each two parts and these fit on pins and can be left loose or posed how you see fit. Before mating the fuselage to the wings, the lower hatch is installed in either open or closed positions. Next up are the engines, and these are depicted fully with two banks of pistons and plenty of nice detail. The exhaust collector ring and the forward cooling vanes are all there, although a little bit of wiring will be needed to complete the look. The three new smooth cowling sections are all build up around the front ring, and then you have a choice of adding open or closed cooling flaps, by using one or other of the sets provided glued to the aft of the cowling. This is done twice of course, and the engines aren't handed, so the exhausts are on the same side, as are the hedgehog flame hiders that trail along the nacelles, which have glare shields over them to protect the pilot's night vision. A choice of large or small intakes are fitted to the top of the cowlings, and the tiny rear tip of the nacelle under the wing finishes off that section. The tail of the Beau is noticeably cranked upward with quite a large dihedral on later variants, but this early one has flat fins with a single two-part elevator running across the full width with trim actuators added below. The tail fin isn't moulded into the fuselage, but this early fillet-less version fits into a slot on the top of the elevator assembly, and separate rudder parts allowing you to pose the rudder deflected if you wish. The main landing gear can be left off totally if you are posing your model in flight, with the single piece gear bay doors dropped into the aperture in the bottom of the nacelles. If you are building the landing gear down, you will need to construct the H-shaped legs in stages, sandwiching the two-part wheels between the legs as you go, and this completed assembly is attached to a small section of the spar for ease and strength of attachment. This is glued into the front of the bay, with another set of retraction jacks fitted diagonally from the bay rear into the lower section of the leg. The single door panel is split lengthways with a blade or fine saw and added half to each side of the bay, then the prop is fixed to the front, either with or without a spinner, which has a backplate for completeness. Then it's a case of fitting a pitot under the wing, aerial on the fuselage, and radar antennae on the leading edges of the wings to complete the model, and some wire/thread for the aerial if you're feeling brave. Markings There are two decal options provided on the sheet, and if you thought they were going to be anything other than black, there’s some bad news coming. They’re both black, but with different coloured fuselage codes to differentiate. From the box you can build one of the following: Beaufighter Mk.1F No.604 Sqn. RAF, Middle Wallop, England, April 1941 Beaufighter Mk.1F No.68 Sqn. RAF, High Ercall, England, Late 1941 Decals are by Zanetti, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion I liked the TF.X and I like the Mk.1F just as well – I love Beaufighters (and an awful lot of other aircraft too, for completeness). It’s a well-detailed model that ticks a lot of boxes for the modeller, whether they’re of the out-of-box, or advanced flavour. Highly recommended. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit or

In the churchyard of St Edmunds or St James, Blunham, Bedfordshire, is a heavily worn gravestone. These days it is barely legible but back in 2005, it was much easier to read. We were hosting an American friend in November of that year and she was eager to take some photos in the churchyard. She got to one gravestone and said, "Oh, he died in the war!" I looked, and amongst the many names on the stone was a Pilot Officer Alan Dunn Hopkin, who died on the 10th July 1940. I have to confess that it was several years later when I thought of the young man whose name was carved into the gravestone. I remembered the date. The first day of the Battle Of Britain. I wondered how he was lost. Research revealed that he was with No. 59 Squadron, flying Bristol Blenheims from Thorney Island, West Sussex. At 22.20 hrs on the night of the 9th July 1940, Hopkin, along with Sgt T.J Rowles (observer) and Sgt J.W. Falconer (WAG) took off on a Hach patrol (anti-invasion reconnaissance) to Cherbourg. Another Blenheim, R3881 left for a separate patrol a couple of hours later. For some reason, both aircraft appeared to get lost on the return journey, both being plotted by RDF but neither acknowledging the calls from the plotters. At 3am R3637 exploded over Cardiff. None of the bodies were recovered. It has been suggested that Hopkin and his crew may have been the victims of friendly AA fire. The other Blenheim, R3881, flew into an electricity pylon near Cleehill, Shropshire, with the loss of all on board. These six men must have been among the first to lose their lives during the Battle Of Britain. I decided that I had to build Hopkin's aircraft as a way of commemorating one of my Village's fallen sons. I had the serial number, but precious little else. It took several years of digging before I finally found the individual aircraft letter on the 59 Squadron website. Photos of contemporary 59 Sqn machines gave me a good idea of how the aircraft would most likely have looked like and study of photos revealed that R3637 almost certainly would have worn the B scheme. I chose the new Airfix 1/72 kit to represent R3637. Mine was the bomber boxing and this was moulded in the UK. Although the plastic "felt" a little strange, it was much, much nicer to work with than the awful, soft but still brittle, made in India plastic and the fit was markedly better than I anticipated. It was only the bomb bay area that really let the kit down. Otherwise, the build was straightforward. Paints were Colourcoats and Humbrol, whilst decals were a mixture of Xtradecal, Modeldecal and Aeromaster, plus a few of the kit's stencils. The code letters were from an Aeromaster sheet and were the only ones in my stash that replicated the style seen on other 59 Sqn machines at the time. I also used some Peewit paint masks for the glazed areas. While they were a bit cheaper than the equivalent Eduard product, I felt that they weren't as precise as the Eduard masks I've used so far and the edges curled up after a relatively short amount of time, meaning a fair bit of overspray had to be removed. The retracted turret option was only used as the extended one was ropey to say the least, covered in deep gouges and having several moulding flaws. I'm sure I have heard others report that they encountered the same issue. I have to apologise for the quality of the photos but I only just finished the model in time. I am actually away from home at the moment and had to take the photos last Friday, the night before I left. My SLR is unserviceable at the moment, so I had to make do with my phone camera. So, my first completed build in years. I say completed, but it isn't *quite*. There's a not quite finished decal repair on the starboard side (hence no photos) and I haven't added the wireless aerial as yet either. Once done, I'll try to take some better pictures but otherwise, thanks for looking. Cheers, Mark. This model is humbly dedicated to P/O Hopkin, Sgt Rowles and Sgt Falconer.

Hello all, I have had this kit in my stash for about 6 months now and I've been trying not to scratch a constant itch that demands I build it …. but now I have to give in …. as it's driving me mad! These WnW kits are sheer quality, with some beautifully moulded parts, loads and loads of detail and a superb instruction booklet to ease construction. As soon as you open the box and see one in the flesh, you just know that you've bought a quality kit and regardless of the higher bracket prices that they demand, these kits are definitely worth every penny - money well spent! I normally like to scratch-build bits and super-detail my models (it's just a habit I have) but this kit will be built mostly OOB with very little added detail other than maybe some ignition leads on the engine which don't appear to be included. To be honest it doesn't very much else! Kit and contents in the photos below: This is the scheme I will be using in my build, which is the same as the box art: Thanks for looking in on my build, all comments and criticisms welcomed! Kev.

Pics of the nose section at the helicopter museum.

AviS is to release 1/72nd Bristol M.1C & M.1D kits - ref. 72032 & 72033 Source: https://www.modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=95825&start=6960 Box art V.P.

Quick question for the experten here. Im looking at possibly doing a plane for the RAF 100 Anniversary group build coming up in April. Im debating one of three options ? Im normally a WW2/Coldwar builder but im thinking of expanding into 1930’s types. For the build i was thinking either Bristol bulldog ? Hawker Fury ? Or if i stay WW2 an eagle squadron from the early years. I know there are airfix furies and bulldogs would these be good options to start with a 1930’s bi-plane ? Dennis

Well, it's official - I now have the inter-war civil aircraft bug, and next up is this little guy - Avis' 1/72nd Bristol Racer. 'What the heck is a 'Bristol Racer' I hear you cry? Well, wikipedia says The Bristol Type 72 Racer was a British racing monoplane designed by Wilfrid Thomas Reid and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton, England. - and who am I to doubt them. More to the point, it looked like this: Who couldn't love that? Well, apparently the pilots who had to fly it because according to wiki it was terrible and scrapped just a couple of years after it was built. Still, it looks good, doesn't it? Anyway, thanks to Avis for making a kit of such an obscure piece of aviation history. Apparently they're only making 500 of these kits, but I've got one so let's hope I can actually finish it and make it look halfway decent when I do. As is traditional, here's the box: And here's the bits: Moulding is definitely short-run, but I've seen worse. Next time: The amazing invisible cockpit!

A short run kit of a pretty obscure subject. A few little issues putting it together but I like the result. WIP here: For scale:

Finally finished a Contrail vac in time to start a project for the Frog GB, so here is a 1/48 Bristol Blenheim prototype. Like all vacs the kit needs a lot of patience and filler but I was lucky enough to have a spare set of nose glazing and resin interior from a Special Hobby kit. K7033 went through a number of changes before being painted in camouflage and delivered to the RAF, the spinners were soon ditched in favour of easier access for maintenance and was fitted with the standard dorsal turret rather than the trial one on the model.

I've come to the conclusion that the only way I can make Airfix release a new 1/72 Beaufort is to make a start on my Frog one. I've lined it up against the 1/72 plans in the Warpaint booklet and there are, ahem, "significant differences" in the fuselage department. Can I assume that the Warpaint plans are right, or at least righter than the Frog model? Regards, Adrian

There's a rumour about a future 1/72nd Bristol Belvedere by ACE Model. To be followed Source: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235045628-amp-mikromir-news-questions-wishes-and-more/&do=findComment&comment=3316095 V.P.

Avis is to release in September 2018 a limited edition 1/72nd Bristol 72 Racer kit - ref. BX72030 Source: http://scalemodels.ru/news/13001-Avis-1-72-Bristol-Racer.html V.P.

Hello, I`m starting another project, I`m going to use the Aviattic`s PC10 and CDL decals for the beastie. More pics soon. Here`s my inbox review of them (in Polish) if anyone`s interested: http://www.kfs-miniatures.com/

As most will know Airfix are up to their stash spoiling ways again and are releasing a completely over detailed 1/48 Blenheim 1, at no point did they ask me if that was acceptable, if they had I would have told them straight 'no thank you, I have a perfectly good Contrail one'. So as a snub to Airfix I'm going to indulge in some proper modelling by building it regardless; it will be detailed but not over detailed with never to be seen again , I know it's there interiors and to make it different it will be the prototype Blenheim 1 K7033 in natural metal finish, a silver shiny Blenheim like this.... Typical Contrail vacform sheets, but I have a Classic Airframes interior resin set, plus replacement wheels and a paintmask- see, I'm not as stupid as I look. a few reference works to assist. Like all vac builds nothing will happen for a while why I hack and sand the bits into shape.

My first helicopter, I did a lot of mistakes, but at the end i’m satisfied also because the kit is not the easiest on the market (thank to S&M for giving us a kit of this interesting subject) I used some etched, built new landing gear with Albion alloy tubes, open 2 doors and folded rotor blades Colours are from Gunze Sorry for the low quality of the photos

Two Scouts completed for Eleventh Hour GB, a Libra vac and Mac kits. Couldn't help doing a group shot with a Pegasus Bristol M1C

Beaufighter TF.X Upgrade Sets (for Revell) 1:48 Eduard Revell's newly minted Beaufighter TF.X (reviewed here) seems to be finding favour with the modelling world, as it's the first new tooling we've had in a long time, although the previous Tamiya model is still pretty good. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Detail Set (49926) Two frets are included, one nickel plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. A complete set of new layered instrument panels with glossy dials are the primary parts on the painted set, with new rudder pedals; side console and sidewall details; crew hatch internal structure; antenna upgrade; intake meshes for the engines, and lamp holder for the landing light are also supplied. Zoom! Set (FE926) This set contains a reduced subset of the interior, namely the pre-painted parts that are used to improve on the main aspects of the cockpit, as seen above. Whatever your motivations for wanting this set, it provides a welcome boost to detail, without being concerned with the structural elements. Seatbelts STEEL (FE927) In case you don't already know, these belts are Photo-Etch (PE) steel, and because of their strength they can be etched from thinner material, which improves realism and flexibility in one sitting. Coupled with the new painting method that adds perceived extra depth to the buckles and other furniture by shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE. As well as the two sets of 4-point crew belts, you also get a metal surround to the hole in the back of the seat, and to install all this you will need to first remove the moulded-in belt detail. landing flaps (48967) Eduard landing flaps use an ingenious technique to achieve excellent true-to-scale flaps using few parts, and requiring the modeller to simply remove the retracted flaps from the lower wing, plus remove the chunky flap detail and scrape the upper wings to accommodate the thickness of the completed bays. Each half of the three flap sections (bay and flap itself) is constructed in the same manner, by twisting and folding over the attached ribs to create a 3D shape, with extra parts added along the way. The two-section bays glue to the inside of the upper wing and the flap is attached to the rear wall of the new bay. Repeat this for the other side, and you're almost done. The bays have additional strips that run the width of the flaps, and actuator details, with a scrap diagram showing the correct angle. Masks (EX621) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy and blister, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape. In addition you get a set of hub/tyre masks for the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Masks Tface (EX622) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with everything above, but also give you another set of canopy masks tailored to fit the interior of the glazing so that you can paint the interior and give your model that extra bit of realism. Review sample courtesy of

Hello All, A bit late to the party but here is my project, two Bristol Scouts, one injection moulded by MAC and a vacform by Libra. Some spare parts from the MAC one including decals will be used in the vac build. Not decided schemes yet but the Libra will be a 'D' and the MAC a 'C' Just noticed the Libra kit is issue 001, would have been a collectors item if I hadn't already started chopping it up!

I'm feeling confident about finishing the Comet 4B now so here is the venerable Bristol Fighter F.2B to fill the gap for '1956' - confirmed on the Airfix Tribute Forum and Scalemates agrees. I've actually got two 'boxings' of this kit - one from 1962 in the well known 'Red Stripe' bag and one from 1987 in the 'no explosions / blueprint background' with different transfers for 5 Squadron. The box is / was still sealed and you can see that at one time in its career, it was on sale in Selfridges (no less) for £1.75. The older kit looks good with no flash but the transfers...! Those roundels look like eyes squinting sideways! Instructions are the traditional 'locate and cement' kind that actually educate you in all the aircraft terminology. Date inside the fuselage says 1957 - that makes the kit older than I am. Needs to be handled appropriately. I've decided to 'squirrel away' the early kit and build the later one - I'm not an antique dealer, honest! Here it is and it is from the period when the kits made in France - the plastic is more silver as opposed to silver-grey. Still a lack of flash though and the decals are good. I think I built the 'Dogfight Double' version of this first time round (last century) and this time I fancy trying some rigging (gulp) and a 'wood effect' on the prop - there have been bags of tips on BM.

I managed to pick this one up on ebay last month for the bargain price of £7 & have been itching to get started on it. It's actually the Eduard kit, just in a Revell box & with Revell instructions. No photo etch stuff, but I will be trying out Bob's Buckles for the first time. I received 30 eyelets & 20 turnbuckles this week - boy are they small ! After studying my pics of the Shuttleworth's F2B I can see that I'm going to need more. Paint will be mostly Vallejo model air, I don't have any colours that match the three main colours, so that's another order required before too long - lucky the kit cost next to nothing. I started putting the cockpit parts together using the revell instructions, but decided I didn't like their colour scheme, so the floor changed from Silver to wood. I should have done the grey & wood of the instrument panel the other way round, but I'm still pleased with the way it's come out. WP_20170611_17_00_07_Pro_LI by Andy Moore, on Flickr WP_20170611_16_11_02_Pro_LI by Andy Moore, on Flickr All the inside is now painted, well as far as I'm going to anyway - the bracing wires look a bit messy, if I was doing it again I think I'd paint some stretched sprue & stick it in place of the moulded wires. WP_20170611_17_23_01_Pro_LI by Andy Moore, on Flickr WP_20170611_18_03_01_Pro_LI by Andy Moore, on Flickr This is so much more fun than a grey jet fighter

Finally got started on my contribution, the venerable Bristol Bulldog, for some reason I have 3 although a few parts are missing so in reality there's enough to do 2. This one will be largely OOB as I am in respite after my Contrail Botha! The kits... Decided to open the blister pack but use the decals from the later boxed version as they are the only ones in usable condition. Here's what you get.. Noticed the poor pilot is missing a leg and some engine cowl bits have broken off and gone missing so will raid one of the other kits for replacements. Added a better seat, instrument panel, framing, control column etc to the cockpit, very little of which is seen once closed up. Closed up and spayed. The circular block on the lower wing looks at first like a casting mark but does exist on the real thing, there is a corresponding hole in the bottom of the fuselage to take it. The decals are thick and despite all my best endeavours refuse to sit well. I will replace the roundels with Xtradecal ones and possibly the lettering too. The tail ones are terrible and will be replaced by masking and spraying. I wanted to apply them at the gloss stage so that they don't silver, the fabric areas will be dulled down with matt varnish spray. All in all I'd say this is a well engineered kit and should go together well...more soon.