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Hi All, Well, what have I gone and done now? Emboldened by the relative success of my recent Manchester conversion project, I have decided to jump in with both size 10s and attempt a whole aircraft design and build. I did toy with another Lanc conversion (I'm thinking RAAF Lincoln Mk.30/31, which is still a distinct possibility for later down the line), but the idea of a whole aircraft would not go away. With the Valom kit the only available option to build the Albermarle, it was an obvious choice. Twin engines, tricycle undercarriage, lots of transparencies - what a challenge! There is also the enticing prospect of invasion stripes, and even the possibility of a diorama with a Horsa glider - I am positively frothing just thinking about it! With excitement levels at 11 I decided to order this: Until that turns up I have the small matter of a pair of Bristol Hercules XIs to occupy my time. This will definitely be a slow burner, so this is a bit of a placeholder. Let the dance begin... Thanks for looking, Roger

Hi, my name is Glenn and I am in central Canada. I am a longtime member and former president of the Winnipeg Model Boat Club, a group of around 40 members with a dedicated sailing pond although we are not exclusive RC. I am building a 1/48 scale (5 foot 3 in, or 1.6 meters in length) which I 3D printed. The Castle class is always overlooked by mainstream model companies, and there is not a lot of information online. I have collected many pictures thru Google, but of course there are no colour photos from WWII. As such, I am having a devil of a time determining colours on specific areas. The one part which is very obvious and is driving me (more) nuts is the mast. I have found online modelers have painted it white, black, grey but have found no supporting information to clarify the correct colour. Thee are other areas, such as rope ladders, the Bofors and Oerlikons, things like that but I understand that these changed as the ship aged. Slapping paint on something that was worn looking was very common... The particular ship I am trying to recreate is the HMSC St. Thomas, which (IMHO) seems to be the perfect representation of the Canadian Navy. The St Thomas sank the U-877 with their Squid, then ensured that every survivor was pulled from the water and saved. A truly honorable crew, and the captain of the St Thomas and the captain of U-877 kept in touch for decades after the war. War does not need to turn us into animals... Any assistance would be much appreciated. I think the mast was grey, judging from black and white photos but I cannot verify nor determine the shade of grey.

Hello Gents ! First of the year for me. The end of the line of this so nice family of Japanese navy fighters . The nicest of all in my opinion. With an armement of 2X13 mm +4X20 mm ( like a FW 190 A8 ) , powerfull power plant, and maneuverability as of the Zero sen he could have been a real match for allied planes at that time. But only two were build, plagued by their power plant. Aoshima offers us the possibility to build what is the best option of this plane at all scales !! 😈😆 I just added Master 20mm japanese guns and build the inner landing gear doors mechanism on to the pics now, hope you'll like it ! 🙏 All the best !! and happy modeling !!

Hi All, Now, what is it I enjoy doing again? Oh yes, modelling WWII aircraft! For the last 5 months I've been on a bit of a treadmill with a commission maritime project. With the future of the rest of the project a little uncertain, I've decided to take a bit of a break from it and revert to that which gives me joy. I have been following along with @Heather Kay's wonderful Manchester build, and it inspired me to have a go at a 3D printed conversion kit for the Airfix Lancaster (A08013A for those of you wondering) to see how well I can integrate with the original kit parts, rather than cutting and shutting as is the norm with conversion kits (although Heather has made a great silk purse from what appears to be a bit of a sow's ear). To that end, I've got one of these winging its way from t'internet: My plan is to design and 3D print as follows: - Complete new wings & flap assemblies at the 90' wingspan - Vulture engines, integrating the kit undercarriage into the nacelles - New tail assembly (not sure yet whether to model the vertical stabiliser with the smaller vertical rudders, or use the kit parts for a later model) - Remodel the interior, including provision for the second pilot position - Vacuum form new dorsal turret and nose blister using 3D printed bucks - Maybe model the ventral turret, depending on the aircraft I choose - Lots of other things which I have yet to get my head around I suspect that some aftermarket parts may also find their way into this build - a mask set at the bare minimum! This is a bit of a placeholder as I have no doubt it will be a long-term endeavour. I may also kick off a couple of mojo-restoring builds too, but it's good to be back in the kingdom of wingy things! Thanks for looking, Roger

Hi All, Happy Easter to one and all! Whilst I am waiting for a replacement kit for my DAF duo project, I thought I'd start another build! Inspired by @AliGauld's lovely 1;48 B25, I thought I'd have another crack at Auntie's lovely Mitchell II. This was one of my very first RFIs on this forum, a whole 5 years ago, so I thought it was about time to build another. As that build was one of the kit schemes, I thought this time I'd try something a little different, so I'm going to build this as a PRU version, specifically MA956 of 684 Sqn RAF: You will note that this is a single colour scheme, so I will have to try and add some texture! I was a little dubious regarding the scheme as presented above - an AVM flying on operations?? There is very little photographic evidence I can find of this scheme, but the legend Tony O'Toole did build one a few years back. Here's the scheme as presented on his thread (I believe it is a DK Decals sheet): That shows no mission tally, no AVM pennant, white centres to the roundel, and a serial in white - hmmmm! Any photographic evidence gratefully received, but at least I can paint it PRU blue. Interestingly this version of the scheme shows de-icing boots, whereas the other does not (I suspect the latter to be correct, and it will certainly add a little interest). So, here's the boxart: Here's the sprues: The lovely transparencies: The decals (stencils only will be used), along with obligatory mask set: In order to make a PRU version there are a couple of changes I shall need to make: - Fair over the astrodome behind the cockpit - Plunge mould a large astrodome in place of the dorsal turret - The ventral turret is faired over - The 3 cameras were mounted in the ventral turret location arranged in a lateral fan (one pointing downwards, two oblique), so appropriate holes will need to be drilled. I don't think the cameras will be at all visible so no point adding them. As I say, references are scarce for this one, so any information gratefully received! As the wife is infected with the spicy sneeze we will be laying low this weekend, so plenty of available bench time. There's always a silver lining,,, Thanks for looking, Roger

Well this was a very fun project. Who could resist a toothy shark’s mouth and the svelte lines of a Fairmile D? First off, let me say that this NeOmega offering would make an excellent model just out of the box. It is very finely executed. The resin hull is nicely molded—I saw none of the bubbles and pinholes that others have reported. Many features I was prepared to scratch build are included, such as the towing shackles fore and aft. You still have to be prepared for some scratch building if you want to get detailed. The mast is a good example of this. Oh, I mentioned in the WIP that the use of PE to provide details on the deck surface particular to an MTB D, is innovative and effective, allowing the same hull molding to be used for other D versions. The 3D prints are crisp and detailed (the twin Vickers for example), albeit the material with which they are printed is very brittle and care must be taken to avoid their shattering. I was very pleased with the torpedo tubes, which required no additional detailing. All that said, as good as the prints are, if Micro Master is offering something, I’m in. They are world class. You can compare them to the esteemed Lambert drawings, and every bolt, rivet, and mechanical detail is there. But, again, this is to take nothing from NeOmega’s offerings. In this build, I learned three things. First, how to properly dry brush. You can get very pleasing results through this technique. Secondly, how to make and use stretched sprue—very handy. Lastly, I learned that I really like the weight and heft of a resin hull. I may have to add some lead weights to the hulls of future builds if they are not resin 🙂 Particulars of the build: - NeOmega’s Fairmile D MTB (obviously) - Micro Master: 6 pdrs, twin Oerlikons, dinghy, smoke floats, and flotanets ( the last two left over from my Flower build) - Flag, Above and Below Graphics—a veteran-owned Canadian company with fantastic offerings - Vallejo paints, using @robgizlu’s formulas, and artist oil washes (no rust this time around) - Anchors courtesy of @Steve D whose offer to print replacements for my shattered ones was most kind and much appreciated Anatomy of the Ship was my main reference, but I had lots of help from other forum members sending pics and reference photos in PMs. Thanks! So . . . here is how she turned out: (See the errant prop shaft peaking out from where I displaced it through ham-handedness?) I would just like to reiterate the thanks I expressed in the WIP for all the support and encouragement I received while posting during this build. It was all most appreciated! All the Best, Jeff

Hi All, I have recently finished this kit, which is intended for use with the newish tool Airfix Lancaster kit (A08013A). The kit is intended to be a minimal fuss conversion with the only minor surgery required to the kit flaps and undercarriage doors (both cut to length). Here's the WIP and RFI if you wish to see the finished result: The kit provides the ability to produce an early Mk.I with the smaller 28' empennage and central dorsal fin, or the later Mk.Ia which used the same empennage as the Lanc (the kit parts can be used for this version). This is an extensive conversion, including the following elements: - Wings at 90' wingspan - Nacelles for the twin RR Vultures along with propellers - Empennage at 28' span, with smaller vertical stabilisers and central fin - Main and tail wheels - Bomb bay doors - Control column and Mk.IX bombsight - Aerial Mast - FN7 dorsal and FN4 rear turrets, with vacuum formed transparencies (also included is the landing light cover) A few CAD images follow. Here's the port wing assembly: Port empennage: Central dorsal fin: Main wheel: Tail wheel: Dorsal FN7 Turret: Rear FN4 Turret: Dorsal Turret Fairing: Flat bomb bay doors: Mk.IX bombsight Dual yoke control column: I think that's everything! You can find this kit via my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561410731459 Thanks for looking, Roger

Hi All, My first completion for 2025, and it's a big one! For the last couple of months I have been working on designing, 3D printing and finishing a conversion of the Airfix Lancaster (A08013A) to the earlier Avro Manchester Mk.I. This is the base kit: This is the aircraft I have chosen to model: L7427 was part of 83 Sqn, based at RAF Scampton in April 1942. The aircraft was lost on its 15th mission to attack the Blohm und Voss shipyards in Hamburg on 8th April - all crew perished. The aircraft had completed 10 missions at the time this photo was taken, denoted by the mission tally on the side of the nose. This is an extensive conversion, which has entailed the design and 3D printing of the following: - Wings at 90' wingspan - Nacelles for the twin RR Vultures along with propellers - Empennage at 28' span, with smaller vertical stabilisers and central fin - Main and tail wheels - Bomb bay doors - Control column and Mk.IX bombsight - Mast - Vacuum formed FN7 dorsal and FN4 rear turrets, along with landing light cover Here's the WIP if anybody is interested: All the printed parts were produced on an Elegoo Saturn 3 Ultra using water-soluble resin. This is the final result: Here's a shot showing the kit of parts with the finished article: Here's a final shot with another unusual Lanc derivative: This has been an ambitious project (for me), and I'm pretty happy with the outcome. I have had much assistance along the way - @Walter Lindekens and @brewerjerry were most generous in supplying information on the type. @AdrianMF, @Marklo and @TeeELL were all most generous in offering vacuum forming advice to a noob. Thanks to everybody else who has added kind words and encouragement along the way - it has been much appreciated! For those who are interested, I will be making this kit available for sale in due course, Thanks for looking, Roger

Good afternoon fellow BMers, I didn't complete any build in 2024, but here is the first one for 2025. To be honest, it was started in april 2023 (no April Fools Day here, I swear) for the "Not my comfort zone" group build (thanks Adrian @AdrianMF) and was my first try at a short run kit and some bit of rigging. Following a third attempt at landing, and thanks to your support, it's finally parked here for you to see. Let's also admit I'm particularly fond of high winged aicraft (Lysander, Henschel Hs 126, Fieseler Storch, PZL 11 ...). The subject is a Renard R-31, the one and only Belgian designed and built military aircraft to have ever entered service and was used during the early days of WWII over Belgium. Conception by André Renard began in 1931 and it first flew in 1932. It entered service in the Belgian Air Force in 1934, 34 were built by Ateliers Renard (Liège) and SABCA (Gosselies). Deliveries occurred in in 1934-1935. Twenty-one were still serving in two frontline squadrons (named Blue/Red Sioux) based at Bierset (Liège) during the German invasion of Belgium on 10 May 1940. Eighteen days later 9 were left (some sources say 5). These were destroyed by their crews after all the ones who tried to reach Britain were shot down by German fighters. It was a single engined (Rolls-Royce Kestrel II) observation monoplane. It followed the usual configuration of many recon planes used then, with parasol wing and fixed landing gear. It had a metallic frame and fabric covered surfaces except around the engine and part of the fuselage underside. It housed a crew of two, pilot and observer/rear gunner. Armament was one front-facing FN Browning 7.62mm and another one for the rear gunner. I couldn't find a picture of a bomb equipped machine but according to my sources it could be fitted with 8 bombs (10kg each) and was used once in a bombing mission, on 16 may 1940. As many allied aircraft of the time it could already be considered as obsolete when it entered service. Underpowered (500hp), slow (max 290-300kph), devoid of armor or self sealing fuel tanks it seemingly also suffered of bad maneuverability, and wasn't much loved by is pilots. Thus it sadly was easy prey for the flak and 109s. As said above, there is no survivor left but a replica build is in progress at Brussel's Air Museum https://www.brussels-air-museum.be/conservation/. A nice little kit (except for the decals). The sum of my blunders - I certainly can't fault the kit - can be found here: Enough talking, here are the pictures: I hope you find it to your liking. Thanks for watching and a nice evening to everyone. Cheers. Pat.

Hawker Tempest Mk.V (A02109) 1:72 Airfix The Hawker Tempest was a development of the Typhoon, originally called the Typhoon II, it was envisioned to solve all of the issues that bothered its designer Sidney Camm. The main difference was a much thinner wing which reduced drag and improved aerodynamics of the laminar airflow. The wings could accommodate 20mm Hispano cannons that packed an enormous punch, and lent itself to the low-level attack role that it was designed for. The engines intended to power the aircraft were the Centaurus, Griffon and Sabre IV, and initially the Rolls-Royce Vulture, which was terminated early in the design phase, leaving the three options going forward and necessitating substantially different cowlings to accommodate their differing shapes. The Mark V was split into two series, with the Series 1 having the Sabre II that had a similar chin intake to the Typhoon and many Typhoon parts, while the later Series 2 used fewer Typhoon parts and had their cannon barrels shortened so they fitted flush with the leading edge on the wings. A few of the early Mk.Vs were used as test beds, while other marks were developed alongside it, such as the Mk.IIs with Centaurus engines and a cylindrical cowl; Mk.VIs which had a very short production run; the Mk.III and Mk.IV that used two types of Griffon engine and didn't see service, and later the TT.Mk.5, which is where a lot of Mk.Vs ended their days towing targets. The Kit This is a new tooling from Airfix in what I jokingly call “the one poo scale” to irritate my fellow Moderator, Julien who calls it “the one true scale”. In reality I have no issues with any scale, but prefer my models in 1:48 for aircraft. Truthishly, I’ve been more impressed with each passing release and the detail being squeezed into this scale, so you can be assured of my equanimity during this review. The kit arrives in a standard red-themed top-opening box, and inside are four sprues in Airfix’s usual light grey styrene, a small sprue of clear parts, decal sheet and a folded instruction booklet with spot colour printing. The sprues are filled with well-detailed parts and some clever engineering, which should please anyone in the market for a 1:72 Tempest V or anyone that appreciates a nicely crafted kit. Construction begins with the seat, which has a slightly soft quilted rear cushion and is attached to the head armour, with lateral tubular mouldings, which sets the tone for the cockpit being made in sub-assemblies. In order to close up the fuselage however, there are a number of other sections that need completing first. The simple two-part L-shaped tail-wheel bay is first; The instrument panel with clear gunsight/compass and instrument decal; then the three-part intake grille is made up with its circular centre. Two 0.6mm holes are made in the fuselage halves before all four assemblies are added to the starboard fuselage half after painting the cockpit walls, so the fuselage can be closed up. The cockpit sill insert is inserted into the oversize aperture later on. The lower wings are full-span, and are stiffened by adding the spar/wheel bay walls and the cannon barrels, plus the closed-up main bay doors if you’re going for a gear-up model. Clear landing lights slot into the holes, and another is added into the belly, and a few more holes are drilled. Surprisingly, the upper wings are full-span too, and have the cockpit floor moulded in with the foot trays ready for the rudder pedals and control column to be added once the wings are closed up. Rudder pedals at 1:72 is good to see, although only until you close up the fuselage and consign them to darkness, most likely. The completed wing assembly is then joined to the fuselage by inserting the leading edge into the back of the chin bulge, and dropping the trailing edge into place, gluing it all closed once done. The elevators are each single parts with P & S on their tabs, but you get a separate rudder to add to the tail fin, which you can offset for a more candid look. Beneath the tail you can close up the tail-wheel bay for in-flight, or pop a two-part tail wheel into the bay with a pair of doors installed at an angle on either side. The main gear is a single strut with retraction mechanism and captive door, and a short ancillary door that is fixed to the outer edge of the bay before inserting the main legs. A retraction jack and triangular inner bay door is then inserted into the two inner edges and the 5-spoke wheels are placed on the axles, with another 4-spoke set left on the sprues. Both sets have some sag engineered into the bottom of the tyres to give the impression of weight. Behind the chin take is an outlet ramp with a cooling flap that is added while the underside is completed by fitting L-shaped pitot; crew step and aerial, the latter having scrap diagrams to show their correct orientation. The six exhaust stubs are each made from two parts that interlink to create the stacks for each side, so they can be slotted into the sides of the engine cowling, then the single-part prop is given a choice of different shaped two-part spinners, before it is placed against a tubular insert that has the axle pushed through to join the prop carefully with as little glue as necessary. Once the glue is dry the tubular insert is pushed into the front of the fuselage and cemented in place, leaving you with a spinning prop if you’re careful. There’s a pilot figure included on the sprues, with a detailed painting guide if you wish to use him, and you also have a choice of open or closed canopies, fixing the windscreen first, and either butting the canopy up to the screen or leaving it open as far back as the head armour. An aerial is fixed to the fuselage spine at an angle, and another pair of scrap diagrams help with orientation. There are a pair of clear fuel tanks included on the clear sprue, but they aren’t needed for this boxing, and there are no stencils for the clear pylons. Markings There are two decal options on the sheet, as is common with Airfix kits, and you have a choice of one in D-Day stripes and one without. From the box you can build one of the following: Wing Commander Roland Prosper “Bee” beamont, No.150 Wing, Newchurch, Kent, England, June 1944 No.486 Sqn., Royal New Zealand Air Force, RAF Castle Camps, Cambs., England, April 1944 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 This is an excellent new tool from Airfix with plenty of detail baked-in. There’s no doubt that there will be more boxings, as indicated by the unused drop-tanks and wheels, so keep a look out to expand your squadron. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

I am hoping this is the correct place to ask a question. I want to find out what were the colours used on RAF machines in the Far East during World War II when used for anti-submarine or anti-shipping roles. I am imagining that it would be similar to Coastal Command, but for the Far East, No idea where to look, the internet may have lots of information on it, but it's having the ability to drag it out of there to look at that's not always easy. It would be very helpful if someone could either post the required information or point me to a relevant book or website. Gondor

Hi All, Whilst waiting for various things to fall into place before I get on with my 3D conversion of Airfix' Lancaster to a Manchester, I fancied a nice, low stress build to ease myself back into wingy things. What better than Auntie's lovely little Tiggie? I have built (but not finished) this kit before, so I know it to be vice free and fun. Here's the box art: Here's the sprues: I have Xtradecal's 'de Havilland Tiger Moth Pt1 FAA, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF & SAAF' decal sheet, and shall probably choose one of these schemes: I've actually used the decals for the camo RAAF scheme, so shall probably choose either the FAA scheme at top, or the yellow RAAF version (of interest that this was based at RAAF Mallala, just north of Adelaide). This will hopefully be a fun build, Thanks for looking, Roger

Hi All, I believe that the Manchester was fitted with a smaller diameter main wheel than the Lancaster (with a diameter of 5'6"). My belief is that the former had a diameter around 4'10" - does anyone have further information? Cheers, Roger

This Republic P-47D Razorback, a 1/48 scale Testors kit (a re-pop of the very old Hawk P-47), was built many years ago. The build was inspired by one done by Dr. Paul Budzik of Francis "Gabby" Gabreskis' T-Bolt in an old Finescale Modeller magazine. I remember that his was done in 1/32 and of course, was a magnificent model. I had the old Testors kit in my stash and was motivated to try and duplicate the bigger plane as best I could. This is my humble result. I added quite a bit of detail in the cockpit, on the engine and some brake lines. Built mostly OOB, I did lower the horizontal stabilizers, open the cowl flaps and drill out the gun barrels as well. This kit had the option of building either the razorback or bubbletop version; I went with the razorback because that part seemed to fit a little better. 😉 This was also one of the first builds where I tried to modulate the paint finish a bit but it is almost unseen in the pics. Heck, looking at them now, I can't see it!😁 I’m sure I was too timid in my efforts. The decals mark her as a 84th Fighter Squadron plane with the 78th Fighter Group, operating out of Duxford, Cambridge in 1944 flown by Major Quince Brown. (http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/173590) Thanks for your interest and comments! Gary

Hi All, I am embarking on building a Manchester L7427 of 83 Sqn, based at RAF Scampton in April 1942. My question is - what bombsight would have been fitted to this aircraft? My assumption would be the Mk.IX Wimperis as below: Any further information gratefully received, Cheers, Roger

Hello, Time to show I'm still alive and kitting 😁. So here is my latest project: Zvezda's 1/48 Yak-3. I looked for a hassle free build, and the kit being simple and with about no surface details - which I'm prone to smear with gluey fingerprints - it was the perfect candidate. Also I never built a Zvezda kit. I'll present it "in flight" on a stand (Zvezda too) and won't use the kit decals but those of an Eduard one binned long ago. This plane was the mount of col. Anton D. Yakimenko, commander of the 151st. GIAP in 1945. So, as per the infrangible rule, construction began with the cockpit. It was sprayed with my new airbrush, a H&S Ultra 2024, and I must say I'm more than happy with it, so that my Evolution Silverline now has plenty of resting time. I made my own interpretation of steel grey adding 10% of Tamiya XF66 (light gray) to XF53 (neutral gray). Details and pilot were mostly painted with Revell Aqua and the weathering done with Vallejo Metal Color aluminium and a very light wash that nearly completely faded after the finishing flat coat. Well then, let's say I applied "stealthy weathering". Sparse but nice detail on the side panels, I just used decal bits to add a red cross on the first aid kit. I didn't paint a figure since I was a kid and smudged Airfix "small soldiers" with Humbrol enamels. Quite satisfied with the result. As I said, that's my first Zvezda kit and it goes beyond my expectations as it's simple but the essential is there, it's well moulded and fit is real good. More to come next week (or sooner, if possible). In the meantime, I wish you all a nice weekend and happy modelling. Pat.

Hi All, My latest completion is Airfix' lovely little Beaufort, with a rather unusual twist. Whilst idly looking at schemes I came across the top right option: Yes, an experimental prototype of an airborne flamethrower, evaluated by the A&AEE at Boscombe Down in 1943! Interest fully piqued I did some further research which led to this video: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060021056 Although this never went into production I couldn't resist such an unusual concept. I designed and 3D printed the flamethrower assembly, along with the Yagi antennae fitted to the aircraft - I also cut the markings using a Silhouette cutter. Here's the tank design: The video included a wealth of information on the flamethrower which was invaluable in the design process. Other than this the model was OOB, albeit with an Eduard mask set. Anyway, on with the photos! Here's a final shot with the rest of the growing Beaufort family: It's been nice to add an unusual twist to this kit which I just do not tire of building, and how many can say they've got an airborne flamethrower on the shelf?! Thanks to all those who have offered support and encouragement along the way - it has been sincerely appreciated, Thanks for looking, Roger

Hi All, My next project will be a little - ahem - unusual! I have not built a Beaufort for a good while, and this little cracker of an Airfix kit just does not wear out! I had thought of a Malta version wearing Mediterranean Blue, or perhaps a desert scheme, until scanning through colour schemes the top right scheme caught my eye (full disclosure - I have already built the scheme at bottom left!): As you may note, the scheme shows EK997, an aircraft used by A&AEE at Boscombe Down to test an....AIRBORNE FLAME THROWER!!!!!!! Interest fully piqued, I did some initial research, and found that the flamethrower used a 1500L fuel tank fitted in the torpedo bay, in order to assess its effectiveness for fighter defence. I then ran away and designed a tank based on that volume of fuel, and the very grainy video I found of the test run. Here's the first iteration of the tank in digital form: And 3D printed: On doing a little more research, I came across this fascinating video: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060021056 This video on the Imperial War Museum website shows the aircraft in flight, the flamethrower being fitted to the aircraft, and best of all a test run of the flamethrower (EDIT - the title also refers to the Aeroflame system for fire bombing, rather than fighter defence)! It also revealed that the design I had for the tank was completely incorrect, so I will now proceed to redesign it (I have taken a number of stills from the video to use for this purpose, which I will use in my subsequent posts). Other than the 3D printed tank, the build will be OOB, but it will make a nice addition to the growing Beaufort family (also, I have not seen this unusual prototype modelled before). This is a bit of a placeholder whilst I finish off my Spitfire F Mk.VIII, but I will progress the tank design straight off! Thanks for looking, Roger

Hello folks I've just got the Cromwell and Centaur book by Ian Carter and I'm trying to work out what the differences are between the Centaur and Cromwell Mk VI CS. The obvious differences I've found are: Centaur No hull MG; early wheels with 'drilled' tyres (but I note two preserved examples in France don't have them); sighting box on turret. Cromwell Mk VI CS Hull MG; later wheels with solid tyres; no sighting box on turret; spare wheels often mounted on turret rear. I expect they're other differences, but I can't spot them. Can anybody help? Thanks Stewart

Hi All, My latest completion is Eduard's Spitfire F Mk.VIII, completed as JF364 of 32 Sqn RAF, based at Foggia, Italy, early 1944. Here's a photo of the aircraft: The aircraft is painted in the High Altitude scheme of Medium Sea Grey over Azure Blue, which I think is rather spiffing. The aircraft also has the unusual extended wingtips which equipped some of this mark. The kit was completed OOB, which as it was a Profipack edition was quite comprehensive. Here's the WIP if anyone is interested: And here's the photos: Here's a final shot with a couple of stablemates from the ever-growing 1:48 Spit collection: This has been a thoroughly enjoyable build, and it's nice to have this attractive scheme added to the collection! Thanks to all those who have offered kind words along the way - it has been much appreciated! Thanks for looking, Roger

Morning All, As Mr Mojo has been somewhat capricious of late, I rather fancied a little indulgence. Although I've been increasingly drawn to gentlemans' scale, I do still have a few 1:48 kits in my modest stash. So, what could be more indulgent than an Eduard Spitfire - Profipack indeed!! I have built a few of these, so the build is a well-trodden path, although this is a rather unusual version of the iconic aircraft. Here's the box art: What immediately jumps out is those pointy wingtips - that's not normal! I've been hankering after this lovely 'high altitude' colour scheme for a while, so there is no contest in the choice of scheme: This is an aircraft of 32 Sqn RAF, based in Foggia, Italy in early 1944. Here's a photo of JF364: I have seen this scheme completed with a red spinner, which I think will be a nice cherry on top of this most aesthetically pleasing scheme (which more than compensates for the weirdy-beardy wingtips, to my mind). Here's the sprue shots: Eduard's usual exquisite decals: So, off we trot for a bit of Eduard fun! Thanks for looking, Roger

Hi All, My latest completion is Airfix lovely little Tiffie, converted to a 'car door' version - I originally started the build using the Brengun kit but it was not a happy experience. The finished result therefore uses a few elements of this kit (canopy, three-bladed propeller, Vokes filter) to build DN323, which was assigned to 451 Sqn RAAF in 1943 for evaluation. Here's a photo of the aircraft: I built this in tandem with a Kittyhawk of 3 Sqn RAAF - here's the WIP if anyone is interested: And here's the photos: Here's a photo with its build buddy (which I shall post separately): And here's a final shot with a recently built Mk.Ib of a later version, from the same kit: All in all a bit of a struggle of a build, but I'm not displeased with the end result. Thanks to all who have offered kind words and encouragement along the way - it has been sincerely appreciated! Thanks for looking, Roger

Hi All, My latest completion is Special Hobby's lovely little Kittyhawk, built as AK581 of 3 Sqn RAAF, based in the Western Desert in 1942. Piloted by Flt Lt Geoff Chinchen, the aircraft made a forced landing after being hit several times by enemy fire. Here's a photo of the aircraft after that event: Of note are the oversize codes, and the serial backed with the original Dark Green, which is catered for by the kit decals. It was a lovely little kit to build, although SH have you fabricate your own machine guns and pitot tube, which is a bit cheeky for a new tool kit. Here's the build thread, which was in tandem with a 'car door' Typhoon: And here's the photos: Here's a final shot with the Tiffie: This was a lovely little kit to build - thanks to all those who have added kind words and encouragement along the way! Thanks for looking, Roger

Hi All, My next build will see the Azure Blue and Mid-Stone get an airing - it has been over a year since my last desert scheme, so it's long overdue! I'm going to make up for it too, as this will be a dual build of Special Hobby's new tool P40D Kittyhawk Mk.I, and Brengun's Typhoon Mk.Ib. Now I did build a Tiffie just a couple of months ago, but this is different; I have not built the Brengun kit before, it's desert camo, and most importantly, it will have the 'car door' canopy! Here's the Kittyhawk boxart: Here's the sprues: Special Hobby have upped their game - the detail looks superb. Here's the decals: There are 4 schemes in the kit, one of which is Neville Duke's oft-modelled mount. I do fancy a shark mouth, but might look for a less-modelled option. Here's the Tiffie box art: I have never built a Brengun kit before, but on the evidence presented the sprues appear well-detailed and crisp: Here's the decals: They look a bit over-bright, and Sky codes? Hmmm - will look into that. 4 schemes are provided for: All the desert camo options are 451 Sqn RAAF aircraft, so it would seem churlish not to build an Aussie bird! I'm looking forward to this one! Thanks for looking, Roger

British Armoured Car Crew Special Edition (35387) 1:35 MiniArt via Creative Models Ltd All forces during WWII operated armoured cars, which whilst they were generally ineffective against tanks, were of immense use of great use when fighting infantry and lightly armoured vehicles or emplacements. They were also useful for reconnaissance, as they were able to cover greater areas in a shorter time than a similar-sized foot patrol, and had at least some level of protection if they should run into enemy forces, with the capability of withdrawing quickly, enabling the intelligence to get back to HQ for dissemination and a suitable response. This set contains five crew figures for a British armoured car of WWII, and arrives in a figure-sized end-opening box with a painting of the crew on the front, and instructions on the back, reusing the same painting but with arrows in blue pointing out suggested colours, and black showing the parts used for each one. Under the instructions is a chart that gives codes for Vallejo, Mr Color, AK RealColor, Mission Models, AMMO, Tamiya, plus colour swatches and generic names for completeness. Inside are five sprues of various sizes in grey styrene, two of which contain the figure parts, while the remaining three are full of accessories that can be utilised to personalise the figures, or as equipment to stow around the vehicle or diorama you are creating, with some finding their way into the spare parts box. The crew are in various poses, the most amusing of which is the driver, who is hunched over a large steering wheel, looking very intensely in the direction they are (hopefully) travelling. Three more figures are standing, two with one foot raised on something, the commander looking through his binoculars, while the other rests one hand on his hip, the other on a part of the vehicle. The fourth crewman is standing in a hatch with one hand on the deck, while he talks on the radio, whilst the final seated figure is leaning slightly back, supporting himself with one arm, and shading his eyes with the other hand. He and one of the standing figures are wearing shorts and have their long-sleeved shirt sleeves rolled up, while the rest of the crew are in long trousers and have their sleeves rolled down. This is because three of the crew are more suited to a North African location, whilst two are intended to be in European service. The commander is suitably ambiguous however, and can be used in either locale, and if you place some of the figures in turrets or hatches, their pant legs or nobbly knees won’t be seen anyway. The parts for each figure are found in separate areas of the sprues for ease of identification, and parts breakdown is sensibly placed along clothing seams or natural breaks to minimise clean-up of the figures once they are built up. The sculpting is typically excellent, as we’ve come to expect from MiniArt’s artists and tool-makers, with natural poses, drape of clothing and textures appropriate to the parts of the model. Conclusion Superb injection-moulded styrene figures from MiniArt that will bring any British Armoured car to life, with clothing suitable for hot or cooler climate operations. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of