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Well I’ve got a Frog Beaufighter with no engines: ... and some Airfix bits... So what happens if you replace some of the old Frog bits with Shiny New Airfix ones? ...and scratch up some other Beaufighter details that you used up elsewhere? I wasn’t planning to start it, honest! Thanks for looking, Adrian

Here we go, a little late starting (broken wrist did not help) my entry will be ,following my 1/72nd build theme the USAF (and Eagle Sqaudrons needed a Spitfire with Roundels) in Essex 1939-1945, from the only heavy Bomber group based in Essex the 381st at RAF Ridgewell. My choice was to build the obvious : "Sleepy Time Gal" - just buy the decals or build a slight less obvious but well documented aircraft : "Patches" also known as "Flak Magnet" and "Trudie's Terror" 43-37675. This is the aircraft that was used on the 1997 32c Stamp http://www.381stbg.org/stamp4.php I will be building the new tool Airfix kit - it has been under the bed for a year now - the model I bought on my return to modelling and the reason I caught the bug again (lol the Airfix B-17 Box art has a lot to answer for took me back to being a young teenager!) Box Opened : every thing still in wrapper ! Updates this weekend as I finally make a start

A veritable blast from the past, since I built this one in the 90's: If you like rivets, weird birds and old molds, this is for you. I built this one many, many moons ago. This kit seems to prove that the proverbial "Rosie the Riveter" was well and alive by the time the aircraft was produced, and very enthusiastic too. I remember putting the fuselage molds to good use -before building the model- in filing wood, scraping wallpaper and sanding some bricolage projects. They are also good for peeling potatoes and other hard-skinned vegetables. All in all, the kit's stance is magnificent in its alternativeness, and building does not present any serious issues. I have no access to the model now -my son inherited it, whatever wanting it or not- so just these two images (that he took, by the way) are available. Since this is a well documented apparatus -many images on the Net- you won't have trouble finding references. It is a fair rendition filled with nostalgia -for lacking of anything else, since the interior is mostly empty. A basic cockpit is provided. The decals were good, but you have to match the "French blue" -a perfect color choice being this a British machine- for some details that you have to paint by yourself. Beware that it is a potential tail sitter. I found on Youtube movies showing it....Flying!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9633v6U0wo N of B: I must confess I bought another (and also a not very wise off-scale Revell one!), and look forward (one day) to build it again, perhaps improving a thing or two. Airfix fans (not really my case) always sleep with one under their pillows 😉

Could someone be so kind to tell me how many sprues does each of the kits mentioned above have? I've read the threaf of the Airfix Mosquito with a sealed bag and missing pieces, and I wanted to check if I have all the sprues in the bags. Does Airfix include sprue diagrams on their new kits? The instructions on the Spitfire I and P-40B don't have them. Thanks in advance.

Reading the information on the Airfix website I noticed these words: Produced under licensed. Boeing, Douglas, McDonnell Douglas, North American Aviation, A-4 Skyhawk, AH-64 Apache Longbow, B-17 Flying Fortress, B-25 Mitchell, C-47, DC-3, F-4 Phantom, P-51 Mustang their distinctive logos, product markings, and trade dress are all trademarks of The Boeing Company. What is the world coming to when Multi-nationals demand that kit manufacturers licence the Intellectual Property? How much of the price of the kit is the royalty payment to Boeing? Dunlop recently refused to allow Airfix to mould the word Dunlop on the tyres of the Blenheim. Comments, anyone?

Not a new build but one from 2017 which I have repaired and cleaned after a sortie to Telford. This is my 1/48 model of Spitfire PR Mk.XIX RM633, flown by Sqn Leader Saffery, CO of 541 Squadron, RAF Benson on 15 June 1944 as related in his story told in Spitfire at War:2 by Alfred Price. RM633 was one of the initial 25 PR Mk.XIXs built with no cabin pressurisation. Saffery was tasked with photographing a target in the Ruhr. Saffery had decided to wear a new ‘pressure waistcoat’ which was designed to help the pilot to get sufficient oxygen into the lungs at height. The new waistcoat didn’t have the correct attachment for the dinghy pack so he tied the dinghy lead to the leg strap of the waistcoat. He commented to the ground crewman who helped him strap in “Anyway, it’s only a short sea crossing”. After take off and reaching 30,000ft, he was soon crossing the North Foreland (the Eastern end of Thanet, Kent to the uninitiated) when the aircraft developed a problem - oil pressure was lost and the constant speed propeller control mechanism failed. Calling Manston, he turned to return and began to glide. Unfortunately, although he could see the coast (Manston is right on the coast), he could not get there and bailed out about 8 miles off the coast. Unfortunately, although he managed to inflate his dinghy and the waistcoat, the dinghy pack, including sail, paddle, rations and signal flares/rockets were lost - probably due to the incorrect attachment of the lead. This was at approximately 06:30. Despite having seen numerous aircraft, clearly looking for him, plus ships and boats, nobody spotted the tiny dinghy all through the day and he had no effective way of signalling. As dusk fell, Saffery donned a small skull cap which was part of the pressure waistcoat pack. This had a small flashing light on the top and it was only then that he was finally spotted by an MTB on patrol. Saffery was lucky because the channel is still very cold at this time of year and he would likely have drifted out further into the channel and up into the North Sea and oblivion. The morals of the story are that, even if you are the gaffer, you should use the correct equipment, don’t take it for granted that a short sea crossing means it is safe - and don’t make smart bottom “famous last words” comments which will inevitably come back to haunt! Airfix kit with a few modifications - Removal of the compressor unit from the starboard nose area. Scribing a cockpit door (the first 25 PR MkXIXs had doors - later pressurised Mk.XIXs didn’t). Replacement of the poor U/C legs with spare Eduard units and replacement of the wheels with 4 spoke wheels which at least some of the first 25 PR MkXIXs had (the kit wheels were also poor) Replacement fishtail exhausts. Decals - well there were not too many required - I purloined a few stencils from here and there and used the national markings from Xtradecal sheet X48118. The visible serial was by rearranging the Xtradecal serial. The overall PRU Blue was Xtracrylics and the “Invasion” stripes were masked and sprayed with Tamiya XF-2 and X-18. The stripes covered most of the serial, based on the picture of a sister PR Mk.XIX in the book. Cheers Malcolm

Having, courtesy of Aldi, four of the new mould Airfix jeeps in the process of construction, can anyone point me in the direction of suitable crew? Ideally these would by USAF aircrew but GI's are acceptable. Two criteria are I) that seated figures don't need legs amputating and ii) as they are to appear in a diorama that places then off duty no armaments are required., I have used search engines to answer the question but to no avail - I get too many answers. Any help would be appreciated.

A model from 2017, recently cleaned up after being on tour. This is the excellent Airfix 1/48 kit. It was built out of the box with the exception of a couple of Albion Alloys aerials and Pitot. The kit was nice to build - the only things I did have to do was add some spacers in the rear fuselage to reduce the wing to fuselage gap and thinned down the area at the rear of the rudder. Finish was Alclad Semi Matt Aluminium with a hint of grey and graphite detailing afterwards. It was based on a picture in the superb "Cold War Shield" by Roger Lindsay. Decals were from Xtradecal. I chose this scheme because the delightfully named Wymeswold is only 15 miles from where I live. Interestingly, Wymeswold is actually in Leicestershire. 504 squadron was the second operator of the Meteor, receiving the F.3 from March 1945 and had been amongst the first RAuxAF squadrons to receive the F.4 in October 1949. The squadron received F.8s in February 1952. Interestingly, the aircraft were received as new fitted with the larger bore intakes but with the old style canopy. The newer 'clear view. canopy was retrofitted and the aircraft were camouflaged by 1955. The squadron was disbanded with the remainder of the RAuxAF squadrons in March 1957. I hope you like it. Cheers Malcolm

Although the Gresley Coaches remain very much a work in progress, I thought I would return to the drawers of shame rather than start a new build. These have been sitting there for some time Sorry for the small picture but these are the vehicles from the Airfix "Ready for Battle" set. The Hurricane was completed some time ago. So it's abut time the vehicles (and people) joined it. I actually bought this from Bure Valley Models in Norfolk when they regularly sold heavily discounted Airfix kits and I paid less for the entire set than the current price of the Albion Refueller.

I thought I'd posted these before, but I can't find them so here goes again. Apologies if I've missed them. Over the years I bought this set three times. This first set was bought in ToysRUs back in the 80s and was my first attempt using Humbrol enamels. A couple of years ago I repainted them in Humbrol & Vallejo acrylics. Then I acquired another set. The 'active' crew were dispersed among sets from other manufacturers. Then a few days ago I broke this set out from the Waterloo A50174 set. These can also represent the King's German Legion Horse Artillery. They were equipped and uniformed the same as the RHA.

Since I started modelling again nearly fifteen years ago, I’ve kept a spreadsheet of my stash and my builds, and it turns out I recently completed my 99th model. Obviously, my 100th has to be something of significance, so I returned to an idea I had a couple of years ago. Way back in the mid seventies, for my tenth Christmas, my Uncle John bought me the Airfix 1/24 Stuka as he knew I’d been making models for a couple of years by then. I owned the grand total of two tinlets of Humbrol Authentic Colour, dark green and black, and my Dad suggested that for such an expensive kit I ought to buy some paints and “make a good job of it.” I duly traipsed to the more distant of our local paper shops, the one “over the iron bridge” and spent some of my Christmas money on a selection of Airfix Enamels – M1, M2, M6, M17, M20, M22, M25 and so on. 17p a tin, as I recall. The model was built, probably fairly averagely, and went to reside on the top of my wardrobe due to its size. Over the next few years, the rough and tumble of a child’s bedroom saw it dinged, damaged, and eventually broken up. But although most of the airframe parts ended up in the local landfill, for some reason I kept the engine, propeller and cockpit parts in my spares box. Fast forward a decade, and I’d been off to college, got my degree, and was languishing around on the dole waiting for the right job opportunity to come along. One day I was firkling around in my old stuff and came across the old bits of Stuka. To relieve the boredom of unemployment, I dug out my old enamels and repainted the cockpit to the best of my (then) ability, along with the propeller and what was left of the engine. The instrument panel was tricky without the online reference sources we enjoy these days, so I simply made a lot of the detail colours up. They sat on a shelf as models in their own right for a while, and then got packed away later when I moved house. Fast forward another thirty years or so, and I’ve recently retired, and finding myself with a lot more time for modelling I dug out the old Stuka bits again. I went online, and with the help of the Echo Bay Trading Company I managed to find a copy of the original issue Airfix Stuka, complete with swastikas, and the same registration T6+KL as my original build all those years ago. It’s now sitting in my hobby room. So the plan is to do a nostalgia build, incorporating into a single airframe: The original cockpit I built as a child; That same cockpit I then painted as a graduate; and That same painted cockpit installed into an airframe I built as a retiree. Child – before career – after career… three stages of man, geddit? I’m intending to do this out of the box, including Airfix’s erroneous colour scheme of all-over dark green for the topside, as that’s how I built the original. Here’s the box: Here’s the original parts I have, which need a good clean: The instrument panel shows a bit of imagination in the colours used, and the instructions were a bit vague as to where the gunsight glass went: If you’ve stuck with it during this lengthy preamble you must have some interest in it, so feel free to tag along… Cheers, Dean

Here is my Airfix 1:72 Petlyakov Pe-2FT series 349 which I built back in 2007. Unit, location and time details are unknown. Other than detailing the cockpit area, it was built mostly OOB. I had to put it in flight because dealing with the very shallow undercarriage bays would have been alot of work, mainly in getting new longer u/c legs. I even used the original Airfix stand 😉! The kit was brush-painted with enamel Colourcoats paints (owned back then by White Ensign), with the varnish being airbrushed on. The decals were those of the kit and despite their age still worked well! Thanks for looking Miguel

Despite starting half way through the year as my 2017 Yearbook was a bit later than planned, I sort of carried on where I left off on the Spitfire trail. I did have a little break from Supermarine's finest by spectacularly failing to complete a couple of GB builds so the SoD is up by a VC-10 and a 737-200 which I will complete one day - honest guv'nor! The 7 completions for the year all only managed to romp home over the line in the last month or two, and there is one more that is so close to finishing it's almost on the shelf. The first two finished were a couple of Revell/SH Seafire XV's that I built in tandem. Constructional sanity was marginal at times and the fit of the undercarriage left a lot to be desired. As I've got 5 or 6 more left in the stash, together with plenty of very similar Vc's, any hints and tips to make them go together that little bit less painlessly would always be welcome. Decals for SR572 came from the Freightdog Post War Seafires. She is modelled whilst serving with 1832 NAS RNVR at RNAS Culham in 1949. Next was PR479 of 803 Sqn RCAF, HMCS Warrior in November 1947. Decals came from the Model Alliance Seafires sheet and apart from a self-inflicted Horlicks with aligning the port L they went on easily. Having managed 2 on the go with no real hassles, and with 2018 fast becomming a very fast target to hit, I started 3 more Spits. The first was the newest Airfix Mk.I which using the reciprocal parts from the Vb used in last year's IIb build, created Bader's Va W3185 using Model Alliance's ETO Spitfire decals. The Dark Green, Dark Earth and Sky all came from the Tamiya Acrylics range and the Sky Blue was Mr Hobby Aqueous H314. Usual pinning the undercarriage palava but apart from being a bit enthusiastic trimming the fuel tank armour piece construction was pretty simple and straightforward. Next was a Tamiya Vb converted to the first Seafire Ib used for deck landing trials. The decals for BL676 "Bondowoso" came from the Dutch Profile Presentation Spitfires sheet and again behaved wonderfully. The Dark Green, Ocean/Mixed Grey, MSG and Sky were all Tamiya Acrylics and this build was notable (for me anyways!) as my first attempt at black basing. Now I think I added far too many squiggles of the main colour and then did not thin the top coat on any of the colours sufficiently so any modulation effect I was after got negated by my ham-fistedness, but I will give it another go in 2019. The A Frame arrestor hook (which now I look at the photos I have spotted has fallen off!) came from the SH/Revell Seafire XV's above and easily grafted into the Tamiya fuselage. Thanks to @72modeler and @gingerbob for their help in researching the exact IFF and Radio aerial fit and other stuff and for their encouragement for this build. The third of this batch was another conversion, this time from Tamiya's old Mk.I, using the Pavla resin and decals to produce a Spitfire PR Mk.IC R6903. Photographic evidence suggests that this Spit had only the one vertical camera rather than the 2 shown in the destructions so I went with just the one. The PRU Blue came from Xtracrylics and was a pain to apply, forever clogging the needle of my 0.2 H&S Ultra (even with W&N Flow Enhancer/Retarder), and took about 4 coats to give a reasonable coverage. Again any hints and tips for using this brand are very welcome. Whilst I had these three at the paint stage, the urge to build PR Spits took on a life of its own and I madly started a PRXI, using the Quickboost conversion on a Revell/Hasegawa Mk.IX. I wasn't too put out by the well known length issues of this kit, but may consider a different base kit for the next attempt as I bought 2 conversion kits! Next time I think I will use the redundant XIX Bowser wings from the final build below with perhaps an ICM fuselage as they appear to be quite close in fit, as this time I used the Revell wings and filled in the guns and extraneous panel lines. I also used a spare PR windscreen from anAirfix XIX and wish I'd faired it in better, having not removed enough of the original fighter windscreen from the fuselage. This time PRU Blue came from the Hataka PR set and the decals came from generic Xtradecal sheets and the serials and fin flashes from an ancient Almark PR Europe Markings set. I expected the worst from these old decals but they behaved surprisingly well after they were trimmed from the sheet to hide as much carrier film as possible. I again joined the Horlicks Club by mangling the port H decal which I repaired using Xtradecal white striping. I had no end of grief with the Hataka paint. If I thinned it with Tamiya X-20A or water it ran and spidered everywhere and if I shot it neat it clogged the AB tip in seconds. I also started another PR Spit based on the Tamiya Mk.I as who could resist a Dicer when you have a pot of PRU Pink in your grubby mitts, but this is the 95% complete effort that I will post for 2019. FYI the PRU Pink was a pig (see what I did there!) to spray too. I believe Hataka now have their own thinners on the market so that is the next logical step. Now not being content with 4 (5 with the Dicer) on the go, I had bought a big box off of eBay that contained the parts for a PRXIX and a Mk22/24 and a miscelleny of other Spitty spares. Armed with my newly purchased Squadrons! No.7 the F.21, I started hacking the PR fuselage to lose it's pressurised and camera related bits and bobs and mated this to the 22's wing and undercart. All in all this was a reasonably simple kitbash, the pitfall being the filling of the gap where the PR kit has the vertical cameras and the 22 lower wing stops short! Although I got a good match from a side-on view, I could not get the fairing where the trailing edge of the wing meets the fuselage to behave and in the flesh from some angles it looks very wrong. If @John Aero (aka Superman!) is in a phonebox nearby and can help out with any conversion parts then I have plenty more 22/24's in the stash to have another go using the proper parts! Decals came from generic Xtradecal and Fantasy Printshop sheets to depict LA200 of 91 Sqn in April 1945 (chosen as this airframe didn't have any squadron crests) and paints were again from my favoured Tamiya Acrylics (with Mr Hobby Aqueous for the yellow ID stripes on the LE). So, all in all whilst I managed to complete 7 this year, I do feel I rushed most of them and could have done better, and although I have a mancave, space soon runs out when you have 6 on the go. The biggest plus for me this year was getting into Flory Washes. Apart from the first two Seafires all the others used either Grey, Grime or Dark Dirt and I am well chuffed with the result. 5 Stars for Mr Flory from the FC! Negatives ironed out:- I have learned not to use Blutac as a cockpit mask for open pits as it really gets into places I couldn't get it out of. The Dicer is not finished because the Blutac got under the rear canopy portion and in removing the canopy my thumbs for fingers broke the piece (and the spare left over from using the Pavla Vacform on the PR MkIC) so I will be contacting Tamiya's UK distributor pretty soon for replacement clear sprues (unless any of you good folk in BM World have spares that I could take off your hands in return for a wad of cash, a la the Waynes World "I'm feelin Saucy, do you accept cash" Stratocaster buying scene!). Also despite having a free supply of plastic foam from my work I will not be using that again either as it reacts poorly either to the "spirit" in the acrylic paint or the Klear coat and sticks to everything it should have masked (hence no upskirts of my beauties as it made a mess of all their wheel wells, nor cockpit shots as nobody wants to see a furry cockpit do they?!). I didn't get the hang of the black basing on Bondowoso to my own satisfaction, and have spent a fair bit of time watching internet tutorials to give me a fighting chance next time around. Well I do have 3/4's of a can of Halfords black primer left so it'd be rude not to eh?! Also despite having a semi-decent digital SLR, I am only shooting on Auto, and to my picky self my pictures seem dark and getting the right depth of field is beyond me in this shooting mode. Perhaps some internet tutorials for that are in order too! What's up next then? Santa and the Birthday Bunny (my birthday is 29 Dec and that sucks!) bought me the Airfix Blenhiem and the new Tamiya Mk.I (bought by myself and then given to my teenagers to wrap up so I could look surprised on the big day!) so the siren voices are calling for these bench-clearers to get under starters orders. I would like to do more WIPs so may make a bit more effort for you good folk in 2019 if I can tame my car-crash career (I bought a shop as a hobby to get out of the City rat race and it's become an iro 100 hour per week millstone!). Wishing your 2019's to be tickedy-boo, so until next time - it's been emotional, Chris

Hi all,  Quick update ...ive been busy with the ammo lockers ( not finished yet) and dry fitting some scratch built hatches and done some more work on the torpedo tubes...the hatches will eventually match in with the coastal craft deck grey... Thanks ..  

Here we have my first model constructed as an adult. I just recently picked up a cheap knockoff airbrush and compressor combo (sub-$100 - I'm sure you know the ones), and so grabbed a couple of cheap kits from the local hobby stores to practice. The Achilles heel of this brush really seems to be fine lines - my first attempt at preshading was a bit of a struggle. Everything is OOB apart from some not-quite-to-scale masking tape seatbelts. Lessons already learned include that I should just fork out the $5 for a canopy mask, and that getting convincing 1/72 cables from the ol' sprue stretch technique is not easy! So, hit me with all your best criticisms, and don't be kind! I'm really trying to improve my technique here. Any feedback is greatly appreciated, and thanks for having a look.

So having completed a couple of group builds, I thought that I would try a WIP.....So for my first try at a WIP I have decide to have ago at a couple of Sea Kings. I have two of the new tool Airfix Sea Kings in the stash. I will build the HAR.3 as a 78 Squadron from the mid to late eighties. I have a few decal sheets to help out here. I plan to add the lifting frame that appears on a number of the 78 Sqn machines. I have the Airwaves HC.4 conversion set - planned for a another build using the old Airfix Sea King - there is a challenge, so I will be using the lifting frame from that set as a template. For the HC4, I will be using the kit decals, but during the Eduard E-day sale, I pick up the big ed set cheaply, so I have some etch to add. The second set of masks is for the HAR3 and were not part of age big ed set. Also plan to use the lift strops (if the is the correct term) from an Airwaves etch set: Anyway last night made a start - a couple of the etch parts added to the Junglie.

Here is my contribution to this group build. The latest boxing of Airfix`s classic Supermarine Spitfire Mk22/24. The intention is to build a Royal Auxillary Air Force Mk22 from the late 1940s so hopefully qualifies for this GB. Opened up the box this morning to find some sweets included! My plan is to use a Xtradecal sheet for an appropriate aircraft. Just a picture of the sealed contents as no doubt this is a well known kit...…. https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/X48091 The intention is to do PK613 LA H for 603 County of Durham Squadron R.Aux.A.F at Oulston in 1949. Regards Grahame.

Hi All, my second WIP here. Taking a break from my ICM Beer Delivery Spit as it is too cold outside to prime it. I picked this 1982 kit up a few months ago for the princely sum of £3.60 on eBay and it is also my first jet. I have only done WWII so far but also have an interest in Cold War jets. I'm not expecting any magic from this old tool but I'm sure with a bit of love something respectable can be produced. And if not for a few quid I'm sure it will be happy in the bin. Usual bits first; box, parts (detached on arrival as it is pre-owned but not started), decals and instructions. There are about sixty pieces with multiple ordnance options and wheels up/down options. Unfortunately, or fortunately, due to the lack of interior detail, there is no canopy open option which is how I usually like to build them. The decals look pretty old and thick and I'm not sure how good they will be after thirty odd years so may pick up some aftermarket ones later on if I can build anything worth spending more on. As is common with these small older kits the instructions are a single double page spread And paint and decal instructions that I will probably not use First thinks first - the office. Well, the seat and the stick and the floor. That's all there is. The parts have no great detail but that's not a shock on this older kit and some of the joins between the sprue and the pieces are more substantial than some pieces themselves The highly detailed cockpit painstakingly assembled and a pair of 5p coins superglued in so that it doesn't sit on its tail. This was the only place I could fit them As the canopy will be closed and it is only 1/72 I will not be adding any custom cockpit interior. A quick spray of Tamiya Rubber Black and some seat belts painted on with Tamyia Flat Yellow just to give a hint of some effort being made to detail the cockpit. Will give the customary dry brush when it has dried to bring out any hidden detail that may be lurking there. Got to say that I'm really surprised about how good the fit is. The fuselage halves and 'cockpit' mate almost perfectly without any gaps Bombs and stuff And the wing assembly. So far, so nicely fitting. Apart from the other landing gear cover(?) was missing from the box. Will decide whether to scratch build one or scratch build a jack/trestle to make it look like the other landing gear is being replaced The first major fit issues arrived with the fitting of the wings to the fuselage, but shouldn't be anything a bit of Humbrol filler can't fix Note. The missing port landing gear A little bit of dry brushing in an attempt to bring the cockpit to life at least a little bit Over all I'm pretty pleased and quite surprised about how well this kit fits together. Sure, there isn't the detail that we expect in more modern kits but this is proving to be an enjoyable quick build and a nice break from the beer delivery Spitfire. I really enjoy getting these older kits and trying to get the best out of them. Anyhow, that's all for today. More to follow should anybody be interested (filling, smoothing, priming...)

It’s about time that I posted a completed model here so I thought I would start with one of my favorites which is the Airfix Kit #A14101 1/48 AgustaWestlund Merlin HC3. I have really grown to like Airfix kits and this to me exemplifies their capabilities. It is an interesting subject, the level of detail is very good and the fit is fantastic! Decals were in register and you get a lot of them to play with so overall they are fine but you need your decal softner solution handy. And the price of the kit was also very reasonable which I appreciate. Anyway, this was a build I thoroughly enjoyed and I think it came out looking the part. It is approximately the same size as the Sikorsky CH-53 (which is a very big helicopter) but just to get an idea of it’s size I included a picture of my Folland Gnat (another 1/48 Airfix kit) next to it, which you could almost load into the cargo hold. This is built out of the box with no extras and the paints are a combination of Tamiya and Model Master. I did not weather it as almost every picture I found showed them pretty clean.

I have a question that's come to mind about the White Sea Hurricane Mk IIc from HMS Nairana. The Airfix Hurricane/Sea Hurricane Mk IIc painting guide, says the underside is Sky Type S but the Hasegawa instructions say White overall. Which is correct? thanks Mike

Ready for inspection is my 1:72 Focke Wulf Fw190A-8, by Airfix. It is an out of the box build, although I have made my own stand so the aircraft can be displayed in flight. The kit was very clean, with little flash and nicely detailed panel lines, and the decals went on with ease. Instead of the Humbrol acrylics supplied, I have used the Vallejo equivalents (purely because I find them easy to airbrush). I hope I have done the aircraft justice, thanks for looking.

If things go well and I manage to land the days correctly, I´ll be able to visit the Big H in June, planning to buy a decal sheet with an Argentinian C-47A TC-34, plus the Dakota Mk.IV from Airfix. My question is, what version of the C-47 does the Dakota Mk.IV represent? Would it be the C-47D? And if so, were there any external differences between the C-47A and C-47D? I´m not familiar with cargo aircraft, my favourite planes tend to be Luftwaffe fighters. Thanks in advance!

This is the Airfix 1/48 P-40 finished in a Soviet scheme courtesy Xtradecals sheet X48162. I used a spare reheat seat & seat belts but otherwise OOB. Can't say I'm uber chuffed with it as I found the kit over engineered in some places & my attempts to wrestle the cowling area into submission show some scars. It won't be in the front of the display cabinet but here it is anyway, with its imperfections. Comments, criticisms & observations welcome as always. Pete Thanks for looking.

Airfix P40N Russian Lend lease Markings 20th GIAP (Guards Fighter Regiment) My first RFI on Britmodeller. A quick Mojo restorer as part of an Impromptu Group Build on the Irish IPMS website. Markings are a mix of spares box and hand painted. Weathering on the distemper is based on the fact that the various version of the scheme on hte web show different white areas so I did my own thing. Thanks for looking

The latest finish from my Airfix Therapy Build Thread and the first of 2019: A lightly modified 1/72 Airfix PRXIX. As it’s a Whiffer, it needs a backstory, So in the spirit of young @Procopius’s delightful & engaging build prologues: (From Whiffypedia) “Pilot Officer, The Lord Giles Cholmondeley Featherstonehaugh Rodd was one of the RAFs most exemplary WW2 pilots: Fearless, daring and a crack marksman he was truly feared when aloft. Perhaps his greatest achievement came in June 16 1944 when, single handed, he shot down 8 heavy bombers. As his commanding officer observed in the official report, “Rodd’s actions would have been considered more heroic if the bombers had actually belonged to the enemy…” Undeterred by this minor faux-paux, GCFR fearlessly patrolled the skies of south east England, keeping Lancaster pilots and their gunners alert and on their toes. Indeed at least 75 Lancaster’s were found to be inadequately armour plated against the Hispano cannon used by the RAF Spitfires, solely due to Rodders scientific and rigorous actions…In fact many credit his efforts with hastening the end of Nazi Germany: It was said any allied bomber crews with any fuel and ammunition left would often turn back to the Rhine and “Give Jerry another go” rather than tangle with “Rampant Rodders”. Wisely, in a rare act of wartime competence, RAF top brass moved him to the reconnaissance role, surmising that without any guns, Rodders would inflict less damage to RAF. That said GCFR become the only RAF pilot to receive the Iron Cross from the Luftwaffe for services rendered. They also sent a telegram asking him “Lass etwas für uns, bitte.” Embracing his new photo reconnaissance role, Rodders threw himself into his work with gusto: Within 3 months he’d mapped out every decent bistro and wine bar in the South of France. This meant, of course, RAF top brass enjoyed fine wine and dining ahead of the Americans and the hated British Army when France was liberated. He was highly commended for this and received a mention in despatches, 2 shillings and 6 pence in cash and a pound of pork scratchings. Post war, Rodders continued flying with renewed zeal, in his beloved new mount a Spitfire PRXIX named “Brunhilde” after his mother (the noted English countess Brunhilde Saxe-Tuborg Einspritz Doppelkupplungsgetriebe Cholmondeley Featherstonehaugh Rodd ). Sadly in early 1954 while executing his famous “reverse J turn” method of parking by locking up his starboard wheel , he hastened the destruction of his beloved “Brunhilde” and a visiting USAF Wing Commanders F-86. Rodders promptly limped, slightly singed, to the officers mess and demanded to know, “Which effing Yank parked in my space?!” He promptly resigned his commission and after the RAF top brass had finished their celebratory champagne, was given a full pension, 2 shillings and 6 pence in cash and two pounds of pork scratchings. He moved to the USA where he turned his hand to business and made his first fortune in the 50’s Texas Hair Oil Boom, when every American male decided what he really wanted was a decent hair style. Flush with cash, he retrieved the remains of “Brunhilde” and had her rebuilt. He also bought the remains of the F-86 which he installed as an outside lavatory. “Brunhilde” was invigorated from her rebuild and Rodders flung her around the skies of Reno, often leading from the start, mighty Rolls Griffon howling in true Wagnerian style, but always allowing the trailing pilot to overtake at the last moment on the grounds, as he put it, “Winning is dreadfully vulgar dear boy, it is the kind of thing only an American could possibly enjoy...” Thus he established the Great British Tradition of Sporting Failure. Flying into his seventies, GCFR made his second fortune by importing hairdryers during the 80’s Dallas Bobby Ewing Permed Hair Craze when every American male decided the last thing they wanted was a decent hair style. He died peacefully in his sleep, at 475 miles per hour when he & “Brunhilde” re-modelled Mount Rushmore in July 16 1999. Upon hearing of his death, Squadron leader Melvyn Crustbucket-Bangson (retired), the last surviving RAF WW2 Lancaster pilot said, “Good bloody riddance!” He left $18 million, some Spitfire spare parts (slightly used) and three pounds of pork scratchings in his will. Flags were flown at half-mast all over Germany.” So, on to the Ace of Blue on Blue. WIP for the strong of heart here; Thanks for enduring with me, my medication should soon start kicking in soon... Cheers Anil