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Hi All, Whilst commencing my 1:72 Stringbag build, I also felt like a bit of 1:48 indulgence. Seeing as @mark.au and @bigbadbadge have just started similar Spit builds, I thought 'well why not? I am a grown man, and nobody can tell me not to' (with the obvious exceptions 🤣). It was lurking right near the top of the stash, so I've just about got time to finish it prior to the start of the impending P38 GB (which I'm also rather excited about as it will be my first GB). So here's the box art: Here's the sprues: They look lovely! I've got myself a few extras for this one: Although the box schemes are both quite attractive I've had a hankering for a SEAC Spit for a little while, so I also invested in the lovely Xtradecals set: Here's what's on offer: This allows for some lovely schemes for both highback and bubbletop versions. I nearly plumped for the DG/LSG 208 Sqn scheme, but I've chosen to model SM888, which is an aircraft of 28 Sqn RAF, based at Kuala Lumpur in 1946. Now although this falls outside my normal self-imposed WW2 restriction, a quick bit of research informed me that SM888 was first delivered to theatre in June 1945, so technically I'm home & hosed. Here's a photo of the aircraft: There's a few interesting things to note from the photo. Firstly, the scheme shows a red spinner, but the photo looks to be much lighter (Sky?) - conceivably the photo is from 28 Sqn's time in India, so I may go with the photo? Secondly, the camouflage pattern is non-standard on the fuselage as noted in the scheme. Thirdly, it looks as if the aircraft is fitted with a slipper tank, although it could just be the larger radiators fitted for the mighty Griffon - perhaps @Troy Smith might know? Anyway, the kit looks superb, so it will be a pleasant contrast seeing this develop alongside the Stringbag (as well as the concurrent Spit builds of Chris and Mark), Thanks for looking, Roger

Blackburn Buccaneer S.2C/D (A12012) 1:48 Airfix The Buccaneer needs little introduction to most British aviation enthusiasts, as it was in service for a long time, first in the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, and latterly with the RAF after remaining airframes were handed-over, performing a similar strike role in both branches of the British armed forces. The Buccaneer was originally designed by Blackburn for the Royal Navy, which is why even the RAF aircraft retained their folding wings and arrestor hooks. Blackburn was later rolled into Hawker Siddeley, hiding away its lengthy heritage. It was designed to a rugged low-level attacker that was to approach below the enemy’s radar horizon, and also had a reputation as a highly-stable weapons platform that although it was just sub-sonic could leave behind other more modern aircraft in the weeds if things got down and dirty. After the last British aircraft carriers were retired at the end of the 70s, the hand-over to the RAF was completed, and older airframes were scrapped due safety concerns after an accident, leaving them with a fleet of around 60 aircraft that served until 1994 when the Tornado took over the tasks it had been carrying out. The type proceeded from initial S.1 variant to S.2, ditching the underpowered De Havilland engines for the powerful Spey engines that were also used in the Nimrod and British Phantoms amongst others. This required a larger intake to gulp-down sufficient air to feed the engines, and later the S.2B was further upgraded to carry Martel missiles. The S.2A moniker was reserved for former FAA airframes after they had been converted for use by the RAF, while the C was the Navy’s name for the S.2A, and the D were former Naval airframes upgraded to S.2B standards. The last hurrah of the Buccaneer was during the first Gulf War, lasing targets for the Tornados it flew with in the event they encountered problems with their own pods. They were instrumental in the destruction of many bridges in Iraq, and they were also sent to dive-bomb airfields and bunkers either solo, or with lasing provided by other aircraft. On its return from the Gulf, it was decided that they were no-longer needed, and were retired early, despite having been substantially upgraded at great cost just a few years earlier – typical! Their role was taken over by the Tornados after they had been upgraded to operate the Sea Eagle anti-shipping missiles the Buccs had been carrying. The Kit This is NOT a reboxing of the old 90s era kit, which suffered from soft detail and a difficult fuselage to close up neatly. This is a 100% brand-new tooling from Airfix, sharing only the colour of the box and the fact that it has a painting of a Buccaneer on the top. The kit arrives in a large top-opening box, and if you consider part count to be a value indicator, you’re getting almost 300 of them on the seven sprues that are in a darker grey styrene than usual, reminiscent of the Extra Dark Sea Grey scheme that it often wore in service. There is a single sprue of clear parts, a large decal sheet and a thick instruction booklet that has three glossy colour and markings profiles inside. First impressions are excellent, with lots of delightfully fine detail that includes panel lines and rivets, as well as raised details where appropriate, at odds with the comical lie that the Bucc was hewn from one billet of airframe aluminium. Amongst the parts you get a very detailed cockpit, gear bays, engines, boarding ladders, an open port engine bay that even includes a handy styrene mask for painting, a contoured box inside the nose for the nose-weight, detailed bomb bay, airbrake in the tail and a broad weapons load, plus a set of FOD guards for the intakes and exhausts. That’s an impressive list of features that even includes two pilot figures, although they are sadly still suffering from the hands-on-laps pose that dates back to the 80s and beyond. Such a minor gripe that it’s hardly worth mentioning, especially as many folks don’t use pilot figures anyway. Well, that’s my two old Airfix Buccs pushed right to the back of the stash then. I’m still smiling though, because this kit looks like it’s going to be a monster in terms of sales and detail. It’s clear from the outset that the A-team has been in operation on this project, and they’ve put in a lot of overtime to create a model kit that looks like it’s going to be a big seller if there’s any justice. The decal sheet is similarly well-detailed with lots of stencils and dials for the instrument panels that should add to the realism of the cockpit from the outset. Before you break out the tools, you need to make a decision on which of four weapons loud-outs you are planning to deploy on the wings and in the belly of your Bucc. Version A 2 x TV Martel anti-shipping missile 1 x Martel AS.37 Anti-Radiation Missile 1 x Martel Data-Link Pod Version B 2 x Matra Rocket Pods 2 x ‘slipper’ Fuel Tanks Version C 4 x wing-mounted 1,000lb iron bombs Version D 4 x Bomb-Bay mounted 1,000lb iron bombs Construction begins with drilling the necessary holes for your chosen weapons scheme, which takes up four pages with various diagrams used to assist you with the decision. A further page shows the location of the various internal decals that are used throughout the build, although they aren’t mentioned on the actual instruction steps, so a bit of cross-referencing might be in order to prevent missing some out. They are all within the cockpit however, so that shouldn’t take long. We finally get to cut some parts off the sprues to make up the two Mk.6 Martin Baker ejection seats, which consist of six parts each, with large multi-part cushions and the overhead pull-handles that initiates the ejection process in the event of an emergency. The seat building process is carried out twice, then the rear-seater’s instrument panel is made up with a recess on the front mating with a block on the back of the pilot’s launch rail, adding decals to the panel and the headbox of both the seats. The cockpit tub has the nose gear bay glued under it, needing just the aft end cap adding to box it in, then the side consoles are detailed with top surfaces that lock in place on shaped depressions, and accepting decals later to improve the detail. The pilot’s instrument panel is started by adding rudder pedals behind the centre, and adding the short L-shaped control column into the slot in the front of the panel, before it and the rear bulkhead are joined to the rest of the cockpit, followed by the two seats, the forward one also holding the rear instrument panel. In preparation for the closing up of the separate nose portion of the fuselage, a container is made up from two halves, which has large I-shaped bars running down the sides, and inside you are told to put 15 grammes of nose weight before closing the lid on it. It’s a fancy feature that should make the fraught task of avoiding a tail-sitter a thing of the past, cramming lead shot into spaces to your best guess. The nose sides have cockpit sidewall detail moulded-in, which is improved further by adding extra parts, and if you are planning on using the included boarding ladders, you should drill some holes where indicated. The nose weight fits into the port half of the nose weight on its I-tab, taking care to glue it home fully. The cockpit slides into the port nose half, and should click into position thanks to a tab on each side of the rear bulkhead that clips in place on a shape secreted in the rear of the nose helves. Gone are the days of mushy cockpit positioning, which is another improvement. The nose is glued together and sets up, then the pilot’s coaming and gunsight are popped on top, finishing off the work in that area for now. As mentioned, there are detailed engine fronts included, plus their trunking that penetrates deep into the fuselage and out the other side, with an almost full engine in the port side nacelle that can be displayed. The first parts are the exhaust trunking halves that are paired on a cross-brace and the helves fit together using four circular depressions, and also includes some framework for the main gear bays, which is painted a different colour. A bulkhead straddles the two tubes and incorporates the rear walls of the main bays, with another at the forward side that clips onto a large tab. Another bulkhead slides into the rear of the exhaust trunking tubes, and two perpendicular panels slide in between the two aft-most bulkheads to strengthen the assembly, and provide surface detail for the inner walls of the main gear bays. This part of the assembly can then be inserted into the lower fuselage half, which has the rotating bomb-bay roof moulded into it. The intake trunking is mounted on a similar cross-brace with two circular alignment pins, then is butted up against another bulkhead that has engine front-faces moulded into them. You are incited to build the next few steps whether you intend to display the engine or not, as it will make aligning the parts much easier down the line, and I’m not going to argue. The shell of the port engine is made up from two halves, and attaches to the rear of the forward bulkhead behind the intake trunks, with some detail painted necessary before you insert them into the fuselage in front of the aft assembly. Some additional tubing is laid over the top of the engine as it will appear through the hatch if you are leaving it off, but omit these parts if you are leaving it closed. A curved plastic part is included with the word ‘MASK’ etched on it is surfaces that can be used to protect your hard work on the engine during the painting of the exterior of the model. Pretty cool, huh? If you are displaying the engine, the upper fuselage needs a little work, removing the access panel that has been helpfully partially chain-drilled for you from the inside, making the task simply a case of attacking it (carefully) with a scalpel, with a scrap diagram showing the correct angles to cut through the thickness of the fuselage. A side wall is glued in place in preparation, then the fuselage is left to one side for a moment, before it is shown again over the page, where you are incited to paint the main gear bay rooves and drill out some holes in the spine if you are folding the wings. The fuselage halves are then joined only if you are folding the wings, where you are advised not to glue the aft bulkhead as it will help with alignment of the two halves. The wings are started by making up one of two types of fairings that project from under the leading edge of the wing, then the ailerons, all of which are made from two parts each. The decision of whether to fold the wings or not is down to you, but bear in mind that RAF aircraft retained their wing-fold mechanisms, and there are photos of them with wings folded on airfields, despite their original reason being to save space below deck on a carrier. The folded option involves inserting ribs into the wing roots that have spikes projecting from the top to receive the outer wing panels, which are next to be put together. These are two parts each, and you are told to remove the fifth vortex generator from the inside edge, adding your choice of tubular fairings, the clear wingtips that incorporates the wingtip light, ailerons and actuators, and inner rib that has receivers for the prongs on the wing folds. The port wing also has a long pitot probe mounted on a fairing below. For closed wings, a spur on the outer panel is removed, as is the fifth vortex generator, then an A-frame insert is placed in the recesses inside the wings before they are joined. The wings are glued into the lower wing roots within the raised guides, then the upper fuselage can be glued down, again without gluing the aft bulkhead. The same painting and drilling is done before the two halves are glued, as per the repeated diagram. If you have elected to expose the engine, a brace is glued across the bay, then the bay door and a small part are fixed in place on four hinges that slip under the edge of the bay. Again, the mask part is included for your convenience during exterior painting. The Bucc has an area-rule era coke-bottle shaped fuselage, so has a bit of a fat butt, which is made from a separate section to the main fuselage. The tail is split vertically into two parts, and has an aft bulkhead inserted during closure, after which the tail-hook insert is glued into the gap in the underside of the assembly, followed by gluing of the tail and the nose to the main fuselage assembly, taking care to align everything neatly to remove or reduce any remedial work. The larger S.2 intake trunkings are slotted over the interior trunk surface, and they are topped off by a handed lip, and again it’s best to ensure good fit here before applying glue. The exhausts have inner and outer skins too, and these slide inside each other before being attached to the rear of the fuselage either side of the tail, with the short flap-sections made up from top and bottom halves and fixed next to the exhausts either flush, or raised at up to 40°, next to the ailerons that can be offset to 30° by changing the actuator part out. The final flying surface is the legendary T-tail, which starts with the fin that’s made from top and bottom halves, mated with the now usual circular locating tabs, then it’s glued onto the moulded-in tail fin. The fairing on top is two more parts, with a choice of forward and rear bullet fairings, separate elevators and rudder panel, all of which are single parts each and can be deflected if you wish. The Buccaneer has a split tail cone that acts as the air-brake, which was a weak-point of the old kit, but doesn’t seem like that’s going to be the case with the new tool. To display it open, you begin by assembling two outer skins on a W-shaped support, then inserting the three peaks into the rear of the brake surfaces, which are moulded as one, and have some nice rivet detail moulded into them. The surfaces are boxed in at the rear by the fairings that give it the tapering profile it achieves when stashed away, adding a short bulkhead and a triple-linked tube before sliding the air-brake assembly into position, with a scrap diagram showing the correct orientation of the tubes diagonally within the assembly. The closed air-brakes are simple by comparison, comprising two halves and a central bulkhead that creates the vanes at the top and bottom of the fairing. It slots straight into the rear of the fuselage, so is quite the appealing option if you’re intrinsically lazy, in a hurry, or just don’t like masking. The arrestor hook is added later by choosing a deployed or stowed Y-shaped base, actuator to get the correct angle, and the hook itself with a small blade aerial next to it. A pair of blade antennae and two probes are also fixed under the nose while the airframe is inverted, with an aux-intake further back on the fuselage. Under the belly of the Bucc is an innovative rotating bomb bay that you can either pop the lid onto and carry on with the rest of the build, or put the effort in and detail it further. The process begins by adding an insert with clear light forward of the bay, with another insert at the rear, and a detail insert in the front of the bay that is used for both options. The closed bomb bay can then be covered up and you move one, but if you plan on showing off that nice detail within, there are five lengths of hose/cable fitted within, plus two thick trunkings added into the main gear bays nearby. The bombs are fitted later if you plan on using them. The gear of the Bucc was sturdy to cope with constant hard landings and catapult launches from the deck of a carrier, so all the struts are moulded in halves with some of the wider sections hollow inside to reduce the likelihood of sink-marks. Some bright spark will probably make metal inserts to toughen those up further. The three wheels are each moulded in halves, with a flat-spot on the bottom to simulate weighting, although all the wheels are shown as not glued in place, presumably so you get the flat spot on the bottom consistently. Once the gear is done, flooding the links with glue should prevent them moving again if you don’t want to faff about every time you move it in the future. The nose gear leg slots into the bay with a retraction jack behind it, and a single bay door running down the length of the bay. The main gear legs fit into a hole in a rib and onto another rib, making for a strong bond, then they have their curved doors fixed to the edge of the bay with three hinges that slot under the side. A decal is applied to both the main gear legs at front and back, which is good to see, as stencils make models look more detailed. Before applying the glazing to the cockpit, you should choose whether to install the pilots, which have a detailed painting guide next to them, then a blast-shield is placed between the two pilots, and a choice of two windscreens, only one of which has a wiper, so you can use aftermarket Photo-Etch (PE) wipers if you’re a detail upgrader. This is definitely a model designed by modellers. The main canopy also has two parts, one with the det-cord breaker moulded-in and the other without it, so you can use alternative methods such as PE or decals to replicate the det-cord. Another helpful addition. You can close up the canopy or depict it slid back to just over the rear pilot’s seat using either of the two parts. The Bucc’s big L-shaped refuelling probe is inserted into a recess on the nose, and the spine is decorated with antennae and lights depending on which decal option you have chosen. The weapons included in the box are well-detailed, and have inserts for some of the Martel missiles to give them more realistic thickness fins. The weapons set includes the following: 2 x TV Martel Anti-Shipping Missile 1 x Martel AS.37 Anti-Radiation Missile 1 x Martel TV Guidance Data Link Pod 2 x Matra Rocket Pods 2 x handed slipper tanks 4 x 1,000lb retarded bombs All the weapons have pylons that are suitable to their station, some of which have additional parts to thicken their mounting-points, and the bombs have either pylons for wing-mounting, or cleats for mounting inside the bomb bay. All the weapons and fuel tanks have stencils and a painting guide included on the main sheets. The model is complete now, but Airfix have helpfully included a number of extras that will give your model some additional visual interest. There are two crew ladders with separate stand-off brackets, one for each pilot that are fixed side-by-side to the nose using the holes drilled initially before the model was completed or even begun if you’re prepared. There are also Foreign Object Debris (FOD) guards for the intakes and exhausts, which have nice engraved detail, and the exhaust blanks have a T-shaped handle that is fitted to the centre of the part. Markings The Bucc didn’t wear many schemes during its long and illustrious career, but what it lacks in diversity, it makes up for in number, with four options on the sheet, each of which has a side of glossy A3 in full colour devoted to it to assist you with painting and decaling. An additional one-sided sheet shows where all the many stencil decals are placed, avoiding duplication and over-complication of the other sheets of diagrams. From the box you can build one of the following: Buccaneer S.2D No.809 Naval Air Sqn., HMS Ark Royal, August 1978 Buccaneer S.2C No.801 Naval Air Sqn., HMS Hermes, 1969 Buccaneer S.2C No.809 Naval Air Sqn., RNAS Lossiemouth, Scotland, 1970 Buccaneer S.2C No.803 Naval Air Sqn., RNAS Lossiemouth, Scotland, 1969 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 Ooooh. I’m excited! This looks to be an awesome replacement for the old kit, and the detail is excellent, as is the engineering that has gone into the making of the kit. Add to this the useful extras such as the ladder and FOD guards, and we’re onto a winner. It’s a Buccaneer too, which is just another reason you want one. Extremely highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Inspired by an A-4F Skyhawk 'What If' profile by Damian, I thought to myself, why don't I try something similar but base my profile on a scheme that could be easily modeled with easy to get hold of decals too! So what I've come up with is an A-4F Skyhawk in RAF colours of Dark Green and Dark Sea Grey in a wrap around pattern using markings from a Lightning F.6 of 74 Squadron based in RAF Tengah in Singapore in 1970. We all know the scheme of a silver Lightning with a black fin. I'm not going to bother with a backstory for it. It is, as they say, what it is! Cheers Richard.

Hi All, Whilst my Sunderland build is still chuntering along, I fancied a bit of light relief after marathon sanding and scribing sessions (I also thought it would be polite to give @AliGauld a bit of clear air, as our builds appear to be converging to alarmingly similar stages, and he started first!). Anyways, I've had ICM's lovely Gladiator Mk.II sitting in the stash for at least a couple of months, so I thought I'd run both builds in parallel (what could possibly go wrong?!). Here's the box art: This is my first ICM kit, and initial impressions are certainly favourable. A nice sturdy box, and some jolly nice artwork to boot! Here's the sprue shots: Detail and quality look to be superb. Here's the decals, which also look lovely: I've got a couple of extras for this build - Yahu instrument panel and Eduard harness: I also had some of these sent over from the UK after I'd seen them used to great effect on other builds: I've also invested in a set of Montex masks, which allow for 2 schemes: Now I'd had my heart set on a DE/DG/LE/LG colour scheme, and was surprised when the Montex scheme showed up as DE/DG over B/W, and looked... well, rather dull! Nevertheless, I started to do a little due diligence on the scheme, N5581 of 615 Sqn RAF, which Montex have based at RAF Kenley in August 1939. A quick trawl of t'internet has the same aircraft: This time based at RAF Ford in the same month - hmmmm. Imagine my further confusion when searching on 615 (County of Surrey) Sqn (as noted in the above pic), there appears a completely different squadron code ('KW' as opposed to 'RR'), with one of the box schemes being the former based at St Inglevert (Northern France) in April 1940. Without digging into the history of 615, I am guessing that they vacated St Inglevert in a hurry in May 1940, and presumably remustered in England shortly after? Anyway, here's the box scheme of the France-based aircraft: It does have the 4-colour upper camo, which ticks a box - some rather fetching red hubs too 🤩. Also, I did find this: So, the top scheme is the Montex one, the second is the box scheme (although this time in December 1939), and 3 & 4 are also strong contenders for unusual camo!! Here's a photo I found of the bottom aircraft, which is in standard DFS colours of DG/OG over MSG. Here's a photo I found of said aircraft: I haven't seen a Gladiator modelled in that scheme before, so some marks for originality! I now don't know whether I'm Arthur or Martha as far as the schemes go, so I think I'll just go and throw some primer around and not worry about it for now! Thanks for looking, Roger

Hi All, My next completion is ICM's lovely 1:32 Gladiator Mk.II. I couldn't resist the move to larger scale for this kit, which I had seen built to great effect on these pages. I decided to model as KW-T, an aircraft of 615 (County of Surrey) Sqn RAF, based at St Inglevert, France in April 1940. Here's the scheme as presented: I could not find any photos of the aircraft, but here is a photo of several 615 aircraft, presumably in France (copyright IWM): You can see that the aircraft is finished in the rather complex 4 colour camo which was standard on the Gladiator at this time: Dark Earth and Dark Green, 'shadowed' by Light Earth and Light Green, over black/white undersides. The scheme also sports some rather natty red & white wheel hubs, along with a red repair patch over the port roundel. I added a Yahu instrument panel and HGW harness, as well as a set of Montex masks - otherwise the build was OOB. Here's the WIP if anybody is interested: Here's a couple of shots of the lovely interior: Finally, here is the finished article: I have to say that I've thoroughly enjoyed this build - the ICM kit is superb, and I fully intend to build the Sea Gladiator at some future date. Thanks to all who have offered help and encouragement along the way - it has been sincerely appreciated! Thanks for looking, Roger

I'd like to present my 1/72 Scale RAF Spitfire Vc floatplane W3760. This started out as a PM Models kit, but ended up as 90% Airfix Spitfire Vc and just the floats and prop from the PM Model kit. The PM kit is reminiscent of a 1960s Airfix kit... the new Airfix Vc is a joy. Added frustration was caused by the PM transfers, fortunately the only usable parts were the serial numbers. From above..... From the front..... Underneath... And 3/4 view. Overall, not a bad model of a very rare Spitfire version, there were 4 Vbs converted, they varied in many details as they evolved. Some were armed and trialed in Egypt on the Great Bitter Lake, so probably did not have yellow undersides. They also had a larger, straight front edged fin. There is a chapter in The Spitfire Story by Alfred Price with a good overview and photos. The full story of the build is here: Including an IWM photo of the aircraft I tried to represent.

My attempt at masking the windscreen and canopy

Hello! This is my final build until August 10 because I'm going on holiday! Despite the nastiness of this kit I managed to finish it in twelve days and I'm quite happy with it. Without further delay here she is. And here she is next to my 1:72 Junglie ZA314, they look very good next to each other even if one is RAF and the other RN. I hope you enjoyed looking at these photos! WIP thread:

Hey everyone Whilst my Eduard Spitfire is in my cabinet 'curing' I've decided to have a look at the new ICM 1/32 Gladiator. From what I've read and seen it looks to be a rather splendid model... ..Is it me or does it look like the pilot is wearing a David Clark head set? Anyway this will be OOB other than a Sutton Harness from RB productions. Cheers Iain

LukGraph resin is to release a 1/32nd Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c resin kit - ref. 32-038 Source: https://www.facebook.com/LukGraph/posts/4654986227918038 V.P.

I am contributing this one. I had decided to do it a couple weeks ago but dragged the chain finding it in the stash, so we now have two 125s in the mix. I will be using the Model Alliance sheet to mark mine up. It includes three schemes (as well as a number of Dominies). Looks like the previous owner of the kit did some test fitting and the kit decals also look to be in good nick. I had built one of these back in 2005 as a RAAF what if, It left my collection soon after but I now have it back. It needs a refurb as that kit did not include clear parts so I had to use clear cement for all the cabin and cockpit transparencies and the clear coat has cracked over time. So I will be also remarking it as a RAF machine from the MA sheet.

Dear fellow Britmodellers, here's my 1/72 Airfix P-51D Mustang, converted to RAF standards, using Freightdog resin conversion (FDR72013). Painted with Mr.Hobby acrylics, photos by Wolfgang Rabel. Markings from Xtradecals (X72131), representing an aircraft of RAF 19. Squadron, based in Peterhead, early 1945. I added metal gear legs from Scale Aircraft Conversions for better stability. The kit's antenna was covered in flesh, so I replaced it with a piece from my spares box. Painting the yelow-black stripes on the nose was a challenge, because masking tape does not work well on small diameters. I had to touch-up the lines by brush. Thank you for your interest, best greetings from Vienna! Roman

Hi All, My latest completion is a pair of Tamiya Spitfire Mk.Vbs, both of which took part in the Malta campaign. This is a lovely little kit which I built in my pre-Britmodeller days, so there were few surprises. They were built mostly OOB, with the addition of Eduard harnesses and masks, and a set of DK Decals' ' Spitfire Vb Aces - Malta and MTO'. This set allows you to model 12 schemes: The schemes I chose to model are both aircraft from 229 Sqn: Here's a link to the WIP if anyone is interested: The first aircraft, EP716 was flown by Squadron Leader Thomas Smart DFC* RAF. Smart had been shot down over Dunkirk in 1940, but survived this crash and went on to lead 229 Squadron in Malta, until his aircraft suffered an engine failure on 12th April 1943 20 miles south of Pozzallo, following a bombing raid on Sicily. Smart bailed out but drowned before he could be rescued. I can find no photographs of EP716, but as you can see it is depicted in Dark Mediterranean Blue over Azure. I had never used this scheme before so the DMB had a bit of a learning curve, and I hope that I've broken up the single dark colour by way of a combination of modulation, pigments and washes. The second scheme is EP691, which was flown by P/O Colin Parkinson DFC RAAF, who ended the Malta campaign with 10.5 kills and 2 probables, and went on to survive the war. Here is a photo of EP691: This combination of Dark Earth and Extra Dark Sea Grey over Azure is quite unusual. You can see from the photo what a beating these airframes took, which I've attempted to replicate. Anyways, on with the photos - EP716 first: You can see that I had my first go at figure painting in a loooong time - I wasn't too displeased with the result: And here's the finished result: Next EP691: Here's a couple of both together: Finally, here's a couple of shots with a Mk.I from 611 (West Lancashire) Sqn from the outbreak of war, to show the difference between the delicate lines of the Mk.I against the street-brawling brutishness of the Mk.Vb: I've very much enjoyed this build, and have added a couple of the less-modelled Spit Mk.Vb schemes to the collection. Thanks to all who have added words of encouragement along the way - they have been much appreciated. Thanks for looking, Roger

Hi All, Although I haven't yet wrapped up my Albacore build, I'm working up the testicular fortitude to tackle the rigging so I thought that would be a bit 'hurry up & wait'. I therefore decided to start this project which is very much intended as a bit of a palate cleanser after two challenging builds in the Applecore and Stirling! I've therefore had these couple of beauties sat in the stash for such an occasion: I built this kit in my pre-Britmodeller days, so there are few surprises. It's straightforward Tamiya fare, and I'll be building mostly OOB. Here's a shot of the sprues: I have however got hold of a set of DK Decals' "Spitfire Mk.Vb Aces - Malta and MTO", which allows one to build no less than 12 yes12 schemes! Here's a closer look - you'll know who to ask nicely if you want to build any of the other 10! 🤩 Here's a closer look (the right way up!): I've decided to model these two schemes: As you can see both aircraft have the Vokes filter - both also have clipped wings. I've long fancied doing a Mediterranean blue Spit, and I have rarely seen the DE/EDSG/Azure combination done before, which I think is rather spiffing. I'm making the presumption that both would have been finished in the standard desert scheme of Mid-Stone/DE/Azure prior to delivery to Malta and then repainted with whatever was available locally. It's a well-known fact that these airframes saw a very hard life, so I may try to effect some of the underlying scheme showing through. Here's a photo of EP691: This aircraft was flown by P/O Colin Parkinson DFC RAAF, who ended the Malta campaign with 10.5 kills and 2 probables. I cannot find any photos of EP716, which was flown by Squadron Leader Thomas Smart DFC* RAF. Smart had been shot down over Dunkirk in 1940, but survived this crash and went on to lead 229 Squadron in Malta, until his aircraft suffered an engine failure on 12th April 1943 20 miles south of Pozzallo, following a bombing raid on Sicily. Smart bailed out but drowned before he could be rescued. Anyway, that's where we're at - I do also have the option of throwing this into the mix: Not sure yet - I might just keep this simple! Thanks for looking, Roger

Another kit that has sat, waiting for attention, for more than 20 years. Back in 1999 I was, as they say, between jobs, so I bought the then relatively new Revell kit. I've always had a fondness for the Hunter, since 111 Squadron performing as the Black Arrows at Farnborough Air Show. I got the main structure of the kit finished and bought a sheet of Xtradecal transfers, XD05-32. The new job started with house move and the kit, well it went into the same place as the others. I finished the Tomcat...so time to start. up the Hunter. This is where I am with the kit... There is quite a bit of surface work needed, the next stage is to prime and see how much more work is needed. I will finish her as XE552, with 54 Squadron at West Raynham in the early 1960s. Why? Because I want to model an aircraft with an aluminium underside!! The airframe had quite a long life of 25 years, first flying on 10 January 1956 and sadly ending with a write off on 23 February 1981 when with 2 TWU she dived, inexplicably, into the north sea 20 miles offshore from RAF Lossiemouth. The pilot was never found. More as it happens... sooner than later, I hope.

Grumman/BAC Tomcat FGR 1 The hypothesis behind the model was that the Tornado had proved to be a financial disaster and so had followed the TSR2 into the scrap heap because the German Government withdrew support. The UK Government, in something of a state of panic took up the Grumman F14D Super Tomcat 21 project and evolved it into the Grumman/BAC Tomcat FGR 1 which first flew in early 1980. Here we have, ready for inspection, my Grumman Tomcat FGR 1 resplendent in Desert Pink, Serial ZD 790 serving with 15 Squadron, RAF and based at Muharreq Airfield, Bahrain during the first Gulf War. She was delivered to the RAF in late 1983 and scrapped in 2003. The model shows a weapons kit that may be improbable, with 2 Paveway laser guided bombs, a TIALD laser marking pod, 2 AGM 65D Mavericks and 2 ALARM missiles, but who knows? This model is dedicated to the late Mike McEvoy’s and his love of “what if” models! From Behind.... The sharp end... With Wings forward... And from the underneath.... I was given the kit in the 1980s as a present, in those days children and career took most of my life: model making retreated. The kit sat, started, until 2018 when I started a pathway into retirement. This is the build story....

Hello all, new on this forum so here goes.......... Hope this works ! This is a 4/5 year project which is still ongoing just need the time to complete, this is one of my longest builds funny enough Airfix Bucc in 48th along with Flightpath set, Neomega pit and some eduard thrown in for good measure. Not sure on the final markings but I think a RAF green grey jobbie might just be the one, I have the MA decal sheets RAF and RN so it might change ! Cheers Dan

This is HobbyBoss' 1/48 Hawk. Overall this was a very enjoyable kit to build and well engineered. This fit was good throughout and though I am definitely no Hawk expert, it looks right to me! I built the kit OOB and having seen the rather unusal ETPS scheme I was instantly made-up on what markings my hawk would be in! Painted with a mix of Tamiya Acrylics and Humbrol enamels, I weathered the model using oils and washes. Thanks for looking! Angelo

A new Work in Progress thread, picking up on the construction of the Tamiya F14, released many moons ago and a project I started soon after the kit was released. Over on the What-If Forum I suggested that rather than scrap this part built kit because it didn't fit my RAF Focus I could finish it as a Gulf War model, in RAF Desert Pink, as per the Jaguar, etc. The hypothesis was that if the Tornado had proved to be a disaster, or had followed the TSR2 into the scrap heap then we could have seen the F14 in RAF service. As others have posted, and I've discovered researching this magnificent airframe, it is not as fanciful an idea as one might think. The USN used the F14 as an air superiority fighter, but the Tomcat 21 program was developed as an option instead of the F18. Politics killed it. There are even a few people speculating that the Tomcat could be resurrected to replace the disastrous F35 project...!! To the kit. Whilst the model has the sort of fine detailing one might expect from Tamiya the fit between parts is generally poor. The first two photos show the amount of filler needed on the centre section. I've test fitted the front cockpit section to the centre section and there is a bad step on the underside: the joint will need quite a bit off work and possibly the use of epoxy as the contact area isn't that large. The wing section needs is screwed to the centre section. I've part finished some of the sub assemblies, but other than the Sidewinder missiles and external fuel tanks the load has to be gulf war RAF. So, I've ordered from David J Parkins the following: 2 RAF ALARM missiles. One of these will go with a Sidewinder on the port inner wing pylon, the other on the rear centreline mount. 2 1000lb Paveway II bombs, these will go on the front under centre section mounts, wher the US Navy Phoenix missiles would have been, 1 TILAD Pod, this will go on the starboard inner wing pylon, tofether with a Sidewinder. As work progresses I'll report. All comments, suggestions, etc welcome!

Modern Royal Air Force Aircraft Acrylic Colours (AK11755) AK Interactive It had been a while since we’d reviewed any products from Spanish Paint & Weathering company AK Interactive, but they hadn’t been sat idly twiddling their thumbs. They’d been working on a new range of acrylic paints, which they refer to as third generation acrylics, aiming for excellent coverage, what they describe as awesome grip, and a promise of no clogging of your airbrush if you use one. They also state that they’re great for use with a paint brush undiluted, but they should be diluted with water or their own thinners if using with an airbrush, which I’ve successfully tested with my usual vague “semi-skimmed milk thickness” goal for the thinned paint, and using Ultimate Thinners as my thinners of choice. Each pot arrives in a 17ml dropper bottle with sharp contours at the shoulder and a cruciform profile to the white screw-top cap, which is also knurled near the bottom to improve grip further. The labels wrap around the body of the bottle giving general information about the new range, plus its name and product code near the top, with a bar code along one short edge. Overall, it’s a nice look, but that’s not why we’re here. The set arrives in a cardboard box with a clear plastic inner tray containing eight bottles of paint to which I’m probably going to add glass beads, as I feel that they make paint mixing quicker and easier. The design of the packaging is simple and based on an overall white theme, with a slightly retro font on the front that is a little hard to read. The usual orange AK logo with the negative silhouette of an AK-47 in the centre is prominently displayed, as well as the Air Series logo that refers to the fact that this is an aviation set, not an airbrush specific set. That’s something that could be clearer, and could confuse new users. The 3G Acrylics brand logo is also present, with the product code above and the strapline “Scale Reduction Factor” below. This refers to scale colour, which can be a divisive theme, although I’m personally OK with that. Essentially, it refers to the perceived lightening of a colour applied to a scale model, as if seeing it through “scale air”, or aerial perspective, which reduces the saturation of any colour over distance, a well-known technique used in art, especially to depict the effects of distance in scenery and other distant objects. Some folks may not subscribe to it however, and that’s ok too. For example, would the “scale reduction factor” be the same for a 1:72 and a 1:24 aircraft? Would the difference be visible? So many questions, so little inclination on my part to answer them. This set is packed full of British RAF colours for your modern aircraft, not that we’ve got many, or many different types left! Surprisingly, the term modern incorporates a lot of post WWII and Cold War shades, as the examples on the back of the box show, with an old Vampire next to more modern options. The set includes the following colours: AK11840 RAF Dark Green AK11843 RAF Medium Sea Grey BS381C/637 AK11851 RAF Dark Sea Grey NS381C/638 AK11852 RAF RAF PRU Blue BS381C/636 AK11853 RAF Light Aircraft Grey BS381C/627 AK11854 RAF Camouflage (Barley) Grey BS381C/626 AK11855 RAF Dark Camouflage Grey BS381C/629 AK11856 RAF Camouflage Beige (Help) BS381C/389 These paints are just as easy to apply by airbrush or paint brush, and once dry they are very tough as acrylics go, especially if you key the surface beforehand with a buffing-type sanding stick. A primed and buffed surface is slightly ahead in terms of adhesion, but not by much so it’s good news all round whether you’re a modeller that primes religiously or not. In addition to airbrushing well without clogging, the paint goes on well with a paintbrush, needing one or sometimes two coats depending on the colour, and brushing out well with very little in the way of brush marks if you use a broad filbert brush. I’m not normally a brush-painter, and was really pleasantly surprised at how well the paint went down despite my lack of experience. Conclusion I like these paints and their bottles are practical and attractive, although I’m not massively keen on the fonts used on the box artwork, but that’s just my personal taste. This set gives you plenty of (mostly grey) shades for the modern RAF, and once you add some white and black for colour modulation, they’ll be very useful for the RAF modeller. The recently reviewed RAF Coastal Command & RN FAA includes a black and a white bottle, if that’s convenient or appealing. There’s a whole range of these colours available both individually and in sets for aircraft, AFV and other modelling genres, some that we’ve now reviewed, and the rest we’ll be getting to soon. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hello chaps, Decided to stretch my legs and get busy with new techniques and weathering practises, im currently on Elementary Flying Training at RAF Cranwell and part of my daily routine is driving past a Jet Provost sat proudly opposite a Dominie. This got me thinking and of course i went and picked up Airfix's 1/72 JP in 1 FTS markings, I decided to model it after the one here (not in terms of markings or model, the one at Cranwell is a T.5 and im making a T.3 for starters but focusing on the wear and tear) then a friend from instagram sent me pictures of a rather dilapidated JP sat in a farmers field somewhere down south... and suddenly the plan went from a mildly dirty gate guardian to a "my god how have you managed to let it get to this state phil" and a few weeks later here we are at the final stages of weathering and now im debating doing another one but nice and clean because its almost heart breaking seeing such a lovely aircraft with green and brown where there really shouldn't be... https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RAZnCrz9wCBXJdXisMPOQKivabRJtY_0/view?usp=sharing

After trying to build two Typhoons simultaneously a few years ago, and failing, I decided it would be easier to build four(!) at the same time. One of the four is the left-over from the first attempt, see this thread on Aeroscale: Tale of Two Tiffies . I am using three different kits: the Pavla car-door, the Brengun bubble-top, and two of the Airfix late-war version with 4 blade prop and Tempest tail planes. The schemes I have chosen are: (Top two profiles by Chris Davey from Osprey's Typhoon and Tempest Aces of World War 2 by Chris Thomas; bottom two profiles by Chris Thomas from 2nd Tactical Airforce Vol. 4 by Shores and Thomas) I have spent several days already on getting the parts to fit together, which for the Pavla kit has been a considerable hassle! The wings and fin have had to be thinned considerably, as have the cockpit areas (and still the resin cockpit doesn't fit as intended). Both the Airfix and Brengun kits mainly need the height of the wheel wells reduced to allow the wings to close properly. In the case of the Brengun, the tops surfaces were sanded to translucency, as well as the bottom edges coming up too. The Brengun has the edge over the Airfix wheel wells, and in detail and accuracy in general, but every part needed some clean-up. The Airfix open gun panels inspired me to open one wing on the Brengun kit, originally intending to use the Airfix parts in the wing. However, on closer inspection 1) they weren't a good fit, and 2) are not accurate enough. So I'll have to scratch build something. All the parts needing silver painting were stuck to sticks and airbrushed, then given a brown wash. I'm onto the cockpit painting now (black above the tubular framework, dry brushed with grey, grey-green below). The Airfix instrument panel transfers look OK, and for this scale, and considering it is really hard to see into the cockpit of the Typhoon, they will be fine.

Hi All, My latest completion (possibly the last of the year? ) is Airfix' lovely 1:48 Hurricane Mk.I Tropical. I have built two previous versions of this kit (of which more later), and I know that it is a lovely kit, viceless to build. I've chosen to complete as P2638 of 274 Sqn RAF, flown by Sgt F H Dean from Sidi Barrani, Egypt, 1941. I'm currently reading 'The Desert Air War' by Richard Townsend Bickers, and it's been an eye-opener to the imbalance and shifting nature of that conflict, as well as the pivotal role played by the Hurricanes of 274: Here's a photo of the aircraft (and Sgt Dean): The model was completed mostly OOB, apart from the addition of a Yahu instrument panel, and Eduard harness and canopy masks. Inspired by the photo I've chosen to open up the wing gun ports to add a little interest - I've also tried to replicate the level of wear apparent on the airframe, as well as the locally applied 'spaghetti' camouflage. Anyway, on with the photos: Here's a shot with a Desert Air Force compatriot - a P40 from 112 Sqn: Finally, I couldn't resist a group shot with Dickie Cork's Sea Hurricane from Operation Torch, along with a BoB example: I've very much enjoyed this build, and I'll add it to my 2021 yearbook, which is here if anyone is interested: Thanks for looking, Roger

Hi All, I thought I'd add a second build thread along with my current Skua WIP, as I've got a sneaking feeling I might need some light relief from that build , so I'll see how I go with 2 separate WIPs for the moment! This will be my 3rd build of an Airfix Hurricane (the others being a BoB Mk.I, and Dickie Cork's Sea Hurricane), so the kit holds few surprises (which is part of the attraction!). Here's the box art: Here's the sprue shots: Both transparencies and decals look nice: I've got a Yahu instrument panel, masks and Eduard seat belts: I'm going to complete as the box scheme, which is P2638, flown by Sgt F H Dean of 274 Sqn, based in Sidi Barrani, Egypt 1941: Here's a photo of the aircraft, along with Sgt Dean: The spaghetti scheme will add an extra level of interest to the colour scheme, so I hope I can do it justice - there's also some lovely detail in the photo showing wear and tear, which I shall do my best to replicate. Inspired by the photo, I'm also going to open up the panels on the port wing to show off the provided machine guns. I've already made the cut, which you can see here: Here's the finished article, which looks acceptable to my eye. After a very busy few weeks it's nice to be back at the bench, so I'll be working on this and the Skua today and tomorrow - wish me luck! Thanks for looking, Roger

Hello guys, welcome to another of my WIPs. This time, it's the turn for the Revell (Hasegawa) Spitfire Mk.IX. I will be picking up the kit tomorrow from Hobbies Morón (Buenos Aires), but I'll be starting it next year when I come back from my holidays. The model is new, with all the sprues inside their bag. Boxart photo from the seller: I'll be painting this model as a BoB Spitfire (I know, not real, but I know I'll enjoy it). Decals will come from several sources, Airfix and Xtradecals. This build will be an interim one until I manage to get a Tamiya Me 262A-1a (anyone fancy an Argentinian 262 painted as Gloster Meteor C-027 with the yellow and blue wing bands?). And maybe a Hasegawa Fw 190D-9 in 32nd. The men at Gastovic asked me to contact them after New Year, because they're covered with work as of now due to Christmas.