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Hi All, This is a first post in WIP for me. I normally don't have the time to take photos and then post updates etc. but I figured, for this particular topic I would make a huge exception :D Just some caveats before I start: I'm a horribly slow builder - if you are expecting lots of updates over the coming days it likely won't happen - more like updates will occur once or maybe twice a week (mind you, this gives you more time to look at all the really good builders on this site :) :) ) I haven't attempted a conversion "on my own" before but I figured this was a pretty basic one to begin with so please bear with me I am really looking forward to building this!! Some background: When I first got "back into" building kits in my late 30's early 40's I wanted to build a Canadian Tiger Moth. Being Canadian myself it was something that was, to me, unique - and it meant a fairly easy paint job (Trainer Yellow with some black bits ) - The only Tiger Moth option that I was aware of in 1/72, at that time, was the venerable Airfix one. I did have the ability to order a canopy from Aeroclub which I had spotted at the LHS but my first attempt at building the kit went horribly wrong. I lacked experience and, basically, patience. Now, with a bit of both under my belt, along with the impetus of Paul J's comments in the Tiger Moth Options thread, John Adams' comments in general and the wealth of information online and close at hand (I am about an hour and 10 minutes from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum - CWHM - which has a wonderful Canadian built DH.82c in flying condition) I hope that I can tackle the conversion. I also have the Pavla kit of the DH.82c but never had the "guts" to tackle it. Having dealt with a couple Pavla kits in the past (Airspeed Oxford and Cessna Crane) I would rather "pass" on trying to tackle the kit since I believe the Airfix kit will actually be "easier" even though it involves converting the basic DH.82a configuration. I will, however, use the Pavla kit as a "guide" of sorts (look at all those quotation marks in this paragraph!! ) for items such as the instrument panels etc. The Kit, Some Additions And Some Changes: I'm not going to go into sprue shots of the kit but I will point out where I feel there are changes to be made in order to get the DH.82a to become the DH.82c. Additions to the basic kit (for my model) will be the following: Aeroclub Gipsy Major Engine - thanks to John Adams for sending me one of these (and it includes the correct prop as well!) Some home made brass items (cowling, trim tabs, maybe the fairings for the fuselage cables) New Interplane struts - made from thin wall brass tube Aeroclub Canopy - again, thanks to John! Different Decals (again some supplied by and thanks to John Adams, others from the existing Pavla kit) Exhaust Shroud As per the comments in the recent Tiger Moth threads in the Interwar forum and along with the multitude of images of the CWHM DH.82c online there are things that need to be corrected in the Airfix kit in order to make it Canuckable Changes to the basic kit include: removing the baggage compartment Moving the landing gear forward Using the tailwheel (included in the kit!!) Cutting out the cockpit doors Not using the fuselage strakes The Reference Aircraft http://www.warplane.com/vintage-aircraft-collection/aircraft-history.aspx?aircraftId=14 Built in 1942 at Downsview (Toronto) Ontario this particular Tiger Moth did go through some restoration - I still need to find out if it's built back to the spec as though it had come off the production line at De Havilland or if there were changes made to the aircraft during restoration. Photos coming soon!! Cheers, Dave

With the New AZ Model kits and now the new tool Airfix kits coming out this month I have a hankering to toss.. I mean.. "relegate" my old Pavla D.H.82c kit to the bottom of my stash (or to pilfer it for various parts/pieces I may be able to use). Ideally I would have loved one of the kit makers to produce a new D.H.82c but all I see right now are the D.H.82a kits produced. I know Aeroclub used to create vacform canopy replacements for the OLD Airfix kit and I've left a note for John to see if he would have any of these laying around - just in case they may be able to be adjusted/used on the new Airfix kits. Outside of the canopy and some rails (which can be scratchbuilt I think) are there any other major mods required? I have access to a D.H.82c relatively close by in Hamilton Ontario Canada (down the road from Toronto) so I shouldn't have too much worry getting details but I'm curious if anyone else has considered this type of "conversion" per se? Cheers, Dave