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My next project will be the Airfix 1/72 Typhoon 1B which I have been planning to build for a while. I wasn't feeling very inspired by the kit supplied schemes, but then came across the intriguing "Silver Bullet" while browsing through the Airfix Model World supplement on the Typhoon. This was MN666, which after being damaged during the Normandy campaign after D-Day was shipped back to Britain, fixed up, stripped of its paint, except for the rudder, and then used by instructors at the Fighter Leader School. I got some very helpful background from Chris Thomas (http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234975412-advice-needed-typhoon-silver-bullet/?hl=%2Bsilver+%2Bbullet), and a dig in the decal bank found enough letters and numbers to make up the serial so it looks like I am off to the races. I am going to complete her as she may have looked in late 1944, with no bombs/rockets under the wings, type B roundels above the wings, type C below and type C1 on the fuselage. I am going to try a few new things as well. I have never tried pre-dipping the canopies in floor polish, which seems to be very much the recommended thing, so I will give that a go. I will also try to paint as much as possible on the sprue. First task after washing the sprues in warm soapy water was to take the canopies, remove them from the sprue, clean up the edges and then dip them in the floor polish. I then left them on some kitchen roll in a covered container and put to one side. I am not sure how long I need to leave them for before masking for painting, I am assuming the longer the better. One item was left on the transparency, the underside fuselage light which fitted snugly into place, secured with some Clearfix. I cut a tint scrap of aluminium kitchen foil and stuck that on to the rear side of the light, shiny side down. Then on to the instrument panel. Strange item this. Airfix supplies a decal that appears to cover the whole panel, but only has markings for the flat part of the panel, while the "wings" of the panel have raised detail, but no detail on the decal. The decal to my eye also looks to big to fit on the panel. First I painted the whole panel Tamiya X1 Gloss Black. Then I carefully cut up the decal. and then carefully applied to only the flat part of the panel. Not perfect, but certainly better than just applying the whole decal in one piece. Once I have let them dry I will put some matt varnish over to seal them in and dry brush the raised detail on the "wings" of the panel.