The Archival Vaults!

A Swallow is not just for Christmas Island....

While I was making the Fantastic Plastic Avro 730 I worked out A Plan for their 1:144th Barnes Wallis Swallow, which involved finding an undercarriage - not included in the kit - and the Air Decal markings for the RAF VC-10. The undercarriage came from a partly-made Revell Airbus Beluga - the original, abandoned, plan had been for it to be an RAF tanker - and needed the removal of the sections of the Swallow fuselage castings that represented the closed undercarriage doors. This bit of the Plan ws not helped by the apparent lack of any reliable information on the original landing gear; having done a little digging I wonder if the design work had even got that far. I'm happy that the result of my adaptation at least looks possible. The wings and engine pairs swivel separately, and the extending cockpit, which is in transparent resin, has to be fitted either raised, as here, or lowered. The wings had something of a curvature on arrival, and though this was considerably reduced by dunking in very hot water there is still a delicate upward curve at each tip; it's little reminiscent of the Boeing 787, but although somewhat anachronistic looks so aesthetically pleasing that I decided to leave it. I had originally considered Light Aircraft Grey undersides but thought that getting the separation to match the Z of the cheatline before its application would be too difficult, so I reasoned that if all white was suitable for the Concorde it would work for a Swallow C.1. The Air Decal set included Air Support Command titles which I wanted to use, recalling that the setting up of this command signalled the introduction of the "Ascot" callsign which became familiar during my London Airways time (and which I think still persists).The kit comes with Pan Am and BOAC decals - though the memories of neither "Clipper" nor "Speedbird" was enough for me to use them - and includes separate "windows" which happily fit neatly on to the RAF cheatline, and door outlines; the cockpit windows are also decals.You may just be able to see the 10 Squadron marking on the upper nacelles, and the badge just below the cockpit; the large Union Flag would I am sure have been worn, and just in case you can see the serial XR108 did not exist but was easily adapted from the VC-10 sheet.

So much of my "What If?" modelling these days is a form of three-dimensional doodling, and I would dearly love to be able to produce an idea like this as a painting rather that have to take advantage of what Someone Out There decides is marketable in the niche market in to which I fit. Still, this was fun, and while it's by no means immaculate in model terms I'm happy with the result; you may even see on on a 1:144th SIG table in the future, not least to encourage others, but the latest posting on the Fantastic Plastic website says that they are about to produce their last set of castings. It's not cheap, but at least PayPal can make it almost painless; go on, you know you want one!

Transferred 21/02/10

Moving Rapidely on....

There's an odd period that follows my ScaleModelWorld, a mix of frenzy and lassitude; there's the unpacking, with a little surreptitious gloating if you've managed to get the jump on Santa, and the resumption of modelling. In my case, two of the models that are reaching their natural artistic conclusion were underway at Telford (and the other two came home with me). Venturing back a little gingerly in to 1:200th, this Cloudbreak Dragon Rapide recalls a small part of our family legend, when while on holiday in Cornwall we had a once-round-the lighthouse in G-AGSH. When this kit was mentioned in its planning stage I made a plea for that particular marking, and it's one of half a dozen options on offer for this delightful little model, all of which are civil, though you could use DIY military colours. The struts are wire, with the principal ones inserted through pre-drilled holes in the lower wing matching up to marked sockets in the underside of the upper, and they can be trimmed to the correct length with snips once installed.; those between the nacelles and the fuselage have to be carefully measured and cut to length before being positioned, which was for me the most fiddly part of the work. The size can be judged by the five pence piece in the photo on the left. To see one properly mde, and indeed fully rigged (!) there's one on The One True Scale website - www'the-one-true-scale.co.uk- made by Tim Upson-Smith, whose skill, nerves and eyesight are patently several degrees better than mine. Still my older son, for whom the flight all those years ago has significance, is pleased that he's got this one.

Is it a bird....?

Among the many virtues of ScaleModelWorld is the opportunity to meet friends from the modelling fraternity - and these days sorority - with whom paths don't often cross, and quite often they bring unexpected goodies. This year the genial Mike Belcher - he of the Bits - was across from Canada, and among the surprise packages accompanying him was a 1:72nd resin kit for the Vickers Type 725 Red Rapier, also known as the SP.2, a proposed land-based cruise missile from the early 'fifties. The design was fairly basic, the wing recalling the description of that attributed to the DH.6 of being made by the mile and sawn-off by the yard. The aircraft was to be powered by three small Rolls-Royce engines; while it wasn't built full-size, there were one-third scale models dropped from an RAF Washington in Australia and one of these, although not in pristine condition is exhibited, fittingly because of its Vickers origins, at the Brooklands Museum. The kit has a two-piece fuselage, a one piece wing which fits neatly on to a "saddle", and three identical tail surfaces each carrying their engine nacelle. Mike Belcher's drawings show that the two tailplane halves are wholly horizontal, but that in the "British Secret Projects; Hypersonics, Ramjets and Missiles" by Chris Gibson and Tony Buttler, never far from my workbench, shows them with about 20 degrees anhedral. and I went with that. Pondering over the finish, I painted it with "Mr. Metal Color" stainless, and covered that with an (intentionally) badly applied coat of Humbrol matt dark green. Roundels and fin flash were accompanied by a 551 Wing badge from the Aviation Workshop Canberra decal set, and I put a yellow and a pair of red bands around the warhead area at an attempt at - probably spurious - corroborative detail. I'm still undecided about whether or not the weapon would have carried a serial; I've left a space for one but not yet consulted Robertson for an unused one. Mike has written to me following his return to BC to say the the price is now down to Can$ 25.99; he can be contacted at info@belcherbits.com. It's an interesting "something different" and would be a good introduction to resin for the slightly nervous. It's quite a large beast; this photo shows it with a Hunter (a Mark 14, as you ask, which will itself feature here shortly) to give an idea of its size. We had a discussion at Telford abour the Bristol submission for the same role; I live in hope.

One kit, three conversions

Last of the models I began at Telford to be finished, the Hunter you see above had a slightly stuttering start when I found on the Saturday that I'd left the conversion parts already started at home when I set course for the wilds of Shropshire. Fortunately I'd brought the Revell kit, and I was able to fill the gaps from the Odds & Ordnance stand for the T.7 nose and from Captain Freightdog for the Silver Cloud "Super Hunter" set. While perhaps not quite the "ultimate" Hunter - I haven't yet quite worked out what that might be - I had in mind an operational trainer for a TSR.2 squadron that would use not only Campbell Paterson's two-seater front end but also his AS.30 missiles. The more highly-swept wing of the P.1083 combined with the afterburning Avon would give it a bit more performance for low-level attack training, though to take account of the fuel consumption I thought an outer pair of wing tanks would need to be a standard fit. Colours would be second Phantom scheme, with red/blue national markings and light aircraft grey undersides, doubtless matching the colouring of the squadron's principal equipment. You've got to Have A Plan.

The front of the Hunter fuselage had to be cut to accomodate the new nose, but although I thought I'd followed the O&O instructions carefully it turned out that I hadn't quite, and that for some reason the nose sat slightly too high on the centre fuselage. I almost corrected it, but this had a knock-on effect of the fitting of the spinal fairing; for this I'd also removed the section of the spine too far back towards the tail, but this was simply corrected. The replacement wings fitted snugly over the area where the nose and centre fuselage met, and the Silver Cloud rear fuselage, with its afterburner, fitted precisely. I discussed with my long-time mate Jim Bricknell, who had joined us on the SIG stand from his North British fastness, the application of the "dog-tooth" leading edge to the more highly swept wing - something I'd done on an earlier conversion - and we decided it would be easier to make a Lightning-style "notch" in the leading edge about where the inboard edge of the extension would be; simples! For the weapons I had a choice between the O&O set for the TSR.2 and that for the Buccaneer; the missiles are the same, but although it seemed logical to use the TSR.2 pylons it may have been a mistake as it left the AS.30s rather close to the ground. Each missile is cast in two parts, with the organisation of their alignment made easy by matching up the two longitudinal cable ducts (if that's what they are), but removing any discontinuity or residue from between the two parts could be awkward. It'll go better second house. I painted them a simple Humbrol matt dark green.

Final choice was of the unit, and it's very important to me that I get it right, at least according to my logic and predjudices. This decision is often dependent on what decals are, or at least have at one time been, available and as so often the choice was made easy by the presence in one of my many storage boxes of (nearly all) of a Modeldecal sheet, in this case Set 25 with the Flying Camel and diamonds of a 45 Squadron Hunter; by chance it was one of my senior squadron colleagues from the olden time, the then Wing Commander T A "Sharky" Hastings who was the Boss who reformed 45 on Hunters. It's also a nod to "Jeff" Jefford, the Flying Camels' historian whose master work on the history of the unit is to my mind the best of its genre, and whose views on squadron hisory and tradition are not dissimilar to mine! Apart from the unit markings, all the decals came from the Revell FGA.9 sheet and I was able to cobble unused serial XG418 from the two RAF examples therin. I admit that not all the smaller decals, especially those for the underside, were used; by the time I get to this stage as often as not my impatience rears its head and I want to get the model off the bench so that I can get started on the next - providing I can decide wich three of the fourteen or so possibilities I really, really wnt to work on next. Besides, those "trestle here" markings would't be seen in the photos anyway. Just in case there was a Mark 13 from Sir Sydney which has passed me by, I've decided that this should be a T.14, in spite of its armament, which includes both the Adens included in the new nose just in case it could be useful in a secondary war role; you'd expect a TSR.2 unit to be pretty close to the fromt line, wouldn't you?

Transferred 16/02/10

Boom Boom......Boom

That, as you ask, is what might be the noise of a supesonic bomber (I've you heard a Hustler in the long ago, let me know). Those of you who, like me, pore over the collected works of Tony Buttler will I'm sure have recognised the Avro 730, a project that was planned to follow on the V-bombers in the nuclear deterrence role, and on the prototype of which which metal was reputedly cut before it was cancelled. The 730 was schemed in several forms, starting as a long-range reconnaisance aircraft before it was developed for the nuclear role; as seen here its two nacelles held four Armstrong Siddeley P.176 engines each to produce the necessary total thrust. While a 1:144th scale resin kit has been available for a while it had no undercarriage; it was the page in SAMI on Tony Gloster's model that alerted me to this version by Fantastic Plastic in the USA, and facilitated by PayPal it arrived just over a week after my order was placed.

This box is stout, and well able to withstand the rigours of international travel; it's top opening, and will be very useful for subsequent storage of otherwise stray pieces. Because of its size, which also doubtless helps its postability, the long slender fuselage comes in two sections, to be joined at the middle. The hacelles are also split, in their case upper and lower, and there are "key" bumps on the wing to help locate them, a well-thought aid to assembly (if the wing/nacelle combination seems familiar, look at the Bristol 188). Each wing half has two short lengths of stout wire embedded in it root, with corresponding dimples on the fuselage to help position it correctly; these are easily drilled out and they, and their plugs, are differently spaced to ensure that each wing goes in the right place. The cockpit has an instrument panel and seats for the two crew, and the hatch can be mounted open (the pilots were to rely on periscopes for a view of the outside world); the two canards have socket-and-tab fitting. These, I gather, were not to help in-flight performance so much as to get the nose up and the aircraft off the ground for take-off, with its very long tail and its elevons a long way back. The box art shows the aircraft in anti-flash white, with "bright" national markings, but I remembered from a conversation with my colour consultant some time back that the required finish for supersonic fighters at least was bare metal; I doubt if anyone was seriously considering similarly high performance bombers at taht stage, but I reasoned that there might well not have been a paint available that would have withstood the prolonged high temperature at that time. My original idea was to use as many different tones of acrylic "silver" as possible, but I wound up using Metalcote "Polished Aluminium" and about half of it; the rest is various shades of Mr.Metal Color (via MDC) with the most useful being a "superl titanium" which is I understand no longer in production. Murphy rules still.

The markings that came with the kit were more-or-less WW II vintage, so all mine - including the serial on the fin - came as they have for so many years from old Modeldecal sheet. The 101 Squadron CI symbol on the fin and the black and white lightning flash are from the invaluable Model Alliance decal Canberra markings sheet, and the warning triangles and "chop here" axe are from the Freightdog 1:144th Canberra sheet. Coincidentally, there are markings for a 101 Canberra on that sheet, and with an A Model kit to hand I feel a handover ceremony coming on! I've really enjoyed making the 730, a design I've always thought looked purposeful and impressive,, rushed though it's been largely to have it on the What If? SIG table at St Neots this coming weekend. I am sorely tempted by the thoughts of doing a second in "recconnaisance" mode, but I have a second British project from the same era in mind, this time for Air Support Command. To give you an Idea of the size of the 730, the little aircraft next to it in this picture is a 1:144th Hawker P.1185 "Advanced Harrier", one of the "extras" in the Anigrand Nimrod kit.

Lost Tomorrows, and Tomorrows and Tomorrows.....

Not long after the (then) Model Aircraft Monthly finished its series, with added resin bits, on the TSR.2 I suggested that the five sections could usefully be combined in to a book, probably not least because there was one of my five that persistently went in to hiding. This has finally come to pass so that I now have only one volume of which to keep track, and author Paul Lucas has added a great deal, not only on the procurement and the politics with which the type will always be associated, but with much emphasis on the roles, and the relevant weapons, for which it was considered.

I am a great admirer of the author's research, and he has been scrupulous in sticking to the two major plans exhumed from the archives about which units were to be equipped with the new aeroplane, and in which roles. These are comprehensively illustrated with a substantial number of colour profiles, and in each case the accompanying captions give the sequence and rationale behind the colour schemes used, and the application of unit markings (I only have one disagreement with these, in the use for some squadrons of the "fighter bars" which weren't devised until their application to Tornados). The profiles look good, and the colours are well done, the distinction beteen dark sea grey, medium sea grey and light aircraft grey indicative of the care that's been taken with them; but - and you knew there would be a but, didn't you? - the shape looks altogether too sleek, as though the fuselage has been stretched and thinned along its length. The distortion seems to be reflected in the serial alpha-numerics, the proportions of which do not look like the standard font. The difference in shape is reinforced by comparison with the two reproductions of BAC drawings, that on page 128 of a three-view with cross sections and some inboard profile, and the camouflage diagram on page 58, which looks remarkably like the one that sidled trough my front door many years ago in a Plain Brown Envelope, and for which I have been forever grateful.

I found the accounts of the proposed weapons and support systems absolutely fascinating; even the scheduled layout of the pan at Coningsby, and the reasoning behing it, is interesting and indicative of the depth of Paul's research. There were some weapons included in the series of resin bits that were marketed by MAM, but all the indications are that there will be no more, from that source at least; personally, there sre three or four of the stand-off bombs that I'd like, and if someone could produce in 1:72nd the proposed variable-geometry wing that would have fitted to a standard TSR.2 fuselage (see page 126) I would happily take another two kits from their dusty garage shelf. The way in which the drawings showing the installations of the many and varied loads is excellent, and with the exception of the anorexia all the illustrations are very well produced. I'm sure this, and the occasionally haphazard application of apostrophes, will not reduce the appeal of this book not just to modellers, with or without a What If? affliction; the accounts of the politics and the procurement which I mentioned at the beginning are well worth studying by aviation historians (see how many contemporary parallels you can identify!). As I said to my French correspondent about the kit, there was no way I wasn't going to like this book very much, and given the recent revival of interest in the TSR.2 that seems traceable to that mocked-up box placed surreptitiously on the Airfix stand at Telford a few years ago - is it really that long? - I'm sure that, as it deserves, it'll find a ready market. And, please, at the very least I'd like the Bristol Tychon - or better still, a pair - in resin. Transferred 03.02.10

You will recall - oh, yes, you will - that when I went to Sun 'n' Fun in April I fell in a big way for the Cessna 190 series, seen here in a line up at Lakeland. One of my hopes for Oshkosh therefore was to see many more of them, which I thought at first wasn't going to happen; but first, by courtesy of Ian Allan, ae went to Dayton.....

The Wrights, B'Gosh

Before going to the USAF Museum we spent the Sunday at the Dayton air Show, and for its highlight was the performance by the Brazilian aerobatic team, the Esquadrilha da Fumaca, in their green and blue Tucanos. Like their Canadian equivalent the Snowbirds they put on a tight, compact and continuous display in relatively low-powered aircraft, maintaining excellent formation and with the occasional stunning manoeuver; their use of the multiple aircraft mirror formation was absolutely splendid. The term "world class" is sadly abused these days, but this team really deserve it. The polo shirt in my size was alas sold out, but I did get their great "jungle" hat, in which I may well be seen posing at UK air shows for the rest of this year. The static included Ospreys and AV-8Bs from the Marines, that had to their regret - and ours - not been able to get permission from their management to display. The Harrier IIs, from VMA-542, wore not only a tiger's head on their fins but an eastern ideograph on their noses, dating from the Pacific campaign of the Second World War, which translates as "Here there be Tigers!" (a decal sheet, please). The CO's aircraft with the coloured markings was a radar-equipped AV-8B Plus, and the other a Night Attack variant; apparently all USMC front-line Harrier squadrons have a similar mix.

Somehow I've missed out in the last two or three years in seeing an Osprey airborne, though I saw one in a static at Pensacola a year or two back. Dayton had two on show, one of which was usually in a folded configuration and which at one stage did its transformation in front of its public, but while I was elsewhere. Here it is in its oven-ready state, and with the little bit of colour allowed on the CO's aircraft doing a fraction to lighten the grey that hung around all the morning, though it did part briefly to give the Tucanos a decent backdrop. The services' participation was not as great as I'd expected, but the army's "Golden Knights" parachutists jumped out of their perfectly serviceable FH-227, whose DoD designation has temprarily deserted me. The Thunderbirds' F-16s took part, with the "stirring" theme music as they taxied out seemingly as long, and even more repetitive, than their show; I hesitate to call it a performance, but I keep/kept reminding myself that they are an Aerial Demonstration Squadron, rather than an aerobatic team.

One of the USAF assets that was in the static area was an RC-135W "Rivet Joint" intelligence gatherer from the 55th SRW at Offutt. I got chatting to one of its crew; the American services are always seemingly relaxed over talking about their jobs, especially on home soil, and I raised the possibility of the RAF getting them for 51 Squadron, and that they would be after all fairly aged airframes.I was told that three relatively low-houred tankers have already been identified, and that the necessary equipment could be assembled and fitted in fairly short order once the ink was dry on the contract; the USAF have apparently a well-practised "production line" for this task. This photo of the one on display probably doesn't show its best profile, but it gives some idea of the positive forest of aerials that it carries, looking rather like an eruption of fungi!

A while back I bought the Model Alliance US Coast Guard decal sheet which included markings for their H-65 Dolphins, and I was delighted to find one in the static area. This one, from the USCG facility at Mobile, is

an MH-65C, having been recently upgraded for reconnaisance and surveillance, tasks which have grown considerbly since "9/11", and has a number of additional bumps and aerials (I must check if the MA resin set for the Dolphin is applicable). I was intrigued to find that various parts of the back end are not symmetrical, with the endplate fins toed in and the rear boom "bent" slightly to one side; from my memory, this assists a run-on landing if the tail rotor fails. Removal of one of its blades was another part of the recent modifications, and the eleven remaining blades are not quite evenly spaced (I shall probably have forgotten by the time I have to judge a model in competition). To assist my memory, and perhaps yours, I also have a photo of the cabin for colour information.

And as was only right and proper the day included a Wright biplane, in this case a replica of the 1911 Type B which was flown as part of the display; secure in the knowledge that it would surely fly again in the afternoon I didn't rush to take its picture airborne. Another mistake, but here it is in front of the Tucanos.

Transferred 07.01.10

That B I G "Airfix" Spitfire

Looking at those otherwise rather baffling statistics tables for the webite that My Friend Tim has set up for me, it's evident there are some hits that are coming from ouside the UK; so if those earnest seekers after my sort of truth will bear with me they should know that earlier in the week in which I'm writing this the BBC broadcast a TV programme in which a life-size "Spitfire" was built from a casting replicating, in I suppose 72:1 scale, the very early Airfix kit. It's one of a short series in which the presenter James May is attempting to show that the hobbies of his youth, thirty or more years ago, would benefit the young of today to whom they may seem a bit strange (he reminds me of Jacey Bedford's splendid maxim, "It's never too late to have a happy childhood"!).

It produced a small flurry of e-mails from acouple of members of the jpeg gruop of whose photos I take shameless advantage, commenting on what the original aircraft's identity might have been, and a suggestion from one that the serial - the markings on the original transfer sheet had been reproduced full-size in vinyl - rather tha RG904 should have been R6904, a reasonable transposition by someone who didn't know what they were looking at. This was after all the very early days of Airfix; I'm almost sure I bough the Spitfire kit when we were detached to Sylt in December 1956. And of course, I couldn't resist joining in, with the aid of Books rather that Googling.

Given that squadrons and their markings are My Thing, after watching the programme I looked up BT in my admittedly old Putnam/ Peter Lewis RAF Squadron Histories book - my Bowyer/Rawlings is being bashful - and it offered me 441, 113 and 30 OTU. 441 formed up in the UK at Digby as an RCAF squadron in February '44, and with the Spitfire Vb. Thinking that this was outside the timeframe, and that the model was of an early mark, I decided to disregard this (incidentally, as the excellent Canadian historian and author Pat Martin has pointed out, they revived BT on their F-86s when they were assigned to NATO in the '50s). 113 had Blenheims and 30 OTU had Wellingtons, starting in 1942. Then I read Richard's e-mail, with the very plausible suggestion that the serial was probably R6904. According to the Morgan/Shacklady "Spitfire", this was built as a Mk I and after making its first flight on 08.07.40 was delivered straight to 6 MU  to be fitted with cannon, then joining 19 Sqn on 13.07.It went back to Vickers for conversion to a Mk Vb, and then to the AFDU on 27.09 and back to 19 for service trials 30.10. It was transferred to 92 22.1.41, and was returned to Rolls for a Merlin 45, joining 615 on 24.09, 65 on 06.10 and 121 on 09.01.42, with whom it had a Cat.AC accident 02.06. Taken on by 306 on 18.06, it failed to return from operations on 22.08.42. In this very eventful life I can see no reason why it should have carried BT, and I doubt very much whether there's anyone around from the early days of Airfix who can shed light. I'll ask around at Telford next weekend, but it'll probably turn out to be the initials of the decal - sorry, transfer sheet - designer's Significant Other unless, as Esther Rantzen used to say, You Know Better!

Any further useful contributions gratefully received!

Editorial note - at Telford, in an interval from basking in the glow of the Great Mosquito, Trevor Snowdon confirmed that these markings had no factual basis. Pity. Transferred 03.01.10.

Showtime!

With November each year comes ScaleModelWorld, though to many of us on our deeper levels of consciousness it's still the IPMS/UK National Championships. Some of us have even been known to omit the UK from our trains of thought and given the number of overseas visitors, both traders and competitors, that's perhaps not altogether inappropriate .

My first NatChamps, as it became known in the family, must have been in 1968 or '69 and was held in what was I suppose a function suite in Maples, the furniture store, in Tottenham Court Road; the first IPMS President, Bill Matthews had I believe a connection with the firm, and he not only still attends every year but is a stalwart of the Airliner Tendency. Since then I've been, as the event has grown, to the RAF Museum, Peterborough, Donington and Telford, but the venue that still raises wry smiles is the National Agricultural Centre at Stoneleigh where the overnight accomodation - reputedly that intended for visiting jockeys - compared almost favourably with that depicted in black and white PoW films. It's fair to say that many long-lasting friendships, as well as the occasional feud, were nurtured there, several of them with some degree of sobriety.

One of the siting factors has been finding a location which is reasonably accessible - depending of course on your definition of "reasonable" - to modellers from various parts of the UK, and Telford has the advantage of being at least adjacent to the North-South motorway network (yes, I know it's still a substantial cross-country trip from Lowestoft) which this year enabled me to meet McModellers from beyond Hadrian's wall, as well as those from the Soft South of the Dorset Coast. This exemplifies for me one of, if not the, major reasons for the event. The competition has been there in one form or another, from the beginning, and the number of traders has grown massively especially since going to Telford, but it's the meeting and greeting which is for me an absolutely prime element of the occasion. Having spent many years doing that on the SAM stand, along with a little basic modelling, I've now been taken in by those all-round Good Eggs of the What If? SIG who left me a small space not far from my Canberra E.9B (see the Workbench) to do a little light whittling; but then I spent so much time walking the halls and, in the intervals of trying to reflate the economy blocking a fair number of the aisles chatting, that I don't think I sat down on the Saturday for more than twenty minutes. Still, I did manage a little preparatory work on the Barnes Wallis Swallow and the Hunter T.13.

While I'd arranged a pickup or four ahead of the show, I took my usual precaution of taking a small selection of possible work with me; the Brigand never got out of its box, though on the Sunday Lee Bagnall was working on his and I picked up a couple of useful hints. I'd fixed the two parts of the Swallow fuselage at home before leaving, and then dropped the workbox in which I'd carefully placed it on the pavement just before putting it in to the back of the Caponemobile, and it came apart again; however just putting it together again and leaving it on the table created interest, and I did at least get the engine nacelles together before leaving on Sunday afternoon. I'd also put aside a Revell Hunter 6, a Silver Cloud P.1083 conversion and an Odds and Ordnance T.7 nose to make a TSR.2 squadron weapons trainer, and I'd painted the seats and the inside of the cockpit; then when I went to take them from one of my considerable collection of yellow plastic bags, only the F.6 came out! Fortunately I managed to get both to Colin Strachan of Freightdog/Silver Cloud and Campbell Paterson of Odds and Ordnance early on the Saturday morning to replace them, and again I was able to leave the initial assembly on the table to intrigue passers-by. The T.7 noses were apparently in much demand, and the stock Campbell had brought down didn't last long.

Having corresponded for the last year or so it was good to meet him in person, reinforcing my thoughts about the siting of Telford within range of Scotland; and Jim Bricknell. who I met many years ago when his bounden duty was to zap any aircraft passing through Benbecula, had come down from Prestwick with a considerable number of entries for the Mushroom Monthly Trophy, including the Twin Vampire illustrated! As with other moments from the weekend I'll add something on the competitions later; in fact, there will have to be a series of entries on different pages of the site which may have to spread out over several weeks, especially as I gradually get around to building some of the kits which accompanied me home, cunningly hidden in a selection of Mr.Sainsbury's shopping bags - they carry the tempting inscription "Try something new today" which seems appropriate - and a holdall with the logo of the Aeronca Historical Association which was a souvenir of Oshkosh. There was also a bag full of books which will also take a little time to cover, especially if I take the unusual step of reading them them first; there will be one very shortly on the pick page, the subject of which will not surprise you at all, and I'm sure three or four of the models will find their way their as well. The "pending" page will have a brief first coverage of both paper and polystyrene - or perhaps more accurately resin - shortly.

There was of course a considerable number of Branch and Special Interest Group stands, but I'd like to make special mention of the Abingdon Branch, celebrating their thirtieth birthday. They were started by Tony Clements following a plea in the IPMS column that I used to write in SAM when I was the Branch Liason Officer, and for which I could perhaps claim the honorary title of godfather. Tony, who for me has always been one of the White Hats of the society as well being an Exceedinly Good Modeller, has been closely involved with the Branch ever since, and for the first time in thirty years he couldn't be there this year as he wasn't well. By now I hope he's recovering; the strength of the Branch is a tribute to him and his colleagues, and the Society, and indeed the hobby, owes a great deal to him and those like him across the country; I'm sorry I missed the birthday cake, though - short term memory problem, again.

Have you seen this man?

Since making the entry above I have been sent a photo of someone apparently sitting on the What If? SIG stand at SMW and appearing to be dressed in a way that suggests that he could be me; can you believe it? He's obviously taken some thought as to what would seem convincing; if you look carefully at the picture you will see that the work in progress is a Hunter, with a Revell fuselage half in hand, an Odds & Ordnance T.7 nose in front of him and a Silver Cloud P.1083 box close by. There's even one of Mike Belcher's Vickers flying bombs propped against the workbox; I wonder if he knew that I'd mislaid mine (if anyone's found it perhaps they'd let me know) The face bears a passing resemblance to that that looks out of the mirror on dark mornings, but surely no one wears a hat like that seriously even in the cavernous halls of Telford; I wonder if the kind soul who sent, and presumably took, the photo knew me well enough to recognise me, though I'm sure his thoughts and acts are well meaning (I should tell you that it came to me through a third party who is to the best of my knowledge just a communication channel). By putting this in front of UK readers at least I hope they will look carefully at anyone appearing like this at shows to come (Milton Keynes in February, for example). And while you are keeping an eye open for the flying bomb, you might even come across the Cross and Cockade calendar and the Plus One Eurofighter book that also seem to have gone AWOL on the Sunday. I wonder what he did with them. Transferred 24.12.09

A semi-matching pair

While I've enjoyed making these two - even the real one - they're here as much for what they tell me as what they are. The B(I).8 has always been my favourite Canberra, perhaps because of its mission as well as its "fighter" canopy; one of my air traffic colleagues was a navigator on 59 Squadron, and I used to tell him that he went to war lying down (jealousy, probably). I made the Airfix 1:48th kit when it came out, and as soon as the smaller scale version appeared it found its way very quickly to my workbench; given that it only served with five RAF squadrons, most of which I've covered at one time or another, I was looking for an excuse to build this one and found it in one of Paul Lucas "Airfile" articles on the Canberra in MAM in which he revealed an unused camouflage scheme for "marker" aircraft which combined two more familiar finishes. The Spitfire 19 was bought within ten minutes of my getting the Freightdog decal sheet of "Post-War Spitfires", and was an immediate reaction to seeing the illustration of the "bare-metal" PM574 of 81 Squadron; not only did it carry the squadron's star and sword emblem but was not the regular PRU Blue finish (I like the MGS/PRU Blue option in the kit, but that is still more "usual").

The overall impression from both kits for me is of Airfix returning to, perhaps eve rediscovering their core virtues. Both can be made by inexperienced modelers, though the Spitfire is probably more suitable for a relative beginner, and both look like their originals, though I haven't measured them, and I wait with bareley concealed impatience for the first "micrometer" reviewer for whom the odd millimeter is of consummate importance. The interiors are fairly basic, but doubtless they will attract aftermarket attention; there's not much visible in the Canberra, but I was a little surprised not to find an instrument panel decal in the PR.19. There was no dorsal radio mast included, but by the time this mark was in widespread post-war service it was equipped with a "whip" aerial, which gave me the excuse for a little light sprue-stretching. The choice of finish and markings for this Spitfire was settled by the Freightdog decals; but on selecting the "marker" scheme I gave a little thought for appropriate markings for the Canberra. considering not only what squadron could have been tasked with this role but, almost as important, checking that it was included on the invaluable Model Alliance decal sheet. The last two Mosquito squadrons in Bomber Command, equipped with B.35s - now there's a kit I'd like - were 109 and 139, based at Hemswell and, according to my imperfect memory, allocated to the "pathfinder" role. They wore yellow and red spinners repectively and carried these colours on to their Canberras, B.2s followed in both cases by B.6s. When they were disbanded, 139 was re-formed on the Victor but 109 was never brought back, so it's that unit's yellow flash on the fin, and the yellow starter "bullets" echoing the Mosquitos'' spinners. The AS.30s from the kit are there to help mark the target precisely, and there is a pair of small (100 lb?) bombs on the wingtip pylons copied shamelessly from Australian Canberras. I found the Standard Vanguard staff car while I was looking for something else entirely, and seeing that it was correctly marked with the 1 Group, Bomber Command identifier pounced and carried it off with glee; it's part of an enormous selection of 1:76th scale transport from Oxford Diecast Cars. I did think of changing it to a 3 Group Vanguard from the days of my youth, but decided that this would be really too small for my fingers.

I enjoyed making both these kits, with good fit - the Spitfire especially - and very little "fettling" necessary. The esearch for the Canberra scheme enabled me to deploy my personal logic, and the selection of the "bare-metal" scheme for the PR.19 was an excellent choice for the Freightdog decals (my spitfire guru tells me that the rudder and elevators of the 19 were still fabric-covered, so they are a little less shiny than the "polished aluminium" Humbrol Metalcote of the main airframe. I am very encouraged to think that Hornby may - indeed should - be applying the standard of production of these two kits to whatever may be lurking in their crystal ball. Transferred 24.12.09

Something for the little ones

It was probably the Avro 730 that got me looking at the Hawker P.1185 - aka AV.16 Advanced Harrier - that comes as one of those intriguing extras that Anigrand Craftswork include woth their 1:144th scale kits, in this case the Nimrod. Comparing it with the drawing in Tony Buttler's British jet fighter projects book, one which is rarely far from my side, it looked pretty good, though I do have some reservations about the rear jet nozzles (once a reviewer....). One of the problems, for me at least, of working in this scale is an absence of alternative markings, but Xtradecal have a very useful Hunter sheet, as well as one for Tornados, and it was the former that enabled me to "allocate" the result to 63 Squadron. A conversation with David Hunt, who masterminds the 144 SIG, got me looking at the same time at the Armstrong Whitworth AW.52 that comes with the Victor, and as I did a few years ago with the Dujin 1:72nd resin I drilled out a selection of camera ports and applied the medium sea grey/PRU blue scheme. I have yet to add its serial, but there were a pair of 541 Squadron badges on the Freightdog Spitfire sheet that fitted neatly on top of the fins. And a further conversation at the IPMS Brampton show has led me to the 144th Bristol 188, to be parked next to the Avro 730, though perhaps not quite in the shape that Filton intended. Watch this space....

The space filled

In the days when Maintrack were producing their X-plane vacforms, I built their Bristol 188 as a low-level reconaissance aircraft - Shiny Two, of course - but given that its wing shape was reported to be that of the Avro 730 decided that it would be better as a canard; so when I was pursuing the thought of making the Anigrand 144th "extra" I followed the same idea. The conversation at Brampton included the offer of Red Tops and Firestreaks in that scale by a generous donor, overcoming in this case at least at least one of the problems that What If? addicts face when working in this scale, the relative lack of additional external loads at a time when few warplanes fly eithout them, as well as the relative lack of potentially useful decals covering both national and unit markings. For me, at least this second point is crucial; I find it difficult to start a model without knowing how I plan to finish it. In this case the recent Xtradecal Hunter sheet was an absolute boon, offering me the 92 Squadron option that I could combine with the blue fin that 92 applied applied to their Lightnings as an echo of their "Blue Diamond" days. Other than swapping the flying surfaces over, all I needed to do was to hang the Red Tops on extentions of the underwing fairings for the aileron actuators.One of m thoughts was to use this model, like the Avro 730, to try various shades of acrylic "silver", but I'm not sure if they appear on the screen correctly, or at succiciently differentiated. The one of which I did like the effect, on the intakes and the leading edges, is "Super Titanium" from the Mr Color Super Metallic series but sadly MDC from whom I bought it tell me its no longer available. The fin colour I used is Xtracolor's X336, British Midland 1996 Blue, which accords very closely with the photos I have of the Hunter T.7 in the "Blue Diamonds" scheme at Kemble with Delta Jets, who I know researched it very carefully. While looking for something else entirely in Dick Ward's "Hunter Squadrons" book from Linewrights - could that possibly be redone in colour? - I found his reference to that shade as "Aircraft Blue", a term I don't remember seeing elsewhere, and without a BS. number. On my laptop, by the way, it looks lighter than it does on the model.

I hope to have this, with the 730, on the 144 SIG table at ScaleModelWorld, ten days awy as I write; and there are at least three other models - two plastic, one resin - coming to a climax on my workbench which I hope to bring as well. If there's time, I'll post one or two of them here before I go up; and I'm getting on with my first Brigand and another Fantastic Plastic resin which will appear in Air Support Command colours but probably not, in public at least, until the IPMS Milton Keynes event around the beginning of February. In the meantime you may see me lurking in the What If? shadows at Telford and hoping to fill my Goodies Bag; starting with the Unicraft Sukhoi Su-10; DDR camouflaged, I think.

Showtime!

It's the Great Deadline, then! Over the last couple of years my getting ready for Telford has changed somewhat; when I was writing for Scale Aircraft Modelling it was a matter of getting the socks sorted and packed, and assembling a work box with a view to doing a little light whittling while chatting (strangely, I've never needed a throat spray). Back in the long ago UK National Championships, when entry to the competition required a model to win its class at Branch level, I did one year have a 1:100th Tamiya Sea King on the table, not least because there were no other submissions in that class, but otherwise my only connection with all those excellent entries was as a judge. For the last couple of years those Good Eggs of the What If? SIG have made space not only for me but also for two or three of my "creations", and consequently I try to have something new for the table. This year there's a Soviet/Russian theme, which accounts for two of the models which I am now hurrying towards their destiny; the third is another of those that resulted from a conversation at one of the summer's IPMS shows. I'm also taking four up for possible showing on the 144 SIG table, and though they have all appeared here recently, I' really should apply a couple of very small serials by Thursday evening.

The non-Russian is as you will see largely the Airfix Canberra PR.9, which I bought from the Mr.Models stand at Yate after enjoying their B(I).8. Trying to maintain my aim, as prescribed in the best military manuals, I decided to work it over a little and use it as a base for a now-defunct RAF squadron, and I was strongly influenced by by the Maritime Reconnaissance Canberra of (the Venerable) Kit Spackman, which was on the SIG stand that day (Kit knows that I only steal from the best). Nearly all the lumps and bumps and assorted aerials are from the Airfix Nimrod, but the T.17 nose - which was the springboard for the original planning discussion - came from a shadowed corner of the garage in a C-Scale box, and it nearly fits. I may try a portable reflective surface on which to show it - I hesitate to use the word display - because of all the important little places underneath intended, by me at least, though I can't speak for Their Airships or BAC, to indicate its intelligence-gathering function. Apart from ensuring that part A fits reasonably well to part B, something not intended by the kit manufacturer, my preoccupations for this model were to find a suitable desination and colour scheme. The second wasn't really a problem, with the PR.9s and T.17s at one period wearing hemp/grey and red/blue national markings, and the unit picked itself, with 58's owl badge included in the kit decals, and the blue/green bars carried on its Hunters still lurking fairly handily on an old Modeldecal sheet or three. The first Aviation Workshop book on the Canberra had a Denis J Calvert air-to-air of a 360 T.17 with fuselage bars and a red fin which seemed a good idea to copy, leaving only the choice of a dark blue to echo that of the backing rectangle of the fuselage marking; the obvious Roundel Blue looked too light, but I was satisfied with its US counterpart, insignia blue. The serial is that of an unbuilt PR.9, which must have been completed while no one was looking too closely as an R.9B.

The first of the two new contributions to the Soviet/What If? line-up - the red-starred Beech Grizzly was one I'd made earlier - had its genesis eighteen months ago when at the SIG's AGM I picked up an Anigrand XFV-12 on the day the theme for this year's SMW was announced, and it seemed a Good Plan to put the two ideas together; It would of course need a change or two, given the dramatic lack of success of the Rockwell original (they should never have changed the name from North American, though were was little sign of any F-86 DNA in the rather ungainly canard). I started on it not long after getting the kit, but with the main wings and fins in place it languished on a corner of my workbench for the best part of twelve months before I decided I really had to get on with it; in the meantime I'd picked up a Begemot Helix decal sheet from Paul Davis (who I see appears on the SMW plan as "Decals Galore") for the needed Soviet Navy markings, and consulted Red Star 36 for their positioning and the overall colouring. This turned out to be something of an approximation using standard Humbrol colours, but I remembered with some relief the standard of paintwork, and indeed construction, of the Yak-141 when I saw it at Farnborough as being nearly as rough as mine. I have twenty-four hours to think of an appropriate reporting name; it's a pity that I can't really use Fishhead.

The last of this spasm occurred to me when at the end of a day on my recent trip to the States I was checking on the Hannants "New Arrivals" page in an attempt to keep me grounded in what passes with me for normality, when I spotted the Hobby Boss kit of the Sukhoi S-37, a type which you will be unsurprised to know still fascinates me and which I am delighted to have seen, however briefly, in formation with its Flanker cousins at MAKS a few years back. A quick firing-up of the search engine revealed a Begemot set of Su-27 decals which included those for the "Russian Knights" team; I had a Hasegawa kit with those markings tucked away, but decided not to denude the kit when this seemed a good alternative. The adaptation of a "swept-back" scheme for a forward swept aircraft was helped by that useful phrase "close enough for government work" which has come to my aid on more than one occasion; oddly, this also involved a little trial and error to find a correct blue, this time for the top surfaces, solved by using Xtracolor X336 British Midland 1996 blue. All I need now is tha CGI ability to produce its team mates.

.... A hand of five

It all started with the Osprey "Spitfire Aces of Burma and the Pacific" and finished with five Spitfires of five marks and five different kit manufacturers. I've put the basic outline of the saga on the "Ramblings" page, and I've now got to the point where I can consider putting the photos on this page, even if I'm still short of one set of exhausts - I may even have found a solution for this.

The Hasegawa Mark VIII was the cornerstone, the appearance of the Osprey book and the overlapping MAM series giving me the impetus with their colour profiles of two 67 Squadron Spitfires at the end of the war in burma (for those who don't know its personal significance, 67 was "my" Hunter squadron in the pre-Duncan Sandys era). Although one of their aircraft, JG183/RD-S has been in John Rawlings' "RAF Fighter Squadrons" since time immemorial, its black and white photo could well have led me down a wrong colour path, but I've postponed making RD-A of squadron boss Bob Day because of the rather curly lettering of the name "Mary Ann" on the cowling; perhaps the time is ripe for a "Far East Spitfires" decal sheet - please! The kit is by Hasegawa, and I was able not only to use the blue/blue roundels and fin flash but also modify the DG-R codes on the decal sheet and make the S from the G. Steve Nichols' MAM article and illustrations suggested that the letters could well have been in the lighter of the two blues of the roundel, rather than the sky of Osprey's profile or the white of the decal sheet, and I opted to go with the possibility. In hindsight I rather wish I'd lightened the dark green and dark earth to give the faded effect that is noticeable in the Steve Nicholls profiles, and which I like given the theatre of operations. It's also looking rather glossier than I'd like in spite of the applivation of two different matt varnishes.The coincidence of the arrival of the Airfix Spitfire XIX/19 and the new Freightdog "Post War Spitfires" decals led me first to the "bare metal" 19 of 81 Squadron, and by logical progression to tw other subjects on the same sheet, a silver-painted one, using Xtracolor "High Speed Silver", an F.16 of 612 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force, and its fellow "weekend" mount, a camouflaged F.21 of 600. For the 16 I used the Italeri IX, its choice of rudders including a "pointed" one, and the 21 is the Eduard kit that eventually showed up on a garage shelf.

While hunting for the 21 I came across the Xtrakit XII, and decided that in the absence of a wide choice of markings I'd try a little What Iffery; the 21 kit came with two props, the standard five-blader and a six-bladed contra-rotating one. Its decal sheet also carried (nearly all) the markings for the post-war red-striped 41 Squadron "special", and it occured to me to apply both these to the XII; with luck it;ll occasion a double-take or two, and at some stage I plan to add a couple of "racing numbers". They make an interesting group with their various marks and finishes; perhaps I should look for a "lazy susan" on which to diplay them.

Transferred 02.11.09

Breaking the Rule of Three

I've mentioned from time to time that I tend to work on three models ar a time; more usually seems to delay my finishing any of them, but in the last month or so the space around my cutting mat and "Helping Hands" seems to have been particularly crowded. There's the five Spitfires, for example. In the days when I used to run a preliminary investiigation in to incidents they could usually be traced to an accumulation of causes rather than a single error, and this episode started with Osprey's publication of "Spitfire Aces of Burma and the Far East" by Andrew Thomas which carried details, and colour profiles, of the Spitfire VIIIs of 67 Squadron in the final stages of the War. A photo of one, RD-S/JG193, had been included in John Rawlings' invaluable tome "Fighter Squadrons of the RAF", but in true "Aces" style this had details of the fighting in which the squadron had taken part, and one of the profiles was of JG193; another, RD-A/JG567, not only belonged to the Boss Sqn Ldr Bob Day, who was the last RAF pilot to achieve "ace" status in the campaign, but also carried the name, "Mary Ann", in rather flowing script. I recoverd the Hasegawa kit from the garage shelves - I'm still convinced I had two, but there's no sign of the second - and moved it in to my workroom just before my Transatlantic jaunt at the end of July.

It must have been while I was looking for this that I was sure I'd seen the Eduard F.21, and after bringing the Freightdog "Post-War Spitfires" decal aheet, and the new Airfix PR.19 which I bought after seeing one in the hands of one of may colleagues on the What If? SIG stand, back from the IPMS Avon show found that there was an option for a camouflaged example of 600 Squadron, with Reserve Command squadron codes in red. There I am, I thought, a flight of three dissimilar aircraft all in different finishes, but with enought in common to make it a Good Idea to build them in parallel rather that series. Going back in to the garages shelves, there was no sign of the F.21, and I began to wonder if I had sold it - and perhaps the other VIII - knowing that I was highly unlikely to make a Spitfire again: I did, however, find an Italeri IX and the Xtrakit XII, and cosulting the Freightdog instructions found another red-coded aircraft. this time a silver XVI (close enough to the IX for government work) of 612 Squadron RAuxAF, after the Auxiliaries were reallocated to Fighter Command. And not only did it have a squadron marking in addition to its codes, it had a camouflaged rudder. The decision as to what to do with the XII - given that it only served with two RAF squadrons, and in standard camouflage, came to me when I did find the F.21, in a place of course where I'd already looked three times; that solution should appear fairly shortly on the "workbench" page.

And it's not just the Spitfires, though one part of the bench does look like South Marston with a slight attack of time-lapse. Having started on an Airfix Canberra B(I).8 and found myself reasonably impressed, I decided that while I was buying the Spit 19 from Mr.Models, and having sold a few older kits that day already, I should get a PR.9, and and after discussing the possibilities of using a few parts left over from my Nimrod AEW conversion with my colleague on the What If?, I did.l. See how crowded my little corner of the world is becoming? All these are currently in various stages of assembly and finishing and I shall put their portraits up as and when they come to fruition; my target is the end of September, and one or two may even show up at the IPMS Brampton event. And there are a couple of mini-Anigrands and a Hobby Boss Berkut (with decoration by Begemot) too, though I did have the presence of mind to sideline the new Airfix Hawk 128/T.2 which is probably just as well, as my thoughts on how I want to finish it which, as the regular reader will know, is a prime requirement of my starting a model change on an almost daily basis and may well depend on which Modeldecal set comes to the surface at the right time. Transferred 30.October 2009 .

Rolling out soon...

(probably sooner than the 787)

Bearing in mind that there are two weeks to the IPMS Avon show at Yate (near Bristol, as you ask) there are a couple of models on the bench which I plan to have ready for the What If? table; this one is waiting for its weapon load, and squadron markings - the black fin is a clue. The second will also wear RAF roundels, though of an earlier period, and my making it is a result of a conversation I had at the SIG AGM at Coventry, which revolved around orders reputed to have been placed for the RAF outside Britain shortly before the Second World War, in an attempt to fill a few gaps with fighters that were both available and more modern than the Gladiator. I confess that I hadn't come across this rumour before, but I did know of a parallel for a light twin. That Martin Higgs can be so convincing!

And, Lo!

You will of course by now have worked out that the above is a "GR.7" development of the Silver Cloud P.1154. To the resin bits of the fuselage, intakes and jet pipes I've grafted parts from both Revell and Airfix GR.7s, including as well as the bigger wings and their pylons, nose and canopy - which needed more adjustment than I wanted, but because I was mixing parts from both the injection-moulded kits - and the undercarriage and rear fuselage cone. Weapons were also from a selection of sources, Airfix (Sidewinders), Hasegawa (Paveway III, one of which became semi-detached when I went to take its picture!),and Italeri (Mavericks), with the underwing tanks from the Revell kit. Given this lot a rolling take-off is probably obligatory, and if working out of Kandahar absolutely essential. The decoration of the tank fins is of course from some previous Tiger Meet somehow unrecorded by Mark Attrill; it's long been a source of regret for me that the RAF can no longer contribute a fighter unit to this event, and in spite of other possible squadrons for this version, and bearing in mind that if I picked 80 which was one of those originally nominated I'd have to hand-paint the maroon and yellow bars, reviving the Tigers - thanks to Modeldecal set 116 - was my preferred solution!

Martin Higgs, who put me on to the RAF order for Reggiane 2000s, tells me that it was mentioned in a one page article in Air International many years ago; I remember the possibility of the Caproni Ca 311, presumably in the reconnaisance/light bomber role. My logic decreed that if the order had been fulfilled the Reggianes, no doubt named Falcon, would have replaced the Gladiators in the Middle East and perhaps gone on to serve in Greece, though if Italy had by then sided with the Axis spares might have been a bit hard to come by. I bought a Special Hobby kit, but decided that with the resin interior I'd not start it until I'd come back from Foreign Parts; and by then one of the Magazines - SAM, I think - had let me know that there was also a recent offering from Italeri. This answered my requirement excellently; well-mould, well-fitting - which isn't always the same thing - and without a detailed resin interior, unless the modeller wanted to buy one, and so capable of reasonably quick assembly. It does come with some attractive colour schemes in its own right, and I was momentarily tempted to make a Hungarian Heja but sticking sternly to my Plan to have an RAF one ready for the What If? table at Yate and consulting Mike Bowyer's Fighting Colours, the recent Gladiator book by Alex Crawford from Mushroom and Warpaint number 37 I applied Dark Earth and Dark Green with White and Night undersides. After considering 33 and 80 Squadrons, I settled on 112; it's subsequently occurred to me that this could have meant that if they were flying Falcons they might never have got P-40s, and the "sharkmouth" wouldn't have happened. I don't think I'd want to change history that much. I rather doubt that the RAF would have been satisfied with the Re.2000's very basic armament of two machine guns; for the 2002 another two were added in the wings, and I may yet add them to mine. And I don't know when a ? became the accepted identification for the squadron commander's aircraft, so I've probably perpetrated another anachronism!

While away in the States I managed to find an unoccupied internet terminal, which not only enabled me to find out the result of the Hungarian Grand Prix but also do my weekly search of Hannants New Releases page; and there I found the RS Models' de Schelde S.21. This meant that by the time I got home I had decided, in accordance with the Hairdresser' dictum from HHGG, what colours I would give it and therefore its use; not, of course, a Dutch prototype or as German propaganda, but what might have happened to it if it had been completed and flown, and made it across the North Sea. Starting with the plan of giving it to a Dutch fighter squadron in the UK, I decided on green/brown/sky camouflage, with the possibility of gviing it black/white special identification markings for Exercise Starkey (Shores/Thomas 2nd TAF Vol.4); but did wonder where to put the fuselage roundels, any squadron letters and a serial. The original had a pair of machine guns either side of the pilot, in addition to the flexibly-mounted 23 mm cannon in the nose, and the kit required me to drill four more holes in the transparency; this made me a little nervous, so I decided to omit them. I then thought that given its unusual shape, I would treat it like the captured Luftwaffe aircraft flown by the RAF, and finish it with yellow undersides; on that basis I could still allocate it to 322 Squadron as a unit hack even though it was only a single-seater. The fuselage roundels are the smallest "A1" type I could find, and I had to fit them over the exhausts; at some stage I shall have to add some staining.

It is, of course, always a pleasure for me to return to Kingston. Hawker's P.1109 fitted a radar and a pair of Firestreaks to the Hunter F.6 airframe and was built and flown, but did not of course progress to service; the Silver Cloud resin conversion set therefore has given me an excellent opportunity to remedy yet another procurement error (you didn't think these only happened recently, did you?). The production versions of this set are imminent, by the way, but to get this model ready in time for the IPMS Avon show Firestreaks have been donated by a Trumpeter Lightning, but like their pylons and launch rails they will be part of the package. Given its elegantly long and pointed nose, it's always been my plan to finish this version in the very colourful - and big! - markings of 34 Squadron (which for some reason they never applied to their Beverlys). These have been carefully set aside since I built a pair of PJ Hunter 4/5s, and were designed by J-P Desprez of Model Airt (I still also have the spare set of 67 Squadron's XF317, and one day I'll have to decide what to apply them to). Other decals, including the serial on the basis that it could well have been a rebuild, came from the excellent Revell kit. Two of the four Adens were to be retained, and therefore I fitted "Sabrinas", though they weren't evident on the prototypes; neither were the "dogteeth", but they would surely have been fitted to an in-service version.The fit of the new nose, by the way, is very good, and it's carefully designed so that the modeller can remove the necessary small bit of the nose on a panel line. I'll certainly be using another one or two; one highly probable plan is to combine the 1109 nose with the more highly-swept wing and afterburner of the Silver Cloud 1083 conversion, with underwing tanks on the outboard pylons to look after the fuel consumption. That'll be the FGA.9 kit, then, and red/blue roundels

Transferred 04.010.09

Ghostly Poison

I still have a vivid memory of watching from the crewroom window a flight of four Venoms starting up on the Bruggen Station Flight pan, with great gouts of flame coming from their tailpipes; my instant response was to call the airfield fire service, but I very soon learned that this spectacle was not uncommon. Fuel apparently could form a small pool somewhere in the Ghost's system and ignite quickly, if briefly; for a while it was a common practice to lay an asbestos blanket over the leading edge of the tailplane, but this is one of the very few extras not included in these Czechmaster kits!

One of the very early "Frog" plastic kits of the 1950s was of a single-seat Venom with 5 Squadron markings, probably a Mark ; and Aeroclub did produce it in 1:72nd scale, and in Vacform in 1:48th, and the Frog Sea Venom FAW.21 has had several incarnations, . Having enjoyed my single-seat Vampire time I've always thought that flying the more powerful Venom in the ground-attack role would have been fun - the reported boast of one of the Middle East squadrons was that on take-off they retracted the undercarriage and then got down to their operational height - and there were quite a few with colourful, and now defunct, unit markings; I was very pleased therefore when I heard that Czechmaster were planning to include the Venom in several versions in their excellent range of resin kits. They have approached the subject with their usual diligence and care, and have kindly sent me their first two single-seaters for building and comment.

The FB.1 and FB.4 come in separate and very complete kits, each with a load of stores; my choice of the Mark 4 to start with was decided by the markings included, in line with my determined efforts somehow to cover RAF squadrons that have ceased to exist (this logic will be casually set aside for the Kiwi FB.1, but there are times when consistency is overrated). The detail supplied is considerable, and I confess to not using all the smallest parts in resin and etched metal (or indeed many of the minor decals on the very comprehensive sheet). As with all current Czechmaster productions the breakdown is not unlike that of a classic injection-moulded kit, except that the flying surfaces are one-piece rather than split horizontally. The cockpit interior starts with a floor attached to a rear bulkhead; the sidewall detail is cast as part of the fuselage halves, with additional etched detail, and they also enclose rudder pedals, a jet pipe, the nosewheel well and a three section instrument panel. I had to reduce the width of this slightly for a snug fit, and squeeze as much weight as possible ahead of the mainwheel axis, and it's now finely but adequately balanced. Unlike the single seat Vampire the FB.4 had an early Martin-Baker seat, for which a separate etched metal harness is provided.

The wing halves fit smoothly, but I had removed most of what appeared to be a casting "blip" at the rear of each wing root, until I realised that they were to fit in to a couple of small depressions either side of the rear fuselage, which I had taken to be small vents. This is evident from the instructions, once you know what you're looking for! The two booms plug in to recesses in their fairings on the trailing edges of the wings; I decided that the best way to tackle this was to assemble the two booms and the tailplane first, and then fit the assembly to the rest of the airframe, but I've wound up with a slight discontinuity at each wing/boom join; when I make the FB.1 I'll fit each individual boom to its wing and fill and sand any evident join before fitting wings to fuselage and tailplane to booms. The other bit of the assembly I'll attempt differently is inserting the two small guide vanes in to each intake. For this model I followed my usual habit of getting the main airframe together first, and leaving the very small pieces till the end; I then found it awkward to get the small metal pieces L17 and L18 into the intake while rotating the aircraft with the left hand, and next time I'll try putting them in to the two intakes parts 8 and 9 before fitting the intakes in to the wingroot/fuselage join. For this model I've inserted in their place some slivers of plastic card.

The weapons load on offer is considerable, and should help to re-stock your spares box; you could even devise a Farnborough display-style diorama. For the pair of pylons just outside the main undercarriage doors there are the options of 250, 500 or 1,000 lb bombs or a couple of drop tanks, and there are four rocket projectile launching rails to place under the wing roots, for which there is a choice of no less than four types of RPs. two practice and two lethal. And there is a special etched metal jig for aligning their fins! I decided early on to limit myself to the two 500 lb bombs, taking into account both the time and the necessary skills that I would otherwise have to call on.

For my money Czechmaster are currently producing the best resin kits on offer; UK price according to Hannants' website is at the time of writing £32.99, and whereas a year or three back this would probably have had me reaching for my bank manager's smelling salts it now seems very reasonable for what the modeller gets. I am, as always, influenced by the subject, one that has for me been comparatively neglected and is potentially colourful; one of the decal choices in this kit is an all-white Venom of the 60 Squadron aerobatic team, with red trim - and serials!. The other options are another 60 Squadron aircraft in camouflage, with silver flashes for the tip tanks, and one from 249 based at Akrotiri for the Suez campaign and wearing the yellow and black striping, but with no unit markings. My choice is from 266 Squadron, based at Wunstorf in 2TAF before the "Sandys' Axe"; I have followed the kit instructions in painting the nosewheel door and the tip tanks red, though David Howley's colour profile in Warpaint 44 shows them in green, the same colour as the individual aircraft letter provided by the decal sheet. These also have a considerable number of small stencilling items, but as with much of the weaponry, and several very small etched metal parts, I passed them by very quickly. The detail addict will I am sure, make very good use of them, but I am very happy with my little model, not least because it has the classic "2TAF" camouflage scheme with the PRU blue undersides; as far as I know, none were finished "silver" underneath. The colours and decal placement are very well illustrated - in black and white - as part of the very comprehensive, multi-paged instructions, which also come with many detail photos. You will find my name lurking near the bottom of one of them, and I'm very happy to have been able to contribute to such an excellent product.

The next Venoms to come in this range will be three varieties of Swiss single-seaters, including one with the "Pinocchio" nose. I am looking forward to the RAF NF.2 and NF.3, which served with a number of now gone squadrons with colourful markings, though I remember the introduction of the NF.2 did include several losses. There are no less than six marking choices in the FB.1 kit and I would expect a similarly comprehensive approach with the night-fighters, and I'm sure there will be naval variants to follow; I even have hopes of an Aquilon! A little while back there was a Venom sheet from Eurodecal which included land-based single and two seaters, and you might like to lay one down just in case. Now, the FB.1; red-and-white checked rudders, or the kiwi....? Transferred 15.09.09

"Hunter from the Cockpit"

While I'm working on the next model to fill this spot, let me bring to your notice the latest in the Ad Hoc Publications' "... from the Cockpit" series. For the first time, Roger Chesneau has gone for a lighter shade of blue, though it's true that there are some dark blue contributions, and even confining himself to those who flw the Hunter with British services he has come up with something only slightly short of a tome! Its two hundred pages have, as well as the principal narrative by Air Commodore Mac McEwen, contributions from twenty-two others who have reminicences to offer, including such well-remembered names as Roger Topp and Peter Latham, and covering the gamut of experiences on and around Sir Sydney's finest. Many of the writers had long careers on the type, and afterwards - five attained senior rank - while others' were briefer and sometimes sporadic, but there is no doubt from their words about the enthusiasm that the Hunter engendered and the affection in which it is still held.

As with all the types covered in the series, a particular aircraft associated with the author has a colour four view, in this case an F.2 of 257 Squadron that "belonged" to Mac McEwen; it's good to see the Sapphire-engined marks geting some attention, and perhaps they weren't as superior to the Avon as I've always thought. The artwork is by series editor and publisher Roger Chesneau, and he has contributed no less than sixty-five other colour profiles of RAF and FAA Hunters. And there is of course a positive profusion of photographs, those from the type's early days being in black and white but with the passing of years an increasing amount of colour creeps in. Considerable care has been taken over their reproduction - for once I wasn't irritated by those that have been spread over two pages - and Ad Hoc standards of production remain excellent.

I am of course prejudiced (look at the back cover on the "bookshelf" page), and I'm still reading through the various stories; it's probably not a book to be digested at a single sitting. While the air is not yet "soggy with nostalgia", to quote Tom Lehrer, there are sections that have brought some memories back in to sharp focus, and for me personally it's fascinating to read the experiences of those who got much further with the type than I ever did. You may well know that I am already a great fan of the whole series, and this latest edition does both the aircraft and the ".. from the Cockpit" concept proud. Of course I recommend it highly, and I'm absolutely delighted to have been able to make a small contribution. Transferred 15.09.09

Sharkmouthed 'Roo

Occasionally something other than just a *NEW* kit sets me off on a new model; while this is usually a decal sheet; in this case it was a remark on a What If? SIG stand that led me to a boxed set of Lifecolor acrylics devoted to WWII RAAF colours and including the legendary, and often elusive, Foliage Green. I remembered that while sorting my "resins drawer" recently I'd turned up a rather old Czechmaster kit of the Commonwealth CA-15, sometimes called "Kangaroo"; Czechmaster have since re-done the type to their current standard, but this one proved to be perfectly adequate for my immediate needs, and if lacking in today's level of detail the castings were clean and flash-free, with the minor parts clustered together in their membrane.

The one and only prototype was left in natural metal, but given that my initial intention was to use the camouflage colours I decided that if the war had been sufficiently prolonged the foliage green top surfaces would still be appropriate for island campaigns, and that therefore the underside colour would be that described by Lifecolor as RAAF Sky Blue. There is incidentally no guidance with these paints on the way in which they were used; I've used others in their range for my Sukhoi T-49, and while they brush on easily, they are very matt, a property that led me to add a coat of Xtracrylix satin clear before applying the decals. I thought rather late about armament; the original had six 0.50 machine guns in the wings, but they weren't evident in the casting so thinking that a production version should have four 20 mm. cannon anyway I added Aeroclub's set G041, originally intended for a Typhoon. I didn't manage a very neat installation, but with luck it won't show too much in the photo.

Somewhere I have had for many years a decal set for Boomerangs, with some individual markings, but while hunting for these - which still haven't surfaced - I found an old Ventura sheet for RAAF and RNZAF Mustangs, including one with a sharkmouth. This was too good to pass up (and saved further searching) so what you see is a "Kangaroo" of 77 Squadron RAAF engaged in the closing months of a protracted Asian WWII campaign. I cunningly altered the serial from a Mustang's A68-750 to A62-75 by unusually delicate work with a fine brush, and I liked the "stencil" style of the code letters; the decals themselves were on a very matt film, and I gave them an additional coat of satin, as wll as filling in a gap in the sharkmouth with the Revell's acrylic "Ferrari Red" that I had used for my Hunter F.3+. Just as I was finishing the model I remembered John Baxter's book on "The Alternate RAAF and RAN Fleet Air Arm", devoted to "Australia's Little Asian Wars 1951-1975"; the cover painting has a CA-15 despatching an Indonesian Mustang, with the RAAF aircraft in a "bare metal" finish with "kangaroo" roundels, but having started by looking for a canvas for Foliage Green I decided to stick with it Transferred 19,08.09

Let the pin see the socket

On the workbench as I write is the first of my AZ Spitefuls; when I saw its arrival marked on the Hannants website I was just in time to order a couple for delivery at Duxford, with my thoughts turning to possible colours (I have a leaning towards that particular one of the Forty Shades of Green). The consequences will doubtless appear on the "workbench" page, but until then it's provoked me in to thoughts on fit and fitting, subjects not unknown to be up for discussion when two ot three modellers are gathered together. This is an injection-moulded kit, with the tell-tale signs of being in the low-pressure moulding category, with small pieces not moulded as part of the larger - in this case, the cannon fairings - and substantial "pin" markings needing removal to get a good fit, notably between wing halves and inside the radiator fairings, these last needing a fairly gentle approach with a sharply-angled cutter and final trimming with a fresh knife blade. And there are no pins, and therefore no sockets, to assist or at least guide, assembly.

It has surely come as no surprise to you that I am an assembler of plastic kits - if not necessarily in accordance with the ideas of the kit, or even the aircraft, manufacturer - rather than a modeller, at least accorting to the legendary dictum of Harry Woodman. One of my principal approaches to modelling, even before I got infected by the What If? virus, has for a long time been to make several versions of the same aircraft to enable me to apply variations in colour schemes and particularly unit markings, which has usually involved the assembly of most of the parts as quickly as possible to get to the exciting bit. In retrospect this was I think faciltated by the reasonable assurance that when the pins went in to the socket the pieces would fit satisfactorily, with perhaps a little necessary after-work on seam lines and perhaps rivets (or in the case of some of the Matchbox kits, usually of aircraft I really wanted to make, filling the over-enthusiastic panel lines). I also have from time to time, not necessarily a low boredom threshold, but an urgent and deeply felt need to get on with the next model for which I have conceived a Bright Idea.

One of my very senior modelling friends made a point of cutting off all the pins before fitting the parts, in the firm belief that this way he actually got a better fit than if he had used the pieces straight from the box; I didn't see the point of this, but I may have been influenced by the thought that if I worked as Mr.Airbox or Mr.Fujigawa intended than I would at least have someone to blame if it looked wrong (this was long before I heard the Wise Words of the Witch in "Into the Woods", that from what she saw people thought that in problem-solving what was important was the blame, rather than any amelioration or solution). And while I'm muttering, I am almost certainly quite wrong in feeling than increased expenditure should mean less hassle (any breaking news echos there?). This type of kit used to be relatively inexpensive, but there is now quite literally a price to be paid for a kit of a less-than-mainstream aircraft, even if the kit is relatively simple. Should I/we get seriously grumpy about this, or just take it as a fact of our chosen life? Round about now I am programmed to recall the National Serviceman's mantra, "If you can't take a joke you shouldn't have joined". I shall cheer myself up by working out just how I need to mix That Shade of Green, in which a recent feature in SAMI should be a help, and find where I have put so carefully Joe Maxwell's finest Celtic Bosses. This will be one aircraft which almost certainly will not feature in his upcoming book! Transferred 19.08.09

Eleven Engines, Ten Roundels

There's nearly always one kit - all right, several - sitting somewhere near the worlbench or in a dusty corner of your stirage are that looks at you reproachfully as you passes by and make soft mewing noises, demandig to be made. One such has for sometime had half of its box end removed, making it even more pitiful, and I've known for some time what I had in mind for it; I was galvanised in to action by an upcoming "What If? SIG display, which gave me the necessary deadline. Having teased my colleagues with the trailer that I would be bringing a 'fifties RAF aircraft with eleven engines, I did finish just it time, and it was on the table in the RAF Museum at Hendon for the IPMS Barnet show. If you haven't yet peeked at the pictures, the yawning kit was a 1:144th Hobbycraft RB-36D in FICON form, and the eleventh engine that of a Hunter FR.10, thanks to Revell.

Once started. the B-36 went together with no problems, though even in the small scale it did take up quite a but of room. There were no major decisions to take; it became evident early on that if I wanted to diplay it standing on its undercarriage and with the Hunter nestling in its recess - that thoughtfully provided for the RF-84K acommodates the Hunter very neatly - there was no point in including the "trapeze" mechanism. The colour scheme is that of the second batch of Canberras; I thought that the PRU blue undersides would be suitable for high-flying reconnaisance - I really didn't want to do it in overall silver, though of course that was how the Washingtons were finished - and I also used the blue for the Hunter undersides so that it wouldn't stand out against its carrier, and in spite of what I've said for many years I now know that there were a few 2TAF aircraft at least in that finish. The reconnaisance part of the "Peacemaker's" designation is partly taken care of by a selection of radomes under the nose and rear fuselage, and it's occurred to me that I out to add a few random aerials for its elint tasks, but given that I plan to take it around to put on one or two What If? tables during the year, I would worry for their safety.The badge on the fin is that of 199 Squadron, which was was based at Watton with Lincolns in the "radio counter-measures" role in which it had been used in the second World War; the Lincolns were identified, according to Mike Bowyer's "Bombing Colours" by their blue and white spinners, which sited the "six turning" neatly. The 4 Squadron markings for the Hunter came from the Xtradecal sheet, and that for 199 from a Kits at War RAF bombers collection. Corroborative detail rules.

The rest of my recent output has been resolutely single-engined. My leaning towards red stars is patchy at best, but the appearance on the Hannants "New Releases" list of the box-top of the A-Model Sukhoi T-49 prototype intrigued me, and sent me to the bookcase for the "Soviet Secret Projects" book, and the Red Star 16 on Sukhoi interceptors. These revealed that the T-49 had been designed with the alternative intakes to seek performance improvements, but though it did result in an improvement in acceleration it wasn't put in to production. However, I thought that this could have been a useful factor in low level (rat-and-terrier) interception, and a Begemot decal set for the Flagon gave me two different camouflage schemes - the colours are by Lifecolor, based on a photo in the Red Star book - and suitable markings. As the T-49 was unarmed, I used the wing, missiles and under-fuselage cannon pods from a Trumpeter Flagon-F, for whose fuselage I have further plans aimed, like the T-49, at the SIG display at Telford in November.

The final two are virtually contemporaries, with both showing promise that became irrelevant at the end of the second World War, and I've always like the look of both of them. The first model - shock! horror! - is of a real aircraft, and increasing rarity in my modelling these days. I picked up its Freightdog Models decal sheet at the Cosford display, and with it an Aoshima Ta 152H-0; strictly speaking it should be an A-1 - and I understand that there's a possibility of a special run of A-1s combined with these decals to be marketed through Freightdog - but consulting the recent Mark 1 book on the 152 by Malcolm V Lowe, it would appear that the only visible difference was in some minor wing panels. I'm sure there's a Reichsluftministerium equivalent of "close enough for Government work". It was one of the aircraft brought to Farnborough after the war for flight testing, and carries the title "Air Min 11".the Roundels look slightly odd, but I suspect taht like those applied to some Spitfires in Japan soon after the War their proportions are those of the pre-war roundel rather than those of the "D-type" to which we have become accustomed. The Spiteful is the AZ kit which appeared on the New Releases page just in time for me two order two for collection at thr Duxford Spring air display, and which was hardly through the front door before I'd started to lay out the parts for a little initial painting. One of the kit options is for a SEAC Spiteful, to which I plan to return, though not using the 17 Squadron markings included. But I wanted to do one quickly - although as it happened it wasn't ready for the intended display occasion - and the recent SAMI feature on the Irish Air Corps Seafire, and the discovery of the decals that Joe Maxwell had prepared for the Brigade Models' two-seater, gave me an instant alternative (another possibility is the scheme of the Japan-based Spitfires of, I think, 11 Squadron). The colour I used is Xtracrylic Interior grey-green, again following the SAMI article; almost as soon as it was finished, of course, the new Joe Maxwell/ Patrick J Cummins book on the Air Corps arrived, with thoughts on this much-discussed shade, but a little late to take account of on this model (the book will shortly be featured in the "Pick of the Month" section). Other thoughts prompted by this kit are in the "Ramblings" bit, which may also be in line for an update soon. I do like the look of it though.

Celtic Bosses

Every so often, as well as a model or two, there's a book that is an automatic choice for this spot, and this is by someone I've known since we met in a model shop in Dublin (as you do). Joe Maxwell is very well known and respected for his decals, generally of Irish Air Corps subjects, and together with Patrick J Cummins has produced what they describe as "an illustrated guide" to the Irish Air Corps. This seems a rather modest summary of their subject; while it is set out aircraft by aircraft, and in a way that shows a considerable regard for modellers' interest, there is considerable historical content.

The book starts with "The Big Fella" and runs through to the recently-delivered AugustaWestland AW.139. It's divided in to six chronological sections, each starting with a historical scene-setting for the years in question, followed with a type by type coverage of each aircraft entering service in that period with the text illustrated with. photos, morphing gradually from black and white to colour and with colour line drawings, frequently with plan views, for those where colour photos are not available. The most recent type shown in this way is Seafire 153, in an interesting shade of pale green; this could give rise to more discussion on which of the forty shades it represents, but given the help and advice listed in the credits - and David Howley, who is of course a Sligo man himself, would appear to be responsible for these drawings - I wouldn't care to argue against the book.

Until the 1960s virtually all the Air Corps aircraft were of British origin, and with a little research you'll be able to find most of them around in kit form, often as a limited-run production whether resin, vacform or injection-moulded. The better-known include Gladiator, Hurricane, Lysander and Spitfire/Seafire, but here also be Hinds, Magisters, Martinets and DH.9s. I am particularly taken with the Walrus - it's illustrated here in its other natural element - and I suspect thet the reason I hang on to my Aeroclub Hector is because of its IAC service. From the '60s onwards most of the equipment has come from Europe, with the VIP transports from the USA, and some may be harder to find in kit form. On the occasion that I first met Joe, Dick Ward and I were over for the air display at Baldonnel, and it was there that I saw the Casa CN.235 MP it its very distinctive blue finish for the maritime patrol role, and I have a feeling that it's been vacformed by Broplan; it would make a very eye-catching addition to any line-up. Those with a What If? inclination should look at page 106, where there's a list of re-equipment possibilities on which the Air Corps sought information in 1948; they don't, alas, include a Spiteful but its wing is there.

For each type there is a brief description of the aircraft's history, and its place in the Air Corps, and also of use and fate of individual aircraft, all very well illustrated. Almost all the aircraft have a "Colours and Markings" paragraph adding to this photo/drawing evidence, all of which will be very useful to any modeller considering adding one, or several, to his shelves. There's no doubt that the book has been conceived and produced with a modeller's as well as a historian's eye, and the standard of production matches the care that has gone in to its preparation and compilation. I am of course prejudiced, not least by its subjects, but this really is an excellent book and one which I can recommend highly. Doubtless many of its subjects are already available on Max Decal sets, and it would not surprise me to see more become available as a result of the book. This will I'm sure be stocked by the specialist booksellers soon, but you can order it directly from www.maxdecals.com/ with an expected cost of about £35.00. And until the end of June they'll send it to European address post free!

Unflighted Arrows

This, although it has "politics" as part of the subtitle on its cover, is fully in line with my current modelling practice - obsession, if you prefer - in that it is to a considerable extent about what might have been. The cancellation of the TSR.2 is often seen as a watershed moment for the British aircraft industry, but that of the Avro Canada Arrow had an even more traumatic effect in Canada. The author makes no secret of his partisan stance on this subject and this is a highly political book, with those he sees as the guilty parties on either side of the 49th parallel clearly identified (UK readers in the TSR.2 conspiracy camp can amuse themselves by working out the British equivalents). For modellers of the What If? Tendency there are illustrations and accounts of various Arrow developments, including its possible use by the RAF, as well as the Avrocar "flying saucer" and potential derivatives; and I was particularly taken by a study for a USAF VTOL aircraft, with four doubtless thirsty engines and what seems to me not a lot of space for fuel, which could have people reaching for their spares box. It's not a book that can be read quickly; it's replete with footnotes and has a somewhat academic, if angry, air about it. At the time of writing I'm still in the middle of it, but I want to draw it to the attention of those of you who might not otherwise come across it; I only learned about it through one of these e-mails from Amazon which said "If you liked that, then you'll like this", and they were absolutely right. The author who had spent much of his life involved with Canadian aviation sadly died recently aged 44, but the Canadian firm of Apogee Books has put it out both as a tribute to him and a contribution to the debate over the involvement of politics and aviation in in mid-20th century; while its specifics are Canadian there is much that can be read as applicable to the wider world.

Project Books

For the last few years much of my information on projects has come in hardback from Midland Publishing; initially on German designs, notably those in the category now widely known as "Luftwaffe '46", and more recently from the series of books by Tony Buttler on British and American aircraft and, with Yefim Gordon, on Soviet projects. I found these two, both from new series though not, as I first thought the third in each, on the Aviation Bookshop stand at Duxford and made off with them in haste, not least to find out what a "Poffler" is (or was). The "B-52 Competition" covers exactly that, and even though we know that the "Buff" has been around since the dawn of time it still came as a jolt to be reminded that the original spec was drafted in 1946 (even more to realise that at the time I was 10!). As well as Boeing's first thoughts, which resulted in a six-turobprop aircraft with a 221 ft. wingspan, this book includes its competitiors from Convair - whose swept-forward project features on the cover - Martin and Douglas. The principal illustrations are line drawings, frequently with inboard profiles showing the placing of crew and weapons, both offensive and defensive, with one or two sketches and a couple of model photos. The Dougla selection includes a couple of parasite aircraft carriers, using Skyhawks and - somewhat less plausibly perhaps - X-3s modified for photo reconnaisance! This book is the third in the "American Aerospace Archive" series, the other two covering commercial developments of the Martin Mars, and the FJ-5, a navalised version of the F-107 (I knew there was a readson for keeping that Trumpeter kit).

Chris Gibson's assiduously-researched compilation of VC-10-based projects covers projects from fairly early in the aircraft's career, including missile-carriers with six Skybolts, designed to supplement the V-bombers and with the option of conbentional bombs in underwing panniers, maritime reconnaisance, freighter and early tanker versions and a "modular" aircraft which could be re-roled with alternative fuselage sections to cover all these tasks. AEW was also studied with the Marconi radar and "fore-and-aft" radomes as projected for the Nimrod AEW.3, particularly in view of a possible shortage of Nimrod airframes. These are all illustrated by excellent line drawings, profile, plan and perspective, and with splendid paintings by Adrian Mann. The Airfix kit doesn't seem to be current on the Hannants website, so I shall have to start haunting the "pre-owned" standsm particularly if I can find a source of 1:144th Skybolts. This also appears to be the third in a series, "Project Tech Profiles", but the "3" in a black box on the cover next to the series title has apparently fooled more than just me; it is in fact a runway marker, with the 617 Squadron VC-10 taxying out behind it!. I am assured that there are at least two more volumes to follow fairly closely on, I understand, other AEW proposals and a Kingston V/STOL. I'll put something hese as soon as I can.

And a "Poffler"? Go on - buy the book! (Transferred 07.08.09)

Went to Sun 'n' Fun and brought back the hat and the shirts (though one was of a battleship). Not only was I unusually restrained in wardrobe, but I only took about five hundred photos; it'll take a while to sort and select, but I hope to put some at least in the "Wanderings" section over the next month or so. In the meantime, here are a couple to encourage me, and I hope you, and which I've picked for my Aged Aviator's Boasting Book. Strictly speaking neither were at Sun 'n' Fun; the yellow one was at Lake Alfred and the olive drab/neutral grey at Galveston: I was airborne in both and the adrenalin will last quite a while. And the sun shone seriously, in Florida if not in Texas, the fun was equally serious in both states and the jet-lag is wearing off. Now I'll get back to the 2GB SD card - isn't digital photography so practical? - and pick out a few more for my, and I hope your, delectation and delight. Watch the "Wanderings" section below!

In to the Wild Mid-West!

The day after writing this I'm off across the broad Atlantic, for what may well prove to be my last US aviation tour. We start at Dayton and finish at Oshkosh, which is in itself fairly symbolic; at Dayton we're due to watch their Air Ahow, as well as visit the USAF Museum, and at AirVenture at the newly-reorganised Oshkosh I shall make a beeline for the Vintage field, where on my first visit in 1995 I fell hopelessly in love with every Waco ever built, though its fair to say that the Staggerwings and Stinson Reliants were not far behind them in my appreciation. Judging by the time it's taken me to get my Sun 'n' Fun jpegs in to any sort of order, the holiday snaps may take a while to emerge here, but I'll try and get some in the Wanderings page as quockly as I can (this will be delayed though because the day after I get back it's the meeting of Hunteristas at Old Warden, where the air will doubtless be soggy with nostalgia). Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible, and I plan to be at the IPMS Avon show later in the month with a couple of novelties for the What If? SIG table.

The Boss's aircraft

I've flown up the Thames at low level twice in my life, the second time in a Junkers 52 in a year when Boris Becker was winning at Wimbledon (which was why the German pilot didn't want to go South of the River); the first time was in the bomb aimer's position in one of three Valiants that were rehearsing for the Queen's Birthday flypast.

Subjects for this section are sometimes chosen as much for their personal association as for their intrinsic virtues, and this is one of them. One of the "downstream consequences" of the 1957 Defence White Paper - a very long way downstream, admittedly - was that as a redundant ex-2TAF fighter pilot I was found a non-flying post while awaiting a course which would return me to the Wild Blue Yonder. For about a year I was the adjutant on 148 Squadron, a Valiant unit based out in the flatlands as part of the Marham Wing; the other two squadrons at the time were 207 and 214. I joined the squadron about six months after the Suez action, when 148 had been among the Bomber Command squadrons based on Malta and XD814, the CO's Valiant, had been the first V-bomber to drop bombs in earnest. The boss had been promoted but his crew had remained with his replacement, and they were a source of tales of the episode. According to the Eric Morgan "Aerofax" book on the Valiant, which has been invaluable in both text and illustration while making the model, 814 was one of the three aircraft that carried out the flypast, though whether it was used for the rehearsal - and if it was, whether it was the one in which I lay nonchalantly in the bomb-aining position as we flew up river - I sadly do not know. I failed record it even as passenger time.

I've always liked the Valiant, in spite of seeing prototype WB210 catch fire in mid-air and crash not far from where we lived in Hampshire (I promptly got on my bike, but was stopped from getting near to the bits by the local bobby - boys, eh?). There have been kits over the years, the best probably the early Frog offering in 1:96th scale; I reviewed the relatively recent Mach 2 1:72nd kit for SAM, but it was a lot of work, and it was I suspect because I really wanted a model Valiant that I persisted. When the Anigrand Craftswork 1:144th kit was released therefore I revived my PayPal facility and got one from Hong Kong (complete with attractive stamps). Any hesitation that I might have had was resolved when I expanded the "bits" picture on their website and found that it included decals for XD814; one of the problems for me at least working in this scale is the comparative lack of alternative decals.

My first impression on removing the bigger pieces from their sealed wrapping was that there appeared to be the odd quality control problem; in particular the upper noses of both fuselage halves had quite a substantial hole. I have been - still am - a big fan of this company and its products, and until recently its resin castings have been immaculate, but while I haven't quantified them I get the overall impression of an increasing number of minor flaws. The parts did fit together well, though the pegs on the wing roots needed a little adjustment so that the upper surfces of the wings would line up correctly against the top of the fuselage; and, as quite often these days with resin kits, I superglued and clamped the forward fuselage first and left it to harden overnight before setting the rear part, to take out a slight warp. The kit probably deserved a little more care and a little less haste than I gave it, but as so often I started in a hurry to get it together; my second - which incidentally doesn't seem to have the casting flaws of my first - should benefit from the learning curve on this one. The transparencies are castings rather than vacformed, and generally I prefer this even if the windscreen pillars are a little more prominent with this method; I painted over the "eyebrow" windows by mistake initially, and had to do a little scalpel work to regain them (more leaning curve!).

The kit instructions show XD814 as "silver" with bright roundels, but my memory of it is white ( it's alas not illustrated in the book). I remember the "silver" - generally, initially at least on WP/WZ aircraft, as being very dull, almost grey, but I'll have the chance to look at that again when I make my second. Most of the squadrons carried unit markings on the fin, but 148 - I did try to persuade my leader that we should carry crossed axes on the tail, but he regarded this as a nasty "fighter" habit, and not one that bomber chaps should copy - just had a small badge forward of the entrance hatch, with the crew names just aft of it. I may get my way later after all these years, if I can manage a little delicate hand-painting. Model Alliance are believed to be preparing a V-bomber decal sheet, and with all three now available from Anigrand I hope they'll produce it in 1:144th as well as 1:72nd. And there was a strong rumour about three years ago that Airfix were planning a 1:72nd Valiant to follow the Nimrod, and while I have no inside knowledge I still have hopes.

In the mean time I'll make the most of this kit, though I'll take my time in deciding whether to do my second "silver" or camouflaged ; I think that by the time the latter were common the Marham Wing had succumbed to the pernicious doctrine of Central Servicing, and unit markings were no longer carried. This is a reasonable kit, and given the variations between individual castings common to most resin kits I trust that the nose blemish on mine was a one-off. As with other kits in this series there are three "extras" from the same era, in this case the Bristol 188, the Fairey FD.2 and the Handley Page 115 (which will also be produced in 1:72nd). On the common decal sheet are the serials for the first P.1127 prototype and the Short Sperrin; I have hopes of the latter in the grey/black Bomber Command scheme, and perhaps I'll find a suitable marking on the small-scale Freightdog Canberra decal. To make me seriously happy I hope Anigrand will consider the necessary changes to fuselage, inner wing and undercarriage fto make the "Black Bomber", the Valiant B.2 which was ironically strengthened for low-level operations and then cancelled although seventeen of this mark were ordered before being changed for B.1s.

One final piece of never-to-be-forgotten trivia. You'll see marked on the canopy just behind the windscreen quite a large "lid" over the pilots' ejection seats; the back-seaters did not have such seats, and in an emergency had to dive out of the port side entrance door, initially protected by a shield deplyed with the door. This, according to the Pilots' Notes was not to be extended above 175 knots; the speed for the separation of the cockpit roof was not to be less that 210 knots. I sometimes still wonder what could have happened during that thirty-five knot acceleration.

Fourth part of the Trilogy

Many years ago Christopher Shores produced a book on the Second Tactical Airforce (in the Second World War) which rapidly became a standard work, with a place on the shelf of anyone with an interest in the air war in North-West Europe. When the time came to update it he was joined by Chris Thomas a historian with an abiding interest in and encyclopedic knowledge of the Hawker Typhoon and Tempest, aircraft that were an integral part of the Second TAF legend; between them they expanded the story in to three chronologically organised volumes with the last, published in 2006, finishing in May 1945. Now, as with all the best trilogies, it's acquired a fourth part.

Much of it covers new or revised information that has surfaced since the publication of the first three books, prompted no doubt in many cases by that publication. There are many "new" photos, some carefully repaired, and a profusion of Chris Thomas' excellent colour profiles, notably in the fifty pages devoted to camouflage and markings; these include the development and profress of the black and white stripes, and the colourful touches on some Typhoon units at the end of the war. There are some new angles on the command's existence, including "erks' eye" stories, the Luftwaffe order of battle between June 1944 and April 1945, and the operational training and tactics of 2 TAF units (did you know they abandoned the "finger four" formation?).. The chapter on squadrons includes details of AOP and Communication squadrons as well as those more usually associated with the command, and the book concludes with its rundown, taking its story in outline up to 1949. There are also a few pages of amendments, corrections and updating for the three earlier volumes.

While researched and produced as a historical reference, there is a definite leaning towards the modeller, especially in this volume, and from the camouflage and markings angle this one could, for a modeller, stand on its own. But as even a cursory glance will show it's much more than that, and I can't think that anyone having bought one will not go for the set. They repay both the occasional glance, for inspiration perhaps - I've found in Vol.4 a photo of a Master III to go with the old Frog kit which has just surfaced in my garage - and not just reading but study. For me this series is a model of how research ahould be presented, in words and pictures, assembled by people who have an abiding interest and enthusiasm for their subject; I'm just glad that it happens to be a major interest of mine and that I can take shameless advantage of the effort that all concerned have put in to the series. If you have the others, you'll surely by this; and if you haven't, go in search of them, There are even items to interest Luftwaffe addicts!

Transferred 02.06.09

Faster, faster....

The fighter projects of the early 'fifties were virtually defined by the need for speed; some started with a clean sheet of paper but many, notably those from Hawkers, progressed in recogniseable steps. The P.1067 Hunter was clearly related to the P.1040 Seahawk, and to push it towards supersonic level flight the P.1083 was given a thinner and more highly swept wing and an afterburner. Construction of a prototype was started and allocated serial WN470, but was abandoned in favour of fitting the standard Hunter airframe with the more powerful 200 Series Avon; this became the F.6, which has recently, with the FGA.9, been the subject of a very good Revell kit.

Colin Strachan, who as Captain Freightdog has already contributed to the general joy of those of us who are working for a better-equipped RAF for the 1950s and '60s, is now offering a resin conversion for the P.1083, described as a "Super Hunter", tailored to the Revell kit. The stout box, with its "Silver Cloud" label - it's in this range that his resin kits and coversions will now be marketed - holds a pair of wings, new tailplanes, an afterburner back end and an underfuselage insert with the "NACA" flush intake. Fired with the expected enthusiasm and the knowledge, thanks to an e-mail from Colin, on the size and placing necessary cutout in the lower fuselage I did the basic assembly of the bodies of two aircraft and took them up to the IPMS Huddersfield show, with the possibility of doing further work on them there. When I tried to fit the first insert though it quickly became evident that I had been a touch hasty; back at the workbench I had to split both fuselages along their lower seams before squiggling the parts through the tailpipe opening - fortunately I hadn't fitted the afterburner plug - and manoeuver them in to place. My original cut outs had been slightly irregular, and needed filler to make up for my inaccuracy; my third - and I still think three shows some self-restraint - had the cut out matched more closely! The photo shows the resin parts in place, below you can now see how they turned out. If you understandably want to add one, or several, to your shelves Colin is expected at Southern Expo and his website is www.freightdogmodels.co.uk; you can also ask about the Avro 720, mastered like this conversion by Paul Lucas. And the P.1154 should be with us before the end of March.

One 1083 was never going to be enough, and while I intended to produce at least one in-service mark my original plan was to develop the record-breaking theme started by WB188, using the Silver Cloud parts and the F.3 conversion by Pavla already to hand, shown left. Although the Silver Cloud box included two tailplane halves to be fitted when the fin/tailplane bullet was removed - the 1083 was designed without it, and it was only added to the 1067 after buffeting was discovered during flight trials - WB188 had had one for its record attempt, and therefore I used the original Revell parts. The same logic was used for my second squadron aircraft - you knew that would happen, didn't you? - for a rather later stage in the type's life; this was therefore fitted with the "dogtooth" leading edge extensions from the kit, and the underfuselage airbrake positioned a little further back to leave the "NACA" intake in place and therefore the "Sabrinas" to prevent ejected 30mm. cartridge links striking the airbrake fairing. I doubt that the extra sweep of the wing would have negated the need for these additions, and fortunately they're easily added from the kit parts. For this developed example I also used the 100 gallon underwing tanks and the rocket pods from the FGA.9 kit.

Following my recent experience with Xtracrylix on my big TSR.2 I was determined to use them for my three "Super Hunters"; the two squadron aircraft would have the standard day fighter.camouflage, with silver undersides for the earlier aircraft and light aircraft grey for the later. Xtracrylix have a "Red Arrows" red, which I applied over my usual white base coat, but it didn't look right, and a reference on which I've been working gave the colour as "Roundel Red"; as this isn't in the acrylic range I used a fairly old Xtracolor enamel, but I wasn't happy with the result, which looked somewhat streaky. Wanting to stay with acrylic if possible I found a Revell "Aqua Color" called "Ferrari Red" which seems to be right, giving a rather deeper shade than that originally applied. (Incidentally is there something about red in either medium which makes it harder to clean the brushes? And does it also apply to airbrushes?). I decided that it woult have been logical to fit the more highly swept wing to WB188 for a further attempt on the speed record after Mike Lithgow on the Swift 4 had beaten Neville Duke's time; moreover, it would enable me to use the same serial and decals from the Pavla conversion set and to use the F.3 designation for the whole series (subtle, eh?).

I thought that logically (that word again) would have been be Leuchars-based 222 Squadron, following in the footsteps of 43 and the F.1. Their red/blue check marking was on the Fighter Command "Early Hunters" decal sheet that we did for SAM a few years back and of which I just happen to have at least one set aside. For my second aircraft, with in-service modifications, 145's nose marking came from RAFDec Hunter sheet 7213, keeping up my Master Plan of updating the equipment of those squadrons that disappeared in the '50s and '60s, providing I don't have to hand-paint their markings. Both these sheets, and the "2 TAF" SAM Decal sheet, are likely to stay around the top of my in-use decal pile for much of the rest of the year. To follow the P.1083 Colin is planning the P.1109 with a radar nose and a pair of Firestreaks, and I have already identified a pair of likely units; and there's always the possibility of a "Super Super" variant combining the two conversion kit, and having recently been reminded that there were a few Hunters in 2nd TAF with PRU blue undersides - something which for years I had resolutely refused to believe - there's at least one like that in my future. The P.1083 conversion is very straightforward and easy to apply to the Revell donor kit; my only thought is that because of the way the wing halves are cast the trailing edge is a little thick and you may want to thin it down a little. I confess that I didn't and I'm still very happy with the result. Because of the added sweepback of the solid resin wings there's a good deal of weight needed to sit the model on its nosewheel, and for the two fighter versions I used Aeroclub Martin-Bakers, a Mark 2 for the earlier (WN811) and a Mark 3 for the later (WP615). The serials, after consulting Bruce Roberson's book for "blackout blocks", were adapted from the SAM decal sheet.

My final thought was to try and show the increased sweep that the 1083 would have introduced, so I added an F.4 to the modified trio - my natural modesty prevents me from identifying it, but it's a PJ kit - but the difference isn't as obvious in the photo as I'd have liked. Trust me, it's there....

Kingston and Warton (and Weybridge - later)

As noted in my "Wanderings" the production version of the resin kit of the P.1154 was ready for Southern Expo, and one duly came home with me and found itself on the workbench almost immediately (no surprise there, then). It wasn't alone; already started as soon as the decals were set on the batch of P.1083 Hunters were two more Trumpeter Lightnings and an Anigrand Valiant. Of the Lightnings, one at least attempts to replicate real life in the form of an F.1A of the "Firebirds" aerobatic team, its colour scheme perhaps only surpassed by the F.3 of 56 Squadron. The other was the result of the idea of a "hot rod" version to investigate any strangers approaching the Internal German Border from the east, with the ability to climb quickly and in particular be able to fire - literally - a warning shot across any potential intruder's bows. Accordingly I've based a third Lightning squadron at Gutersloh and equipped it with the F.2B; its main difference being the provision of six 30 mm cannon - fortunately Trumpeter include all the necessary bits in the kit - and to to make room for more internal ammunition for the lower pair of nose guns, I've moved the missile launchers to the wing tips and upgraded their load to Red Tops. I had of course decided on the marking before starting the build, and my thought that the 112 sharkmouth from the Modeldecal Sabre set would fit well over the front of the gun pack/belly tank has proved right. Having gone that far, and bearing in mind 92's F.2 with the blue spine and fin, it seemed only reasonable to return to 112's Vampire and, again thanks to Modeldecal, add the Egyptian cat and a green tail (the cats from set 14 were by courtesy of the IPMS decal bank - mine had mysteriously been used already). Because I've been concentrating on getting this and the 1154 done in time to take to Cosford, where they may well be found on the What If? SIG table the "Firebirds" F.1A has lagged a bit, but I'll post a photo hereabouts when it's done if only to convince you that I sometimes build "real" aircraft.

It's over a year since the test shots of the then-Freightdog P.1154 arrived from Anigrand, and mine, in 233 OCU markings, was one of the first models to appear on this website. Others were circulated for comment, and various suggestions were made - notably, I understand about the underside of the fuselage in the jet exhaust area - which necessitated changes to the original moulds. These now having been made the first production batch were available at Southern Expo in its new Silver Cloud boxing, and this is mine. You may recognise the colour scheme as being lifted shamelessly from a Buccaneer that took part in Red Flag some years back and like that aircraft has earth and stone applied over the original grey/green wraparound; in the picture on the left the stone at least is very patchy, and I had thought of leaving it that way given the wear and tear of low level desert operations, but later thought better of it and applied another coat of Xtracrylix (I'm still in my acrylic rediscovery phase). It's also acquired an IFR probe, a pair of underwing tanks and four small practice bombs and their carriers from Hasegawa Harriers. The decals, including the serial, came from the kit, but I decided I couldn't complete a model without a squadron marking and the 4 Squadron emblem on the tail came from the same Modeldecal Sabre sheet as the Lightning's teeth, as did the red/yellow tail letter (although the colours are appropriate, its origin was 26 Squadron). While getting ready to photograph it I found the "grassmat" roll, and thought that could be Harrier-compatible, though I reluctantly didn't add any exhaust scorch marks in case I want to use it again. It may not be totally accurate for Nevada, but I'm sure thethe drivers (airframe) had to practise somewhere remote, and it looks vaguely Scottish.

I'm really pleased we've got the 1154; I know I'm not the only one who's badgered Colin both before and after the original castings appeared, and he's taken it all in good part. An injection-moulded kit has never been likely, thought that would have made it much more possible for me to build something like the number of "Harriers" - the name was orginally allocated to the 1154, and merely retained for the 1127(RAF) - that I would have liked. Good as this kit is, economics and particularly the current value of the pound, mean that it has to retail for £40.00 and that seriously limits not only the overall number I'll build but also the possibility of a few variants and developments; I have a pair of slightly foxed GR.7 kits, and I fancy fitting the later wing and armament to a supersonic version. Without getting just yet in to the "cost of modelling/golf" discussion - oh, all right, argument - which is taking place elsewhere, I recognise that for me the finance element is something of a self-inflicted wound because the aircraft I choose to model these days are those only available in resin and generally from Foreign Parts. And I'd like to work on a supersonic Shar 2 - assuming Their Lordships would ever have compromised on the engines. The other Kingston project which I'd really like in three dimensions and some numbers, and I know I'm not alone in this either, is the P.1121; my review of the Whirlykits one (with added resin) recently appeared in SAM, albeit belatedly, and it may be the only game in town.. Given the present climate though, I suspect that I - we - will be lucky to see it in resin.

Transferred 01.06.09

To the South!

As planned, I took my table at Luton for the Air Enthusiasts' Fair and changed a few kits and books in to money to help fund the GOM modelling for a little longer, but no one approached me with the contact phrase I'd suggested in Mike's World (though oddly, someone did the following Saturday at Southern Expo). I did come away with one book, the Osprey "Elite Unit" on Jagdverband 44; my modelling colleague who's in to Me 262s the way Neil Robinson likes Spitfires didn't think as much of this book, on the grounds that the aircraft weren't as colourful, as of that on JG7 (which I picked up a week later). But for me the story of JV44's formation and short but hectic existence was absolutely fascinating; I knew of its reputation as a unit of Experten, but didn't know the politics behind its setting up, other that its Kommodore was Adolf Galland, after he had been dismissed from his Inspector of Fighters post by the Reichsmarschall. As always with Osprey this book was a major help in to a bit of research I was doing on 262s, and for once the human story was even more interesting, and convoluted, than that of the aircraft.

I added the JG7 volume (also useful) to it the following weekend at Hornchurch, and it's true, their aircraft were more colourful, but it was worth going for more than just the addition to my sagging shelf of Ospreys. It seems a while since I've been to a Southern Expo; either the date's been inconvenient, or it's had a sabbatical or two, but it's a good show even if the parking gets more crowdwd earlier year on year. One of the staff of the sports centre where it's held was having a quiet panic at not being able to get to work on time at 9 o'clock, no one apparently having told her that the car space would be overrun early by hordes of manic modellers! I was delighted to be offered a perch for the Saturday this year - I only planned one day - by Colin Strachan of Freightdog/Pegasus, taking along my three "Super Hunter" conversions which I'd brought back from t'North to help the uncertain see the result (it would have helped if I'd had an Ordinary Hunter to point up the difference). Also there and available for the first time was the production version of the P.1154 "Supersonic Harrier" in its Silver Cloud boxing, which I managed to spread out on a bit of the table and make a start on its pre-painting; it will appear in a reasonably complete state, with comments, on one of these pages shortly. As always I spent a while wandering around the many stands, both trade and club, and adding the odd item to my pre-planned buys (it's all right, I didn't forfeit my amateur status by taking a list - there was room left for the occasional glorious uncertainty). What I really enjoyed very much was a display by the Cleveland club put together as a tribute to Alan Hall, using many of his articles and techniques, with copies of some on the table, to recreate his conversions. The display was overseen by a trio of modellers of a similar vintage to Alan (and even, dare I say it, me) who had been regular followers of his aricles in Airfix Magazine in the 'sixties and had returned to the days of their (comparative) youth to organise this display.One of them, Alan Dent, was kind enough to send me some photos to make up for my having left the camera behind; I really wanted to be able to share these with you, and I'm sure the whole display will appear again later this year, at least at shows in the North. Please go to see it. A good proportion of the models were of the flying test-beds that proliferated in Britain around 1950, particularly for testing the new turbine power plants. The Ashton was perhaps the ultimate test-bed, with six being built covered by four different mark numbers; it started life as the Tudor 9, but by the time of its rollout the name had become seen as unlucky. I lnow the aircraft has been on Magna's list of possible subjects for some time, but like the others in this display this was built following Alan's article and methods. I was really pleased to see bith the idea, and the care and thought that had been put in to it, and there was at least one other visitor to the show even more delighted than me; Chris Hall, Alan's son, was there and was very appreciative of the way in which his father had been commemorated.

One last thought to follow the Python-Lancaster; one of the helpful notices that accompanied the display assured the concerned modeller that "no new kits were harmed in the making of these models"!

And the (north)west!

There will be more, I'm sure, from the Shropshire Modellers' show at Cosford, spread this year among four hangars including that of the Cold War Exhibition, but I wanted to get a couple of items in quickly. The What If? SIG had its table just off the nose of the TSR.2, and when I arrived (with Hunters and 1154) I found an old friend and colleague who I hadn't seen for at least twenty years, one Jim Bricknell. When we first met he was an ATCO on one of the Western Isles and widely known as "Zapper Jim" from his habit of applying one of those little sticky patches (see "ramblings") to unsuspecting visiting aircraft, and also collecting them, a pastime that seem to afflict many of us at the time; at the early Air Tattoos their collection, as distinct from purchase, became almost a full-time occupation, not least for my older son and the two young ladies working for me in air traffic.

Also on the stand there was one legendary model - and its almost as legendary modeller - and another which I overlooked until I a closer look revealed its true identity. This Meteor PR.19 has been around a very long time indeed, and is reputed to have caused a stir in "Intelligence" circles when its picture was published - in Australia, I believe - with it being identified as a model, and is said to have caused serious ripples among people who thought the Limeys were trying to pull a fast one. Its onlie begetter wasn't Glosters but Kit Spackman, a modeller of a similar vintage to myself who I first met when I saw his "Blue Angels" Buccaneer. For quite a while now Kit has been involved with the airliner SIG - though some of his models for their shows were not precisely as their makers had intended - but it's good to be reunited with him as well.

My second "must show!" is of course, underneath that Suit of Lights, a Matador, suitably armed and brandishing the red cape of tradition and legend. I confess to passing this by without looking closely or picking up the references until hearing someone else's comment, but having had my consciousness properly raised I had to share this with you. Not only has it been made with imagination and wit, it's also a very good model indeed. It is apparently the creation of a hairy Scot - isn't that an oxymoron? - to whom I will give full credit as soon as I've got confirmation of his identity. Breaking News! The North British gentleman with the pronounced sense of humour (pronounced: "sense of humour") is John Murray, to whom I am indebted for the best laugh of the day! John is also a member of the Aerobatic SIG; I hope he tours the shows with this one as well.

Having taken a pair of small-scale Sukhois to the Huddersfield show I appear to have become a member of the 144 SIG, let by my long-term acquaintance David Hart and including the invaluable Mike Verier. I'm delighted to have learned that without any contribution from me - which probably helped - they won the "Best Club/SIG display" at Cosford. It's always reassuring to find that the White Hats still come out on top occasionally.

My apologies for the slightly odd background colour of these two - my small digital camera seems to suffer from the same affliction as my new Canon, as the shots of the big TSR.2 that I took on the latter will confirm. It seems to happen under artificial light; I shall have to find a weekend residential course either on using the buttons on my cameras which aren't "AUTO", or on the simple ways of using Paintshop. At least it shouldn't happen under the expected Florida sun ('n' fun)..

To the North!

After the Soft South, a period for Britain to recover from its Snow Paralysis and taking advice from those who live that way, I ventured to the IPMS Huddersfield show, impelled by finishing - just - my Big TSR.2 and the promise of a seat behind the What If? SIG table (that's it to the right, though the two heads belong to the next display of which more later). One of the good things about this venue for me is that I get to see several modellers of long acquaintance who don't often venture even as far south as Milton Keynes - imagine - and there's usually more time to chat than at Telford. Some of the Usual Suspects really get around, of course, some of those in Yorkshire on the Sunday, particularly some of the traders, having been at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Somerset for their Saturday show. Having made my number at the SIG stand and made use of the opportunity to take a couple of photos of the TSR.2 in unusually uncluttered surroundings, I found as soon as I could the Pegasus (nee Freightdog) stand. Colin Strachan is using the Silver Cloud name for his resin productions, and had with him the first two of these to be issued under his banner, the Avro 720 jet/rocket interceptor prototype, with a pair of Firestreaks and a selection of British unit markings; and there was a conversion set for the Hawker P.1083 "Super Hunter" with more sweep and an afterburner. It will not surprise you to know this will be appearing shortly on the "workbench" page, probably in more than one guise. From Paul Davis' stand I added a couple of Revell Hunters to my gander bag in what passes for intelligent anticipation; just because I only brought three P.1083 sets back with me doesn't mean I won't need more, and that's even before the entry of the P.1109 to follow.

A few days before the show I found that not only was my old mate Mike Verier going to be there, but that he was manning the 144th SIG table, together with SIG leader David Hart (in the blue shirt), another modelling friend of many years and part of a North-Eastern triumvirate. I shamelessly offered to contribute my two Anigrand Sukhois, not least because I knew Mike was bringing his Trumpeter Backfire; this way I could delay completing mine, and I had wanted to see the two together. There wasn't as big a size difference as I'd expected, but it's not as evident in the picture as I'd have wished; white on white isn't a great contrast.

On the stand next to the What If? SIG was a selection of 1:48th Lancasters, and next to one of them a colour photo that I recognised of a big, cheerful American in RAF uniform sitting with his crew. The Lancaster was AJ-T/ED923, the pilot Joe McCarthy who led the third section on Operation "Chastise" to the Sorpe Dam in that aircraft. After the war he stayed in the RCAF, and was our Wing Commander Flying when we were learning to fly Harvards at Penhold. The farther of the two people in the picture is George Allen, in whose name the table was booked, and who was on the squadron at the time; he was accompanied by another colleague who also knew "Big Joe". It struck me as total serendipity that the three of us met quite by chance at a model show, sixty-five years after the raid with this very personal link.

One of the many good reasons to go up to Yorkshire - apart from the bottle of Henderson's Yorkshire Relish donated by Mike Verier, who tells me that he's the local model clubs' token immigrant - is catching up with my one-time editor and all-round good egg Neil Robinson. As the group Managing Editor, he very kindly allowed Gary Hatcher to open up the SAMI/MAM stand, though in the photo it looks a touch unsteady. Neil is of course discussing matters of moment with three other senior modellers; spot the common distinguishing feature.

Obsession? What obsession?

In the last two or three years there have probably as many words written about the TSR.2 in the model magazines as were in the "real aeroplane" magazines in the aircraft's (very short) prime; I own to contributing a few myself. It seems to have become the equivalent of a charismatic film star who died young, with apparently unfulfilled potential, and whose memory is speculatively revived at irregular intervals. "Failure is an orphan, but success has many fathers"; the impetus for the Airfix 1:72nd kit, which is behind this most recent flowering of interest, is claimed by several. but the name on the birth certificate is surely that of Trevor Snowdon, Airfix presumably being cast in the role of midwife.

While the arrival of the smaller kit made many of us very happy, I don't think we expected it to be followed by its equivalent in 1:48th. Given my preference for multiple production, in assorted colours - and I still have quite a few to realise in 1:72nd - I hadn't expected to attempt the larger version, not least because of the space it would need, during construction as much as when finished, a feeling reinforced by building the Airfix B(I).8 in the same scale; this is currently perched on a far corner of my shelving on top of a box for which I can't find an alternative place either. However, it was the provision of the AS.30 missiles for the Canberra which started my change of mind; having put those to one side, I scrounged another pair from one of my Marlow club colleagues and thought how best to use them and, given my devotion to squadron roles and history, on whose aircraft. The two Canberra squadrons that used these missiles were both part of the Akrotiri Strike Wing, with suitably fitted-out B.16s, 32 and 73; 32 is still existence in a somewhat less aggressive role - though you might consider the carriage of Our Elected Leaders to fall in a small part of this category - and I am saving 73 for another 1:72nd model. The Canberras were replaced in Cyprus by the Vulcans of 9 and 35, and the Bat markings of the former are still on display on Tornado GR.4s, but 35, having returned to Scampton in 1975, were disbanded in 198.; I've always liked their "winged horse's head" marking, and while I knew it was in 72nd on a Kits At War Bomber Command decal sheet for a Canberra and Modeldecal set 70 for the Vulcan, I discovered it by chance on an Xtradecal set for 1:48th Canberras..

Having made the decision to go with The Big One in principle on my usual "How do I know what I'm going to make until I know what colours it's going to carry?" basis, I was very encouraged by the early reaction to the kit both by word of mouth and then by Dave Francis' build of the test shots in SAMI, after seeing them at Telford. The smaller kit had some problems which, although they could be overcome with patience and the Exercise Of Modelling Skills - or at least those which still survive - we all hoped had been minimised, if not overcome, by Hornby's commitment to the quality of its Airfix kits. My hopes have been realised during its construction; admittedly I avoided tempting fate by building it with the weapons bay closed, but I only had to use a little filler around the intakes and at the wing/fuselage join. The canopy seating, especially of the navigator's hood, could benefit from a little adjustment, but I'll see what I can do when I build my second (!) later this year. I tried to take real care with the undercarriage, which had presented problems with the smaller model; Having fitted the mainwheels to the fore-and-aft parts of their legs, and ensuring that the flattened bases of the tyres were correctly aligned with the ground, I fitted these assemblied to the main legs so that the wheels were vertical and when satisfied that they were at the correct relative angles and setting nicely laid the beast on its back like a stranded turtle and left it to dry overnight. This was just about the last bit of my assembly sequence, and it looked good when I set it upright the next day when applying the decals, but at some stage it had an attack of camber, and the main wheels were leaning outwards at the base. As I'd been readying it up to the last minute for its trip to Huddersfield I took it with the wheels splayed anyway, and I shall consider whether or not to perform some sort of corrective surgery, probably involving superglue; one of the suggestions made at that meeting was to introduce a metal axle to each unit, which again I may consider for my second. The camouflage colours (light aircraft grey underneath) were originally brush-applied using, as I always do, Xtracolor, but for some reason this didn't take; so using these as an undercoat I turned to Xtracrylix, which which I've had mixes fortunes in the past, and this solved the problem at a stroke, or at least a series of strokes. The colours in the pictures don't look quite right, but I thing this may be partly because I took them in the artificial light of the hall at Huddersfied - I seem to have the same problem at Telford each year - and then tried to correct them using Photoshop, with insufficient expertise. However they'll give you an Idea, and perhaps I'll add another at a later date with a 1:72nd one to give an idea of the size; it's really big!

As with the B(I).8, I've rally enjoyed making this, even if it did seem to have taken over my life for a short while.With the exception of the decals it is straight out of the box, and is for me a reassurance that Hornby are trying hard to address the "quality" issues that have haunted Airfix from time to time. Later in the year there will be resin accessories from the Aviation Workshop, based on the stores that were made by Paul Lucas, and marketed through Model Aircraft Monthly for the smaller kit. Aviation Workshop are also preparing decals largely related to the ilustrations for the series of articles that appeared in that magazine. which articles - I have it on the very best authority - are as I write being updated and published as a book. The decals, which should be around shortly after this enters cyberspace (or at least by Southern Expo), will include as well as national and unit markings stencilling and variations on the style of "don't walk" lines. Now you know why I shall feel the need to make the second, though I'm fighting the temptation of a third very hard. My will is strong (but my won't is weak).

Transferred 12/04/09

Sir Sydney's finest

The two great commercial successes of the British aircraft industry post-1945 were the Viscount and the Hunter; by today's standards they were uncomplicated aircraft, even if they each went through teething problems during their development, but they combined their advances - turboprop power and swept-wings respectively - with sturdiness and reliability, and introduced many users to these features. Sadly I doubt if there's a Viscount still flying, but there are still Hunters, not only in the warbird/display arena but being used, as they had been in their services, for particular training and live simulation scenarios.

When I was researching the fate of "my" XF317/J-734 I found a Chilean website devoted to the "Hunteristas". This appeared to be an informal grouping of personnel who had been concerned with the aircraft while in service with the F.Ae.C., and thought sufficiently highly of it, and their time around the aircraft to want to continue celebrating that association, and as I found out on my first visit in 2003 - on our way to the Avalon show - there were several Hunters still out there though none were flying. What did surprise me was that the desk staff at the hotel in which we were staying in Santiago, in responding to queries about how to get to the (excellent) Museum, immediately recognised the name of the aircraft; I suspect this was long-term fallout from the attack that four Hunters made on the city as part of the coup that toppled President Salvador Allende. I refrained from trying to find out if J-734 had been one of them, but it was in the final four-plane flypast of the type (it's now on the strength of the Museum, but I don't think it's on show).

Later this year there'll be a meeting of an even less formal British equivalent of this group, or at least a get-together of the old and not so bold. There was a similar event at Kemble two or three years ago, but this year it's being held at a venue less associated with the type, and I'll give more details when they're confirmed nearer the time; perhaps I should start now looking for a Designated Driver. Following Tim McLelland's book last year, there are at least three more books that I know of in the pipeline, with varying modelling potential, so perhaps the aircraft - and by implication me - is now officially Historic. I remember looking down from the balcony at Hendon fifteen or more years ago now to see three or four of the types I'd flown while working for Her Majesty exhibited on the floor, and reflecting even then that perhaps I also qualified as a museum piece.

Apart from being a constant, and at times insistent thread, in my life even if our shared time was short, the Hunter looks like being a regular part of my modelling as well as my reading this year. Revell's two recent 1:72nd kits of the 6 and the 9 have already been responsible for a good selection of decal sets to add to those which you have of course prudently stockpiled from Modeldecal, and more recently Xtradecal, and there have been resin conversions from Pavla, details from Czechmaster, and of course PJ's superb two-seat fuselage. Jonh Adams has also just added resin bits for an F.1-5 - leading edge and tailpipe - to join the metal undercarriage and ejection seat in the Aeroclub catalogue. Brand new is the first of the conversions under the Silver Cloud label (aka Freightdog/Pegasus) for the planned-but-cancelled P.1083 development, now on my mat and shortly to feature on my "workbench" page. This should be followed by the P.1109 (radar nose, Firestreaks) and possibly at least one other variant during the course of the year, and there's likely to be several working their way along my production line between now and, say, Telford. After all, they tick all my boxes; not only are they, approximately at least, of my favourite aircraft, but I can continue to "work for a better yesterday" by re-equipping several long-gone RAF fighter squadrons and perpetuating their markings, if only in my parallel worlds!

Transferred 11/04/09

Colours, markings and what should have been.

Last summer I promised the editor of the SIG newsletter some words on my What If? modelling; it turned out to be longer than I thought, but I decided to take shameless advantage of what I'd already done, and try and explain how and why I got in to it, and how I go about it (or you may think it's a shameful waste of the world's polystyrene and resin resources), and I think it'll fit neatly in to the “Ramblings” category.

Unconstrained by the needs of SAM, my modelling now seems to be geared towards the requirements of grumpyoldmodeller.com; just about all of my current activities are seriously spiced by a counterfactual approach to history. I have thought of them for sometime as “concept modelling”, influenced I'm by the term “concept musical” applied originally I think to Chorus Line and Company, but it's dawned on me recently that there is a significant difference. These musicals, and their ilk, are seen as having no – or at least minimal – plot, but for my sort of modelling a narrative plot is essential. It usually depends on a slight variation in historical fact, a failed Normandy landing perhaps, or a serious glitch in the Manhattan Project, and the possible consequences. With the recent rise in the availability of kits of British aircraft in this category I quite like as a significant event the re-election of Alec Douglas-Home in 1964, though I would prefer also not to have had Duncan Sandys as Minister of Defence in 1956/57.

It was while I was on the Hunter conversion course at Chivenor in the very hot summer of 1956 that the Aeroplane published a two-page colour spread of RAF squadron markings, probably all of regular or Auxiliary fighter squadrons (my copy's currently in hiding). I must have been vaguely aware of such markings up until then but that feature, and the imminent posting to my first squadron, focused my attention. At the same time or thereabouts I was building the first of the new generation of Frog plastic kits, of which the Meteor, Hunter and Venom carried unit markings, 600, 43 and 5 squadrons respectively; the Sabre, sadly, carried only a single letter code. A little while after arriving on 67 Squadron I became responsible for applying its markings – the story is in Tim McLelland's recent Hunter book. – and that probably fixed my fixation for life. The consequences of the 1957 Defence White Paper, colloquially known as the “Sandys' Axe”, were also a considerable contribution to the scar on my psyche, with nine Germany-based Hunter squadrons being disbanded in very short order and many of them, with their markings, not being seen again. The final brick in that particular wall – or perhaps through that window - was the round of cancellations by the Wilson government of 1964/65, culminating with the carve-up, metaphorically and literally, of the TSR.2.

I had rediscovered plastic kits in Canada in 1955, and by the mid ‘60s, having flirted briefly with other polystyrene subjects, I was only building aircraft; a few of those would easily qualify now for my self-evolved What If? Requirements. An early Airfix P.1127 was fitted with a radar nose, and carried on its EDSG/white scheme the tern's head of 897 NAS and a fin badge of a red sword on a white shield purporting to identify the “owner” as HMS London. Similarly the Airfix Hunter received swing-wings – from their BAC.111 – and as well as its grey/green/silver camo the markings of 67 Squadron. Any such markings had of course to be hand-painted; it wasn't until the arrival some fifteen years later of Modeldecal that steadiness of hand became less necessary. Prior to that I had managed to “acquire” a few extra Frog decal sheets – often also designed by Dick Ward – through the kind offices of a Good Chap at Margate named Peter Oliver, and sometimes these found subjects for which they were not necessarily intended.

When rather later I succumbed to the “Luftwaffe ‘46” virus, infected initially by the Huma Triebflugel , I worked out a plan to cover all the possible camouflage scheme variations - preferably without repetition although hesitation was allowed and deviation positively encouraged – and later, if I could find suitable subjects, all the “Defence of the Reich” coloured rear fuselage bands. With the popularity of Luftwaffe aircraft as model subjects a wide variety of that service's unit markings had been available for some time, notably from Microscale, and matching the markings to the appropriate colours wasn't difficult. Given the proliferation of books on Luftwaffe camouflage I had plenty of opportunity to decide which RLM colours would be applicable to which role, and by now these were available in tinlets, avoiding any need to try to mix them by eye. It's always useful to have someone to blame if there's a query on the precise shade of sandgelb, or for that matter dark slate grey.

For me a central part of my What If? modelling – and by the ‘nineties this label was now entering general use, encouraged by the setting up of the eponymous IPMS Special Interest Group by Ian Hartup – was and is still ensuring that the colours and markings of the model are appropriate for the role, the period and the owner. As with the Luftwaffe references, my bookshelves are stuffed with volumes – tomes, even – on US and British colours and markings, and while these had originally been bought to ensure that I had the necessary information for modelling actual aircraft, they have now became indispensable when finishing a model which I know would, or should, have looked like that even if it had been unaccountably overlooked by the relevant air ministry or, more likely, the treasury.

As with the colours, so with the markings. It must be about forty-five years since I bought my first sheet of Luftwaffe unit markings from BMW Models in Wimbledon; the German WWII unit markings were much more varied and colourful that those of the British services of the same period, and at that period at least I applied them to models of the aircraft that actually carried them. While there were post-war British markings in decal form, initially from Almark in the late ‘sixties, the arrival of Modeldecal and a few broad-minded squadron bosses made it possible for us to celebrate the increasingly colourful British fighter squadrons. Established by Dick Ward and Mike Silk, their first set appeared in early 1969; forty years – yes, really - since that sheet of six Lightning squadrons appeared I remember quite clearly making all six of them at the same time, with the Airfix and Frog/Hasegawa kits; I think it was the first and the last time I've ever made that many of the same type in the same finish. A little later I started to apply them to aircraft that might not have carried them in “real life”, depending of course on your version of reality.

Recently my modelling has become angled more and more towards a preferred parallel world or two. Following my lengthy involvement with Luftwaffe '46 I've been able increasingly to work on the almost-products of the British aircraft industry, probably kick-started by Maintrack's “Project X” vacforms of Hawker jet products and then by their resin variations on Typhoon and Tornado (Sir Sydney still rules, OK?). The arrival of the Airfix TSR.2, in spite of the deficiencies of the 1:72nd kit, gave a big boost to aircraft of that vintage and varying probability, to the point where otherwise perfectly respectable people were producing decals and even resin parts to improve, or perhaps just tart up, a kit of an aircraft that only flew 19 times. Another big boost in the last few years for this form of modelling, following on carefully researched and very well illustrated books on German projects, has been the publication of Tony Buttler's “Secret Project” series from Midland Publishing, though I have yet to follow three-dimensionally the more recent books of Russian and American designs.

For me it's become a form of warped but selective nostalgia, particularly for British aircraft and what I feel their use could or at least should have been, especially with the British services. I would like to believe that this could have happened, and if it had then this is what it would have looked like; while I know very well that many will consider “accuracy” as a term impossible to apply to events that never happened, I feel very strongly that for me it's absolutely essential to help bring such possibilities to life. Although Modeldecal sadly came to an end, decals currently available from the Aviation Workshop and Xtradecal are helping me to perpetuate wherever possible units which are no longer in the front line, or indeed totally defunct., particularly fighter squadrons, though thanks to the TSR.2 the occasional bomber squadron gets its turn, to the point where not only does this seem to be becoming my mission but my making a model of an aircraft in the colours that it actually carried is becoming increasingly rare.

One example, not unlike my recent 43 Squadron Lightning F.6; I hadn't originally intended to make a 1:48 th TSR.2, but it was the pair of AS.30 missiles left over from the Canberra B(I).8 that made me think I should. Two of the Canberra squadrons of the Akrotiri Wing carried these, and it seemed therefore that their replacements should carry over the capability; this was apparently a possibility, especially if the Martel was delayed. One of those squadrons – 32 – still exists, and I've already used 73 on a 1:72 nd kit; one of the two Vulcan squadrons that took the Canberras' place was 9, but 35 passed in to history some time back, and is therefore a good candidate. Besides I've always liked their winged horse's head marking and that's available, in two different treatments, from Modeldecal and Kits At War. Camouflage of that period would have been dark green/dark sea grey/light aircraft grey with red/blue tactical roundels and fin flash, which leaves only two decisions, on the underwing roundels and the serial. The forthcoming Model Alliance decals will be too late – I have a show in mind which is driving my completion date – so I'll use one of the Xtradecal sets, but I may leave off the walkways and some stencilling to be applied later.

That's the how and why I got here, and how and why I do it this way; I think it's a rational approach, but then I think rain makes me wet.

Transferred 03/04/09

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Beware! - Red Star Grizzly

Looking ahead - unusual, these days - my next model is destined for the "What If?" SIG display at Telford in November. It's to be a joint effort with the Soviet Aircraft SIG; though whether the models will be separate, or whether the spectator will have to dicide on their relative reality I don't yet know. I have a couple more already in mind, to come from my small stocpile of Anigrand resins, but this struck me as an obvious possibility to supplement the Il-2s on the Ostfront. You will of course recognised it instantly as another example of the generous Lend-Lease programme, the Beech A-38 Grizzly, with a 75 mm cannon in the nose that could have caused serious grief to Wehrmacht armour. It's a bigger beast than I expected, almost the size of a B-25, and I think looks quite convincing, perhaps because it has something of the Pe-2 or Tu-2 about it. The markings, and a couple of underwing weapons, came from an Academy Il-2 which one of my modelling colleagues was completing without them. I had hoped to get the, doubtless patriotic, inscriptons translated at ModelKraft, but wasn't wholly successful. As it has been on my shelf for a while, the instructions were of the older line-drawing type, and I have to say I much prefer them to the current "photographic" style, especially for the depiction of detail.

2009 - first moves

My first excursions in the new year haven't taken me very far - more or less on home ground, in fact. You may recall that last June I went to a photocall at RAF Northolt, which seems to have become an annual event; they then scheduled a night photoshoot for November, but had to postpone it until the end of January. I was hosted by 32 (The Royal) Squadron on their pan and was to have featured three of their types, until Our Leader decided to use the 146 to fly to Switzerland. By the time - soon after 1730 - the the fairly motley group of photographers has assembled and been briefed it was definitely dark, and we were met by a 125 and a pair of Augusta 109s, with a USAF Citation and an Irish Air Corps Learjet. These all being white on a floodlit pan they presented a nice contrast to the darkness, even if their was a fair amount of domestic lighting on the far side of the airfield, and a 109 crew ran up their mount to give us a little extra drama.. I was more concerned about how the dark green 78 Squadron-marked Merlin 3A that flew in at the beginning of the shoot would show up, but I was in the end satisfied with my shots of that. This also ran its rotors towards the end of the session when preparing to leave, but before that I'd got as much as I wanted and was getting colder that I wanted to be, and in the best journalistic tradition I made an excuse and left. I have after some years and consultation with a couple of eminent aviation photographers bought a digital SLR camera and after a little persuasion got it just in time to make this its first outing. I was somewhat concerned when I saw that everyone else on the shoot was carrying a tripod, some of dimensions that would not have been out of place in the oil industry, and had I had one my shots would doubtless be even sharper, but with one or two changes of setting and engaging the image stabiliser I think it did me very well on its first outing. It's just as well, because later in the year it's scheduled for two overseas outings - in serious sunshine.

ModelKraft '09

Next trip, not much further north and the model show that's closest to home, ModelKraft is the annual event of the IPMS Milton Keynes Branch. It's grown steadily in size, and it's the biggest one-day show that I know, with this year many of the Big Names of the hobby having sales stands. I think this is their third year at the Stantonbury Leisure centre, each year an expansion on the last; my now-usual place, the What If? SIG table, was on on the second floor, at the end of a slightly mazish route, in spite of which many familiar faces - and quite a few unfamiliar ones, some a little bemused - managed to find us. My personal problem was that while there was a slow but wheelchair-friendly lift to the first floor, the second was only acessible by stairs, with which I have increasing problems when coming down. Having therefore delivered a few models to the stand - which have been seen, or will shortly appear, in these cyberpages - I set off to tour the floors, and perhaps even to pick up a package or two. Hannants Londan had followed their parent firm's example by offereing ten per cent off pre orders, for which I was suitably grateful when I learned the price of the second Trumpeter EE Lightning (EE because it's an F.1/2). One of the decal sets for the 1:48th TSR.2 was also waiting for me, and you may well see that somewhere here soon; I'm planning to take it to Huddersfield in two weeks if our current spell of weather allows. My Friend Wendy of the Aviation Book Centre, who always brings a little sunshine in to my drab, wretched life, graciously parted with a couple of new books from the Speciality Press, and I had a chat with Reg Auckland of Guideline about the New SAM and possible further Warpaints. Other stands that I made a point of visiting were those of Freightdog Models for the now traditional discussions on the Avro 720 and the Hawker P.1154, and a first sight of some new Hawker parts - it's a Hunter, Jim but not as we knew it - and Aviation Workshop about their TSR.2 decals and planned resin bits for the 1:48th "BAC Eagle". And I managed a few disposals which more or less matched the outgoings (but I still have several set aside for the Aviation Enthusiasts' Fair at Luton on 7 March). There seemed to be a good attendance - certainly many of the Usual Suspects were in evidence - but I had the same sort of feeling that I used to get at the Yeovilton show, though to a lesser extent, that I couldn't be sure that I'd seen everything. I'm sure I'll be there next year, though.

We were joined behind the "What If?" table by the Venerable Kit Spackman, who I've known for many years and who in recent times has been more usually associated with airliners; but I remember very clearly his immaculate "Blue Angels" Buccaneer which would have been something of a surprise to the US Navy. He brought a few models with him, including his Meteor PR.19 which brought several murmurs of recognition; almost as old as the Bucc, it's become something of an icon for the Imaginative Tendency. I really regret not having a picture or three to put up here; I'll try and remedy that inexcusable omission during the year.

Transferred 22/03/09

Sukhoi's flying wedge

I have always expected, since it was anounced on their website, to include the Anigrand Craftswork 1:144th Sukhoi T-4MS in this section. It was designed in competition with Tupolev's Article 160; the latter when selected for production became the Tu-160, and was given the lethal NATO reporting name of Blackjack. Trumpeter have alreadey kitted this in 1:144th, and has been my almost equally firm intention to build this alongside the Sukhoi; but while the 160 is undoubtedly a more elegant aircraft I find the design of the T-4MS fascinating. Perhaps it's my misty memories of Dan Dare (the hero, not the airline) but the Sulhoi submission definitely has someting of the "science fiction" cartoon about it.

As well as the brief history of the design included on the instructions, there's an account in Soviet Secret Projects - Bombers since 1945 (Buttler/Gordon) without which no self-respecting library is complete (chapter 11, to save you looking it up). Anigrand have broken it down in to six major sections, the two wings and upper and lower parts of the forward fuselage and the main body. Provision is made for the wings to swing, and in the fully swept position the aircraft's appearance is very dramatic; it's not difficult to fit the wings between the upper and lower parts of the main body, but unfortunately on mine the spigot on which the starbord wing half pivotedhad apparently fractured - it was cast as part of the lower body section - and the small ring on the front of the wing seal, which should have fitted over a "pin" on the starboard wing trailing edge, was incomplete. It's fair to say that when I've had a problem before with an Anigrand part it's been replaced quickly and without quibble, but in this case my built-in impatience, aggravated because I taken rather longer that I'd intended to start on it, decided me to press on with the model and jury-rig it if necessary. Normally the linkage between the two wing halves would ensure that they "swung" together, and putting it together I left it connected to the port wing, but the two parts that would have represented the "seals" behind the wing had to be left out. I have managed to manipulate the wings manually for the photos, and it'll probably be stored in swept configuration.

There is a small cockpit area, furnished with three very small seats which are hardly visible through the three small transparencies -these are resin rather than vacform - that are fitted flush in the upper surface of the nose; landing the aircraft with no apparent forward visibility would have been a major problem, but I've seen no reference to a hinged nose. The undercarriage is sufficiently sturdy, and the main wheels are cast in pairs; as well as the twelve needed there were two extra in my box, thus ensuring that I wouldn't be dropping any on to my already crowded carpet; had there only been just enough at least one pair would have burrowed in to it. Both colour scheme and decals are a combination of those that came from Anigrand - the wing stars and the "blue 23" - and those from the Trumpeter Blackjack; the suggested colours were medium grey with light grey control surfaces, whereas the Tupolevs are basically white. I am now putting the Blackjack together, not lest to park it next to the Sukhoi for a size comparison, the T-4MS appearing to be appreciably smaller. Although I got the Begemot decal sheet of the individual names for the Tu-160s it didn't include the "Ilya Mourmurets" option offered by Trumpeter, and I wanted to use that iconic name; I presume it was used by the Soviet/Russian air force at one stage. My Tupolev will be finished with Ukrainian markings, and I'll get a comparative photo of the pair up here when I can.

I also hope to have ready by then one of the smaller models included by Anigrand, the Sukhoi T-50 design for the next-generation fighter which has apparently been sidelined in favour of that from the Mikoyan design team.This

presupposes that by then I've found the little plastic bag with the Sukhoi's jet nozzles, main undercarriage legs and most of its missiles. The recommended scheme for that is the very smart black/grey/white carried by at least one of the Alaskan "Aggressor" F-16s and which should look even better on the Sukhoi. In the meantime, to accompany my third shot of the T-4MS is my thought that, although I'm probably glad both for cost and space reasons that this is in 1:144th, wouldn't it look fantastic in 1:72nd?

I found the rest of the T-50 bits; the design is reputed to have been for the PAK-FA contract, though how close the model is to the actual design is a matter of speculation. The do make a good pair, though.

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Sometimes wishes come true - this is now available from Freightdog/Pegasus under the Silver Cloud banner, arriving just in time for Southern Expo!

Started at about the same time as the Hunter and the Hawk, but put to one side so I could concentrate on them, another kit that came back with me from Telford was that of the Fairey FD.1 by Pro-Resin. A relatively simple aircraft, the needs of the breakdown for casting in resin meant that there were quite a lot of small parts, and care had to be taken - not enough in one case - to stop one or two flying off in to their surroundings when being gently separated from their blocks. Following the Hunter and the Hawk, it then had to yield to the Sukhoi T-4MS - see "Pick" - but is as you see now finished, if not quite in the way I had in mind. It's unusual for me these days in that it's in the finish of the actual aircraft; I had thought of applying some sort of RAE or even ETPS visual identity to it, but couldn't find one to fit the period, and it would have been prolonging its active life further than I could pretend was possible to try even a taste of Raspberry Ripple.

The original design was a step towards a tail-sitting VTOL interceptor, and there would have been four rockets grouped around the jet pipe and covered by fairings. These remained after the requirement for the rockets were cancelled, and a brakeing parachute was installed in the upper one; the aircraft flew initially with the two lateral fairings in place, but these were then deleted. The very good box top picture shows two fixed slats towards the tips of the leading edge, but these were also left off after early flights, and are not included in the kit. Strangely, the non-functioning nozzle of the lower rocket seems to have been left in place throughout the aircraft's career, before it was trucked off to Shoeburyness to become just another target. I had thought of adding a couple of the "photographic" circle-and-cross marks to the wings and perhaps the fin, on the fairly spurious grounds that they were at least applied to the unmanned scale models of the FD.1 that investigated the V/STOL possibilities, but the relevant decals have gone in to hiding; when they reappear, though.....

Both the other models had been lurking in a semi-finished stated for quite a while, until I thought I might associate the two. You will recall - oh, yes, you will - that I had a sudden outbreak of RAF Typhoons recently thanks to Hobby Boss, but well before that I'd started to make a 6 Squadron two-seater from the Revell kit, and both because of the squadron's history and because it seemed at the time that it would be the first dual-role squadron gave it a couple of Alarms from a weapons set. I then put it on a far shelf when Their Airships did much the same with the squadron. Also on one side was a Hobby Boss Hawker Typhoon, which kit had included the sharkmouth for the only Typhoon so painted. This had also languished in an almost-finished state since I found that the sharkmouth, which I really wanted to use, didn't fit; and not only did my resident expert advise me that both the aircraft for which the decals were provided carried bombs rather than the rockets in the kit, but Hobby Boss had produced a misshapen canopy. I'd actually fitted a proper canopy and bigger taiplanes, but by this time my enthusiasm had seriously waned.

Then I found an old Shackleton contra-prop, by the blue-grey colour of the plastic from the original Frog kit. Rather than put it in a safe place, I looked for a way to use it and found it would fit neatly on to the Typhoon; having then to find some form of excuse for second-guessing Hawkers I decided that a pair of 40 mm cannon would fit that need. Then it occurred to me that "giving" it to 6 Squadron would give me an opprtunity to pair it with the 2010 Typhoon, and that if the 1944 version - the Typhoon Id, perhaps - were in desert camouflage, the almost-current example could have the sort of roughly-applied "Arctic" white patches that appeared from time to time on Jaguars to provide a climate balance. The cannon, by the way, are now I think available from the Aviation Worksho.; I have to say I like the result, and with the combination; remind me to write sometime about "Concept Modelling".

I've now realised that 11 Squadron is the only current and expected Typhoon squadron that I haven't yet covered: I think it deserves a commemorative scheme with a pair of Big Eagles from Lightning or F.3 days.

Transferred to Vaults 27.02.09

PJ Hunter conversion

The Hunter two-seater is something to which I've been looking forward for some time, and when I gave up writing for Scale Aircraft Modelling at the beginning of 2008 I asked if I could cover it as my final review for that magazine; Paul Eden was happy to agree, and the review is due to appear in his last issue, that for February 2009 (Vol.30 No.12). I have been a fan of PJ resins for many years - even before they started on their Hunters! - and this is up to their very high standard, with a well-furnished cockpit and an excellent fit to the donor Revell kit. The joins are arranged so the the cuts to the original kit can be made along panel lines, with the exception of that at the back of the spinal fairing (which I promptly got wrong, but was able to remedy with a little sliced sprue and filler). I used the metal undercarriage legs and wheels that were included with the conversion; there has been some criticism of the size of the mainwheels in the Revell kit. The completed nose slotted easily back in to place on to the kit fuselage, and the resin/plastic join of the rear fuselage section was immaculate. With the markings for "Admiral's Barge" T.8 included in the conversion, this was for me an almost inevitable choice, and I consulted on of my FAA fanatic - sorry, enthusiast - colleagues who I knew had had very good Yeovilton connections at that period, as to the correct shde of blue for the top surfaces; he said that it was "Midnight Blue" and that Humbrol 15 was an excellent match. A couple of pictures from the Adrian Balch files of sister-ship XL584 confirmed that the blue of the roundels was slightly darker than that of the airframe; but this became complicated because the blue of the roundels on the conversion's decal sheet was undoubtedly too light. After considering applying roundels from Modeldecal set 47 over the conversion markings to ensure that I had the necessary white outlines to those on the upper wing and fuselage, I settled on those from Xtradecal set 72046 for 111's "Black Arrows" scheme. On the photo attached here the colour relationship of the blues looks the wrong way round; on the model itself, it seems to vary with the lighting, but I'm not repainting it. XL580 - of which there are a couple of black and white photos in the old Aircam Hunter book - and 584 both seem to have carried underwing tanks in the Midnight Blue, and 584 also wore them in white, but I thought the blue looked particularly sharp - ship-shape, even. 580 had a later existence as a T.8N, with Sea Harrier radar nose and 899's winged fist, a possibility for a further conversion, perhaps. With the solitary exception of the roundels the conversion is, as I expected, excellent and I have a second lined up for a silver/T-band one of either 56 or 764; Modeldecal still rules!

Added 26/01/09

Nimrod AEW.3

When the Airfix Nimrod was first announced I decided that I would need at least two, with my prime interest being in the R.1 and 51 Squadron's goose. I did murmur that I would fancy an AEW.3 conversion without really expecting it to happen, so just in case I laid down a third kit; I bought the Cammett resin set as soon as it became available, and when Richard asked me a couple of months ago how I was getting on with it the guilt kicked in. By chance I'd just been to "Robby" Robinson's evening talk at the Doncaster museum, which included his experiences of test flying on the AEW.3, and the tale of the addition of the vortex generators just in front of the cockpit and I also brought away his book, with useful photographs. Overcoming the vague feeling that I should make a kit in its original form before working on a major modification, I brought the Very Big Box in from the garage and set to.

Making the Nimrod itself has been covered elsewhere; Spencer Pollard's Military In Scale, Tony O'Toole in Model Aircraft Monthly and most recently the Venerable Ted Taylor in Scale Aircraft Modelling have given us their thoughts, and I commend you to all of them. Andy Evans' book for Dalrymple & Verdun is useful and has a section on the AEW.3, and I've been fortunate enough to accumulate a few pictures through my jpeg group; many of the aircraft, of all marks, have minor variations, particularly in aerial fit, often varying through the individual aircraft's life, and if you can find a reference to your particular chosen subject you'll have that nice warm feeling that comes from knowing that you're right even if others don't realise it.

The resin castings rank with the best I've ever used. The nose and tail radomes are hollow, but I found it easier to put the necessary weight in the original fuselage. All three tail surfaces are included, and I needed a little filler only at the front tip of the dorsal fin. The cutting lines shown in the very clear instructions have been arranged to follow the panel lines of the original kit, reflecting the care that Cammett have put in to their whole package; the slight fit problem at the side just below the windscreen is caused I think by the kit transparency rather than the new nose. My only other comment on the assembly is about the undercarriage; when I tried to slide the main undercarriage legs (parts 29E) in to place, I thought I'd pushed them fully home, and discovered too late there should have been a couple of millimetres further movement. When I get to my R.1 - in whatever scheme - I'll try to remember to trim a little of the sides of the legs; it doesn't show in the photos, but if the AEW.3 is on the What If? table at Telford you'll see that it sits nicely on its mainwheels without the nosewheels actually touching the ground, and I don't think that would have happened if I'd got the fit right in the first place.

While the first conversion from an MR.1 was finished in the original grey with white top, the norm for the subsequent aircraft was hemp/grey and that was always how I had pictured mine, and with that scheme went the red/blue roundels that are included in the kit decals. My other long-standing plan was to give the aircraft to 8 Squadron, for whose Shackletons it was the intended replacement, and following discussions on a "What If?" SIG stand in the spring it is planned to be Dougal; John Adams had included him, along with Florence and Mr.McHenry, on the sheet of Aeroclub Shackleton decals, and as I'd used the sheet around the beginning of the year I anticipated that it would come readily to hand again. Wrong! As I wanted to take the model to the IPMS Brampton show I scrabbled through my box of loose Modeldecals and came up with the arrowhead marking used on 8's Meteors, and the small pennants and badges were from a Vampire sheet. It still lacks a sheathed Arabian dagger on the fin fillet, and I have hopes of finding Dougal in the six weeks or so before Telford.

For once, even if I'm still whistling for Dougal, one of my "possible" - as distinct from "improbable" - projects has come good, and while I wouldn't submit it to the scrutiny of the sort of hawk-eyed judges that abound at model shows I'm very happy with the result. I'm seriously contemplating a second, but while 8 Squadron would have been a perfectly feasible destination for service use, I have yet to convince myself of an alternative; there's always a camouflage grey 23 Squadron option I suppose, but I would quite like to find a way to introduce it to Canadian service. And I've had a suggestion of Indian Navy.

Transferred 03.01.09

Alan W Hall

Alan Hall, I'm sad to report, died early on 6 November in a hospital in Malta. I was one of those who contributed to an 80 th Birthday tribute that appeared in the April 2008 Scale Aircraft Modelling, and I've supplied an update for the next (December) issue, this is a small personal piece.

If you're reading this, I'll make the rash assumption that you are, or at least have been, aware of the part that Alan played in the British modelling scene from the ‘sixties onwards.. Alan came from a time when “air-mindedness” and a belief in the products of the British industry were virtues to be encouraged, and he never lost his fascination with aviation, aircraft and the RAF.

While working at RAE Farnborough he edited the original Airfix magazine when that name was synonymous for the general public with “plastic kit”, contributing much himself. The magazine became an indispensable choice to us for news and in particular conversion articles, and the use of balsa wood, talcum powder and dope for these is etched imperishably on many modellers' minds. I met him through IPMS and he was one of thosewho appeared at the first evening of the Berkshire Branch. He started Aviation News as a fortnightly produced on newsprint, breaking new ground for its period although Alan would have readily acknowledged his debt to the long-defunct “Aeroplane Spotter”. Modelling was always a part of it, with a set of scale plans with a selection of colour schemes aimed primarily at the modeller, and usually a modelling page with kit reviews.

It was joined after a while by Scale Aircraft Modelling. From the first issue IPMS were invited to contribute a column, and as Branch Liaison Officer I was given the task of spreading the word, remaining with the magazine for nearly thirty years. Once I started writing the Tailpiece Alan, although sometimes slightly bemused by my musings, published them unchanged except for the deleting my semi-colons; I never did find out why he disliked them so much, except that he did not think that their use was sound journalism.

While the original “Warpaints”, which included the C-130 and the Lightning, were in black and white, the seriestitle was revived in glorious colour, and continues to this day; there was a rumour that it might stop at fifty, but the sixty-seventh has just been published, on the Brigand, and there are still more pending. A few years ago he moved to the relatively benign climate of Malta, where he played a part in the modelling and enthusiast scene on the island, and continued to produce his Warpaint series, himself authoring the recent Gnat. I'm sure that continuing with these books helped to keep him going; to have stopped it would have been like cutting off his oxygen.

Alan always held his opinions strongly; those of us who have worked with him have found ourselves encouraged, enlightened and frustrated in equal measure - and from time to time irritated ! - but it's always been interesting, and I've learned so much from him over the years. It just seems impossible that we first got together forty years ago! Those who are come to our hobby recently may well not realise the part that Alan played both in popularising plastic modelling and in raising its standards, but for British modellers in particular he has been one of the most influential individuals of his, and my, generation.

Mike

(transferred 25/12/08)

This is a bit of background for anyone wh may not have run across me in a previous existence.

If at some time in the last twenty-eight years or so you've read the Tailpiece column in Scale Aircraft Modelling what comes next will seem at the least familiar; if, on the other hand you've managed to escape me so far, there are a few facts - well, I think they're facts - which may help to set the scene. Legend says that I've been obsessed by aviation, both full size and model, since I was two, prompted perhaps by living very close to Hendon in the couple of years just before World War II. First models were black plastic "recognition" aids supplemented by wooden kits, and in the late 'forties I had the plastic Frog "Penguin" kits of, among others, the Spitfire XII and the Vampire F.1; most if not all of that series had retractable undercarriages! In my teens my modelling was largely in balsa, not least with Veron kits; and with these and the Penguins both being in 1:72nd scale the template for my modelling life was established.

Her Majesty kindly sent me to Canada to learn to fly on Harvards and T-33s , but it was only incidental to the RAF's plan that while there I took up plastic modelling again, principally Revell kits, but also some from Hawk and Lindbergh. The models had to be abandoned when I left Canada; but after learning to fly in English conditions with the Vampires at Middelton St George, my posting to Chivenor for the Hunter conversion course coincided with the first of the new generation of plastic kits from Frog with as well as a Hunter, a Canberra, a Sabre, an S.55 and a Meteor 8. It's been a long wait for the Xtrakit! My first Airfix kit was bought at Sylt, but my time on Hunters was cut short by Duncan Sandys, and after a year non-flying on a Valiant squadron I failed to fly the Meteor on instruments on one engine. The rest of my aviation career was as an ATCO, largely at London Airways, but my abiding interest in military aviation has continued to now, through forty-five years of marriage, three children and many cats. Modelling has been a major element - I'm a great believer in the IPMS Belgium phrase "Holding history in your hands" - as has attending air shows and since my retirement visiting museums around much of the world. From being fairly eclectic, my modelling interests these days centre on my long-term fascination with units and their markings, particularly of the RAF, and on what have become known as "What If?" models. These have brought an increasing use of resin, these days the material of choice for models of aircraft for niche interests and therefore limited run.

I was already fairly involved with Scale Aircrat Modelling when it ceased publication in 1994; this coincided with my retirement from air traffic control, and I was one of the group that bought it from the receiver and got it up and running again. Having contributed to the first issue on behalf of IPMS, I subsequently progressed to a Tailpiece of my own, but after over twenty-five years, I decided last year to make the break. Someone suggested - it wouldn't be fair to name him! - that I should consider a website for my ramblings, and Tim Callaway of Deltaweb has now enabled me to ramble in cyberspace. This could be fun!

Now read on ........

Airfix Canberra B(I).8

Taking most of my modelling time, my almost undivided attention and most of the restricted space available around my workbench at the moment has been a model that goes against most of my current prejudices; it's 1:48th scale, and it carried a navigator. But the B(I).8 is my favourite Canberra mark, perhaps because of its 2TAF associations and its somewhat sinister air when it had black undersides; it never seemed quite as dangerous with the bottom half silver or grey. There is a 72nd one on the way, but its lure was such that I decided not to resist the first of Airfix's big series. One of my long-term ATC colleagues was a navigator on 59, and I've always liked the story that their marking was chosen because a roadsign was appropriate to their operational height, and one of the Aviation Workshop decal sheets offers XH208 of 59 Squadron. .

I've even had time to do a little research in the Canberra section of my library, looking particularly at photos rather than drawings - see the books section - and this convinced me that on aircraft with this scheme the camouflage did not return under the leading edges of wings and tailplane, that Canberras were not parked with their flaps down and that RAF B(I).8s didn't carry the AS.30 missiles kindly supplied by Airfix and featured on the box art. They may have been applicable to the SAAF aircraft, and you could save them if you want to make an Akrotiri B.15 when the B.2/6 kit appears (32 and 73 Squadrons, as you ask). I'm earmarking mine for the coming TSR.2.

I've built the kit virtually "from the box". Apart from the pilot's space, very little of the interior is visible. I have some doubt about that big panel in the Nav's section, and I'm pretty sure that the seat provided is wrong and should be more of a bucket than a bang seat. Inside shots of the B(I).8 seem difficult to find, but one of my modelling colleagues from the Thames Valley who has already remodelled the Airfix interior pointed me at website http://www.bywat.co.uk/canframes.html. There will doubtless be comprehensive reviews in the magazines of your choice; all I would suggest is the when your cockpit is ready, you place it in the fuselage without attaching it to part 10F; this can then be dropped in to position when the fuselage halves, and their nose weight, are together.

Of the various choices, I wanted to use the under-fuselage gun pack, for me an integral part of the type's function, and therefore closed the bomb bay doors. Having realised that I couldn't use the AS.30s I planned to fit a pair of the bombs provided - there are two shapes, and I presume that those with the blunter nose are to be worn internally - to the wing pylons, but decided that what the model really needed was two pairs of 25lb. practice bombs. In the hope that these will become available in resin, I just fitted a pair of pylons, and there are several reference photos that show that flying with these, but with no load attached, was common practice. I completed the model with flaps lowered, even though my trawling through available photos showed this to be very rare indeed on parked aircraft (causing a fine to the squadron rumble fund, probably). Similarly the ailerons, elevators and rudder are slightly offset, really only because Airfix's parts breakdown makes this possible; it seems to me that this, like the aircrew figures included, is a throwback to 25 years or so ago, but perhaps it's more common in 1:48th than 1:72nd.

Upper surfaces were brushed in Xtracolor, but I ran out of Humbrol 85 at a crucial moment and the undersides were done with an acrylic satin black from my local craft shop. (who had also run out of the 85); not having to justify my choice with a British Standard number, I found the result very good! Decals are a mix of those with the kit, and the Aviation Workshop set for the roundels, serials and squadron markings. The blue of the roundels is noticeably darker in the AW set, those from Airfix looking faded by comparison.Running through my accumlated Canberra jpegs, these would pass muster on a long-serving Akrotiri Strike Wing aircraft, but would perhaps be less appoaite in the temperate climate of 2nd TAF, the B(I).8's natural habitat (and, for a brief while, mine).

Second Installment

The decals are now on, or at least as many as I'm likely to use. I should have realised that without a black-bottomed kit option the stencilling below the waistline on the Airfix decal sheet would be of minimal use; no doubt I should have invested in the appropriate set from the Aviation Workshop - and those that I did use for the individual aircraft were excellent - but however good the kit I don't forsee making another Canberra in this scale, and though I am keeping an option on the "big" TSR.2 I'll cross that stencilling bridge when I get there. Considering it comes from a time when the British didn't put a full set of instructions on the side of each aircraft the decal sheet is pretty extensive. In a 1:72nd model I wouldn't feel too guilty about leaving off the smaller ones, but given the size I felt impelled t use most of those provided, at least for the top and sides, albeit with varying effect. Those I felt most nervous about were the little yellow lines and dashes; I applied the dashed lines (nos.15-18) first before putting on the roundels, and then found I shoul have done it the other way round; the lines are tailored not to go under the roundels. These lines are each on their own varnish; the individual yellow dashesm number 85, are separate and need to be placed one at a time. Surprisingly - to me, anyway - I got them right first time, and didn't lose one; this doesn't mean I plan to change scales, though, even if it would appear to back the received wisdom of "Old Modeller's Scale".

I'm really pleased with the result, even though it betrays in some parts - not, I hope, evident in the pictures - of the erosion of some of my modelling skills (can we please work on the basis that I did have some, sometime?). There will no doubt be real reviews which will point out those faults in the kit which are apparent to the reviewer, but I enjoyed making this; my immediate problem is going to be finding a suitable space so that I can replace it on the production line. It's of an aeroplane that I've always liked, and even some recently heard comments that it might have been somewhat unwieldy in the face of a battery or three of ZSU-23s haven't diminished my impression that it would have been fun to fly at low level. More than one in this scale is out of the question for me - perhaps the marketing men of Margate might like to consider the relative profit on this single against the three - at least - that I would have bought of the 1:72nd version.

Ramblings (added 02/09/08)

By and large, T-shirts are not me, but I keep near the front of the appropriate drawer the on one that says "It's Capatain Indecisive - or is it?"

When I walked away from the day - or to be more accurate, the day and night - job at the end of the last afternoon duty of 1994, I knew that I would now be largely free of decision-making. I had discovered, and made shameless use of, the many benefits of the widely-held British practice of management by procrastination, whereby most problems could reasonably be expected to sort themselves out in ten days or so, or by then have become sufficiently serious to require the input of someone above my pay grade, and I had every expectation that in retirement any choices to be made would be reasonably self-evident, and in many ways this proved at first to be true, given a habit of picking the obvious alternative or going in to nod-and-smile mode if the proposal came from elsewhere..

This held good through the period when I was involved in the collective management of the revived SAM, and for any contributions I was required to make to the magazine. Having agitated for a book review section I was in a position to monitor those publications we were sent and cherrypick those in which I had a particular interest; most of my modelling was done on much the same basis in that while I still made some models on my own account those that came for review were automatically given priority, at least until they edged in to the "too difficult" category. If any started to drag on a bit, I would turn to something else that had greater personal appeal until I could stiffen sufficient sinews to return to the original.

Breaking my link with SAM, I looked forward to a freedom of almost randm choice in selecting what to build next from all those boxes on the dustier shelves, and also being able to set some of the work in progress to one side without having to feel even a smidgen of guilt, but after a couple of months of GOM I've discovered a new and unexpected factor; should I by whether or not it's likely to be a subject for these cyberpages? I still have this rather sad compulsion toward the *NEW* referred to in the "Happenings" slot, and there are - almost always - a couple of subjects just over the horizon which could well edge almost anything else to one side of the workbench when they arrive, and on which I may well submit my entry for the Little Jack Horner Prize. I can now make, and even write about, subjects which I wouldn't have dreamt of doing for SAM; the AZ Gauntlet is a case in point, because anyone reviewing a biplane kit should be able, or at least willing, to rig it, and I have diminishing faith in my ability or even my patience - mushroom-stuffing comes to mind - to carry out that particular task. I like the Gauntlet, and my unit/markings addiction inclines me toward this kit, so I may well feel impelled to include it, during or at the end of its progress, on another page.

Several choices will always be self-evident, but there's always the unlikely; while I really hope for for more P.1154s from Freightdog, knowing me as you do this won't surprise you. What I can't explain is why I'm looking forward so much to the Fairchild T-46 from Anigrand. It has a passing resemblence to the Miles Student, it will look smart in the USAF blue/white trainer scheme, and quite possibly in th COIN coulours of an Unnamed Sout American Air Force, but none of those really approaches a rational explanation. It's not helped by an unruly part of my brain compressing "T-46 Eaglet" in to "Twiglet" at the least opportunity. Knowing that one will be with me before the end of this week is strangely energising - not a word I use lightly - and as well as ensuring there's space on the workbench without actuall having to tidy up I am ransacking the garage for the Hasegawa T-37 with Williams AFB decals, though I have a feeling that I sold it in a rash moment.

That's probably enough decisions for now, with two Gannets receiving attention following a serious nudge from the Ad Hoc book and the Sea Vixen because it's *NEW*. When it comes to a Nimrod, and especially whether it's to be an R.1 or a AEW.3, it's time for the T-shirt again. It's just a pity that in spite of Mrs. Ackroyd Enterprise's efforts, the Captain Indecisive Y-fronts are no longer available.

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