tony.t

Hasegawa RF-4B/C/E and Revellogawa FG.1/FGR.2, either avenue with resin inlet ducting and, if I can get them, Hypersonic canopy details. Tamiya F-4B, obviously, especially for Coral Sea birds from fifty years ago. If Tamiya see fit to issue more, I'm thinking F-4J and F-4EJ. The latter entered JASDF service around August 1972. Tony

When the Boomers and Gen X are dead there probably will be very few if any new models. I love jets and have a stash of Eduard 1/48 MiG-21s even though I much prefer 1/32 scale. My wish would be to see the Eduard releases in that scale, which isn't going to happen. Life is about compromises. Great kits in both scales, but it's a shame they did not open up the airbrakes on the lower wing part. Tony

Martin Baker Mk.6 Tony

There's some very useful 1/48th stuff from Begemot, North Star, Pavla, Eduard etch (if you can still find it), Master and Aires Aerobonus and Quickboost. The intake trunking needs "rounding" a bit at the shoulders from about mid-wing, and wings set at 2⁰ anhedral. The kits are a bit out, as if the CAD designer or a practical joker at an office party "stretched" the accurate shape longitudinally (because it looked cooler?), but it stilllooks the part and is very impressive. If you go with it, get the Su-15TM Taifun Mod boxing, as you can choose between a cellulose aluminium or

Looks like the BobbyHoss Vark is finally a truly viable project. Amazing stuff. And great pics Jim. Thanks for posting. Tony

There were some MFs delivered with wing insignia but I believe these few were painted out in green or cleaned off, making the North Vietnamese the true air pirates under International law. I would simply leave the wing insignia off. The Eduard MiG-21s are great kits — wish they'd scale them up to 1/32! A cellulose aluminium finish is probably the safest, as every one existed that way for at least a short time. Wiki has some interesting potted history on the Fishbed in Vietnam. Tony

AIM-9B used a lead sulphide uncooled seeker and was used by USN & USAF AIM-9C was SARH for use on F-8 Crusaders. Later converted to the AGM-122 Sidearm anti-radar missile. Navy missile. AIM-9D — and follow-on G/H — used nitrogen gas cooling contained in launch rail. Navy missiles. AIM-9E — and follow-on J/N/P — used Peltier effect thermoelectric cooling. USAF/FMS missiles. AIM-9L/M used Sidewinder rail Nitrogen gas cooling in Navy versions and built-into-the-missile Argon gas cooling bottle in USAF/FMS versions. The main thing wi

Any further developments? The Trumpeter Vigi decal sheet is very basic and by the time we've filled and smoothed over some of the divots it's going to need some Caracal love, including a bunch of stencil data if possible. Am up for anything attractive from ca.1967-1979 that matches the Trumpy RA-5C configuration Cheers Tony

Too late, but I always liked the Eglin ADTC test jets — especially as these sometimes carried groovy test ECM pods etc. Tony

Almost makes me want to suffer a Hobby boss kit. If it makes it to 1/72 that would be great. Tony

Probably just on the upper sides. Tony

Cross Delta do them in 1/32... confusingly they do three styles... http://img.luckymodel.com/default.aspx?item_no=CX-CD32003 And another set are included in the Tamiya 1/32 F-4EJ release, if you go to a site where all the parts are on view. Maybe too subtle to worry about in 1/48 scale. HTH Tony

They were upper only in the 1970s. Around 1983 or so the stabilator centreline rib and attach bulkheads were reworked and under TCTO 1F-4-1348 a stabilator lower reinforcing doupler was added (slightly different shape to the upper ones). Most F-4s had both or lower only from then on. Somebody (can't remember who) makes sticky peel off metal foil reinforcing plates for upper and lower stabs. HTH Tony

An effective tool at picking up stealthy cruise missiles endangering the fleet. Surprised there's nothing to protect it during cats and traps, but maybe it just needs a regular buffing. Tony

Yes it is, but the tail cones could vary Tony

ditto. Cheers for these Kursad

I hope Baris Tansoy recovers fully, soon. The CAD for the 1/32 Su-33 Sea Flanker looked utterly exquisite. And a modern tool 1/48 Buccaneer S.2 is much wanted. I'm in for a brace, Tony

AFAIK they're based on the already accurate but weak ICM kit parts. I asked if wheel locating pins could be added to replace the silly cones on the kit legs, but the parts are otherwise likely to have the same gait as the kit ones. If anyone has an issue with that they ought to drop a line to Aerocraft requesting a heavier loaded look. Tony

Aerocraft have them in the works. Their brass-bronze legs are simply great. The images at the top of this page look suspiciously like SAC cr@p, especially as the link takes you that awful stuff. Tony

Yes, XMM. I bought two sets and they're great. Ali's indicated an interest in releasing these this Spring. You'll need to wait till it comes up on the Aerocraft site. Tony

Totally agree. ICM have revised the RBT moulds with the chunkier single nose Doppler bulge, as introduced on the Revell boxing. The RB boxing has both nose types, the original being transferred to a new little sprue with RB-specific intake and dragchute door parts. The RBF boxing has a revised nose for that variant, and the BM SEAD variant ditto. Specifically for the ICM Foxbats, UMM make scale size inlets and fan fronts (cf the ICM trompe l'oeil undersize fans), ResKit some stonking exhausts (short PD/PDS interceptor and long RB— recce types) and Aerocraft will be rele

I've been building kits since 1965 and certain ones stand out as needing metal replacements, of a quality type such as Aeroclub, Aerocraft, Brassin & G-Factor, The Monogram 1/48 F-105 used to do a hula dance every time I came into the room, until it failed — I started buying hard, solid, properly cast gear when I got the 1/32 Trumpeter F-105G seventeen years ago and buy them for all larger scale kits if the U/C is splayed (e.g. Bf109, Spitfire), stalky (F-105, Fw 190) or cantilever (Meteor, F/A-18) or a combination (F-8). But SAC castings, by comparison, are utter

The SAC soft & cr@pp¥ stuff really is awful, and completely useless in 1/32, or 1/48 cantilever or splayed u/c legs. I have bought a lot. I would rate Aerocraft, G-Factor and Brassin as worth buying. How much have I bought? Legs for 3 x Bf 109Gs, one Fw 190, two Meteors, one F-8J, two Spitfires, one I-16, one Eurofighter all in 1/32 and worth every penny. The SAC stuff, by comparison, is pure crap and not even heavy enough to relegate as a nose weight. Don't waste your money. How SAC have survived this long bewilders me. I'm guessing people just buy and stash,

Cave: SAC stand for Soft & Cr@pp¥ The ones to use are Aerocraft, Eduard and G-Factor bronze, if they're available. Or Trumpeter steel if they're included in the kit. SAC use some kind of soldering wire mouldings packaged with a bubble so that you can't tell how Soft & Cr@pp¥ they really are. Tony

Realise I need a weapons bay. Tony