Simon Cornes

I think you could be right. I had an e-mail from David Lajer from Aries confirming no cockpit for the E, which surprises me as they did the A/C cockpit and the later model ejection seat

Thanks Anthony, That some realy useful opinion!I e-mailed Aries over the weekend to ask about an E cockpit but you've answered my question. Also interesting to hear about Olimp jetpipes. I am clearly going to have to do some research on the E because there must have been a nozzle change at some point as all the Aries jet pipes have conventional 'straight' petals whilst Olimp have scimtar shaped petals - like the kit. A mate has pointed out that the after market units are larger in diameter as there is no conflict with having removable engines therefore smaller diameter burner sections. So you

Thanks guys, Rhino intakes and wheels ordered today. The cockpit is an issue as Aries do the A/C cockpit but I haven't seen one for the E. Do Zacto do this then? Is the kit seat that bad? If so then I can get an Aries seat easy enough! I can get Olimp exhausts but the Aries ones have different petals? Simon

I picked up one of these last week and I was wondering what you reckon was the absolutely vital upgrades to the basic kit. I can't see that Aries do a cockpit for the E Model but I believe the kit seat headbox may be small? I'm not sure about the jet pipes either as I raed an IPMS USA review which made no comment about the jet pipes. Someone may be able to save me a lot of time with some good advice please! I'm thinking of using the Topcatters CAG markings, even if the yellow may be a bit weak!! Many thanks Simon

Hi Guys, I don't know whether anyone can help me but here is the snag. On Saturday I bough a copy of the Thunderbirds boxing. Over here it sells for the same price as the original kit but is a lot easier to get hold of and in fact mine came with big discount. Because the full prices are the same then I reasoned that the only difference would be the decal sheet. You know I was wrong! I think I am actually missing about 4 complete sprues but I think that I only need two the drop tanks with pylons, sway braces and whatever comes with them. I intend to get hold of Eagle Strike 32074 and go

Hi, I have this decal sheet because I picked up the Monogram kit for friend who is a R/C ship modeller and wanted a Kingfisher for a project. It came with this decal sheet but he was happy with e standard sheet in the kit. No one in the UK seems to want it so I thought I would see if I could trade it here. I would really like to get hold of Cutting Edge CED72211 - B-52's Part 4 and if I couldn't get a complete sheet, well I want the markings for 'Special Kay'. I'm also looking for set(or more) of 1/72nd Mosquito stencils by Tally Ho. Finally, I am looking for decals for a 1/72 Mig 21bis.

I need 4 stars'n'bars for a 1/72nd F-111B build. Tailspin Turtle tells me that all 4 are 33.75" diameter across the blue disc. I have the MS decal sheet featuring one of these with the Phoenix test emblem for the fin but no national markings! I believe MS 72-084 was post war USN national markings and included 36" but I'm not sure if that's 36" from end to end or 36" blue disc doameter and I can't get the sheet anyway! I was sent 4 decals for the early camouflaged F-111A but they scale out at abouit 24" diameter blue disc. I reckon that I'm looking for 4 approx 11mm to 12mm diameter across the

Hi Tommy, Well those photos certainly show how complicated undercarriage units and there associated doors are, even back in the early 60's! I will do my best to incorporate some of that mechanism! One. hopefully easier question, you may be able to shed some light on. How big are the fuselage and wing stars and bars? The reason I ask is because the Microscale sheet I have for '972 has had the national markings removed so I will have to find replacements. Any suggestions as to the size - and what other aircraft may have used the same size - would be very useful. I have the Scale Model World s

Okay, just a standard blade with a pitot on the right and then upper and lower blade aerials. Strange to put them off centreline and, now you mention it, I see the lower blade is alongside the TV pod, mabe 24" or so forward of the nose bay doors? I wouldn't have seen it if you hadn't said! Will also check for photos of the l/h pitot - its starting to look Russian!!

Thanks for the additional clarification Tommy. The boom is definitely coming off the! A black and white barber pole had an appeal but the jet still looks better without it! I think thats pretty much clarified things for me. As I'm mating essentially a Revell radome onto an ESCI airframe there was a bit of filling required, but not a great deal. We'll have to see how the line of the nose/windscreen looks when the canopy is on - the cockpit is stuffed with tissue and masking tape right now but, hopefully, it will look something like when its finished. I notice from the photo that '972 has vane o

Geoff, Many thanks for sorting out my photos!! Tommy, what gorgeous photos! I'm not sure about that boom. F-111 in Action shows an illustration of the 3rd prototype with boom and also a photo purporting to be the 3rd prototype but with the fin code blanked by the taileron/elevon! To be honest I think it looks prettier without the boom! Thanks for highlighting the bottom edge of the splitter - an easy fix but a fairly vital correction! This also clarifies the ducts over the under wing vents - I thought they were just flush openings but the ducts would obviously improve air extraction. Do y

Hi Tommy, Thank you for going to all this trouble to research the retraction sequence! I will have a look at the YouTube video to see if it helps! I'm part way through my build of 972 - photo's below - and maybe you can clarify another point? I think that the splitter plates were painted light gull gray? I know that the first two airframes were white and I think that the imagery that I have suggest LGG as being most likely for my airframe but it would be good if you could confirm! [/img] [/img] Best regards Simon

Hi Tommy, The geometry of this gear door is more complex than that of the wings! These exchanges have brought home to me just how low the door sits. In my mind it was quite close to the underside but in reality its about 1/3rd or so of the distance between the underside and the ground.I know that there's a working u/c unit in one of your museums which is used to demonstrate how the gear folds away but that's probably from a later unit with the vertical fixed door. I don't suppose there are many 'A' models left with the early door? I notice that the TACT airframe was one though but, no doubt i

Thanks Tommy, I can sort of see the retraction sequence but I'm having problems with linkage B. The point where B revolves must move forward and up into the gear bay as the u/c retracts? Link A appears to attach to and to pivot at the rear end of the gear bay? Wouldn't it be great to have photos of the two linkages as B seems to be a real strange shape - straight in your drawing but bent (hinged?) in the Grumman illustration? Maybe the easy answer is to just make two open triangles and attach the top to the rear edge of the bay?!!

Thanks Guys, As usual, Tommy's stuff is inspirational! I am building '972 and I hope that your drawings and images will help. Even with these it still hard to visualise where the linkages attach to the airframe and main gear but I will look a bit harder. Sadly I passed on my Revell TFX without taking enough notice of the gear door attachment but I built it back in the 70's and I know that the whole thing folded up pretty well - until plastic fatigue set in! Thanks Andre, I'd looked at Jim's site last week but the one thing it doesn't show is the early gear mechanism. Rats!

Does anone have any photographs or drawings of the original main gear door mechanism? I need to know how the originaly horizontal when open, door is attached and with what brackets. I am building an F-111B and I can't find a clear image, Thanks

Thanks Stewart, I may have to do a little more research!! Cheers Simon

Thanks for the input guys. It seems like 'silver' - suitably toned down! - is 'it' and I think I will do the same for the wheel hubs, Great, problem solved!

Help! Does anyone know the interior colour of both nose and main gear bays in the 1960's? I know they're all white now but in the 1960's would they have been aluminium, including undercarraige units and wheel hubs? I need to know for an RAF C-130K but I expect Lockheed painted the interiors pretty much the same for all variants? Any help gratefully accepted, Thanks Simon

I have a copy of CED 72209 - B-52 Part 2 - which I would be very happy to trade for the sheet above. Can anyone help? Thanks Simon

I have seen that RVHP did 2 sets for the Fury - 72102 and 72103. I haven't seen what the decals look like but I think these are the only ones available for the -3. Does anyone have a spare set, or part of a set they no longer require? I have a Falcon conversion and don't mind that much whether we're talking Marines or Navy but some decals would be very useful! Many thanks for looking Simon

Thanks Terry Looks a nice seat but I can get a QuickBoost seat for a similar price over here, but without the postage charge! But what I'd really like to do is fit lead sheet straps to the kit seat, its jut the buckles and fittings that I need to make life easier - P/e would be perfect but no one does anything!!!! Thanks for the lead though Simon

Thanks Jonah I have the Microscale sheet you mention - my first after market decal sheet, bought in about 1977 and used to finish my Monogram BUFF as the 'Lilac Panther'!! I still have the rest of the sheet and I think that the winged 2 AF emblem may be too big for the 'G'? I can still get the Almark sheet and there's nothing on there that suits! I know cutting Edge did at least 5 BUFF sheets so I'll try to have a look at those to see if one set of markings at least ticks the boxes!! I'm amazed that someone hasn't done a decal set featuring just BUFF nose art? Very much Microscale's territ

Yep, another thread! I have the excellent Trumpeter 1/32nd kit but I want to make my own seat straps. Do you know if anyone manufactures photo etched strap fittings or can you recommend a resin seat? I have to say that I prefer the DIY strap option. Reheat over here did fittings in 1/72nd and 1/48th but not 1/32nd but I'm surprised that it is so hard to get bits for either US seats or Martin Baker seats. Any ideas? Otherwise its going to be just plain scratchbuilding in card and lead sheet! Many thanks Simon

Help!! I have just picked up an AMT boxing of this BUFF and very pleased I am too. Only snag is that I fancy finishing it in the markings of 58-0239 'Loring Moose Gooser' 69th Bomb Squadron, 42nd Bomb Wing, 1974 'Giant Voice'. It would be great if there was a decal sheet including that option, but I don't think there is! I have very poor illustration on the back of the 'In Action' book and a better photo in the Modern Combat Aircraft book but not good enough to have a chance of producing my own artwork on some carrier film. Can anyone help? All answers very much appreciated, Cheers Simon