Camus272

I built Weapons Set C back in 1987. I still haven't used most of them, so not anymore, no.

Check out modelmakers on Reddit, plenty of young novices just getting into the hobby. As for guns, I don't know, BB guns are illegal in my city, I haven't shot mine in 20 years.

Now that the Air Force has received their first F-15EX, it looks like we will have several more decades of Eagles in action. The F-16 fleet is planned to be in service until the late 2040s , and now the Air Force is considering more, as new build block 70s, so that too will be around quite a while. Seeing the Blue Angles this year will be shock, as I'm still getting over the idea that all F-18 Hornets (legacy) are now retiring, but I think we still have a lot more history with fourth generation aircraft (and I hope the Thunderbirds keep their F-16s for as many years as possible.)

For the wingtip pylons, 36270 is probably correct, although in 2001 I suppose its possible they were still 36375. Since the 414th weren't doing the standard repaints I'm not completely sure. For the ALQ-188, 36118 looks right to me and is what I use.

I believe the color is 35109. Model Master HAD a spot-on one. It's also available from Hataka, AK, and Mr Paint. As for x5102, Mr Paint has 15102, and Model Master, again, used to have it.

As Jens stated there have been three versions (you're looking at the second version). To concur with everything he said as I go through all my photos, I would say this: The second Flanker scheme seems to have always been dark gray markings (they often have black outlines). I don't see any walkway lines on versions 1 or 2. When the third (current) version was introduced in 2002, it seems they went to all black markings. Some walkway lines appear to show up between 2005 and 2007, and by 2011 it seems to be standard squadron wide (at least for the Flanker). So, yeah, I would say Bull

1. I would say almost certainly no to the lines. TwoBobs did a sheet for this one at that time, and don't show any. Some of the newer schemes have them where older ones don't. 2. Dark Gray, no they wouldn't be any wider. 3. They have tended to go more with black on the newer schemes for the last ten years or so, replacing the gray.

The block 25s were delivered well after they changed the paint sheme from the "new blue" colors to the two-tone green/gray scheme, so I don't believe so.

Forcing manufacters to charge less will probably not help our hobby from dying. We want them to produce more. Some things are really expensive, but that can be mitigated by shopping around. I get kits at affordable prices when Spruebrothers has a sale, and once or twice a year I make a large order from Lucky Model which has great prices. Ebay is not an easy way to get good prices, it takes a lot of waiting and watching to get a good deal.

This website hasn't been accurate in at least three years. There are items on there that we know were discontinued years ago. It's really just a matter of what stocks retailers still have.

I've always used their own thinner, but I am looking for alternatives as I expect that thinner will eventually be discontinued.

Lies? After using MM for 35 years, and trying almost every other paint manufacturer, I haven't come across anything that's closer. It may not be perfect in all cases, but no other brand has been near as close.

Are you still looking for these? if so, I can hook you up with the 1/72nd part.

There's the book F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Enduring Freedom

36076 would be the closest, but lacks the effect of 36170.