General Melchett

Gwen, You got it at a bargain price. The book is still a good investment as to my mind it's the most comprehensive Vulcan book available (from the modellers perspective). It was a huge help during my research for the new Airfix kit as it includes every possible detail variation, individual airframe history and modifications, aircraft movements between squadrons and tech data. Bottom line, I think your boyfriend will find it very useful. You mention him replacing the upper surface of the nose but unfortunately the lower suffers from the same issue, although it's easier to sand

Hi Gwen, I'm afraid there aren't any profile views in the book. I know exactly what you're talking about as I have the Aeroclub kit too and spent a long time modifying the nose to get the shape right. In the end I stopped, before burning through the thin vac styrene having being given the prototype 1/48th Icelandic Fine Arts resin kit from Alan Wilson (which had the same issue with the nose but overall a lot more accurate (and, of course, newer) than the old Aeroclub kit. It's quite hard to find accurate profile drawings of the Vulcan's nose, most, like the two kits mentioned, have them too b

Thanks guys, agreed, Vulcan 607 is a great, inspirational read. If you want the ultimate guide to the Vulcan Mk2 that includes every variation of the aircraft throughout its life then get hold of a copy of Craig Bulmans 'The Vulcan B.Mk2 from a Different Angle', a superb reference work. Every Vulcan period is covered along with squadrons, equipment and final disposal. Thanks AD-4N, the Vulcan made a pretty good show of itself when displayed due to it's power and that large wing. I remember watching them at UK airshows in the mid 60s and being blown away by the noise and maneuverabi

Thanks Dutch, that's very kind of you. Dave, thanks, yes this issue includes three nose configurations, two nose cones, one completely smooth, the other with a recess for fitting either just the TFR pimple, just the IFR probe or the IFR probe and TFR. Also included are two styles of exhaust jet pipes (Olympus 201 and 301), three styles of counterpoise ECM panel, (that fit between the rear end of the underside engine tunnels, either single or a pair, depending on the airframe), two tail fin caps, one the original smooth style and one with the rectangular AR18228 Passive W

Thanks guys, appreciated.

Hi all, been a long time since I've posted anything here, so thought I'd share one this with you. This is a model I finished for Airfix Model World, a few months ago and it featured in the March edition of the magazine. It is, of course, Airfix's all-new Avro Vulcan B.Mk2. Early in the project I was asked by Airfix to provide research for the kit, in particular detail photography, aircraft history and to select the colour schemes to be used. As for the kit itself, it was a pleasure to build, however there were a few annoyances (and minor omissions) along the way, which I covered at length in t

Thanks guys, appreciated.

Hi guys, it's been a very long time since I posted anything here so hopefully this will be first of many, in this case an early test shot of the much anticipated 1/72nd Airfix Buccaneer S.2C that I built back in June and appeared in last months issue of Airfix Model World. A great little kit with excellent fit, good detail, easy assembly and an accurate overall shape, thanks mainly to LIDAR, though there is a slight issue with the shape of the rear tailplane fairing which should be a smooth cone on the S.2C. The Buccaneer was fitted with three styles of rear tailcone fairing during it's life a

Great breakdown Gabor, MV just seem to improve with every kit, the details are certainly more refined than with the earlier kits, (particularly noticeable with the instrument panel here). I'm sure new moulding techniques have helped a great deal. Ha, I think I have about the same amount of tweezers. I bought some Dspiae products at the MK show at the weekend including tweezers and single blade nippers, not cheap but superb quality. Add to that the now necessary reading glasses and headband magnifier and you know you're getting old!

Look forward to your impressions Gabor. Strange not to release at least a few kits at the show but that's MVs (or BG) decision, may well be an opportunity missed. The An-225 is something else...I have several friends with orders in to buy the monster, personally, I'd be tempted to add an Amodel Buran to really top it off.

Unfortunately it falls on the same weekend as the Milton Keynes show over here and I have meetings with folks already booked. ...Next year, however, is a different matter, I shall be there... Ha...you go get 'em Gabor...(I'd love to be there to hear the answer to the first one, but then again I think we know already 😉)

Must agree Gabor, as you know I'm also really looking forward to this one, so many scheme options......enjoy Moson my friend, wish I could be there. Andy

Thanks guys, your comments are appreciated as usual. There really isn't much need to weather these aircraft as they were kept pretty clean by the hardworking ground crews....so the decision not to do so was quite easy, (in fact I haven't weathered any of my white V-Bombers for that reason)... Thanks again, Andy

Thanks guys, glad you like it, not a bad kit but needs a fair bit of correcting to get just right...Neo, the white finish wasn't really much of a problem to be honest..it's automotive acrylic decanted into the airbrush and applied in multiple layers at about 20 psi. Thanks again, Andy

The kits vortex generators were sliced off and replaced using thin card after the fin flash was put in place, (much easier than trying to fit the decal over them!!). I also added the mainplane topside ones too..these are missing on the kit, The kits nose gear bay is pretty empty and needs a fair bit of extra work to improve including retraction struts, steering servos, door retraction stays, pipwork and electrical points amongst other things, One of the worst parts is the main gear bay doors as the interior surfaces are completely fictious, so I've added the dished inner skin and extra r

Well after a fair a bit of work (see 'wip'),this first one is finally done. It's a good kit to be fair but like the earlier Nimrod and big TSR2 it has a number of errors that really need fixing prior to completion. However once these are done it does undeniably looks like a Valiant. Airfix are to be congratulated on taking this one on, thankfully it's a quantum leap over the Mach 2 offering too. I wanted to do something a bit different for this first one and so after a bit of research decided that the special RCM Valiants of 199/18 squadrons of the late 50's would make for an interesting subje

Great picture Kresimir!, I've seen many SU-27 displays over the years and they have always been spectacular, my favourite was a Ukrainian aircraft again at RIAT. Before I attempt the Bear I'm just in the process of finishing my favorite Soviet era jet, the TU-22 Blinder KD missile carrier. Using the old ESCI/Revell kit as base I've highly modified the kit to be accurate, (also on the table is a Trumpeter TU-16 Badger C and Amodel 3MN 'Bison' bomber........HUGE!!!), I will of course post when finished... All the best, look forward to your next project..... Andy..

Hi Kresimir, that Bear looks beautiful and one I hope to build myself soon!, I was lucky enough to have seen the TU-22 M3 fly twice over here in the UK..once at the Farnborough air show in 1992 where it displayed on one day and once again at the RIAT show at Cottesmore in 2000 where it only came in and left at the end of the show. Both times the aircraft was spectacular to say the least especially the high speed run at Farnborough , wings fully swept climbing in full afterburner!! As you say they look really nice in the box..it's only when you start to build them that you realize how much

Nice job Kresimir, I did one of these last year, great kit but as is usual with Trumpeter has it's share of errors!, I can't believe that you had to re drill all the rivets out!!, mine were just fine and took the washes well, maybe you were just unlucky!, All the best, Andy Here's the one I did, I only put these up to these to show that the rivets were OK,

Like Ken I was there, only we were right alongside the area where the collision occurred!...I had only bought a new camcorder the day before and what a way to learn to use it!!. Sadly after I took the footage a Jaguar pilot who had missed the event asked to see it and he managed to press record instead of play so the whole thing was wiped out!!.. :) oh well. Interestingly some of the wreckage including most of the cockpit of one of the aircraft is on display at the UK's Norfolk and Fenland museum. (Obviously it goes without saying that if someone had been killed or injured this would not hav

Nice job Chris, I've also got one of these beasts nearly finished, lovely looking aircraft! and quite a good size for the scale. It compliments the Trumpeter kits and to be honest is just as good especially as it's an old kit. I notice that Revell are re releasing it this year so I may well get a few more to finish in different configurations and schemes ...Indian navy?. (The only thing I changed was the undercarriage which I 'borrowed' from a trumpeter kit as it's a lot more detailed.) Andy

Thanks for the comments guys, it's a pleasure to build some of these strange russian beasts, and I have several more planned. Both myself and Ken have built the 1/72nd Amodel M-50 monster and can highly recommend the kit though they do take up a little shelf space and are a bit on the pricey side. I'm just wading through their 3MN Bison which is a different kettle of fish really being quite a bit cruder..........but more of that later, Cheers, :P Andy....

Hi there, this is my modified 1/144th Anigrand resin model of the M-50 Bounder that has had a complete overhaul to bring it up to production M-52 standard.The M-52 was to be a supersonic missile carrier development of the basic M-50 test vehicle design to compliment the TU-95 Bears able to deliver two heavy air launched missiles against carrier group shipping, airfields or land based industrial targets I used drawings and plans from various sources including a couple of friends at a few Russian sites to try and make it as accurate as possible. Sadly the Anigrand M-50 model is way out shape w

I'd certainly like to contribute to this GB. Matt was always extremely helpful when it came to modelling matters and always willing to help. Just before Xmas he kindly sent me a set of decals for my 1/48th Vought F-7UM Cutlass build that he had been following enthusiastically as the F-7U was a favourite of his. I mentioned that I didn't have a usable set for the build and in a flash he said that he had one going spare and would send it to me ASAP, which of course he did!..Though I offered to pay for the set plus airmail he wouldn't hear of it and so it duly arrived a week later. As way of a tr

Thanks again guys, got a lot more weird and wonderfuls planned and in production for this year and yet more big Soviet 'heavy metal'...