tarlucan

Tamiya has also released a new mold A6M3 which is based on their excellent A6M5 - kit no. 61108.

No shots of the under-side so we assume the wonky wheel wells are still there?

Does anyone have any info re the low profile pylons used for air to air ordinance on CFT equiped F-15s such as the 57 FIS or IAF Baz Eagles? Thanks Jon

You don't need to, the front face of the turbine blades is provided on the photoetch sheet and portrays the correct geometry! The kit is truly exceptional although the use of CAD diagrams on the instruction sheet makes the positioning of some smaller parts a little vague but I'm really nitpicking!

On a different form, there was a model of an aircraft type that I have flown operationally. The model was contructed and finished immaculately and weathered with a stunning degree of skill that I coukd only aspire to. However, it did not look like any aircraft that I ever flew!

Battles of Salamis then Plataea. Without them, no Hellenistic influence, probably no Rome. No Holy Roman empire, enlightenment, reformation or western civillisation. Yes, something would have replaced it, but we'll never know what!

The fuselage parts breakdown is to allow for an F3 variant which had a fuselage plug behind the cockpit and an increase in the exhaust area. There will therefore be a new under fuselage part that is longer than the IDS one and has reccesses for Sparrow/Skyflash. As there will be a new weapon sprue for the AAM fit, there is conjecture as to whether seperate sprues will appear for UK AG weapons as the Skyshadow pod was not used by any other European nation.

So in summary, the Hasegawa F-4S has a slatted F-4E wing and is therefore quite wrong? Blimey, if GWH had done that, there'd be uproar!

My 9-13 has it also but it's a faint raised line which should be easy to remove without damaging the surrounding scribed detail.

I'm afraid you'll be a little disappointed with the refs for that period from "Swift to Battle". The sqn arrived there still with some Mk Vs that were in the Desert scheme (dark earth/mid stone) but was in the process of re-equiping with the Mk IX. The desert scheme was gradually replaced with the Temperate Land (dark earth/green) and then Day Fighter (ocean grey/green). 72 was my first squadron but despite spending 2 years there, I never once opened the Sqn history books - ah the impetuosity of youth!

Yep, I was a young Fg Off on 72 Sqn. I once managed to get all four red warning captions on at the same time in 728 but it wasn't in any manoeuvre that was taught at CFS(H)! I served with Dave Coombes on Pumas a little later on.

Blimey, XV728 - that brings back some memories! Just checked my log book to see I first flew her over 22 years ago - now I feel really ancient! Good to hear Dave Coombes still associated with the Wessex; at least I know there's someone even older than me still going from those halcyon days.

I'm planning a 1973 era "Knights of the Orange Tail" IAF F-4E in 1/48; which would be the better reference, the Airdoc vol 1 or the Isradecal book? Many thanks.

Just picked up the Academy F-15i also with the intention of grafting the stores (and other bits) onto a Revell F-15E. My thoughts so far: Instructions a little vague. The two fin top pods are indeed parts N32 but not mentioned anywhere. They are not included in the black “parts not required†box. Incidentally, the Academy tails are more accurate than the Revell ones, which are too tall (by at least 13cm once scaled to full size) from the top of the rudder to the top of the fin (leaving aside the fin top pod). The detail on the Academy fins are also better so given that they are both corre

Simple: If you are eating a meal that requires use of a knife, you keep using it! "using a fork by itself is not correct once the knife (or dessert spoon) have been brought into action" There is a caveat; "a fork by itself is used at fork suppers or for any course that does not require a knife". However, this is absolutely not an excuse to cut with a fork! It's all explained clearly in Debrett's, p136 -143.

Oh this is easy - Travolta's "Battlefield Earth".

Polish, practice and patience. Clean rag, small amounts of polish and small circles. The purpose of spit is to soften the polish slightly to make it easier to work in. There is no quick easy way but in time, she'll be able to get a great result in 20 mins per boot. There used to be a school of thought that you should use tan polish for the penultimate layer as it was smoother and gave a deeper shine but I did have a couple of anal F/Sgts in those days! Blimey, nearly 30 years ago, where did the time go!

"It would be interesting to see the reactions if the name on the boxtop was Trumpeter and not Hasegawa". If it were Trumpeter, it would have riveted armour!

Simple question, which is the best 190A-6 kit in 1/48. I don't want to open any panels but will happily go for Eduard so long as shape and fit are still OK. Are the new Hasegawa better in this respect? Many thanks Jon

The Monogram kit has been re-released by Revell so I'll pick that up and try and find the update set. Thanks for your help.

Which is the best of the LEM kits available, scale is not the issue. Thanks Jon

Clearly the whole low RCS line was a hoax. The jet really uses ERA tiles to defeat all those telegraph poles flung at it by Mr Sukhoi! Also explains why the F117 was less aerodynamic than an M1A2.

Edgar, many thanks. I'm intending to model either a 33 Sqn or 602 Sqn aircraft when they were operating Mk IXs. I haven't found much info on 33 Sqn and may have to pay them a visit to view the sqn history books. Served on the Sqn for 3 years and never once opened the books - the impetuosity of youth! Either that or 72 Sqn - same sorry tale of 2 1/2 years spent in the bar. Jon

Were MSG fuselage codes for Mk IXs 20 or 24 inches high? Thanks

Actually, of all the Aires wheel wells I've done battle with, the F-14 ones needed least grinding. The depth of the fuselage permits much easier fitting, especially compared to the F4 or Lightning wells. Given the slightly odd design of the kit parts (and lack of comparable detail) I think the Aires wells are well worth the effort in this case.