PeepingBear

Italeri's Mirage III E releases (2008 French / Australina / Swiss decal variants, 2009 multi-French decal variants) both are the old ESCI kit, the newer release offers extra tanks ans some external loads. The basic kit is not bad concerning shape and size but needs much detail added all round: Wheel wells are shallow, the exhaust is very simple (no AB pipe, nozzle with too and many too narrow feathers) the cockpit needs at least a resin MB seat (usually mk. IV type, check seatejectcolor.com). Panellines are NOT recessed, just the flaps, and wrongly along the leading edges (too deeply / wid

@ a4s4eva: Beautiful A-10! Congratulations for a gorgeous kit. May I ask which decals did you use on this model? it seems to me these are Italeri's decals, or is this variant (with the lizard and the red angel) also on HobbyBoss' decal sheet? Cheers Jan from Germany

Hi! PM your mail adress to me, I'll send you the pics (RoG 1/48 scale Rafale B instructions) in the following days. HTH Jan Teipel

;) Once more unto the breach my friends! OK, it breaks down like this: The first generation aircraft (until the mid-60es, F-84, F-86, FIAT G.91, ...) of the Federal German Luftwaffe were delivered in bare metal and was later painted in a wavy scheme of olive green and mid-grey uppers and light grey undersides. Early Marineflieger aircraft were painted with the British colours "Dk. Ocean Grey" over "Sky" (Sea Hawk, Gannet). Later Luftwaffe aircraft (F-104, R/F-4) were painted in a unique splinter / polygon scheme that was called Norm '72. The colours used were RAL 6014 "NATO-Oliv", RAL 70

Hehehe... well let's discuss the hard facts on Bundeswehr TSR.2s. During the first 12+ years in service, the Luftwaffe aircraft were painted in the so-called Norm'72: A wide area polygon/splinter scheme of RAL 6014 "NATO-Oliv" and RAL 7012 "Basaltgrau" with the undersides painted in RAL 9006 "Weissaluminium" (A ever-recurring error: As on the R/F-4 and F-104, the underside was NOT painted in RAL 7001 Silbergrau, this colour was used on first- generation Bundeswehr jets and CAS aircraft only.) But Weissaluminium quickly turns greyish due to the elements, so do not paint a worn and w

Hello, I don't want to spoil the party, all hints the others gave are good, considering the gap-filling issue. BUT: If you airbrushed the primer, some fog might have gotten through the gaps. I'd rather not use filler or any powerful (e.g. CA) glue to fill the gaps, with white glue (or Kristal Klear, which is very clean white glue btw) you still have a chance to remove the windscreen, should the need arise later (if there is some paint dust inside). It's much easier to clean up any overspray inside of the cockpit, or on the inside of the windscreen, if you can snap it off. CA-glue in the

@ Hajo & Pinky coffeeboat: The whole fleet will receive (or might already have) the new composite blades. AFAIK, the "lizard"-scheme is intended for all CH-53G(S), but they will get it only when a regular paintscheme overhaul is due. @ Pinky coffeboat: If you want translations - NOT the whole book!!!! ;-) - from the F-40 book, it's on my shelf and I'll help you, your "payment" will be telling me all my errors (I need to practice the English language). Cheers Jan

Hi! 1. Cool start of a building feature! Go! Go! Go! 2. The "Lizard"-scheme is in use with the CH-53G, the GS-variant is still in RAL 6014 (NATO-Olive), AFAIK. This is due to costs. If you want to build a CH-53 in RAL 7021 Schwarzgrau / RAL 6003 Olivgrün / F.S. 34079 Forest Green, you should opt for an aircraft without the ECM-equipment. No. 85+03, was the first aircraft to be repainted in the year 2000. It has the new composite blades and the boxed-in APU exhaust, but neither sponson-droptanks nor ECM. The typical GS is still olive green overall. This might change over time (as Hajo h

Basically, on your picture is a Bundesluftwaffe Tornado in the so-called "Norm '83" (introduced in the year 1983) paint scheme: As Murph wrote, Jens Popp's website will help you: GAF Tornado Norm 83 schemes Be aware, there are two sub-variants still in use, the third variant is used no longer, but might still apply to this special aircraft. The colours are: RAL 7021 (Schwarzgrau) similar to aircraft interior black, a super-dark grey RAL 6003 (Olivgruen) NOT Olive drab, closer to F.S. 34102 F.S. 34079 Forest Green For paint comparison go to IPMS Stockholm's Colour Charts or to this we

A really good loooking Mirage III, your model is an inspiration. Since Italeri has re-released the old ESCI kit two years ago with very good decals, and Eduard is keeping mum on further variants of their kit, it is good to see that a lovely model can be constructed from ESCI's "humble" parts. Cheers! Jan

Hey guys, while this IS a very nice aerobatics video, don't get overly exited about it. That kind of performance isn't exactly new: Just search for Bo-105 aerobatic videos from the 80es! German Heeresflieger (Army Aviation) Captain "Charly" Zimmermann (Two (?) times helicopter flight world champion) flew a choreography that was considered unbeatable by experts from East and West. Maybe you want to see some of his aerobatics on YouTube: , there is even more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LQ7a-KReSU...feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNWCSE9BaW0...feature=related .

Hi, Mikko, I stand corrected, the big bulge under the nose is not a terrain following radar (TFR), just a weather radar. You are right. The NHI website also states this. Cheers, Jan

Yep, that's a FLIR (if you mean the barrel-shaped item). Below that, you can see the TFR's radome, as far as I know. HTH, Jan

For 1/72 scale, I recommend the ESCI kit, once it was sold by Ertl, nowadays Italeri offers it as No. 1247. Hasegawa's kit has errors that are clearly visible and a PITA to correct, e.g. the central frame of the windscreen is much too wide. ESCI's misshaped tailboom is tolerable in 72nd scale, the sliding doors can be corrected with J. Osborne's resin set (or with TLC, just resize the openings and add flat clear plastic). The rest of the kit goes together like a breeze, even the quarter scale ESCI UH-1 is a really close second to Italeri's much younger kit. I think the pilot doors are separat

Hi! Here in Germany you can find acrylic tube with a hexagonal cross section, e. g. with interior venetian blinds. I suppose, this stuff is available separately as well. I found a UK source, so other shops will be offering this stuff as well: Hex acrylic rod With the same cross section as an allen wrench, I believe it is sturdy enough to mount the model aircraft onto the rod through the reheat with a steep banking angle. You'd need just one rod, two or three plastic "walls" inside the fuselage with coaxial heaxagonal holes in them. Then you keep a model without exterior damage, you can sti

@ Icehound: Naah, not the same kit: Once upon a time there was a different kit of the A-Jet from Heller. It is long OOP, in 1/50 scale (clearly discernible when compared to ESCI's kit) and it's quality is a tad better than ESCI's. It has some collector's value, if you want to build an A-Jet, better buy the ESCI / Italeri kit -- not due to the better quality, but due to it's availability. Greetings from Germany, Jan

Hi, Heller's and ESCI's kits are almost the same: Heller did add two short strakes under the nose and two small aerodynamic covers for the rudder actuators, ah -- and two not really nice-looking seated pilots. ESCI's decals are better printed (sharper detail) but can be really BRITTLE! Except from that you get an early-80es style kit with raised panellines, some of them simplified and some plain wrong, The kit has an aceptable outline but insufficient exterior detail. The canopy (1 part, closed) has partially wrong forward frames. Fit of the fuselage parts is, well, interesting, to say the l

I recommend: Buy it, if the price is OK! ESCI's old Huey kit is almost on par with Italeri's much younger kit. You can also find ESCI's kit releaed under Ertl / AMT's label. OK, you don't get 3D instrument panels, but the exterior detail is quite fine and recessed. Some say that it's shape is better than what Italeri offers. Joe Osborne (Firebal modelworks) makes an add-on set for this kit. One weakness is the shape of the windows on the sliding cabin doors. Except from that, a enjoyable build with good results. HTH, Jan

Hi, Greg, want to have a drool at thre Rafale? Look here on ARC: http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....1&hl=rafale. I have RoG's original issue stashed away, but feel the strong urge to buy this enhanced release as well. AFAIK, the F-4 is of old Monogram stock, usually you can't go wrong with them, but it's not Hasegawa-like. HTH Jan

Hello, Vitor, yes, that is one cool-looking Eagle! Try Google's picture search: http://images.google.de/images?gbv=2&h...nG=Bilder-Suche Further options are http://www.airiners.net/ and http://www.f-15j.com/ IIRC, the JASDF squadron that has flown the F-15 Shiro Ruyu has it's own website. HTH, Jan

Harald Hensel is a really friendly guy from Germany. I've ordered from him directly several times. If you e-mail him with your needs, he will surely serve you directly. The website is available in English as well. A flat, under 100 g (approx 3.5 oz, IIRC) letter to the USA costs 4.50 EUR, approx US$ 7. Ask for delivery as an "EINSCHREIBEN" (registered mail, additional cost 2,05 EUR, ~ 3US$) then it is insured against loss / damage up to approx. 35 US$. Customs shouldn't be a problem unless you order dozens of decals at once. You can pay via PayPal. HTH, Jan

Hi, Jennings, glad I could help you. The profile is really nice. You (and BlckShark) are right, the stencil under the flag says: LUFTWAFFE TUPOLEW Tu-154M XXXX, the question still remains: Is XXXX the construction no. or call sign no.? Both kinds of No.s have been stencilled on different Bundesluftwaffe aircraft. Cheers Jan

MSIP = Multi-Stage or Mid-Service Improvement Programme, a systematic overhaul and partial modernization of the AH-64A during the late 80es. AFAIK, the landing gear was visibly changed, surely there were other improvements, but that's a case for literature research. Jon might be willing to give us lots of detailed info on this. HTH Jan

It is definitely not of Fujimi or Airfix origin. Both kits are right here on my desk, they look different in many areas. If ths picture keeps it's promise, this will be the best Lynx-kit on the market. The upper engine area looks quite good, no oversized cabin door rails, correct "pedal-area" window, alas, the wrong scale. Even so: Gimme, gimme, gimme... Cheers, Jan

Hello, Jennings, these links to German websites might be helpful: RC Network website (offers vector graphics of the BLw letters and numbers, browse throught the rest of that website for lots of hi-quality graphics) Lokomotive online website (offers the DIN 1451 font download) The badge of LTG 65 might be hard to find in good quality, as you already wrote, the unit existed only a short time. Some further research yielded no clear picture of the coat of arms / badge of LTG 65, but - it is quite clear what you need: Lower left triangle in gule (red) with the Count of Hardenberg's boarhe