Tigerfan112

Canno comment on the MiG-29UB.......BUT......I know that there is a UK company working on a 1:72 conversion kit (in 1:72 scale) for the HASEGAWA Mirage F.1 kit. It is likely to be the real mcoy with resin forward fuselage, full cockpit, forward undercarriage bay, canopies, pitot probe etc. Judging by their other stuff it will not cost an arm and a leg either......high quality at reasonable cost Release Date N/K but likely to be this year HTH Tigerfan112

You did'nt mention which scale....I know that Model Alliance do one in 1:72 (with plans to produce a 1:48 scale version) HTH Tigerfan112

I have both kits.......The Revell Monogram kit has the decals as described AND the Lakenheath Tigermeet '98 markings that are included with the RoG kit....The difference is that the Revell Monogram decals are more like aftermarket silkscreen decals (i.e they are shiny) and, therefore, far superior. The Revell Monogram kit also provides an extra weapons sprue (as previously indicated) so it is definitely the kit to go for....only problem is that they are hard to find.....The RoG kit is the more common issue..... Don't forget that several companies produce some very fine decals for the F-15E so

Yep, I missed this too.....I had a quick look at the Dream Model parts when I was home last weekend and failed to spot the obvious error. It is fixable but will require some painstaking work to remove all of the arms and dampeners and then re-align five on the resin rotor hub. Having recently taken several photos of the rotor hub and dampeners on a Slovak example, I too can see that from certain angles there would appear to be six rather than five dampeners.......Its the age old problem of manufacturers having to rush products out to beat the competition and satisfy some modellers insatiable

Tank, Are you telling me that the CD-ROM I sent has already arrived ?....I only sent it (from the UK) on Friday last week !. Anyway, if it has, I am glad you liked it. Flankerman had some nice comments too. :D For everyone else, I too received the Dream Model parts thro' the post...They took around 8 days to arrive HK-UK. They look really good and I would echo Tank's comments....just a pity I had to come back to Bosnia today for another stint.....One day in the summer, I will get a chance to start work on one of these choppers...till then.... :D Tigerfan112

Hi, No....not yet......I have been busy putting together a walkaround disk for those that showed an interest in one. Once these have been completed, I will try and find the time to post a few shots of the salient features that were discussed earlier in the thread. I do not anticipate being able to do this until sometime next week at the earliest. HTH Tigerfan112

AAARRGGGHHHH !!!!! There's never an easy answer.....That's what I 'love' about this hobby !!! I'll get back to you.... :) Tigerfan112

Nice work, Ken...... The Mi-17MD that you produced......Would that be the same work needed for the 'new' Croatian AF examples...? I think they actually have Mi-171s but the helos do have ramps (rather than clamshell doors). A great article that will help me with my own projects. BTW. The Slovak AF walkaround is almost complete....I hope to get the disk in the post this weekend... HTH Tigerfan112

Hi there, I followed the link to the company website (Post #6) and sent them a message, even though the site only appears to be in Chinese.....The web address is Canadian. Before I got a response to this message, I had intercepted Tanks message with the EBay link and accessed the EBay shop. Turns out the EBay shop link is the same guy that runs the Company website so he should have stock !. I sent him a "message to seller" via EBay and ordered the sets that way. It should work OK. Good luck HTH Tigerfan112

I am looking for a Trumpeter 1:35 Mil-8/17 Hip helicopter for an upcoming project. I am willing to buy or, better, trade for one. I have a stash of kits that are now surplus to requirements (mainly Post-War 1:48 & 1:72 but some 1:32 too).....Moving to Norway later in the year so I need to reduce stocks before I go. If you have the Trumpy helo and you want to trade, let me know what you are after, I am sure we can make a good deal.... Please send me a PM Tigerfan112

Tank, Thanks for this.......I just ordered the two Dream model sets and look forward to working with them soon.....they look good.....

'Ken' et al, Update.....walkaround.....I have managed to do a comprehensive walkaround of the Slovak Mil- Mi-17 (including cockpit, cabin interior and engine bays). There are far too many photos to post on the thread....I intend to post only those that answer your specific questions on cockpit coaming, additional armour and external tanks....I am, however, happy to supply you with a CD-ROM of the rest in due course so please provide me with a PM giving your personal mailing address. HTH Tigerfan112

Hear Hear "MiG 31"......There's no pleasing some of the whining "Shake and bake" types out there.......Some folks just need to get a life and realise how lucky they are to get some quality kits of subjects that other manufacturers would'nt dream of touching......Who would have thought we would get all-new 1:32 Swordfish, F-100D etc and 1:48 F-105s and MiG-17s.....???......There is more to life than the "challenge" of a Tamiya kit.....Where's their spirit of achievement in kit-bashing something with a few flaws ??? Like I say....Bravo !! Tigerfan112

Yep........and you will need to BPT pay big bucks.......I recently watched two sets sell on Ebay.UK for 85 & 90 USD respectively !

Your request and those of Ken are noted....I will see what I can do wrt reference shots of the interior etc and let you know in due course. The whole cockpit area does look very different to that I observed yesterday afternoon on the Serbian Mi-8 Hip that is preserved in the Aeronautical Museum of Belgrade. This cockpit was quite basic in comparison. It also had noticeably different saddle tanks to those fitted to the Slovak machines, indicating its age. WRT the Slovak aircraft, they do indeed only feature two rows of flare dispensers on the upper rear fuselage, adjacent to the national marki

STOP ! - I think it is a litle more complicated than that. I hope to complete a comprehensive 'walkaround' of the Slovak aircraft in the next week or so and will concentrate on the 'new' tanks....I think they are larger in every dimension but hopefully the reference photos will answer this question and help you with your project...I hope to get them uploaded before the weekend. Cheers Tigerfan112

Oliver, Yep......The 'digital scheme' is the one I want to do..... I was also considering the Trumpeter 1:35 kit but did not know about detail sets for it.....I may now have a look at this option too....

Some pics of Slovak Mil-17 Hips currently serving with EUFOR in Bosnia i Herzegovina, which may prove of interest.............. It would be helpful to know which kit is recommended in order to complete one of these helicopters......I think the digital camo is going to be quite a challenge... Tigerfan112

I would like to build one of these Slovak Air Force Mil-17 Hips, currently serving with EUFOR in Bosnia i Herzegovina. I guess the best kit is the HB Mi-8/17 kit ?. I would be grateful if any Russian aircraft experts out there could confirm this and advise on any aftermarket sets that may be available too. Many thanks :D

P.S. Send me a PM and I will send some images that I have on Croatian Mil-24s HTH Tigerfan112

Agreed, the vast majority of photos I have seen show the aircraft in service with the Croatian Air Force (both during the War of Independednce and after) with a pretty basic fit, in terms of armanent and DAS. I am not sure where the aircraft originated from (Ukraine or East Germany have been quoted) but their hasty delivery in a clandestine manner precluded any comprehensive SOR being produced at the time.

Hi there, I would recommend being a little patient !. Trumpeter are about to add a 1:48 scale F-100 to their range and, providing this is a good kit, is bound to generate renewed interest in the aircraft. I feel sure that one of the more enterprising European decal manufacturers, that can see beyond the USAF options that will no doubt flood the market, will produce a couple of sheets to include French, RDAF, Turkish and other NATO examples ......Rue the day that Aeromaster and Eagle Strike changed hands....they are sadly missed for they would surely have these planned by now. Tigerfan112 ;)

Send me your PM details and I will send you a load of walkaround stuff done by a colleague of mine.....This should hopefully solve the issue for you... HTH Tigerfan112

Hi Blune - Thanks for your 'defence' - I felt sure that I had checked and NOT found your location before I left my original response. I'm pleased to see your original request has generated some responses from others. I would really like to be more helpful but right now I am away from home (working in Bosnia) otherwise I could quote you chapter and verse on the colours from my extensive references - The Middle East Air Forces are a favourite of mine. Azure Blue is quite a 'controversial' colour in UK circles - maybe not as controversial as Duck Egg Blue/Green (let's not go there !) but there ca