nzgunnie

Good quote, one of my favourites. The outboard weapon pylons aren't any more wrong for the I, than they are for the NZ. That is they are missing the rear support structure, which is the triangular shaped bracket that sticks out the rear end. The NZ and I have different support structures (the I being larger and more solid to support the Penguin Wing Lanyard System), but since the pylon is missing it, scratch building one is no harder than the other. You see the outboard pylons have two basic configurations: Penguin, and Torpedo. The Torpedo configuration use

Those are SH-2G(NZ) aircraft which were never Australian aircraft, but were new build G airframes built for NZ. The RAN purchased remanufactured F airframes, designated SH-2G(A), which are now designated SH-2G(I) and have replaced the SH-2G(NZ) in RNZAF service.

If you are building a Mk-46 torpedo, it would have a Mk31 air stabiliser if prepped for SH-2 use. The blades of the props remain exposed, although they are held from rotating by a large O ring looped around them and wired to the retaining screw for the air stabiliser. This wouldn't be noticeable in 1/48 though! There is a slightly different configuration for the arming wires depending on whether it is prepped for the inboard or outboard pylons.

The SH-2G(I) in NZ service is almost identical to the configuration they existed in when called SH-2G(A). There is a small difference in the instrument panel, with the MDLR card loader moved from the IP to behind the pilot's head and additional standby instruments added. Externally the only real difference is the addition of decklock replacing the RAN's RAST system. Currently the I is even painted the same, with the only changes to the markings being the replacement of Roo roundels with Kiwi ones, and the change in tail numbers. Currently there are some random NZ (commo

I can confirm the additional exhaust vent is for the ECS, one of the changes between the NZ and the I. The APU is in the same place on both types, and is similar, except that the I model is actually an APU as it has a generator on it, while the NZ is really just a GTC for bleed air.

Another vote for the Aqueous color range. But I wouldn't thin with water. Tamiya X20A or Mr Levelling thinner is the way to go for airbrushing. Some colours take quite a long time to cure, more like enamels than acrylics, but once cured they are very hard.

As noted above, tamiya flat base is not a flat coat, but a medium that is added to gloss paints to dull them down. It doesn't matter what you thin it with, it will still dry frosty because it is not a flat coat. I have read of people having success spraying a coat of future or other gloss coat over it, then using a proper flat coat after that.

That is simply stunning. Right down to the MHU-191 weapons skid, that low angle photo of the guy pulling it along and carrying his cranial in the other hand looks real.

I use the Aqueous colour paints a lot, and I've had great success thinning it with X20A, Tamiya Lacquer thinner and Mr Colour Levelling thinner. It does take a few days to cure fully, I've had the finger mark problem as well, but once cured it is rock hard and far more durable than Tamiya paint.

Kelly would have flown all the A4s in service during her time at Nowra and Ohakea. We didn't have that many, and they weren't assigned to particular pilots.

Was really hoping for a G, as shown in the CAD drawings.

Except that never happened. It looked good in weekly magazines about the conflict, but it was never actually done.

I have the official RNZAF finishing scheme drawings for the SH-2G(NZ) if these are of use to you making decals, Let me know. Also, ny photobucket album has a lot of images that might be useful: http://s1233.photobucket.com/user/pgarmonsway/library/Seasprite?sort=3&page=1 I'd love to see a decent set of decals available.

Definitely dark green.

And yet it works very very well. Gunze (and Tamiya) acrylics thin very well with both Tamiya lacquer thinner and Mr Color levelling thinner. I mostly use Tamiya X20A, which can be purchased on ebay reasonably cheaply in the 250ml bottles. Gunze's thinners are also available on ebay in the 400ml bottles, both the acrylic thinner and the lacquer 'levelling' thinner.

It is designed to be flexible so it doesn't peel off the inside of the polycarb boddy shells. It does go on rough and quite matt, as it's designed to be used on the inside of a shiny clear body shell.

Humbrol 66 is a very dark grey, Tamiya NATO black is pretty close, maybe a bit darker. I wouldn't use an actual black though, it is definately a dark grey. Model Master make an 'aircraft interior black' that should be about right.

I use the 'that looks about right' method, but use somewhere in the range of 30% - 50% thinner, depending on what I'm doing. I usually use Gunze or Tamiya acrylics. Thinning ratio depends on the air pressure too, and whether I'm doing large areas or fine detail work, there really isn't one answer that covers every sitiation.

Thanks Steve.

Some years ago I bought the Black Box F/A-18A Cockpit set with tailfin conversion (set CS32011) for the Academy 1/32 Hornet. Unfortunately I seem to have lost the instructions. I was wondering if anyone out there might have a copy they could scan and email me? TIA Phil

The MA decals I have are completely the wrong colour anyway - they are green! The correct shade should be FS35237 greyish blue.

Well I used to work on them (post Kahu in the mid - late '90s), and it looks pretty spot on to me. Very good colours - what paints did you use? I have a couple of Hasegawa A4s to build 'one day' and I'd be keen to know. The only little point I'd make is that I don't think you'd have seen a CATM-9L on a pre kahu aircraft, but I'm not 100% sure on that, we may have replaced the older CATM's (G models) while some aircraft had been through the conversion and some hadn't. The deal for the Lima was signed in 86, but I don't have a date that we took delivery. As for the question above about how to

I've been using Tamiya white surface primer through my Iwata HP-CP and I've been thinning it with Tamiya Lacquer thinner. Works fantastically.

US Navy still use Practice Multiple Bomb Racks (PMBRs)? I thought we were the only users left in the world (hence it's so hard to get parts).

+1 I agree, best option really as the last RNZAF boxing I saw went for silly money, you could no doubt pick up the E boxing and the Gekko Graphics decals and still have change.