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Australia/NZ Wings Group Build


Would you participate in this GB  

39 members have voted

  1. 1. Would you take part in this Group Build if it goes ahead

    • Yes
    • No
    • Yes, if it includes civilian types.


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I have a custom set in 1/72. Might have a spare. I could ask the maker to do another run. Might not be cheap.

If you do have a spare set I'd defs be interested in buying it off you!

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  • 2 weeks later...

:D, Just giving this one a bump so that any new mwmbers who might be interested can see the proposal. I've had a couple of PMs about whether captured aircraft that were used by Australian or New Zealand forces would be eligble and I can't see why not. These types were either used for testing purposes or as hacks and sometimes even in a frontline role (eg the Henschel Hs-126 captured by 450 Sqn RAAF in Libya which was sometimes, albeit rarely, used in a FAC and short range recon role but more generally in the hack role. This unit also captured a Bf-109F and a Macchi MC 205 Veltro until the British found out they had them and demanded they be turned over to the RAF for testing. These would also be eligible and I've seen a pic of the Veltro which was brand new when captured, had only 45 minutes in the log. Unfortunately I can't remember the serial or markings, it's been some years now since I saw it. I sure other members know of other types that were cptured and used in some way by the Aussies and Kiwis during wartime.

:cheers:,

Ross.

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Hi Guys,

Brand new to the Forum, and just started my first build (b-17) in over 15 years. I'll be in on this GB for sure and have added my vote.

Am currently thinking a Mirage III might be nice in 1/48 if I can track down the right kit :)

Cheers,

Jim

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I've been adding to my stash in preparation for this GB, now there's a Skyhawk and and F-4E (though I'll probably build that in the Phantom GB), along with other possibilities...

Though I am very curious, are there any "distinctively Australian" differences to the RAAF Mirage IIIs in comparison to IIIs of other air forces? Or phrased a different way, what's the best kit to start out with in 1/72 to do an RAAF Mirage?

I'd have a similar question for the RNZAF experts, too - is there much that needs done to the Italeri MB 339 kit to build an NZ bird out of it?

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I've been adding to my stash in preparation for this GB, now there's a Skyhawk and and F-4E (though I'll probably build that in the Phantom GB), along with other possibilities...

Though I am very curious, are there any "distinctively Australian" differences to the RAAF Mirage IIIs in comparison to IIIs of other air forces? Or phrased a different way, what's the best kit to start out with in 1/72 to do an RAAF Mirage?

I'd have a similar question for the RNZAF experts, too - is there much that needs done to the Italeri MB 339 kit to build an NZ bird out of it?

Hi Litvyak

HiPlanes do a very good Miracle in 1/72. There has been some criticism of the panel lines, but I think they will look OK under a good coat of a decent primer.

Ian

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:D/>, Hi Litvyak,

the only real diffs between the Australian Mirage IIIO and other nations Miracles was the doppler radar cover under the nose and an undercarriage difference that I'll descrbie further down in this psot. I believe the Aussie birds had a smaller antenna than others so the cover was flush (well almost flush, it stood about 6mm or so proud of the undersurface). As Ian has said, the High Planes kit is very accurate and the old Frog kit isn't too foul either accuracy wise. There is also the old Revell kit with its Atar 9C engine. Both these latter kits have the parts to do an Aussie IIIO or one with the larger antenna. One small detail that many modellers perhaps won't know about is that the brake calipers on the IIIO sat vertically on the strut and not horizontally as depicted in the Frog and Revell kits. On a never completed model that I still have parts of somewhere I cut the calipers off and mounted them correctly on the lower portion of the Frog main strut which is more accurate than the Revell one then cut that up and mounted it to the top of the Revell mainstrut as the Revell ones were far more in scale than the Frog ones and also the lateral and longitudinal jacks are more fine and accurate on the Revell struts.

BTW Ian, Frontline seem to be out of the Mirage kits at the moment.

:cheers:/>,

Ross

Edited by ross blackford
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I haven't seen this mentioned but are Bomber Command aircraft with Aussie or NZ crews/crew members included in this? I recently finished researching a Wellington crew that was lost over Holland in '41 and want to do a kit in their memory. Their pilot was an Aussie. Thx.

BD

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Hm, that *is* an interesting question. My gut reaction would be to allow that sort of thing, along with other things like No. 75 Sqn RAF that later became 75 Sqn RNZAF after the war... WW2 and earlier can get kinda confusing as to what's what (at least for me!).

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I think if the aircraft was from one of the Article XV Squadrons - 450 - 467SQN RAAF (except 465 that was not formed) and 485 - 490SQN NZ then they should be allowed. After all some of these RAAF SQNs have now been reformed in different roles.

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Well, per my understanding of things the Article XV squadrons would be a given, as they were never RAF units but R(A/C/NZ)AF units. (All RCAF squadrons now were article XV squadrons back when, and if I'm not wrong, all post-war squadrons of the RCAF were as well...)

But No. 75 Sqn was an RAF unit manned by New Zealanders that only became an RNZAF unit after the war, but I'd think wartime subjects should be allowable, too, since it's the same unit before and after, and was a Kiwi unit even when it was part of the RAF... so I'd think, if there were other RAF units manned by Australians and New Zealanders, those should also be welcome... no?

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Well, per my understanding of things the Article XV squadrons would be a given, as they were never RAF units but R(A/C/NZ)AF units. (All RCAF squadrons now were article XV squadrons back when, and if I'm not wrong, all post-war squadrons of the RCAF were as well...)

But No. 75 Sqn was an RAF unit manned by New Zealanders that only became an RNZAF unit after the war, but I'd think wartime subjects should be allowable, too, since it's the same unit before and after, and was a Kiwi unit even when it was part of the RAF... so I'd think, if there were other RAF units manned by Australians and New Zealanders, those should also be welcome... no?

I couldn't see why it shouldn't be included. As it is about Australia and NZ.

but.. i'm not the moderator of the GB.

Brendon

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:D/>/>/>, Hi Litvyak,

the only real diffs between the Australian Mirage IIIO and other nations Miracles was the doppler radar cover under the nose and an undercarriage difference that I'll descrbie further down in this psot. I believe the Aussie birds had a smaller antenna than others so the cover was flush (well almost flush, it stood about 6mm or so proud of the undersurface). As Ian has said, the High Planes kit is very accurate and the old Frog kit isn't too foul either accuracy wise. There is also the old Revell kit with its Atar 9C engine. Both these latter kits have the parts to do an Aussie IIIO or one with the larger antenna. One small detail that many modellers perhaps won't know about is that the brake calipers on the IIIO sat vertically on the strut and not horizontally as depicted in the Frog and Revell kits. On a never completed model that I still have parts of somewhere I cut the calipers off and mounted them correctly on the lower portion of the Frog main strut which is more accurate than the Revell one then cut that up and mounted it to the top of the Revell mainstrut as the Revell ones were far more in scale than the Frog ones and also the lateral and longitudinal jacks are more fine and accurate on the Revell struts.

BTW Ian, Frontline seem to be out of the Mirage kits at the moment.

:cheers:/>/>/>,

Ross

Not a worry Ross, I have one in the stash to tide me over

Ian

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I couldn't see why it shouldn't be included. As it is about Australia and NZ.

but.. i'm not the moderator of the GB.

Brendon

Further on this, I just thought of an Australian example which I'd already mentioned earlier in this thread: for my part I'd also think 'Carolina Kangaroo' would be an acceptable subject, but just barely; as a point against that, though, wouldn't that mean that if you had info that a certain (grabbing out of the air) Lufthansa airliner was piloted by an Australian, that should be acceptable too? That, despite the Aus connection, I would say is *not* in the spirit of the GB, even if a USAF RF-4 would be, because of the Australian aircrew...

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:D, Hmmm. There was a certain diesel engined Junkers Ju-86 with Australian civil rego that flew out here for a short time and IIRC a Messerschmitt Bf-108 with Aussie rego that the German Consul in Sydney used for a while. I'll have to look that last one up to be sure of the facts though.

:cheers:,

Ross.

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I'd have a similar question for the RNZAF experts, too - is there much that needs done to the Italeri MB 339 kit to build an NZ bird out of it?

In 1/72 quite a bit, to the point where aftermarket conversion parts are handy. The nose and tail are different, and the aerial fit needs scratch building, besides the kit itself being very basic.

Here is a WIP I posted on another forum of my RNZAF Macchi build a few years ago. This is the supermodel kit, which is what is in the Italeri box:

http://rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Modelling&action=display&thread=3226&page=1

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Always up for a kit on the barbie.... :rofl:/> Maybe a Mirage III to shake things up!

V/r

Ron

Better make sure you do a good job of it, there are a couple of us here that used to fix them :D

What do you see in my avatar?

If I have time I might build one too, a twin seater.

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Thanks for that link, Mumbles - great looking result for all the trouble it looks to have given you! Someone mentioned a Kiwi Resins conversion set. Is that still available in some form, or is it now pretty well impossible to find anymore?

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Better make sure you do a good job of it, there are a couple of us here that used to fix them :D/>

What do you see in my avatar?

If I have time I might build one too, a twin seater.

Uh-oh! Now I'm gonna have to step up my research with this proposal.

V/r

Ron

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Thanks for that link, Mumbles - great looking result for all the trouble it looks to have given you! Someone mentioned a Kiwi Resins conversion set. Is that still available in some form, or is it now pretty well impossible to find anymore?

Thanks. That forum is a great resource for anything RNZAF anyone wants to ask by the way, as well as Kiwimodeller.com . As for the conversion sets, Kiwi Resins itself isn't around anymore, and the sets weren't plentiful when they were produced 5-6 years ago. Your best bet for finding one would be asking around forums to see if someone has one in their stash. Mine is only one of two 1/72 RNZAF macchis I have seen built, and the only one properly configured; maybe there are still unused sets out there.

Edited by Mumbles
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