Dominic Thomas

Paul, Now you have a potential solution, I would like to see how it looks with models/bombers on it. perhaps you could start a new post to like all these comments together so we can all see how well this approach works.

As suggested earlier, I visited the model show today. In spite of competition from elsewhere (!), I thought it was well attended. I thought the quality of models was up to the usual very high standards and the trade stands provided opportunities to source almost everything one would need to support model making. And the ‘overspill’ hall seemed a little more populated than last year. Sadly, I couldn’t stay long enough to find out who won the various awards. Would I go next year - certainly.

That’s not the way I looked when I got up this morning.

Would you be able to post some pictures?

I think it would have been the B-25 London, in deference to the later M25 🙂 (with apologies to our friends from overseas who may not understand the reference)

Coincidentally, I’ve just finished this : It’s the Hobby Boss kit with 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain markings from Xtradecal. And here, the two together: Neither of these two models capture the ‘sit’ of the real thing in my opinion. That said, neither needed extra weight to avoid tail sitting.

Is that a silver finish on the 56 Squadron aircraft?

According to ‘RAF Commands’, AG488 was a Mustang I which collided with AG403, both 2 [AC] Squadron, at Sawbridgeworth Airfield on 9 May 1942. P/O Gosnell died of injuries & P/O Willett injured.

Very interesting post this. I have had a lot of problems lately getting a decent Matt finish. My question is, does the varnish have to be from the same company as the paints used on the model?

Thanks Randall for the correction. A sad day nonetheless.

Note - this should have been filed in the Aircraft section. Moderators, could you please do that for me? As mentioned earlier, I had the opportunity to fly in a he B-17 ‘909’ in 2011. These are some views of the inside that I took on that flight This shows the area immediately above the ventral turret with the ammunition trays on either side. This is I believe the radio position: Next, the bomb bay walkway, with a fee-paying passenger for scale ! The bomb sight : The ammunition feed for one of the front guns I hadn’t appreciated the colours needed for this in models : Here is a view of the area immediately around the bombadier’s station : And finally, one of the guns either side of the nose : Very sadly, the aircraft crashed in 2019 with the loss of all on board.

Randall, I flew in ‘909’ as well. I’ll put up some pics of the inside details of that as well to help with internal colours.

A few years ago I managed to be able to fly in the B-24 owned by the Collings Foundation. Here are some pics of the inside which may be useful when constructing the new Airfix kit. Most photos are around the bomb bay area. The last photo shows the area below the dorsal turret where a lot of the walls were that peculiar shade of green, which was also found in places around the cockpit and around the waist gun positions. Hope these are useful.

That’s exactly how I feel. I want to get my oldies done and out of the way. I just think if I start on these new Airfix releases (of which I have many), I won’t want to make these old vintage releases. Maybe right or maybe wrong. 🤪

Having seen some comments about the Airfix Eurofighter, I decided to have a go. It went together well and had a full set of air-to-air missiles, so I thought I would make it as an early F2 from 11 Squadron RAF aircraft before they upgraded the software to give it swing role capability. The kit comes with a fairing similar to that found on the FGR4, hence my vague post title. It probably doesn’t compare well with the more recent releases from Revell or Hobby Boss, but I enjoyed it.

Looks really good. I like the silver finish. Well done.

After some debate about my stash with my wife, I took a number of my older kits to the local Men’s Shed. The boxed kits hardly sold at all, so I decided to make a few and put them in the window as well. To my surprise, the made kits have been relatively popular with several selling. This achieves three things. 1. I get to make some of the old kits I had never made before; 2. The stash grows smaller; 3. Peace returns to the Thomas household.

I really like the finish you have achieved on both of these aircraft. The historical information is a real bonus. Thanks very much for sharing.

Good for you and thanks for the update. Now we have more knowledge than we had at breakfast 😊

Looking good. What I hadn’t realised as a) I don’t have the club kit and b) I hadn’t seen the instructions, is that for this 245 Sqn aircraft the last black band on the fuselage is full on one side and partial on the other, so my apologies.

I was just comparing the painted bands with the illustration in the instructions in the background. That shows a full white and a full black next to the sky band for the rocket armed aircraft.

Not my area of interest, but I really like the results you have achieved. Thanks for sharing.

Nice sharp bands, well done you. (check the fuselage bands and how many go all the way around 🙃)

It’s encouraging that Airfix are looking at this. Undoubtedly they will be looking at not just logistics but also waste classifications, processing parameters, and raw and final material properties to name but a few. The greater availability of grants for recycling these days should not be ignored. As far as logistics are concerned, they could do worse than follow the example of computer printer ink suppliers who include prepaid envelopes for the return of empty cartridges. Getting all the waste together in one place has to be a good start. Even an increase of, for example, £1 per kit to include the envelope should not adversely affect sales, surely? I use this figure because my wife informs me that some of her makeup suppliers have costed this facility at £0.62 per pack.

Looks good, well done. I think you have hit the nail on the head though by trying ‘quite a few times’. In considering the amount of time I might have to spend trying to get this new skill right versus the large number of kits I still have to build, the Stash won. This incomplete kit will have to be consigned to the spares box. Thank you for your help.