dabhand

Brick red exhausts and 'sky type 's'' undersides - those were the days!

Remember getting this when first issued. Thought it a good kit then. Still looks it now! Thinking back, didn't it include parts to help achieve the wing stagger?

Every now and again, I like to finish a collection of figures. Sometimes Airfix, sometimes not! I am taken with the extent to which YouTube videos appear to influence colours, particularly for 'whole forces'. I am conscious of just how great a variation in unifotm colour can be, especially where the basic uniform is a died cotton eg Japanese WWII or North Korean (of the 1950/53 war), Thinking of the Korean War, the North Korean land forces are said, by a major source) to have worn a khaki-greenish uniform that rapidly faded to a 'light yellow'. Having seen the uniform displayed in the Imperial War Museum, it appears a khaki-grey but may very well be 'as issued' and not subjected to harh sunlight. I know that the bright Korean sun bleached this to what has been termed a 'light yellow', and have noted how this has become the default colour quoted for painting small scale models of north Korean troops. As most troops would have been issued with the 'khaki-greenish' uniform to start, then wouldn't this be the predominant colour to have featured in the field, accepting that some troops may well have displayed a more faded (yellowish-mustard) appearance? And where unit casualties were made good 'in the field' wouldn't uniforms within unit have varied fairly significantly at any one time? I occassionally complete units of Japanese fighting men, and introduce a slight variation in uniform colour to reflect the difference between 'old sweats' and recently joined soldiers. I invite comment as to what colour to depect North Korean units in around the summer periods where cotton based uniforms would have been worn.

Using 'Scalemates' can often show the potential to save money where a 'wanted' kit has been produced by a less fashionable brand of course! Very useful re purchasing via eBay.

I can see the benefits that PE offers for smaller scale kits eg warships.boats etc, but can see no real benefits for larger scale kits especially given the current standrards of moulding. but it's a case of what ever floats yur boat i guess! And just in case I appear totally anti, I have recently used some etched in a 1.48 stuka I was buiding!

Never was taken to replace aptly shaped, if overscale, parts with 'flat' etched parts, Even those metal replacements incorporating 'detail' on otherwise flat surfaces eg large coolant vents/intakes such as on the Ju87 etc. I note some manufacturers pre-paint such parts and wondered if this lead to more problems than solutions eg marching colours used/fixative damaging paint finish/bending [perhaps] flaking such paint off etc. Each to their own for sure, but given the standard of detail often provided on modern injection moulded kits, what advantages do 'etched metal' parts offer?

I have been unable to identify what Humbrol paints to use on my model of an early war Polikarpov I-16. Generic colours are green uppers and light blue undersides. I've looked at the IPMS site which indicates quite a strong light blue underside colour which I take to be close to H047, and a lightish green - not an olive green - for the uppers maybe H120. My research to date has found a number of sites indicating FS number equivalents starting with a '1' which I take to mean a gloss finish. Would a gloss finsh be appropriate? Given the aircraft is a warplane, perhaps not! Has anyone any suggestions? Near enough is good enough!

Bought mine when 'bagged'. Uninspired header picture as I recall. One of the last, if not the final 'raised rivet' masterpieces!

Was and remains quite a good kit. Has raised detail and a 'chunky' feel to it, but fits well and has the look of the aircraft. Beware of the older, basic, series two Mosquito which dates back to the early 1960s.

interestingly, the boxes shown are appropriate given the contents and appear to relate to the size of the parts runners and these, in turn, on the number of parts. And working back, the number of parts then determines the runners required. Hence the growth in box size for what are essentially the same aircraft? I note that box sizes did grow, with the most noticeable change coming with the adoption of the Airfix roundel replacing the plain black stripe - I know there is a nomenclature for the diverse range of boxings used, but I'm sure the older kit-builder will know what I'm on about.

.... all those rivets! I saw a review on Youtube where the builder re-applied these rivets where they'd been sanded off! I like the old Airfix Bomber Command kits - I am not a 'rivet counter' (just as well given the finish of the kits!) and always thought they make nice models. Although don't assume they are easy to assemble - they require care, particularly in the alignment of parts!

I've an Airfix Halifax nearing completion. I've read that a yellow de-icing paste was applied to the leading edge of the wings 'where considered appropriate'. I've seen models of the Halifax BI that have featured neat, solid yellow leading edges which I assume is meant to represent that paste. I assume this to be incorrect as such a paste would probably not be applied so neatly, perhaps having a more ragged and patchy appearance. I wonder if anyone has a reference photograph and/or comment to offer about this.

Can I finish a Crusader III used in the North African theatre around 1943 using bronze green? I've seen guidance showing all over dark earth, dark earth with black camoflague and light tan with light olive green camoflague. The kit I'm building is the Airfix 1/32nd scale take and the instructions, which date from 1975, do indicate an overall green finish. The recent re-issue indicates an overall dark-earth, although the tank represented is of a different unit to that featured in the 1975 kit. Both feature a camoflagued option, with the 1975 issue advising a black over dark-earth finish, and recent one a light olive over tan. Funny, as the finish I'm broadly aware of being that camoflagued Crusaders were a light sandy colour with black camoflague. So. Too much choice! If there were no forum, I'd use an overall bronze green - would this be OK?

in passing.... airfix may have re-boxed the kit as a sea knight in the late 1970s early 80s?

Generally speaking, can '8th Army' figures be used to represent British forces responsible for the defence of Singapore at the time of Percival's surrender? I would have assumed uniforms, equipment and weapons were the same in both theatres of war?

Early Afrika Korps military vehicles wore the dark grey European finish painted over in the light brown desert camoflague scheme. But I have a feeling that the interiors of trucks, half-tracks etc were left essentially dark grey. The paint guide for 'Rommels Half Track' reflects this. I'm finishing the kit of the Krupp Protz truck recently re-released with the PAK 45 in North African colours and would like to know if the interior of the truck was left dark grey. Trucks and guns would I assume also start to reveal the original finish as they weathered in the harsh climate. Can anyone confirm my assumption that such interiors were left grey?

Your models look OK to me. Three Buccaneer - I bet a fair few modellers who have bought this kit have stashed it away rather than assemble it. It is quite large too. I remember it needed a lot of care to assemble and rubbing down too. Looking forwards to the coming Airfix 1/72nd scale kit - due soon?

in passing ..... the figure looks very well done. Gas mask, one of the then new sub-machine guns and lots of stick granades. A Storm Trooper from the March 1918 German offensive? I suspect you modified a figure. Be interested to know if you did and what the base figure was?

The Puma is a good looking helicopter isn't it! Getting quite long in the tooth now though? Nice kit - I do like the Airfix one, rivets and all!

..... an old KP MIG 19 from a well known internet auction site. It was a challenge ti fit together, but nothing that difficult to overcome with a sharp knife, filler and some pictures of the aircraft! It came with the MiG 15, 17 and 21 also by KP and the four were under £10. Airfix? Bofors Gun and Tractor from the model shop as a Vintage Classic. No flash, and presented in a nice sandy colour! Under £10 too which is a great price I think.

nicolasj! when kits were sold by 'modelshops', owners didn't mind your opening the box to have a look. Those days, sadly, are gone! The Airfix catalogue indicates when kits are 'new' or 'reintroductions'. But otherwise, unless you've been buying for some time, it isn't always obvious to spot an 'oldie'. In addition to the suggestion made in the previous response, my I suggest 'scalemates' on online kit catalogue. It shows the history of a kit from first appearance to most recent/current issue. Older kits may be spotted easily even where modern reboxes and reissues have been made. Some older kits do enable you to develop your skillset, especially where the fit isn't great or if you want to improve the look. Some Airfix kits from the mid/late 1970s belong in the 'older kit' list, but they can often assemble very well eg the MRCA (Tornado prototype), Hawk, Skyray, Viking, and these are available at reasonable prices on internet auction sites. As an observation, I've always found Monogram kits to fit well inspite of some dating from the late 1970's. Revell do reissue older kits fairly regularly but generally these are the better ones. With Airfix having increased their quality standards, the older re-issues (clearly indicated by way of the catalogue - see above) are generally good eg the Marauder kit which goes together very well although it does feature raised panel lines. So, use the most recent Airfix Catalogue fo spot which issues that year are to be 'new' or 'reintroductions' and as a general guide the 'scalemates' website.

A 1/24th Defiant would be nice. The turret would be particularly interesting in this scale? Wouldn't the Gnat suit the scale well, and provide many colourful finish options? And a Vampire would be attractive if not as good a potential seller?

The French Army went from the almost Napoleonic dark blue jacket/great-coat and red trousers to 'Horizon Blue'. Having met a re-enactor wearing the Horizon Blue uniform and equipment, it was clear that light blue (Humbrol 65 perhaps) was too light. The uniform was darker though definately a light blue. Why do I ask? The Vintage Classics WWI French Infantry of course! Any suggestions?

I can remember the old Mk.IX Spitfire - single piece wings, left and right, machine gun/canon barrecovered in 'rivets' and moulded in a fetching light blue. Toy or model? Both really - and it must have sold well to have been in production for so long. I tend to view the HobbyBoss 'entry level' kits as the best modern equivalent. Simple assembly results in a robust 'toy' - a bit more care and a reasonable model can be made!

..... in passing, the floppy tracks included in Airfix tank kits are often bent by way of getting them into the box. What do I do to straighten them? I use a low tack tape and fix them to a sunny window letting them hang for a few days. That sorts them out painlessly.