Tony T

The earliest I could find was for a Block 15 AFRes jet: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/SS32205?result-token=Lx33E Microscale must have done some back in the day for early Hill and Nellis aircraft, so trawling ebay etc might turn up something. Tony

Just caught up with this. So, unless hijacked or blown-up by some Houthis, the Mirage 2000C should be available again quite soon. There's the Aerocraft windshield to add to a cut-and-shut fwd fuselage, and some amazing gear from ResKit which I might just be competent enough to incorporate. All very exciting. Tony

That all makes sense, but why not a less than wild card of a very British subject like the E E / BAC Lightning, though I fear a Lightning II F-35B if they do a jet. A Beaufighter is just too big, but not impossibly so. Very local and personal for me, so I would buy one. Net game is that another Spitfire is most likely, so a Griffon one would do it. But a Merlin Vb maybe more likely. Tony

Despite valiant efforts at stash reduction I still have 9 x EE/BAC Lightnings in three scales, 9 x MiG-21s in two scales, 7 x McDonnell F-4s in two scales, 4 x 1:32 MiG-29s and a few doubles. But I only have 1 of a lot. Tony

Love the clean finishes and subtle weathering on your models Tom. Lovely Hunter. Yes, it's a grossly underrated kit. Tony

Post-script: The European Revell releases come with just the Swiss markings, no Aggressor schemes. I think we're better off going the Storm Factory/Zimi route for a pointy nose F-5E as it has both noses in the kit. I recall there was something about the leading edge extensions needing trimming back and the 'pit tub being a little shallow, but all doable. But we do need the Bort numbers (and crew names) in decal form still, like these Navy ones: https://www.largescaleplanes.com/reviews/review.php?rid=462 Tony

Thanks Stefan. It's the irreversibly altered Hasegawa with the later shark nose. The Nellis scheme looks good although I, too, want the Alconbury Tiger option. I might buy one of these if it's repopped sometime soon. Cheers Tony

What's wrong with brass? T

There was talk of Two Bobs doing an Alconbury "grape" decal sheet based on their 1:48 Alconbury Gomers set... https://www.twobobs.net/contents/en-us/p678.html ...but alas that seems to have died. With the Zimi/Kittyhawk repops I'm still hoping this may be resurrected or something similar emerges from Caracal or another firm. As Thierry points out, a set of Bort numbers and serials would be handy. We could then just paint what schemes we wanted. Tony

Still think they should show some b***s and do a 1:24 Lightning F.6 or Spey Phantom FG.1 Tony

Continued... To help pick one with suitable markings, taken from JoeBaugher's site: McDonnell RF-4B-41-MC Phantom 157342 (MSN 3689) 1977-79: VMFP-3 as RF-610. VMFP-3 as RF-27. 1990: VMFP-3 as RF-00. To NADEP Cherry Point Aug 10, 1990 for storage. Converted to QRF-4B drone. Now at Havelock, North Carolina, falsely painted as 157347, on loan from National Naval Aviation Museum. 157343 (MSN 3704) with VMCJ-2 crashed on landing at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina Feb 2, 1973. 157344 (MSN 3717) VMCJ-2 as CY-2. 1974-75: VMCJ-2 as CY-1. 1976: VMFP-3 as CY-20. 1976: VMFP-3 as RF-20. 1977: VMFP-3 as RF-611. With VMFP-3 crashed near Tokyo due to engine fire Sept 27, 1977. 157345 (MSN 3735) 1976: VMFP-3 as RF-21. 1978: VMFP-3 as RF-21. 1979: VMFP-3. 1982: VMFP-3 as RF-117. VMFP-3 as RM-30. VMFP-3 as RF-30, MCAS El Toro, CA. To AMARC as 8F340 Aug 1, 1990. 157346 (MSN 3749) VMCJ-2 as CY-4. VMCJ-3 as CY-00. VMFP-3 as RF-14. 1978-79: VMFP-3 as RF-611. 1983: VMFP-3 as RF-31. 1990: VMFP-3 as RF-31. To NADEP Cherry Point for storage Aug 10, 1990. Converted to QRF-4B drone. Now on display near the golf course at Cherry Point, North Carolina, on loan from National Naval Aviation Museum. McDonnell RF-4B-43-MC Phantom 157347 (MSN 3849) 1974: VMCJ-2 as CY-4. 1979: VMFP-3 as RF-32. 1983: VMFP-3 as RF-120. 1984: VMFP-3 as RF-32. With VMFP-3 crashed into sea off San Diego, California May 9, 1990. Both crew ejected safely. 157348 (MSN 3870) VMFP-3 as RF-34. 1978: Naval Air Test Center. 1985: VMFP-3 as RF-33. To NADEP North Island for storage Aug 10, 1990. Converted to QRF-4B drone. Now at NAF China Lake Museum, California, on loan from National Naval Aviation Museum All 7 of these are thick wing/wheeled flat-nosed RF-4Bs. As mentioned previously, many of the mods, such as the DECM lumps and bumps, came along during the early-mid 1970s Project SURE (sensor update and refurbishment), longer jet cans being very late, though IIRC both types of nozzles were included in some Revell editions. HTH rather than confuses, Tony

BuNos 157342 thru 348 (7 airframes*) had the thicker wing and flat nose à la Revell), but there were other differences cf RF-4C as Thierry points out, namely: slotted stabilators, DECM waveguides & antennae on intake shoulders and other DECM bumps, longer jet cans, catapult bridle hooks, carrier compatible NLG door, Navy style MLG wheels, right fwd fuselage AAR probe and commensurate curtain over rear right cockpit sidewall. Some of these were retrofitted so it's best to study photos. HTH Tony *157343 & '344 crashed in 1973 and 1977, respectively, so rule those out unless you want a later Vietnam era jet. .

I'd be quite happy to be running IL-2 Sturmovik or Total Air War on Win XP again, but that era ended for me over twelve years ago. Everything since has either required massive investment in hardware or is too playstationlike, so I've been grounded since about 2010. Just writing short stories now, which doesn't require an Nvidia Gforce graphics card or HOTAS. Tony

Quite seriously, I would definitely buy one in 1:48 and would very likely succumb to one in 1:32. That and a late model Halifax, or Halton. And all of those and a Vulcan B.2. Might not be room for anything else! Tony

Yes, 924th TFG at Bergstrom AFB, Texas. Companion 301st TFW unit was the 457th TFS at Carswell AFB, tailcode TH. I can't believe all that was now 35-40 years ago. Tony