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Hi Graham. I've PMd you a suggestion to consider.

Any Hercules engined Beau kit could deliver that result with fairly minimal conversion or aftermarket. Even the Revell one.

Not well versed in the differences. Are there any other visible ones apart from that big dorsal blade antenna?

That looks superb, and will be a real bonus. Especially if they can carry off that knee guard netting. Most photo etch makes the strands far too thick

This is rather like the old Tornado GR1 RAF attack aircraft which also had a GR1A recce variant (updated to GR4 and GR4A in the early 2000s) which carried an integral internal recce suite, originally designed in the late 70s/early 80s, though with minor upgrades through the years. The introduction of later more capable equipment such as the AAQ-28 Litening pod made the earlier internal systems redundant, and in the Litening's case could be carried by a variety of aircraft, not just the original -1A or -4A variants. The RF-4EJ are recce types while retaining their cannon armed noses. Three different recce sensor pods can be carried; LOROP (with a KS-146B camera fitted) TACER (electronic reconnaissance pod with data link), and the TAC (featuring KS-135A and KS-95B cameras, and a D-500UR IR 9 infra-red system). Thoughtfully the Japanese have made it possible to tell which is which by their fin serial numbers. To keep things simple, you'll notice the JASDF split their serial numbers in two. The first digit of the second group indicates the role, with 6 being for recon, and 8 being a fighter. It's therefore possible to see for example F-4EJ nose number 380 as 67-8380 before conversion in its purely fighter days, but which can now be seen as RF-4EJ 67-6380 The serial change suggests the conversion is more complex than simply attaching an external recce pod, and some modification to the airframe has been made. I'm not seeing your photos either, and the URL isn't an IMGUR one. Try this: call up your image on your screen from your online source. Ignore any handy links you may be presented with, then copy the image address which is a right click option in Windows but will have some Apple device equivalent I'm sure, if required. In your post, choose 'edit', then click 'Insert image from URL' and paste the URL you copied earlier. Save and exit your post. Hope that helps.

As it's a Mustang, would the accolade Tour de Horse be more appropriate?

Legend is that Sue Parish's pink P-40N was a big hit with young girls and women back in the day and they appreciated her resistance to the John Wayne image male aviators had cultivated. You only have to look around at the number of front line female military and civilian pilots today to see that it would be churlish to deny any effect. And why wouldn't sharks wear lipstick? I bet they would if they could. Lady sharks at least. And in a certain light it looks kind of 'authentic'. But I'm reminded of my friend Chris from many years ago. Chris was a sought after motor mechanic and very keen modeller and wasn't overly concerned with what we'd today call 'accuracy'. His view was ''this is an Airfix model Spitfire, that is a FROG model Spitfire and that's a Revell model Spitfire. Each was as good a model as he could make of what it was, as bought. In the early autumn of 1990 just days after they'd flown out, he brought to the club an Airfix Jaguar finished in a lurid pink, which pre-internet and allowing two months delay for the aviation mags to catch up attracted much interest at the monthly club meeting. The shade of pink would have pleased the eye of a PVC dominatrix (or... so I'm told). By the spring of 1991, the Gulf War RAF planes had mostly all come home and were appearing at the summer airshows, and the well weathered reality of ARTF pink could be seen in all it's ad-hoc patched sandy glory on Tornadoes, Buccaneers and Jaguars and looked very similar in the colour magazine photos. Chris was still proud of his lurid latex pink Jaguar he brought in at every opportunity though because 'that was how they looked on the tele (TV) 'when I first saw them'. I can only surmise that the colour saturation on his CRT TV was turned up to 11, but so were lots of others too in those days. Why else have colour and not get the max value from it? Never mind the radiation burns. I still think of him and his healthy attitude when fretting over some minutiae.

The Hurricane and Tempest did not have side access doors. Your confusion may come from some modellers depicting the Hurricane's stbd side detachable service panel off to let more light into the area, but it was never for pilot access. The Tempest and late Typhoon's similarly were canopy access only.

"That would be somewhat ironical don't you think given the 1/32 Hunter kit history! And damned cheeky to boot". Perhaps, but I think all Frank ever wanted was some some design acknowledgement and perhaps a modest financial consideration too. Both of which would be worth Revell's time and money. When I was last seriously working on mine, every time I checked a detail that seemed doubtful it turned out Frank had got it right. The last occasion being the slight upward sweep of the missile duct fairing at the nose end. 'That doesn't seem right', thought I. 'Straight would be more logical'. So I find a photo from the correct angle, only to find it sure was right. The kit is full of similar moments.

File under things that will probably never happen, but stranger things have. Given that the big Revell Hunter is practically an IM version of the Echelon vacform - as Frank was memorably miffed at - it may not be inconceivable that when Cold War jets return to popularity (in the absence of any new real world subjects) a ''tribute' Revell version of the Echelon Lightning could be on the cards. Not saying it is, just that they have form.

Very nice work so far Thierry. Regarding the drawings, I have Paul Monforton's book which is great for later types. But is there any empirical dimensional data or even just the diameter of the spinner back plate available for the Mk I that you know of?

Joe Baugher has this to say about it. "The F-105C was to have been a two-seat version of the single-seat F-105B. The F-105C was intended to be used for advanced training, and the student and instructor were seated in tandem ejector seats underneath a very large single canopy. The second cockpit would replace one of the fuselage fuel cells. All of the combat capabilities of the single-seat F-105B would be retained. In April of 1956, Republic received authorization to build five F-105Cs. However, in October of 1957, the F-105C project was cancelled before any examples could be built or flown. Nevertheless, the F-105C had reached the mockup stage at the time of the cancellation". http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/f105_4.html

I came across this piece of what appears to be promo artwork showing an early concept for the two-seater Thunderchief with a tandem bubble canopy. I have a couple of F-105 titles and a fair number of photos collected over the years, but have never seen this before. I have to say it looks a bit more handsome than the production ones we're more used to.

Great work, and reminds of a time in the late '80s when an F-15 and F-16 were dogfighting right above my house at the time. It was a clear sunny summer early evening, and I can still recall the sudden roars when the burners were on and pointing earthward. As a bit of trivia, I was always confused by why Soesterberg used the CR tail code, when all the other USAFE units had letters related to the base's name (BT=Bitburg, ZR=Zweibrucken, AR=Alconbury etc.). Turns out it comes from Camp New AmsteRdam.

One minor thing to note Thierry, is that due to the thinning of the outer wing the outer gun port rides higher up the leading edge than the inner ones. Below is the best photo I could find showing it.

It's a question of patience. I'd long wanted a P-51A and scanned ebay in vain for months. Then i was alerted to one for sale by a member here on this site at a very reasonable price even with shipping from Canada. I've also been looking for another Echelon Lightning to convert to a straight wing example (F1, F2 or F3) literally for years, before deciding to get a Trumpeter kit and get Iain's, correction set when it becomes available. As you've seen even the Trumpy prices can be insane but back in March I was able to get one on eBay at the original price when it was released plus 10%, which given previously seen prices seemed pretty reasonable. It needs alterations and work, but still easier than scratchbuilding from zero.

Take a look at the many online walkarounds. Prime Portal and Cybermodeler have great reference photos and other info of greater quality and clarity than many old reference booklets with their small lo-res photos and often not the greatest quality printing. Examine the kit and compare features with photos and see what you could improve. Those often solid moulded pyramids just aft of the lower cowling for instance are vents which can hinge open and close, and gun tubes can be easily replaced with suitably sized micro-tube. And burnt stainless steel needle stock looks better than painted. Take it slow and think about what you can do but also what you'd like to do. Maybe not this time, but on the next one or the one after.

I happened across this site today Although that index is only the tip of a very large iceberg, it seemed the one of most immediate interest to the LSP community. No doubt old news for some, but new to me. The example below is a tight, lo-res crop of one of the very large in dimension and data hi-res files available, showing six of VF-102's F4H-1 Phantoms parked forward on USS Enterprise in April 1962. Before they became F-4Bs.

There are some films you haven't a clue if they'll be any good or not, but you take a chance because of who's in them. Ian was one of those whose involvement would persuade you to take a look. RIP Mr. Holm

That Red Arrows red plastic takes me back. I remember ordering one from Argos (a UK chainstore) who were selling them at £9.99 each. I dread to think how long ago that was. Even the shopping centre is long gone now. I'm sure I got some Eduard bits for it too, in the hope of a quick build. The original Hawks look so much better than any of their single seat or long nosed derivatives

Understood Max. And I had a similar conversation with John Wolstenholme when he was doing his build on ARC many years ago. But I have a hankering for an ali skinned natural metal mid '60s example for no earthly good reason other than .... it's there!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the colour and what looks very similar to the Prince of Wales feathers logo suggest this is a Royal Flight example? Specifically (NX89DH) painted as G-ACZE The logo is also painted on the fin.

Thanks Max. It's been at that status for about a week, so I'll start expecting it around early July. Kent's build and attentions looks like they'll help plug some gaps in my understanding of the aircraft in the meantime.

Looking great Max. I have the parts of mine all prepared as well as the Aires additions, I just haven't dared start assembling them yet. I just haven't had the confidence to impress those rivet lines on the nose ring to a high enough standard. For about 4 years....

Does anyone remember how long it took from "accepted for implementation" to actually getting the kit (in Europe)?