Iain (32SIG)

Great subject - that'll be a showstopper Radleigh! Iain

That's looking *really* neat! Iain

Well said! Iain

They look gorgeous Jennings - and lots of fun! Iain

Beat me to it Wilco Kev - there seems to be some interest around these parts in the Privateer these days! Iain

Just playing around with database - can't see Schiffer book - so will add (and try not to break anything!) Iain

Cool - have we got the Schiffer one? Worth doing a couple of quick reviews for the site? Iain

Stunning work! Iain

Postie has just delivered the Naval Fighters book on the Privateer I ordered - and it's superb! A lot of detail in there - well worth acquiring if you like Privateers! Not much on the French Aeronaval airframes - but superb coverage of the airframe and operations with the US Navy. This is one of the most comprehensive Naval Fighters books I've seen at 240 pages and the best reference on this aeroplane I've seen... Iain

That's a lot of firepower! Some of the RAF Coastal Command Libs had rocket rails either side of the nose, some early ones a ventral gunpack. I guess such armament was for use against surfaced submarines and surface vessels... That's the earlier twin-finned, short fuselage, PB4Y-1 - so not as good looking as the Privateer IMHO (interesting they refer to this as Privateer - only seen that on PB4Y-2s, not '1's, which I've always seen referred to as Liberators). Hmmm... Iain

Thanks - hadn't seen that page! There's also http://www.ecpad.fr/les-avions-pb4y2-privateer-et-f6f5-hellcat-de-laeronavale-dans-la-bataille-de-dien-bien-phu/ Iain

Yeah - have that photo in one of the books - glide bombs aside, wouldn't have to do the Erco nose turret on that one! But set on a French one at the mo - memories of building the old Matchbox kit! Iain

Don't have a specific airframe at present Radleigh - depends what images I find - but plan is for an overall Sea Blue Aeronaval bird... Iain

No reason to have separate inserts if they're just going to be plastic? Also - why not have them on main sprues, rather than separate items, if just going to be plastic? I recon these are quick and dirty test pieces done in plastic to test fit, rather than having to cast metal - with final versions being metal. I could be wrong of course... Iain

I've just seen a sharper version of that LV343 photo - can't find it now... Edit - found it - also on Wikipedia: "The crew of a Liberator IIIA, LV343, at RAF Beaulieu in Hampshire in July 1943" Iain