Tony T

I think they overegged the marketing, leading to something between flatulence and disappointment. Really lovely box art. I would buy it if 1:32, but it's in 1:24 Truckers' scale. Am hoping they'll re-release the 1:48 Buccaneer with some canned sunshine options like the WE-177 or its predecessor. With or without a coin saying "bang!" Tony

There's some logic to that especially as it would allow an A/B airframe to be done, but I imagine the extra design and printing time would double the price. It would mean doing both early and later A-7E configurations (seat, DECM). And we'd be at the point of buying the Trumpeter kit for just the wing, which would be wasteful and annoying. ResKit does need to make a Shrike set with Aero 5 launchers (the very different LAU-34 which they do was USAF/FMS). Tony

I was nearly going to pull the trigger on an Infinity Vampire package then decided to get a reality check by reading build reviews. This thread, albeit covering the Val, has saved me £120. Not going to play the lucky dip to see if I get a good copy. Tony

^^^ what he says. Are ResKit tackling the inaccurate ALQ-126 DECM bump aft of the MLG ? Definitely in for one E set. Tony

Airscale seem to treat jets slightly contemptuously as mere paraffin heaters that intrude into the world of high octane man coolers. But yes please if they do venture there. It is equally disappointing that HGW hasn't done generic sets for ejection seats — Escapac, Aces II, Martin Baker 3/4, 5/7 etc. Would be a real treat. Tony

If I buy the ResKit MD-3 I'll put the body next to the 90% finished PWMP and Verlinden for comparison between the three. One other observation: 1960s mules seem to have used fatter tyres/wheels and went to twin rear wheels later (or that is just an illusion) à la ResKit. Lots of unanswered questions. Tony

I buy via Grand Prix Models here in the UK and they said the buckle sets were unavailable. I might try again. Tony

Oh my! So much nicer than my (nearly finished) PWMP and Verlinden DB-3 mules. But $95 each for the ResKit offering. Maybe one for the Xmas list, with some deck personnel. Haven't seen the mules in photographs of SEA land based flightlines, but then I wasn't there. Curious about the no-slip black areas. Was it not ground glass paint, similar to the carrier deck surface? The PWMP kit came smooth and the Verlinden so overly textured that it looked like it's topped with wool rugs, and came with an etched stencil to spray a white number. Have yet to do that bit on both. The ResKit seems to be just right in textured finish, mirroring the kits' extra sophistication, but curiously the instructions say paint those areas semi-gloss black — whereas I'd go for Revell №9 matt anthracite grey, or matt blackboard paint. So good to see this stuff coming out, even if a little too up-market, Tony

Green belts is what I see too Patrick, though the pics I have were of an A-6A simulator. Am so very tempted by the AnyZ knobs / switches and IP decals too which will look really good in the A-6 etc, but am I dreaming about being able to install them satisfactorily? The Quinta route may be less insane. Tony

I tried unsuccessfully to buy some Renaissance etch buckles a couple of years ago via Grand Prix in the UK, who stock their gear. Haven't tried Anyz but they look excellent. Am thinking of using sliced dressmaker's ribbon for the straps. Not sure I'll get sufficiently clean edges but will experiment. It comes in blues and greys etc and is inexpensive, though paper would behave better. Tony

We all have our favourite paints and I think Pantone-matched paint guides printed in colour are sufficient for Axis aircraft. Just match what's printed. It's all so all over the place that every interpretation is partly right, partly wrong. I too use polyurethane "enamel" paints as a first choice but like Revell and Xtracolor more than Humbrol (of which I still have a lot.) Will increasingly move over to Mr Paint acrylic lacquers. Tony

Yes sprue L, unique to the Tamiya E/EJ boxing, contains about 9 critical NLG parts — the clear ones from sprue D are common to all boxings. The L-sprue parts would need 3DP substitutes, possibly amalgamated into fewer parts that might make life easier The early gun muzzle also needs to be done; the Tamiya part isn't quite right. Putting my hybrid C/D/J —> E project on ice until something happens at LFD. Without the NLG door parts I'd still want a nose-only set to replace those ghastly clear parts in the Betty Lou boxing. Especially as LFD were apparently working on a system so that the Tamiya windshield quarter panels are correctly partly inset into the top of the nose barrel. The dropped-down gun breech cover also necessitates a bit of rotary cannon inside. Now in Phantom snooze mode. Have two MiGs to focus on this Summer. Tony

I don't do facebook. I'm considering this, sadly, a dead end for the timebeing. Tony

So Camotint was very pale sage or duck egg green then, as Andy indicated. I have to confess that I'm going to wait for a later variant in the PR Blue finish. As for the pink PR.1G wing rondelles, what exactly were they thinking? Somebody must have been seriously pi$$ed to conjure up that arrangement. All great stuff.

Hi Antonio, do you know how Matthieu's LFD F-4E nose is progressing? Not in a huge hurry but want two sets: early E and late E. Cheers Tony