Tony T

Have earmarked a Revell IXc to become a photo pink FR.IXc and have bought the decals and camera parts. Do I need a duck egg green-blue-sky PR 1 Type A too? Maybe. Will it come with recce parts other than a peephole? Love the reconnaissance planes from all eras. Tony

I think metal LG can be tremendously useful, but prefer metal-reinforced plastic. Synthetic rubber tyres too: perfectly painted hub rims every time. I know, I know, it's a minority underdog thing and I must be a misguided weirdo; real modellers carve wheels from Scottish granite, just like miniature curling stones. I do have Harold's sans-straps Mk.5 seats to dress up and early MLG wheels (with separate hubs, specially requested). Looking forward to building it after the planned house move. It looks to be such a great kit. Tony

Just too "noisy" on the eyes. And it wouldn't fly. Sort of like knitting constricting gaudy pyjamas for your cat or dog. But at least a lot of people seem to like it. I prefer the desks etc made from aircraft parts, in polished metal. Tony

My, how I admire these. The RF-101C is a top ten subject. Tony

Wow!

Matt Lucas' comedy line "The only gay in the village" comes to mind. Rather dazzling. Tony

A P-38 is a bit on the big side. Like a Beaufighter VIf, Do 17z or Bf 110G-4. This discussion used to happen ten years ago when Tamiya was still cutting new 1:32 scale moulds. For a Lockheed Lightning mark one or Beaufighter with good clear parts it has to be Hong Kong Models. The Airscale early Typhoon will be amazing but I really hope Kōtare make a deconflicting later mark in styrene for about €100. Jet Mads' shift to all-3DP is inviting. If there was only six months between payment and receipt of goods a 2nd Edition Draken or Thunderflash would be irresistible. But I recently saw somebody or another make a 3DP 1:32 scale RF-101C Voodoo — was it on this site, or a dream, and whatever happened to it if it was real? The single seater recce Voodoo is a holy grail kit for me, as is the Su-15TM, and I can't see either happening as regular IM styrene offerings. I look forward to the day we might enjoy crystal clear printed parts, as recce nose conversions for the venerable Tamiya or emerging Red Pill F-4 Phantom II would be stonking. Tony

yes, as he ^ says. Good to know it'll sit on the plastic legs. Am looking forward to building this one day. Have been gathering goodies for a 1972-73 VA-52 A-6B PAT/ARM from USS Kitty Hawk, and am slightly alarmed at the bad fit Bill suggests: is this around the engine compartment? Or the wing flaps (or both?) Tony

Nothing curious about it at all Max. Some people revel (with a small r) about building expensive resin kits with awkward epoxy and cyanoacrylate glues as if they are wiser modellers than the hoi polloi buying, to quote Sabrejet, "bland tamiyagawa" kits. I said it in jest but there is an undeniable element of truth there. I do make resin Aerospace Ground Equipment as it's the only game in town, and look forward to the new generation of 3DP ResKit and Jet Mads jet plane products. Adhesives have got some catching up to do, then things will be a little more accessible and inclusive. I just hope that 3DP won't kill off 1:32 IM styrene Cold War subjects; Revell is a bright beacon of hope in that regard, Tony

This just underlines Thierry's original point: Cold War 1:32 modellers are all but doomed. All the resin dust and vac snobbery is neither here nor there. Many of us Cold War jet modellers would gladly pay £300 for a great plastic IM kit or 3DP/injection combo that we actually want: Looking forward to the Red Pill F-4B Looking forward to the combo ResKit & Trumpy A-7E. Would pay the same for a Hong Kong Models FG.1/F-4K, Tan Models Su-33, F-111A/E and Buccaneer S.2, a Trumpeter EA-6B, and so on. But we can only build so many anyway. Revell have got the right idea going for a de-luxe first edition Meteor 8 with etch, book etc. Follow-on editions will be cheaper and produced in quantity: kiddies, granddads, Joe in the lighthouse and Jane at sea can buy exactly which AM, or none, as they choose. Simples. Tony

Sounds good to me. You've "eyeballed it" pretty accurately. Sometimes "feeling the force" is better than trying to measure it with callipers. Tony

What's the point in this? Okay, F-4 Rhino, F-111 Aardvark etc etc Tony

Jets Clear injection-moulded parts Decals if off the beaten path Nobody expects the Spanish inquisition! I will bow out. So, au revoir, until Airscale do jets — a nice little Vampire T.11 Tony

A few years ago. All of the latest editions seem to be plastic only. Tony

That's really useful to know Richard. Unfortunately I can be mega clumsy so will get a set of brass legs to avoid a prang. Don't know who prompted the Aerocraft item as Ali doesn't do things just for the sake of it. Tony