Darren Howie

Fair enough....just figure the right name might actually teach those who decide to make up there own Ames for things a thing. Even the new Franks book on the HE-219 calls them cowl gills for reasons that I can't fathom other than ignorance. Maybe we can call ailerons rollernators in future as most don't speak French. Or flaps as the dangly out bits. Modellers getting confused about a part name is part of the education about highly technical pieces of equipment, if people want accurate kits maybe calling the parts by there correct name is a good place to start. Be looking forward to more of your stuff Radu!!!

Howdy If the pcs you see are for the 30mm Mk108 it does have a different lower access panel to the std for the 151. Shell ejectors are in a different location as well and a considerable bulge for the Mk108 fit out on the lower wing. Upper wing looks the same. Highly recommend the Modelart book on the Fw-190 a great single reference. Pretty sure it also has a diagram showing antenna routing in the canopy.

Hey Radu can you do all us pilots a favor and call them by there real name. They are cowl flaps not cowl gills.. Cowl gills is a fictional name dreamt up by modellers over the last few years not knowing that cowl flaps even though they have been around for 90 years plus have a name. Great product ill be grabbing some!

Thanks I've got one buried somewhere as we'll. Seems ZM are the first to pick up on this subtle difference. They do the homework it appears!

Hi Adam The landing lights have a reverse teardrop fairing but its not very deep and no biggie. You could use some plasticard in 32nd or 48th and its not very thick. I didn't know about e difference either till I got the ZM Spad J so I guess getting its at least taught me one more thing I didn't know! What did you use or your oil streaking something like burnt umber oil paint??

Beautiful Spad Adam! Love your weathering its spot on. Great result. Do you know if Tamiya put in the different wing tips on the J boxing with the fairings for the landing lights? Once again great build! Ps if that's what you did with the Tamiya kit love to see what you would do with the big boy!

Hi Adam Most of the A-1pics from Vietnam to at least me have a 300 on the centerline. Losing two racks with 150 Gal tanks would surely be the worst case when only one tank using one rack can do the same job.. Plenty of Spad pics around with 300's on the centerline can post numerous links if you need. Just because the150 isn't provided as a layout option in my eyes in no way reduces the accuracy of the kit given how widely used to 300 was. In fact I'd rather have the 300 hung under the centerline covered in oil which is a trademark of USAF Spads.. Cheers

The Yankee system is included...It's even mentioned as one of the kit features so I'm not sure where you got that from. I'm not sure if Tamiya changed the wingtips on the J kit for the landing lights and fairings anyone know? The weapon set has everything you would ever want for a Spad..in 32nd it's a big aeroplane. The J boxing other than weapons has everything in the box for an "accurate" J.. Can someone point out where the info stating that only 150 Gallon tanks where used on Sandy's? I've got and seen plenty of images of Sandy Spads hauling single and dual 300 gallon tanks and intrigued where the stuff about 150 came from. Doesn't sound accurate to me based off photos on the net. long range flights into North Vietnam with long loiter times would of demanded max fuel upload I'd imagine.

All the parts ARE light grey..in the J..

As much as I enjoy frequent visits to Japan and adore there beer which to me is the best in the world..oh along with the Scotch they do have strange tastes multi colored plastic being one of them. The plastic in the A-1J is almost identical to the pastic Tamiya was using a few years ago. To me it's far superior in quality to the multi color stuff. Hopefully the Next TA-152 run will be the same having now sold out in Japan. Strange breed of cattle but boy can they make great draft beer and food...oh pretty good at model kits to!

It was interesting chatting with Kenichi in the Volks store in Tokyo last week. The A-1J has been poorly received in Japan with complaints about the lack of multi colored sprues having gone to all light grey to please Western modellers in the A-1J. Guess it goes to show you can't please all the people.. Not sure if anyone had mentioned the J is the Spad to get with all the parts and decals and instructions from both kits. Yes the US Navy decals come in the J kit..and I didn't know the J has faired in landing lights in the wing tips which are included in the J. Good value with parts for the H the J and decals for both. The He-219 looks great from the tester in the shop.

Hopefully they will follow there tankard or releasing open,closed and a mixed set like in 48th so we can cover all options!

Well there was a 2800 on the ground floor at ZM HQ in Kyoto 2 months ago..along with the info it would be in a future kit from SWS series..

Well I just got the new 219 book from Valiant publishing and it is superb. For its price it is great value. I've got maybe 8 Kagero's and theirs is a better reference by far for airframe details and information than say a Kagero. The Kagero's offer lots of good operational info and stories of real world operations. Both good options but for an airframe reference the Valiant 219 book is awesome.

Great Eagle! Love JASDF Aggressor F-15s the to me are by far the coolest looking Eagles ever. Started exactly the same project quite some time ago swapping parts to get a DJ and a fast pack kitted C from Iceland. Great work on the paint she looks the part. One of my images from Naha...

With the burners just released and the seat also I'd say the cockpit ain't far away. Jut remember it takes time to get these sets out. What with Mig-23s nd a huge array of stuff flooding in its taken them 2 years to get the F-14D cockpit done. Sure it's not far away...

Front end entirely different and massive differences in the cockpit payout. The 100s are lead ins for things like Hornets etc and have more crt's to assist in advanced training. Guess Revell better pull their finger out or they will get burnt on this..

I think different wheels and also I think there may be a diff in the nav light setup on the wingtips. Weapons obviously very different..

Not sure where that price came from Mike they are just over 1000Y per set at HLJ. Fabric microfiber will struggle to replicate the pattern heavy canvas of seatbelts used. Just because something is made from fabric that is not even closely related to the original material why would you think it would be more realistic when finished.

Well the 219 and Raiden where announced long before Revell did and Hasegawa so a sarcastic post that is simply wrong is pretty poor form of one of the most innovative release companies today. In the HQ in Kyoto is an R2800 with in Japanese a quote saying this engine is in the next release guess what aircraft. Whatever could that be..maybe an F4U....

I know how they will compete. You get two gorgeous full engines,gunbays,open panels everywhere and if the Spad and TA152 are anything to go buy it all fits.thats far easier than heroic surgery installing 300 dollars worth of resin in the Revell kit. Looking forward to the Revell kit but to me it looks good but the ZM kit will be where it's at.

WW great progress! Of interest SS just recently repopped the decals for Moonbeam in 32nd scale. Great work on the gear bays they look fabulous. Brilliant build and be using some of your hard ideas on mine some stage very soon!

Can't remember the manufacturer but a set of DS Stealth fighter decals are supposed to be coming. Same guys just released a set of later marking which looked good. Can't remember their name for the life of me.

Cool thanks for the rundown!

Hi Harold what have actually done to the Tamiya parts? I couldn't find any pics or info in the vendors board on them. Cheers