jenshb

I did mention that on their facebook page, and I'm a bit surprised they chose to follow the Tamiya breakdown with the consequent risks for marring the clear parts.

A bit closer... https://www.hyperscale.com/2014/features/seafire4732jt_1.htm At least we don't have to scratchbuild the nose.

They do. X159 - F-15 interior blue/grey. https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/X159 Terriffic work on the cockpit!

Thanks for that enlightenment. Yes, it's an odd contraption that early season configuration. Sucking in warm air that has passed through the radiators and then warming it up even more before trying to cool it before feeding it into the cylinders... I suppose the car looks better without the periscope intakes though.

Ok...I don't see any ducting to the compressors themselves though, but I may be used to seeing the Tamiya version of the car...

I hope they will include the air intakes for the compressors in the kit....

Brass rod and tube would definitely provide stronger legs, and soldering brass is easy - as long as you use flux. Don't even try it without flux. A jig to hold the tube/rod in place is recommended, but once you have made it, the fabrication will be so much easier.

The windows are all flat panels, so you could cut the panels out of clear plastic and then shape a new "top" for te fuselage, or modify the kit one...?

Always amazed at your ability to turn sow's ears into silk purses.

If I could make a comment - the windshield looks too steep, so the "face" of the aircraft doesn't look right. Compare with pics of the Hasegawa kit.

That's good to hear Romain. Cutting the coaming will leave the front edge higher than the longer design intent. Will this not clash with the inside of the windshield unless the coaming is angled slightly down? PRoviding that is actually possible... Jens

Given the location of the cut, wouldn't that mean the instrument panel would be too far forward?

Masterful design work on the cockpit equalled by masterful painting and weathering.

I'm constantly amazed by your presistence in turning sows' ears into silk purses, and this is no different. A friend has started the Sanger/Contrail vacform, and refers to Fonderie Miniatures as Fonderie Torture. With good reason from your description.

Definitely looking forward to this. STarted a XIV conversion using the Mk. XVI kit, and was hoping to integrate the Grey Matter nose. That didn't work out.

It should be noticeable on the early Ds that didn't have the under nose sensor as well as the J and S too, but you're right, it seems to be more obvious on the British Phantoms.

Would the nasal surgery also apply to the US short nose Phantoms?

OK, that makes sense - forgot that the rear part was resin. I sometimes use epoxy to stiffen joins between parts to prevent flexing, but the join between epoxy and polystyrene is mechanical, and too much flexing can make the epoxy lose grip. The same I have found of Milliput. For my in flight models I have therefore tended to glue bits of Evergreen around the square tube to provide the structural attachment of the ends of the tube, but then applied a lot of epoxy around them for additional stiffening. THe Evergreen rod will provide the necessary mechanical key to keep it in place.

Pardon my stupid question, but wouldn't it be better to use plastic cement to bond the lower wing to the fuselage? In my experience, epoxy doesn't provide as good a bond plastic to plastic as it doesn't melt the plastic to provide in essence a cold weld...

Not having done this, but I would suggest the only viable option would be to shape some suitably thick brass rod and solder the parts. Glue will not provide sufficient strength. Whether the metal that Tamiya uses can be soldered, I don't know. You might have to make the entire bottom, including the oleo, from brass. That will allow you to drill out the kit oleo and provide a secure fitting - that can be glued safely.

If SEAC colours of Dark Earth, Dark Green and Medium Sea Gray takes your (an my) fancy, then there are some that only requires roundels, serials and letters that can be scrounged from aftermarket sheets. Some have the squadron emblem in the white band on the tailfin, and others have nose art. The difficulty I find though is working out which ones are actually painted Dark Earth over the Ocean Grey. In the book Eyes of the Phoenix, the author has a rule of thumb that if the serial is in white, then the aircraft is Dark Earth and Dark Green upper. If I'm not mistaken, all Mk XIVs left the factory in Dark Green/Ocean Grey/Medium Sea Grey, and not all overpainted the Ocean Grey with Dark Earth.

When it comes to Aires, I can't help thinking they are too careless in "recycling" their patterns with minimal modifications. Say a part designed to fit the Academy kit gets rebranded as to fit the Tamiya kit, and I wouldn't be surprised if that is the case here. Their F-16 cockpits in 1:48 scale for the Tamiya kit has an extended gap between the fuselage and the front of the glareshield. The Hasegawa kit cockpit is slightly shorter, so it seems to me they just added a piece to make the length of the cockpit fit. Disregarding the shrinkage factor that Aires is also known for...

For a relaxing journey from the UK, book Stena Line departure Harwich Friday night, docking in Hook of Holland at 8-ish, hit the road by 9, stop for breakfast on the way, arrive in Houten at 10. Finding a parking space may be tricky if you arrive too late. For the return home, depart Houten when the show closes and you'll arrive in Hook of Holland before the check in even begins (around 18.45). Book a table in the a-la carte restaurant (€35 pre-booked per person for a delicious three-course mea - dlrinks additional), enjoy and sleep your way back to the UK, disembarking at 0630. Beats the Dover-Calais ferries and the Eurostar and the additional driving in my opinion, but that may depend on where you travel from.

Wife and myself had a good time at the show, and it was surprisingly busy until closing time. Lots of traders, and different ones from the UK, and thanks to Stena Line, a pleasant journey there and back.

I like that.