Ossington 1

I have both kits, but have yet to start. The tooling marks are, i think, for separate parts of the mould as the wing is generic. The A5 wing is flat at this point. I suspect that the under-fuselage gun bulges on the A8 are a bit shallow, but it's an easy fix with Milliput. The kit has the feel of a good (Hasegawa? Tamiya?) 1/48 scale kit pantographed up, only let down, for sensible pricing reasons, with an underwhelming wheel bay. The engine will be barely seen anyway and the gun bay area should be modelled closed or would look stunning with some scratch built super-detailing. I would love to see a complete aftermarket engine and gun bay, but don't think I could ever afford one. The kit. I think, is good value for what you get. There is plenty of so so 1/48 stuff going for the same price, though I ought mine for around £55-£75 on line.

If you take a ruler and place it edge on in a line from the supercharger forward over the engine area, you will see a hump that shouldn't be there. It should be level right to the point that the cowling dips to the nose. I know you want an OOB build, but if you are going to rescribe anyway, the plastic is thick enough to shift a few mm away. The tyres could do with a Milliput (two part epoxy putty) 'shoulder' to bulk them out. Using a small bolt and chucking it in an electric screwdriver when filing/sanding will get you there quickly.

If Trumpeter won't send someone to drag a tape measure over a subject, why don't they ask (maybe on here) for pictures, info etc? If the authorities fear internet contact, what have they got against receiving sufficient snail mail from people like us to initiate the completion of a correct model? OK, I don't have (say) a Douglas Devastator to hand, but if someone out here has, then maybe a model of it will appear one day, and be accurate first time too. Why do these guys spend money getting it wrong?

The only source I trust would for such as the first flight dates be the relevant aircraft record card. Copies are held at the archives at RAFM, or at least microfiche copies. You need to email DoRIS. It will take forever for a reply as they rely on enthusiasts and volunteers. Or make a visit. A couple of photocopies shouldn't take long, alongside a regular visit, but do contact them beforehand.

JA902 allocated to 467 (Australian) Sqn. First major raid Hamburg 24/25-7-43 also Peenemunde ans several Berlins, last one dated 23/24-11-43. Then to 463 (Australian) Sqn. First major raid Berlin 26/27-11-43 (463s first Lanc Op.) then several more before reported missing Berlin 2/3-1-44. Said to have fallen into the Issellake, Berlin. All crew lost. LM376 allocated to 467 (Australian) Sqn. by 18/19--11-43 at least, when it visited Berlin. Thence seven more Berlin raids before missing at Nurenburg30-/31-3-44. Shot down by my Bf 110. Major M. Drewes. All crew saved. For more info, go to the National Archive's web portal, "Discovery" and trawl through the squadron ORB's. You get a degraded screen image without paying, but good enough to pin down more detail. There may be mistakes or discrepancies however as they were compiled in a hurry.

JA902 part of a production batch of 550 Lancaster III's delivered between Jun and Dec 1943, by Avro, Manchester. LM376 part of 350 Lancaster I's (first ten) and III's delivered between Nov 42 and Oct 44 by Avro, Yeadon. Source: Air-Britain JA100-JZ999 and LA100-LZ999 files respectively. More info to follow.

I'm sure that RN Corsairs (At least) had a L-Both-R Button. I've seen photos of them parked parallel to the deck edge where the over-hanging wing was left down as it's in no-ones way over the sea, yet the inboard one is down in case of a follow on landing aircraft. I'm also sure that as a Wildcat wing fold is manual, it could be asymmetric but v. rare as it would over-balance the machine on windy deck.

Hmmmm. It's a bit worrying when a brand new mould suggests 'remove flash' and 'file off .5mm' from jointing surfaces. I fancy one, but it looks a lot more complex than the Hasegawa version. I don't want a putty monster if I can avoid it. Let's wait and see.

Make that Tholthorpe!

WL was the code for 434 Sqn, based at Tholthrpe and Croft, Yorkshire. Don't have a serial tie-in for X-WL though.

Good! I emailed Tommy a few years ago suggesting this as a subject, and he said back then that one would develop. I'll put my order forward in the new year when, hopefully, I'll have some money.

I've been after one for ages, but couldn't afford the asking price, until this week, I got one for £20. Maybe I should have waited...

Has anyone got photographic confirmation that B-24J-156-CO, 44-40155, "Rage In Heaven" received yellow bands to go with the green ones that were definitely applied? Just wonderin'

If only I'd known! I was at Cosford today and I had a tape measure in my bag, didn't take too many 262 pics though as I covered it on a previous visit. Does anyone live local and can pop in? The staff are wonderful and will allow such contact with their airframe. I didn't know the Trumpeter kit had problems. No-one mentioned it on its release, all reviews rather laudatory istr. The original 70's Revell 262 was poor around the intakes, too 'coney' without the differing taper to top and bottom lines in profile.

Well' I'm happy. I have been collecting Hellcat info off the net for a week or so, thinking I'll finally start the Hasegawa/Frog Hellcat I bought thirty years ago, if I can find it up there. Now I''ll wait. Hope there's a BPF scheme in the box.