NigeW

An aircraft used by both the UK and the US, offering the potential for good sales in the latter, that is not enormous (especially if it can be modelled with folded wings), my money is on a Corsair: but we will see when Airfix are good and ready. Personally I would like to see a Sea Fury.

Currently building the Airfix kit that I wish to finish as a clipped wing aircraft of 154 Sqn (family connection). Unfortunately, neither the kit or any aftermarket decals can provide me with what I need. I have found and downloaded the correct font/typeface but have no idea of how import the file so I can use it word to make my own decals. Can anyone suggest a source for 18" code letters in white and solid black serial numerals?

Still can't believe Revell have never produced a 2 seat Hunter.

Looking forward to building this but can't understand why we have got decals for 2 separate versions of EN398 but no RAF clipped wing aircraft. Also, unless I have missed something, no-one has produced any aftermarket decals for a clipped wing version yet. You Tube has got some good colour clips of 154 Sqn in Corsica that includes some clipped wing aircraft, albeit the squadron codes seem smaller than usual. Original colours are clearly not just an issue for modellers. I found a gallery of wartime stills on You Tube that have been colourised and while it does not say when this was done the crowbar on a Spitfire was, you guessed it, red.

Many thanks for the very useful information Bob. Will investigate further once I have beaten the basic airframe into submission and got a better idea of how many parts I will need. Nige

While I am aware of the CAD and 3d printing method of obtaining parts I am wondering if anyone has had parts from a smaller scale kit scanned and then printed in 1/32? I am about to embark on building a Tigger vacuform and have a well detailed 1/72nd kit of the same aircraft which I understand is a good representation. My plan, assuming the costs are not prohibitive, is to get items like wheels, undercarriage and propellers produced via this method rather than trying to scratch build them. Any advice/thoughts would be very welcome.

According to the book 'Whirlwind, Westland's enigmatic fighter' the conversion to whirlibombers was pretty much complete by the end of August 1942. All 3 of the aircraft covered by the Red Roo decals were still operational by then: P6981 was written off on 1 Aug 43; P7062 crashed on 19 Feb 43 and P7102 lasted until the whirlwind was classed as obsolete and struck off charge on 30 Sep 44. Hope this helps

Many thanks Martin. The illustration of the pilot's seat is really useful to supplement what is in the pilot's notes.

I am confused about the correct position of the lap strap fixing to the seat. The Eduard instructions for the 1/48 model I am using, as the Kitsworld 3d set has none, show it on the side towards the rear of the seat pan, which is where I would have expected it to be. However, the pilot notes show what looks like the fixing much further forward (less than a foot from the front of the seat pan). Anyone able to clarify which is correct?

As the Airfix Whirlwind was the first kit I ever made, over 50 years ago, I couldn't resist; never thought I would see one in 1/32. Only disappointment so far is that although the kit includes the early cockpit arrangement, including an instrument panel decal, the aircraft covered by the decal sheet would (according to the kit instructions) all have had the later cockpit layout. Shame as I want to build one of the earlier batch that lasted until the Whirlwind was withdrawn and scrapped in 1944.

More progress on the Gannet: Flying S Models – Posts | Facebook Looks like those who wanted it with wing folds may get their wish. Bring it on!

Looks like we may have a Gannet on the market before a UK F4 in 1/32; never thought I would see that! Given the commonality between the AEW and AS variants, plus the design of the wheel wells in the video, makes me hopeful that we may see an AS/COD version in the future.

AEW Gannet for me. Their in-progress rework of the IFA 1/48 model looks interesting, with wing folds, and may provide an indication of what we might expect in 1/32. With Tigger's ASW vacform now available my previously unachievable aim of an AEW and COD Gannet in 1/32 is starting to look like it might be a goer.

I have managed to resist a Bucc, in the hope that we will see an IM kit, but would purchase an AEW Gannet without any hesitation. Here's hoping.

An interesting thread, even if some of the ideas would appear to be either prohibitively expensive or likely to be well beyond my capabilities as a modeller. Given the gestation period of their Lancaster are people not being a bit presumptuous writing HKM off so soon? While I am as keen as anyone to see an IM UK Phantom in 1/32, having been waiting for one for well over 40 years and drawn back to LSPs on the promise of one being produced, I am happy to wait a bit longer for one to materialise. As some users appear to have links with HKM, has anyone actually asked if they are prepared to say whether they are still intending to produce the kit and, if so, a likely timescale? Nige