thierry laurent

New kit. 

You're brave! The Defiant has always been one of my favourite British planes. I will be very glad when a new kit will be released. 

You're brave! The Defiant has always been one of my favourite British planes. I will be very glad when a new kit will be released. 

Thanks for looking and encouraging!
Gaz, the guns are in two pieces, the barrels are not attached to the gun bodies yet (pin & sleeve press fitted together) Although...I haven't checked to see if they'll fit that way either...I'll be right back!
The landing gear bays are pretty much completed. I may break them while installing them to the wing or some other way but for now, I like the way they've come out.
 
 

 

Hi guys,
 
No plastic picture today but some interested information. The digital world took all my available time but I won the fight with my old Cd-rom! This was far from easy: recreate an XP ISO boot CD, install a VM hypervisor, create an XP Virtual Machine, restore access of the App to the CD-DVD reader, solve driver issues, etc. etc. but I finally succeeded. The CD interface via the VM was crappy but at least I got the interesting parts.
 
First, the battery that moved during the Mk.I production clearly stayed on the floor under the oxygen bottle up to the longer generation of Merlin-engined fighters (such as the Mk.VIII or IX). Second, the mystery bracket I built (that was used on some Mk.Is as the Hendon plane had it) was actually the IFF box tray. As the IFF was not used during BoB, I will not use it in my kit (I do not care as I have at least two Mk.IIs in my stash). It is never funny to build useless items but at least I will recycle the part and this resulted in learning A LOT of things regarding the evolution of the early Spitfires!
 
The following picture captured from the CD is showing the IFF green bracket (in the red circle) and the battery location (in the yellow oval) in a preserved Mk.V.
 

 
So, to summarize:
 
The radio location never changed.
Early Mk.Is Spits had the radio tray with the TR9D and the battery was located in a tray over the two gas bottles located on the port side.
Late Mk.Is got the TR1133 in the radio tray and the battery moved to the floor starboard side. During BoB, TR9D or TR1133 were used in the same planes according to the circumstances. After the BoB, the Mk.Is got the IFF box. Note the use of both items had an influence on the presence of wires over the fuselage (for TR9D) and between the fuselage and the stabilators (for the IFF). However, during BoB you could have a plane with the wire antenna but using the TR1133 for some time. For a model, this is not really important if you do not open the radio hatch.
Mk.IIs and Mk.Vs kept that configuration (TR1133 and IFF) but the radio progressively changed to the TR1143 and when longer Merlin Spits appeared the battery was moved to the rear fuselage to keep a correct center of gravity.
 
The flare launcher system also evolved in the rear fuselage but this is a completely different topic!
 
Last, I took all the measures to scratchbuild the battery. I should do that tomorrow as it will absolutely be impossible to paint (38°C in the shadow are foreseen). Ouch!

Hi,
 
Here's the trick I used many years ago:
 
1. Save the image from the web,
2. Insert it in a Word file, 
3. Reduce the image size to the one you want, 
4. Print with a good laser printer, 
5. Cut it with very good scissors or a punch and die, 
6.Glue with CA glue, 
7. If required touch up the edges with a little bit of paint, 
8. If required spray a little bit of matt varnish. I never did it but just realized it is probably easier to spray a mist of varnish on the sheet before cutting the patches. 
 
The paper is giving the thickness and rigidity of the actual patches. 
 
Hth
 
Thierry 

Indeed, I'm also preferring the common Korean war Mk. IV Firefly whereas the kit is the older Mk. I mark. Actually, I do not think it is that complicated to do. For the tail, some sanded plastic sheet will do the trick. The radiators in the wings can also be done with some sheet and RB photoetched sheet. The really challenging part is the nose. However as the plane is using a RR Merlin engine, I'm wondering if an old resin conversion to make a Spit Mk. IX could not be used as a basis. Otherwise I would simply build the nose as a boat hull: plastic bulkheads covered with plastic strips I would sand and finetune with epoxy putty. Hth. Thierry 

True but this is quite rare. I got my C-47 for half the price but it needed some work to reverse the changes made by the prior owner. 

Not always, a few years ago I saw an Aerodynamix Buccaneer on ebay for a buy it now price of £150 - they were going for £300 at the time - a quick look at the photos of the parts, all seemed there, so I bought it, and all the parts were included.
 
One day I hope we do get a Harrier GR.3, Jaguar, Buccaneer, and Phantom FGR.2 in injection moulded plastic to a high standard, given all the obscure types available it's quite a surprise we don't have any of those yet.

Alas I thought the same thing when I read the price on the website. I hoped I could be wrong when I discovered Andy got it.

Too bad for the Hanriot as this was one WW1 plane I've been waiting for ages...

Hi guys,
 
No plastic picture today but some interested information. The digital world took all my available time but I won the fight with my old Cd-rom! This was far from easy: recreate an XP ISO boot CD, install a VM hypervisor, create an XP Virtual Machine, restore access of the App to the CD-DVD reader, solve driver issues, etc. etc. but I finally succeeded. The CD interface via the VM was crappy but at least I got the interesting parts.
 
First, the battery that moved during the Mk.I production clearly stayed on the floor under the oxygen bottle up to the longer generation of Merlin-engined fighters (such as the Mk.VIII or IX). Second, the mystery bracket I built (that was used on some Mk.Is as the Hendon plane had it) was actually the IFF box tray. As the IFF was not used during BoB, I will not use it in my kit (I do not care as I have at least two Mk.IIs in my stash). It is never funny to build useless items but at least I will recycle the part and this resulted in learning A LOT of things regarding the evolution of the early Spitfires!
 
The following picture captured from the CD is showing the IFF green bracket (in the red circle) and the battery location (in the yellow oval) in a preserved Mk.V.
 

 
So, to summarize:
 
The radio location never changed.
Early Mk.Is Spits had the radio tray with the TR9D and the battery was located in a tray over the two gas bottles located on the port side.
Late Mk.Is got the TR1133 in the radio tray and the battery moved to the floor starboard side. During BoB, TR9D or TR1133 were used in the same planes according to the circumstances. After the BoB, the Mk.Is got the IFF box. Note the use of both items had an influence on the presence of wires over the fuselage (for TR9D) and between the fuselage and the stabilators (for the IFF). However, during BoB you could have a plane with the wire antenna but using the TR1133 for some time. For a model, this is not really important if you do not open the radio hatch.
Mk.IIs and Mk.Vs kept that configuration (TR1133 and IFF) but the radio progressively changed to the TR1143 and when longer Merlin Spits appeared the battery was moved to the rear fuselage to keep a correct center of gravity.
 
The flare launcher system also evolved in the rear fuselage but this is a completely different topic!
 
Last, I took all the measures to scratchbuild the battery. I should do that tomorrow as it will absolutely be impossible to paint (38°C in the shadow are foreseen). Ouch!

If you ever need parts such as clear canopies, John 'Tigger' Wilkes got the molds. 

Quite simple: Do it yourself! 
 
Save a navigation map from the web (e. g. http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/onc/middle_east.html). Insert it in a Word page, re-dimension it and print it. Done! 
 
It is not even required finding one from one specific area as when folded, any map will look ok as far as the type is ok. 
 
Hth
 
Thierry 

Hi guys,
 
No plastic picture today but some interested information. The digital world took all my available time but I won the fight with my old Cd-rom! This was far from easy: recreate an XP ISO boot CD, install a VM hypervisor, create an XP Virtual Machine, restore access of the App to the CD-DVD reader, solve driver issues, etc. etc. but I finally succeeded. The CD interface via the VM was crappy but at least I got the interesting parts.
 
First, the battery that moved during the Mk.I production clearly stayed on the floor under the oxygen bottle up to the longer generation of Merlin-engined fighters (such as the Mk.VIII or IX). Second, the mystery bracket I built (that was used on some Mk.Is as the Hendon plane had it) was actually the IFF box tray. As the IFF was not used during BoB, I will not use it in my kit (I do not care as I have at least two Mk.IIs in my stash). It is never funny to build useless items but at least I will recycle the part and this resulted in learning A LOT of things regarding the evolution of the early Spitfires!
 
The following picture captured from the CD is showing the IFF green bracket (in the red circle) and the battery location (in the yellow oval) in a preserved Mk.V.
 

 
So, to summarize:
 
The radio location never changed.
Early Mk.Is Spits had the radio tray with the TR9D and the battery was located in a tray over the two gas bottles located on the port side.
Late Mk.Is got the TR1133 in the radio tray and the battery moved to the floor starboard side. During BoB, TR9D or TR1133 were used in the same planes according to the circumstances. After the BoB, the Mk.Is got the IFF box. Note the use of both items had an influence on the presence of wires over the fuselage (for TR9D) and between the fuselage and the stabilators (for the IFF). However, during BoB you could have a plane with the wire antenna but using the TR1133 for some time. For a model, this is not really important if you do not open the radio hatch.
Mk.IIs and Mk.Vs kept that configuration (TR1133 and IFF) but the radio progressively changed to the TR1143 and when longer Merlin Spits appeared the battery was moved to the rear fuselage to keep a correct center of gravity.
 
The flare launcher system also evolved in the rear fuselage but this is a completely different topic!
 
Last, I took all the measures to scratchbuild the battery. I should do that tomorrow as it will absolutely be impossible to paint (38°C in the shadow are foreseen). Ouch!

Quite simple: Do it yourself! 
 
Save a navigation map from the web (e. g. http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/onc/middle_east.html). Insert it in a Word page, re-dimension it and print it. Done! 
 
It is not even required finding one from one specific area as when folded, any map will look ok as far as the type is ok. 
 
Hth
 
Thierry 

Quite simple: Do it yourself! 
 
Save a navigation map from the web (e. g. http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/onc/middle_east.html). Insert it in a Word page, re-dimension it and print it. Done! 
 
It is not even required finding one from one specific area as when folded, any map will look ok as far as the type is ok. 
 
Hth
 
Thierry 

Quite simple: Do it yourself! 
 
Save a navigation map from the web (e. g. http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/onc/middle_east.html). Insert it in a Word page, re-dimension it and print it. Done! 
 
It is not even required finding one from one specific area as when folded, any map will look ok as far as the type is ok. 
 
Hth
 
Thierry 

If you ever need parts such as clear canopies, John 'Tigger' Wilkes got the molds. 

Since I was thinking about it, I'll put it on the list.  How the heck do we not have a 1/32 Mitsubishi F-2?  The bigger Viper Zero would look incredible in that Oceanic camo.
 
 
 
 
Matt 

I am sorry to hear this.
Now I own you one for the inconveniences...
 
Sorry, pal
- dutik

Hi,
 
Here's the trick I used many years ago:
 
1. Save the image from the web,
2. Insert it in a Word file, 
3. Reduce the image size to the one you want, 
4. Print with a good laser printer, 
5. Cut it with very good scissors or a punch and die, 
6.Glue with CA glue, 
7. If required touch up the edges with a little bit of paint, 
8. If required spray a little bit of matt varnish. I never did it but just realized it is probably easier to spray a mist of varnish on the sheet before cutting the patches. 
 
The paper is giving the thickness and rigidity of the actual patches. 
 
Hth
 
Thierry 

It was just the decals, gutted, they'll be on their way back tomorrow.

It was worth a punt, and I can get my money back, I did build it, in my head, a few times... 

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