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Eventually, I've got around to finishing my South African Air Force Spitfire Mk 9 LF. I built this quite some time ago, but couldn't source the correct propeller decals, so it languished in it's polystyrene box until Peter Castle @airscale produced his prop logo decals! Thanks Peter!! This is the Tamiya Spitfire Mk XVIe kit (I'm sure everyone knows how superb the kit is, so I won't go into that), but there were a few modifications I had to make to it in order to get it to the spec that it was in during it's time at the SAAF Museum at AFB Swartkop in Pretoria. This particular aircraft, manufactured in 1945, was flown by by brother-in-law, Maj. James "Jimmy Jet" Feuilherade (Ret) as it's display pilot during his tenure there (1999-2000). It was unfortunately written off during a display accident (15th April 2000), not long after he resigned and emigrated to Australia to take up a position as a flight instructor for BAE Systems. I know he mourned the loss of HIS "British girlfriend" (as my sister used to call it). This build is in homage to Jimmy Jet! Kit - 1/32 Tamiya Spitfire Mk XVIe AM- Barracuda Studios seat, cockpit upgrade (sidewalls, door, throttles, etc), wheels. Alleycat decals (didn't have my Silhouette when I built it, wished I had. The decals were probably old, had quite a few "moments" with them!) Master Barrels And quite a bit of cockpit modification (see the info from James below - all those mods were carried out)) Below are some excerpts from emails James sent me regarding this particular airframe, which helped tremendously with the build. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't mind me sharing some of it... She was actually a rare low back MkIX, powered by a Rolls Royce built Merlin 70 engine. But I hasten to add, there was no difference at all in the MkIX and the MkXVI airframes. The only reason they had the two different Mk numbers was the fact that the American Packard built Merlins were all built using American Imperial size threads bolts and studs. This basically made the Packard Merlins and the RR Merlins incompatible in terms of spares interchangeability. So to avoid huge logistics spares mix ups, they came up with designating all Packard built engine Spitfires, MkXVI’s. The gunsight was removed but I recall she had the rotatable throttle lever, which was normally used with the later gyro sight, so by twisting the throttle handle you could adjust range on the gunsight. An early version of HOTAS I guess! As I recall the seat only had a padded black leather cover, covering the backrest only. I flew it wearing a Harvard parachute which is the same as the WW 2 parachutes. So you sat on the parachute which was held in the seat bucket. The seat was made from Bakelite so was a reddish brown colour. The flare cartridge rack was removed from the front of the seat. The harness was a modern version with medium blue straps as I recall, I think as used on many Spits flying in the UK today. I think it had an olive green lap strap padding aswell. There was a slight difference to the panel in that the U/C indicator lights were moved to the lower RHS of the panel I think due to the newer radios and comms panel that was fitted in the top RHS of the panel. I have a poster with a small insert of the panel, will have to have a look!? Next to the seat below the pilot door was an electrical panel with battery switch lights etc. Things like the morse key and drop tank selector lever were removed. The canopy had the golf club arrangement, good description actually! When closed the canopy was opened from outside by pressing a small button on the tip of the windscreen canopy arch. It is small and very obvious. The bubble top canopy had an operating mechanism on the RHS of the cockpit, set up of covered chains going to the rear and a small winding handle. Flaps are interesting. They are spring loaded up, and extend open against the spring pressure by compressed air. Most Spitfires will slowly bleed compressed air from their systems. Brakes and rad flaps operated also by comp air. So even if you left the flaps down, after a while the pressure would drop and the springs would then snap them closed. However, you always retracted them on the ground after landing as if left down the restrict airflow through the radiators. That is why you hardly ever see a Spitfire pictured with flaps down. Flap selection is either up or down, to 64 deg. So never used for take- off, more of an air brake in a way. Taking off from the carriers for Malta, someone had the ingenious idea of clamping wedges of wood in the flaps against the return spring to hold them open at about 15 deg so as to get some increase in lift for the short take off run. Once airborne, the flaps were selected down then up, dropping the wedges away. The flap hinges pushed up two small panels near the inboard trailing edge of the wing, when flaps down, as an indicator. But not needed, she pitched noticeably nose down when you lowered the flaps in flight. The flaps are always up. It was my party trick if I still had pressure on the ground, and people were nearby I would lower the flaps (little silver lever up on the instrument panel), they would blow down. Then I would select them up, the air pressure blew off through a small orifice at the flap lever, causing a loud hissing noise, startling most people and the springs would then snap the flaps up. The brake differential valve was on the cockpit floor so to speak (no floor as such in the Spitfire) and as you moved the rudder pedals it would direct more air to the one wheel for differential braking. This also caused hissing noises. Of course only heard on ground engine off. As I recall the rad flaps would drop open. One of the tests after start signaled by ground crew, was to close and open the rad flaps to see they were working. Also to select ram air and filter air they would check to see the flap at the front of the carb intake was opening (ram) and closing (filtered). This whole intake assembly is beautifully modelled with the Tamiya Spitfire. The model itself is very lightly weathered. It was always kept in pristine condition by the museum ground crew, and I know for a fact that James used to "baby" it. James wrote an article for Warbird Alley about flying the Spitfire, the link is here if anyone fancies a read. He also sent me an article he had written regarding the SAAF Spitfire - his text is reproduced below. During my posting to the South African Air Force Museum, I had the extreme good fortune to fly the SAAF Museum Spitfire MkIX. This was a low back bubble top variant, normally referred to as a MkXVI. However the MkXVI was fitted with the Packard built Merlin 66 engine, whereas the SAAF Museum aircraft was fitted with a Merlin 70, technically making it a rare low back MkIX. It also had the clipped wing tips, which gave it a superb roll rate at low altitude and was common on Spitfires towards the end of the Second World War, where the main fighter role had become ground attack. The trade off was, a slight loss of turning performance at high altitude, and a slightly higher landing speed. Arguably it also detracted from the beautiful elliptical shape of the wing,. In his book “Fight for the Sky” Douglas Bader described the clipped wingtips as giving the Spitfire “a more workmanlike appearance”. What can one say about flying the iconic Spitfire? So many clichés exist. Such as “It becomes a part of you”, or “You just think of turning, and it does it”. “It feels so right, it becomes an extension of your arms and legs” is another. Phrases you will almost always hear repeated, when veteran Spitfire pilots are interviewed. Having flown the SAAF Museum MkIX, I can say the clichés are indeed true. It is a viceless and easy aircraft to fly. It does exactly what you want it to, the controls are light and powerful. It is docile in the stall and it does “feel right”, like a willing and faithful partner. In combat, it must have been superb. You can hold a max rate turn on the clearly felt light buffet all day, with just a gentle two fingered rearwards pressure on the stick. The rudder is extremely powerful. I once tried to see if I could hold the rudder against the force of full right rudder trim application, which is used for take off. However such is the rudder power, as the speed built to above 100 Kts after take off, despite holding a straight out locked leg, the left rudder pedal merely started to come back and pushing me up the back of the seat, never mind the 5 point harness! Resulting in me having to rapidly wind the trim off. So, no holding that trim force! Your only option, to pitch nose up, throttle back and try to maintain speed at or below 100, to try sort it out. As mentioned with the clipped tips, the roll rate is impressive. As part of my routine, I flew a 2-300Ft AGL level straight roll. In the Spitfire, this is easy, a ghost of an upwards pitch, check, then stick over unloading slightly as you roll to the inverted position. The aircraft rapidly rolls through 360 deg’, the nose remains beautifully balanced rolling about a point on the horizon, with no yaw divergence. The ailerons at air display speeds, are light and powerful. The only tricky area as such with flying the Spitfire is the after landing roll. With no steering on the tail wheel and no slipstream over the rudder throttled back on landing, a bit of dancing on the rudder is required to keep straight, as any sign of a swing needs to be stopped as with that narrow track landing gear, a ground loop could rapidly develop. The unique hand operated compressed air activated brakes work very well. The landing flaps are also air operated, only have two settings, up or down to 64 deg. A marked nose down pitch occurs, when the flaps deploy, pitching the nose down nicely, on base leg turns. A tight base leg needs to be flown, as turning finals too far out will cause the entire airfield to disappear behind that shapely, but long nose, hence the famous Spitfire curved approaches. Of course a big part of the Spitfire mystique is the brilliant 27 litre two stage supercharged V12 Merlin engine, as fitted to the MkIX. The sound of the Merlin in flight is unique and instantly recognised by any aircraft enthusiast worth his/her salt. At low power settings the engine is remarkably quiet. However, as the throttle is opened and plus boost settings are indicated, a wonderful growling noise starts coming up from the rudder pedal area. War emergency boost was in the +15-18 Ft Pounds area as I recall. For take off and most air display routines, it was rare to need much more than 6-8 Pounds boost. Without ammunition, we were technically light. She did have the 0.5 Browning’s and 20mm Cannon still in the wings, left in for Cof G purposes. There are a lot of moving parts in the Merlin, but for all that it is a remarkably reliable engine. When I first heard a Merlin start up, I remember being surprised by the engine sound. The engine does not have the deep “burble” a lot of the big radial aero engines have, as fitted to the Dakota and Harvard with which I was familiar. Rather the Merlin, has a notable high performance, race car type, crackle. At idle, the propeller reduction gear also makes a slight mechanical clattering. On song, the engine note changes to a harsh bellow, amazingly loud during ground runs. In flight, at low power settings, the engine is remarkably quiet. However as you open the throttle and start to get up to plus boost settings, a wonderful deep growling sound starts coming up from behind the rudder pedals. No doubt a lot of modern aircraft fly as well, if not better, than the Spitfire. However, considering the age of it’s design and the massive historic significance it represents, it is certainly one of the world’s iconic aircraft. Long may the precious few still airborne, fly. James Feuilherade Hope you all enjoy! Iain

As my H2K 109E build has ground to a halt due to a still missing cowling, I'm going to put it aside for the moment (not yet ready to mention shelves of doom yet) and start another. I said I'd support this GB when it started and if I don't start now, it will be too late to finish in time. So here goes with a kit that has been a long term stash resident, which will be finished as a MkIIc nightfighter. I'll be adding these to the build. I've built the Hurricane MkI version of this kit seven years ago, which was the second model I put up on this forum. I said at the time that I wasn't hugely impressed with the model as it has some silly errors, and this is why the kit has remained in the stash all these years. I still think the Airfix MkI is better, and one of these has been swinging from my ceiling for a long, long time. I think this is about 30 years old. So now it will come down from there and in all likelyhood, it's place will be taken by the Trumpy MkI. I have thoughts of trying to fit the engine from this to the MkIIc I'm about to start, so to that end I've been doing some comparisons between the two. I will have to use the Trumpeter kit engine mount and bulkhead as the Trumpy kit is wider by about 3mm. I'll also have to use the Trumpy prop as the spinner is smaller in diameter by about the same amount. Then there's the question of how much of the cowlings I can cut away as mounting points are cast into the back of each rear engine side cowl. This is the look I want. ..... In more appropriate colours, of course. The exhaust positioning in relation to the Trumpy kit's exhaust opening is crucial, as is the prop shaft being dead centre of the very front opening in the fuselage. The Trumpy engine mounts are slightly longer which is correct as MkII Hurricanes were slightly linger in the nose than MkI's. However, they're not correctly shaped as the lower brace on each side mounts further out on the wing spar. So I've built up the Trumpy engine block and engine mounts just to get a start as to where the Airfix engine mill mount. I know the engine height is correct from experimentation with an even older Airfix Merlin. It's now a question of correct fore/aft placement. So my next step is to wreck the Airfix Hurri and see if it mounts as I hope. If not, then this idea will be abandoned and I'll go with the crude stock engine and engine mount, and simply close up the cowlings. Other parts from the Airfix Hurricane will be used in the build anyway, and spare parts are always useful. One other thing I did on the 2015 build was to fabricate some of the rear fuselage structure. This gives you the idea. So I've also fabricated the sides of the Warren trusses that formed the basic fuselage structure. I won't be going all the way to the tail as that part can't be seen. This pic is about life size, so you get the idea. Cheers, Michael

Greetings Here's the next one on the table - the 1/32nd Fly Hurricane Mk IIC. My first British LSP build.... This is a build where the last thing I bought was the actual kit...all the AM was bought quite some time ago I couldn't get hold of the standard 2C kit (the one with the NF markings), so I was forced to pick up the Sea Hurricane version.... Luckily, it's basically the same kit, but with a resin insert for the lower fuselage and hook, so I won't have to do any cutting and modifying there, but..... being the Sea version, it doesn't come with the Night Fighter decals or the exhaust shields that are included in the standard kit. The glare shields are easy enough to SB from brass sheet stock, and as for the decals/markings, I've seen a sheet for FM-E Flight Commander Gerald Stapmea Stapleton, DFC & Bar 257 (Burma) Sqn, RAF Honiley, March, 1942. The serial number of the aircraft is unknown. So that'll be pretty easy to design and sort out the markings on my Silhouette machine. A/c finished in "Night" and has standard sized insignia. Got a couple of extras to throw at it.... I'll probably end up using the resin barrels from Fly, the Master ones I bought a looooong time ago has the flat recoil springs, not 100% sure they're correct. Now I don't have ANY reference material for Hurricanes, so what info I get is going to be scoured from the net. And not having that reference is perhaps a good thing....I hopefully won't find any super-detailing/correcting rabbit-holes to fall down into So hopefully a pretty much OOB build this time. (that being said, having seen other builds of this kit, I know there might be a few fights with the kit) Here we go!

Finally, here's my Dragon 1/32 Bf110C-3 Night Fighter (modified from the C-7 kit). Build represents a/c 235-5, 235° Squadriglia, 60° Gruppo, 41° Stormo Intercettori at Lonate Pozzolo airbase, Spring 1943 Build thread can be found here Many thanks to all who helped along the way, but especially to John Vasco himself who guided me along the precarious tightrope regarding the subtleties in the variant differences of the Bf110. Quite a bit I would have been very unaware of and wouldn't have modded without his help. The C-3 is a very interesting beast to say the least. Thanks for looking...on to the next one! Iain

With my F6F5-N build on hold, I'm starting on the next one, which is the Dragon Bf110C-7 backdated to a C-3 variant, flown as a night fighter by the Italians. I can only guess that the Luftwaffe wouldn't have given them new machines.... My main source of reference is the fantastic book about the Bf110 by John Vasco and Fernando Estanislau. If you're building the 110 C, D or E, this is a must-have. Mg17 barrels will be replaced by brass ones from Master, and the colour scheme is from a set of decals I have from Owl. I'll make my own masks though on my Silhouette, using the decals as reference. I had a choice of schemes/decals to choose from, but the oddity of the scheme won me over.... For the cockpit I have the choice of Yahu panels, Eduard Panels or the kit panels. I will most likely end up going with the kit interior....the first two, although they're OK, just don't offer that 3D look of the plastic parts. I'll put some Airscale decals and placards on it, and it should look the part. That being said, I might use the Eduard throttle quadrant box details on top of that to spice up that portion. The Dragon Bf110 kit is getting harder and harder to find, which is a real pity, as they are a real gem of a kit. I have 6 of them already, as I plan to do a night fighter version of all the main variants - C (in progress), a D (built), E, F, G2 and G4. The detail on the kits is excellent - crisp moulding, awesome texture and the plastic is lovely to work with. The instructions themselves are dodgy at the best of times, but once you've figured them out, and in most cases deviated from them, it's plain sailing! To make the most of the tooling and moulds, I think Dragon based almost everything on the D/E variant, and then tooled details that would make building the C's possible. To convert this kit to a C, all I had to do was fill the cockpit fresh air vent just aft starboard (from E variant onwards) and fill the port aerial connection point on the fuselage (only C-2 and earlier had the twin aerials) According to my reference book, the changes between a C-7 variant as in the kit and the C3/4 were miniscule. Deleting the central bomb rack basically mods the C-7 to a C-4, and then between the C2, 3 and 4 there were differences in the radios, belly radio mast and whether or not it carried improved MG-FF/M cannons. But as some frames were retrofitted with different modifications, the sources state that it is almost impossible to externally tell the difference between a C3 and C4....makes life easier for this conversion though! So I have started with assembling some of the major components - some for test fitting, some for details - like the engines - (which will be concealed beneath cowlings) to the firewalls and gear bays. That gap forward of the horizontal stabilizer is meant to be there....the angle of the stab was adjustable. Test fit only to the fuselage, that's not glued either. The kit has had its Mg17's removed, but I managed to keep all the retention clasps for the guns as per the kit - so the Master barrels are a slide-fit into the nose. So no pointy bits to break off whilst handling the model, and they can be burnished towards the end of the build and inserted into the nose cap. So that's it for now! Hope you enjoy the process with me! Iain

Here is my first RFI on the site, proof that I actually have built some models more to come at later stages as I get pics taken. This aircraft is a Bf109G-14/AS from 4./NJG11 (or 5./NJG11 depending on sources). SAM Publications Modellers Datafile "The Messerschmitt Bf109 Part 2 'F' to 'K' variants has an image of the aircraft found in a hangar at the end of the war on page 55 of that book as well as a colour side-view on page 93. Some would have this as possibly a G-6/AS variant, but in my research the presence of the larger Fo987 oil cooler which is quite evident on the image puts this as a G-14/AS, as the G-6's used the smaller Fo870 oil cooler. But hey, I might be totally off the mark! I used the AIMS Decals "Late war 109's" decal sheets as a basis to cut my masks for all the insignia. Parts List: Revell Bf109G-6 "Late and early version" A.M.U.R Reaver Resin cowling and spinner/prop blades Barracuda Studios resin wing inserts, large oil cooler, tall tail wheel, MLG wheels AIMS Late war 109 decals (basis for masks), exhaust stacks, hatches and latches(to modify the filler cap locations for this a/c) HGW Rivet/control surfaces set (for Hasegawa, bit of fettling to make it work on the Revell kit), seatbelts and Bf109 stencil set OWL Fug217 antenna and exhaust stack covers (all now sadly OOP). Some Fug 217 were SB to replace broken parts Master Brass barrels Eduard Instrument panel and Brassin U/C legs Quickboost Revi C/D gunsight MDC Drop tank and centreline mount/braces Noy's Miniatures Luftwaffe Hangar for the photo's All paint/markings/spirals - Gunze Laquers. RLM76 overall Might be a bit more small things I've forgotten about, but hope you all enjoy Thanks for looking Iain

So in keeping with the GB's theme I've going along with a duel build/s. First up is Revell's Spitfire IXc along with the normal am etc. I'm attempting to build it as a little dio as per these photo's I have a resin pilot thats pretty close to the first photo and should work well? Its also a chance to have the flaps down and displayed and I have a set in the stash! It also helps that I wont have to worry about the undercarriage, which is my least liked job of any build For my second build its Hasegawa's Fw 190A-8 again with a bundle of am. for this one it will be a scheme I found on an aeromaster sheet in 48th, and found reference (although no actual photos exist) in Luftwaffe's last hope book (along with the Spit). Again this was a downed plane so may well do another little dio. Yesterday I started on the pe for the flaps... 3 hours work but looking good? Aaron

Another model goes to my shelf. This time, the design that appears at the competition quite rarely, namely the P-39 Airacobra. The model itself is pretty cool, but I've added Eduard plates, HGW straps, Master barrels and Eduard exhaust pipes. Markings painted from templates drawn by Mr. Decal and cut Maketar

New little sideline project whilst waiting for paint to dry/things to arrive on the Liberator. Spent the afternoon assembling the railway gondola to check the He162 fitted!

First fresh build for 2019. Just finishing off a P51 from the 15th FG 308th This is part 1 of a 2 ship build based up Piotr Forkasiewicz artwork for the eduard 1/48th G10 profipack. I recently picked up the Japo KG(J)6 109 book and it has several erla built machines which feature the red and black chequered defence band so a red stripe/red chequered build off was on. I haven't decided upon the exact plane just yet.

Fokker D VII in the colours of The 15th Polish fighting squadron flown by the second lieutenant Antoni Bartkowiak , dated from the Bolshevik war in 1920, or immediately after. The condition probably after March 1921. The model covered in Aviattic decals, a few metal strips by HGW, KMs by Master and exceptionally good additions to the engine by Taurus Models. The propeller is hand made from veneer. Reborn Poland seized about 50 Fokkers D. VII as a trophy (former German airbases in Wielkopolska ) or purchased some from the producer- The OAW company in Piła within the borders of The Third Reich at the time. These dealings were not fully legal, the planes were provided by German pilots by air- they 'lost' the way from Piła nad landed at The Ławica airport 'by mistake'. After being paid, they returned by train.

Hello to you all I will enter the F-104G from italeri for this group build and will be build like the have flown in Belgium We have done two colors bare metal and SEA camo i will try to go for the baremetal i will put a practice bomb dispender on the central pylon I have the kit for a time in the stash it whas a hard desicion on what to build for this group build so much to fit in Now here is the box All the extras i have for this one Start will be slow because i also have my su-27 to finnish Mark

My latest build for a GB on another forum, but large scale so thought I'd show it here. I realise and know the canopy is wrong and a couple of other bits, but this was for a Hobbyboss/Trumpeter kit GB and I just wanted to try the camo scheme for this Malta Spit. I've 4 more variants I want to do and these will be much for accurate (hopefully). I did correct the tail stabilisers and the prop with quickboost am as well as master barrels and some eduard pe. Mr Paint, Gunze and Tamiya for paintwork and oils, ammo and AK for weathering. And the book I was working from

Here's my entry, first in progress work and GB on here so go easy please. Hobbyboss as the main kit and canopy and filter from Hasegawa Selection of decals and masks (kit was second hand and decals missing from box) AM And reference And finally the aircraft

So this is my next build on the bench 30.04.45 - FW 190 A-8 W.Nr 739 136 'White 15 + -' of II.(Sturm.)/J.G. 4 'White 15 + -' took off from Parchim, north-west of Berlin, piloted by another Estonian, Oblt. Anatol Rebane. This FW 190 was scrapped in Sweden in 1946. Anatol Rebane lived in the West after the war, and after leaving the United States in 2002, now lives in Estonia again. Found Claes Sundin's profile on his website and fell in love with the late war appearance. Then found several images of the plane which are perfect for an accurate build (hopefully)! Hasegawa kit for the build Eduard PE for the pit And started on it, whilst the paint dries on the Kolibri

Finished last year, just prior to Telford.

Alright so some of you folks have been very non observant.. over two weeks ago I changed my airplane pic in my sig.. then last week I changed my personal pic to the 90thTFS "pair o dice" logo.. then Ernie did, and THEN some of you guys noticed... Well, here we are. So here is what we are doing! A brief background to the 90th in Vietnam: The Squadron we chose to represent in the Group Build is the 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron. The 90th Was Assigned to the 3rd Fighter Wing on 9 June 1964 and Flew the Hun from 9 June 64 to 19 November 1965 from Bien Hoa From 3 February though the 10th of May 1965 the unit was detached. From 3 February 66 through 31 Oct 1970 the unit flew from Bein Hoa and conducted the large proportion of its strike and interdiction work over South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Ernie and I will be doing a first ever Buddy Build in a Group Build of the same kit, same materials same squadron of the F-100 D Super Saber. Trumpy Kit, Aires Super Set , LOTS of AMS Parts, Quickboost Refueling probe ,Zacto nose, Master pPitot tube etc etc custom art/ masks decals. You guys kick back and relax.. we got this! Now that Ernie has gotten all but his IFR probe we can get going.. Wish us luck folks.. Paul