JayDee

Great looking work Frank. With such a complex design, it's amazing that stuff does tend to line up with little effort. I test fitted the fuse to me, and the intake covers. I reckon a 95% success rate. Just a little tweaking before I later glue things up.

Amazing work. You should bring to Telford and put on the competition stalls...

Awesome!

So good it's annoying. Just superb!

1:32 decal sets for WNW 2A2 Salmson kits Pheon Decals Catalogue # see article for code and price Available from Pheon Decals Has there ever been any specific Wingnut Wings kit more underrepresented in the online modelling community, than the excellent 2A2 Salmson? I must admit that whilst I don't regularly visit the various modelling shows around the country, I am told that you really don't see any of these models made up anywhere. I, for one, think that's a crying shame as it really is, for me, one of the real highlights in the WNW catalogue. Having said that, Pheon decals have come to the rescue, and offered not one or two new decal sets for this kit, but THREE. We have been lucky enough to receive all three sets, and thought we'd share our findings with you. 32048, In French Service Vol.1, £12.75 32049, In French Service Vol.2, £12.75 32050, In USAS & Polish Service, £14.00 Before we dive in, I must share with you a little of what Pheon have told me regarding these new sets. We are all used to seeing Limited Edition decal sheets that are sometimes given another print run. Well, these are slightly different. Pheon aren't calling any of these sets 'Limited Edition', but due to the number of processes required for their printing (11 colours plus varnish), when these sets are sold out, that's it.....finito! As only 125 of each have been produced, I really do suggest you get your order in as soon as possible, to avoid inevitable disappointment. Printing is by Fantasy Printshop, and my experiences with their products have been nothing short of excellent. Decals react well to setting solutions (but there is a disclaimer against using them!), and their quality is among the very best in the business. Each set is packaged into a large Zip-lock wallet, and contains (as well as the actual decals) laser-printed colour scheme sheets and a rather neat booklet containing information on the schemes and also the best way to apply your decals. Of course, when it comes to scale models, reference and research is what sets some products apart from others. Rowan Broadbent is pretty picky when it comes to getting things right, and will research his schemes so that as little ambiguity as to these old aircraft, remain. The reference he uses is listed per machine. That is as standard, so now we'll take a look at t he individual sets and see what they offer. 32048, In French Service Vol.1 From this set, no less than NINE machines can be modelled. First of all, where national markings are required, you need to use the kit decals, as these are, being printed by Cartograf, perfectly for the job. A good number of the schemes present here, have the same basic camouflage layout which you will see in the WNW kit, with the exception of one machine that is finished in what might be grey or silver. This machine carries a 'Sun of Rhodes' insignia, due to the unit being commanded by Capitane Derode, who himself was a student of ancient Greece. This particular scheme, like the others, contains a list of optional parts in each aircraft section, which must be used for building that specific machine. These decals are among some of the most varied and colourful that I've see from Pheon. Schemes available with this set are: Serial not known, SPA 102 Serial 520 of SAL 1, Summer 1918 Serial XX(53?)47, SAL 14 Serial "5531" (purely speculative) SAL 17, Mayence-Gonsenheim (Mainz), Germany, 8 May, 1919 Serial 490, SAL 33 Serial 316, SAL 39 Serial 5351, SAL 74 Serial 5033 or 5039, SAL 263 Serial 798, SAL 288 The decals look quite extraordinary, and of course contain all of those amazing logos and serials in their varying styles. Two sets of serial numbers are included for the rudder. The font remains the same, but they are of different sizes. Two sets of each are also included, to give you duplicates, depending on which machine you build, or even if you build more than one from this sheet. In actuality, you could build the whole nine schemes, as the decals, as I have said are reliant on the kit sheet for the main markings. Now, THAT is value for money! I say this for all decal sets in this review. Printing is sharp, superbly thin, and with minimal carrier film. Colours are authentic and solid, and registration is perfect. Please take that for granted in this article. The instruction booklet also explains a little about the possible reasons for the lack of French aircraft on the modelling scene, recounting the horrific casualty statistics that the French endured. Notes are supplied for French Unit Designations too, and a separate page of listed reference material is supplied. 32049, In French Service Vol.2 All machines in this second set carry the same camouflage as was used in 8 of the 9 schemes in the previous set. What sets all of these aircraft apart are the colourful emblems employed by the various units/machines. Again, there are NINE schemes to choose from here, and the decal sheet format is very similar except that these schemes don't use a generic rudder numbering format. This set offers up the following Salmson aircraft: Serial 563 (purely speculative), SAL 10, winter 1918 – 1919 Serial 26(5?), SAL 16, April 1918, flown by Asp. Paul Honnorat, Observer Ltt Martin Serial 945, SAL 18 Serial 5351 (speculative), SAL 32 Serial 539 (possibly 531), SAL 40, flown by Adjutant Marius Roche, October 1918 Serial 479, SAL 58 Serial 359, SAL 70 Serial 504, SAL 259 Serial 4321, SAL 580 32050, In USAS & Polish Service Despite costing a couple of £ more, this set offers only SEVEN schemes, in comparison to the nine in each of the others, but don't let that put you off. What this set does contain is THREE decal sheets, as opposed to the single sheet in the others. There are two A5 size sheets which not only contain the emblems and serials of the Salmson, but also national markings in the form of the cockade and the large red/white Polish chequer squares. A smaller sheet/strip contains serials (with an obliteration), and bands for the lower wing. Cockades are split to accommodate the ailerons, and hinge/rigging locations are also included. The machines which may be built here are: Serial not known, 24th Aero Squadron, November 1918 Serial not known, 88th Aero Squadron, Forces of Occupation, Trier, Germany, December 1918 Serial not known, 90th Aero Squadron, Lt. Harvey Conover and 2nd Lt. Velentine J Burger, October 1918 Serial "986", 99th Aero Squadron, Lt. Llewellyn, September 1918 Serial 5247, Capt. Clearton H Reynolds, 104th Aero Squadron, 11th November 1918 Serial not known, 258th Aero Squadron, Germany, May 1919 Serial not known, "Winius", 1 Eskadra Wywiadowcze, Polish Air Service, ex SAL 582 French Aéronautique Militaire. Conclusion If ever there was a good reason to open your Salmson kit, or indeed order one from Wingnut Wings, this is kit. Whilst the Salmson's camouflage didn't exactly vary much from machine to machine, the personal and unit emblems here are very fetching and certainly evoke thoughts of the struggles of the Great War, and the tragedy for the French nation. As always with Pheon Decals, production and research are exemplary, and the product is of the highest quality. If you want a set of these, I suggest you head over to Pheon and buy them ASAP! Very highly recommended My sincere thanks to Pheon Decals for the review samples. To purchase directly, click THIS link. James H

1:32 and 1:48 Wet Transfer Stencils (Various) HGW Catalogue # see article for code and price Available from HGW This, of course, isn't the first time we've looked at the new series of Wet Transfer from HGW, but this series is now expanding quite rapidly. We have been sent the latest releases in 1:48 and 1:32, so we'll take a look at each set independently, and what they offer the modeller, over the standard, traditional decal. 'But surely, these are decals', I can hear you say. Technically, yes they are, but that's where the comparison ends. These are like a halfway house between the regular decal and the dry-rub down decals that have made appearances over the years. Where these differ is that you get all the benefits of a carrier-filmless decal (as per the rub down stencils), but with all the convenience of the traditional decal that you apply with water and setting solution. Of course, masks are always another option for regular decals, but certainly not for stencils. That solution is totally unworkable. Adding regular stencil decals to a model, means you will always have that excess carrier film present, that you so desperately try to hide with setting solutions, gloss varnish etc. If you use masks for the remainder of your model, then this compromise in realism is something you've had to live with. Well, no longer! When these decals are added, there is NO carrier film whatsoever. All you are left with is the stencil....... The sets we have in 1:32 are: 232001, Spitfire Mk.IX Stencils, 159 Kč 232006, Messerschmitt Bf 109E Stencils, 295 Kč 232008, P-51D,J,K Mustang Stencils, 295 Kč Those in 1:48 248001, Spitfire Mk.IX Stencils, 159 Kč 248008, P-51D,J,K Stencils, 159 Kč 248009, Messerschmitt Bf 109F,G,K, 159 Kč 232001, Spitfire Mk.IX Stencils This set is presented in a slim, re-sealable wallet, with a tough card stiffener to stop it getting bent, and damaging the contents. Like all sets, the basic instructions are shown on the cover. These are: Cut out the required decal Soak in hot water (tepid!!) and wait until the decal loses its base paper Apply as a regular decal Push the water from below the decal Leave to dry for 3 to 4 hours Remove the transfer foil and remove any glue residue with water You will note I inserted the word 'tepid' into there. I would never advise you use hot water for decals, and as I've previously used the rivet decals, which work on the same principle, I know you can use tepid water. Also not mentioned here is the use of a decal setting solution. With the rivets, I do use this, but I don't know what the result would be here. You're best testing a spare decal first. This particular set contains a complete set of stencil decals, including the narrow wing walkway lines. Being fastened to the carrier whilst you apply them does mean that decals such as these are far easier to apply than regular decals. HGW has produced a very comprehensive stencil set here that could completely remove the need to use those in the Tamiya or PCM kits etc, and the result is that when they are applied, they will literally look like they have been painted onto the model. What's more, these decals are so fine and sharp that you can read the test on just about every single one! A decal placement guide is obviously included, and this shows in detail where everything needs to be applied, using a regular numbering system. All very self-explanatory. 232006, Messerschmitt Bf 109E Stencils Now, here we see something very different. First of all, this sleeve is much larger than the Spitfire stencil set, and secondly is that this is far MORE than a stencil set. Yes, the stencils are included here in their entirety, including fuel tank decals and wing walk decals in both black and red, but here we see a radical departure from the 'stencil only' set. The same small, narrow sheet also contains kill tally markings and other items such as the Mickey Mouse that adorned Adolf Galland's JG26 machine. I'm presuming the other markings here are for the same. They certainly look like it to me. Now, there is a second, LARGER sheet. In fact, it's twice the size of the first, and this contains no stencils whatsoever. What it does contain are many common markings and unit emblems. All of these are in the same format as the stencils, meaning the decal should look like the next best thing to applying masks. This is quite an extraordinary set which will no doubt satisfy the requirements of many Luftwaffe builders. There are also kill tallies etc. As with the Spitfire set, drawings are given for the location of the stencils, but NOT for the aircraft markings. You'll have to check your references before you use those, as they are simply designed to replace what you may be using for your scheme anyway. You still won't get away from using regular kit decals for the national markings, but in this case, I would suggest you go for masks for those. 232008, P-51D,J,K Mustang Stencils One thing you can say about the P-51, it was FULL of stencil data! Again, this set comes in the larger size wallet because it also includes more than simple stencils, although only one sheet is used here. About half of the sheet is taken over to stencils (and there appear to be hundreds of them), and there are a few decals that are optional, depending on which variant of Mustang you are building. The remainder of the sheet is taken over again with personal markings and emblems/codes for actual schemes. In this case, I can identify these aircraft: P-51D, 473305, 4th FG, 334th FG, 'Blondie', flown by Lt. Marvin W. Arthur, February 1945 P-51D, 411622, G4-C 'Nooky Booky IV', 362nd FS, 357th FG, Major 'Kit' Carson', Suffolk, England P-51D, HO-M, "Petie 2nd" As with the Me 109E set, you will need to source your own information for the placement of these non-stencil decals. I will only briefly summarise the 1:48 sets, as most has been covered above. All sets are packaged into the narrow wallet, and the Mustang set appears to be identical to the 1:32 version, with everything simply scaled down. What is remarkable is that I can STILL read the stencils, at 1:48 scale!! All the same stencils are included, as well as the scheme markings. As per the 1:32 version, the 1:48 Spitfire set contains stencils only, while the Bf 109F,G,K set contains both Balkenkreuz and specific machine markings, to compliment the comprehensive stencils set. I'd go as far as to say that there are enough stencils for two models here also. Conclusion I very much like the concept of stencils with zero carrier film. I've not actually used any of these in anger yet, but intend to on future builds. What's really pushed these for me is the inclusion of scheme markings too. Perhaps we'll see scheme sets released by HGW in future? I'd like to think so. By themselves, the stencils make a great addition to your Spitfire/Bf 109E and Mustang builds, and I hope HGW extend this to include the Fw 190, and also generic stencils to cater to those kits which simply don't supply them in regular form. Highly recommended My sincere thanks to HGW for these review samples. To purchase directly, click the links in the review. James H

Tom, this is insane, but I love it! The Stirling just looks so awkward, both in the air and on the ground. I'll watch this one with interest.

Coming to a Swafeler near you in November

1:32 Messerschmitt Bf 109H conversion Alley Cat Catalogue # AC32037C Available from A2Zee Models for £20 Have you ever wanted to try something different when it comes to large scale Bf 109 models? The endless stream of Emils, Friedrichs and Gustavs can become a little samey, even to ardent Luftwaffe fans. Alley Cat have never shied away from producing conversion sets to help the modeller create something a little more unusual when it comes to the Emil (with A, B, C and D conversions available), and now they've turned their attention to the new Revell 1:32 Bf 109G-6. This set will let you build this sleek aircraft as the not-quite-so-sleek Bf 109H, high altitude fighter. Before the advent of the Ta 152, this was Messerschmitt's solution to intercepting the massed bomber streams that flew high above German towns and cities. Basically, this machine was an adapted Bf 109G, which had a taller tail section, pressurised cockpit, and an extended wingspan. The latter was achieved by adding a new un-taped, centre wing section which extended the wingspan of the 109 by over 3 metres. The whole project was cancelled before production began, due to the prototype being destroyed in an air raid, and newer aircraft coming on-stream. Alley Cat's conversion set is packaged into a small, sturdy box that has a colour label depicting the product in profile format. Inside the box, two Zip-lock wallets hold a total of FOURTEEN parts, cast in light grey resin. The largest of these, the wing centre section, occupies its own wallet. A series of laser printed instruction sheets are included, as is a mask set for the scheme. What this conversion sets out to do is actually very simple and logical. The regular Bf 109G wings remained unchanged in their format, with the exception that the under-wing radiators were moved into their original locations, which now lay on the new centre piece. I don't know Messerschmitt's logic for doing this, but of course this means we need to erase those radiators from the kit wings. The wing centre section is impressive, and is cast with the new location for the undercarriage strut on the outboard side of the panel, giving the aircraft a wide-track undercarriage instead of the narrow one it is always seen with. Detail on this section is excellent, with cutaways to install the new radiator positions. A small resin pouring stub exists on forward point, where it connects to the engine cowl. This is totally unobtrusive and will cause no problem when removing it. As with the rest of the Revell kit, the exterior is devoid of rivets. What again will make this aircraft look unusual is that this new section is without any dihedral. The kit wings, when fitted to this, will have their regular upward angle kept 'as is', creating a most unusual looking bird. To remove the radiators from the kit wings, a blanking insert is included. New radiator parts are included for the extra wing section, complete. As the kit wing itself contains the centre fuselage section, you will need to cut this, and the instructions clearly show how you go about this. It's suggested that you perhaps pin the kit wings to the new resin panel, and I think that's a pretty good idea in the circumstances. New resin radiators are provided for the new section, complete with internal grilles. Those radiators are handed, so ensure you fit them correctly. This new wing calls for the split, trailing edge flaps to be reinstated on the new section, and resin parts are supplied for this, clearly identified on both the casting block and instructions. You will need to use the forward, adjustable shutters on the kit radiators and fasten them to the new resin ones, in the same location. The next major change comes with the removal of the entire tail section from the kit fuselage. Careful measurement is needed here, and this is given on the instructions sheet. It still always pays to take the last fractions of a millimetre off very gradually so that you get an even and perfect match between the plastic and grafted resin part. The new tail is very different to the standard 109 style, and this comes with a separate rudder. Revell did sort of drop the ball on the kit gun troughs. This conversion supplies a corrected gun trough, but oddly enough, not the corrected Beules or spinner. For these, you will need the buy the G-6 correction set we reviewed HERE. There is a small dark mark on the upper piece, but this appears to be a little dark resin, and will cause no problems when I build this. I really can't complain about the quality of the resin parts. They are flawless, easily identifiable, and any casting blocks will easily be cut away. It's also not greasy, and no visible signs of mould-release agent can be seen anywhere. Perhaps just lightly scrub them to be sure. Masks are supplied on a sharply cut vinyl sheet, and look superb, with no shrinkage. Only the fuselage codes and swastikas are supplied, as you will use the kit markings for the Balkenkreuz. Three colour-printed sheets are provided for the instructions, with photographs and clearly notation. I would have perhaps liked to have seen a photo of the completed model, or at least with the wing having the inboard slit trailing edge installed. You really shouldn't have too much of an issue following these instructions. The last sheet contains the line drawings of the 109, with the scheme applied to the side profile. Conclusion Alley Cat has produced another superb conversion set for a version which you only occasionally see in smaller, short-run kits/conversions. The finished 109 will look a little clumsy and ungainly, but that is part of the attraction for this machine. There isn't provision for creating that pressurised cockpit, so for that area, you will have to check out online references for similar machines, or at the very least, conjure up your own solution. I also assume the engine had some differences, but externally, you won't have seen them. That would only really apply if you wanted to add a resin engine. In all, a really good, solid conversion set that should be manageable by modellers who have worked with resin parts before. A good, first conversion perhaps? Very highly recommended My sincere thanks to A2Zee Models for this review sample. To purchase directly, click THIS link. James H

You kept that one secret That's an inspired choice, and at a fraction of the price of the ZM. I know there are the sets you're adding which adds to cost, but hey, this is about modelling! Really can't wait to see what you do with this. The ZM kit is pretty much full of crap you'll never see, and your work is targeted at the stuff you can see. I heard they might release this as 1:48 too, but I have the perfect antidote to that too. Watch this space!

Just amazing work. You should write some tutorials for us here.....

1:32 Gloster Meteor F.8 conversion Fisher Models Catalogue # A3231 Available from Fisher Models for $85.00 There is only one game in town if you want to build an injection-moulded 1:32 Gloster Meteor, and that is the HK Models kit which was released around the beginning of 2014. The kit itself is superb, even if you build OOB, and offers a number of upgrade paths for those who like to detail their models further. Profimodeller and Eduard have released sets to help you build your ultimate Meteor. HK have only released the Meteor as an F.4, so if your particular ultimate Meteor was a different variant (most were), then until now, there was no viable option for the regular modeller. Enter Fisher Models with their F.8 conversion.... Paul Fisher is a craftsman. There's no doubt about that, and his sheer finesse and attention to detail can be seen in all of his products, so when one of the F.8 conversions dropped through the door, not only could I not wait to see what it contained, but I was already fomenting a plan to build this as soon as the review was completed. This set is packaged into a reasonable size box for a conversion, and it's also got quite a bit of weight to it. But then it needs to! To convert the F.4 to the F8, you'll have very little fuselage plastic left. Opening this box, you see one trademark of all their sets, and that is swathes of soft, crispy tissue paper that not only provides some padding, but is also used to individually wrap certain parts and assemblies. One such wrapped assembly are the two forward fuselage sections. As well as being carefully taped together, they also contain a little zip-lock wallet tucked inside. This holds the clear resin parts, again, carefully wrapped in tissue paper. New Nose The real difference between the kit fuselage nose/cockpit area and the resin parts, are that F.8 had an extended nose, so Fisher has taken the kit nose and also extended this, whilst replicating the kit standard detail on the new areas. This is been done extremely well except for one or two panel lines which just need a quick lick with a scriber. Exterior detail is sharp, again, matching the standard of the host kit. One part of the HK kit that I didn't like was the oblong part that inserts into the upper forward nose. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get it to sit flush all the way around. No problem with that here, as that section is cast in situ. Apart from that, there are a few minor differences to the kit parts, with one noticeably being the two fairings that protrude from either side of the cockpit canopy area. You will also note that the rear turtle deck, so devoid of detail on the HK kit, is actually opened up here. We'll look at the reasons why very shortly. It's pretty obvious that the cockpit internals and wheel bay area will install as per the kit, and a very solid ridge has been left along the inner area of the mating surface, to allow the modeller to align the new nose as easily as possible. Seams are very good here, with the upper seam being the better of the two. The lower seam is a little uneven in some places, and there is a little raised resin around that seam. When these are jointed, you'll need to apply a little putty or thick CA as filler, and carefully rub back so as not to damage any surrounding detail. Casting is among some of the best I've seen, with no actual casting block to remove; just a little tidying instead. No flaws can be seen anywhere. Intakes There are TWO sets of corrected intakes available for this kit. These are the long and short chord type, with all parts being wrapped in tissue to protect them. This release will be packaged with the long chord as standard, unless you ask them to be substituted for the short chord parts. Installation of these will be very different, with the long chord type needing the most invasive surgery, as you cut back into the wing root area in order to graft these into place. On the other hand, the short chord, whilst not needing that level of surgery, does involve having to install the part before you glue the upper wing to the lower. This is because this type has a short but flared intake channel within, which correctly tapers to an oblong shape. I do find that the long chord intakes need a little re-scribing in places, and both sets have a few very minor divots in the joining edges, around the circumference. Again, this is no big deal and won't take long to sort out. One point of contention in the inclusion of both parts is that the artworks don't specify which machine was installed with what type of intake. You'll have to use your own reference there, or your imagination. My sample also has two sets of wing leading edge areas that you see through the intake opening. I can't see any difference in them at all, so presume these are all merely packaged because I have two intake sets with this sample. Cockpit Fisher has totally reworked this area, almost beyond recognition. This is an area where you really should take your time and employ considerable patience, due to the many parts that not make up the Meteor pilot's humble office. Out of box, the kit parts make a very tidy and acceptable cockpit, but this takes the whole result up ten whole levels! The basic cockpit tub assembly is as per kit, with the starboard side locking to the pips that are cast into the interior of the nose. This perfectly aligns the whole tub when complete. There is far more detail in this cockpit than is supplied in the basic kit. This comes from both adding the detail that HK missed, right up to corrections and of course that detail which differs from the F.4 variant. If cockpits are your thing, then this could well be one of the most detailed that you'll yet see. Sidewalls are resplendent in extra detail, such as wiring and re-faced/refined instruments/avionics units. My sample set has two identical casting blocks containing various levers etc. These are added to the sidewalls, and also to the totally reworked rear wall. This is designed to accommodate the new ejection seat, and there is a lever unit either side of the gap, accommodating two levers each. Even the floor gets a little extra refinement with the addition of the two walled channels for the pilot's feet/rudder pedals. Now, onto that seat. This is the only part of the conversion that Fisher didn't master for themselves. It is actually the Martin-Baker ejection seat from Aero Club, and very fine it is too. There are three parts to this; the main chair, cushions and belts, and the top pull-release on the upper headrest. As far as standard and depth of detail go, this doesn't disappoint, and entirely compliments the Fisher conversion set. Casting quality is first rate, with the tiniest bit of feathery flash to remove. You will notice that the instrument panel is very different in this release. The first think that struck me was the lack of bezels. Checking this out online, this is indeed correct. The panel is also very thin as it is designed to fit to a separate plate, sandwiching a decal that shows through main panel. There are numerous other small parts that go to make up this masterpiece, including a reworked control column and gun-sight. Extra Internal Detail I already mentioned the lack of any detail on the kit turtle-deck. This isn't so much of a problem when the canopy is closed (though it still isn't properly represented), but when the canopy is opened, as most of us no doubt model it, there is an entire lack of detail that should be shown. In fact, the kit totally leaves it out. What should sit there are the hydraulic drip pan and reservoir, plus the two large ammunition boxes. Well, fret no longer, as they are indeed included in this kit, and in stunning detail. There is also a curved interior shell that fits within the canopy, and then when closed, obscures this area from view. New Tail Section If sawing the entire nose from your fuselage didn't give you palpitations, then the next modification most certainly will. A major difference between the F.4 and F.8, and certainly the most visible, was the difference in the shape of the tailfin, rudder and horizontal stabiliser/elevator areas. These were major reworkings, and the only thing that can be done is to dispense with the plastic totally. The new resin fin is cast with its rudder in situ, but the effect is very convincing and it looks like separate parts. In fact, hold it to the light, and you will see a sliver through the resin. In some places, the resin is gone, and I'm thinking the best thing to do here is to gently run a razor saw down the leading edge of the rudder, just to give a little extra definition. To add the new tail, the fuselage will need to be sawed as a pre-determined panel line. Stabilisers and elevators are supplied as left/right, and are marked as such with a thin web that is cast to them. Apart from the elevators, there are no casting blocks to remove at all on the stabilisers or the main tail section. A very thin strip of easily removable resin serves as the casting block on the elevators. Just a minimal clean up. Test-fitting the stabilisers to the vertical fin shows the fit to be extremely good, with perhaps just a wipe of putty being needed, if at all. Detail is excellent and commensurate with the finesse of the host kit, with finely scribed panel lines and access ports. Clear Parts One of the criticisms of the HK kit had been the canopy. The actual F.4 canopy is a little shallow and wide, and whilst that doesn't concern us here, the windscreen does. This was also incorrect on the HK kit, so a new resin part is included here to replace that. There are also TWO main canopy parts; both early and late hoods, as well as a clear cover for the radio compass on the Australian machine, and a small piece of acetate for the gun-sight reflector. The windscreen is crystal clear, exhibiting zero distortion, and the main hoods, whilst not distorted, aren't quite as clear as the windscreen. I think a tickle with a buffing and polishing stick should sort that, and a dip in Klear may seal the deal. Frame definition is good, and the frame areas themselves are frosted. Decals There are THREE sheets included here, printed by Fantasy Printshop. It's always good to see decals that I know to be of high quality. FIVE schemes are supplied with this release, with an Israeli machine in the offing still. Contact Fisher Models regarding that. Whilst there are five schemes, there are actually only 4 unique machines, as one of these was repainted in camouflage, from its original high-speed silver. I really can't complain about the decals. They are superbly thin, contain minimal carrier film, authentic colour, and they are in perfect register. Unlike the HK kit, this conversion supplies you with a full set of stencils too. The schemes available here are: Meteor F.Mk.8, WF737.V, No.63 Sqn. RAF Waterbeach, UK, 1956 Meteor F.Mk.8, WH359.K, No.611 Sqn. Royal Aux. Air Force, RAF Hooton Park, UK, 1953 Meteor F.Mk.8, WH445.S, No.615 Sqn, Royal Aux. Air Force, RAF Biggin Hill, UK, 1958 Meteor F.Mk.8, A77-207, No.77 RAAF, Korea, 1951 Instructions There's no doubt that these have been a labour of love for Paul Fisher. Every stage is photographed and passages of text annotate the images. My only real criticism is that the photos are perhaps a little small, and it would have been good to have these in colour and not in black/white. The text certainly helps to make up for things generally, and colour notation is given throughout the conversion construction. Colour profiles are supplied for the various machines, and a stencil diagram is given on the back page. • I already mentioned that none of these machines have any information about whether they use the wide or short chord intakes. In all, you shouldn't have any real issue in converting your Meteor if you closely study the instructions. Conclusion Wow! This really is a superb resin conversion set, with a very decent parts count. There are far more schemes available for the F.8 than there is for the original F.4 kit incarnation, and this set opens up many exciting possibilities. There are already decals slated for this release, from other aftermarket manufacturers. As well as the conversion aspect, this release also opens up a whole new depth of detail to the cockpit, which now becomes a real showpiece of this aircraft. Resin production is amongst some of the very best, and if you want to know about accuracy, then the fact that this is from Fisher should be enough for you. Paul has done his research, and there notable names from our industry, listed on the instructions front page. This is a quality product throughout and screams to be built. In fact, by the time you read this, I already will have! Very highly recommended My sincere thanks to Fisher Models for the review sample seen here. To purchase directly, click THIS link. James H

Such a great finish. I was pretty sceptical about that scheme, but you brought it to life. I shouldn't have questioned your intentions. I'm sorry.

I'm having the same issue with the tail on mine. Removed plastic to the panel line and got a beautifully squared off joint. If I push the tail into each fuse half, the fit looks great, but when i put the fuse halves together and plug the tail in, there's a serious step. I have a plan to fix mine, and I'll post it in my topic if it works.

Evening ladies, Is anyone who's going to the Nationals at Telford in need of a room for Saturday night? Due to a slight reworking of my arrangements, there is a room going at the beautiful Madeley Court hotel, which is a very short drive from the show. Rooms tend to be at a premium at that time of year, but I can offer this one for £50 (no breakfast, but can be arranged at the hotel if you wish) If you're interested, post here, and PM me. This is the place:

I sprayed hairspray directly on one of my models. Worked great. I had to steal from Shirley. I don't have hair.

Can't wait! Come on folks.....whose coming?

a grand total of £900. Makes a Tamiya Über-kit look like pocket money.

Damn, how will you fix that? Looks a back yard out.

What did you use on that cowl? Looks very good

Hi all, As some of you may know, I've been wanting to start my DeAgostini D51 loco. This is in 1:24, so while still LSM in stature, it now has a place on the forum which fits the subject matter. The loco itself is a super-detail monthly partwork which is mostly build from solid brass, with other metal components. It's got a choo-choo whistle, working wheels and also a glowing fire in the boiler. This isn't a toy either, but a very expensive and extremely accurate reproduction. There are currently about 5 month's worth of parts (out of 25 months supply!), and I figure I should start this in the next month or so, once I'm way ahead on my current project. Take a look at this video. I intend to paint and weather this, and for it to look like it's about to deliver supplies to the Japanese military. This is a whole new adventure for me, so please bear with me.....

A Helo that you display on a narrow shelf! Great job too. So many projects....so little time!

I love this build. I remember you finishing it. If I could get that finesse on a larger scale kit, I'd die happy.

1:24 Cockpit Instrument Decals: Hawker Typhoon Airscale Catalogue # AS24TIFF Available from Airscale for £10.95 What better a time to show you this decal set, with us only yesterday having reviewed the epic new 1:24 Hawker Typhoon from Airfix. I did actually touch upon this release in that article, and today I'm pleased to show you in full what this set offers the modeller, in terms of options and entirely new content. If you've ever bought or seen the Airscale range of cockpit decals (both instrument and placard), then you will no doubt be impressed. Both scratch-builder and novice alike, they offer something that is often lacking in many commercial kit releases. I like to use these products as often as I can, and if you've read any of my magazine articles or forum topics, then that will be plainly clear! So, what can Airscale offer the Über-Typhoon from Airfix? Well, let's see. As with all Airscale's decals sets, this is packaged into a small Zip-lock wallet, with a light card insert inside, which is laser printed and in full colour. The front of the insert shows a photograph of an actual Typhoon cockpit, with the given options listed below. This set allows the modeller to mount his/her decals to the rear of the instrument panel, so they show through the clear plastic film which is included, or you can apply individual instruments over the top of the dial locations, once the clear plastic part is attached to the instrument panel. The description of this product actually does it a disservice, because not only do you get the instrument decals, but you also get a full suite of cockpit placards too! Unfolding the insert reveals a series of photos of the interior of the Airfix Typhoon cockpit. First of all, there are two images of the instrument panel. One of these pertains to the instruments only, and the other to various placards which fit onto this piece. All decals are clearly numbered, and there are a LOT of decals to apply. The instrument panel alone contains THIRTY-ONE decals! Yes, patience will be needed, but as this is 1:24, your endeavours won't go unnoticed. Photographs are also included for the port and starboard sidewalls, incorporating the instrument consoles, and to cap that, two images are shown of the separately moulded cockpit coaming. Again, this is home to a handful of decals, all numbered. A decal guide is also provided, and this actually lists what each of the decals is in reality, using that same numbering system. Whilst this isn't particularly important to attaching your decals, it is quite interesting, and there is most definitely something to be learnt from studying it a while. The decal sheet is quite small, but most definitely perfectly formed. Of course, the largest decals on here are for the option to lay the instruments behind the panel. This is broken down into the panels 3 constituent parts. I would opt to use the individual decals though. These would be placed on top of a painted and glossed clear part, to aid adhesion. Even if you use the first option, there will still be a small number of instruments that you will attach to the regular plastic panel part. The rear of the sheet descries both decal options, and you will need to draw around the shape of the IP and cut it from the clear film that is included. My only reservation with this idea is that the instruments themselves will be recessed too much within the bezel. Still, the option is there, should you want to use it. Decal printing is by Fantasy Printshop, and everything is very sharp, and no fuzziness that would detract from a 1:24 instrument panel. The placards aren't legible, but they don't need to be. They are still very small, even in 1:24 scale. Printing is also nice and thin, with minimal carrier film, and registration is perfect. There are other colours in play on some instruments, such as green, yellow and red, and they look very authentic. The instructions suggest a setting solution to help with adhesion too, and a drop of Crystal Clear be applied to the dials, so simulate the glass lens. Conclusion Another clear winner from Airscale, and one which you should definitely contemplate if you are thinking of building the big Tiffie. As will all Airscale products, these are meticulously researched, and the real proof of the pudding is in what they add to the overall appearance of the cockpit. From experience, I know that I really couldn't model with these products. For me, they are the cherry on the cake. Very highly recommended My sincere thanks to Airscale for the review sample seen here. To purchase directly, click THIS link. James H

I had the Sabre, and I just thought the surface was badly done! Perhaps I should say that the Typhoon is the first model to properly represent the stressed skin effect...