nmayhew

Messerschmitt Bf108 Taifun Jan Forsgren MMP Books Available from MMP Books for £13.99 Today I will take a quick look at the latest from the MMP 'Yellow Series' of books, covering the Messerschmitt Bf108 Taifun. These books are similar in parts to the Valiant Wings series I have reviewed, as well as having elements of the well known Squadron 'Walk Around' books. This one is 160pages long, and looks at what for most people is either a forgotten or relatively anonymous design, and yet one which historically is rather important. The Bf108 Taifun (German for Typhoon) was developed by a Willy Messerschmitt-led design team in the early 1930s, and first flew in 1934. Envisaged as a civil touring and communications aircraft, it went on to serve extensively for the German Luftwaffe as a liaison, ferry and general 'hack' craft, and it was still flying for both the French and Swiss armed forces into the late 1950s. The design itself was notable for being aerodynamically clean, single (low) wing, of all metal construction, with a retractable undercarriage: all fairly standard you might think, but for the early 1930s all of these features combined was quite rare. Perhaps more importantly, the 108 was in many respects the pre-cursor for Messerchmitt's most famous and most successful design, the Bf109. The book is not divided into chapters as such, but a Contents page does provide a breakdown of the areas covered. This begins with the historical background, and the air races that were so prominent at the time, before moving on to some of the politics and in-fighting between the highest ranking aviation officials in Nazi Germany, and its impact on Messerschmitt. We then get a basic overview of the aircraft, its Luftwaffe service and slightly more detailed look at its constituent parts; all are supported by numerous photographs (mainly in black and white), as well as some plan views and colour profiles. There is also a set of pull-out plans with the book, but no scale is given. The abortive Me208 is mentioned briefly, as well as a look at the Nord 1000 Series - these were aircraft produced in French factories (initially) during the war, but post Liberation. The second half of the book is divided relatively evenly between foreign operators of the 108 (and Nord), and then walkarounds of a number of surviving Me108s. Conclusion A nice little handbook covering a rather overlooked type. It will be a useful introductory guide for those seeking to dip their toe into all things Me108. The format may require a little re-jigging for a more mainstream aircraft where a deeper level of developmental or technical detail is required, but for the 108 it is just about right I think. Recommended With thanks to MMP Books for the review sample. To purchase directly, click THIS link. Nicholas Mayhew

Cees Judging by pics the surface detail looks superior on the SH kit Given the issues - which can if course be fixed by 'modellers' - and short shot parts on some kits (yes PCM will replace, but why go through the aggro?) - I can well understand waiting for the SH kit Also, price, not getting hit with customs charges and so on... Nothing wrong with being a kitsticker either, even though I do quite like the word!

Ditto Awesome work!

nice one Bevan looking very good the pros / cons of this vs the Z-m kit I think are well known now, but I still think the Revell offering will look the part once complete have you decided on a scheme yet (not that there is a whole lot of choice without doing a fair bit of digging and research...)? anyway, looking forward to seeing more! cheers Nick

German Air Projects 1939-1945 vol.4 - Attack, Multi-Purpose and Other Aircraft Marek Rys £13.99 from MMP Books Had the Second World War not ended in 1945, countries from both sides had a number of new designs which would have seen action. Indeed many were on the cusp of production, only for the war's end to vanquish their raison d'être in an instant. These still-born weapons systems were also land-based and sea fairing, but it is arguably the aircraft that have stirred the most interest and, perhaps unsurprisingly, those of Nazi Germany prove by far the most popular. Thus, the whole genre of so-called "Luft '46" has positively thrived over the last few years. The book is a comparatively modest one - measuring roughly 5"x7", with c120 pages - but then again it's not that expensive. The book is divided into two main parts: the first half has the designs listed alphabetically; there is usually a brief description of each type, a single line or sometimes three view drawing, and dimensions where known are provided. This aircraft list is broken down further by their type or function: firstly Attack and Multi-Purpose (itself a bit of a mixed bag); secondly, 'Other' which is, well, everything else and includes transports, flying boats and the like. Bombers and Fighters are dealt with in two separate volumes if that is what you are after. The second half of the book is devoted solely to digital artwork, and this is where it may convert the 'non-believers'. Apart from being stunning renditions, I think the appeal is seeing sometimes futuristic designs in familiar camouflage schemes and markings: white wing tips and fuselage bands of the Afrika campaign; the dashing Wellenmuster 'squiggle' camo; well-known chevrons, victory markings and unit insignia, and so on. This made me realise that the schemes are as important as the airframes, if not more so. In my opinion there appear to be two rather divergent schools of thought where Luft '46 is concerned: one embraces these sometimes whacky designs, often adding 'what ifs' of their own; whilst the other strictly draws the line at VE Day, and often shuns anything that didn't make it into combat, let alone off the drawing board. Before reading this book I will admit I was firmly in the latter. As an illustration of my 'orthodoxy' I would not consider modelling any Allied plane in a post WWII guise, even if the type was busy flying against the Luftwaffe only a few days previous. Conclusion But, after reading this book, and being sometimes mesmerised by the emotive artwork as well as the sheer outlandishness of projects themselves, I must say I have mellowed somewhat. Even if it is extremely unlikely that any of the projects will make it to my favoured 1/32 scale, something crazy in 1/48 might prompt me to 'dip my toe'. In that light, I guess the book has done its job and therefore deserves its 'Recommended' status. Recommended With thanks to MMP Books for the review sample. To purchase directly, click THIS link. Nicholas Mayhew

i think for some, they have either a hard cap in budget terms, which can't be changed others, have a 'psychological' cap they spend on the kit itself eg buy a cheap-ish Revell or Hasegawa and then spend loads of aftermarket... as Dave mentions, albeit with an expensive HK kit, once you do the sums, these projects are very often more pricey in total than seemingly expensive kits which require / have less scope for aftermarket a good example would be the Tamiya Zero, Spitfire and P-51 (and probably the Corsair): yes there is aftermarket for it, and for some it is desirable, but straight out of the box you probably getting the equivalent of a Hasegawa with the kitchen sink thrown at it whilst both the Cat and the Me410 look stunning, I am waiting for something that "grabs me" if you know what i mean? if they produced a German seaplane or flying boat from WWII i think i would find the urge to purchase uncontrollable! cheers Nick PS Dave, do you have a WIP for the Cat all planned out yet in terms of time frame and subject?

nice to see more of this kit nice to see resin so sharp on such a large scale with perhaps the one exception of the butt-joint tail plane, i would say that this is Tamiya 1/32 quality, both in detail and method of construction very expensive, but I think worth it all in all

Btw if you want a 'first hand impression' of the Fawcett set, my review is both here and on SPR...

Bevan Thanks for bringing your work here - looks fantastic One suggestion / observation: the decals look super bright and sharp compared to the subdued feel of the rest of the plane, and therefore a little out of step Brilliant mottle though - wish I could pull effects like that off myself Many thanks again Nick

Beautiful And way out of my price league (saving for the Lancaster) BUT if I did get one, it would be the later, heavy armed variants I really think they have made the wrong variant here

ok just a few pics to answer some questions - apols for crappy quality to confirm, the HD spinner and HD spinner base plate fit fine on the FMP resin nose and front on HD base plate almost wafer thin in comparison no the grills fit is pretty good - and probably better than a certain company's own etch for its own kit parts (ahem...) now if only someone will churn out an accurate bomb cradle (the kit one is woeful), i think we are pretty much there aren't we? cheers EDIT: Derek Bradshaw is doing one - cooooool!!! see here: http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=46449&p=494129

Cheers Dave I think I will use at least one of these sets, even though they could have been sharper / cleaner in finish

1/32 Ju87 B-2 Correction Set Trumpeter Ju87 B-2 and R-2 kits Fawcett Models and Patterns Available direct from Fawcett Models and Patterns for £38.50 + £4.50 shipping (UK) Introduction The Trumpeter Ju87 B-2, and its R-2 cousin, embody for me the frustrations of the large scale modeller: for decades all we had was the ancient Revell kit; whilst inexplicably none of the mainstream manufacturers wanted to touch what is probably one of the top four most famous aircraft of World War Two. Then along come Trumpeter to answer all our prayers...except not! What could so easily have been a very good - verging on the excellent - kit straight out of the box, is actually one which will only satisfy the "looks like a [insert subject name here] to me..." crowd. Now whilst there is nothing wrong with belonging to this school, not everyone is a member; and for those who want something a little more, the Trumpeter Ju87 was a huge opportunity missed. On the plus side, the kit is broadly accurate from the firewall aft, and includes excellent surface detail; it fits together well, and can be found online at a fairly reasonable price. It has three main problems, however: the bottom of the spats do not have the required kink in their bottom edge when viewed side on; the entire section from the firewall onwards is grossly undersized; said nose is a mish-mash of B-1 and B-2 variants, and just plain wrong. Big bag of resin The Correction Set This set has been a while in the making, and for many months 99% of the modelling community did not even know it was a live project. But now it is here, so let's have a look...The set is resin only, but there is a lot of it. It addresses the three main problems listed above, and can be broken down itself into three sub-sets: nose correction; new spinner and choice of propeller blades; spats and replacement wheels. At the Fawcett Models and Patterns (FMP) site, an online guide to assembly is provided which includes pictures of the assembly process, and also a list of which kit parts to use, and so on. Nose Spinner and props Spats and wheels 1. The Nose First, the nose correction, which is the largest of the three sets. This is dominated by the two new nose halves, and complemented by rear radiator cowling, new radiator and grill, oil cooler and accompanying flap, and finally replacement exhausts. There are some quite chunky tabs which need to be snipped off the two halves, but importantly the parts have been cast with locating pins. As a result, I was able to test fit not only the nose halves with each other, but also see how they would mate with the kit fuselage (which is after all the whole object of the exercise). FMP parts top left and bottom right – much larger Before we go further into fitting the set, a few words about shape, quality and accuracy. As you can see from the comparison shots, the new nose is considerably larger than the kit one: my own comparison to both photos and plans confirms the look and general feel - basically much better. When viewed front on, I think the sides of the radiator housing could perhaps be a bit straighter, or at least straighter for longer, but I do not think this significant. The cowling at the rear of the radiator has the correct louvers which are absent from the kit, and the oil cooler intake's asymmetric fairings have been captured well in my view. My overall impression of the quality of the casting is "ok": the chunky tabs can be removed easily enough if you are careful, but the surface detail is not as sharp as that of the kit. Whereas the kit has very nice and quite subtle rivets and panel lines, the latter are rather vague and not 'CAD sharp', whilst the former are absent altogether. Once the resin and kit parts are mated, these differences will only be accentuated by their proximity. I would suggest that you will need to add some rivets and accentuate some panel lines to stop your Stuka looking a bit 'chop shop' (MDC or Radu Brinzan rivet tools and scribers at the ready!). The two halves of the nose taped together; tabs removed, but little / no other surface clean up As to the details of the nose, the exhausts are pretty good, and hollowed out as you would expect. I have some Quickboost examples for later Stuka marks which I can differentiate (sharper casting), but I think these are still decent enough, and I would use them. The surface detail on both the radiator and oil cooler is crude (or maybe it hasn't come out correctly, but the result is much the same). I have not yet test fit them, but I would strongly suggest trying to use the radiator and oil cooler surfaces from Eduard's Exterior Detail Set – reviewed here - as an overlay. The louvered grill is I appreciate a tough part to cast (it is also a very tough part to use from the Eduard set) but the FMP part does look a little toy-like when comparing to close up photos of the real thing. Finally, the louvered cowl at the rear of the radiator: I can't help but compare this with Barracuda Studios He219 engine cowlings; the Stuka part just isn't as nice I'm afraid. This will require a LOT of clean up to look respectable I will try to overlay Eduard's parts as the surface detail is not good on the radiator and oil cooler Some of the dividing lines between louvers are neither straight enough or sharp enough Exhausts look decent enough Now to test fitting...I did not use the radiator insert, which I am sure once glued will help steady things, but even so the two halves went together well enough. With a little more clean up, I do not think too much filling and sanding should be required. Just to get a feel for how the nose would mate with the kit fuselage, I placed the firewall / bulkhead kit part into the recess at the rear of the nose; the fit was nice and snug and should ensure that the nose has something to 'bite' onto. I taped up the kit fuselage, adding only the gull wing centre section and the panel just forward of the pilot's windscreen. Despite holding this all together with one hand, and taking the picture with the other, I was fairly pleased with the results. For me this one action confirmed the whole set as being a 'goer'. It will fit, and it will make a massive difference to how your Stuka looks. The kit firewall resting on the trailing edge of the FMP nose – the fit will be snug which means a good connection between resin and kit fuselage It fits, and looks good! Kit cowling – note surface detail Equivalent FMP part – surface detail will need to be added 2. Spinner and Prop Blades Because the new nose is that much larger than the kit's, the Trumpeter spinner and base plate will be too small – I checked and they don't really fit. The kit comes with what are meant to be the wider VS5 (?) blades, but they just do not look right. The FMP set comes with both corrected VS5 blades and a set of thinner VDM blades. Both sets of blades look good, although there was a little roughness and miscasting at the end of one VDM which will require clean up. The majority of B-2s I have seen seem to mount the VS5s, but I am sure the VDM blades will come in handy. The spinner is rather blunt and does not look correct to me. When considering the spinner and prop, it needs to be benchmarked against the designated Ju87 VS5 blade and spinner set produced by Henri Daehne, which is quite simply exquisite (if you see these, or his He111 VS11 prop sets on eBay I strongly advise you to snap them up). Whilst the FMP blades look good, the Daehne ones are sharper; the spinner – in addition to being the correct shape – is on a different level as regards detail. The good news if you are using the FMP nose is that the Daehne set was designed to be correct to scale, rather than fit the Trumpeter kit. A quick test fit showed that the two will match up ok; if anything the FMP nose is just a tad large for the Daehne spinner base, but it should work – I will certainly be using this combination. FMP vs Daehne spinner: no contest 3. Wheels and Spats The kit spats, when viewed side on, lack the distinctive kink on their bottom edge. The FMP ones correct this, and look very good. Like the nose parts, they come with locating pins, and my test fit showed they go together nicely. The kit comes with 'rubber' tyres, which are not most people's cup of tea, so FMP thoughtfully provided resin replacements. The tread pattern looks correct but seems rather overdone, and some lines are either not as sharp as they should be, or not straight. The 'weighted' nature of the tyres seems over the top to me. I have not had confirmation from FMP, but these look virtually identical to those sold by Mastercasters as MST32070 (the exhausts look the same too, so my guess is they are one and the same). Basically the wheels are alright, but nothing more; they could have been better. They are not up to Barracuda Studios' standards, whom I consider the benchmark for resin wheels. FMP (left) against kit part: the resin replacement is a much better representation Close up of spat: rivet detail probably needs adding here to in order to match the rest of the kit Ok, but not great; too flat for my liking Conclusion I have mixed feelings about this set. When benchmarked against the likes of Barracuda Studios or Henri Daehne, the quality of casting and sharpness of detail is definitely a notch or two lower. The spinner shape error was surprising. Getting the surface detail up to the level of the kit will require care – not everyone is happy to rivet and (re-)scribe panel lines, which may put people off. On the plus side, the FMP nose and spats are vast improvements in terms of shape - they will make your Stuka look 'right'. Moreover, the nose will fit the fuselage without too much aggravation. All of these pros and cons need to be weighed against two further considerations: price, and competition. As regards the latter, well, it's a classic case of 'the only game in town' if you don't want a Stuka with a nose that is just way too small. The spinner is a different matter: I would always opt for the Daehne product, unless I absolutely had to have VDM props, and even then I would use theDaehne hub, as the FMP spinner is too blunt. Price: I review products as if I had paid for them myself, and priced at £43 shipped, this is expensive (I am not using the price relative to the kit price, but rather as a number on its own). As price increases, so does my quality threshold, and likewise my tolerance for 'alright' and 'ok' goes down quite dramatically. I think the price for the whole set will put some off, and that many would prefer just the spats / wheels combination. In modelling terms, this is certainly the easiest option – and I have suggested as much to FMP. I hesitate to give this set a one word yeah or nay, because it is a bit more complicated than that: it is not fantastic value for money, and quality could be better, so I can't say "highly recommended"; but, it does have key elements that you simply cannot get elsewhere and are unlikely to see from anyone else if we are realistic. I hope that this review provides enough information for readers to make an informed decision of their own. With sincere thanks to Brian Fawcett of FMP for the review sample. Nicholas Mayhew

Errr not really That's your basic answer Suggest you wait for the Revell kit

Cees All looking good seems like the kit is hard work to me, but a good modeller can get good results Nick PS ooh...aah... [sorry, Staff 'joke']

Chieftain Main Battle Tank Development And Active Service From Prototype To Mk.11 Robert Griffin Kagero Photosniper Series #0007 Available from Kagero for €16.71 For those not familiar, Kagero's Photosniper Series has been going for some years now. I have some of their earlier World War Two subjects, and even though they have been spruced up a bit with a slightly smarter look, the tried and tested format is fairly similar. Background, development and service are covered in a fairly traditional way, with text supported by photos and the odd diagram or plan. Then we have what many call a 'walkaround' section - many photos, usually of a restoration or museum example, with brief annotation. And finally a profiles section, where artwork is used to provide renditions of colourful or significant examples of the type. The book begins by setting the scene at the very beginning of the Cold War, and even alludes to the British experiences of World War Two, although I think that perhaps the later Churchills and the Sherman Firefly are unnecessarily tarred (by implication) by the author. The very successful Centurion - which made it into theatre (but not combat) in the dying embers of the Second World War, and was amazingly still in service up until the first Gulf War - was nonetheless considered being replaced only a year or two into production. The Soviet threat, and specifically their armour dominated British Army thinking for decades; and after the concept of a 'one tank fits all' was dropped, it was decided to go for a Medium Gun Tank and also a Heavy Gun Tank combination (the latter being the Conqueror). But as minds were changed once again, so the Chieftain as main battle tank - or Project FV4201 as it was initially known - was born. Even as a small child making a crude (Airfix?) model of the Chieftain, I remember hearing something along the lines of 'good tank, rubbish engine', and when all is said and done, that phrase still sums things up nicely. By the time the British Army had accepted the tank (reluctantly it seems) and running trials were underway in 1960, the Chieftain was saddled with the feeble L60 engine. What is interesting is that you now get some explanation as to why this engine was adopted, why it was so poor, and how there were alternatives despite claims to the contrary at the time. The L11 120mm gun was very good indeed, however, thus the Chieftain could certainly hold its own offensively. And so the section continues, through further trials, full-time production and use, continuous upgrades and finally through to retirement. Pages 26 to 63 comprise the main photographic section. There are extended walkarounds of individual tanks, as well selections of shots of different vehicles showing similar or evolving features. Most of the internal shots are understandably of restoration rather than running production vehicles, which means you never really know 'what's missing', but such is the nature of the beast. Most of the pictures are sharp enough, but the interior ones are often too dark, which is disappointing. There is a also a selection of plans in that well-known modelling scale of 1/55(!). The final section profiles some 19 tanks. Mostly one sided, I thought perhaps these would be '50 shades of dark green and black' (somehow not as catchy is it?), but to my surprise there was quite a variety of schemes on display. The most eye-catching for me was the irregular squares of the Berlin Brigade tanks of the 4/7th Royal Dragoon Guards from the early 1980s. Conclusion A nice little book on Britain's first main battle tank. A good mix of history and development combined with useful detail photos, and some nice profiles to provide some modelling inspiration. Recommended With thanks to Kagero for the review sample. To purchase directly, click HERE. Nicholas Mayhew

and there was me about to go "ooh" and "ahh" damn-it!!

1/32 Bf109 G - K Wheels BarracudaCast Barracuda Studios USD 7.95 per set - available direct from Barracuda Introduction "Not another 109" - if I had a pound for every time I heard that on one particular forum! Well, there is another 109: a Bf109 G-6 from Revell to be exact. I do not think I am being boastful of my SPR and LSM colleagues when I say the most comprehensive review of this kit you will find anywhere can be found here. Moreover, there is a full build review by a number 'Experten' on Large Scale Modeller here. BR32070 – Ribbed Hub, Ribbed Tire (sic!) from the outside ...and from the inside (oleo side) Close up of tread – crisp but not overdone And as sure as night follows day, aftermarket follows a good or sure to be popular kit - and I think the Revell 109 fits both those criteria. Thus we have not one or two but four different wheel sets released from Roy Sutherland's Barracuda Studios, which surely vies for the title of best resin upgrades on the market. You may notice in the picture above that there are actually five sets shown - I have included Barracuda's final set of 109 wheels in this review, even though they are of a different type, and meant for other 109 variants. BR32071 – Ribbed Hub, Smooth Tire Close up of super fine raised tread / mould line Appropriate 109 Variants and Kits The first four sets - BR32070, 71, 72 and 73 - are 660mmx160mm tyres. These were seen on the Bf109 G-5 onwards, all the way up to the G-14; this does not include the G-10. The final set, BR32074, are slightly larger at 660x190. As the name of the set suggests, these are suitable for Bf09 G-10 and K-4 variants. In terms of variant identification, this could be the subject of an essay in itself, but the tell-tale sign with respect to wheels will be the type and size of the bulges on the upper wing. In order to accommodate the change in wheel size and angle of the wheel relative to oleo, you will see a small kidney shaped bulge on the wings of G-5s up to the G-14. The G-10 and K-4 had a much larger bulge which extended from the wing leading edge backwards. Even from WWII photos, if the picture is sharp enough the difference will usually be apparent. BR32072 – Plain Hub, Ribbed Tire As to which model kits are appropriate, Hasegawa have owned the 1/32 market in G and K models for as long as I have been modelling. They have produced early(ish) Gs all the way to the K-4, with the noticeable exception of Erla built G-10s. For those who winced at their prices, Revell re-boxings offered the chance to get the same kit much cheaper (certainly this was / is the case in Europe). Now of course, Revell have entered the fray with their own Gustav, which although not perfect, is very good in terms of the kit itself, and nigh on unbeatable where value for money is concerned. It can be built as a G-6, and with the odd tweak here and there, a G-14; a guide to the relevant changes that need to be made can be found here. BR32073 – Plain Hub, Smooth Tire Comparison of Barracuda vs Kit Wheels First off, it's worth noting that the kit wheels are generally pretty good. This applies in equal measure to the new Revell parts and their older Hasegawa equivalents. Revell is to be praised for perhaps providing the inspiration behind the different wheel options in the same kit. The key advantage the Barracuda offerings have over their plastic counterparts are accuracy, detail, variety and to a degree ease of use (I will qualify this). The Revell kit wheels... ...which are pretty decent, as well as offering combinations of rim and tyre And the equivalent from Hasegawa – perhaps a little heavy in detail? The Barracuda wheels scale out to 660x160 and 660x190 as near as I am able to measure. The various kit wheels are as I said quite good, but the resin ones are pretty much spot on. The bolt detail seems an excellent replication when compared to photos of original wheels; indeed the whole hub seems super sharp and crisp. The fact that you can choose between four possible combinations of smooth or plain hub against smooth or treaded tyres shows the thought that has gone into these sets. BR32074 Bf109 G-10 and K-4 Wheels (660x190) And from the oleo side Great surface detail, and no seam lines to sand The tyres have the size stencilling, which is tiny even in 1/32, but it is there. And whereas the kit wheels limit you to the commonly seen tyres with a tread pattern running across the face of the tyre, Barracuda enable you to select the smooth tyre if desired, and with either set of hubs. The tyre surface for these smooth versions is excellent. Hasegawa 660x190s – good, but could never be great being in two halves When using the resin wheels, you will need to carefully drill out the hub in order to accept the oleo. Whilst this does require some thought, I think it more than compensates for the fact that you don't have to glue two halves of a plastic wheel together, with all the fretting over seam lines, sanding and lost surface detail that this process entails. This is what I was referring to when I mentioned ease of use for the modeller. Conclusion Instead of "not another 109", I think people will more likely be heard to say "not another great update from Barracuda"- because it certainly seems that Roy and his team are making some of the best upgrades in the market right now. At $7.95 a set, these wheels are excellent in value as well. Now if only I could persuade Roy to do some more Luftwaffe stuff! Highly recommended With thanks to Roy Sutherland at Barracuda Studios for the review samples Nicholas Mayhew

best of luck if you ever wonder exactly what to do, feel free to canvas on here my suggestion for accessories would be: - focus on a popular and easy to get kits; kit can be expensive or cheap - I don't think that matters: accessories for the Tamiya kits seem just as sought after as for say revell ones - make sure the quality is tip top; there is still a lot of mediocrity out there! - make sure you have a decent website where people can order in a few clicks and pay with paypal pretty much instantly (do not underestimate the power of impulse buying online) - make sure your pictures are good! (compare say Barracuda Studios vs MDC...) if you need more specific advice from someone who has reviewed a lot of stuff (both good and bad), and knows most of the aftermarket guys' websites and product lines, feel free to PM me Nick

Ditto!

Nice one Dave! Really looking forward to this one

I'll second that!!

very good point Matt

VERY nice one Jeff! I "need" to get at least 2 of those , but cannot find it anywhere in UK / Europe at moment the E-3 is available for £35 free shipping from a UK seller however the E-7 is similar priced but from HK, and I will not risk paying another £10 to the thieves at the Royal Mail and Customs - so i would rather go without for the time being i am afraid

thanks again i must say the quality of photos on both MDC and especially Grey Matter Figures is pretty mediocre, bordering on poor how can i be expected to order stuff if i can't see it? having heard Ralph's comment about dodgy casting, that has put me off full stop if Roy Sutherland can cast stuff properly, then clearly it IS possible! I can see me waiting for a Mk.V upgrade to the (not yet out) Revell Spitfire at this rate! Nick (now sniffing for an ancient Hasegawa Spitfire - unbelievable!)