nmayhew

The Messerschmitt Bf109 Early Series (V1 to E-9 including the T-Series) A Complete Guide To The Luftwaffe's Famous Fighter Richard A. Franks Airframe and Miniature Series No.5 RRP £19.95 from Valiant Wings Publishing Introduction This is now the fifth title by Richard A. Franks in Valiant Wings' "Airframe and Miniature Series", which have previously covered the Me262, Fw190 D / Ta152, Hawker Typhoon and most recently Hawker Tempest. The format throughout has remained pretty constant, and is continued in this volume. The content covers firstly the history and development of the airframes, and then looks at the modelling options for these aircraft in various scales, ending with sets of scale plans. The only real difference with this one is that at nearly 210 pages, it is significantly larger than its predecessors (although only £2 more). This book is divided in to eleven chapters, the first seven of which are grouped under "Airframe". Once again, the comparison can be made to Squadron's 'Walkaround' series for those familiar with them. The second section is "Miniature" and deals with kits and aftermarket available for the 109, as well as builds. This section is similar to the Osprey 'Modelling Manuals' series. The book ends with appendices listing kits and modelling accessories. Right at the end, we have the largest set of pull-out plans to date - six sided views of the following variants, all in 1/48 scale: Bf109 V-1, B-0, D-1, E-1, E-7 Trop and T-2. Although one could quite reasonably ask, 'what has not already been written about 109, arguably the most famous plane ever?', the Preface does provide a neat little history of the 109 project, from initial development and competition with the He112, world speed record attempts, through to combat in the Spanish Civil War and the early years of WWII. If you are not familiar with these early 109 types and the differences between them, I would suggest having a look through Chapter 10 before doing anything, as this will help familiarise you with what the various marks and sub-types looked like. Airframe Chapters 1. Evolution – The Versuch (V) Series The format is a familiar one carried over from previous volumes in this series: each significant prototype and production variant is dealt with in turn, noting engine type, weaponry and indeed any other distinguishing features or characteristics; camouflage and markings are also described (but no profiles in this section - they come later). This first chapter really focusses on just three airframes - the Versuchs V1, V2 and V3. 2. Bf109 B Series As stated at the beginning of this chapter, production started with the B series because the A was superseded so quickly (armament deemed inadequate). Included here are the first three B pre-production series which were really As - WNrn 808, 809 and 810. We then cover the next ten Versuchs B series machines, so you can see that if modelling particular prototypes is your thing, this is an ideal book. The chapter ends with the B-1 and B-2, and looks at the different features relative to manufacturer (Fieseler vs Erla). 3. Bf109 C & D Series These are dealt with together given the very small numbers produced: the C having the Jumo 201G engine, and the D having the Jumo210D. Two different Swiss D airframes are included here. 4. Bf109 E Prototypes We now start to edge closer to what many people think of as the definitive 109. Although pilots may have loved the Friedrich (once the tail stopped dropping off!), I am definitely in the camp that considers the Battle of Britain era 109s as the epitome of Messerschmitt's most famous fighter. Eight Versuchs machines are covered here, including WNr 1050 used for a world speed record attempt. The chapter finishes with the E-0 pre-production prototypes. 5. Bf109 E Production This is the chapter that I think many people will jump straight to when they first pick up the book. The variants are dealt with sequentially E-1 through to E-9. It should be borne in mind that modifications such as the fitting of ETC racks for either fuel tank or bomb are included sequentially as well, even though many of these were retro-fitted eg the E-1/B did not precede the E-4/B, and so on. Pretty much all the permutations are covered, from changes in gun sights, which type of MG FF cannon, through to engine types and associated octane levels. It does take quite a bit of reading and re-reading, however, and the biggest let down is there is no indication of numbers produced of each sub-type. I realise that with many of the modifications being retro-fits it might be nigh on impossible, but otherwise you might go away thinking that the E -1/B was just as common as the E-4/B, when this was not the case. Despite this, I really do like the progression through the variants, with each successive description stating "same as xyz previous variant, except..." - it's quite a clean way to keep track of everything. 6. Bf109 T Series, Projects and One-off Conversions Most of this section is concerned with 109s adapted for carrier operations, and the prototypes that preceded the T series in getting to that stage. There were quite a few types here that I had never seen before, and some nice detail touches regarding the regular T as well. At the end there is a most peculiar looking bird: a 109 airframe but with a Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp radial engine, and bubble top canopy; this was truly a one-off! 7. Camouflage and Markings The rather honest disclaimer that nothing is certain when trying to interpret colours from black and white photos starts this chapter. That being said, I think that pre- and early WWII colours are generally a rather more certain field than in say 1945. Spanish Civil War aircraft are the first covered, then the C and D in Luftwaffe service, and finally 109s in foreign service. There are colour templates showing the progression in splinter camouflage, stencil placement, and then 35 side -on colour profiles. There also close-ups of various unit badges, although these are all fairly well-known already I think. The usual profile disclaimer applies here (I am such a cynic!): although I rate this book quite highly, I would always suggest doing your own research before blindly following a profile for a modelling project. In the Tempest book there was a small section outlining types and dimensions of roundels, squadron codes and serial numbers. Here too we have a look at the types of cross (or Balkenkreuz); dimensions are given, but you have to hunt around a bit in the text, which is disappointing; I would have much preferred to see the dimensions printed with the diagrams. Although there is mention of the 'super-size' wing crosses which were seen on some early war 109s, sadly there are no pictures of these, despite them being on one or two very well-known airframes eg Illner's JG51 bird with the 'smoking lips'. Finally, I am not sure whether interior colours are included here (or anywhere in the book), but there is no mention of the variation / changeover in cockpit colour from RLM02 to RLM66 which appears to have taken place somewhere in the E-4 (I am still not sure this has ever been nailed down...). Miniature Chapters 8. Bf109 V1 to E-9 and T-Series Kits A round-up of the 109 kits available in the main scales of 1/72, 1/48, 1/32 and 1/24. If you are a relative newcomer to modelling, this will tell you most of what you need to know in a few minutes, and allow your internet research to be a lot more focussed. I am at best ambivalent towards this section because, although very well written and presented, by its very nature it will date so quickly. Perhaps at my suggestion (?) in previous reviews, Valiang Wings will now make downloadable pdf covering many of the older and less relevant kits; I also hope this section will be updated as and when new releases are made. I build exclusively in 1/32, so I cannot comment on the reviews of the 1/72 and 1/48 kits, but I do know "my" scale fairly well where 109s are concerned I think. I was therefore rather surprised when reading the Eduard kit review to see no mention of the fact that the slats are significantly over-sized in chord - so much so that you cannot position the upper wing crosses correctly without the cross overlapping the slat (how do I know this I wonder?!). The seat is also rather poor and definitely needs aftermarket attention, and I would have mentioned this too. Just my opinion, but I am afraid I cannot disagree more with the author's conclusions where the Eduard vs DML / Cyberhobby kits are concerned: for me the Cyberhobby ones are markedly superior in almost every respect. 7. Building a Selection The chapter provides builds of 109s in 1/72, 1/48, 1/32 and 1/24 scale. The standard of finish is excellent, and the various builders published here are clearly talented modellers. The builds are not full step-by-step walk-throughs, but similar in nature to the chapters you get in the Osprey Modelling Manual series. Four kits are built in 1/72, but only one in 1/48; neither the Tamiya nor Hasegawa kits are tackled in 1/48 which even I know is a significant omission. In 1/32 scale there are only two builds, and they are both Eduard, although the first uses Alley Cat's D-1 conversion. Unless you read the small print you will not appreciate that the engine is in no way built out of the box - the builder has added a lot of extra detail here and it looks impressive. The lack of a DML / Cyberhobby comparison build is a serious omission in my view, and the fact that a number of key detail weaknesses / inaccuracies of the Eduard kit are not mentioned by either the main author or the builder means personally I can't take this or the preceding section too seriously I'm afraid. 10. Building a Collection This chapter provides excellent three quarter angle CAD image of all the variants, from the various prototypes through to production models. Drawing board projects are not covered, but pretty much everything else is. This is an excellent visual checklist and a useful 'go-to' reference if trying to look at period photographs to determine exactly what variant etc. 11. In Detail As the title implies, this is a large selection of technical diagrams, cut-away line drawings, b&w period photos and colour photos of museum restored aircraft or sections thereof. If you are serious about super detailing your kit in 1/48 or 1/32, the information here will be particularly useful. The cockpit is particularly well covered, with some eleven pages devoted to this area. After that, we have sub-sections devoted to landing gear, engine, different types of armament and so on. I wish I had had this book when I was trying to super-detail my Emil a couple of years ago - this chapter would have helped a lot. Appendices I-III: Modelling Summary A comprehensive list of kits (I), aftermarket Accessories (II), and Decals (III). The quantity of material out there for the early 109s is pretty vast as you can imagine, but just listing things doesn't tell you whether an upgrade is any good or not, of course. Appendix IV – Bibliography Full 1/48 Scale Plans (pull-out) As mentioned at the top of the review, the book ends with six sets of pull-out plans, all in 1/48 scale: Bf109 V-1, B-0, D-1, E-1, E-7 Trop and T-2. So What Do We Think? I am still not convinced about the modelling section, but on the whole I do really like this series of books, and this latest instalment. It doesn't cover everything in great detail, and there are a few things missing that would be handy, but it is excellent value, and on balance a very good all-round quick reference. Recommended With thanks to the team at Valiant Wings Publishing for the review sample. To purchase directly, click THIS link. Nicholas Mayhew

Finally, some G-10 and K-4 wheels I will be speaking to Roy later so hopefully we can bring these to you for review in the near future Thanks again for posting

1/32 Me262 Main and Nose Wheels BarracudaCast #BR32066 & BR32067 For Trumpeter and all other Me262 kits Available from Barracuda Studios for$12.95 each Introduction A while back I wrote a review comparing what were, at the time, the only two aftermarket options for Me262 wheels in 1/32 scale - these belonged to Signifer and MasterCasters. Neither set were up to much if I am honest, but thankfully Roy Sutherland at BarracudaCast has come to the rescue with his new offerings. For the purposes of comparison, I have included much of the original review. BarracudaCast - contents and instructions Comparing 1/32 Me262 Wheels: BarracudaCast vs Signifer vs MasterCasters vs Trumpeter (kit) The main focus of this review is the 1/32 BarracudaCast set, and I will compare them to Me262 originals. But in order to provide a bit more context, I will also take a look at the wheels supplied in the Trumpeter kit, and those by aftermarket manufacturers MasterCasters and Signifer. Trumpeter have released a number of different versions / boxings of the Me262, and the aftermarket sets in this review will be suitable for any of them, as well as the older Revell / Hasegawa offerings. BarracudaCast - main wheels side on BarracudaCast The two sets from BarracudaCast are actually very similar - the only difference being the rim detail on the nose wheel. Each set comprises two main wheels, and two different nosewheels - one with regular / ribbed and one with smooth tread. There is an additional sprue of resin with four tiny pressure fittings, a length of wire to simulate the brake lines, and a small instruction pamphlet printed in colour. BarracudaCast - tread pattern is bang on The quality of casting is excellent, and each part is attached to its casting block by a fairly small nub. The additional flanges you can see on either side of the nubs on the wheels are not really attached to the wheels - the join is either wafer thin or non-existent. The nose wheels do not appear 'weighted' at all, whilst the main wheels are only marginally so - you really have to sit and stare at them head-on to see it. I like this - correctly inflated, Me262 tyres did not exhibit any noticeable bulge, and certainly not in 1/32 scale. BarracudaCast - correct number of fins, subtle stencilling The main wheels on the Me262 were 840mm x 300mm. That I am currently aware of, there were both treaded and smooth tyres used, although the majority of the pictures I have seen show the treaded version. Regarding the tread itself, I had originally thought it comprised hexagon shapes in seven off-set lines. Only recently was it pointed out to me that the middle row is really more diamond-shaped, although still a hexagon (just). The hub has 24 fins in the recess around its edge on both sides, as well brake line attachment points, also on both sides of the hub. The two pictures below are of Me262 A-1a W.Nr.500071 at the Deutsches Museum, Munich. Close-up of tread pattern; also note brake line on oleo side of hub [Picture courtesy Burkhard Domke and Aviation Images] The other side showing brake line on outward face of hub, and 840x300 moulded in to the tyre wall. [burkhard Domke / Aviation Images] BarracudaCast have really got these wheels spot on. The dimensions match up, which is expected, but the details in both tread and rims is an exceptional replication. The tread pattern is as dead-on as it could ever be; correct number of fins in hub recess; very feint 'spoke' lines on tyre wall, and correct size stencilling. The pressure fittings are miniscule, but look accurate - you really will need magnification to handle these I think. The only downside I can see is that these are so delicate, risk of damage to the parts once you start handling them is quite high - be careful! BarracudaCast - pressure fittings BarracudaCast - two nosewheels provided in each set On to the nose wheels...Firstly, to clear up any confusion over small / regular vs large nose wheels, only one size of nose wheel was used on production aircraft during the war, and the tyre on this wheel was 660x160. A larger 660x190 was proposed indeed proposed (the same wheel as used in Me109 G-10 and K-4), but it was too big to fit in the 262's wheel well; it was trialled on one aircraft, but likely only taxied and did not fly. The nose wheel from the Deutsches Museum Me262: smooth tyre, hub with small ribs around rim [burkhard Domke / Aviation Images] The other side of the same wheel showing brake line attachment [burkhard Domke / Aviation Images] There were, however, two quite distinct treads – one with large segments running across the face of tyre, the other essentially smooth, with some very subtle raised lines visible when close up. In addition, there were also two hub designs used, with one having a smooth outer face, the other having small ribs around its edge; but again these were the same size. Ribbed tyre, with ribbed hub, and are from Me262 A-1a W.Nr.500491,NASM Washington DC [Aircraft Walkaround Center] Ribbed tyre, smooth hub And from the other side In each BarracudaCast set you get two exquisite nosewheels - one in each tread pattern. #BR32066 has the ribbed hub, whilst #BR32067 has the smooth hub. These wheels are the correct 'production' size of 660x160. The hole for the landing gear axle is well defined, but rather shallow, and will need to be drilled out. Having said that, the same probably applies to the main wheels, even though the hole is somewhat deeper. Both the treads (or lack of) are excellent reproductions, and the bolt detail on the hub faces is very small, but very sharp. BarracudaCast - comparison between hub types BarracudaCast - comparison between hub types BarracudaCast - close-up of stencilling on nose wheel Signifer So let's see what's in the Signifer set: packaged in a re-sealable clear plastic bag, we have two main wheels, two types of nose wheel, two gauges of lead wire, and a small picture showing where the wires attach. The picture below shows all four wheels with the simulated brake lines attached, although you would need additional reference / walkaround shots to know where these lines disappear off to. The Signifer wheels with break lines attached [signifer] And now the Sgnifer main wheels: the casting is very good, but there are some minor imperfections (nothing that a quick pass with an old toothbrush wouldn't sort out). The tyre is not really 'weighted' that I can see, and certainly not in the exaggerated fashion of some aftermarket wheels, but then wartime shots don't show a large bulge either. The mould stub is fairly large however, so there will be a natural bottom; this area could have been cast better I think – you will to do some careful clean-up in order to remove a seam line that extends some 5mm either side of the stub. There is no moulding on the wall indicating the tyre's dimensions, but just "C90" and "28N" on the inside, and what looks like "COP9" or "COPS" on the outside – I am not familiar with either of these. Unless I find evidence these are correct, I would be inclined to remove them (sanding should be fiddly but not too hard). Signifer main wheels; left shows the inside / oleo side, right shows outside. There is generally very good hub detail on both sides, including the correct number of fins on the recess. Brake line attachment points are cast on both sides, but my references show that on the outside, there should only be one attachment point on the hub, and not two: I think the line should go from one 'nub' into the hole in the centre of the hub (see MasterCasters wheel further down), whereas the Signifer picture shows a line going from one nub to the other. Some delicate work will be required to fix these brake lines, but that is to be expected. The tread is not really that close at all when you consider what BarracudaCast have produced The tread uses the correct irregular hexagons, but they are far too large. As a result, there are only five off set lines instead of the correct seven. Whether this matters is up to you. The bottom line is these wheels show a tread pattern that I cannot find in any reference or photo, even if at first glance they do look rather convincing. At 840mm these wheels should be 26.5mm in 1/32, and when measured they seem just about spot on. I have also done an 'eyeball test fit' and with only minimal drilling you should have no problem fitting these wheels with either the metal landing gear supplied in the kit, or the G-Factor sets. The Signifer set comes with two nose wheels: one has smooth tread paired with ribbed hub, the other with ribbed tread paired with smooth hub, per our museum combinations. Casting is generally good, but could be cleaner around the mould stub. Signifer nose wheels - outside The smooth tyre is divided by very faint recessed lines, rather than raised ribs as in the real thing. Just like panel lines on aircraft models, using recesses probably works here. I do not that the tyre is divided into five segments, whereas my references show six. There is a large "Continental" logo on the outside wall, and what I think says "66S" on the inside – not sure what that is. The hub looks very good, and comes with brake line nub on the oleo side. The oleo side of the Signifer nose wheels The ribbed tread of the other tyre could perhaps be a little sharper and more refined – note the space between treads on the real thing in the picture earlier, and also compare below. The smooth hub again has the brake line nub on the oleo side, and generally looks an accurate representation. Signifer - same size? 660mm works out to just over 20.5mm in 1/32. Staring at the two Signifer wheels, the smooth one looks smaller, but I was not sure if this was an optical illusion, but on measuring it was indeed so, but only fractionally: ~20mm vs ~21mm for the ribbed tyre. MasterCasters MasterCasters make two sets of Me262 wheels, the only difference being the tread / hub combination: #32005 has smooth hub / ribbed tread; #32006 has ribbed hub and smooth tread, and is the set reviewed here. The main difference in contents is obviously you only get one nose wheel here, and there is no wire for the brake lines. MasterCasters - contents It is immediately apparent that the main wheels are cast copies of the kit wheels, with the addition of brake line nub and the brake line itself on the outside of the hub. I noted some minor imperfections where the rim meets the tyre – exactly where the kit wheels have 'issues' (see earlier). There was a tiny amount of flash around the brake line on one of my wheels, but a delicate prod and this can easily be removed; this area is very well done, and will save modellers having to fiddle around with lead wire etc. A number of the fins were miscast and looked almost blobbed together – I did not count them. Now there is nothing wrong with casting kit parts in resin, especially if you do not like the medium of the kit parts. However, when the kit parts have serious flaws, copying those flaws is all that can result. Brake line detail aside, these wheels have the same tread as the Trumpeter ones, and are also too small by the same roughly the same margin. This is either laziness, poor research or both – I cannot be more blunt than that. MasterCasters - copies of the Trumpeter wheels – incorrect tread pattern and all The nose wheel looks a lot better from the outside face, and the small ribs of the smooth treaded tyre are nicely reproduced. However, on the oleo side there was a vagueness about the casting where the rim meets the tyre in one area, but I am not sure this would be too noticeable on a finished kit. What is noticeable is the size – it is definitely too small at barely 19mm. MasterCasters - detail on this side looks ok, but is not correct MasterCasters - nose wheel is looks crude here MasterCasters - and even more so here Trumpeter The Trumpeter kit comes with multi part plastic hubs and 'rubber' tyres. These can often look very convincing I think, but at other times pretty mediocre, and there are perhaps question marks over their longevity. I have two Trumpeter kits, and both only came with the smooth nose wheel tyre (which they confusingly call "large"...), so I cannot comment on the ribbed version. Trumpeter - rubber tyres are not everyone's favourite, but viewed side on these actually look ok The hubs are pretty good, especially the nose wheel, but do not come with any detail for the brake line attachments. The main wheels have the correct number of fins around the recess. The tyres are a mixed bag: the nose wheel looks perfectly adequate, and the raised lines (six segments), look excellent. The main tyres' tread though is pure fantasy – it's clearly been made up, and bears no relation to real thing. Trumpeter - attracts the dust like nobody's business! In assembling the Trumpeter wheels, especially the main ones, I did notice that you really have to work at getting the rubber part to seal round the plastic hub in a uniform fashion – this is relevant to the MasterCasters wheels, which we shall look at next. The treads are a very mixed bag: smooth nose wheel excellent, main wheels nonsense.The nose wheel measured up very well – I made it about 20.5mm, but the main wheels 'looked' small against the Signifer ones, and this was confirmed; I made them 25mm or just under. Conclusion The Trumpeter wheels have their limitations partly because of the media used, but if you are not fussed about the tread of the main wheels and build mainly 'out of the box', then they will 'do', just. If you are concerned about accuracy, they will not. I am particularly disappointed in the MasterCasters set: direct copies of errors in the kit parts, as well as dimensional issues. The brake line detail is their only positive feature, and may well lure the unsuspecting modeller into using them (lesson / note to self: do your research before parting with cash). I had originally considered the Signifer wheels just about ok, but mainly because they lacked any credible competition; indeed I even said I would probably use them only "because there is nothing else on the market from the likes of Eagle Editions or Barracuda"! The tread on the main wheels is a very frustrating 'almost' – shapes almost there, size way off; five lines of tread instead of seven is out by a significant margin. Some of the other details are good, but why the discrepancy in size between the two nose wheels offered? The BarracudaCast offering is so far out ahead of the competition it's almost embarrassing. If you like your 262s you simply MUST use these wheels - I really can't say any more than that. BarracudaCast: only game in town Signifer: avoid MasterCasters: avoid Trumpeter: ok if building straight from the box, not much else With special thanks to Matt Low, Burkhard Domke and Peter Buckingham for their assistance. With thanks to Roy Sutherland for his review samples (Signifer, MasterCasters purchased by myself). To purchase directly, click THIS link. Nicholas Mayhew

What you can't do: An Erla G-10 or so-called '110 cowling' - there was a conversion around yonks ago but it has disappeared. Come on people - why someone hasn't stepped up and made this available as an aftermarket conversion is beyond me. I feel it woul sell way more than some Spanish or pre-war conversion (Luftwaffe sells!!!) *sigh* Back to your original question, I would always suggest a good trawl of Wikipedia first up: it gives you an overall view, even if the detail is lacking / incorrect some times. And then the Hannants website to see what's around. And then your question. That way you should have the experts (not me, but Matt Low is certainly one of them ) giving you the expert info. All the best Nick

Hi and welcome Bf / Me Wouldn't get too hung up on it Bf = Bayerische Flugzeug and was I think the original designation but you will find both in Luftwaffe / RLM docs and pilots / personnel certainly said "m e 109" etc Kits: Lots! E DML and Eduard; DML is the best kit of the two hands down Trumpeter - cheap but not as accurate; 'looks like a 109' but purists will avoid them (I personally wouldn't touch it) F Hasegawa and Trumpeter Hassy is best kit but expensive; has lots of aftermarket available Trumpy F-4 is more a G-2; looks nice but lots of detail errors; cheap G Hasegawa owned this market - mostly accurate and lots of aftermarket about; expensive Trumpeter - as above: cheaper but with more detail inaccuracies Revell new tool: not to be confused with Hassy reboxings; will be G-6 I think; high hopes but seems has slightly different set of inaccuracies to the Hasegawa kit; will be cheap in UK / Europe K Hasegawa only As above - only game in town but quite good; lots of a m available; pricey; look for Revell reboxings Avoid anything I have not mentioned above eg Hasegawa E etc

@Martin Will probably do this one gear up, in flight pose using the stand; as such maybe a Barracuda seat and an Eduard IP but that's probably it I think. The mrs has chosen the scheme - it'll be a Czech pilot - so will actually get some modelling as soon as I break the back of my review stuff. @Ade Correct - Seal is same guy as EricYY, just new name, revamped website. He has shipping calculator which is good, and takes PayPal. Once you order, he will send email asking your customs declaration wishes etc, and then email a PayPal invoice I think. My transaction went v smooth and a Spit IXc for £71 is awesome value. They have the Tamiya Zero for like £50 inc airmail shipping... Parcel arrived with no price info on the front at all so the thieving scumbags at the Post Office don't get to stick their beaks in! Deal with confidence. Hth Nick

Sickeningly cheap!! Though I have pledged no 190 buying until Zoukei-mura's kit

indeed and remember that bricks and mortar is the future of the hobby and pretty soon all the internet forums will fizzle out, and i'll be writing this post with pen and paper, then trot off to the post box... ...at least according to some

£71 inc airmail shipping from http://www.sealmodel.com/

Ok, to clarify, I am referring to sale prices The Arado has been available on eBay consistently for less than £20 for well over a year; I haven't seen a 219 for £25 but then i haven't been looking as I already have one - I agree that it is consistently available mid 30s and only going one way... The common denominator is Revell: great value kits even at full retail here in Europe, and tend to get cheaper with time. Modelzone has just gone into administration btw - and they were the only shop I saw with any real deals to compare with deals offered in US, or with far eastern prices in general Back on track, I have just had a Tamiya Spit IXc delivered airmail for £71 from Seal Model. Deal with confidence, and make sure you ask them to 'help out' with the customs declaration value It does make me feel a little insulted when UK retailers - Hannants! - list this at.... ...£140!!!

Nice one! Good use of "Luftsieg" btw - or should that be Luftsiegen?? Tee hee hee - my German always was rubbish!

Cheers guys, much appreciated

Instagram is an app that makes any pic you take look like, as an example, an old oil painting etc Surely you can see these pics are not what the naked eye sees them as? Personally, I would much rather see what is actually there, than someone's arty take on what they think I want to see

I guess this thread will always be continent specific No way any of these crazy cheap USA prices are EVER going to apply in Blighty (grrrr) As an aside, is that kit any good??

Ditto re their Spitfire accessories esp the 'cigar' drop tank, but they do seem rather shy of 1/32 in this regard

Er, why are they all "instagrammed"??

Interesting I suppose now we know why the Jug was damned big?!

Doogs you (we) need Derek Bradshaw to give us the lowdown - he is the expert on this aircraft... Having said that, isn't that stuff all in our review? (Haven't checked) Cheers Nick

Ha ha They had to give it a bash at something it might be decent at maybe? Nick "mine's a Mossie, thank you very much" Mayhew

nice one Andy, cheers for posting this kite doesn't really do anything for me, but if i did eventually make one i would try and find a widow with Invasion Stripes...there were a few i think... cheers again Nick

Hi Petr, Any more news? Your public are keen to know! Kind regards, Nick

Hi Sorry I thought I had posted on this but guess I didn't press the button before! Anyway, yes yes yes it looks superb!

Beautiful

Ooh - what subject Dave??

Er, you could be getting a LOT of PMs!!