Nick's Notes

[Rheged]

Minor blemishes can be polished out with talcum powder.  Finally, a use for all of those Christmas presents bought by well meaning  young relatives.............and the model smells good too!

[Steel Penguin]

if its fairy power spray im certain it has limonene in it, I would now go to, try a piece of clear sprue first,  as a serious warning rather than vague advice   

[Nick]

In 2 weeks time I'll be off up to Scotland for the Nationals in Perth. The pressure is on now to get something finished!

It's my big holiday of the year and I've got 2 weeks off work. So after the show I'll be heading right up to the top of Scotland. Furthest north I've been is 15 miles north of Inverness to Evanton where my Grandad was based during the war. I want to see John O'Groats (went to Lands End when I was 5, not too far apart eh!) and Cape Wrath at the north-west corner. Lots of hills to climb and a few Munro's to bag.
I'll have 10 days to take my time and enjoy the scenery. 

Looking at the World Aviation Gate Guardian map I am amazed that there is practically nothing north of Inverness or west of Glasgow. I'm sure there's a few memorials up there and some aircraft wrecks and relics on the hills and I intend to find and share them.

[NARSES2]

Farthest north I've been is Inverness, and that's a spectacular train journey as long as the weather is kind.

Talking of trains, did you see that the new "luxury sleeper" service is due to start soon ? First will be London to Glasgow/Edinburgh but then up to Perth/Aberdeen/Inverness/Fort William. Apparently it will have double en suite rooms.

[PR19_Kit]

Talking of trains, did you see that the new "luxury sleeper" service is due to start soon ? First will be London to Glasgow/Edinburgh but then up to Perth/Aberdeen/Inverness/Fort William. Apparently it will have double en suite rooms.

Some will be doubles, maybe only one per coach according to the latest plans I've seen. The others will have the same arrangement as the previous Mk 3s with upper and lower bunks which can be 'singled' by folding up the upper bunk.

The new ones are Mk 5 sleepers, built in Spain........... 

[Nick]

I remember going to Perth one time on the Sleeper with Trev. Those bunks are a tight squeeze. My feet were flat on one wall and my head just touched the other wall!
The article mentions being woken by the shunting at Carstairs and the stop at Glasgow - I certainly remember that!

Wouldn't mind doing it again, maybe next year if I do another long hike up there.

[Nick]

My mojo is coming back. I've got the urge to build again. Getting ready for Telford as it is just 5 weeks away.

What I have on the workbench, intended for SMW at Telford:

2x Jaguarundi Wehr'46 tanks. Just needs paint.
1 KugelPanzer ball tank - resin, needs some very careful cutting of the 4 parts off the chunky sprue.

(to go with Martins huge P.1000 Ratte land battleship)

1/144 Tornado - found some Aussie decals to go on this. Anyone know if the RAAF looked at the Tornado?

1/144 F-14 Tomcat - Probably real world USN but making an RAN bird is tempting 

1/72 Ta183 - Quick and dirty build of a basic model. I did a German one 10 years ago but this time it might be Finnish or I can do a different German scheme with some decent He-162 decals.

An outside runner are the pair of 1/72 F-4s I started 3 years ago - RAAF and RNZAF.

[PR19_Kit]

1/144 Tornado - found some Aussie decals to go on this. Anyone know if the RAAF looked at the Tornado?

They had F-111s so maybe they didn't feel they needed to.

[Nick]

1/144 Tornado - found some Aussie decals to go on this. Anyone know if the RAAF looked at the Tornado?

They had F-111s so maybe they didn't feel they needed to.

Hmm, true... 

How about this - Australia turns down the F-111 and sticks with the F-4 Phantoms in 1972. By 1980 it is apparent that the F-4 and the Mirage III will soon need replacing with modern machines. The Panavia Tornado fits both the long range strike role and the air defence role. The common parts and engines and training needs look like a real cost saving to the Australian Treasury. 
The RAAF gets 2 squadrons of Tornado IDS and 4 squadrons of Tornado ADV, delivered 1985-1992.

[PR19_Kit]

Works for me. 

And they'd look great in that Foliage Green camo too.

[TheChronicOne]

Sounds good to me, too. So does RAN Tomcat .. .. . .. . . . .  .   

[Old Wombat]

Sounds good to me, too. So does RAN Tomcat .. .. . .. . . . .  .   

We'd need a bigger boat!


HMAS Melbourne R21 & USS Enterprise CVN 65

[TheChronicOne]

     It's so cute, though!!!   

That is a righteous picture. 


On that note, I guess today I learned that the RAN had Skyhawks. I had no idea....   RAN is a weak spot in my military knowledge but it still seems surprising that I wasn't aware of this already. 

[Nick]

Sounds good to me, too. So does RAN Tomcat .. .. . .. . . . .  .   

We'd need a bigger boat!


HMAS Melbourne R21 & USS Enterprise CVN 65

I can just hear the Captain of the Enterprise there:

"Please turn away, please turn away, don't come any closer.... oh thank you Lord!" 

[Old Wombat]

C'mon, man! She only ate destroyers!