My stash just grew again 2026

[kerick]

I just need the bigger box for the tools I have!

[Gondor]

Received today from eBay

1 x 1/72 Tamyia 65 De Havilland Mosquito NF Mk.XIII/XVII. Aiming to fit Two-stage Merlins to it and use Freightdog decals to make it an NF.Mk.36

[The Wooksta!]

Received today from eBay

1 x 1/72 Tamyia 65 De Havilland Mosquito NF Mk.XIII/XVII. Aiming to fit Two-stage Merlins to it and use Freightdog decals to make it an NF.Mk.36

Handy tip - the Airfix Mosquito mk XVI starboard wing is an excellent template to mark out the position for the Z-lamp glazing and the clear sprue is ideal for it once sanded to shape.  That's what I've done with all of mine that have got that glazing.

[Rick Lowe]

Got more 1/35 US Tankers, a couple of Brit Tankers, heads with ballcaps, a female driver figure, and a 1/12 Motorcycle Girl from my usual source. 

[Gondor]

Received today from eBay

1 x 1/72 Tamyia 65 De Havilland Mosquito NF Mk.XIII/XVII. Aiming to fit Two-stage Merlins to it and use Freightdog decals to make it an NF.Mk.36

Handy tip - the Airfix Mosquito mk XVI starboard wing is an excellent template to mark out the position for the Z-lamp glazing and the clear sprue is ideal for it once sanded to shape.  That's what I've done with all of mine that have got that glazing.

Thanks Lee. I have one of your bull noses that I can use with it if necessary, or is that for a different kit?

[The Wooksta!]

I'd need to see it to know for sure, but if it's completely solid with a wide pouring lug on the back, it's a copy of the old Airkit one that's intended for the Airfix kit.  He did a thimble nose for the mk XII/XIII (early) too.  Alleycat do one for the Tamiya that's really nice. That's currently taking a bath in silicone.  I did copy the Tamiya bullnose parts but the moulds have never really worked.

The Tamiya XIII/XVII* is fine as a basis for an NF30/36.  I have one ready to varnish now.  The conversion is straightforward, if you have the Brengun (nee Attack Squadron) or the 2006 Paragon engines (the earlier ones were intended for the Hasegawa kit and can be ID'd by the incorrect trapezoidal panel aft of the exhausts).  Remember to add the T shaped aerials underwing inboard of the drop tank fit for the radio altimeter.  You'll need to rob some of the spares out of the Special Hobby PR.16, if you bought one, mainly the louvered shrouded exhausts and the drop tank mounts - many post war aircraft never carried underwing tanks (economy - we were broke and the US bleeding us white to pay back loans) but the mounts were there.  Check the photos of the aircraft you're planning on doing.  All NF36s carried the Z-lamp IR recognition gear on the starboard wing.  Most think that glazing is for a landing light - I did until quite recently.


*The Tamiya bullnose is a nice kit but it's really a late XIII or NF.XIX as the kit is based largely on the FB.IV airframe.  If you're planning on doing it as a XVII - I know you're not with this one but if you have another to do as a XVII - then it needs backdating as the XVIIs were all converted NFIIs (and it says so on the Form 78 movement cards).  Easy enough to do, just sand off the raised spar caps on the upper and lower wings.  These were reinforcement for the main spar to allow for underwing stores carriage.  It only applies to the Tamiya as the 72nd 1973 Airfix NF.2/FB6/18 doesn't have them. Those on the Airfix and Special Hobby XVI are somewhat exaggerated. 
You'll also need to remove the raised blister on the u/c doors for aircraft prior to March 1944 - it was a stiffening pad and something to do with the u/c retraction to prevent the doors opening too early.  I can't quite recall what.  It could be fitted at squadron level and not all aircraft got them - I've photos of an NFII in July '44 that has yet to receive them.

[chrisonord]

Postie has just dropped off my HPM Atlas Cheetah E and mirage RPK - 10 tanks and bomb carriers. The kit looks very nice in the box. Some. PE, which I will try to avoid, and a bag full of resin bits and bobs I have yet to examine. Four different noses are included, and a two seater canopy is on the same sprue as the single seater one, but only the single seater forward fuselage is included. Lots of drop tanks, but no weapons, but that isn't a major problem.

[Gondor]

I'd need to see it to know for sure, but if it's completely solid with a wide pouring lug on the back, it's a copy of the old Airkit one that's intended for the Airfix kit.  He did a thimble nose for the mk XII/XIII (early) too.  Alleycat do one for the Tamiya that's really nice. That's currently taking a bath in silicone.  I did copy the Tamiya bullnose parts but the moulds have never really worked.

It's white, so probably the Airkit one. Good to know which kit it's for. I think I will put it back in the parts box and get hold of the Alleycat one.

[The Wooksta!]

Below is the Alleycat one for the mk XII/XIII (early).  There wasn't one for the mk XIII/XVII/XIX as the Tamiya bullnose kit was out by then.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196923779296?_skw=mosquito&itmmeta=01KGB634F0MT93G3XQPQJ6V6XS&hash=item2dd99268e0:g:POsAAOSwB~tndchW

Don't know how well it will fit as I've yet to screw up enough courage to do the cuts (I'll probably mark it with tape and cut to the edge down the ammunition hatch cover), but the left over nose is going to get grafted onto a Tamiya B.IV nose to the initial NF.XV prototype.  I have a spare Tamiya B.IV nose as the one I bought at Bolton is going to be a XIII or XIX with some resin bits.

If you use it for the XII, note the caveats above re wing reinforcement strips (they were all converted mk IIs).  Also try and find a photo of the aircraft you're planning to do as Alleycat say that you need the early balloon tailwheel, but all the photos I have of mk XIIs have them with the twin contact tailwheel.  Frankly, I wouldn't trust Alleycat as far as I can poo.

The Form 78 movement cards for the Mosquito can be found here: https://www.lancasterbombers.net/form-78-aircraft-movement-cards-2-2/form-78-de-havilland-mosquito/
Basically, check any serial against those for where a particular airframe went or if it had any major conversion - those to mk XII or mk XVII are marked.  It doesn't cover the Sea Mosquitoes or Australian production aircraft, although Canadian ones are, strangely.  If you go up a level, you get similar information on various other types.

[Old Wombat]

3 x Liang Model 1/35 Chainsaw Tools Set (LIANG-S001) - general diorama accessories
1 x ForeArt 1/35 Ukrainian M142 HIMARS ATACMS/GMLRS (FOR-5002) - will be RAMs
1 x ScaleX 1/35 Modern HIMARS CTIS Sagged Wheel set for Foreart kits (SX-WM35025S) - obvious
1 x Trumpeter 1/35 40ft Container (TR 01030) - general diorama accessory
1 x Plus Model 1/35 Big Fire Extinguisher (PLUS-EL004) - general diorama accessory
2 x Grey Fox Concepts 1/35 Centurion Road Wheels Replacement for AFV Club Rubber Rims (GFC350014) - I need about 7 of these sets (I'll have to count the Centurions, again) 

Collected this lot from the PO yesterday.

Must say, after an in-box preliminary of the Foreart (a Chinese company I'd never heard of until recently) HIMARS kit - it looks excellent! Detail is superb! The Ukrainian ScaleX wheels are equally as good! I'm looking forward to seeing if it goes together as well as it looks.

[The Chaos]

New at my Stash.

[Nick]

I was at the Banstead show yesterday. It's nice little village hall type event in South London. Met the club there and we had lunch in the pub around the corner.
Mostly clubs from Kent, Sussex and London with a few small traders.

All I bought was a pot of Tamiya red paint for my Royal Mail project and some syringes for mixing airbrush paint.

Picked up a few flyers for other small shows:
Welling - Saturday 11th April
South Downs Worthing - Saturday 25th April
Shepway Military Model Society - Saturday 13th June
Eastbourne - Saturday 4th July

[NARSES2]

Cheers Nick 

[kitbasher]

Popped into my LHS for a pot of paint this morning.

Left with two pots of paint and (for whiffery) a Hasegawa X-29 (which I don't need and didn't go looking for!).

Ah well 😜

[Old Wombat]

So, business as usual, then.