Memory lane..
November 2009
Wow! how's that for an image? Thanks to James Vaitkevicius for a stunning image taken earlier this week in North Wales... I'll let the picture do the talking. I'm really pleased to say that James has joined the www.scalemodellingnow.com team.
October 2009
You don't often see images fo the last flying Avro Lancaster in Canada - but here's one from my good friend Arthur who flew in Lancs with 150 Squadron RAF from Hemswell, Lincolnshire in WWII.
September 2009
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Recently had a great opportunity to go down to RNAS Culdrose and snap this nice pic of Sea King ZA167-22
August 2009
Simply stunning! Marc Mathis brings home Christophe Jacquard's Flug Werk FW 190A-8/N at Flying Legends Airshow Duxford, in July 2009
July 2009
Now the air show season is truly underway, I thought it would be a good idea to tap into this close up of a No.29 Squadron RAF Typhoon trainer seen at RAF Coningsby earlier in June 2009. Have a good season...!
June 2009
With the re-release of Hasegawa's excellent Phantom FG1 in 1:48 scale, here's one from the library - well, an FGR-2 to be honest, but just look at that underside! So typical of RAF and RN Phantoms.
May 2009
Wow! Bruntingthorpe, where else can you find two serviceable English Electric Lightnings? Absolutely awesome! Here is a shot from my recent trip down to the aircraft and to find out more about the excellent work of the teams that operate these private aircraft. Check out www.lightnings.org.uk F.Mk.6 XR728 'JS' can be seen here. You can see that the weather made our visit...
April 2009
One of the final Jaguars in RAF service. Here's the No.6 Squadron aircraft seen in 2008 at Coningsby ahead of its final flight. What a great scheme and available in the Model Alliance decal range.
March 2009
Given the difficult situation facing the Vulcan to the Sky appeal and apparently the urgent need for the project fund raising team to raise in the region of 1 million pounds by the end of March 2009 - here's a shot I took of XH558 when at North Weald in the mid 1980s and much happier times they were too - well, more secure for the Vulcan at least...Good luck everyone and why don't we all dip into our already depleted pockets and see if we can make a big efford NOW - to try and help save this superstar of British aviation heritage?
February 2009
Quite timely this month as I'm about to hopefully finish the Airfix 1:48th scale English Electric Canberra PR-9 XH168 AD. I love this image and it's also interesting because it depicts an early aircraft featured on the kit decal sheet. This image is of the same (mut much altered)aircraft wearing the later Hemp scheme.
January 2009
How about this nice image of the Gloster Meteor F.Mk.8?
December 2008
So...the big 1:32nd scale English Electric Lightning from Trumpeter is due very soon! Their offering in 1:72 scale is pretty good - the best yet by far in that scale so we wait for baited breath! So just to keep you in the mood...
Her's F6 XS901 AH at sunset...
Trumpeter are releasing the early versions of the Lightning first so, just for you....
F1A XM169 W a No. 23 Sqn decoy seen in 1978.
November 2008
Having recently seen that Phantom FG-1 XV582 'Black Mike' 111 Sqn RAF had made an appearance on a new decal sheet, it reminded me I had a couple of nice pics when I saw that aircraft at Mildenhall Air Fete...
October 2008
Well I thought it fitting that as the Royal Naval Historic Flight have recently managed to get Fairey Swordfish LS326 back in the air after a long lay off, here's a shot of her at RAF Mildenhall when I was there in 1985
September 2008
We should see the new Italeri British Aerospace Hawk T.Mk.1A in 1:48 scale soon - to go with the already good Airfix release. So, just to get us all in the mood what about this image I snapped at the RIAT in the mid 1980s? RAD Hawk T.MK.1A XX193 from RAF Brawdy. Note the heavily weathered finish, especially the bleached grey? Note those hydraulic stains and load out...I might just have to do this when the kit comes in?
August 2008
With a successful Waddington airshow recently passed and the mighty Avro Vulcan flying on Saturday, here's a moody shot of XH558 on Sunday against a great, thundery sky!
July 2008
Here's a nice shot of English Electric Lightning XM192 FMk.1A. Not many of these left now...This aircraft is the former Wattisham gate guardian and now resides not far from here at Thorpe Camp, near Woodhall Spa, Lincs. Also appropriate this month as I'm building the later FMk.6 in an overall metal scheme for 74 Sqn in the early 1970s.
June 2008
With Avro Vulcan XH558 returning to the airshow circuit in 2008, in the 90th anniversary year of the RAF no less, it just has to be this months pic of the month...
May 2008
I remember capturing this image of Ex Red Arrows Gnat TMk.1 at Biggin Hill in 1984 - quite nice through the struts of a biplane?
April 2008
The Fairey Gannet is a topical choice this month, especially with the recent releases of the Trumpeter scale models in 1:72. I photographed this ASW Gannet XL502 at an Air Fete, RAF Mildenhall in the late 1980s. Hope you like it?
March 2008
How nice is that?..Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) DC-3 ZA947 when it appeared at IAT in 1987.
February 2008
Well here's one to get you in the mood - the Mighty Hunter! Appropriate, considering the imminent arrival of the Airfix scale model in 1:72 scale? Who'd ever thought it......!? XV250 seen at RAF Brize Norton in 1984.
January 2008
With the hopeful imminent arrival of the Cutting Edge British Phantom FGR-2 / FG-1 conversion, this month just had to portray the classic British fighter. Seen here in the last months of service when 74 Sqn aircraft carried a mix of No 56 Sqn and 74 Sqn markings, this aircraft sidles up to its American KC-135 tanker support. Just notice that stunning heavy weathering on the wings and fuselage...
Also note that this aircraft seems to have an overall Barley Grey upper surface camo pattern - without the Medium Sea Grey inner wing sections typical of most British 'grey' F-4s
December 2007
So...to North Weald in 1988 for these nice images of Royal Navy Sea Harrier FRS-1...Hope you like them?
November 2007
Here's a nice one! I shot this pic of a No 10 Sqn RAF VC-10 at RAF Brize Norton in the mid 1980s
October 2007
Here are two images of a really different Whirlwind helicopter XJ763 when it visited the Biggin Hill Air Fair in 1985..That would make an interesting scale model subject...
September 2007
How about these two images? I shot these pics at RAF Mildenhall in the mid 1980s. The aircraft pictured is F Mk.6 XR754 'BC' in the relatively unusual two-tone grey scheme. Some nice weathering possibilities here for us scale aircraft modellers? Oh yes...I think so!
August 2007
Admittedly not an old image, but Carolyn Grace's Supermarine Spitfire two-seat Mk IX is superb!
I'm currently building a Mk I Spit for my good friend John Gillies - in fact the 66 Squadron aircraft his father flew in the early stages of WWII. I'll post the final images on this site soon - so keep your eyes peeled!
Here are some previous Pics of the Month....
July 2007
A pair of Luftwaffe F-104G Starfighters at RAF Alconbury in 1985. Some nice weathering ideas here...
And one gets airborne....just feel that power of the J79!
June 2007
Phantom FGR-2 XV470 'D' of No.56 Squadron RAF, the "Firebirds". That sharkmouth on the nose is just awesome!
May 2007
Vulcan B2 XL426 takes off from RAF Mildenhall Air Fete 1985 - Those were the days!.....