From F-27pax's workbench for December

[F-27pax]

A couple of weeks ago I got some new camouflage paints for early World War II French aircraft and wanted to try them out. I grabbed a couple of old Hobby Boss Dewoitine 520 kits from my Treasure, put them together and then tried out the new paint. These are not difficult kits to make and are really good value for money. There is nothing to speak of inside the cockpit, which would put off many, but apart from that they really do look like the aeroplane they are supposed to replicate. If you want something better the RS Models kits are probably the best bet these days, better than the old Hasegawa kits for my money.

For this project I used the kit decals which are, all in all, fairly good although the blue looks a little pale to me. First is Dewoitine 520 No 80 flying with the 1st Escadrille of GC I/3 in the period fairly soon after the Armistice with Germany had been signed. The first part of the Vichy Air Force marking had been applied, the white fuselage stripe and white border around the fuselage roundels.





The second of these two Dewoitine 520s is No 248 flying with the 4th Escadrille of GCII/7 in Tunisia in 1941. This one bears the full Vichy Air Force distinctive markings.





Here are some I made earlier

A Trumpeter 1/72 BAC Lightning F.6, XS898, in the colours of 5 Squadron, RAF, in 1974.





A Trumpeter 1/72 BAC Lightning F.53 in the colours of the Royal Saudi Air Force at Tabuk Air Base in 1977.





An Airfix 1/72 Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S.2 in the colours of 800 NAS, Fleet Air Arm, aboard HMS Eagle in 1971.





The prototype Saunders Roe SR.A/1 made from the very old and basic ID Models vacform kit with decals from the spares box.

[Graeme H]

My you have been a busy boy