What did you get for Xmas?

I got from mrs topgun regect a box set of die cast models of B17 Sally B, P51 Big Beautiful Doll and P47 No Guts No Glory, in 1:144 scale very nice

Did’nt GET any aviation related presents unless you count a DVD player on which I can play my whole 2 dvd’s (1941 and Two Towers)…however will look forward to finding and purchasing Battle of Britain if anyone can tell me where it’s available in the states? Gave out Dibbsy’s book ‘Flying Legends’ to my stepfather, a former pilot, saw him reading it time and again…he could’nt believe a Hurricane could outturn a Spit and a Messer! Says he always had heard the Hurricane was a dog…glad the book is making some kind of an impression on him.

Mark

Thanks for the suggestion sconner.

A Farnborough DVD would not have been my first choice, but at least I won’t be stuck with an expensive drink coaster!

Charles

Your television may be able to handle PAL signals as well if it relatively new. I’m afraid the only way to see if it works is to buy a DVD and try it!

One suggestion is to buy a DVD called “Farnborough Air Show 2002” this has PAL on one side and NTSC on the other, that way if it doesn’t work, at least you have an NTSC DVD that will work.

Oh, I see – NTSC (never the same colour, as we call it) has fewer horizontally scanned lines than PAL (500 odd, as opposed to PALs 625), so conversion is probably more difficult. And with a much smaller market for PAL equipment and source material, I would be surprised if anyone has seen fit to produce a PAL to NTSC converting DVD player.

I do have a video recorder which can act as a signal convertor along these lines, but it hasn’t been used for some time, being monaural and if I remember correctly there is some sort of time delay problem too.

Thanks RobAnt,

However, my problem is the other way around, since I am in Canada. I have an NTSC TV, but before daring to invest in a DVD from DD Video, I want to be confident that it will work.

My DVD player says it can convert PAL to NTSC. Is that all I need, since I don’t need to worry about region codes with their DVDs?

Has anyone in region 1, with an NTSC system, purchased a DVD from DD Video?

Charles

Since DD makes their DVDs without region coding, and my DVD player supposedly can play PAL and NTSC, does that mean I could play the DVD if I were to get it?

If it is in NTSC you will need an NTSC compatible TV to view it, unless you have a Samsung DVD player which can output in a special mode that will allow PAL TVs to show an NTSC picture (I forget the details, but I know my Samsung DVD-807 will play R1/NTSC disks through my non-NTSC Philips TV).

You can bet on it, Yak 11 Fan.

Thanks Daz,

I’ve actually seen one of those for sale around here. But I really wanted something in 1:48 or larger.

Ah, beggars can’t be choosers my mother always says. Might have the get out the putty and start modifying a IX.

Charles

Someone wanting a PrXI Spitfire?

Try this one:
http://www.hannants.co.uk/cgi-bin/search.pl?Mode=view&Database=barg&R=VA205

And this:
http://www.hannants.co.uk/cgi-bin/search.pl?Mode=view&Database=cat&R=MPM72086

or a pink MkX
http://www.hannants.co.uk/cgi-bin/search.pl?Mode=view&Database=cat&R=MPM72086

Daz

I’ve seen the Academy kit around here, though I think with conversion to Canadian dollars it worked out to a lot more than 14 pounds. If it worked out it would sure look good “flying” through my family room in formation for a Tamiya 1:48 photo recon Mosquito!

Thanks for the input.

Hello Charles, I’ve just had a search about and can’t even find the XIX conversion, if you don’t mind major inaccuracies then go for the Academy kit, Hannants have it for £13.99 plus P + P:

http://www.hannants.co.uk/cgi-bin/search.pl?Mode=view&Database=cat&R=AC2157

A MKXI is equally as difficult if you’re not into scratchbuilding as that oil tank is something else to try and capture the shape of, compound curves, don’t you love ’em 😉

Tom

Thanks for the reply Tom.

I’ve looked around on the web at bit, and not found a XIX, but thought I would check here. The idea of a conversion, especially from a IX, is not too appealing. This will be my first model in over a decade. Don’t want to too much of a challenge right off.

Is there no good XIV non-bubble canopy on the market? That would be a much easier conversion. At least it has the right engine.

What about an XI. One of those would look pretty good too, though I think the XIX looks better. I’ve seen a conversion from a IX, but there’s a lot of recontouring of the nose.

Pitty no one seems to make a photo recon Spit. In blue, they make one of the best looking Spits, in my opinion. And in blue, I would actually be allowed to hang it somewhere other than just in my workshop!

Hello Charles, for a good XIX in 1:48 you really need to convert the Hasegawa MKIX as the Academy MKXIV is appalling, looks more like a toy than an accurate model. None of my pressies were plane related but I did get a pair of tickets to see Newcastle v Leeds next wednesday :D:D:D

Tom.

Chistmas goodies

Season’s greetings everyone,

Back at work, so I can finally dig up my password and respond.

I got one aviation related thing for Christmas, but I’d been waiting for this one for a while. I finally got the video of the September 2000 BoB airshow at Duxford! Old news for those of you in the UK, but I was glad to finally get it. Makes we want to get there for Legends one year even more!

Great video, with, of course, more than enough Spitfires to keep me happy. But what struck me most was the Meteor. I’d never heard one before. What an amazing sound. NOT LIKE A MERLIN OF COURSE!. But most unique.

Video quality would be better if I had the DVD of course. Since DD makes their DVDs without region coding, and my DVD player supposedly can play PAL and NTSC, does that mean I could play the DVD if I were to get it? Has anyone else on this side of the pond tried it?

My unfulfilled wish is a Spitfire XIX, prefereably in 1:48 or larger. But I don’t know if anybody makes one. Anyone know of one? I’d love to build one sometime.

Charles

Two of Harald Penrose’s books, Airymouse and Cloud Cuckooland.
A book about Rolls-Royce at Derby which covers cars and aero-engines.
A reprint of the American Airplane (sic) Spotter playing cards from WW2.
Some other non-aviation related books as well, to go with the several thousand I already have.

Book for Xmas

“Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle – All Weather Attack Aircraft” by UK author Steve Davies.

It’s a fantastic read so far, but I only have one more week to take it all in before I go back to work 🙁

Oh, and my HSBC credit card took a pounding over Xmas as well. 😮

I have received a 1/48th Mustang in RNZAF markings, that will keep me off the streets for a bit.

RobAnt, let us know how you get on with the camera, I’ve toyed with the idea of getting one.

A pair of RAF roundel cufflinks!

(But I bought myself a Fuji Finepix S5000 & the Telephoto converter and the camera bag and 1 x 128mb xD & 1 x 64mb xD memory cards – so I’m looking forward to next season with great anticipation.)

i didnt get anything related to aviation but my son got a huge lego model if a P51, shame hes to young to build it!!