Ssssshhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s supposed to be a secret!

Iraq got 20 T.4’s in the 60’s, back when we had an Aerospace industry!

The Australian modelling website Hyper Scale has some good airbrushing tutorials, along with a lot of other great stuff….one tip for clean lines especially with camo patterns is to use blu tack, as it will allow for a slight fogging effect at the colour edges but keep down overspray. Just roll it into a sausage and stick it along the line you wish to spray, and mask off the rest of the model in the usual way. Never tried it myself but it sounds plausible.

You can also buy spray masks for all kinds of aircraft from the Czech company Eduard. Well stocked by Hannants.

Just a thought, Adrian – see if your local ATC squadron would be interested.

I’ve had some great visits to small collections – because of their size you can get the ‘up close and personal’ touch that of course the big places just can’t do.

I’ll always remeber ASPAA at Brive-la-Gaillarde in France, down near the Dordogne. Not really ancient aircraft, they had a Fouga Zephyr in flying condition, plus some other jets. Called in there on my hols in ’98 with my son in tow, just two guys working in the hangar and we were greeted like Kings. We had the run of the place, and my lad had the time of his life sitting in a Mirage. No admission charge but I was kindly asked if I would consider buying some stickers and a Fouga T-shirt (Total cost about eight quid) which is now one of my fave pieces of airshow clobber.

Well, they’ve got to go now they are banned from being used as waterbombers, at least they will now be able to live out a somewhat more graceful retirement!

In my own experience (reskinning C-130 flaps for Marshalls for 18 months) we usually found that chiselling dome head solid rivets would only work if the heads had already been weakened by drilling. As we were on piecework (bonus payment for job done quickly) the ‘old hands’ would just arm themselves with a heap of new drill bits, then drill into the rivet heads until reaching the point where the underside of the head would be. Then a quick flick of the wrist (so to speak) and the head would ping off onto the drill bit. One guy once tried air chiselling without predrilling but it took longer and made one one awful racket.

Then go on to the next one and so on until you have a drill bit with about 20 rivet heads on it. Put in a new bit and start again. Takes practice but very efficient once you get going, and also saves damage to the skin, which you can then use as a pattern without any wobbly holes. The same method will work for countersunk rivets, just be a bit careful if you want to re-use the skin. Practice with a bit of old unwanted structure is always worthwhile. Air drills are the best because of higher speed and better controllability.

As John C says, blind rivets need more care – if you loosen them they will spin and rip the holes to bits – which as blind rivets tend to be used in thin structures is not to be desired when you’re trying to restore something rather than make it worse…

Having said all this, I have used a chisel, my favourite was an old ‘un picked up at a boot sale I think, and ground to a smooth curve on one side to give a bit of protection to the skins. Used to work a treat!

You’re right about it being seriously addictive…started using the site this year, firstly buying and more recently selling; total spend so far about £400, total income ……about £50! (Woops… 😮 ) Favourites seem to be out of production civil aircraft, the old Airfix Islander is good for about £26 at the moment, a Jetstream around £16, and a tenner for the 125/Dominie; so if you’ve got one…..get selling!

These days I don’t tend to be sad when one of our war heroes passes away; as Moggy says, it is inevitable, and I find it envigorating to read the obits in the Telegraph on a Saturday and learn about people who have been so notable, particularly if they have been able to live a long and happy life. Their contribution to society cannot be overestimated, and I do wonder sometimes where tomorrow’s heroes will come from.

F/L James, you were a breed apart Sir, and the world has been a richer place for your being. You will always be remembered.