Update time as it has been awhile. While working on the Lanc, Bucc and Beaufighter, it's time to get some work done on the Typhoon. Lot of details on this kit, though not as intense as the Kitty Hawk Jag. It's a British kind of thing lately. This step is to assemble the lower wing strakes and pods.

Once assembled next step is to install them. The Chaff dispensers are already moulded into the wings, if this was a Trumpeter or Kitty Hawk they may have been separate parts as well.

Next is a pair of sensors that are located next to the Amraam missile troughs. Very small pieces. At this time I paint the ducting steel before installing the covers.

Though not in this step, I also build the Sidewinder missile rails and install them.

With the paint dry, I install the cooling ducting covers. And finally wallah, I found the nose cone, Yaaaay! When I was looking for something else...go figure. More to follow

2 additional images. Click to enlarge.

I don't swear Paul, but really I grabbed the box and was starting to put all the parts back in. I grabbed the bags that were stuffed in the box. You know I did look in each one and squeezed them to see if I could feel any parts before. This time for the heck of it I did it again and there it is the nose cone, thinking what the heck it was in there all this time. Now it's back in the build line. I was going to introduce the new Revell Tornado to replace the Typhoon. You know I still may do so. As so far each build is coming along very well.

This is (one of) the great thing(s) about this site, Chuck. The vicarious emotions of following a friend's WiP.

I just love a good 'non siquitur' and directly after reading this on the commute a colleague at the office asked, "how are you this morning?" - I replied "good, thanks, Chuck found his nose cone and all's well".

So, from your bench in Southern California, somewhere in Imperial College, London there is a junior doctor walking around thinking, "who's Chuck...and what the hell is a nose-cone?"

The weather here is more like So Cal, it's Friday, and I have a hard 2pm finish. Happy days.

You don't want SoCal weather like it is today! 95F at 0930, forecast to hit 112-115 between 1500-1700, here in the San Fernando Valley.

Great to hear about your lifelong friends, Chuck. Treasure them. When I was at junior school through high school I had the same group of friends for 12-14 years straight. We learned together, played together and when we got a little older we discovered music and girls together. Peculiarly we all came from broken families; there were five of us who would be there for each other through anything.

I've gotten in touch with these guys over the years and found that life and our experiences had changed us all in different ways. Not all of it good, sad to say. Maybe it's why I model? To recapture a lost and more innocent time, something...simpler. My own kids (4) have moved around a lot, too. None of them have ever had friends of the longevity or depth that I experienced.

As I've gotten older I find friendships hard to make. Sometimes I think I've just seen too much or know too much about what makes people tick - I find small talk really difficult and I just cannot abide bull@&£$. You guys are as close as I get to 'real' friendships. And that's good with me. One day (and my daughter, 13yrs, thinks this is the best idea ever) I might just grab the family, jump in a plane to the States, and go on a long road trip to visit all my iModeler 'brethren'.

I hope the reunion is terrific, Chuck. Oh, and the Eurofighter looks great.

Repeat after me: Glo-bal warm-ing is a lib-er-al plot! (repeat as necessary 🙂 )

Was just reading that there are heat domes over all of the northern hemisphere creating some of the hottest temperatures ever.

Chuck have fun at the reunion, my 50th was two years ago,and both of us had a great time. Some kids had changed so much I didn't recognize them until they spoke, that's what a lost of hair and added weight will do to you. As to the weather, hey it's July for Christ sake it's suppose to be hot. And David LS, there are direct flights from London to Cincinnati, and then very cheap ones from Cincy down to Florida. Just sayin. Oh, BTW Chuck,your progress is fun to watch and the missing nose cone, you lucky guy, I've never found the canopy for a P-40E I did several years ago. I had it, test fitted it, then it disappeared. I believe it's circling Uranus right now.

If you guys just happen to venture a little too far south, I "know this guy" that lives in Florida... Rumor has it he knows the location to one of the best pizza shops in the area, and has a few friends that restore real life 1 to 1 scale "Warbirds"... a visit to this shop could be "arranged". 🙂

and I'm still looking for that propeller from a Tamiya F4F Wildcat that was built a little over a year ago... If it ever shows up I'll jump up and down with happiness...