Thanks guys...yes i will keep the scratch build, but ive made a few fundamental errors. The biggest one is underestimating the length of the launch rail. Based on the width of my launch apparatus (which is about right relative to the width of the aircraft fuselage, I should really almost double the length of the rails. I moght not be able to achieve that, but it might be possible to somehow lengthen the launch rails a bit.....Im not sure. Not sure I can do that but I will give it some thought on if or how it might be done.
My launch pulleys are far too big and there are additional pulleys that I need to think about. Even if i ignore those that cant really be seen, I need to think about adding at least another 4 or 6 pulleys. The pulleys might not be so out of scale if i can achieve a lengthed launch rail, but i will again have to give this some thought.
There is also a different detail for the access catwalks to those that I could see in the photographs. They are probably mesh types which I should be able to add.
Wurger, I really do want to thank you for that drawing. I should now be able to finish the launch catapult a little bit more authentically looking. But i have a lot of work to do, I can see. The scratch build catapult will easily be as complicated, or more, that the actual aircraft.
What are your opinions on the a/c colour. Does it need some sort of clear/grey over wash. Thats going to be a difficult thing to do, and Im not objective enough to work that one out for myself....at the moment I think its okay, but feel free to give your own views and advice. thats what Im here for....to listen and learn.