Daedalus

Steve, Oh brilliant! Thanks for pointing that out. Cheers, Ian

I am making the Airfix 1/72 Buccaneer in the FAA variant serial no XV344 as per the box. However, I want to depict XV344 as she was in 1978 during Ark Royal's last commissioning but she was coded 027 at that time and not 034 which is what the box decals come with. Has anybody got any idea where I can get another decal sheet from with the correct code number? I have looked at Hannants to no avail. Cheers, Ian

Hi Darren, The Revell Gannet has gone on the back burner while I was waiting for WEM to restock on their RAF Blue-Grey (I'm doing a COD4 version). It arrived today. In the meantime I have been building the Alley Cat Gannet AEW3. I seem to have a thing about Gannets! I can recommend Alley Cat as a purveyor of good models and also for their customer service. I had decided to recreate an 849 Sqn B Flt aircraft and was ready to start masking off the tailplane to reproduce the black and yellow sunburst paint scheme when I discovered that Alley Cat do the decals for this aircraft - but their web site said they were out of stock. They lied! An email asking for availability revealed that they had one set of decals still in stock and they arrived within 48 hours. I am not being payed or otherwise reimbursed for this publicity for Alley Cat - more's the pity. After the Gannets I have a Phantom FG1, Buccaneer S2, a Sea King HAS1 and Wessex HAS1 on the stocks. Yes, you have guessed it - I am re-creating the heyday of the Fleet Air Arm. I also have a good source of advice because a chap who works in my Sainsburys Local used to manhandle these beasts across the flight deck of the previous Ark Royal. Cheers, Ian

Darren, Don't despair. For a Revell kit I thought the Gannet detail was tremendous. There is just a problem with the cockpit. I am now on model number two and have learned that you need to apply a lot of Squadron sanding sticks to the cockpit area. The problem areas are the bulkheads. They are too wide and too tall. I have filed them down and everything now fits perfectly. Including the cockpit canopies. Never throw a model in the fire - us modellers are much better than the manufacturers. Cheers, Ian

Just to finish this one off - I was rooting through my tool drawer today and found several reels of Model Technics TrimLine. Each reel holds various widths of self-adhesive film that are used to add coach lines to model cars or plimsoll lines on ships. It can be bent round curves without lifting and the two smallest widths are 1mm and approx 0.5mm so it is ideal for masking those thin stripes on Gannet propellor bosses. Thanks to those who offered their advice - armed with that and my TrimLine I am going to do the 849 NAS 6 yellow and 6 black! Cheers, Ian

Darren, I've now got to the same stage with the new Gannet and have found out what is causing the problem. The two fuselage halves went together perfectly with the cockpit in situ, until I added the cockpit bulkheads. They sit too high up and interfere with the top of the fuselage. Sanding a bit off the bottom of the front cockpit bulxheads will not do the trick as they have brackets that locate into the side panels so it's a case of sanding a bit off the top. As the rear bulheads sit on top of the side panels they could probably be sorted by trimming them down before fitting. Cheers, Ian

You really need to see the build project by DamienB at http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/lofiver...php/t27623.html. He has used the Revell model as I am doing but it is an excellent step-by-step account of what modifications need to be done and good discussions thrown in by others. The major external modification is to fill in the radome and the portholes either side of the radar operator's position (the Revell kit has these but I have never seen them on a real Gannet of whatever persuasion). Internally you can remove the radar panels from the rear compartment but it is difficult to see these anyway on the finished model. I have seen many pictures of COD4s without any underwing cargo pods but I am putting a cargo pod and Palouste starter on mine as I also have the Alley Cat AEW3 which comes with a variety of underwing options. There are other minor external mods that are amply covered by Damien's article in these pages. The colour seems to arouse a fair amount of debate. According to the FAA Museum it is overall RAF Blue Gray. Don't go for something like Humbrol RAF Blue as it is too blue. The only manufacturers of the correct shade I have come across are Xtracolour (which I had a disaster with and will not be using again), and Colour Coat which is made by White Ensign Models. Cheers, Ian

Thanks guys. I thought it would have to be something to do with fiddly masking. I like Skii's idea of making circular masks as they will fit more easily around around the conical prop boss. My partner suggested putting the boss on a very slow moving turntable or drill chuck and holding the paint brush against the boss as it slowly rotates. Now there's a thought! Cheers, Ian

OK all you clever people out there. I am currently making a Gannet AEW3 (Alley Cat) and a Gannet COD4 (modified Revell). How do I get those neat looking stripes on the propellor boss that others seem to be able to do. I have not tried yet because I cannot think of a way to do it without holding my breath for several minutes. If there is an easier way I would love to know.

I had exactly the same problems. I am sure that the cockpit assembly was fitted correctly because the same happened when I tried a dry fit. I tried rubbing down the sides of the cockpit assembly but it got to the stage where the internal bulkheads would have had nothing to bond to. I started gluing at the tail and gradually worked my way forward using a clamp from an old chemistry retort stand but still ended up with a gap. Once it was filled and sanded it looked fine but I had to decide to construct the model with the bomb bay doors open because no amount of filling would have disguised that something was going wrong down there. I am now starting another Revell Gannet after a disaster with Xtracolour paint. I will let you know how I get on.