Search the Community

Hi all, You might enjoy this Pathe video. Interesting old and new roundel on a Firefly (that was a Hellcat a second before) as it slides across the deck. bob p.s. Bonus 10 minutes 1945, Seafires folding wing, Firefly, etc.

Hi mates! Last August, I started a project for a "quick build" of the 1:72 Special Hobby kit of the Fairey Firefly FR.1. Naively I let my fellow Britmodellers talk me into doing a "dual build" since I also had the Special Hobby kit of the TT.4 in my stash. And then the final elbow - I succumbed to numerous requests to fold the wings on the TT.4. Dementia had finally shown its face. So here we are, six months later and the kits are finally done. You can read the whole sordid work in progress thread here. (It's really not so bad!) I don't think I need to provide a short history of the Firefly. The fine Britmodellers on this forum are keenly aware of their aviation heritage and the important role their aircraft have played throughout the years. Special thanks to Steve Long (NAVY870), our friend from Australia, for his incredible help during this build. No matter how silly my questions were, he always had the answer. Of course, he lives with a real Firefly TT. As usual here is my Executive Summary: Project: Fairey Firefly FR.1 and TT.4 Kit: Special Hobby Fairey Firefly FR.Mk.1 (kit no. 72195) and Fairey Firefly TT.Mk.4 (kit no. 72066) Scale: 1:72 (the only scale that matters) Decals: From the kits, Fairey Firefly FR.1, MB464/272-Y, 837 Squadron FAA, HMS Glory 1945, Fairey Firefly TT.4, VG974/501-TD, 700 Squadron FAA, RNAS Ford, 1955 Resin: Extensive cockpit and wheel well resin components included with the kits; Barracuda Studios Firefly Early Main Wheels (72137) and British 4-Slot 32 inch Main Wheels - Block Tread (72222) Photoetch: In addition to the frets included with the kits, the Marabu Designs British landing lights (72002) were used Canopy Masks: Montex set (72108) Paint: Colourcoats BS 640 Extra Dark Sea Grey, BS 634 Dark Slate Grey; Gunze H364 Interior Grey Green (my own custom counterfeit recipe), H74 Sky Type S, H77 Tire Black, H90 Clear Red, H94 Clear Green, H95 Smoke Gray; Testors 2072 RLM 04 Gelb; Floquil 110100 Old Silver; Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black; Alclad 125 High Speed Silver, 302 Grey Primer, 314 Klear Kote Flat Weathering: Pastel chalks; Prismacolor Silver Pencil Improvements/Corrections/Modifications The FR.1 was built essentially out-of-the-box, the only additions being the aerial wire, IFF antenna, and the landing and navigation lights (made from a clear plastic fork). Most of the extra work was done on the TT.4 as follows: Carburettor intake under engine cowling was left out of Special Hobby kit, so one was scratch built by scabbing formed styrene on the lower fuselage and blending it into the cowling Separated the wings for folding - since the full span Fairey-Youngman flaps fold with the outer wings this made for some interesting cutting patterns All exposed inner wing details were scratch built All wing fold mechanism details were scratch built Wing jury struts made from 0.025" styrene rod Inner fuselage structure and associated details (where the Fairey-Youngman flaps attach to the center fuselage) were scratch built Radiator inlet vanes were replaced with 0.015" styrene Navigation lights were scratch built and added to each wing, made with clear plastic silverware Landing light was scratch built from clear plastic silverware and photoetch reflectors from Marabu Design Rear view mirror and housing added to top of outer port wing Cables on horizontal and vertical tail, to prevent drogue chute from interfering with flight surfaces, made from 0.005" Nitinol wire Cable tie-down brackets on end of horizontal tails made from copper wire VHF whip antenna made from 0.005" Nitinol wire Added photoetch catapult hooks Elapsed time: 6 months! A fair bit longer than anticipated. At this rate, my stash will be exhausted in 2157. At 13:30. How about some photos? First, a family portrait. As can be seen in the following photos, the folded wings are aligned with each other and are at the same height: To achieve this, I designed, built, and used a high precision alignment and gluing jig constructed from the highest technology aerospace alloys: A splendid time was had by all! Cheers, Bill

Hi all. Had fun with this one! The kit certainly had it's issues but still builds into a decent model with some modelling flare. It's been built as a display piece for a veteran sherman radio operator of the east riding yeomanry and is a tribute to him really. WIP link here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234977297-old-dragon-135-sherman-firefly-1c-hybrid-9037-teaching-an-old-dog-new-tricks/ There's a couple of shots below that show the model without the track cleats highlighted in steel but the rest are after i've done it. Just used some of the best photo's i have of her really. Anyway, enjoy Cheers all, hope you like her. Ben.

Hi folks, here is Special Hobby's 1/48 Fairey Firefly in the markings of 1771 Sqn onboard HMS Implacable in 1945. The kit was finished with Xtracrylix and also I used Alclad for the first time as an underlayer for chipping. I found the kit quite challenging in some places notably the fit of the rear canopy to the fuselage and a fair bit of filler was required here and there. Cheers Nick

Good evening all Have seen some of the amazing things people can do on this site, it's with some trepidation that I post the pictures below....but you’ve got to start somewhere.... I made a few models (badly) in my youth when war-gaming and then nothing for a long time but got back into it last year after 20+ years, when my young son decided he wanted a model tank that he could play battles with. Below is a selection of some of the betters ones but I’ve still got a way to go especially when it comes to weathering and stowage. At the moment my aim is to get them looking reasonably like they're supposed to, which I think I've managed. Better historical accuracy will hopefully come with time. Thanks for your time and please be gentle..... Andrew PS you'll also probably notice I'm not a great photographer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Armourfast Cromwells with some very basic stowage Plastic Soldier Company Churchills One has some extra stowage from S and S Models http://www.sandsmodels.com/ Armourfast Achilles x4 Again these have some additional stowage from S and S models. At some point I'll look at putting a couple of crew in. Also I know the weight should be 29 tons but I don't have any 29 ton signs. I also know the camo is not right but there are reasons (to do with my son) as to why I went with it. The bottom two are the first two models I finished after coming back to the hobby. I overdid the matt varnish on one of the but managed to rescue it (just). Plastic Soldier Company M5A1 Half track I have a total of three of these, of which this is probably the best. One thing that does annoy me slightly with PSC is some of the odd and inconsistent scaling. The 0.50 calibre MG on this model is WAY oversize but the ones on their Shermans are pretty close. Plastic Soldier Company M4A4 A couple of these have stowage/tarpaulin made of sprue off cuts covered in tissue paper, which is covered in PVA glue. I got the idea from someone on the Armourfast forum before it went offline (Dave if you ever see this - thanks for the idea). I also has to replace the .30 caliber bow MGs as they were as wide as the main gun!! I used short section of the same plastic I use for the aerials.

Special Hobbyis to reissue its 1/72nd Fairey Firefly T.1/T.2 - ref.72050 (http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/SH72050) - and FR.Mk.1 'ASH radar' - ref.72195 ( https://www.scalemates.com/kits/112251-special-hobby-sh72195-fairey-firefly-fr-mk-i-ash-radar ) - kits. Source: http://www.mpmkits.eu/search?updated-min=2015-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2016-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=2 V.P.

Fairey Firefly brass barrels. 1:48 1:48 Master Models Another three sets in the batch of new releases to arrive at BM are all designed for 1:48 Fairey Firefly kits. You’ll need to do your research on which type you need for which variant, but whichever set you choose they will be a vast improvement on the styrene parts. [AM-48-095] – This set contains four 20mm cannon with uncovered barrels and come with the four two part barrels, four of each of the two types of fairings and four springs. You will need to drill out the location holes to 1.5mm before fitting your choice of fairing. The two barrel parts are then joined together with the tiny spring fitted at the join. The barrel assemblies are then glued into the fairings. Be aware, the springs are tiny and could be easily devoured by the carpet monster. [AM-48-096] – The four cannon fairings in this set are simple replacements of the kit parts and depict the long fairings which were predominantly used on the early version. To fit, just open up the location holes to 1.5mm and glue into position. [AM-48-097] – As per the set above these are direct replacements but depict the shorter barrel fairings generally used on later marks. The location holes need to be opened up to 1.5mm before fitting. Conclusion Master Models just seem to be able to churn these sets out, but still keep the quality we have come to expect from them. All you have to do is choose your weapon to match the particular variant of Firefly you’re building Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of Piotr at

Finished at last! This is a Plastic Soldier Company 1/72 Firefly Vc built out of the box with a little added stowage. I've set it in a little diorama/vignette with some PSC British Infantry to add a bit of interest. The Firefly is finished with Vallejo paints and Mike Starmer decals representing a vehicle belonging to B Squadron, Staffordshire Yeomanry, 27th Armoured Brigade. Thanks for looking. Cheers Dave

Next Special Hobby Fairey Firefly 1/48th kit will be a U.Mk.8 - ref.SH48166 Source: http://www.mpmkits.eu/2014/11/sh48166-fairey-firefly-u-mk8-box-art.html Special HobbyFirefly Mk.I: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234909193-148-fairey-firefly-mki-by-special-hobby-released/ Firefly Mk.4/.5/.6: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234939170-148-fairey-firefly-mk456-by-special-hobby-released/ Firefly AS.Mk.7: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234969322-148-fairey-firefly-asmk7-by-special-hobby-box-art/?hl=firefly V.P.

Constanza Kit (http://www.scalemates.com/companies/company.php?id=2587) has just released 1/72nd Slingsby T-67M/T-3A Firefly Mk.II resin kits. ref.CON807206 - Slingsby T-67M Firefly Mk.II Source: http://www.aviationmegastore.com/slingsby-t67m-firefly-mkii--con807206-constanza-kits-con807206-netherlands-military/product/?shopid=LM5437f81d922e6648aeb9de84a9&action=prodinfo&parent_id=212&art=125437 ref.CON807207 - Slingsby T67M-260 Firefly T-3A (USAF) Source: http://www.aviationmegastore.com/slingsby-t67m-260-firefly-t-3a-usaf-con807207-constanza-kits-con807207-scale-modelling/product/?shopid=LM5437f81d922e6648aeb9de84a9&action=prodinfo&parent_id=212&art=125439 V.P.

I'm calling this one done. Built out of the box with a bit of stowage and some crew figure. Decals are from Mike Starmer's range. More photos to follow. Thanks for looking. Cheers

Next Special Hobby Fairey Firefly 1/48th kit will be a AS.Mk.7 - ref.SH48130 Source: http://www.mpmkits.eu/2014/10/firefly-mk7-148-scale-kit-boxart.html Box art :thumbsup: Special Hobby Firefly Mk.I: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234909193-148-fairey-firefly-mki-by-special-hobby-released/ Firefly Mk.4/.5/.6: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234939170-148-fairey-firefly-mk456-by-special-hobby-released/ V.P.

Latest project. These are two of the Plastic Soldier Company's M4A4s which come in a three kit boxing. Parts are provided to build the M4A4 (Sherman V) or Firefly. As you'd expect there is a degree of simplification as these are intended primarily for the wargamer and some details are simplified. However, to me they look like what they're intended to and that's good enough. I've started with a few minor upgrades such as replacing lifting rings with wire and drilling out gun barrels and I've also started adding some stowage. There are some gaps and sink marks that need to be filled but nothing too challenging. Here's a quick view of where I've got so far. More updates to follow. Thanks for looking! Dave

I have a Special Hobby 1/48 Fairey Firefly Mk.I 'Home Fleet' kit, that I want to do in Royal Thai Navy markings. The aircraft I plan to do is carrying the underwing fuel tanks. Those parts are in the kit, bet there is no indication where exactly to mount them, including where to drill the mounting holes. Does anybody have any version of the Fairey Firefly (Special Hobby or AZ models) that shows where/how to mount the tanks? Could I get a scan of the relevant instruction page? You can send the scan to my email address of lengesath(AT)cox(DOT)net. Larry

Does anyone know of any post-WWII FAA prop types, such as the Firefly, Sea Fury or Seafire. Tried L'Arsenal and WEM and neither does anything suitable, even for conversion. Wanting to build both my Heller Illustrious and Colossus, but can't find anything to stick on the flight decks! Maybe I should just have a bunch of crew watching a boxing match..... http://northstarmodels.com/2014/02/new-items-for-ships-in-1350-scale-askold-line/ Honestly, you can buy a boxing match, but you can't buy proper aircraft......

I have finally got my butt in to gear and done some more work on the AZ Models 1/48 Firefly Mk 1. This is going to get done in FAA colours as my last one (Grand Phoenix kit) was done in RCN colours. The plastic in this kit, whilst the same plastic, is nowhere as good as the GP kit. The panel lines require scribing in a number of locations as the casting was poor and plastic filled them. There are sink holes in various places including just in front of the tail that required filling. The panel lines are also trenches reminiscent of Matchbox and it is a pain to rescribe panel lines THAT wide! For some reason the resin in the cockpit doesn't seem to fit as well as the GP kit either. The wings fit poorly to the fuselage and will need a fair amount of filler to make it good. When fitting the wings they need to have a fair amount of trimming to make them fit the gap in the fuselage. I also used superglue at the rear of the underside of the wing where it joins the fuselage so it had some strength to the joint. Here are the gaps at the wing roots: Here is the link to my Grand Phoenix kit of the Firefly Mk 1: http://www.aussiemodeller.com.au/pages/Gallery/Aircraft_E-H/Harvey_FireflyMk1.html

After the Firefly Mk.I http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234909193-148th-fairey-firefly-mki-by-special-hobby-released/?hl=firefly[/size] The[/size][/size] Special Hobby 1/48th Firefly Mk.V - ref. SH48136 - is expected in 2 or 3 months! [/size] Source: [/size]http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234939129-sh48136-firefly-mkv/[/size] Also here - Mk.IV/V - ref. SH48041[/size] http://www.cmkkits.com/en/aircraft/firefly-mk-iv/ [/size] [/size] [/size] V.P.

AZ Model is to re-release its (ex-Grand Phoenix) 1/48th Fairey Firefly kit in two new boxing incl. the TT.1 variant. Source: http://www.modelarovo.cz/azmodel-novinky/ - ref. AZ4863 - Fairey Firefly Mk.1/F.1/FR.1 - ref. AZ4864 - Fairey Firefly TT.1 V.P

The December MPM newsletter evoke a future 1/48th Fairey Firefly family. A re-release of the AZ Model kits? That's the question. If it's a new family of kits I vote for the Mk.4/.5 and U.7/.8 versions. Source: http://www.cmkkits.c...wsletter-12-11/ V.P.

Pics from Martin Laurance, This is the Aircraft at Duxford in Swedish Target Tug Colours