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Aeroclub 1/48 F6 - 63 Squadron /Revell FGA71 Chilean


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Hi all,

Well, not sure what i've let myself info on this one, but i'm going to attempt to tackle the Aeroclub 1/48 F6 mixed media kit in the colours of 63 Squadron RAF Chivenor, mid sixties.

63 was my dads last squadron before leaving the RAF, he joined in 1944 as a 16 year old apprentice and did 23 years as an armourer on Tempests, Vampires, Victors, with the bulk of his service on Hunters at Chivenor & Jever in Germany. My first taste of the Hunter was around 1971 as a 5 years old after he had left the RAF, he took me on a tour of the base as he knew loads of people there, still remember it vividly.

Anyway, he died on 12 Feb 1992, 20 years ago - so it seems a fitting tribute to him - and he would have loved it!!

Not sure what to do with the Revell yet, maybe an export Hunter or a maybe an RAF FR10 as I have the quickboost nose!

Sgt AJ Rawlings, 1950's Chivenor I think with a Vampire!

dad2.jpg

Aeorclub with Aeromaster decals

AERO-HH1.jpg

AERO-HH2.jpg

Revell kit

Revell-HH.jpg

Cheers

Simon

Edited by SimonR
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Lovely! Looking forward to this one - in fact I wish I had an Aeroclub Hunter tucked away somewhere! Still in my opinion a much better overall shape - especially the nose and canopy - than the Academy/Italeri offereing!

Nice choice of squadron and a fitting tribute to your Dad Simon!

Regarding the FR10 in 1/72 - go for it - though I'm not too sure about how accurate that Quickboost nose is!

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The Quickboost nose is crap . It's just the Revell kit part with a pair of oblique camera ports crudely scribed on the sides , then cast in clear resin . Nothing like the correct shape . FAA Models (sold by A2Zee) do a Hunter GA/PR11 conversion which has a recce nose which looks much better .

If I've done it right , here's a pic of the Quickboost part

QB72129.jpg

Edited by rs2man
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The Quickboost nose is crap . It's just the Revell kit part with a pair of oblique camera ports crudely scribed on the sides , then cast in clear resin . Nothing like the correct shape .

I'm glad you said that!!

I never did finish this FR10 off - but the nose was scratchbuilt - well - a small extension from clear sprue and Milliput...

100_6748.jpg

100_6751.jpg

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The Quickboost nose is crap . It's just the Revell kit part with a pair of oblique camera ports crudely scribed on the sides , then cast in clear resin . Nothing like the correct shape .

Bugger, wish i'd known that before I bought it :fraidnot:

Edited by SimonR
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Some minor inroads today, made a tentative start on cutting out the intakes, I figured that if I made a pigs ear of this first attempt of cutting out vacform it wouldn't be the end of the world. Please feel free to let me know if I have done it right or not before I start of the wings & fuselage!

AERO-HH3.jpg

AERO-HH4.jpg

AERO-HH5.jpg

I think I will need the full duration of the GB to finish this!!

Cheers

Simon

Edited by SimonR
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Bit more progress, top half of fuselage/wings now cut out, wasn't too bad actually!

Can anybody tell me if i need to cut out any more of the area where the intakes meets the fuselage (area circled) as this doesn't seem to be a great fit at the moment - or do I just need to fill the gap?

AERO-HH6.jpg

Thanks

Simon

Edited by SimonR
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Great start. generally speaking you need to sand the parts down and stop sanding when you'd start to lose your blue ink line. There seems to be quite a bit of blue showing on the intakes, though you retain the centre 'triangle' I seem to recall! I used files for the bulk and then wet and dry to finish off. Regarding the intakes these weren't a great fit. With the intake trunking in though the intakes should fit a bit better. If you're not accustomed to using milliput - you soon will be!!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Made some progress this week, fuselage halves together and wing leading edges on, been filled with Humbrol filler & milliput. Now needs more sanding & more filling (joy!).

Made some avoidable mistakes cutting out, cut too much off the intake trunking and the tailpipe, had to re-build the tailpipe with plastic tube & milliput to get the metal ring to fit, lessons learnt I suppose :undecided:

A few sheets of plastic are starting to look like a Hunter at last!

AERO-HH7.jpg

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Thanks Ian.

I have had enough of sanding for one day, in between sanding our kitchen walls I have been filling, sanding and priming this bloody thing on and off all day, just about getting to the point where its 'ok', still cant seem to lose the seams entirely but I can fill & sand no more!!

cheers

Simon

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I have got to be honest, don't think I am ever going to be a very good vac-form modeller in the near future. If theres a mistake to be made on this then I think i've done it!

Its now had a pre-shade and coat of grey but i am still not happy with the joins, going to have to live with it now though. I think the biggest problem was the intakes, they have kicked the leading edges on the wings out a bit so the join is not flush, and the fuselage joins are still visible after hours of filling & sanding. Decals & camo demarcation likes should hopefully conceal the worst of this.

If its still not looking how I want it after the camo is on I may save my 63 squadron decals for an Italeri/heritage combo.

Anyway, going to plod on and hope for the best!

GB-HH-09.jpg

GB-HH-10.jpg

Cheers

Simon

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Camo is now on, done with a mix of Humbrol & Revell acrylics. Used a hard mask on this and paintwork is looking ok I think.

Managed to get some more filler on the seams on the front fuselage, so overall its not looking too bad now, never going to be an exhibition model but its not turned out into the disaster I feared it would!

AERO-HH08.jpg

AERO-HH09.jpg

AERO-HH10.jpg

Cheers

Si

Edited by SimonR
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Looks very good to me.

I built The Aeroclub F4/5 years ago and it was not the easiest vacform in the world. Very accurate and well designed just awkward to build. Still a better starting point than the Academy/ Italeri one. Please Mr ROG do the decent thing and bring out a 1/48th scale Hunter.

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Looks very good to me.

I built The Aeroclub F4/5 years ago and it was not the easiest vacform in the world. Very accurate and well designed just awkward to build. Still a better starting point than the Academy/ Italeri one. Please Mr ROG do the decent thing and bring out a 1/48th scale Hunter.

Thanks SF!

This is my first attempt at anything vac formed (apart from the odd canopy). Biggest problem was concealing the joints down the side of the fuselage, anybody who's built an Airfix Buccaneer or Tornado will know what a pain it can be!

Cheers

Simon

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I used off-cuts of plastic as re-inforcing strips on the inside of the joints where possible but there were places where that was impossible. The flexing of the plastic made filling difficult. You are past all that now and can look forward to finishing her.

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I used off-cuts of plastic as re-inforcing strips on the inside of the joints where possible but there were places where that was impossible. The flexing of the plastic made filling difficult.

Phew, not just me then!!

Cheers

Si

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Not just you thats for sure.

I'm suprised Wolfpack hasn't posted about his trials and tribulations with the Aeroclub T7/8 he converted to a T8M. I learnt some new words listening to him :D:D . It looked great when he finished it though!

Looking forward to seeing yours finished.

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