Revell 1/72 Storm Shadow

[Rob de Bie]

I've collected a few 1/72 cruise missile models, like the 12 Squared BGM-109 Tomahawk, Projekts AGM-86, Amodel Kh-55 and Model Art ASMP. To expand that collection, I bought Revell's single-seat Eurofighter that has two Storm Shadows. Since I only found hi-res photos of RAF examples, I built it that way. And here's the end result:

 

 

 

Shown here is the starting point, a simple model consisting of three fuselage parts, one folded wing set, and six tail fins. The air intake is partly covered by a fairing that is ejected during launch.

 

 

The best Storm Shadow photos I could find are from the RAF Museum in Hendon. Museum exhibits are often not the most reliable references, and maybe his is a wooden mockup, but it looks very realistic to my eye. And it was the only one showing the wings extended. I used this photo to analyse the wing sweep angle (20 degrees) and the shape and dimensions of the hardback.

 

 

Of course I had to modify the wing set. The kit part is shown left, the thing in the center was first attempt at a faceted hardback, and on the left the scratch-built hardback with the unfolded kit wings attached. The latter was built in a jig.

 

I made two MACE lugs, here fitted provisionally. MACE stands for Minimum Area Crutchless Ejector, and it is standard on all RAF Tornado stores. The 'heavy duty' MACE version is used on the Storm Shadow. The lugs were built up from tiny pieces of plastic card, and are attached to stretched sprue for handling purposes.

 

On the rear fuselage I increased the body diameter a bit by wrapping a piece of 0.25 mm plastic strip around it, thereby creating both an exhaust and a slightly larger fuselage. I drilled out the exhaust to make it deeper, using Milliput and a 3.2 mm drill bit to smoothen the Milliput inside.

 

 

Work continued with the lower fins. After launch, these fins are extended. Revell's model represents the Storm Shadow before launch, the extended fins have to be built from scratch. I used an old helicopter tail rotor as a parts donor.

 

'Enzo Matrix' told me that Operational Storm Shadows are painted in BS381C 629 Dark Camouflage Grey. Humbrol 156 is a good match.

 

 

Revell provides a complete set of stencils and warnings decals, 20 in total. After the decals had dried thoroughly, Humbrol 135 satin clear was airbrushed over the decals, to achieve a uniform gloss and to check for silvering. The aft fuselage section is darker in many photos, and the inlet lip a bit lighter than the rest. I copied these variations on the model.

 

At a very late stage, wiith only a bit of detail painting remaining, I found out that my model had an error: the 'stealth' inlet was an ejectable cover after all, which had no place on my 'flying' model. By now the model, especially the wings, was very vulnerable. I already knocked off a wing before, and fitting it again without the jig was not easy. Therefore I built an elaborate jig to hold the model safely during the inlet operation. This approach worked well, and the inlet was modified without damage to the model.

 

I weathered the model a little, since it would only have lasted one flight in reality. Using black and grey water colors, I did a slight accenting of the panel lines and fasteners. The exhaust and the MACE lugs also got a bit of a brown wash, to accent their metal look. I used a Games Workshop 40 mm square base to display the model. A curved 0.5 mm steel wire puts the model in a slight nose-up attitude, and I like to display it with a little bank angle. And then it was done!

 

Rob de Bie

Edited June 14, 2023 by Rob de Bie

[NickR]

Fantastic attention to detail and beautifully done.

I'd be proud of the jig on its own!

[Foghorn Leghorn]

That is brilliant, something completely different

[Dave A]

And I thought making up a 1/48 version was fiddly...

[Viking]

I really like that! Great attention to detail and nicely done.

Thanks for posting,

John

[coronado]

Very nice !

[Bordfunker]

That looks amazing and such an original subject.

Karl

[MolarDoc]

Hi,

Very nice attention to detail and finish. I assumed that it was at least 1/32 scale when I saw it.

[Robertone139]

Nice job.

[dragan_mig31]

Bravo!

[NMLeonov]

An excellent model of an excellent weapon.

[Rob de Bie]

NickR, Foghorn Leghorn, Dave A, Viking / John, coronado, Bordfunker / Karl, MolarDoc: a much belated thanks for your kind comments!

 

Robertone139, dragan_mig31, Pyradus: thanks you too for the renewed interest in my tiny model 🙂

 

I updated the model a little since I posted it here. In 2020, I finally found the 'official' company graphics for 'Storm Shadow' on a sticker auctioned on Ebay. I combined that with the 'MDBA Missile Systems' logo that I had drawn earlier, to make a name plate for the base.

 

 

Rob

[Bughunter]

Nicely done! You have a nice collection of cruise missiles!

You can add another one

 

Some years ago, after South Korea bought around 400 of the German Taurus missile (for the F-15) I built one from CMK in 1:48, with a full scratched brass trailer:

https://www.scalemates.com/profiles/mate.php?id=21997&p=albums&album=36690

 

This one is was also done by CMK in your prefered scale 1:72.

 

Have fun!

Edited June 15, 2023 by Bughunter

[Rob de Bie]

23 hours ago, Bughunter said:

Some years ago, after South Korea bought around 400 of the German Taurus missile (for the F-15) I built one from CMK in 1:48, with a full scratched brass trailer:

https://www.scalemates.com/profiles/mate.php?id=21997&p=albums&album=36690

 

Bughunter, that's a great little Taurus missile! The brass trailer is awesome.

 

My Storm Shadow came from the Revell Eurofighter, and it contains the Taurus missile too, in twofold. I never paid attention to it, since way back I thought it had never become operational. Now I know better 🙂 I will buy the CMK 1/72 kit too, and start building one, in flying configuration.

 

Rob

[Bughunter]

Thanks!

I don't know the numbers, but it is also in active use in Germany.

It looks like that the Ukraine asked for the Taurus too.

 

I remember a nice drawing in comic style while it was introduced in South Korea, and after a longer search session I was able to find it:

[Rob de Bie]

2 hours ago, Bughunter said:

Thanks!

I don't know the numbers, but it is also in active use in Germany.

It looks like that the Ukraine asked for the Taurus too.

 Wikipedia says 600 were produced for the Luftwaffe, and I read somewhere 150 were left in stock. That latter figure does not make sense to me though.

 

In the mean time, I learned a bit more about the thing, and it has a very impressive kinetic penetrator. A scary weapon..

 

Rob

[Hook]

3 hours ago, Bughunter said:

I remember a nice drawing in comic style

What, it will not even pauze to let an old lady cross the road? Rubbish!   

[Fred piket]

I'm in aw about the detail you manage to produce. I don't think my eyes can manage that..

[Rob de Bie]

8 hours ago, Fred piket said:

I'm in aw about the detail you manage to produce. I don't think my eyes can manage that..

 

If you want small models, you're stuck with it! I also have the Flightpath 1/32 Storm Shadow, but I much prefer the 1/72 version.

 

I will admit that using an Optivisor or equivalent became necessary shortly after I finished the Storm Shadow. Halfway the build of the Attack Squadron 1/72 RQ-7B Shadow, shown below, I started using one, and what a difference it made. You look silly with one, but boy they work well for scale modelling..

 

Rob

 

[Hopesdaddy]

Nice work converting the kit to an actual flying display. Sounds like a very unique udea for a collection 

[Richard E]

On 6/16/2023 at 4:31 PM, Bughunter said:

I remember a nice drawing in comic style while it was introduced in South Korea

 

During the news coverage of Operation Desert Storm I remember one of the news reporters describing how they watched cruise missiles (probably Tomahawks) following the road network towards their intended destination.

[Rob de Bie]

16 minutes ago, Hopesdaddy said:

Nice work converting the kit to an actual flying display. Sounds like a very unique udea for a collection 

 

Agreed! I'm working slowly on that theme's collection. A drawback is that they are so small - when I bring them to my model club, they are almost invisible on the model table. And hardly anyone knows what they are. But that doesn't matter much, as long as I like them 🙂

 

Rob

[Rob de Bie]

13 minutes ago, Richard E said:

 

During the news coverage of Operation Desert Storm remember one of the news reporters describing how they watched cruise missiles (probably Tomahawks) following the road network towards their intended destination.

 

I remember that footage too. IIRC correctly, they were visiting a baby milk factory, and while standing outside, two Tomahawks came zipping over.

 

Rob