Grant Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Made a start on this one over the weekend. The box shot: and will be using a set of CAM decals to do this ‘pirate’ themed a/c. and to save a bit of space, folded wings! I shall be using Xtracrylics for the external colours, as I though it was about time I gave them a go. cheers Grant 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders154 Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Looking forward to this build Rodders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAG058 Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I have one of these on the shelf of doom. The canopy was snapped clean in half (probably due to the flap box). I managed to get replacements for Revell, however by the time they arrived my mojo had moved on! Good luck with it and hopefully you'll inspire me to carry on with mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Good thinking with the folded wings. The Gannet is a beast in size and weight as well. I've done the Trumpeter AS4 (unfortunately the undercarriage has collapsed under the weight. If there are SAC white metal U/C then I would go for them). My AEW3 is almost complete in airframe terms and again it is big. Over twice the size of a Seafire or Fury. Even dwarfs many WW2 twin engine bombers. The Sword U/C looks more substantial than the Trumpeter or the Revell one in my stash but I think some reinforcement will be in order. It may be a ugly duckling but I do like the Gannet (or perhaps Gannets), I built my first around 50 years ago, the Frog one with the crew's heads moulded on. Good luck with this build, I'll be watching with interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 Good shout on the undercarriage - the resin wings aren't going to help any! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 Apologies peeps. What with getting So-So off the ground and various shows over the summer I have not been keeping up with this one. In relatively short order I got the cockpit together. I just used the kit decals throughout, which should look fine through the closed canopies. Then it was time to figure out how much lead would be needed. Here are the first couple of layers above the nose wheel bay. In the end the nose wheel bay is full, up to the instrument panel, the roof of the nose wheel bay, the rear nose wheels doors, the forward bomb bay and the forward section of the bomb bay doors also have lead stuck to them. The thing weighs in at 74g!! It all seemed to fit together really well until it came fitting the bomb bay and radar turret. I had to cut the bomb bay to get a ‘clean’ join to the fuselage sides (which can be seen) and then use plasticard and filler to sort central seem. The fuselage is just too wide in the bomb bay and radar areas for the bomb days doors and radar plug. Still, smoothed of nicely now, and it rests on the nose wheel. Now for some paint… 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAG058 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I'm just putting the finishing touches on this kit. It's been laid up on the shelf of doom for some time! I had a canopy which was folded completely in half, by the time I sourced a new one my mojo was totally gone! I'm fully back into it now though, I've been decalling today. I personally think the decals are alright, they've gone on fine and are reacting well with micro sol. Hopefully I'll be done with it by the start of next week. I'll watch your build with much interest! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted September 4, 2015 Author Share Posted September 4, 2015 Hi DAG, canopy problems can be soul destroying sometimes. Glad to hear you are modeling again. So, first time spraying with Xtracrylix. Initially thinned a little with water and added flow enhancer, but didn’t like the way it lay on. However, it did level nicely as it dried. I also sprayed neat from the bottle which was OK, though it did tend to spit after a while. Any pet ideas for untroubled spraying with this stuff gratefully received, as it is a nice finish when dry. First up was an overall cover of XA1007 RAF Sky, followed by a lot of masking tape! And yes, it was bound to happen to one of the u/c legs, I did snap off the nose leg – Doh! Then over the top with XA1005 Extra Dark Sea Grey, with virtually no clean up required – a pleasant surprise given my normal efforts. Then on with the decals. The kit ones went on well, and were required as the CAM stencil decals were just some letters (probably Czech) with a line through them(!) and therefore unusable. The aircraft specific CAM decals were scarily thin and folded up at the merest touch, but they settled on well and really do look painted on. Now for the wing fold. Looks fairly simple, but will definitely be helped by some brass replacement to give a bit of robustness to the structure. Here the folded wing is just held in place by 3 bits of brass, so once things have been trimmed to size this should work well. Definitely on the home straight now… Cheers Grant 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted September 5, 2015 Author Share Posted September 5, 2015 Looking around the bench, after a productive day, I couldn’t resist putting the ‘few’ remaining items together for a shot. I have now painted the exhausts, so all I have left to do is stick this lot together – and decal the props and canopy edges, and satin varnish everything. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAG058 Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 Your making fast progress on this one! You'll be done in no time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted September 6, 2015 Author Share Posted September 6, 2015 Your making fast progress on this one! You'll be done in no time. Club night Friday and Cambourne show on Saturday - no pressure! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 NIce one. Mine almost landed on the shelf of doom either. Oh, and it must be the heaviest model in my showcase, too! Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Trying to reproduce the weight of a pair of Mambas right up front is not easy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepureness Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Club night Friday and Cambourne show on Saturday - no pressure! Looks like your on a tight rope like me, trying to get a kit ready for the club night on Wednesday and West Cornwall show in Camborne on Saturday. Hope I get to see this completed there, and by choosing a Culdrose Aircraft you only a stone throw away from where it was based Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAG058 Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 How are you getting on Grant? I've been back in the cave after a bit of a break. Nearly done on mine, hopefully be finished by the weekend. I got the gear on this morning...and she's a tail sitter! Not bothered though, I am Just glad it's made it off of the shelf of doom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayprit Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 How are you getting on Grant? I've been back in the cave after a bit of a break. Nearly done on mine, hopefully be finished by the weekend. I got the gear on this morning...and she's a tail sitter! Not bothered though, I am Just glad it's made it off of the shelf of doom. It was not unknown for Gannets to be seen at rest with there arrester hook lowered to the ground, so all may not be lost with your tail sitter. Check out various pics of gannets with lowered hook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted September 10, 2015 Author Share Posted September 10, 2015 Glad to hear you are getting on. Mine is taking a back seat unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted October 12, 2015 Author Share Posted October 12, 2015 Unfortunately, with just a few days modelling effort left, I had to go out to Italy and work for 3 weeks! Anyway, I have now finally finished it. More photos here in the RFI. cheers Grant 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 That looks very 'gradely' I wonder how we got on when there was only Frog, these new kits are megaimpressive Niiiiiiiiice Gannet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ascoteer Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Nicely done but dear Gods the Gannet is an ugly machine! I reckon it only flew because the Earth repelled it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairystick Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Nicely done but dear Gods the Gannet is an ugly machine! I reckon it only flew because the Earth repelled it! I once read somewhere about a Gannet flying large circles, on radar patrol, over a carrier. An American fighter appeared to take a look. Saw the pilot wearing an old leather flying helmet (prob WW2 vintage) and apparently engrossed in a book, as he didn't bother to look up at the visitor. The American chap looked over the Gannet and then flew off, shaking his head. They are quite a large aircraft up close. The one at Duxford was most impressive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Nicely done but dear Gods the Gannet is an ugly machine! I reckon it only flew because the Earth repelled it! It's a Fairey design. Almost everything they built in later years had looks only a Mother could love. FD2 being the clear exception - plus, to my eyes at least, the Firefly (especially after they lost the chin radiator). Gannets, Barracudas and the like, especially folded... An acquired taste. People who flew the Gannet, however - like my first CO - swear by it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ascoteer Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Swear by or swear at? There's an interesting series being repeated on 'Forces TV' (I know, I know), Freesat Channel 652, ATM called 'Carrier Strike Force'. One of the episodes centres around HMS Hermes with Sea Vixens, Scimitars, Whirlwinds and Gannets. Watching Scimitars almost crashing on to the deck is a great juxtaposition with the Gannets struggling to keep up with the ship! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Vader Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Saw my first gannet in the flesh at Newark at the weekend My God how on earth did these things fly, they're massive ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 Yep, it is definitely one of the stanger looking types. And with the wings folded, it just doesn't look finished! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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