ZE419, a Sea King HAS5 that (temporarily) forgot how to fly

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

No, the red colour is very unusual - indeed, I don't think I have ever seen it before (though this might partly be because a high proportion of the 1960s Vixen photos are in black & white).

 

Here is a more representative wing fold colour (same squadron, probably a year or so later after 890 became Airwork? - plus it's a Mk 2, of course).  Airframe silver, albeit dirty.

 

Looking through my Vixen shots, I did, however, find this one:

 

Similar time, I'd say; different airframe, but still an FAW1, same squadron, same ship, same unusual "Noddy cap" protecting the seeker head of the missile, same ?practice bomb carriers? on the outer pylons, and same EDSG upper side to the wing tank (or the port one, at least - I still can't see any evidence on the starboard one).  It's hard to tell conclusively, but I reckon this airframe too has the reddish colour on the wing fold.  I reckon @TheBaron's theory about anti-corrosion coating is right (though I know he was talking about the tank).  Maybe these aircraft had been stored on the upper deck for a long passage, or something?  That sort of thing did happen; I have photos of Vixens with all sorts of protective tape and covers over every conceivable orifice.

 

This one seems to have been doing something ill-advised with its nose radome...

 

Not for the first time, I seem to be hi-jacking my own thread.  More Sea Kings / Tractors later, I promise.

 

Crisp

 

P.S. Nice Whirly plane guard, too!

Edited July 26, 2017 by Ex-FAAWAFU

[CJP]

Thanks for that information Crisp - I'm happy to see these discussions on BM from all you  modellers in the know - I have saved your pictures to my PC for future reference - I agree that there seems to be some hints of red in the shadows of that Sea Vixen wing fold too - I have seen photos of RAN Gannets with wing fold painted red but I'm getting off track here

[moaning dolphin]

8 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

[Cue someone know knows what they're talking about...?]

I don't know what I am talking about with regards to the brown fuel tank. I always thought they were ally but it could possibly be fiberglass, certainly be a lot lighter in weight and brown is a natural colour for it. It does look like a poor external paint finish that has come away so it would be natural tank material or primer (never known of brown primer though). I would wager the reddish fold areas are indeed coated in some kind of protective film type stuff. There have been various iterations over the years for protective coatings which produce various colours, but yes definitely some sort of protection. Great photo but the guy with the chocks is definitely taking liberties with his standard of dress though!

 

Bob

[hendie]

9 minutes ago, moaning dolphin said:

I would wager the reddish fold areas are indeed coated in some kind of protective film type stuff.

 

ah.. I remember using that on Nimrods, particularly in the bomb bay area.  Can't for the life of me remember what it was called though - it was a sort of translucent red color which is about as much as I can remember about it

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

25 minutes ago, moaning dolphin said:

Great photo but the guy with the chocks is definitely taking liberties with his standard of dress though!

 

Yes, he is, isn't he?  Mind you, no-one has ear defenders on, so I think it's safe to assume that they weren't at flying stations - or, if they were, that nothing had an engine running.

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

To paraphrase arguably my favourite film, "How much more yellow could this be?"  "And the answer is 'None'. 'None more yellow'".

 

 

Before I sprayed the yellow, they had a couple of coats of AK "Worn Effects" chipping fluid, so once the faithful Tamiya XF-3 Yellow is dry, the fun begins...

 

C

 

[Spinal Tap, in the unlikely event you didn't recognise the film...]

Edited July 26, 2017 by Ex-FAAWAFU

[Pete in Lincs]

The red wing tank? Could be something I remember from basic training.

Phenolic resin, the basis for Bakelite. the time period is about right.

 

The protective finish in red? probably PX-7. I remember seeing it in tubes

but I believe it also came in tins for brush application.

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

First round of chipping done; this one to make sections of bare steel show through the yellow.

 

The weathering at this stage is deliberately overdone, because all of this will be covered with green - only a little bit will show once the second phase is done.

 

Happy so far; in that final shot you can even see the "steel" shining on the front wing.

 

C

 

 

[Gondor44]

On 26/07/2017 at 10:03 AM, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Looking through my Vixen shots, I did, however, find this one:

 

Similar time, I'd say; different airframe, but still an FAW1, same squadron, same ship, same unusual "Noddy cap" protecting the seeker head of the missile, same ?practice bomb carriers? on the outer pylons

 

Not for the first time, I seem to be hi-jacking my own thread.  More Sea Kings / Tractors later, I promise.

 

Crisp

 

 

Yes I would say that those are practice bomb carriers under the outer pylons as well and that is a very odd looking noddy cap on the seeker head of the Firestreak.

 

Gondor

[huvut76g7gbbui7]

1 minute ago, Gondor44 said:

that is a very odd looking noddy cap

Looks like made of cloth.

Could it be a type used only in warmer climes?

Brain cells trying to remember something about seeker head glass coming away when cap was removed.

Hopefully a weapons guy will jump in before we get a telling off for thread hi-jack!

[AlexN]

On 26/07/2017 at 18:20, CJP said:

Great modellers photo - I love the way these great photos turn up on BritModeller - was the red colour at the wingfold break common on the Sea Vixen, I have not seen one with this colour before?

 

I am also intrigued by the red Sea Vixen wing-fold - for some reaon I thought that they were (gloss?) white. Nice tractor, agree with The Baron about its character. Nice photo altogether :).

 

Sorry, I hadn't noticed that the page had flipped and I'm way behind. As usual.

 

[bzn20]

On ‎26‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 7:27 PM, Pete in Lincs said:

The protective finish in red? probably PX-7. I remember seeing it in tubes

 

Good call, could also be..

 

Mobile grease 28.. thicker ideal for use in salt water conditions .

Aeroshell grease 33 ...might be a newer generation of grease though, too late for the 'Vixens

Aeroshell grease 22..usually for packing Wheel Bearings

[HomerJ_757]

Thought PX-7 was Vaseline, PX-11 was the green gunge sprayed over gnomes during pres and pack and PX-24 was Wd-40

Edited July 28, 2017 by HomerJ_757

[andyf117]

Content withdrawn - I will NOT be threatened by a moderator, simply because I queried the actions of another...

Edited June 27, 2020 by andyf117

[perdu]

I've had a short but enjoyable game of catchup

 

Crisp... Any news?   Huh?

 

I've another vote for phenolic tanks and that browny reddy 'anti corrosion' agent, it looks like the reddish 'stuff' I'm going to have to lard all over my Buccaneer's airbrakes

We may recall the subject arising on Bill's brilliant Bucc S1 build (the other, good, Bill)

 

The Sea Vixens tanks look the same as, even if maybe a bit larger, the phenolic tanks on RAF Hunters and the later shorter ones for Harrier

 

All in context of time I'd say

 

Tractors... Sea Vixens... All good for me, I believe a neighbour has a package for me

 

😊

[Troffa]

On the subject of Vixen wing fold colours- here's a shot from an old thread of mine- catch it while Photobucket still shows my pics!      HMS Victorious.

 

 

Here's the whole thread;

 

 

[bzn20]

14 hours ago, HomerJ_757 said:

Thought PX-7 was Vaseline

 

It is, Petroleum Jelly, Vaseline being a trademark

Edited July 29, 2017 by bzn20

[71chally]

On 26/07/2017 at 8:43 AM, TheBaron said:

That's a bit of a scuff alright. Is that an anti-rust coating showing through? I can't believe it would have flown with a rusted  fuel tank?

I hope not, they were made from Asbestos and plastic resin, by Bristol Aircraft.

I would say it's the colour of the material with the paint scraped away.

 

That red finish seen in the Vixen wing fold wasn't unusual for the time, and was seen on Gannets, Buccaneers etc, I suspect it was a trial anti-corrosion coating, much like the goldy green finish seen for awhile.

@AlexN the wing fold area was left in natural metal finish, as were the U/C legs mostly, rather than painted.  Any corrosion finishes applied give the metal a tint then

 

Lovely finish to the deck tractor, caught the chipped paint look very nicely!

Edited July 29, 2017 by 71chally

[Pete in Lincs]

PX-7? Maybe it was PX-9?

It was a red protective gunge anyway!

[71chally]

10 hours ago, Troffa said:

On the subject of Vixen wing fold colours- here's a shot from an old thread of mine- catch it while Photobucket still shows my pics!      HMS Victorious.

 

 

Here's the whole thread;

 

 

I don't know how I missed that thread, but what a superb collection!

[bzn20]

PX-7 is  Red in an Orangey kind of way !

[Pete in Lincs]

Aha! In my defence, M'lud, It was a long time ago.

[bzn20]

1 hour ago, 71chally said:

left in natural metal finish

 

Not in a heavy salt water atmosphere or anywhere else . Can you imagine the corrosion ? They (fold joints/end wing ribs)

 might even be enamelled, paint baked on . NMF Navy jets is not something seen for that reason, even in the shiny jet world of the 50s.

The only part of an landing gear that isn't painted is the shiny,mirror finish fescalised  portion of the oleo and other jack rams otherwise there would be a leak/friction/out of tolerance /just wouldn't work.

 

Edited July 29, 2017 by bzn20

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

2 hours ago, 71chally said:

I don't know how I missed that thread, but what a superb collection!

 

Indeed; I love those yellow-top 814 Wessex Mk.1s!  (Oh, and a few plank-wing thingies...)

 

;-)

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

13 hours ago, perdu said:

Crisp... Any news?   Huh?

 

It's looking v promising; I'll find out for sure on Monday or Tuesday