Phone Phixer Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Well, here goes! In at the deep end for my first WIP. All my previous builds have been projects that have several WIP's against them, but this is not seen so often. Continuing the theme of jets I worked on in the RAF, this will be a Hunter T7 to go with the Buccaneer in 237 OCU markings. I'm using the Academy Hunter F6 kit with the Heritage T7 conversion along with a few AM extra's On top of the conversion work, I'll also be trying to correct some of the Academy kits errors. Don't expect work to progress at a blistering rate, it took 6 months to build the Phantom!!! All the bits. The Heritage conversion set. The main fuselage components marked ready for cutting. Just off for a stiff drink before I get the razor saw out! Rob. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossofiron1971 Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Interesting Project! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Covjets13 Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Will be watching this one, love the subject. Si Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 I'm going to watch this, please. In a clear out of the loft - demanded by SWMBO - after Christmas I came across an Aeroclub Huntef T7 conversion. Strangely enough, I also found an Academy Hunter there too. Jonny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebra Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Looking forward to this. Would like to build one of these myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exdraken Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 nice project! taking a seat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moaning dolphin Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 A very interesting subject, got my attention! I did this kit a good few years ago as a poor RN version, the only things I remember were the fit of the wings (nightmare to do!) and I thought the seat looked uncomfortable as hell! But in the clouded memory of the past I hold a fondness for it and always have a temptation to get another and make a good attempt at it. at the ready! Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrish Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 looking forward to this. Love the T7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boman Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 We soooo need a new injection moulded 1/48 Hawker Hunter T7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Uncool Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 Awesome build, Rob! Me's followin' too. Take it at yer own pace, mate. Noooiiiceee set of decals as well. Wish there was a sheet for the Chilean T.72 Cheers, Unc2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phone Phixer Posted January 13, 2017 Author Share Posted January 13, 2017 (edited) Sooo. Started with the surgery on the kit fuselage. Following the instructions on where to cut, off I went. All looked good. To aid alignment of the fuselage parts I quickly built the main wing structure and tried it all for fit. Doh! There ended up being a 3mm gap between the parts. The instructions do say to leave spare and sand down to fit, but I think that is a bit excessive. With this experience I would advise that you should cut the fuselage 5mm more toward the front. So I had to cut some fillet strips to fill the gap. While I was trying out the fit of bits, I checked out the new jet pipe. Needs a bit of work to reduce the fuselage to remove the step. Next up is to start building the intakes. Rob. Edited January 16, 2017 by Phone Phixer 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Uncool Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 On 13/1/2017 at 0:52 AM, Phone Phixer said: While I was trying out the fit of bits, I checked out the new jet pipe. Needs a bit of work to reduce the fuselage to remove the step. Rob, howdy? Nay tellin' ye whut to do, but it was a hella a lot easier for me to cut the Heritage resin jet pipe into four pieces (two cuts; one vertical, one horizontal), in order to augment it by means of applyin' plastic shims to each of 'em four resin bits. Oh, to cut the Heritage jet pipe I used the JLC/CMK razor-like saws. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Vader Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 30 minutes ago, Uncle Uncool said: Rob, howdy? Nay tellin' ye whut to do, but it was a hella a lot easier for me to cut the Heritage resin jet pipe into four pieces (two cuts; one vertical, one horizontal), in order to augment it by means of applyin' plastic shims to each of 'em four resin bits. Oh, to cut the Heritage jet pipe I used the JLC/CMK razor-like saws. What a good idea uncle , I would never of thought of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phone Phixer Posted January 15, 2017 Author Share Posted January 15, 2017 Great idea unc. I have progressed past that and sanded down the fuselage joints to reduce the kit diameter. But that is a good plan for anyone following this for the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phone Phixer Posted January 16, 2017 Author Share Posted January 16, 2017 The improvements to the Academy kit I will attempt are as laid out in the great thread from StephenMG here http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234909441-italeri-academy-hunter/ First up are the boundary layer splitter plates in the intakes. The kit items are too chunky, stick out too far from the fuselage and are too straight. After gluing them on, I cut off the plates and sanded the fairings back. Using the originals as templates, I made new plates from 0.5 plasticard. These were then glued to the fairings so they curved, following the fuselage profile. The intake liners and engine face was assembled in position, but not secured to the fuselage, just left free floating. Hopefully this will aid fitting the wings later in the build. Rob. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles87 Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 Just found this thread and as I also have a Heritage T7 conversion I will be watching closely, looking out for tips. Cheers John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Uncool Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 On 14/1/2017 at 5:28 PM, Darth Vader said: I would never of thought of that. Aw, ya're just pullin' my leg, Lord, methinks. Ain't ye? An experienced modeller like ya? On 14/1/2017 at 10:02 PM, Phone Phixer said: Great idea unc. I have progressed past that and sanded down the fuselage joints to reduce the kit diameter. But that is a good plan for anyone following this for the future. Well, my great pleasure to have been o' help. Can't see yer piccies right now, but sandin' down 'em Academy fuselage joints was kinda dodgy for me 'cause after havin' done so the taper towards the jet pipe seemed to be a tad too exagerated for me, hence I undid the whole thing in favour of didvidin' the resin jet pipe into four pieces. It also helped me sandin' the exhaust lips under the shroud, which had a couple of ugly protuberances which I couldn't live with. Cheers, lads. Unc2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Seems a lot of cutting and trial fitting. I built a T7 from the Academy kit with Aeroclub conversion set some years ago.. a whole lot more simpler to do. But, I suppose the lack of availability of the Aeroclub set forces one to use what is available. Look forward to seeing how this 'shapes' up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Uncool Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 6 hours ago, Paul J said: Seems a lot of cutting and trial fitting. I built a T7 from the Academy kit with Aeroclub conversion set some years ago.. a whole lot more simpler to do. But, I suppose the lack of availability of the Aeroclub set forces one to use what is available. Wish I had gotten the Aeroclub set, too. There was a proposed alternative from PJ Production back in the day, advertised as a prévision before the Heritage set was out, but now it doesn't even show as a future release on 'em page. Come to think of it, think I even saw some other set advertised once on the Dutch hobby Megastore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phone Phixer Posted January 22, 2017 Author Share Posted January 22, 2017 Not a huge amount of progress to report. The center resin fuselage has been attached to the kit fuselage, filled and sanded as required You will notice I've removed the tip of the acorn fairing in the tail, and added a piece of clear sprue to form the tail nav light. Once this is sanded to shape I'll remove a 3mm slice from the middle of the fairing to correct its length. Rob. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phone Phixer Posted February 2, 2017 Author Share Posted February 2, 2017 Been working on the tail and fuselage details. First, added the tail nav light, reduced the acorn fairing by 3mm. Also reshaped the fin tip and rudder to the correct profile. Then I added the vents,louvres and intakes for the Avon engine. These are so different for the T7, and very noticeable. Currently, the wings have been built. Work is ongoing to reshape the tips, as the Academy shape is too rounded. Rob. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROBOT Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 Just found this thread, love trainer jet aircraft and fancied a PJ Production T7 once, never had the courage to buy- let alone-build it !! Watching with great interest ! Olli Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phone Phixer Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 I've not had too much time at the bench recently. What has been done, was attach the wings and tail cone, followed by lots of fill, sand, repeat. The wing to fuselage joint was not too bad , the wing root is very curved, so some area's fitted well, others had gaps. The end result is this. Notice the re-profiled wing tips. I just sanded the original tips flat, added plasticard and sanded to shape. Next bit to be tackled was the tailplane. As noted in my reference thread, the quick method is to cut 3mm further forward on the locating slots and move the tailplane forward. This however, alters the alignment of the elevators and rudder so as not to be true. I used the longer method of removing 1mm from the leading and trailing edges at the root and sanding it all in flush. Then 1/2mm was removed from the front of the locating tab. This results in the tailplane having the correct chord, while the control surface hinge lines all meet together. The picture is a bit blurred, but the left one is as in the kit. The right one is after modification I also reshaped the tip. That's all for now folks. Rob. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Uncool Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 Whut's with 'em build, Robbie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Uncool Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 On 20/02/2017 at 2:33 AM, Phone Phixer said: I used the longer method of removing 1mm from the leading and trailing edges at the root and sanding it all in flush. Then 1/2mm was removed from the front of the locating tab. This results in the tailplane having the correct chord, while the control surface hinge lines all meet together. The picture is a bit blurred, but the left one is as in the kit. The right one is after modification Me nay get it, Robbie... Can't seem to be able to fathom it quite right; would ya please mark 'em places in the root on 'em kit unmodified elevator where ya've removed 1mm from both the leadin' 'n' trailin' edges? Thanks, mate. Unc2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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