Percival Prentice, 22SFTS, 1/72nd Skybirds86

[Mr T]

Percival Prentice 1/72^nd Skybirds86

Hi again, another recent build to share, this is the Skybirds86 Prentice modelled as aVS616 ‘O T’ of 22 Service Flying Training School and based at RAF Syerston in the early 1950’s.

The Prentice was designed to Spec T.21/43 for a basic trainer to replace the Tiger Moth, which was being seen as a bit too basic as the performance and complexity of frontline aircraft increased DH and Percival was chosen, but DH dropped out leaving the field clear for the Prentice. The Prentice was a three seater all metal aircraft, the theory being that a pupil could sit behind the instructor and pupil under instruction and see what went on and possibly the pupils could swap. In practice the aircraft operated as a twin seater. The Prentice first flew in early 1946 and entered service in 1947. There were a number of issues with the handling of the aircraft and it was always underpowered, the 250 hp Gypsy Queen engine being expected to pull an aircraft around the sky that was larger, though less heavy, than a Hurricane. It was replaced by the much better Provost in 1953. Several survive in museums and at least one is still flying.

The kit is one from the late Mike Eacock’s Skybirds86 range, it was released in about 1990 and has sat in my stash until late last year when I decided to try and build some of my older unmade kits. The kit is made from reasonably well detailed and very hard plastic parts, good quality white metal detail bits and a vacform canopy. The instructions are comprehensive and some nice drawings from the pen of Mike Keep help things along nicely. Mr Eacock engineered his kits well, but they were designed to be put together in a certain way and I followed the instructions almost to the letter. Like all short run kits, the fit of the parts is by not perfect and trailing edges etc. can be a bit thick, but the plastic parts went together fairly well. The secret of these kits seems to be in making sure things fit together before committing any adhesive to them. The kit was built from the box with a few additions like sidewall detail in the cockpit, aerials, what looks like a fuel dump pipe etc. Some interesting aspects to the model is that the whole of the fuselage forward of the cockpit is a two piece casting.

The overall ‘silver’ finish is Vallejo Model Air Aluminum with Xtracrylix Trainer Yellow bands and the decals are from an old Modeldecal sheet for the roundels and the serials and codes were home produced. The unit badge was from a RAFDec sheet for the Hunter that had a number of unit badges as a bonus including one for 22SFTS and which was kindly pointed out to me by Percival p on this forum. The JP3 on one of the photos was included for size comparison. It is the Airfix kit with a few intakes and aerials added and the canopy corrected. It also is from Syerston and I must have seen it as we lived near their circuit in the 60’s. I hope you like the model.  

[polo1112]

GREAT !!!

[Alpha Delta 210]

Like it? I love it (them!) Well done.

[cngaero]

That's a stunning replica of the Prentice. The tinting of the canopy really sets it off as per the original. 

Can I ask what you used for the tinting? 

It looks great next to the Jet Provost. 

Thank you for showing them. 

[adey m]

A lovely Prentice and Provost and beautifully photographed too.........that blue background really enhances the models and is very easy on the eyes.

 

The first aeroplane that my father had flying experience in after he joined the RAF in 1957 was a Prentice at RAF Feltwell.

 

Wasn't she big.................

 

Adrian

[huvut76g7gbbui7]

Very nice indeed.

[RidgeRunner]

That is a lovely little model

 

Martin

[invidia]

great build, really love seeing these old kit built. thanks for showing us.

[Mr T]

4 hours ago, cngaero said:

That's a stunning replica of the Prentice. The tinting of the canopy really sets it off as per the original. 

Can I ask what you used for the tinting? 

It looks great next to the Jet Provost. 

Thank you for showing them. 

Thanks for the comments, the tinting is a Tamiya transparent orange just brushed on in a couple of thin coats. The vacform canopy on my kit was very clear, I know other people have had yellowed canopies, but I seem to have been lucky.There seems to be little rhyme nor reason as to which ones go.

[CT Modeller]

Really nice to see one of these built up. I remember Mike Eacock enthusing over his kits at the Yeovil model club back in the 1980s. I have a memory of building a Prentice decades ago. I usually keep my models logged and stored but I can find no record of the Prentice for some reason! Talking of 'keep' I also have memories of seeing Mike Keep at work producing the most superb profiles for Scale Aircraft Modelling and other mags on his kitchen table with the rest of life going on around him.

 

Skybirds 86 made some really good stuff - most with that innovative engineering approach. I built the Scimitar, Hornet and resin Hunter FGA.9 at various times. Nostalgic memories!

 

Chris

[Britman]

Great result there Mr T. I have one in the stash that might now just creep closer to the top! It is by being a vacform a very basic kit but as you have demonstrated a very nice result can be achieved. 

[fightersweep]

Oh I like this a lot! Lovely, lovely build!

 

Where do I find one of these kits?

 

Best regards;

Steve

[Gerrardandrews]

Trainer Aircraft of the month I say, brilliant looking model 😊

[Mr T]

2 hours ago, fightersweep said:

Oh I like this a lot! Lovely, lovely build!

 

Where do I find one of these kits?

 

Best regards;

Steve

It would only be available secondhand now. They were short run and not particularly common.

[fightersweep]

I thought that might be the case. I shall keep my eyes peeled on eBay....I see there have been a few of the Skybirds 86 Hornets for sale recently, and there is a vacform Prentice in Canada for sale.

 

I seem to remember the Skybirds kits being advertised in Aircraft Modelworld back in the 80s....couldn't afford them at the time though.

 

Best regards;

Steve

[Buzby061]

Lovely work. It's quite a size compared to the JP.

 

Pete

[stevehnz]

A really nice bit of work there Martin. The Prentice was one of the few of the Skybirds 86 range I didn't get, looking at yours, I'm a bit sorry now,  it builds into a really handsome model.

Steve

[Meatbox8]

I absolutely love it and I'm rather envious as I'd really like a Prentice in my collection.  Maybe one day MPM/Special Hobby will do one as they've previously done the Balliol.  Curiously enough an 'unmarked' Prentice makes an appearance in Tintin and the Black Island, used by crooks to deliver counterfeit money.