Jump to content

1/72 Buccaneer...what's out there


Courageous

Recommended Posts

Thinking of future builds and purchases, I wan't to build a mainstream RAF variant and a FAA variant. What 1/72 Buccaneer kits and 'must have' accessories are out there? Please include pros & cons...I know next to nothing about this a/c.

 

Stuart

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello

Air brake interiour, although it does spoil planes lines considerably when opened. I have it as a part of a twenty-five or so old Airwaves PE set. Not a bad one, too, when it was released, but shows its age by now. Of course, other PE sets appeared since. Cheers

Jure

P.S.: My apologies, Dave, for not properly reading your OP. I thought you were asking about AM parts. Cheers

Jure

Edited by Jure Miljevic
P.S. added
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unfortunately, the two mainstream injection molded 1/72 Buccaneer kits are both long in the tooth and suffer from a variety of shortcomings.

 

The Airfix kit of the Buccaneer S.2 dates to 1989. Many aspects of it were influenced by a kit of the Buccaneer prototype, the NA.39, that Airfix did in the early 1960s and reissued many times as both an NA.39 and Buccaneer S.1 version.

 

The Airfix S.2 kit has been issued about half a dozen times; most recently, it was issued in 2010 with a runner of extra parts for modern weapons suitable to an Operation Granby aircraft. That edition also contains Martel and Sea Eagle anti shipping missiles from the release previous to it. It also contains both sizes of underwing fuel tank and two options for weapons bay shape.

 

The Matchbox kit of the S.2 dates to the early 1970s and has been reissued about half a dozen times, most recently by Revell in 2014. It has never included underwing stores of any sort including fuel tanks and has the bulged weapons bay molded into the fuselage so you have no option for the non bulged one.

 

Both kits are very basic without a lot to pick and choose between them when their respective pros and cons are weighed against each other.

 

The Matchbox kit was discussed fairly well here:

 

 

Both kits will need an aftermarket cockpit at the very least. Neomega makes a few sets aimed at the airfix kit and sell them separately or as a combo set:

http://www.neomega-resin.com/172nd-buccaneer-combo-set-125-p.asp

 

Master makes a turned metal pitot tube and tip for IFR probe that will be a big improvement over kit parts:

http://www.master-model.pl/product/am-72-081.html

 

Whichever kit you go for, find aftermarket decals for it. There's many options out there.

 

 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Czech Master Resin do a very nice and thus very expensive range of Buccaneers.   My choice for a cost effective solution is the Airfix kit + the Neomega cockpit set.

 

George

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's my GB of an Airfix Buccaneer from 2016, which I thought was a very average kit.

Which also shows some shots of my Matchbox model that I improved at the same time.

Airfix_Buccaneer_zpszsnwqurk.jpg

 

 

Airfix_Buccaneer1_zpsdmcafcgc.jpg

Edited by theplasticsurgeon
More info
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is also the Frog S.2. From memory it has the wing vortex generators (unlike Matchbox) and underwing stores (but not I think slipper tanks).

 

Cockpit is basic, it has a see-through effect with no blanks for the intakes or exhausts.

 

Trevor

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Max Headroom said:

There is also the Frog S.2. From memory it has the wing vortex generators (unlike Matchbox) and underwing stores (but not I think slipper tanks).

 

Cockpit is basic, it has a see-through effect with no blanks for the intakes or exhausts.

 

Trevor

IIRC, nothing to prevent looking through the main landing gear bays, either. Have lots of filler handy. IMO, other than as a nostalgia build, I don't see much to recommend the old Frog kit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As has been said, all three options are dated. The Airfix is based on the fossilic NA.39, as up north correctly stated, but your best bet at the moment. It has quite a lot of "basis" in it the MB and Frog lack. Loads of AM out there for that kit, John Adams did a lot,  especially undercarriage. Airwaves did a PE set (or several ), I recently ebayed an Airfix kit with a load of extras, and I paid something like 4 Euros. Value for money 😊

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As said before, Tanmodel is soon to release a 1:48 kit and then a 1:72nd scale version.

Having seen the detail that is going into the pre-production CAD work, these will be an epic leap forward in the standard of Bucc available.

 

I'm currently on the .48th airfix Bucc and waiting for Tanmodel might have been the better option...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Neomega wheelwells are a vast improvement. Freightdog offer early & late variations. (Check you've got the appropriate ones for Operation Granby). Heritage used to do intakes. Tart up the cockpit with Eduard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi there

 

Well here come my own experience as I started the so called Buccaneer Midlife Modeling Crisis so right now I have manage to grab 3 Frog, 5 Matchbox and 4 Airfix samples, best improvement resin details are Neomega or maybe you could cut the cheese and go directly to CMR

 

Right now my Frogs kits intended to RAN aircraft in all schemes but one S1 intakes conversion (so if happen someone has around an extra Frog mid fuselage underside as spare please contact me, also with some Airfix wing tanks

 

Maybe the Matchbox kits are more interesting as they need lot of improvement scratchbuild cockpits, clear parts modified and polish and all for undersides, I used Airfix wings as patern to locate the position of the pylons and pylons scratched using Airfix as guide, also i did some resin cast in order to replace noses. Lots of wonderful schemes here

 

Easier to build of all the Airfix kits

 

 

 Best modeling Armando

PD what is the right color for U/C???

Edited by RAGATIGER
forget to sign
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Frog Buccaneers can be built into a reasonable model if you are prepared to build wheel wells, sort out the see through effect and make the fin taller.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with what others said and I'd personally buy the Airfix Buccaneer, of which the latest box is the best for a number of reason. The extra sprues have been mentioned, I would add the decal sheet that is of much better quality than what was included in the earlier releases.

Personally I like some of the shapes of the Matchbox kits more (still not right though) but this kit seriously lack detail (some parts are however better than the Airfix ones). Revell reboxed this kit a while ago with decals for a Desert Storm aircraft.

Regarding aftermarket parts, a lot depends on what you want from your model. If you mainly want more detail, then the abovementioned cockpit and wheel wells may be enough, although an open airbrake is a nice feature and I'd really replace the wheels too (and the IFR probe, but not all Buccaneer had this installed all the times).

If you want an accurate model then your list of aftermarket bits extend to new radome, new tailplanes, modify the outer wing panels....

Once you've added all the extra parts, you've likely spent more than what a CMR kit would cost and for this reason if you really want a good Buccaneer you may consider one of these. Of course it's all resin with all the needs of this material.

Alternatively, wait for the Tan Model kit, of which we don't know anything yet about price but at least looks promising from what Tan has showed til now. If I understand right, they are also receiving help from people who know the Buccaneer well, if this is true then we may finally have a good plastic kit of the banana bomber

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the info guys.

 

2 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

I agree with what others said and I'd personally buy the Airfix Buccaneer, of which the latest box is the best for a number of reason. The extra sprues have been mentioned, I would add the decal sheet that is of much better quality than what was included in the earlier releases.

Personally I like some of the shapes of the Matchbox kits more (still not right though) but this kit seriously lack detail (some parts are however better than the Airfix ones). Revell reboxed this kit a while ago with decals for a Desert Storm aircraft.

Regarding aftermarket parts, a lot depends on what you want from your model. If you mainly want more detail, then the abovementioned cockpit and wheel wells may be enough, although an open airbrake is a nice feature and I'd really replace the wheels too (and the IFR probe, but not all Buccaneer had this installed all the times).

If you want an accurate model then your list of aftermarket bits extend to new radome, new tailplanes, modify the outer wing panels....

Once you've added all the extra parts, you've likely spent more than what a CMR kit would cost and for this reason if you really want a good Buccaneer you may consider one of these. Of course it's all resin with all the needs of this material.

Alternatively, wait for the Tan Model kit, of which we don't know anything yet about price but at least looks promising from what Tan has showed til now. If I understand right, they are also receiving help from people who know the Buccaneer well, if this is true then we may finally have a good plastic kit of the banana bomber

A lot of sense you're talking there Georgio. My idea being to have a RAF variant using Airfix kit, update cockpit with PE and maybe new seats and replace pitot/ IFR probe. May do a bit of scratch stuff in wheel well. A FAA variant, as previous but also add the airbrake detail.

 

Does the Airfix kit come with the correct 'stores' for the FAA?

 

Stuart

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, Courageous said:

 

 

Does the Airfix kit come with the correct 'stores' for the FAA?

 

Not really - I've got incorrect matra pods fitted .....

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, Courageous said:

Thanks for all the info guys.

 

A lot of sense you're talking there Georgio. My idea being to have a RAF variant using Airfix kit, update cockpit with PE and maybe new seats and replace pitot/ IFR probe. May do a bit of scratch stuff in wheel well. A FAA variant, as previous but also add the airbrake detail.

 

Does the Airfix kit come with the correct 'stores' for the FAA?

 

Stuart

 

Stuart, sounds like a sensible solution to me, you'll end up with a more detailed model without having to work too hard or spend too much. IMHO new seats make quite a difference with little expense, the seats are often more visible than the rest of the cockpit so they generally are the first thing I'd replace. The IFR probe is also very visible in those buccaneers that have one.

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2017-5-15 at 1:25 AM, Nigel Bunker said:

Frog Buccaneers can be built into a reasonable model if you are prepared to build wheel wells, sort out the see through effect and make the fin taller.

Hi there Nigel

 

Well I notice that and it's really amazing how much I can say now about those models, so one it's going in a flight display the other one already have the wheels interior taken from an Airfix sample 

 

Wait there before been crucified I originally took those wheels interiors because one of the Airfix kits is supposed to be super detailed with the Neomega sets so before trashing those were intended to do some old fashioned kit bashing, by the way that one the Frog is going to be an all white early RN with a nuclear bomb taken from an Airfix TSR.2, and here with this kit I plan to use the Airfix U/C

 

But let's return to the Matchbox Buccaneers, all main nose wheel lacks of the light and also one of the most noticeable exterior things other than scribing (and learning how to do it in complex, well round surfaces) is a small intake on the fuselage

 

One of my inspirations came from a SAAF Buccaneer done by Pappy some months ago, so now I know lots can be done on those old Matchbox kits

 

Best day

 

Armando

 

Edited by RAGATIGER
forget to sign
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Just received a first issue Airfix Buccaneer I bought for a good price on a certain well known auction site and as the fuselage halves were removed from the sprues, I did a quick test fit... oh dear, I had forgotten how bad the fit of this kit is !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, Giorgio N said:

Just received a first issue Airfix Buccaneer I bought for a good price on a certain well known auction site and as the fuselage halves were removed from the sprues, I did a quick test fit... oh dear, I had forgotten how bad the fit of this kit is !

We are modellers...we will overcome. :whistle:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...