A vacform rescued from certain doom....

[Tornado 01]

Ok, I have hovered around the forum for a few years now, and after some painful attempts at Airfix 1/48 scale Canberras with help from various sources (and a certain ex employer, namely a now deceased publisher of allsorts, aviation included) and the jolly helpful font of knowledge that is Canberra Kid.

 

I had a surprise the other day....

 

The elderly gentleman across the road from my mother, managed to acquire something via an auction company he knows. They were having a clear out when they moved offices, and he had saved the kit from the bin, it being deemed too damaged to enter as an auction lot. He therefore put it to one side and forgot about it.....  Now I had only read about a kit of said aircraft being built, and actually have the tear sheets of a build from an old SAM when it was in its early days... (Even if they are currently in deep storage)

 

The kit is a 1/72 scale Handley Page Hastings! It doesn't actually have a company name on the box but I have a vague idea whose it is. When I get my photo hosting site sorted

 

 Thanks for nothing Photo.....

 

I will post some pics of it.  I stress this will be a long term project, given that I tried a vac formed EE P1B about 20 years ago and made a complete of it. And as mentioned above my kit stuff is all out of reach at the minute

 

Any ideas and suggestions will be welcome on this one

 

Tim

Edited July 21, 2017 by Tornado 01
spelling

[S5 modeller]

Hi. This sounds like it's going to be an interesting project. Hope it goes well for you.

I have deep respect,and admiration, for anyone who builds a vac form kit. Always fancied trying one myself, but I don't think I have the skills to build one.

I will follow along, if you don't mind, and will hope to pick some tips up along the way. 

 

Good luck in your endeavour. 

 

Matt

[Troy Smith]

There was a  detailed build review in Scale Model around 80 or 81,  which would be worth asking for a scan of,  or even getting as IIRC it dealt with various problems

I  can't find the mag in question,  I know I have it though.... somewhere

here's a list of what's  in Scale Models (couldn't spot it)

http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/mags/contents/scale-models-contents-listing-2.htm

 

 

note

 

 

not sure if AIM are still going, but the re did the Formaplane  kit with resin and white metal parts its seems

note this in particular

Another build here.

 

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal10/9301-9400/gal9324-Page-Attand/00.shtm

 

HTH

 

[Tornado 01]

Thanks for that

 

I am up for a challenge !

 

Tim

[Tornado 01]

I have a wee little confession now,

 

Guess who did the aforementioned book on said subject.... So you can kind of imagine my surprise when I was given the kit!

 

Hopes I can turn it into something good....

 

Tim

Edited July 21, 2017 by Tornado 01

[Graeme H]

Snap, I just found my all vacform kit just the other week, and plan on sending it to someone who is interested in doing it.

Like yours has no name or anything, and a made up cardboard box, I must have had this a very long time because I just didn't remember it

[Tornado 01]

Well a little update of sorts, folks.  I took it out of the box to look at, and take some pictures....

 

Oh dear!....... is probably the best description.

 

I have no idea how it was stored, but the spinners and the plastic within the moldings of the engine cowlings are so brittle they pretty much break up on touch !!

 

There is a major crack in the fuselage port side top to bottom, which is probably easy to save/fix, and less brittle due to being a bit thicker. The rest maybe less easy to save, and there is no clear cockpit molding either.  So its definitely a long term project and probably find some suitable Halifax kits to raid for parts eventually.

 

Any thoughts folks?? it looks a bit like

 

On side note the gentleman across the road got an Airfix 1/24 Hurricane from the same source, lots missing and badly busted up. Probably only good for the bin really

 

Slightly gloomy outlook here

 

Tim

[Nigel Bunker]

Is this the old Formaplane kit? Somebody will probably correct me but that's my guess. Mastered by Joe Chubbock as I remember. There was an article showing one being built in Volume 1 Issue 2 of Scale AQircraft Modelling (November 1978).

[Tornado 01]

Nigel

 

Yes, it is the Formaplane kit. I also have the part of SAM issue above with the build for it.

 

Anyway an afternoon of trying gentle scoring then persuasion and cutting proved one thing.....  Gosh its brittle beyond belief.  Suffice to say I think three words apply here.

 

Shelf of Doom.......      That said, I will re consider it someday.

 

Tim

 

[Troy Smith]

Hi Tim

 

if the plastic is really brittle it may have been stored in sunlight,  and the plastic has degraded,  I got a vacform like this,  the bits that had gone yellow were basically like crisps, just snaps with light pressure.... it's AFAIK an irreversible degradation and that's that....

 

Perhaps time to  find the AIM reissue with white metal and resin additions.

[Tornado 01]

Thank for the reply Troy,

 

Yes, its so brittle even trying to cut the slots on the fuselage for the wing were as you mention like crisps...

 

Oh well, I will stick it to one side. and probably forget it....

 

I might eventually attempt to find the AIM version

 

 

Tim

[Graeme H]

Sorry to see you pass on this one Tim, but fully understand.

[fatalbert]

I wonder if you could fill the inside with an expanding foam to support it.not sure if it would react with the plastic though.I remember a review in a modelling mag in the dim distant past of just such a product,no idea if it took off though.

[Tornado 01]

Cheers fatalbert

 

That is an interesting idea. As I have only put it aside I will consider it.

 

Tim