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Airfix Taranto Swordfish - COMPLETED


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Rejoining with another radial, a  Pegasus (wasn't that the engine out of a Harrier?) this time, powering this stringbag.

Airfix_Swordfish_Club_2.jpg

From the Airfix Club Fleet Air Arm set.

This is the old Airfix kit - I've built it once before, and here are the parts.

Airfix_Swordfish_Parts.jpg

Planning to build as this Taranto aircraft.

Taranto_Swordfish.jpg

I've just looked up the difference between the Airfix Swordfish II, and the Taranto Swordfish I.

II had metal skinned lower wing - so I think my Airfix kit is spot on for this project. 

Edited by theplasticsurgeon
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So far I've assembled the cockpit, and started painting crew figures.

Now for my previous form with Swordfish.

First my similar Airfix Swordfish as a Bismark hunter

Airfix_Swordfish_002.jpg

And a Novo Swordfish, as a floatplane.

Novo_Swordfish_4.jpg

 

Refreshingly, here's a photo of a beer pump.

Swordfish.jpg

and bottled.

Swordfish_Bottle.jpg

Very enjoyable.

Edited by theplasticsurgeon
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Nice subject.  I don't know the Airfix Swordfish, I think I did the Revel one years back.  

 

For differences between the MkI and Mk II check out the Oil Rad size as well, I think it was larger on th e MkII and whilst there the exhaust was it longer on the Mk II.  Check them out though as I'm not certain..

 

As for the Wadworths Rum infused Ale - I'd be up for that but getting it here will be a struggle...

 

Good luck with you build..

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Just to clarify, this is the older Airfix Swordfish kit,

not their newer product - which I've never built.

 

Rum infused ale, went down very nicely.  

That beer pump is at a bar in London, though I've sampled the same at other Wadworths pubs in Gloucestershire.

That bottle was from a supermarket, either Morrisons or Asda - both on my doorstep.   I'm getting another for tonight.

 

Anyway, this progress was made on the cockpit last night.

Swordfish_Cockpit.jpg

Pilots press-ganged from a recent Harvard.

 

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Black undersides.  By brush - I suspect that the real 'planes were hurriedly painted on their way to the launch point.

SF_Bronze.jpg

Also a glimpse of how I deal with British Radial engines.  A coat of bronze paint over that collector ring.

Now, slightly diluted black up the sides of fuselage.

 

SF_Black.jpg

SF_Black1.jpg

And that collector ring has a coat of tyre grey over the bronze. 

 

Edited by theplasticsurgeon
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Decals, mostly from the donor kit.

That 4A on the tail is leftover from an MPM Barracuda - how did they get into my spares?

Beautifully printed, and has a white border. Planning to infil with white paint by brush, when I'm feeling steady.

SFUpper.jpg

And underneath.  That big 4A is made from strips of white decal.

SFLower.jpg

 

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8 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

That is looking good Tim BUT, your fuselage roundels are the wrong style, they the later ones, from mid 42 onwards while for a Taranto machine you need some of the A1 type as in your profile at the start of this thread.

Steve.

I was hoping nobody would notice that.

I've got no in register roundels of that type.

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3 hours ago, theplasticsurgeon said:

Planning to infill with white paint by brush, when I'm feeling steady.

 

And then I had the sane thought - to infill with more strips of white decal.

SFport.jpg

Set onto loads of Klear, and drying whilst watching Guy Martin do his Pit Stop stuff.

SFstbd.jpg

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18 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

Sorry to be so Eagle eyed Tim, its not as though it is something that couldn't be rectified later on. I may have some I could send you for that, what do your current ones measure?

Steve.

Thanks for that offer.  But I'll check my loftovers box properly.  The donor kit offers a model of the Historic Flight Swordfish - hence that's where they came from.

I do have another Swordfish set of roundels - which I considered using,  but out of register.  This is where the lower wing set came from.

 

 

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Approaching completion now.

Fitted the upper wing last night, clamped overnight to allow to set.

Swordfish_Rear.jpg

Swordfish.jpg 

This is what a radial engine looks like  -  complete with porcupine exhaust

Swordfish_Engine.jpg

Gunner fitted, and the additional fuel tank.

Swordfish_Tank.jpg

Just some rigging left before calling this one.

 

 

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