Patrik Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 (edited) Starting another naval build. Nieuport (Gloster Mars X) Nightjar was one of the branches that sprouted from the colourful Nieuport Nighthawk family, and differed mainly in the engine area. The troublesome ABC Dragonfly radial of the original Nighthawk was replaced by the well-proven Bentley BR.2 rotary, and in this guise some 22 Nightjars were built by Gloster for the service first with No. 203 Squadron RAF, and later with Fleet Fighter Flights No. 401, No. 403 and No. 404. The kit was issued by Blue Rider by the end of the 80's as a vacform, complemented by photo etched and white metal parts. When completed it will keep company to its Mars VI Nighthawk cousin I built some 7 years ago as my first vacform ever. Both kits share the basic plastic, and differ in the photo-etched and white metal details. Edited May 11, 2018 by Patrik Change in the Fleet unit assignments after double-checking the available references. 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Let's see how you handle this baby. Front seat please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehed Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I too will be in a front seat. Regards, Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted October 22, 2017 Author Share Posted October 22, 2017 Front row granted. But while you enjoy the extra space, stretch your legs and close your eyes for a while. I promise I will wake you up as soon as there is something to report. Patrik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted October 29, 2017 Author Share Posted October 29, 2017 The plastic has been cut, the white metal parts cleaned. Both the engine and the propeller are really beautifully cast (thank you John Adams). The extra gun comes from my spare part box. Now the dusty and boring sanding part starts. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 Nice neat work so far . Will be interesting to see what you do with the tail section... Hopefully I'll be collecting this Blue Rider kit at the nationals in just under 2 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted October 29, 2017 Author Share Posted October 29, 2017 After cleaning the cowling I had to admit the more or less rectangular and flat lower opening does not look very convincing compared to the available references. So I am going to abuse the fact I still have one spare cowling from my previous Nighthawk build, and I am going to combine both parts in order to get more realistic shape. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 No spare cowling for me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted November 5, 2017 Author Share Posted November 5, 2017 After producing a lot of fine white dust I decided I need a break and worked on the cockpit for a while. The interior is quite roomy and would look rather empty if just the kit parts were used (once again experience from the Nighthawk build). So I constructed some internal framing and the fuselage side fuel tanks. I also sanded down the clumsy pedals and I am going to add proper rudder bar instead. The control stick was scratchbuilt as the one from the etched sheet does not look very realistic. Concerning the seat harness I opted for testing the Eduard Superfabric - duly ordered yesterday, they hopefully arrive on time next week. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 Nice to see some progress Patrik. Taking notes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted November 10, 2017 Author Share Posted November 10, 2017 (edited) Heavy sanding works almost over, I adjusted the wing dihedral. In the absence of the excellent Windsock drawings, I did not make quite the same when building the Nighthawk earlier (the Datafile 160 was issued - as usual - after I completed the kit), and so my Nighthawk looks a bit odd in this particular area. I cut the lower wing along the indicated lines (though not completely through), put it in the sophisticated jig, filled in the joint with Tamiya Extra Thin and let it mature for a few days. Pretty much the same for the upper wing. Additionally here the central section trailing edge cut-out had to be modified too, as the original one was wrongly shaped (app. along the yellow curve). Edited November 10, 2017 by Patrik 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smudge Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 Nice work. I would like to find one of those Nightjars someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 Excellent work Patrik, please continue. On 10/11/2017 at 7:55 PM, Smudge said: I would like to find one of those Nightjars someday. Got my kit when at Telford this weekend from a fellow Britmodeller. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted November 18, 2017 Author Share Posted November 18, 2017 (edited) Painting the interior recently. The white metal Bentley engine is cast beautifully, only marginal improvement (18 pieces) was needed. Edited November 18, 2017 by Patrik 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 Interior painted and ready to be hidden from the sight of men forever. The seat belts are indeed Eduard Superfabric. I expected them to be a bit more structured, however they were really nice to work with and look reasonably realistic to me. By ordering them I unintentionally started a kind of race, because I ordered another stuff from Hannants exactly on the same day (Saturday November 4th). Whereas the Eduard packet arrived on Friday 10th noon to my office by courier, the Hannants packet was given to me by our postwoman on next Monday morning (13th). Eduard seat is some 250 km as the bird flies from my hometown, the way from Hannants is app. 1.000 km longer. So now I just cannot decide properly, if the logistic is: 1) so good in Hannants, 2) so bad (in comparison) in Eduard. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 Nice progress Patrik. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted December 8, 2017 Author Share Posted December 8, 2017 Combination of business trips and pre-Christmas project completion rush prevented faster progress. However fuselage completed, lower wing and empennage installed. Some filler was needed around the lower fuselage/wing joint, especially as I made the job more difficult for myself by adding the plastic sheet in the centre. And I am still successfully procrastinating the engine cowling, all the more after I found it is too wide and considerable surgery is therefore inevitable. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 Starting to look like an aircraft now and looking good. Love it. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr T Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 A very promising looking build Patrik, I built the Nighthawk about 25 years ago and still have it somewhere. The Blue Rider range had dome good kits and I still have a few, including the Nightjar. You do produce some interesting models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 Patrik, Sorry to go off piste, but have you received an email from me re the Westlands? Very nice build as usual. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 This is coming on very nicely. I have the Nighthawk kit but unfortunately no decals, so it may sit in the stash for a while. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehed Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 Looking good. Like a few others I'd like a go at this one myself. Regards, Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted December 10, 2017 Author Share Posted December 10, 2017 16 hours ago, John Aero said: Patrik, Sorry to go off piste, but have you received an email from me re the Westlands? Very nice build as usual. John So nice to be given credit by one of the guys mentioned in the kit instructions. What was your role in this kit, John? Unless it was completely different guy with the very same name . At least the white metal parts have for sure Aeroclubish flair. And I am really sorry I have not answered your Westland email yet. I got it (many thanks), read it quickly, concluded it required (much) closer attention and put it off until such time, my mind is free enough. Patrik 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted December 22, 2017 Author Share Posted December 22, 2017 (edited) At least some small progress before the Christmas, but I knew very well why I procrastinated that cowling. My approach was like: cut >> adjust the diameter and brace >> insert plug from the spare cowling most of you would not have >> remove the bracing and fill and sand until satisfied. The two circular vent holes were typical 50% success. One perfect after few seconds of drilling, the other one ending (because of the very thin and brittle plastic) as a jagged hole that took me two days to correct. You can guess which one. Edited December 22, 2017 by Patrik 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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