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Another 1/72 Airfix Angel Interceptor


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Hi

Thought I'd add another of these into the mix. Like a lot of other people, I've been looking forward to this release for a while. Originally the idea was to do this one OOB and then get another for detailing and/or WHIFing but when I saw what actually came in the box I changed my mind.

To be fair, the kit was originally released in 1968 or there abouts and has since suffered the depradations of being turned into a snap-fit kit. So what we get is a (male) pilot on a seat on a peg, poor fit and fine raised panel lines that are going to disappear after even a light sanding. We also get a lovely decal sheet courtesy of Cartograf.

Thoughts of a quick nostalgia build went out of the window. I couldn't live with the cockpit, so it was time to get the spare parts box out and see what I could come up with. Oh, and the pilot had to have a sex change :o .

This is the result of a few days work

P6090002.jpg

I still think I'll be doing at least one more, so I've made some moulds for resin casting. As well as changing the pilot and creating a tub, I've also had a go at representing the splitter plate type things on the engine intake cover and created a new ridged jet pipe with a more realistic (to me) internal diameter.

Another view of the pilot

P6090005.jpg

Sorry about the pics, my camera somehow changed its resolution without me looking.

I've started on the cockpit, so more pics soon.

Andy

Edited by It'sAllGoneHorriblyWrong
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The cockpit is finished for now. Following extensive research (watching a clip on YouTube), I have ascertained the following: the cockpit is mostly interior green, the seat has a NMF chassis with red padding, instruments and panel are black and the odd oleo things behind the seat are matt aluminium or grey. I have interpreted this in the following way:

P6110004.jpgP6110007.jpgP6110008.jpgP6110010.jpg

The (now female) pilot wears a white flight suit with gold collar and cuffs (stop sniggering at the back there), gold shoulder communicators and belt, and red crossover seat harness. The gold parts of the helmet are in fact transparent and show the pilot's blond hair, apparently. The panda eyes are in fact sunglasses, obviously.

Not the colour mix we are used to, but effective nonetheless for this subject and scale.

P6110011.jpg

Just got to cast the instrument panel and then final construction beckons (where did I put the filler?)

TTFN

Andy

Edited by It'sAllGoneHorriblyWrong
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Heard that this kit was released as a snapfit - is this still the case, or is glue required?

Thanks

IMO glue is definitely required. In theory it would be possible to push-fit everything together but I doubt it would take very long for the smaller bits to fall off again. Besides, some of the chunky snap-fit pins cause alignment problems and are best removed.

Andy

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P6110011.jpg

Looking at this picture I can see that your model has the same problem as mine - namely that the vertical vents in the tail are different sizes, evidently due to the age of the moulds. What's the easiest way to fix this? It seems to me that the port side is correct so it's probably not simply a case of enlarging them to match the starboard ones.

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Looking at this picture I can see that your model has the same problem as mine - namely that the vertical vents in the tail are different sizes, evidently due to the age of the moulds. What's the easiest way to fix this? It seems to me that the port side is correct so it's probably not simply a case of enlarging them to match the starboard ones.

I reckon this is a case of heavy flash. Looking at the box art and some drawings from old Century 21 albums, it looks like the long vents are meant to be wide and include a splitter down the middle. So far I've only given them a quick scrape with a knife to make them the same shape/size. Later I'll be adding some 5 thou strip for the splitters.

Andy

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Progress proceeds apace. The rear pegs have been removed so that the new tail pipe will slide in and the intake vents have been cleaned up and painted

P6130004.jpg

The vent in the centre of the tail has been opened up

P6130001-1.jpgP6130002-1.jpg

The revised air intake plate has been assembled. I reckon it's easier to do it this way so that the seams can be dealt with and to make masking easier. This will require that the pins on the fuselage be cut off, but that's no loss as they interfered with the fit anyway.

P6130003-1.jpg

Originally, I wasn't going to relocate the instrument panel but in the end it was just too obvious. New panel

P6130008.jpg

The new panel finishes off the cockpit and hides the fact that I cut her feet off for a better fit

P6130009.jpgP6130010.jpg

Put it all together and you get this

P6140012-1.jpg

The seams have been treated with Mr. Surfacer 500 but, in truth, a bit of filing and sanding improves the fit no end. Opting for a tight fit for the upper wing to fuselage joins leaves gaps at the bottom, but this is par for the course for a kit of this age. A bit more filing and sanding and we'll be ready for paint.

This build is on hold now while I finish up my Dakota. See you in a while

Andy

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well, the C-47 is finished so it's back to the Interceptor. After the primary filling and sanding, final assembly consisted of closing the canopy and fitting the foreplanes and front landing skid. The whole lot was then given a good coat of Mr. Surfacer 1200 which pinpointed a couple of areas that needed more attention. Then it was time for the white primer:

P7030006.jpg

This is going to be my first attempt at decanting Appliance White for airbrushing. Wish me luck.

Andy

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Good stuff Andy - I bought this kit at Telford and will try it next year I think in between all the GB's

Looking forward to seeing how the Appliance White goes on - I bought some the other week. I would have used out of the can but decanting it into my airbrush might be a better option.

Andy

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Thanks Andy

... Looking forward to seeing how the Appliance White goes on - I bought some the other week. I would have used out of the can but decanting it into my airbrush might be a better option...Andy

The deed is done and very easy it was too. I used the straw-blutacked-to-the-nozzle method and it worked as advertised. What you get, when the propellant has boiled off, is pre-thinned, ready to use solvent based acrylic paint which sprays beautifully (but dries quickly in the nozzle - keep the cellulose thinners to hand). Not using it out of the can avoids all the sags and runs so noticeable on my efforts to build airliners.

All of this would be super and lovely if it hadn't been for the fact that, moments after I'd finished, parts of the surface hadn't started to blister in a full-on paint reaction with the Hycote primer :rant: . So, it's out with the wet'n'dry to fix the damage. This has brought to light one other point about the paint; it's bloomin' tough! It's going to be a long couple of days...

Andy

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  • 2 weeks later...

Looking forward toseeing the result of this one - very nice work on the improved pitand pilot. Always was one of my favourite sci-fi kits, despiteshowing its age now... Now - how much work would be involved inkitbashing one into Joe 90's TWOC'd MiG 242?

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Looking forward toseeing the result of this one - very nice work on the improved pitand pilot. Always was one of my favourite sci-fi kits, despiteshowing its age now... Now - how much work would be involved inkitbashing one into Joe 90's TWOC'd MiG 242?

Urrrgh! Too much for me, I'm still struggling with what comes in the box. Thanks for the support, I need all I can get.

May possibly be finished in a couple of days, if it hasn't flown into the bin first.

Andy

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello everybody and Happy New Year.

Although I haven't posted anything lately, I have been lurking in the background whilst trying to sort out which build takes priority at any given time. Happily, I can announce that the Interceptor is finished.

Getting this far has taken a bit of touching up, then a bit more, and a bit more after that and then deciding that I could go on like that forever so perhaps it was time to just do the decals.

Some pics:

P7210024.jpg

P7210025.jpg

P7210026.jpg

P7210027.jpg

P7210028.jpg

In retrospect, I should have rescribed the panel lines no matter how much I hate doing it. This first serious use of appliance white has been a bit of an eye opener and I think it'll be a while before I tackle anything overall white again. The decals are excellent and really make the kit. The fit is better than expected of such an old kit. If Airfix had added a small extra sprue with the details that I've added then I think the RRP would be good value; as it is I think the kit is overpriced.

More pictures in the gallery.

SIG

Andy

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Nice work Andy - I shall follow most of the tips when I do mine later in the year. She looks good though - I got the DVD boxset of CS for Xmas - the missus thinks I'm mad

Andy

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