Meteor T.7 from Frog F.4

[stevehnz]

I've been tossing this one around for a bit, apparently the RNZAF operated a couple of these that they leased from the RAF in Cyprus while they were part of the (I think) UN piece keeping force there. The MPM/Xtrakit T.7 is a bit too spendy for me, especially now our dollar has taken a hiding over the last few months & I have a Frog F.4 without a canopy, courtesy of, I think, the carpet monster, so I'm wondering, is it feasible to lengthen the fuselage of the F.4 & use another canopy to produse a T.7 this way. AFAIK the options for canopies would be a NF.11 one from the Matchbox/Revell nightfighter kit if someone has built it to a NF.14 or a spare unused one from the MPM/Xtrakit T.7 I gather there were two in case of accidents. Is this a goer or am I barking up the wrong tree?

Steve.

Edited November 16, 2011 by stevehnz

[Giorgio N]

Don't know what the Frog F.4 is like, but as the T.7 was a development of the F.4 I can't see why you can't do it.

Having a matchbox kit might help too: in the past I planned of mixing this with the frog kit to build a T.7, if memory doesn't fail me, the plan was to use the matchbox fuselage with the frog nose and tail. The wings of the matchbox kit need shortening too, but the frog ones are already the right span, so using these was an option.

[AnonymousAA72]

I've been tossing this one around for a bit, apparently the RNZAF operated a couple of these that they leased from the RAF in Cyprus while they were part of the (I think) UN piece keeping force there. The MPM/Xtrakit T.7 is a bit too spendy for me, especially now our dollar has taken a hiding over the last few months & I have a Frog F.4 without a canopy, courtesy of, I think, the carpet monster, so I'm wondering, is it feasible to lengthen the fuselage of the F.4 & use another canopy to produse a T.7 this way. AFAIK the options for canopies would be a NF.11 one from the Matchbox/Revell nightfighter kit if someone has built it to a NF.14 or a spare unused one from the MPM/Xtrakit T.7 I gather there were two in case of accidents. Is this a goer or am I barking up the wrong tree?

Steve.

Steve, Alan Hall did this conversion decades ago either in the (very) OLD Airfix Magazine, or a very old SAM! He used a wedge of balsa wood as a lengthening "wedge" aft of the windscreen and hollowed it out!! You could use the hood from a Matchbox NF though the windscreen would be totally different.

[Selwyn]

I would have thought that the easier method would be to Get a Matchbox/Revell Meteor NF, shorten the wings and graft on the F4 Nose cone and tail unit for a T7.

Selwyn

[stevehnz]

I would have thought that the easier method would be to Get a Matchbox/Revell Meteor NF, shorten the wings and graft on the F4 Nose cone and tail unit for a T7.

Selwyn

I suspect that you're right Selwyn, thats pretty much what the old Aeroclub conversion did, however, lacking that or being likely to find one, the idea of hacking up two kits to get one causes revolt in the mean thrifty side of my nature.

Bill, in this review of the Aeroclub conversion, Scott van Aken uses the kit NF.11 canopy rather than the vac formed Aeroclub one saying the differences are minor & so it appears to me so I guess I'll ask, different in what way? Thanks for the heads up re the mag articles, heck I might even have the Airfix mag, I'll do some research & see what I can find.

Any other input welcome please.

Steve.

[AnonymousAA72]

I suspect that you're right Selwyn, thats pretty much what the old Aeroclub conversion did, however, lacking that or being likely to find one, the idea of hacking up two kits to get one causes revolt in the mean thrifty side of my nature.

Bill, in this review of the Aeroclub conversion, Scott van Aken uses the kit NF.11 canopy rather than the vac formed Aeroclub one saying the differences are minor & so it appears to me so I guess I'll ask, different in what way? Thanks for the heads up re the mag articles, heck I might even have the Airfix mag, I'll do some research & see what I can find.

Any other input welcome please.

Steve.

Hi Steve, The NF canopy should be too long (its a long time since I've seen one!) and have an additional diagonal frame on the port side. That could be sanded off though...

....re Selwyn's suggestion - I once (probably before John's conversions were issued) used a Matchbox NF kit to build a T7 though I used the tail unit from an Airfix F3 and used milliput to form a new nose and crash formed a new canopy...happy days!!! (I now have a couple Xtrakits in the stash though!!!)

[Robin]

Steve, Alan Hall did this conversion decades ago either in the (very) OLD Airfix Magazine, or a very old SAM! He used a wedge of balsa wood as a lengthening "wedge" aft of the windscreen and hollowed it out!! You could use the hood from a Matchbox NF though the windscreen would be totally different.

Steve.

As Bill quoted above, Alan Hall did a Meteor T7 conversion in SAM many years ago, this was in Vol 5, No 2 (Nov 1982), this included 1/72 scale plans by Mike Keep.

Robin.

[stevehnz]

Thanks this time Bill & Robin, now I know what mag to look for, I'll try ebay first before asking if anyone has one to scan, I never mind adding an old SAM to my collection. I suspect that the fuselage plug/crash molded method may be what I'll end up doing. I was jusy a bit late to find the basic xtrakit of these & the hitech one is $NZ50 plus, too much for this lad.

Steve.

[Rabspat]

There is an easier way, see if someone on here has the xtrakit they would trade. I am sure someone is willing to help out a fellow modeller.

[Robin]

Hi Steve.

PM me your address and I will put a copy of the article in the post.

Robin.

[stevehnz]

Robin, thanks for this. I found one on ebay which I've agreed to buy, its an issue with a couple of other decent looking articles in it so I won't mind having a copy. I'll sing out if it all falls thru though.

Rabspat, it might be a reasonable idea too, I'll see what the article brings forth & take it from there. If I go that way I'm still left with a Frog F.4 with no canopy & I've a feeling thats where all this started.

Steve.