CarLos Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 All the photo's I have seen, show the rear fuselage with an inverted triangular shape, while the kit is the oval shape. Can anyone clarify the difference? Was the triangular just on the prototype? and the production models oval? Does anyone have photo's of the rear that show this? Pete, yes it's the one area that still seems a problem with the updated kit, the fuselage should indeed have an inverted 'V' section which is partially represented in the kit but if you try to rebuild it that way, which would entail a completely new fuselage bottom, then major surgery would be needed...I just compromised by installing 2 triangular fuselage braces and supergluing them to force the thing into shape, not perfect, (easy to overdo it and crease the thin plastic and create BIG problems with the continuity of the area with the wing), but better than the original kits shape.........didn't take any piccies as I forgot...doh. Can you share with me photos where the inverted triangle cross section can be clearly seen? (I assume you mean straight edges) All the photos I have makes me think that Contrail did it right. Also Does anyone know where to get copies of the magazine articles mentioned earlier? The following are articles mentioned in "V"s thread. I can provide scans of the Aeroplane Monthly article, if someone could send me the others I'd appreciate. Aircraft Illustrated - Jan 1974 Aircraft Illustrated - Feb 1974 Aeroplane Monthly - June 1984 SAM - Apr 1986 Carlos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general melchett Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 WIP, yes that's true, taxying would be quite a chore for the pilots, ensuring that you don't get blown across into someone elses aircraft would play on your mind a bit, not to mention the effects on the brakes themselves.....I think that they were just quite happy when the Wimpy and Whitley came along. CarLos, that's the problem I don't have any hard and fast photos showing the section, the nearest I can find are these two, Again neither really shows the bottom of the rear fuselage clearly but you get the impression that they 'cut' away quite sharply. These 1/144th scale drawings show it more so, The first photo bring me to another quandry...it seems to me that the dual control version may well have had a different 'rams horns' exhaust system fitted to the Kestrels than that of the bomber variant as this photo of a dc Hendon clearly shows...compare this to the top photo of K5085 The kit provides wm exhausts that match the dc version. Even the kits plans show the other version!!! I wonder if anyone has any clearer info on this matter? The nose turret is another matter as for the life of me I can't find any pictures of the turret fitted with a Lewis gun though general arrangement info says that it was. I realise that a lot of the published photos are of test aircraft but there must be one or two out there that show the weapons fitted. CarLos...pm inbound. Cheers all, Melchie the infinitely confused... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarLos Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Andy, the lower fuselage can be more or less V shaped but I think the kit is not far from the true. A good way to see it is to place a spare decal roundel and compare it with photos. It can be squeezed a little but I'd prefer not to as sooner or later the plastic will feel oppressed and rebel against you, probably at the same moment that a contest jury inspects it ;-) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general melchett Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 That's basically what I've done Carlos, but used 5mm card shaped into a 'vee' to give it a bit more definition. It looks OK to me but the trouble is if you push the fuselage too far then you get other issues withblending into the mid wing section. Thanks for the pm too, makes for interesting reading, strangely the Chris Warleys Warpaint drawings don't show a triangular section at all!!, though the small photo on page 296 of the Aeroplane Monthly mag article mentions it in the text and shows it on the photo of the prototype. Most of the photographs are of the dual controlled version and so don't show the exhaust variation but the excellent Aviation News drawings show it well!!....more research needed methinks! Melchie... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Legge Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Thanks guys, this is very informative. I really appreciate the input on this rear fuselage thing, and the photo's have been saved. I also saved the excellent shots of the gunners shields, as this is another area where a good picture is invaluable. I retrieved my kit from the stash, and found that I had already assembled the main componants of the wing, incorrectly. So, time to take it appart and make a flat bottom and do some surface detailing. I will tackle that fuselage at the same time. Better dig out the camera too, and share progress. Regards, Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general melchett Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 Cheers Pete, that's what these forums are all about at the end of the day and definitely post your progress. It would be great to see a few of these built now, just a shame there was only the one scheme, I always thought that it would look good in aluminium, but turns out that every one of the 14 built were finished in the NIVO scheme, (which apparently stood for Night Invisible varnish Orfordness for those like me who didn't know that).I'm hoping to get some more detailed info from a guy on another site soon, which hopefully will be useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general melchett Posted March 8, 2012 Author Share Posted March 8, 2012 Not much done over these three days as I'm working long days at the moment, but managed to get the canopy masked whilst I had a bit of spare time at work today, hope to start on the nose turret glazing but the shape of the thing seems to differ between photos that I have, in some it looks like a Stirlings FN7 mid upper and in others a flatter rounder shape altogether......curious! Hope to have more to show later in the week... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard of Effingham Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 (edited) masking like that good general sir and EVERYBODY on BM will want you masking their canopies! Edited March 9, 2012 by Howard of Effingham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Hi Andy, That masking looks great, can you describe how you did it ? Thanks Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general melchett Posted March 9, 2012 Author Share Posted March 9, 2012 Thanks chaps, actually Neil it's just Tamiya tape laid over a scaled plan of the canopy, backlit over a small glass coaster and traced using a very sharp HB pencil and numbered, then with small scissors cut into shapes and repositioned onto vac to match.( A lot cheaper then Montex masks..). I'm, doing the same with the Stirling, just take a bit longer with all that glazing!. Same for the turrets. I saw what you did with the Stirlings oval windows and it looks very good, my only concern is the blending in of all the edges of the oblongs that have been cut out, I've just left the holes as they are, cleaned 'em up a bit and will used Krystal Kleer or Clear fix, it's always worked well before, Hopefully get more done tomorrow now that I've done my stint at work... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Cheers for that. Do you have a plan of the cockpit, and does it align well with the frames on the Falcom cockpit ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general melchett Posted March 9, 2012 Author Share Posted March 9, 2012 I'm not sure yet Neil, Trev, (Howard of Effingham), gave me a nice big bundle of stuff on the Stirling last year at the Newark show which has proved very useful as well as the Short Stirling In Action, Squadron book, (no 96), I'm sure there are some plans in there somewhere, I'll have a butchers and let you know......(I'm going to need some myself), other than that I'll ask around the BC sig, I'm sure Rich or Paul will have something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 I'm not sure yet Neil, Trev, (Howard of Effingham), gave me a nice big bundle of stuff on the Stirling last year at the Newark show which has proved very useful as well as the Short Stirling In Action, Squadron book, (no 96), I'm sure there are some plans in there somewhere, I'll have a butchers and let you know......(I'm going to need some myself), other than that I'll ask around the BC sig, I'm sure Rich or Paul will have something. OK, cheers mate. I've ordered some of that Solar trim that Nobby uses, so might chicken out of all that masking and use this instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Legge Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 'morning all.,... found these photo's of a production a/c (not the prototype) over at the RAF Museum site. Take a look at the shape of the elevators, much more curved than the prototypes' are. Regards, Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarLos Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 'morning all.,... found these photo's of a production a/c (not the prototype) over at the RAF Museum site. Take a look at the shape of the elevators, much more curved than the prototypes' are. Regards, Pete Missing link? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oliver Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Missing link? You called? Stunning work so far, can't wait to see the finished project especially of such an interesting part of RAF history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general melchett Posted March 10, 2012 Author Share Posted March 10, 2012 (edited) Pete... it's a no show, however the prototype was very different to the production aircraft, the tailplane, tail fins, elevators, complete front end were re designed as these shots show, In fact it seems that a lot of the production aircraft were quite different from each other too!!!, which adds to the headache of finding a standard fit....and as only 14 of them were built, I'm guessing that development was ongoing right up until the day they were withdrawn from squadron service.... Prototype, early style 'banana' shaped fins and two blade props. Late production Mk 2, with fatter flatter nose turret....(as included in the kit). Also note the wind generator under the nose, this'll have to be scratchbuilt too. Prototype, now with enlarged tail fins, but still retaining the open canopy and twin props......and as Pete points out more rounded elevators. Early production Mk 2, with high domed nose turret, (no gun!) , spinners on 3 blade props, squared off, larger area elevators and strengthening bar across fuselage. The white banding is to denote fuel tank locations, this was changed to black along with the huge underside serials later. Also of note are the two fin tip aerials . There was also a third version, the dual control variant, which had the extra raised canopy and different exhausts fitted to its Kestrels, (whether the reason for this was that they were uprated or not I've yet to find out). Although I've been beavering away on it today there's not a lot to show really, mostly aileron actuators, aerials, more windows, light filling, sanding down , re priming, sanding down, some more filling etc, etc, all the boring stuff!... hopefully have more tomorrow... Melchie... Edited March 10, 2012 by general melchett 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Legge Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 Missing link? Yep, sorry about that. had trouble figuring out how to post pics, then ran out of time for going to work. will complete this today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Legge Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 Dang, I must learn to study photo's more carefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Legge Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Untill I get the time to figure out how to post pics, take a look at the RAF Museum website, go into archives, then into photographs, then into the navigator, and type in fairey hendon in the search box, and it should come up with about 30 photo's. To see the tailplanes, look for the shot of the plane flying directly overhead. Regards, Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarLos Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Thanks Pete, many good photos. I only wish they were bigger. Lots of H.P. Harrow too! To post photos here, you must copy the address of the photo (right-click over it and open in new window), click in the Insert Image button over the text box where you write (the one at left of the smile) and paste the image's address. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radleigh Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Great subject, Not something you see often! Nicely made too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general melchett Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 (edited) Thanks all, cheers for info about the museum site Pete, I'll have a good long look, meanwhile I've managed to do a bit more today as I had a bit of rare spare time, Cheers all, Talking of the underside shape this shot that Carlos sent shows the shape well and it seems that Contrails re issue captures it pretty well, but it still needs a bit of help... As for the model, I finished masking the nose turret cupola, this was a pain as the thing is simply too wide for the fuselage but with a bit of heat, warm water, gentle pursuasion and a new scalpel I managed to get it to fit. (this also gave it a slightly higher profile which is correct, so a bonus), Fitted the nose turret out with a seat, straps, and a few generic instruments. The position for the bomb aimer will be done next. The partial priming is to highlight the always present blemishes.. Something I knew I had to do was cut up the lovely dual control aircraft exhausts to make accurate bomber ones. Actually though tedious it wasn't the major chore I thought it might be, Milliput applied to the fuselage/wing join...just needs water and a bit of wet and dry to blend...the only area of the model that needs proper filler!, not bad for an old vacform. Aileron control links made from brass wire and card. One photo interestingly turned up the fact that the ailerons were split into 2 segments each.............where would we be without reference material. Edited March 12, 2012 by general melchett 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 You're teasing General, I keep logging on to see if there's any paint on yet Looking mighty nice tho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general melchett Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 Ha, sorry Neil, there are so many little bits and pieces coming to light, extra aerials, split ailerons, actuators, odd panels, info on Lewis gun attachments, etc, etc that I don't want to spray the thing just to find that I've missed something glaringly obvious...but it will get paint soon...honest. funnily enough same is going for the Stirling!(The hardest thing with both these models is the glazing as it's all vac and you know what a pain in the butt fitting that cleanly is... ). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now