Navy Bird Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 (edited) Hi mates! Here is my latest project, the very colourful and ever popular de Havilland Sea Vixen XS587, rendered in glorious Braille Scale. I thought I would make it a bit easier to digest the project by presenting an "Executive Summary" as follows: Project: de Havilland Sea Vixen FAW.2 (TT) Kit: MPM Sea Vixen FAW.1 Kit No. 72545 (FAW.2 parts from Kit No. 72003) Scale: 1:72 (God’s Own Scale) Decals: Model Alliance (RIP) Sheet No. MA-72197 XS587 RAE Llanbedr Resin: FAA Models Set No. 72004 (engine face plate, tail boom plugs, tail cone, exhaust, arresting hook) Resin: Pavla Set No.U72-133 (nose cone) Resin: PJ Productions Set No. 721208 Martin Baker Mk 4 ejection seats Photoetch: Eduard Interior Set No. SS446 Paint: Testors Model Master No. 2720 Classic White, No. 2118 Deep Yellow, No. 1103 Red, No. 1139 Semi-Gloss Black, Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black, Alclad Klear Kote Light Sheen Weathering: Pastel chalks Soul: Sold to Devil (twice) Improvements/Corrections Replaced nose cone to improve shape Replaced tail cone and jet exhaust to provide correct depth and proper shape for arresting hook bay Replaced engine face plate to provide correct appearance of vanes, engine cone, and tube Added boundary layer inlets and intake vanes Shortened booms by 4mm to match drawings Reshaped front of pinion tanks to remove “blunt” look and added fairings to blend pinion tanks into wing Reshaped top front of tail fins to better match drawings Added bulges to main gear doors Added photoetch scissor links to main gear struts Added hydraulic lines in gear bays with 0.3mm solder Replaced fuel dump pipe to correct size, and relocated to starboard wing Added de-misting duct to front windscreen Reworked rain removal/air conditioning ducting Added target tug brackets on lower front fuselage Moved observer’s window up by 1mm (should have been 2mm) Replaced Hobbit ejection seats Repositioned observer’s instrument panel to correct position Reworked observer’s radar hood to correct length Detailed the cockpit and ejection seats with color photoetch Added hinge and handle to observer’s hatch Added photoetch attachment points to pylons Scratch built rear pressure bulkhead and canopy jettison release strut Added gunsight using photoetch and items from the Magic Box of Fiddly Bits Replaced front fuselage red pinstripe to get correct width Correct black stripe pattern on undersides (Model Alliance have you do six stripes at a 20 degree angle from aircraft centerline instead of the correct five stripes at a 30 degree angle) Used proper size roundels on forward fuselage sides Added various blade antennae and whip aerials; wing pitot tubes made from two different size of hypodermic needles Elapsed time: Approximately two months, or 747,652 grey hairs So why did I decide to tackle a kit with such a tarnished reputation? Well, because it was there, and you can find all the details here. On with the pictures! I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I'm enjoying moving on to another challenge! Cheers, Bill PS. Now that I've finished her, you can be assured that a 1:72 Sea Vixen will be the first item on the 2014 new kit list from Airfix. You can thank me then. Edited February 15, 2018 by Navy Bird Photobucket Eradication 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunnylurve Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Improvements/Corrections Replaced nose cone to improve shape Replaced tail cone and jet exhaust to provide correct depth and proper shape for arresting hook bay Replaced engine face plate to provide correct appearance of vanes, engine cone, and tube Added boundary layer inlets and intake vanes Shortened booms by 4mm to match drawings Reshaped front of pinion tanks to remove “blunt” look and added fairings to blend pinion tanks into wing Reshaped top front of tail fins to better match drawings Added bulges to main gear doors Added photoetch scissor links to main gear struts Added hydraulic lines in gear bays with 0.3mm solder Replaced fuel dump pipe to correct size, and relocated to starboard wing Added de-misting duct to front windscreen Reworked rain removal/air conditioning ducting Added target tug brackets on lower front fuselage Moved observer’s window up by 1mm (should have been 2mm) Replaced Hobbit ejection seats Repositioned observer’s instrument panel to correct position Reworked observer’s radar hood to correct length Detailed the cockpit and ejection seats with color photoetch Added hinge and handle to observer’s hatch Added photoetch attachment points to pylons Scratch built rear pressure bulkhead and canopy jettison release strut Added gunsight using photoetch and items from the Magic Box of Fiddly Bits Replaced front fuselage red pinstripe to get correct width Correct black stripe pattern on undersides (Model Alliance have you do six stripes at a 20 degree angle from aircraft centerline instead of the correct five stripes at a 30 degree angle) Used proper size roundels on forward fuselage sides Added various blade antennae and whip aerials; wing pitot tubes made from two different size of hypodermic needles Hardly touched it then! Gfaw, gfaw. Looks lovely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Screech Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 WOW!!!! That is just AMAZING!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Laidlaw Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Damn! That's gorgeous :-D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxman Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Gorgeous - a real beauty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin77 Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 How fantastic is it to see a Sea Vixen in something completly different. That is totally awesome and what a fantastic scheme too. well done :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foghorn Leghorn Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Just stunning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Worth every minute and ever grey hair (at least you didn't pull it all out!). I'm kind of sad to see this one finished, it's like getting to the end of a very good book or bottle of wine (where someone else has put in all the hard work to produce a thing of beauty) and feeling that there should be more to follow. How about the Dragon Sea Venom or Xtrakit Meteor NF next Bill? Duncan B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardiff guy Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 very well done " battle won " regards Glenn..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlin3945 Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Sorry but if I might say only a couple of minor problems. I dont know how to tell you this but........ You seem to have grown roughly about 647,000 extra hairs on your head. WOW. Oh and the only other problem is that your gorgeous looking model isnt mine but then that is my problem and not yours. Keep up the good work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Fantastic Result Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Bill, Thoroughly enjoyed watching this epic unfold, and can't help but share Duncan's sentiments about all good things coming to an end. However, I will be raising you a glass when I start building my new Airfix 1/72 one next year!!! Mark. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miggers Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Big well done mate. All the chat and waffle about the damn thing was worth it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keith in the uk Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Blimey thats one hell of a Sea Vixen and 1.72nd scale as well. The paint job alone is just awsome . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basosz Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 You seem to have grown roughly about 647,000 extra hairs on your head. WOW. That's what I thought too !!! Kit looks friggin' awesome btw. The scale makes it even more spectacular Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNoAF Aerobatic Team Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Simply....... Just absolutly STUNNING job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldhouse Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Fantastic build and paint Job !!! Great modelling !!! Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev67 Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Fantastic build, all the extra work has certainly paid off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadzi Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Fantastic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 My God, that is gorgeous, congratulations on a superb build Bill, Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ c Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Wow !, that`s different, Great job !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dolphin38 Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 That is amazing brilliant job and in 1/72 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Strasser Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Awesome, plan to do mine the same, thanks for sharing Marks Strasser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mekon Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Absolutely stunning build and paint job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbuna Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Absolutely amazing build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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