Avro Vulcan XH558 1/72nd Airfix (Older boxing not current gift set) **Updated with Base**

[47758rrc]

This is my latest finished kit but is actually the first kit I did in my return to the hobby. It was bought about 6 Christmases ago by my Mum as a bit of a joke because I liked XH558 and was cheap on eBay! I got going on it using my limited modelling skills and threw the parts together, looking back I didn't do too badly considering it was my first model! Anyway I sprayed Citadel (Games Workshop) black undercoat and then hand painted (very badly!) the grey camo on the top side. This was the brick wall that I hit. The finish was crap and the colour was nothing like correct! It was put on the top of the kitchen cabinets and languished there ever since.

When I got it down, the undercarriage had been broken at the bogies but luckily as it had been sat in the box they were still with the model, as were the undercarriage doors and the access ladder. The only thing missing is the IFR probe from the front.

I decided to finish this as XH558 so removed the thimble TFR probe from the nose. I realised that the ECM cooling vent was added to the rear fairing of the tail but no amount of persuasion would remove it without surgery and I didn't want to risk ruining it so left it in place. I know it is not correct but its not a massive part so I can live with it.

I started this yesterday morning around 10am, removed the rest of the undercarriage to make masking easier then free-hand sprayed the Medium Sea Grey on. Next came the masking, I chose the blu-tack and tape method and after nearly 2 hours had the top masked off ready for a spray of Green. Once this was on I moved to the underside but I decided to swap to a more 'mask as you go' method that was quicker and easier as you just mask off each bit of green as you are spraying it and mask the general area around it. The green finished I moved to the undercarriage bays, these were masked off and sprayed white. The undercarriage itself was fixed, with the bogies being drilled to accept wire axles and the wheels put onto these for extra strength. The legs were then sprayed NATO black and had the hubs and oleos painted silver, then glued into the now dry wells. The gear doors were sprayed as a seperate part and then glued into place. The ladder was painted in Yellow and added to the front access door, I had toyed with making this myself out of brass but it looked good as it was so kept it. Finally the canopy was masked and sprayed and then added with CrystalClear.

Decalling did not start well with the Port wing roundel breaking up as it was slid from the backing, the transfers having dried up and not been the best in the first place (far from the Cartograf quality we are now used to!) but I managed to get everything else on without too much of a hassle. The finishing touch was a spray of varnish to seal everything in and I am now calling it done.

The only fly in the ointment is that it wants to constantly pretend it is a WW2 fighter with its tail firmly planted on the dirt! In my haste to build it I missed the weight addition. To remedy this I am going to build a base for this to sit on with a hard standing and maybe some scenery.

Here is the finished model, it was 0130 this morning when I took the image so there is only the one but I will hopefully put up more when it goes onto the base.

**UPDATE**

I have now finished the base and mounted the aircraft on it. It is a 'representation' of the apron at Doncaster Robin Hood Airport which is XH558's current base and was taken from a photo of it when it arrived there. I may add a few little detailing bits later on but this is it for now.

Edited May 6, 2013 by 47758rrc

[Alpha Delta 210]

Looks great to me - well done!

[keith in the uk]

wow , thats turned out really well.

Just goes to show any old model can be brought back with a little TLC.

[nicE1]

Excellent work

[jimbuna]

Very tasty indeed.

[Mike DeTorrice]

A wonderful build of this great-looking Vulcan ! She will really be a fine display on her forthcoming hardstand diorama base.

Mike

[deltadagger]

He's not look bad at all!You did a great job!The Vulcan is one of my favorite V-bomber.