Airfix 1/72 Dominie

[Sten Ekedahl]

After having been active on this forum a couple of years, asking and answering questions, I thought it was about time I showed some of my work. Also my question in the Cold War forum about the Dominie generated some interest in what I have been doing. I had been tinkering on and off with this kit for a couple of years, not really knowing which finish I should choose. However some time ago I managed to get hold of the Model Alliance sheet 72129 with decals for the Dominie, and found the aircraft I want to build; XS728/E/470, 6 FTS, RAF Finningley in the late 70's. I have found two b/w photos of this aircraft on the net, taken at the Le Bourget Air Show in 1971 which leads me to believe that the big numbers 470 on the engines actually is the display number for the show. i seem to remember that the Swedish Viggens attending, also had similar big numbers on the fuselage just for the show.

On to the kit. It is from an era when Airfix' kits definitly not were top of the line. Generally accurate but lacking in details and those that are included are rather simplified. Add to that raised panel lines, lots of sinkmarks, movable control surfaces, iffy fit and a few inaccuracies. But not to worry; this was just going to be a nice relaxinig OOB build just to use the beautiful decals. (Have we heard that before?) Nevertheless I have spent several hours comparing the kit with photos found on the net. There are lots of excellent photos of aircraft in the later black and white scheme, but not that many in the earlier red/white/LAG scheme. Unfortunately I don't have any drawings, but after a while I discovered that the Airfix drawings in the kit were not that bad at all. They certainly were more accurate than the kit! I enlarged them by 166% to get them to 1/72 and started planning my work. (Can you see where this is heading?)

Since the kit would need a lot of filler in places, the raised lines would be lost. So I decided early on to rescribe the whole kit. I was lazy and just used the raised lines as guides. KInd of regret this as I think several lines, especially on the wings and the tailplanes, are far from correct. The cockit just recieved some paint and seatbelts from painted Tamiya tape. Nothing was done to the cabin, not even paint, since the door would be closed and nothing can be seen through the windows.

Right now the wings and fuselage have been glued together, joints filled and sanded. So this is how it looks:

Sorry for the bad photo, but I'm using a new camera and am not that familliar with it yet. Hopefully I will improve...

The acorn fairing on the rear of the fin broke off (inevitable) but have been saved for later. The PC on top of the fin had to be added since the sanding of the tailplane to a better aerofoil section, made the tailplane much thinner. The black line on the wing is the correct position for the wing fence. More on that below. So, what to next? There are so many things that needs to be corrected and added, so I made a list of it. Partly for myself, but also for this thread hoping that someone else who wants to have a go at this kit, can benefit from it. Here it is:

1. Decide on early or late (black/white) version. If late; blank off forth and fifth cabin windows from the front on the port side, and cut out two new windows on the starboard side forward of the existing four. Cut the clear parts to fit the revised window configuration.
2. Cut tip of the tail cone.
3. Rescribe the whole aircraft.
4. Open up and detail the wheel wells. Note that the shape of the main wheel wells on the kit are incorrect.
5. Make new and correctly shaped main wheel doors. Add a fairing to each door.
6. Top wing fences are in the wrong position. Make new wing fences 12 mm (½") outboard of the old ones.
7. Extend rear wing root fairings.
8. Correct inboard aileron hinges.
9. Add a length of stretched sprue just above the door.
10. Add three flap actuator fairings on the top of each wing.
11. Add landing lights and drill a 2 mm hole on the inner wall. Optional: Move the landing lights 3 mm towards the tip of the wings.
12. Correct the wing tips.
13. Correct the tailplane tips.
14. Add a small wing fence under each wing tip.
15. Add two small teardrop bulges under the belly, one on each side of the central strake.
16. Ad IFF antenna (?) in front of the windscreen (just off to the port) and one on the fairing behind the nose gear.
17. Add two NACA air intakes on each side on top of the nose.
18. Scribe fan blades on the engine front inserts.
19. Engines are too sleek. Add filler to make them slightly “fatter”. Undersides of the pods appear a bit more rounded.
20. Refine the engine exhaust.
21. Add details to the engine pods.
22. Early aircraft had just one “towel rack” antenna (on the port side) on top of the fuselage. Late aircraft had none.
23. Add (clear) anti-collision beacons on the top of the fin, on the fairing behind the nose gear and on the central strake under the belly. Check photos; all three not always fitted.
24. Add windscreen wipers.
25. Add trim tab actuator fairings on the rudder; on the port side for the lower half and on the starboard side for the top half.
26. Add trim tab actuator fairings on the lower surface of the elevators.
27. Replace antenna at the rear of the cockpit roof and move it forward about 2 mm. Notice early and late type of antennas. For a late aircraft add a square flat GPS(?)-antenna on top of the cockpit roof.
28. Extend top of the fin about 2 mm.
29. Detail gear legs (depending on finding good photos).
30. Shorten main gear legs slightly to get a better sit.

This is what I have come up with so far. The list will surely be added on.

I have started withe the rear wingroot fairings. I first glued a small pice of PC on each side. Filler will later be added both on top and bottom, and then filed and sanded to shape.

As you can see i haven't done anything to the wheel wells as this was going to be a simple OOB (Remember, huh?)

I am a notoriously slow builder, so an update might take some time.

Edited July 29, 2013 by Sten Ekedahl

[heloman1]

Hi Sten, Good to see you knocking an old Airfix kit into shape, there is a certain amount of satisfaction gained from getting a little gem from a box of gnarly plastic bits. I'm in the middle of something similar with my Eastern Express Sea Venom! I'll follow your build with interest.

Colin

[madaboutmodels]

Nice, im looking forward to seeing this finished. :-)

[Dave Fleming]

Sten, if you are doing a B+W one (or a couple of the late Red/White etc ones) the mid life update added a new nose that was longer and a different shape.

This might be useful:

http://airfixtributeforum.myfastforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=331&t=24227

[HOUSTON]

...impressive work. ..keep it coming.

[Sten Ekedahl]

Sten, if you are doing a B+W one (or a couple of the late Red/White etc ones) the mid life update added a new nose that was longer and a different shape.

This might be useful:

http://airfixtributeforum.myfastforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=331&t=24227

Thank you Dave. Wish I had found that thread earlier. Some very useful stuff there!

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

[Martian]

This kit is so rarely built that this thread has to be very interesting!

Martin

[Work In Progress]

It's so rare, full stop. I can't remember the last time I saw one for sale. Or the Matchbox -600, for that matter. I had that as a kid, and wish I still had it, so I could refurb it.

Sten, you are embarking on a heroic journey. So much for OOB.

[Dandaire]

One feature often overlooked on the whole DH Dominie/HS125/BAe125/Hawker product line is the main landing gear which has the outboard main wheel on each side offset further forwards than the inboard wheel.This was to keep the dimensions of the main gear assemblies as narrow as possible and allowed side by side axles and subsequent anti-skid hardwear. This restricted the amount of space taken up in the cabin for the main gear bays. The feature is subtle but visible in these pics.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Moseley-Group/Hawker-Siddeley-HS-125-1B/2059469/L/&sid=65322178651d5952ee5a3871ce635c78

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Raytheon-Hawker-800XP/2275620/L/&sid=4249060800b3e896d85eb0f976c02298

Dan.

[Iain Ogilvie]

That's brilliant info Dan - will help with my build!

Sten - brilliant start - looking very good already. As discussed on my 1:32 build thread - I'll be following this one closely!

Iain

[Sten Ekedahl]

After having been looking a long time at the incorrect main wheel wells and lower flaps with increasing dissatisfaction, I think I have come up with a way to (at least partially) correct them. It will not be 100% correct, but rather a compromise. At least it will be an improvement (I hope). Pictures will follow once cutting has been started.

Edited July 31, 2013 by Sten Ekedahl

[chrish]

Hi Sten:

Did you ever make further progress on the Dominie? Am working on my own and looking for guidance. Thanks.