1/96 Vickers Viscount Duo Frog & Glencoe

[Team Aer Lingus]

This is my first WIP so be gentle I'm average enough

Background growing up as a kid lucky enough to have a dad who worked in the hangars in Dublin and spent a lot of time mooching about Collinstown I developed a real love for the Viscounts Aer Lingus operated and always wanted to build one,

Missus and myself went to Telford last year and spoke to a number of decal makers about getting sheet for a Viscount 808 to go with a Frog kit (long family story about this kit I won't bore you here involving a git in Beatties in Birmingham lol ) that she picked up for a song on a certain website.

We approached a number of decal makers who all said they could help and to contact them directly in the end the only one who replied was the wonderful Nick Webb from Classic-Airliner.com who made me a sheet. I already had S&M beautiful sheet for the earlier Viscount 707 to go with the Glencoe kit so I thought a double build might be in order

As always any advice or help will be appreciated

[Gimme Shelter]

Hi

This is going to be an enjoyable pair to follow. Good luck -- I have never built a Viscount but are old enough and lucky enough to have flow on them a lot when I was very young - my Dad flew them for BEA in the late 60's to early 70's and I often got the jump-seat with him up to Inverness when we went to see my cousins there. It was great having such large windows and the seats in both directions with a table in between like on a train.

Looking forward to seeing more

[Team Aer Lingus]

Thanks Gimme Shelter

What I would have given to fly in one and being aware of it

I flew on one when I was very young out of Elmdon vaguely remember trip would have been 71 when I was nearly 7 but most remember Sunday afternoons walking to Collinstown after mass to watch the planes between 11.30 and 2pm take off and land Loved the 707/720s Tridents 1-11 737 but mostly loved the whine of the rolls royce darts Dublin got busy for a couple of hours then died a death so much more different than today lol and being gutted when all the Aer Lingus Viscounts were lined up in a lane way (now buried under T2) awaiting their fate!!! Only years later when working in the hangars myself & talking to the old hands did I realise why they were there.

More pics to follow soon and the build start proper

regards

Eamonn

[MikeW]

Love this aircraft. Will enjoy this thread for sure. ( No pressure there!)

1966 was my shot to fly her. My brother and I, still in short pants, SAA from Johannesburg, en route stop in East London, then on to Port Elizabeth where my grandmother awaited to spoil us.

Compared to that new fangled Boeing 727 which just whizzed down to the coast, with barely enough time to be served tea, the Viscount seemed to lumber along, huge windows looking out over the African Savannah, and enough flight time for a full dinner.

Father never understood why we always wanted to go "on the old aeroplane" when he sent us down to the coast,

Did I mention I love these planes?

Cheers,

Mike

[billybookcase]

Those first two photos took me right back to my plane spotting days at Speke airport.

Air Lingus, Dan Air, Cambrian and British Eagle mostly.

BB

[viscount806x]

Watching with interest the Frog build. I have built several of the Glencoe kits (they are on here somewhere), they build well.

I think we could really do with a conversion kit for the Glencoe to give us a V800. It would be more accurate than starting with the Frog kit as well but it will be nice to see one built all the same.

We used to turn those V808s round at LBA during my BKS days there. They had a PCF conversion - freight door at the front end.

Best wishes

[mitchem]

Glencoe kit in the stash, so watching with interest !

[Team Aer Lingus]

Thanks for all the kind words guys couple more pics showing the differences in kits not sure when the moulds were first produced but they both holding up well Frog at the top Glencoe at the bottom

will start build later this week and see how I get on

Eamonn

Edited September 29, 2014 by Team Aer Lingus

[HOUSTON]

NEAT start...looking forward to this ...

[DeHavillandDan]

And its about time bro , looking forward to seeing how you get on with these they will look great in lingus colours and i will be watching with great interest ...

[Gimme Shelter]

this build is going to be a great WIP and chatter place - I have this picture in my office in remembrance to the great days of BEA, Viscounts and one of those tiny bits of Britain in the Sun.

Happy happy large oval window days....

[garryrussell]

One thing worth mentioning at this time is that the Glencoe windows are too small and slightly the wrongshape.. They are easily opened out and corrected.

Edited September 30, 2014 by garryrussell

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Glencoe kit in the stash, so watching with interest !

Got a -800 conversion sitting on the shelf of doom, so I too would like to see how you go

[Team Aer Lingus]

Just quick update many thanks for all your kind replies I never thought this my first WIP would have so much interest

Gary I'm building these straight out of the box I know they have issues but I felt as I'm dipping my toes best to start simple & get any help and suggestions would be great for the next two Viscounts I'm building were I hope to incorporate changes. I'm still a novice builder & it was my hope with this WIP that I can learn along the way

Trojan please tell us more about the conversion??? Please

More pics and build start at the weekend

[viscount806x]

Here is one of my Glencoe models. Engines are wrong though - should be bulged Dart 510s.

Trojan, do let us in on your V800 conversion. I have waited in vain for a long time for a kit of parts to do just that myself. New engines and a fuselage plug required although I could manage with just a set of later engines. I wish I could do moulding, maybe I should try.

Watch out for the forward window positions on the V800 (port and stbd). They were different with each variant - even the V802 and V806 were different from each other. I think even on your painting, if that is an 806, the windows have been painted incorrectly. They look ok for an 802. Garry (on here earlier) is the resident expert on that subject and will help you with the Lingus V808 I'm sure...

Nige B

[garryrussell]

There were three types of forward window placement on standard V.800's and Aer Lingus operated all three...803, 805, 808.

In addition they had the V.808PCF variant which threw in another variation.

The 803 and 808 were modified to 808 standard when Aer Ligus bought them but the windows were not changed. Also, due to Irish law, the forward window on the starboard ia an emergency exit...standard on the V.810 but not the 800.

The FROG Viscount is right for the Vickers built V.808.

[Team Aer Lingus]

Ok guys new photo's Tuesday evening work progressing slowly but steadily

[viscount806x]

Ok guys new photo's Tuesday evening work progressing slowly but steadily

Photos?

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

...

Here is one of my Glencoe models. Engines are wrong though - should be bulged Dart 510s.

Trojan, do let us in on your V800 conversion. I have waited in vain for a long time for a kit of parts to do just that myself. New engines and a fuselage plug required although I could manage with just a set of later engines. I wish I could do moulding, maybe I should try.

Watch out for the forward window positions on the V800 (port and stbd). They were different with each variant - even the V802 and V806 were different from each other. I think even on your painting, if that is an 806, the windows have been painted incorrectly. They look ok for an 802. Garry (on here earlier) is the resident expert on that subject and will help you with the Lingus V808 I'm sure...

Nige B

Sorry for the slight hijack Eamonn

Nige,

I used the long out of production Sasquatch conversion and tried to bulge the engines myself.

It has been siting on the shelf of doom for a while s I has not happy with the finish. I have stripped it and am back to a primed blank. I also added a pair of scratch built slipper tanks as well.

[Eric Mc]

I am a great fan of Irish (or any) Viscounts too - having also grown up near to Dublin Airport. They were a constant sight whining out over my house in Baldoye right up to the early 80s, with Aer Lingus, BEA, Cambrian, Northeast and later BA aircraft all being common sights.

I also remember the Viscount "death row" at Dublin Airport as Aer Lingus' retired Viscounts awaited their fate with the scrap man.

[noelh]

I can safely say that my first flight was on an Aer Lingus Viscount. But as it was pre natal and I was inside my Mother had no window seat! I don't remember it at all! But II imagine the whine of the Darts was imprinted on my foetal brain!

I do remember later seeing all the Viscounts lined up for scrapping at Dublin Airport and later again the sad sight of several cockpit sections piled up incongruously in a scrap yard behind some cottages miles from the airport. (Ballymount for those interested)

I did manage to fly on a Virgin Viscount into Luton sometime in the eighties. Better than any jet.

[Eric Mc]

The flight deck of EI-AOH still survives. In the 1970s, it was part of a small museum display in what was then the "New" terminal. Us plane spotters used to allowed access to the cockpit - provided we didn't break anything.

I presume that this flight deck is in storage somewhere now.

[Graham Boak]

I do have the Kadar/Lincoln Viscount but it isn't to a recognised scale among decal producers, sadly.

[viscount806x]

Sorry for the slight hijack Eamonn

Nige,

I used the long out of production Sasquatch conversion and tried to bulge the engines myself.

It has been siting on the shelf of doom for a while s I has not happy with the finish. I have stripped it and am back to a primed blank. I also added a pair of scratch built slipper tanks as well.

Ray, The problem with the engines is apparent and the main reason why I haven't had a go. Apart from bulging the 'front end' compressor area, the intake and de icing ring would have to be enlarged as well. I really wish one of the resin gurus would do us one - it only needs the work done once on a single master since all the 4 nacelle parts are identical in the kit.

Did the conversion you mention simply have a fuselage plug?

Cheers and ditto sorry for the thread hijacking.

Nige B

[viscount806x]

I do have the Kadar/Lincoln Viscount but it isn't to a recognised scale among decal producers, sadly.

I've built that Graham back in the 1970s. Scale I think is 1/121 which is 'fit the box' in the extreme. It was a terrible build, I finished it as G-AMON in BA livery, current at the time and leased to 'BOAC' for the Scottish airport shuttle service.