Airfix Supermarine Swift Build **FINISHED**

[Paul Bradley]

And so, after the anticipation and the sprue shots, http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234951899-172-supermarine-swift-fr5-by-airfix-release-november-2014/?p=1796280 onto the build itself.

The first step was to attempt to correct the moulding flaws in the fuselage. This wasn't too bad, but a bit time consuming. Some Perfect Plastic Putty, then a little Mr. Surfacer, then some rescribing. Finally, a good rub down and polish - you can see the difference:

I think it'll be OK under primer and paint coats.

Other impressions as I start to take parts off the sprues: 1. the plastic is very soft and it's easy to damage the parts taking them off the runners - take care!; 2. there's some light flash - nothing too severe, but worrying in a brand-new mould; 3. The fuselage top seam is not very clever - I think some shrinkage occurred to 'roll back' the top edges of the top of the fuselage. A skim of filler will eradicate it; 4. the funny nubs at the rear face of the undercarriage bays ARE meant to be there..... :roll: 5. the front undercarriage bay is moulded in two halves and the seam IS impossible to eradicate... :frown:

The cockpit is assembled, though not finished:

Nothing spectacular, but will look fine under the closed canopy in this scale. A resin seat and 'pit will no doubt become available and will improve things for those who wish to have the canopy open. The front U/C bay is also pictured there - you can see that ugly seam...

I'll keep on working today and report back again later.

EDIT: I just realized - this should be in Work in Progress - can a mod please move it?

Edited December 7, 2014 by Paul Bradley

[Duncan B]

Those marks on the fuselage are a bit of a worry. Airfix still don't seem to be able to produce a flawless kit (and by that I mean plastic without issues as opposed to 100% accurate). I know that might be a tall order but surely it should be possible to at least produce the plastic without any short shots or flaws.

I can only speak for the Airfix kits I've bought recently but I had issues with the Lightning F2A canopy, I also had a slightly short shot wing and missile on the Lightning F6 (as well as completely missing clear parts on one), the Airfix 1/48 Gnat has a short shot head box on one of the seats and now this, not a great track record for their recent releases is it?

Duncan B

[Paul Bradley]

Yes; it's as if Airfix have finally got a handle on the surface detail, only to lose out on QC - two steps forward, one step back......

Anyways, onward and upward.

Airfix have a clever engineering solution to creating a realistically thin intake area, where there are two boundary layer intakes, one forward of the main intake and the other inside. They have divided this area into two plates, one of which slides into a recessed area ahead of the cheek intake and creates that forward BL intake, while the second plate, overlaps the inner end of the first inside the cheek intake and forms the second BL intake. See these photos so that that makes sense....

Going against the instruction sequence, I glued the port forward plate in place and sanded smooth the seams - it looks very nice. The second, inner will remain unglued until the area is painted.

In that first photo, you can also see the sub-assembly for the intake trunking, which leads to a nicely detailed compressor fan face.

The reason I'm going against Airfix's recommended sequence is simple - the inside of the intake is white, while the exterior is camo. If it is all glued in now, there'll be an awkward masking job later. As is, I can paint the inner parts white, while the fuselage and first plate can be painted in camo colours - a first coat only, admittedly, but if I do this properly, I'll only need to do a rough masking job later, saving some grief.

At the other end of the aircraft, there are two issues with the exhaust:

1. It is oval - I'm sure it is supposed to be round! and 2. There are little 'cut-outs' at the end of the two pipe halves, yielding little v-shaped notches; they are definitely not prototypical! What I shall do about this is something I need to puzzle over for a while. If anyone has a good, clear photo of an FR.5 exhaust, I'd be most grateful!

I glued the wings together - there is a nicely-detailed one-piece set of undersurfaces to which the separate port and starboard uppers are attached. The only issue here is some sinking in the u/c and flap bay areas, but light sanding got rid of most of the problem. It also eliminated the slightly pebbly finish of the plastic.

Not much else to tell today - I need to fire up the airbrush to get some colour down, but we are visiting with friends down-State tomorrow, so I'll not have any time for modeling. With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, though, I shall have a few days off later in the week and I hope to get this model finished.

[sloegin57]

Those marks on the fuselage are a bit of a worry.

Duncan B

Duncan. I like your way of understating a problem that, quite simply, should not be there. OK, OK, we are all modellers and the blemishes on the fuselage can be dealt with but again, they should not be there.

I just wonder how many modellers, like myself, read through the comments about a new kit on BM and "hold off" purchasing said kit until the "bit of worry" has been resolved.

It would also help if Airfix stated, on their web site, the progress they are making in resolving these issues.

Dennis

[Paul Bradley]

Dennis, I agree - these pin marks ARE fixable, BUT they shouldn't be there to start with. It has been a pain to deal with. Airfix is going to have to work on getting it's QC up to snuff....

[Procopius]

Didn't the Swift have an "eyelid" style exhaust that "resembled a vertical cat's-eye"? I believe those notches may be correct.

[VMA131Marine]

Didn't the Swift have an "eyelid" style exhaust that "resembled a vertical cat's-eye"? I believe those notches may be correct.

It did! Take a look at this link, particularly the photo second from bottom: http://www.jetartaviation.co.uk/2012/12/wk275-that-supermarine-swift/

[Col.]

Good to see one being built and thanks for leading the way Paul. That horrible seam inside the front undercarriage bay seems to be an Airfix trademark in their 72nd scale kits lately - both the Harrier GR.1/3 and Lightning has the same issue yet the 48th scale Gnat has not; a separate part for the bay roof would be far better.

[Paul Bradley]

Hmm, that's very interesting! See - this is why I appealed for close-ups of the exhaust area, and why I thought I should wait. I take that back, Airfix - this does appear to be prototypical!

Thanks for the photo, Mr. Marine!

Now, if anyone has an even clearer photo....it is amazing that there seem to be so few photos of the back end of a Swift...

[viscount806x]

Good to see one being built and thanks for leading the way Paul.

Be nice to have the chance at buying one though wouldn't it?

[Paul Bradley]

Now you know how we in the rest of the World usually feel.....

[Dave Fleming]

Hmm, that's very interesting! See - this is why I appealed for close-ups of the exhaust area, and why I thought I should wait. I take that back, Airfix - this does appear to be prototypical!

Thanks for the photo, Mr. Marine!

Now, if anyone has an even clearer photo....it is amazing that there seem to be so few photos of the back end of a Swift...

The only ones still with an engine are the F7 in storage for Solent Sky and the F4 under restoration in Jet Art in North Yorkshire (ex-Sheppards Surplus) as shown in the link above. Neither of the FR5s have an engine, so detailed pics are hard to come by at present.

[Paul Bradley]

Cheers, Dave - I'm finding that out. I feel a bit of a plonker for not spotting the eyelids before, but in my defence, it isn't that obvious from service photos that I have in my references and online.....

[Flankerman]

FWIW, I was looking at the BAC-221 in the FAA Museum in October - and it has the same 'eyelid' jetpipe.

I didn't take a photo at the time - but a quick Google found this image.....

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a82/pagen/FAAM/BAC221WG774a.jpg

Another image (of the FD2) at Cosford :- http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=HN.608036162528348542&pid=1.7

http://www.airport-data.com/images/aircraft/small/000/429/429990.jpg

http://homepage3.nifty.com/AKATOMBO/museum/FD-2_05.jpg

Both the FS2 and BAC-221 have the same Avon engine as the Swift - and, IIRC, the eyelid is designed to close up to reduce the area of the exhaust throat - done by multiple petals on a modern engine.

Ken

[Hook]

IIRC, the eyelid is designed to close up to reduce the area of the exhaust throat - done by multiple petals on a modern engine.

A common solution before the advent of modern afterburners. Early Mirages were powered by "eyelidded" Atar engines as well.

Cheers,

Andre

Edited November 24, 2014 by Hook

[Paul Bradley]

Thanks, Ken! Very useful for colour details.

Of course, the big difference is that the FD.2/BAC221 had the eyelids in a horizontal plane, whereas the Swift is vertical - which makes it very hard to spot in photos.

[Paul Bradley]

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I have a few days off, so I'm hoping to get this model done over the weekend. I started today by getting the wings completed. There is some nice detail inside the flap bays, but, generally, Swifts had their flaps up on the ground. In order to fit them closed, I needed to remove the flap actuators, though before doing this, I did dry-fit one in the open position so you can see what it looks like.

The ailerons are separate, but have 3 very positive locators - here you can see the aileron being inserted into place:

I posed them slightly deflected.

The next step was to break out the airbrush. I painted the insides of the intakes white, and then parts of the outsides of the fuselage halves in Dark Green and Dark Sea Grey - this is to enable fitting the intake splitter plates and camera port lenses without awkward masking later.

Once dry, I was able to fit the intake splitter plate and the intake trunking:

Fit here is really good; here's what it looks like from the front:

I also painted the exhaust eyelids, though I forgot to take a photo...

Watching a bit of Europa League at the moment, but will carry on later with fuselage assembly.

Edited November 27, 2014 by Paul Bradley

[Andrew]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the update and build thread. It's great to see this kit underway and I'm grateful for the commentary - I'm sure it will make things easier when I (finally) get mine in hand.

Andrew.

[Dave Fleming]

Want one now! :-)

[Hook]

Want one now! :-)

Want at least two. :-)

Cheers,

Andre

[kev67]

Great start, regarding quality control with Airfix, I think this can only be achieved once Airfix bring production back to this country, as I am all in favour of British manufacturing, having the moulds made in China, and the plastic poured in India, something is going to go wrong somewhere.

[Giorgio N]

Great start, regarding quality control with Airfix, I think this can only be achieved once Airfix bring production back to this country, as I am all in favour of British manufacturing, having the moulds made in China, and the plastic poured in India, something is going to go wrong somewhere.

Plenty of manufacturers of the most disparate goods have production in the far East and handle quality control without apparent problem. I say apparent as I know as a fact that a constant quality product is the result of very hard work when dealing with contractors from that part of the world. Still, it can be done, takes a lot of work and commitment, a lot of swearing but can be done.

If then it's the best thing to do, this is a different story. Maybe bringing production back to Britain would be a better choice, but then all the aspects have to be considered.

[sloegin57]

Plenty of manufacturers of the most disparate goods have production in the far East and handle quality control without apparent problem. I say apparent as I know as a fact that a constant quality product is the result of very hard work when dealing with contractors from that part of the world. Still, it can be done, takes a lot of work and commitment, a lot of swearing but can be done.

If then it's the best thing to do, this is a different story. Maybe bringing production back to Britain would be a better choice, but then all the aspects have to be considered.

I entirely agree but bringing production back to the UK would, I feel, result in a higher end product price but as Roger Waters wrote :-

"It all makes perfect sense, expressed in dollars and cents, pounds, shillings and pence".

Which just about sums up the grubby business of Buisiness.

Dennis

[kev67]

I worked at a textile company for 12 years and our quality control was brilliant for the finished product, but the company decided to send some of their stuff to Turkey to get printed, subsequently the QC was terrible, and all for saving money

[Geoff_B]

Well you can see first hand the problems Airfix are having with the QC from the Indians, a batch went to the US that didn't meet QC standards, which is why Paul is working on one now, and the UK won't see their production till Christmas Eve or into the new year. Some of the re-issues have been pushed into qtr1 2015 and others have been cancelled. Part of the problem is that the design and production of these kits has been improving leaps and bounds over the last couple of years, but the production facility is now finding it harder to meet demand and at the quality expected.

So yes it is now having an impact on Airfix's business and therefore I wouldn't be surprised if they investigated a deal with a European producer closer to home or to get involved in developing a new UK based facility able to meet the needs of the Hornby group.