Sepecat Cool Cat Jaguar trio Oh......

[Fritag]

On the subject of optivisors etc.

I like these spectacle type magnifiers I picked up at Telford this year. the field of vision is more narrow - but it just means I can look over the lens easy without having to raise the lenses or take em off - oh and I feel less of a berk wearing em......I've almost persuaded myself that they look higher tech - like the Oakley's of the magnifying lens world......Oh alright that is BS....Mrs F still laughs at the sight of em perched on the Fritag nose.....

Glad you're back at work Bill. Good idea to start with the legs. The undercart is quite a prominent feature of the Jag innit.

Undercarriage and canopy - them's two things that I think are disproportionately important in a build.

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

We used to program regular training in 1 v 1 and 2 v 1 air combat (aka a bit of fun) - god knows what justification we used as a ground attack squadron...

Probably the same justification that we used in a Lynx when dropping into the hover behind a hill during fighter evasion in the Falklands, and then locking up the passing F4s with Sea Spray (kicking the nose round fast enough to maintain lock was the hard bit - tested tail rotor authority to the max!). The fact that a Toom would barely break sweat in outrunning a Sea Skua was not the point; IT WAS FUN (and the more humourless F4 drivers used to get SO upset at the debrief - tho to be fair most of them just laughed with us).

Justification-schmustification: all work and no play makes Jack a dull pilot.

Great read, as ever, Bill. I must confess that I am worried about how you're going to fit those large spoked wheels into the Jag undercarriage bays, but if anyone can, it's you.

Think of the Optivisor as a helmet-mounted sight and you feel (marginally) less of a prat. Mind you, I always felt a total tosser walking out to the flight line at dusk wearing NVGs on the top of my helmet. The early ones were a tad heavy, so you ended up with neck muscles like Fatima Whitbread (and I know that I am safe in using that comparison with you gentlemen, who are not significantly younger than me...)

Edited January 6, 2015 by Ex-FAAWAFU

[Fritag]

Mind you, I always felt a total tosser walking out to the flight line at dusk wearing NVGs olargelyn the top of my helmet. The early ones were a tad heavy, so you ended up with neck muscles like Fatima Whitbread (and I know that I am safe in using that comparison with you gentlemen, who are not significantly younger than me...)

Oh I dunno. I used to like walking out to the flight line with the NVGs on. But that was cos in the late 80's only a small handful of us were qualified to fly NVG and when we went flying the airfield had to be largely blacked out to avoid the NVGs being overwhelmed - and so only we could fly - in other words it was pleasant cos it was a bit of a shallow ego massage.....I confess to having been a bit oblivious to the (now all too obvious) total tosserness of the thing

Course there was also that slightly sinking feeling of being just about to plunge into the low flying system in the dark looking through green tired binoculars. But hey ho. Such things had to be made subservient to one's shallow ego and general tosserness

I enjoyed walking into the bar for a well earned pint or three afterwards just that bit more.....

[Ascoteer]

Oh I dunno. I used to like walking out to the flight line with the NVGs on.

I enjoyed walking into the bar for a well earned pint or three afterwards just that bit more.....

At least you didn't have to fly for 3+ hrs with NVGs (nor land on stupidly short runways in the middle of bloody nowhere [Wales]!

I'm with you with the trip to the bar though.

Don't even get me started on the hell that was AR-5...

[rafju]

Hi

I 've seen the air intake open (additionnal air intake to reactors), will you model your Jag with running engine?

or you just have to close them as they only are open when motors are on ;-)

Thanks for sharing

Raf

[perdu]

yes Raf, shut will be the status

Never understoood why a manufacturer would open the aux doors then have the airbrakes shut

(now then hush whilst the fliegercorps get on with a few more memories please)

[perdu]

I have been pondering Ex-WAAFUs remarks

you think that just maybe

into

won't go

I wasn't all that convinced at the Paris Carriage Works cobbled street optional landing gear myself, but in all honesty it was the cast iron spiral staircase front leg that had me most worried.

Edited January 6, 2015 by perdu

[perdu]

Anyway, there is likely to be glacial progress on these builds

I used to be able to slam glue on plastic then filler and then paint with alacrity and even reasonable ability

These days I have to work under stricter than EU H&S regs due to keeping familial harmony in check

Last night I allowed a whiff of liquid poly to escape into the general domestic atmosphere

o o p s

So whilst letting the unsleeping dogs settle down

Here's a little something I made a while back

before digital cameras

and before I ever considered a phototrail of a build

Quite/very peased with this it won me Ship Diorama at The IPMS NAtionals in Stoneleigh in 1980

Sorry its not an aeroplane

Sorry its monochrome but Scale Models didn't do IPMS nats in colour (Apr 1981)

Expect more Jagging later when the unscentable cyano has stiffened the weakened but improving Matchbox nosewheel leg

Meet my Nantucket Sleigh Ride 1:35 scale scratchbuild

Well it's different innit

Edited January 6, 2015 by perdu

[Ascoteer]

"Starbuck's sharpening his harpoon
The black man is playing his tune
An old salt's sleeping his watch away
He'll be drunk again before noon......"

[HOUSTON]

GOOD WORK Bill

[perdu]

My favourite "boy growing up" book and still high up the list

Mr Melville's classic

Beat The Water Babies into a cocked hat

[perdu]

Riiiiiiight, I need some input please

I will have to get started with this infernal resin casting game so I just had another look at Nigel's Whizzverticopter thingmy and he has used something called silicone putty to mould from/with

The first question is "What Where From" and the second is what resin stuff should I go for?

Ebay is stuffed stupid with different casting options all of which are outside my zone of jitterey comfort

Should I try getting the silicone putty which mixes quickly and 'goes off' similarly likewise

or get some of the two part liquid 'other type stuff' that I see on the bay

And secondly (as advertised) what resin do I need? Obviously needs to be a liquid pour unlike the Plastic Padding I have used before on a quick ad-hoc give it a try basis which needed puishing into corners and crevices as it began to set

Had a night off last night so's I could get off to the Midget and Sprite club meeting but that didnt help

I have been pondering the resin question all the time when planning a local run with the guys and gals

Still not sure what we decided to do

Or when

Edited January 8, 2015 by perdu

[perdu]

As I am about to build the T2 version as well as an assortment of GRs can anyone advise on the MB bang seat fit please?

The Pavla seats set suggests that the T2 had different seats to the GRs, in fact they sold me a pair of MB4s as being the seats to drive in on the T birds

I'm kinda unconvinced and feel I should be making a new fresh pair of MB9s

Today I am feeling a lot healthier and I'm pottering about on the airbrake question

This hard rock lurgy I have had has been a game spoiler this New Year, cannot get my head around modelling or much else

Edited January 8, 2015 by perdu

[hendie]

perdu, I use the pouring silicone for making molds. The downside is that it does take some time to cure - the upside being that it captures EVERY detail - the long cure time allows it to seep into every nook and cranny.

I bought a starter kit off ebay for less than $30 which had everything I needed. Alumilite is the brand. I love the resin - it mixes as a clear liquid, then changes to a solid fawn color as it cures. So I know just by looking at it when it's cured - and it only takes about 10 - 15 minutes to cure.

I'm not sure if this is available in the UK but here's a link to the stuff I got..... http://www.amazon.com/Alumilite-Corp-Mini-Casting-Kit/dp/B0054IS6KY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1420739628&sr=8-2&keywords=alumilite+casting+kit

[Col.]

Riiiiiiight, I need some input please

I will have to get started with this infernal resin casting game so I just had another look at Nigel's Whizzverticopter thingmy and he has used something called silicone putty to mould from/with

The first question is "What Where From" and the second is what resin stuff should I go for?

The blue stuff? Hobbycraft. Pebeo Siligum Gede is the gear you're looking for. Nigel did a demo at a club night and I got some soon after to mould early Hunter tailpipes. Alas I've no answer for question two as I've not got around to trying the answer for question one yet.

As I am about to build the T2 version as well as an assortment of GRs can anyone advise on the MB bang seat fit please?

The Pavla seats set suggests that the T2 had different seats to the GRs, in fact they sold me a pair of MB4s as being the seats to drive in on the T birds

I'm kinda unconvinced and feel I should be making a new fresh pair of MB9s

Think Pavla are wrong there for RAF Jags at least. Sure It's MB9s all round. MB4's were Hunter T-bird pilot perches.

[Tomoshenko]

This is what I have started playing with. Good results albeit a little messy (latter probably down to user error).

http://sylmasta.com/acatalog/Casting---Mould-Making.html

[Fritag]

Pavla suggestion is b*ll*cks and Col and is right. Mark 9 seats in the T bird just as the singleseater.

Casting wise - you know I aint the most experienced resin caster around but I've been more than happy with my sylmaster casting kit 01:

http://sylmasta.com/acatalog/Casting_Kits-1.html

Dunno if it's the cheapest or most sophisticated but it gets you started. I think if it's an either-or situation the pouring resin will be more flexible then the putty albeit it'll take longer to set. I also think Cheshiretaurus's method of using dropper bottles for small quantities of the two part resin mix is a great idea.

Added by Edit. I see that Tom has posted a link to sylmaster as I've been typing. Is that great minds thinking alike or muppets thinking alike?

Edited January 8, 2015 by Fritag

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

And a cursory search of Amazon UK shows Hendie's Alumilite kit available for 48 of your English pounds. Pretty similar to Sylmaster price, I think, so you takes yer choice.

I confess that I too am thinking of dipping my toe into home casting...

[perdu]

I am definitely going to give it a go, for ease and potentially more economic reasons I s'pect Sylmasta will get the vote this time around

And I was CERTAIN Pavla had it wrong, the MB4 is almost a couple of generations away from the MB9 in whizzowhooshness

As I dont want to simply cheat and make a copy or two of the Pavla MB9 I am beginning the scratchbuild process this evening

The MB4s might be OK for the Lightning T bird fuselage I picked up last October though, are they?

[hendie]

And a cursory search of Amazon UK shows Hendie's Alumilite kit available for 48 of your English pounds. Pretty similar to Sylmaster price, I think, so you takes yer choice.

I confess that I too am thinking of dipping my toe into home casting...

Wow! less than $30 here and almost £50 over there for the same thing.... talk about gouging!

I noticed that you can get 16oz of the resin for less than a tenner

I did find it for substantially less (£33) here http://www.nigellawton009.com/PayPalCasting.html (in the UK) but sadly, out of stock.

I think they (casting kits) are all going to be pretty similar. The main thing is that for making detailed molds, I'd suggest the pourable silicone.

Edited January 8, 2015 by hendie

[Ascoteer]

I always thought it was Mk8 in the Harrier, Mk 9 in the Jag and Mk 10 in the Hawk and Fin

Mk 4 is what we had in the JP FFS!

Oh and the Lightning (I held at Binbrook for a wee while so I have sat on Mk4 seats more times than enough).

[Fritag]

I am definitely going to give it a go, for ease and potentially more economic reasons I s'pect Sylmasta will get the vote this time around

And I was CERTAIN Pavla had it wrong, the MB4 is almost a couple of generations away from the MB9 in whizzowhooshness

I think you'll be pleased with the Sylmasta kit Bill. I agree with Hendie about how the pouring silicone captures every detail and a man as well balanced and mature as your good self (?) ain't gonna get stressed about letting it cure overnight......

I like the look of that putty that Nigel used in his Osprey build and I can see how convenient it is for the sort of task he was using it for - but It looks to me to be useful in addition to, rather than instead of, pouring silicone.

I 'spect you'll be producing miraculous little casts in no time at all

It's worth reading some of Mark (Cheshiretaurus's) threads on point. But I 'spect you read them at the time.

As for the T-bird seats - I expect that Pavla got muddled up with the French Jag as that had mark 4 seats I think.

Otherwise it's quite an amusing thought that the 2 seaters should be given an inferior bang seat (the mark 9 is a rocket seat with zero/zero capability whilst the mark 4 is (IIRC) a firing gun seat with a zero/90kts capability). How would you sell that concept to the QFI's and QWI's who had to sit in the back?

[Ascoteer]

The MB4s might be OK for the Lightning T bird fuselage I picked up last October though, are they?

Be careful, not all Mk4s are the same. I think Steve explained the difference in his JP thread. Quintesentially the Mk4 fitted to the Lightning had metal 'sides' where the para pack is, the Mk4 in the JP did not.

[Plumber]

Pavla 'sort of' got it right. MB4's were used by the French in their Jags. Ours were all MB9's. GR1's and T2's had MB9 Mk.2, GR1A, T2A onwards had MB9 Mk.3.

Early Harriers had MB9 Mk.1.

Hunter T-Birds had MB4H.

Lightnings had MB4BS, BSA and BSB depending on mark.

Happy days

Scoots

[Col.]

Otherwise it's quite an amusing thought that the 2 seaters should be given an inferior bang seat (the mark 9 is a rocket seat with zero/zero capability whilst the mark 4 is (IIRC) a firing gun seat with a zero/90kts capability). How would you sell that concept to the QFI's and QWI's who had to sit in the back?

Same way as we were 'sold' the SA-80 I'd say. Do as you are damned well told with what you are given!