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De Havilland Sea Vixen FAW1 - 890NAS, HMS Ark Royal 1963-4


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Quite apart from the fact that I haven't finished here yet (still the deck to do...), I am a bit torn about what to build next. I have a plan (already revealed in someone else's thread a few weeks ago) to build two Airfix 1/48 Buccaneers at the same time - an Anti-Flash White S1 of 801 NAS and an S2D of 809 NAS. I have the kits and associated cockpits, Heritage intakes for the S1 and so on.

...but I do also rather fancy building something I have actually flown, too, so you might yet have convinced me that it is time I built a Sea King or a Lynx. I incline slightly to a Sea King HAS5 of 820 NAS, my first front line squadron (Ark Royal 1986-88). For space reasons it will almost certainly be folded (and also because later I plan to build an 819 NAS SAR cab, which will be spread and attached to a Houchin), and that means...agggghhhh... detailing that rotor head.

Decisions decisions!

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Looking very nice indeed but wouldn't like to be the poor NAM who has to clean the underside of that beast! It is looking the part and looking forward to seeing it adopt its final position.

With regards to the next build surely it would have to be the Seaking, and don't fret over the rotor head, just scrunch up a load of steel wool, randomly wrap it around the rotor head (obviously avoiding #1 blade) and job done! :winkgrin:

Bob

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...and now just the upper weathering and the wheels to do; pitots and IFR probe fitted. This is it for tonight.

9528022B-254F-49F7-962E-56C1B776EF0F_zps

9CD1421D-6F34-4D9D-815C-3ED330078AA1_zps

F78C7174-B212-4CBC-8D05-446063EE1050_zps

The piece of wood, incidentally, will be the basis of the flight deck.

More soon

Crisp

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Bit more for you Sea.V learners:

Note in the above three photie-grarffs,Uncle Crisp has introduced a soucon of back stick(up elevator) and up trim.

Notice the conical shaped fairings on the inner sides of the fins at the end of the tailplane?,they also move with the

all flying tailplane.

Keen eyes will spot that that Uncle Crispin's fairings are subtly moved to match the position of said all flying tailplane.

(Well,that's what it looks like to me,watch Crisp come along and cock it up by saying

A: He didn't know they moved too and B:He hasn't done that)

Edited by Miggers
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The flight deck, on the other hand, really cops it. Those streaks in the photo are probably partly from washing aircraft, and partly from compressor washing ("comp washing") them; running the engine for 30 seconds on the starter without ignition, and forcing a wash fluid through the engine under pressure - this is to wash the salt and carbon deposits off the compressor blades. It works, but makes a right mess. (As an aside, the marinised Olympus & Tyne engines used in my era ships were cleaned in a similar way by pouring sacks of ground walnut shell into them when running. It was abrasive enough to dislodge the salt and carbon, but not so abrasive as to damage the blades, and then the shells just burned up in the engine. A bit too brutal for aircraft engines!)

We use peanut shells for Turbocharger washing on Marine Diesels. Many other ideas have been tried, poly chips and the like but nothing better than nut shells for Turbo washing.

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Miggers, they are fixed to the tailplane and move with it in the kit (a nice touch), and the tab is hinged separately too - hope I haven't given anything away!

This shows the effect well,

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a82/pagen/Yeovilton%2010/SeaVixen8.jpg~original

Top side is looking excellent, got those no walk areas down perfectly

Edited by 71chally
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What colour EDSG is that? Tumbrel 123? Looks pretty good to me.

Home baked; a mixture of 2 parts of XF8 (Flat Blue) and 3 parts of XF-18 (Medium Blue), with varying (i.e. done by eye) addition of various greys, mostly XF-75 IJN Gray (Kure Arsenal) & XF-69 NATO Black. My plan was to match the printing finish / colour of the RNHF Vixen, and then fade it drastically from there to represent a less pampered airframe.

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Home baked; a mixture of 2 parts of XF8 (Flat Blue) and 3 parts of XF-18 (Medium Blue), with varying (i.e. done by eye) addition of various greys, mostly XF-75 IJN Gray (Kure Arsenal) & XF-69 NATO Black. My plan was to match the printing finish / colour of the RNHF Vixen, and then fade it drastically from there to represent a less pampered airframe.

Looks very convincing. Thanks, I'll have a play.

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It's going to be a shame buggering up weathering that lovely upper surface Crisp but needs, of course, must

This really does take the biscuit in making the model 'do the job' I'm bostin' to see her hitting the wire now

Love this one Crisp, a true winner

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I have sung the praises of this JH Models stand on many occasions (& I have subsequently bought a biplane version for those Swordfish, Pups & Tripehounds in my stash), but until now I had not thought of using it to set up a flying attitude. However, the need to get the main wheels exactly right led me to think, and a few adjustments later...

187AD4D8-8B26-4E4B-A3F8-DC7A1D654A17_zps

14F8B9B9-8603-4377-8556-255EDF35B082_zps

7597C4EB-2078-4370-9B53-E0D2F3079CE3_zps

OK, so I managed to knock off the Port flaps while setting it up, but that is a price well worth paying!

More soon

Crisp

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Act of faith part 3: a light grey Flory wash. The great thing about Flory washes is that they are water based (they are basically clay suspended in water), so if you don't like the outcome you can wash off the whole lot and start again. Now I will let it dry overnight and then start cleaning up to see what stains are left.

9BF90409-7025-481E-8815-3170FF742A26_zps

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... once again I go away for a few days and return to find that mountains have been moved, rivers have been crossed, sea vixens get real grubby, and look absolutely superb.

I'm going to miss this thread when it's finally completed.

Edited by hendie
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Not, possibly, the most thrilling update in the world, but I have started on the flight deck...

10607655-3A20-4A65-ACA1-FBCFD0242886_zps

The edges of the pieces of sandpaper (which give a pleasing anti-slip texture to the "deck") do not seem as prominent to the naked eye, but there is still a lot of painting, weathering and general be-grunging to go, so I am not concerned.

Yellow flight deck centre line, white markings, and lots of tyre marks, oil spills, salt and general crap. Like this:

890%20Vixens%20Ark%20Royal%201961_zpspp2

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