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A pair of Airfix Hawks in 1/72. Finished.


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Hi Steve,

 

WOW 83 pages!!! I see you have put a lot of work on these models.

 

One question: is the 1/72 Hawk a downscale of Airfix's 1/48? I'm asking this because I have the later one and it seems that most panels/lines are wrong and I thought of using your build as a guide to correct them.

 

Keep up the good work!

 

 

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5 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

You've got such lovely legs Steve.

Don't listen to her Steve. The Baroness von Brunswick is not all she seems. You could be in for one of the worst shocks of your life! :yikes:

 

Martian

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I've not dropped in for a while... sorry about that...

 

Good to see you're still making steady progress - the seats look fantastic.

 

Rather impressive solution to the nose gear, too - you could make a few extra quid by casting them and selling them as a correction for the Airfix kit :)

 

Tom

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18 hours ago, Shalako said:

One question: is the 1/72 Hawk a downscale of Airfix's 1/48? I'm asking this because I have the later one and it seems that most panels/lines are wrong and I thought of using your build as a guide to correct them.

 

Not sure.  I do have a 1/48 version languishing stored safely in the attic somewhere but I haven't looked at it for a long while.  IIRC the mouldings do look very similar and so I wouldn't be surprised if they shared a common starting point - and had faults in common too.

 

Oh - and I'm not saying which of the incorrect panel lines on the 1/72 version I haven't corrected..............:blush: 

 

13 hours ago, TheBaron said:

You've got such lovely legs Steve.

 

As it happens that has reminded me that my mum won the miss lovely legs competition at Pontins holiday camp when we were on holiday in the mid 70's.  I also remember that for competition purposes the families in the camp were divided into houses named after cigarette brands!  We were in Embassy Blue that year.  I remember that because when my mum was announced as the winner - the compare asked what house she was in,  and my Dad (who was bursting with pride) yelled 'Embassy' at full volume - more or less into my right lug-ole, temporarily deafening his young son........

 

Doesn't that tell you a lot about the 70's?  Holiday camp holidays - sexist competitions - and smoking embedded in the culture?

 

Oh and terrible haircuts - I have to laugh when I see my school photographs.....

 

But there were compensations such as wonderful airshows.

 

Memories of Lightnings (in particular)  travelling at warp-factor-snot at nought-foot-six with the burners in over the heads of the crowd from behind the crowd line before rotating into the vertical and disappearing into the endless blue........(presumably shortly thereafter landing after declaring a fuel emergency!)  Is it any wonder the RAF beckoned?

 

12 hours ago, tomprobert said:

Good to see you're still making steady progress - the seats look fantastic.

 

Rather impressive solution to the nose gear, too

 

You're too kind Tom (literally).  The correct interpretation of events is 'slow and fitful' progress (I'll take the complement about the seats tho' :)) and as for the nose gear - I am now on version 2........hopefully improved.

 

After further thought (an exercise that I also indulge in only slowly and fitfully I'm afraid) I decided to junk the resin yokes and use the kit yokes suitably separated from the moulded in wheels and drilled and carved to shape.

 

I think I cast resin copies (I say i think - it was after all a long time ago....) so I'd only have to do the task once - but after said further thought I decided (1) I had doubts about the strength of resin (2) I had doubts about the strength of the Cyano bond and (3) I thought the method of joining the yoke to the lower casting could be made to better replicate the real thing.

 

So:

 

New kit of parts :)

 

The yokes have been separated from the wheels, opened out and shaped.  The stem of these yokes is longer than the resin one so that it echoes the real thing and joins into the 'U' shaped cut out I've filed into the lower casting (see what I mean?).  The fit is tight enough and the contact area large enough that I'm expecting Tamiya green cap to provide a strong enough bond:

 

IMG_1151_zpsoik7pm6g.jpg

 

And some detailing to the yokes.

 

Found this truly tiny PE representation of the towing link on the Eduard etch fret for the Swiss Hawks.  Challenged my limited PE skills to put a bend into it I can tell you...

 

IMG_1152_zps9aqucx6n.jpg

 

And I've filed some 1mm plastic rod to a 'D' shaped cross section in order to represent the lug that the oleo connects to:

 

IMG_1155_zpsrpfr2pza.jpg

 

And here are these little adornments glued to the yokes:

 

IMG_1158_zpsthi67nqu.jpg

 

IMG_1157_zpsvx5erdid.jpg

 

Once I've finished real-life work today I'm hoping to get the yokes glued into the lower castings and then start on the oleos (for which i plan to use some Albion Alloys slide fit tubing).

 

With a bit of luck this particular bit of fitful progress will move fast enough to let me post some more photo's later today.............

 

Edited by Fritag
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I've said that already, I know, but ... micro-engineering at its best, here! :worthy:  :clap:  :clap: 

 

Ciao

Edited by giemme
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A paean to the gods of etchery Steve

 

How the fiddling barrack blocks can we mortals begin to get that good huh?

 

Still I suppose your WERE planning to cast a few, so your contemporaries could observe and learn the way of the Law

 

And maybe knock a couple off when you were distracted, possibly to join a few little bangseats in my museum...

 

😇

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Lovey exquisite work Steve. Miles better than the kit offering, which to be fair in comparison to a lot of Airfix kits in the 70s aint that bad really.

 

11 hours ago, Fritag said:

Doesn't that tell you a lot about the 70's?  Holiday camp holidays - sexist competitions - and smoking embedded in the culture?

 

Oh and terrible haircuts - I have to laugh when I see my school photographs.....

Oddly enough people who got married in the 70s seldom have their wedding pictures on display....mmm funny that.

 

 

11 hours ago, Fritag said:

But there were compensations such as wonderful airshows.

 

And getting drunk on cider ice lollies and Top Deck shandy....erm it doesn't work! As a sugar-addled 12 year old during the summer of 76 you don't have to ask how I know this...

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When I got back from real life this afternoon I glued the yokes glued in to the lower castings - and this evening I've been mostly messing around with Albion Alloy tubing.

 

On something of a whim I cut of the moulded lugs on the side of the lower castings - which represent what on the full size beast are actually hollow tube spindles - and replaced them with short lengths of brass tube cyano'd into 0.5mm drilled holes:

 

IMG_1163_zpse6bs5l8c.jpg

 

Bit fiddly - but after a short tussle all 4 were done and looking ok:

 

IMG_1164_zpsglzqstlg.jpg

 

And then I played about with some slide fit tubing to represent the oleo.  Thankfully it all lined up ok:

 

IMG_1165_zps8zwaryyv.jpg

 

IMG_1166_zpsdief8o9y.jpg

 

And a comparison with the oversize Airfix original.

 

IMG_1167_zpslbrgj6nk.jpg

 

Its not entirely clear to me that the nose wheel leg is a visible or important enough component to deserve such efforts :hmmm:But what the heck - it's made for an enjoyable few hours modelling :)

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Very nice Steve, lovely job.

An enjoyable few hours of modelling is the whole point, isn't it? And if you end up with some very pleasing parts you can also have that nice warm, smug feeling of a job well done :) 

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Ditto on both comments above. Now I want to see it on a big screen, but that'll have to wait till tomorrow morning :Tasty:

 

Ciao

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1 hour ago, Fritag said:

Its not entirely clear to me that the nose wheel leg is a visible or important enough component to deserve such efforts

 

who are you trying to kid ?   You know that every little greeblie counts towards the end game

 

That is some very nice detail work there Steve.  you could almost tempt me into 1/72 land with stuff like that.

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I think hat you have done with the nose gear does constitute a substantial improvement in appearance and thus definitely is worth doing.

 

Martian

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Who is going to complain at that beautiful work huh?

 

 

Er

 

Me. :(

 

Sorry but the brass rod/tube for the shiny fescalised bit, do you have plans to swap the oleo bit for a shiny nickel piece instead?

 

My reasoning is that no amount of paint or even very fiddly strips of chromey film look quite as good as silvery nickel tube

 

These nose legs deserve the very best presentation, they're fabulous

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7 hours ago, hendie said:

you could almost tempt me into 1/72 land with stuff like that.

 

Did you see that everyone?  The Hendiemeister might be tempted to deploy his skills in 1/72.  All those in favour.........:)

 

50 minutes ago, perdu said:

Sorry but the brass rod/tube for the shiny fescalised bit, do you have plans to swap the oleo bit for a shiny nickel piece instead?

 

My reasoning is that no amount of paint or even very fiddly strips of chromey film look quite as good as silvery nickel tube

 

Funny you should say that Bill.....

 

My original thought had been to use a length of sewing needle to get the chrome effect on the fescalised section- but I was then taken by the advantages of using the slide fit tubing - of which I already had some brass in stock.

 

But you old devil - you've got me thinking.  You're absolutely right that no amount of paint etc look as good.

 

I've just looked on the Albion Alloy website - and they do do slide  fit nickel silver micro tubing......free delivery.....shall I?  Oh blow it -  I'll have to now won't I....

 

,,,,,,,,,

 

Done.

 

Great thought Bill - thanks :thumbsup:  Everyone needs a bit of direction and guidance now and then :)

 

Further thought........And the best thing is - cos the leg is made from plastic tubing the fescalised portion gets slid into place from the top down.  So I can airbrush the leg in Light Aircraft Grey - and after painting just slide the fescalised section in place and so I won't have to mask it to get a lovely crisp clean look.  Brilliant Bill.  Just brilliant.

 

What am I so absurdly pleased with this?  Little things/little minds etc........

 

Edited by Fritag
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Phew

 

He doesn't seem to have been offended does he?

 

Steve the first Albion stuff I bought was their slide fit nickel tubing and as well as using it for the Wopse's shiny bit it was great for the other tubes I needed, the floats are entirely supported by it

 

I will not ever be out of it either, seems my LHS carries a wide stock in nickel and steam-punk, I mean brass

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4 minutes ago, perdu said:

the first Albion stuff I bought was their slide fit nickel tubing and as well as using it for the Wopse's shiny bit it was great for the other tubes I needed

 

And I used Albion 0.1mm and 0.2mm nickel rod for the aerials on the JP's - and I still didn't think to see if they did it in slide fit tubing...................

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Sometimes, when I despair at the state of the world and the seeming lack or care and attention people seem to pay to the consequences of their actions or lack of action, it is a dose of much needed medicine for the soul to see someone who will go as far as they can to do the best that they can. I applaud your skill and commitment, such efforts transform the merely mechanical into art.

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