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A French Vulture


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Another essentially French aircraft - pretty much an equivalent of the Canberra.

The Vautour was built in numerous versions, the IIA being a single seat attack aircraft with a solid nose and the IIN was a two seat interceptor with a radar nose.

However, I have chosen to build the two seat bomber version, the IIB. To my eyes, this is an aircraft from that interesting interim period when jests had become commonplace but still had vestiges of design features from prop aircraft. In this case, the Vautour IIB has a glass nose for the nav!

Another thing to consider is the bicycle undercarriage. That's always interesting.

V-001.jpg

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The IIB is the best looking of all the Vautours.

Have fun with the small bicycle wheels under the wings! Always fun to make sure everything is level...

Good luck!!!

JR

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I have a cunning plan! :D

Extremely glad to hear it! We'll find out more in due time...

The only Vautour I ever built was the 1/100 (?) Heller Cadet model, many monsoons ago. And I did not have a plan then, cunning or otherwise....

JR

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Awesome! There are some excellent subjects in this GB -and there was me thinkin' it would be all Mirages and Renault 5s! :fool:

Having the intention to build a Mirage, I should feel offended! But I won't!

But so many French aircraft have such character that it is hard to choose one through them all... But you have to admit that the Mirage III "a de la gueule"!!!

And I take this opportunity to thank the Almighty that I have never owned a Renault 5!!!

JR

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Once again, some very nice mouldings and resin, with a complete lack of locating pins on the fuselage and nacelle halves and some very tall ejection pin towers which will need trimming. The panel lines are very finely engraved. All in all, well up to the standard we have come to expect from Azur. :thumbsup:

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Two sets of tailplanes - one with elevators, the other without. The instructions are quite clear about which options need which tailplanes.

V-003.jpg

V-004.jpg

V-005.jpg

V-006.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Enzo,

the cockpit detail doesn't look too shoddy at all! Rather nice, dare I say!

I have seen pix of the seats where they are in a bright, rather garish green colour! Where did the French good taste go?

No matter what the true colour is, being violently sick while trying to stick to what reality may have been is not worth it in my book! Aluminium seats are very nice indeed!

Good show!

JR

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The cockpit components fitted into the starboard fuselage half.

V-010.jpg

And a close-up of the forward fuselage area. The nav's position really is a bit of a black hole. He can only see directly forward - there are no side windows. I don't know if this is better or worse than the nav's position in the Sea Vixen.

V-011.jpg

At least it won't need any nose ballast!

Fuselage taped together temporarily, with the wings attached.

V-012.jpg

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Fuselage assembled and the nacelles have been attached to the wings. The wings are not yet cemented to the fuselage, which explains the huge chasms at the wing roots.

V-013.jpg

As you can see, this is quite a substantial model for 1/72.

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How has the kit been to build so far? I can see that you have used some filler but it does not look to be covered in it like some limited edition kits.

It's been a lot of fun so far. What looks like filler is in fact Mr Surfacer. I would have used that on the joints of any kit.

I'm now wondering just how good one of these would look in Israeli markings...

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It's been a lot of fun so far. What looks like filler is in fact Mr Surfacer. I would have used that on the joints of any kit.

I'm now wondering just how good one of these would look in Israeli markings...

I have had the same thought for my kit.

I would probably go for the early camo scheme myself.

Though I would like to finish one as French, preferably a test one with some dayglo on it if I can find suitable references.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Transparencies fitted. The canopy is a single piece so I sawed the windscreen from the two seater canopy and fitted it. that way if I mess things up, I have another chance... :D

V-014.jpg

Main assembly complete. I have started to mask the transparencies and am preparing myself to deal with the canyons at the wing roots.

V-015.jpg

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