Enzo the Magnificent Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 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. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Now that's what I'm talking about, good to see this one 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 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 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 Have fun with the small bicycle wheels under the wings! Always fun to make sure everything is level... I have a cunning plan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I have a cunning plan! 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 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngstROM Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Awesome! There are some excellent subjects in this GB -and there was me thinkin' it would be all Mirages and Renault 5s! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Awesome! There are some excellent subjects in this GB -and there was me thinkin' it would be all Mirages and Renault 5s! 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 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 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. Two sets of tailplanes - one with elevators, the other without. The instructions are quite clear about which options need which tailplanes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAU Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 I'll look forward to see this one built. I bought both the IIB and IIN when they came out and have only sniffed in the box since then... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 Oddly enough, I decided to build the wings first! The leading edge is very well represented. The nacelle parts, with the intake and exhaust being represented in resin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Looks like a really nice kit Enzo and i'm looking forward to seeing that glazed nose! Cliff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Just acquired one of these beauties myself, a fantastic looking aircraft. One question though to the Vautour experts out there,is the finish natural metal or painted aluminium? Craig. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 I'm not a Vautour expert by any means, but I believe that the finish was natural metal. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Thanks Enzo, I have been looking at pictures on the internet and I am unsure, the aircraft certainly look to be natural metal when they were manufactured but some look like they were sprayed aluminium, perhaps during an overhaul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted April 19, 2015 Author Share Posted April 19, 2015 Not much to show on this at the moment. Here are the cockpit assemblies ready for installation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 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 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Nice work on the seats Enzo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted April 20, 2015 Author Share Posted April 20, 2015 The cockpit components fitted into the starboard fuselage half. 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. At least it won't need any nose ballast! Fuselage taped together temporarily, with the wings attached. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Very nice work Enzo. Looks like she will really start taking shape now, looking forward to it. And no I don't think I would like to have been in either "coal hole" for very long! Craig. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Good progress Enzo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted April 24, 2015 Author Share Posted April 24, 2015 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. As you can see, this is quite a substantial model for 1/72. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 Nice progress Enzo. 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. Craig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted April 24, 2015 Author Share Posted April 24, 2015 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... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 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... Main assembly complete. I have started to mask the transparencies and am preparing myself to deal with the canyons at the wing roots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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