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Airfix's Nimrod...


perdu

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I picked up one of these last week for less than twenty pounds, should I worry that I wasted my money or gloat at my financial acumen?

I have seen references to intake dimensions and other comments about the upper engine and wing root detail, I'm wondering if I've landed myself with a huge problem or just a reasonable bit of Milliputtery to engage myself when I finally get round to it

Advice and comment would be very welcome folks, thanks

I'm aware that the decal sheet is a little 'unusual', dealing with which isn't a worry to me

I have a huge stash of Almarks roundels :)

And a printer beside me

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Go for it, I think it's a great Kit not sure about the inaccuracies but looks like a nimrod to me. I remember something to about the internal fuselage parta you need to watch for affecting th final assembly of the fuselage and wings but not sure what it's been a while now :)

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Hi Bill.

The Airfix Nimbat isn't bad but the intakes are all wrong and the thrust reverser vents are in the wrong place and poorly rendered.The canopy is poor, as is the dorsal fin.

I'd use the Alley-Cat resin parts

I think it was Heritage as did white metal u/c, and there is also a resin nosewhel bay out there..

Edited by Ascoteer
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hi Perdu!

The decal sheet is rubbish, bin it!

nose landing gear bay is completely devoid of detail, but i guess you've already seen that.

careful aligning the upper & lower main wing halves - the opening for the landing lights(?) on the wing roots didn't align on my build, had to ream them out and use micro crystal clear in place of the kit parts as a consequence.

the doors stand proud of the fuselage, need to be sanded down.

gaps on the main and tail wings to fuselage joins, rather large-ish in my case.

that's all i remember. but don't be put off, it's nice and impressive when built.

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Got a Nimrod at Elvington - I could take a trip out and get piccies if you need em?

I must take a trip up to Elvington - I haven't been there since Jetstream student days...

Edited by Ascoteer
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Whatever you do, don't build it with the flaps down.... Airfix only give an option for half the flaps to be lowered, completely missing those under the engine tailpipes.

Otherwise, a bit of filing on the underside of the intakes to create a more squared off appearance, reshaping the searchlight and correcting the leading edge landing lights outboard of the engines are the easiest mods and help improve the appearance.

If you attach the upperwings to the fuselage then glue the wing underside on you can remove the need to sand and fill the upperwing to fuselage join.

Peter

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There's plenty of irksome areas, the thrust reverser cascades (in the wrong place and look nothing like the originals) nose light in the wrong position, plus the other stuff already mentioned above. But the same can be said of many kits I suppose.

But hey, it's a nimrod and the only one on the market so I'm happy (got 3 of them to build)

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There was a brilliant build on here many years back where the builder had a real one to compare it with. I think the conclusion was that the kit is good but the real thing is better...

Nose light is too high iirc. I may have saved the link if you can't find it.

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The build on here was by Mattie B and was of R. 1 XW665 I think.

There are differences between the R. 1s and the MR. variants, I.e. no weapons bay, but a lot of these were covered in the thread. Interestingly XV249 at Cosford is displayed with the outer flaps down and the inners up. Life imitating art perhaps?

If you're doing an MR. 2 the SCP intake is the wrong size and the exhaust in the wrong place (both on the rear fuselage port side) but Alley Cat sorted out the former and the latter is a "cut 'n' shut job.

The APU installation, starboard rear fuselage, is more appropriate for an MR. 2 IIRC.

I've built the kit as a Mk. 2 without a lot of the mods and it's still quite impressive. One day I hope I'll get round to doing some more of them, and I've still got another three to build!

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Wow, talk about an enthusiastic and knowlegable response huh

Thanks very much for this, so not a waste of dosh

Lots of doable work to improve it and impressive afterwards

Sounds like I got a bargain

I haven't started doing the research yet, nor decided which variant I fancy but I lived for a few weeks in 8 Sqn's hangar during a scheme we were on one year whilst Kinloss was being resurfaced and there were a couple of white/grey Nimmys parked around the place making it look like a real airfield :)

So I have a slight bias thataway, 'specially as they were white/grey the first time Nimrod won Fincastle and I do so like winners

But Cosford is only a few minutes away, free to enter and has XV249 in pale fawn ;)

Not likely before the winter though, I'm measuring/drawing a Hansom Cab in 54mm now I have procured Dobbin to stand in its shafts

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But Cosford is only a few minutes away, free to enter and has XV249 in pale fawn ;)

Fairly sure XV249 is non-descript grey... Reckon the odd flap setting is because of the way they chopped up the wing connections when it was moved into Cosford....

Peter

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I built an Airfix Nimrod. Compared with the other Nimrod by Formaplane (which I beat into submission) the Airfix kit was a delight to build.Even out of the box it looks good and impressive.

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Not likely before the winter though, I'm measuring/drawing a Hansom Cab in 54mm now I have procured Dobbin to stand in its shafts

Not fair to keep us waiting that long now Bill.

Mrs F cadged a few rides in the Nimrod out of Kinloss in the early 80's. Her recollection is of surprisingly good on board grub - and almost constant eating by the crew.......

So don't forget to super-detail the galley.......

Edited by Fritag
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Fairly sure XV249 is non-descript grey... Reckon the odd flap setting is because of the way they chopped up the wing connections when it was moved into Cosford....

Peter

Of course it is Peter thanks for reminding me

Only saw her a few weeks ago too, duh.... :(

Thanks for the link to that build Kirk, lovely stuff

Steve, I have to, simply have to build the Cab

But Nimrod will be coming along shortly

Detailing the interior may well be done with a thick black paint brush

I'm still deciding whether to lay in large stocks of Milliput for the intakes or buy someone else's resin

Autumn at least

But there's Chinooks to build too

And Buccaneers

Cranberries

Phantooms

and going up and down VTOL fighters

And Airfix are producing awesome Shackletons and Sea Kings

And I am ever so old....

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Mrs F cadged a few rides in the Nimrod out of Kinloss in the early 80's. Her recollection is of surprisingly good on board grub - and almost constant eating by the crew.......

Ah yes, DCS!

(Dairy Cream Sponge - staple diet of Nimrod crews)

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