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Good morning,

I just thought I might ask the advice and opinions of members of the forum in regards to a project i'm starting.

I was thinking of doing a 1:72 Airfix Vulcan "properly"; with aftermarket engines, intakes (possibly, you'll see later) and the white ensign model (WEM) stuff.

I've also thought it might be an appropriate model to do some rescribing for the first time, along with flory washes, photo etch and resin- I had to choose this model :P

So the few questions I would like to ask are as follows:

1. Can you use a steel ruler and is it adviseable for linear panel lines as a guide- rather than masking tape?

2. (Perhaps the most important decision) Which Vulcan to do?! I've got a choice between XH558 and XL360- having been in XL360 and purely because I quite like the 617 tail marking (I might be turning into an "anorak" :D ) I feel a greater sense of attachment to her, although I have seen XH558 display at Throckmorton last year and so I am quite keen on her too!

3. Should I have "everything" open (gear down, airbrakes down, bomb bay doors open, crew hatch open)? Or should I save some money and (if I should choose XL360) build the Coventry Vulcan as it currently is (and save additional money with FOD covers for the ghastly kit intakes)?

Note: I would have built the Cosford Vulcan but I'm not keen on the highly glossed finish of XM598 :D

4. Any other advice for building the Airfix kit? Joins to watch out for, etc.

I know that 2 and 3 are very subjective points but I would greatly value your opinions.

Many thanks,

Sam

Edit: the 617 tail marking on XL360

IMG_1015.jpg

Edit 2:

-Are there any definitive colour matches out there for either 558 or 360?

Edited by cathasatail
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I think rather than repeating a lot of this information here, a quick search in the "in progress" section will get you all the answers you need. The Vulcan is of course a very popular subject and there are plenty of how to articles on here..

Briefly though, standard upper surface colours were RAF Dark Green and RAF Medium Sea Grey, with either Wihite or RAF Light Aircraft Grey undersides. One aircraft at least had Dark Green and Dark Sea Grey uppers. Wrap around scheme was Dark Green and Dark Sea Grey. XH558 was different in that it was RAF Dark Green and Medium Sea Grey wraparound. Standard paints available in in Humbrol, Xtracolor, Xtracylic, etc ranges.

I used Dymo tape and a Steel rule for my re-scribing.

Add the upper wing to the built up fuselage shell before adding the lower section.

The kits exhaust cans are woeful. These are best replaced by Freightdog items, though these are for Olympus 200 series Vulcans (XH558 for example) . For later 300 series Vulcans you'll need some scratch building.

I'd recommend using whatever aftermarket items are available for intakes wheel bays etc,,

Good luck!

Edit: you should find this build helpful......http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234975800-airfix-172-vulcan/page-1?hl=vulcan

Edited by Bill Clark
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Hello Sam,

I'm glad you asked those questions (and the answers Bill and Gary gave) as I am planning to build the Airfix kit myself into XH558. I saw it at RIAT last year and was very impressed by its performance. (pity we won't see that anymore... :weep:)

I have collected all the aftermarket stuff now, but I am stiil in doubt whether or not to scribe the panel lines. There are lots of arguments for and against it in another thread.I suppose it's a matter of personal preference, but the photo you posted does support the argument that panel lines are hardly visible on the real thing, let alone on a 1/72 scale model...

It's time to duck for cover, I think.. :worms:

Anyway, good luck with your build and keep us posted on your progress!

Robert

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Panel lines are subjective, and TBH not many are seen on the pics I have looked at, but some are visible.

Have a look at our Walkaround for 558 as it has a lot of pictures: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234975078-avro-vulcan-xh558/

We also have another thread for the Vulcan http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/73384-avro-vulcan/

Nose configurations vary as well, from what I have seen XM594 at Newark has the nose radar and a refuelling probe, XM573 at the SAC museum has just the nose radar, while XH558 in its current form has the radar removed but still keeps the probe.

It is better to get an early version of the kit if you can find it. Mine I am currently building is a later one and was badly warped in places. I had to glue the wings straight and them attach them to the body. As Bill said its better if you can glue the wing halves to the body halves then glue everything together. The intakes on the early moulds are a lot better. Mine is flying so I have used the intakes donated to me from an older kit which were not to bad. The ones in my boxing were just scrap.

Good luck.

Julien

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I have collected all the aftermarket stuff now, but I am stiil in doubt whether or not to scribe the panel lines. There are lots of arguments for and against it in another thread.I suppose it's a matter of personal preference,

Whilst the Vulcan is a large kit (relatively speaking) its a good subject to lose your "scribing" cherry on because the surface is mostly flat and the lines are pretty straight - you are right, its always a matter of personal choice and also ability but for me the big benefit for re-scribed panel lines are that they allow you to add a wash, and sometimes a wash makes all the difference. Choose your tools carefully, allow the scribing tool to do the work, and lightly rub them down afterwards.

Edited by Gary West
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Panel lines are subjective, and TBH not many are seen on the pics I have looked at, but some are visible.Have a look at our Walkaround for 558 as it has a lot of pictures: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234975078-avro-vulcan-xh558/We also have another thread for the Vulcan http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/73384-avro-vulcan/Nose configurations vary as well, from what I have seen XM594 at Newark has the nose radar and a refuelling probe, XM573 at the SAC museum has just the nose radar, while XH558 in its current form has the radar removed but still keeps the probe.Julien

All Vulcan B2's had IFR probes added at some stage, including XM573, a quick google search will provide photo's showing this. There was a mad rush to get them working again in 1982 for the long journey South! Regarding the terrain following nose radar 'thimble', XH558 was for a time a Maritime Radar Reconnaisance (MRR) machine, so didn't need it. All other Vulcans not involved in MRR should have had it fitted, due to their low level roles. Edited by Bill Clark
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Whilst the Vulcan is a large kit (relatively speaking) its a good subject to lose your "scribing" cherry on

That's absolutely true and If I had not lost that "cherry" on several other models, I probably would on this model.

... for me the big benefit for re-scribed panel lines are that they allow you to add a wash, and sometimes a wash makes all the difference. ...

Again, absolutely true. But even if you don't scribe the panel lines, there's always the control surfaces you can apply a wash around.

And there is another method you can use to make the surfaces of an well-used aircraft more lifelike, especially on the large surfaces of a 1/72 Vulcan. It's "filtering", widely used on armoured vehicle models nowadays. The look of the aircraft in Sam's photo could be re-created very well with this method.

As far as 558 is concerned, the finish I saw it in at RIAT is a smooth and quite glossy camouflage (now that's a contradiction in terms, isn't it?). And as I want to model it as a tribute to that last performance at RIAT, I suppose this modelling project will be rather straightforward for a change: very few panel lines, very little weathering.. And if that would make it look like a large slab of plastic to outsiders, who cares? The real thing looked like a giant slab of metal...

Sorry, didn't want to start the earlier discussion about this all over again; I'll get off my :hobbyhorse: now.

Julien, thanks for the link to the walkaround; I'll certainly make eager use of it.

Sam, keep us posted!

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Sam, keep us posted!

Will do! :D I'm heading to Cosford on Sunday-i'll pick up resin freightdog 301 exhausts from there, i've already ordered them and i'll collect them on the day.

Sam

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In spring 1982 AAR was suddenly in high demand, at that stage the probes were removed from non flying Vulcans (including those in the USA) to speed up the rush fit to Nimrods, and Vulcans with u/s equipment.

This was a matter of such urgency that even AAR parts lying around in offices were scooped up for re-service!

I built the Airfix Vulcan years ago in the 617 Sqn anti-flash white scheme, I do remember that the jet pipes were the let down of the kit.

I have started a Vulcan Victor AAR on a stand affair and will add new jet pipe this time around and will scribe in panel lines, simply because the raised ones in the kit are too obvious.

As for what configuration to model it in, really check out reference pics of the particular airframe you are doing, ie did the airbrakes deploy while parked etc.

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