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Hawker Hunter T7 4FTS RAF Valley


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Hi All

This is my first GB for a while so am looking forward to seeing a load of beautiful Hunters.soon.

Here is my starting point

IMG_1795

and hopefully the end point is XL618 at the Camarthen Air museum in North Wales.

Colin

Edited by Colin W
Picture restoration
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The Hunter in the picture has not been completed? it has the correct color scheme, but lacks all the 4 FTS Markings..........possibly they are waiting for the paint to dry before they can apply the decals and give it a coat of Klear........... :shutup:

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A bit of progress

After all parts had been washed and dried I started by assembling the cockpit floor and bulkhead including the Academy nose well. The instructions say to build the fuselage including wings then cut off the nose. First step is to remove the spine.

 

IMG_1800

 

I decided that it would be easier to cut off the nose with the fuselage halves flat on the bench rather than rolling around, especially with the wings in the way. As an alternative I taped the fuselage halves together then wrapped some 2mm tape around the nose in front of the intakes giving the reference line to cut.

IMG_1802

 

I then separated the fuselage halves and made the cut with a razor saw, cutting on the scrap side of the tape until the nose came off cleanly.

 

Looks like I might need a bit of filler!

Colin

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Nice work so far Colin!

But, yeah, thats going to take a bit of filler isn't it!

What do you use as a matter of interest? I'm yet to find a filler i'm really happy with!

Cheers

Simon

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They don't call me Mr Milliput for nothing.

I also use Squadron 'White Stuff' for small gaps and Mr Surfacer for even smaller.

This looks like a job for the real stuff though!

Colin

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Got to work on the Cockpit and main assembly yesterday .

Here is the basic cockpit from Aeroclub. This white metal used to be fantastic but compared to the modern resin its looking a bit crude.

IMG_1934

Cockpit

Looks a bit better in normal size!

IMG_1936

Overall structure with wings and tail added. I needed to add a structural cross brace at the front to keep it from flexing when I added the wings. Presumably this is why Aeroclub advised to cut after assembly.

IMG_1947IMG_1948

 

 

 

Colin

Edited by Colin W
Picture restoration
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I dont have a 4FTS badge for the fin which is why I chose this one ;-)

When I find a badge I'll finish it properly.

Colin

As an alternative 16sqn used Hunters when their Buccaneers were temporarily grounded. This included a 4FTS T7. Their black and yellow 'Saint' badge was overlaid on the 4FTS badge......of course if you haven't a 16Sqn badge...........
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Hi Bill great to have you with us in spirit if not building.

A bit more progress since yesterday.

Here is the front fuselage with the cross brace added and the remodeled intakes. The one on the right is the kit intake and the one on the left is modified.

 

Last job tonight glue the nose on and make sure its square. Aeroclub say there must be a 1 degree droop in the nose which is a bit tighter tolerance than I normally work to!

 

 

Cheers

Colin

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I was always amazed at Telford how some stunning models with endless resin this and that had off center fins, wheels or drop tanks pointing in different directions, different dihedral on ailerons etc. I always try hard on this point.

Colin

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The nose was left to dry over Friday night and Saturday I applied the Milliput to dry last night.

 

That gave me today to sand the Milliput and gradually work through Squadron putty and Mr Surfacer to get here.

 

Lets talk about wheels, Aeroclub in the metal and Academy in plastic. Fairly clear what to use wheel wise but I think I'll use the Academy nose leg shortened. The white metal is lacking finesse..

 

IMG_1955

 

Colin

Edited by Colin W
Picture restoration
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Hi

Its a shame the wheels are so wrong in diameter as they are actually better moulded than most, inc the Aeroclub replacements!

Bit slower now as back at work after Songkran Holidays

Well back to the action. With the sanding done I cut out the vacform canopy and set about framing it with filler.

Start with a rubbing of the plastic, cut out the paper, transfer the shape to plastic card, wrap in masking tape on both sides and then cut the tape to the shape of the card. This gives one shape and an identical mirror on the back.

 

IMG_1965

 

spray black, apply filler, sand

 

 

and then coat with Mr Surfacer 500 sealer.

IMG_1968

A coat of primer will seal it up ready for a final scheme.

Edited by Colin W
Picture restoration
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Hi All,

Not much from me as I've been a bit busy at work last week.

I did manage to finish off the canopy framing and get a base coat of Mr Surfacer white 1000 on yesterday.

IMG_1976

I did a coat of gloss white in the necessary places, honest!

IMG_1980

I installed the single Belinda cartridge collector painted the wheel wells silver and finally masked the places for the roundels.

There does not seem to be much of a pattern about which planes have a white border around the roundels. All the RAE ones do on the fuselage and mostly upper wing. For the FTS scheme I am doing there seems to be some planes with a border on the fuselage and some without. There are plenty of pics on Brit modeler of Hunters with the white border on upper wings but I can find no actual planes with a border top or bottom.

So my plan is to have a border on the fuselage roundels but not elsewhere. Unless someone knows better.....?

 

IMG_2293

 

The blue tape is for reference lines and will be removed. I find it very hard to put the tape circles on by eye as they always stick in the wrong places.

Cheers

Colin

Edited by Colin W
Picture restoration
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I've just had a rummage through the decals box and found the same sheet I used for 2 of my previous Hunters. Cutting edge 'Hunters Part 2'. It has a scheme fir an F6 of 4FTS including the pyramid badge.

 

So thanks for the offers of a badge, I can do the proper scheme now.

Cheers

Colin

Edited by Colin W
Picture restoration
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