Sea Vixen Observer's Side Window

[Mike N]

I'm converting the 1/48 Airfix kit to an FAW.1 using the Alley Cay set, and have made a bit of a hash of the side window installation.

Basically I had to superglue the thing in with a large quantity of the stuff, and the resultant fogging and filling needed around it made me just fill over and sand the whole thing to get a decent outer profile.

The reason for going down this route was that I was convinced that I'd read this window was often painted over, but a bit of research now has me thinking I'd mis-interpreted this: all I can find is that the small window in the hatch was painted over!

Can anyone save me a lot of cutting and cursing trying to reinstate the side window by stating it was also often painted over?!

Mike

[Pat C]

I'm not sure it was painted over unfortunately. You could paint a black rectangle to simulate the glass perhaps if you can't face chopping open the hole?

Pat

[Selwyn]

I'm converting the 1/48 Airfix kit to an FAW.1 using the Alley Cay set, and have made a bit of a hash of the side window installation.

Basically I had to superglue the thing in with a large quantity of the stuff, and the resultant fogging and filling needed around it made me just fill over and sand the whole thing to get a decent outer profile.

The reason for going down this route was that I was convinced that I'd read this window was often painted over, but a bit of research now has me thinking I'd mis-interpreted this: all I can find is that the small window in the hatch was painted over!

Can anyone save me a lot of cutting and cursing trying to reinstate the side window by stating it was also often painted over?!

Mike

As an aside The small window was not painted over by the way, the Master armament safety switch indicator was in this window, so you could tell if the aircraft armament systems were safe before you entered the cockpit.

Selwyn

[71chally]

There was black roller blind that could be pulled horizontally across the window. The armament safety indicator was in that small area forward of the vertical frame, this area appears black due to the backing panel.

The first windows were single fixed panes, very early on in service the window became two panes the bigger aft part opening inwards.

On launch the window would be left closed but not locked, the idea being that in a ditching that the outside water pressure would push the window in flooding the cockpit and thus equalize the pressure to help with the navigators escape.

The small hatch window was indeed painted over.

[neilh]

Could you not remove the filler, then fill with CA glue, let it harden and then polish it back to clarity? That way you get a smooth joint and a flush fitting window. When you paint the model, mask the area of the window and it should look fine.

[Mike N]

You have confirmed my fears I quite like the superglue idea, never tried it before.

Thanks for all the replies.

Mike

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

I too am doing an FAW1 using this combo (& I had problems with the Looker's side window, though not quite as bad as yours...), but your thread has finally answered one of my questions. I'd always been puzzled by the LIVE/SAFE portion at the front of the later window: I assumed it was for the Observer's seat, so couldn't understand why there was no equivalent for the Pilot. The MASS had never occurred to me, so thanks!

Hope you sort your window, Mike!

[71chally]

Just for reference to anyone else interested in the observers window.

Early window (pre mod 1085) single fixed pane.

The hatch window and the fixed forward portion of the side window (post mod 1085) were painted black from the inside, the latter with a small aperture to show the master armament switch indicator.

The larger aft openable section was covered by a black roller blind.

obs window by James Thomas, on Flickr

This pic shows the master armament switch and its position in the window, above the radar joystick. The opening part of the window is open, adjacent to the forward fixed portion (paint removed in this example!) you can see the main switch lever with two grey switches top and bottom and the red & white indicator panel which moves up and down with the lever and is viewable externally through a small aperture.

obs window 2 by James Thomas, on Flickr

This shows the external view of the indicator.

Edited May 28, 2016 by 71chally