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MACH 2 ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH ARGOSY C MK1


adey m

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A few years ago at Scale Model World HORNBY AIRFIX were giving out slips of paper on which visitors could write down the models that they wished for.

On my paper I wrote 1/72 AW Argosy and as I handed it in to some young assistant who probably had no idea what an Argosy was I thought " no chance ".

 

I have wished for an injection moulded 1/72 Argosy for years and hoped that a mainstream manufacturer would produce one.

 

Then at last year's Scale Model World there it was to my absolute surprise, on display in a glass cabinet on the F-RESIN stand courtesy of Mr Palix of MACH 2 a built up RAF Argosy in camouflage scheme, And on the table were the sprues of parts for anybody interested to study closely.

 

I already had experience of MACH 2 as I had built their Breguet Atlantic so I knew what to expect..............................

But there in front of me was a built up one so they must be buildable..............

 

They seemed to be flying off the stand to eager buyers so I thought I better get one before they ran out so I bought the RAF silver and white version.

 

On arriving home a close study of the parts gave me some misgivings. The plastic parts had a rough surface with lumps of molten plastic stuck to them.

Small parts such as aerials and vortex generators were so crude that they would require scratch making. But really this is what I expected anyway.

The instructions only give a rough idea about particular areas of the model as you are expected to already know something about the subject you are building.

What did impress me was the inspiring colour scheme and decal placement guide printed in full colour. The quality of the decals looked to be excellent.

 

My wife wanted it to be a Christmas present so I became distracted with another project and  it wasn't until March this year that I started cutting plastic off the thick sprues and set to on the laborious task of cleaning up the parts.

 

The Argosy was finally completed in September and I was able to display it on our model club table at Scale Model World where it was the only Argosy to appear in the whole show.............

What has happened to all those Argosies that were bought last year ?

 

I took photos of the build as it progressed and so I will share these with you in the sequence that I built it as though I were building it now.

 

Adrian

 

I'm laughing because I know what's coming next...................TOMMY COOPER

Edited by adey m
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A box full of fun................I decided that the kit wheels were not suitable so you will notice a small plastic bag containing AIRFIX Valiant mainwheels which are suitable.

 

why do aircraft kit manufacturers think that any old wheel will do......................

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MACH 2 instructions at their best. Simple,  joyous, friendly, uncluttered, symbol and progress clock free......and in colour......not like the technical manuals you get with Revell kits............Joyous simplicity in an overly complex world............

 

Edited by adey m
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Okay we have to start somewhere......first job was to individually shape and fettle each porthole clear part to fit it's individual opening......probably no two the same.

 

The appropriate beaver tail of the RAF version has been attached as has the cargo bay floor.

 

Plastic card strips around the fuselage edges to provide alignment and somewhere to apply the glue.

 

Cockpit bulkhead  on kit is in wrong place. It should not be right behind the pilots seats but farther back as the flight deck needs extending to accommodate the flight engineer .

 

Location and amounts of nose weights are also being tackled.

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Trial fitting of upper deck and nose weights. Windows glazing protected by masking tape.

 

Flight deck taking final shape with flight engineers position and consuls in place.

 

 

Edited by adey m
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I do love a good Elsan...

 

 

 

This is becoming... excellent

 

it's very good

 

I hope you didn't forget that sponge was there

 

Pound to a penny you needed it ten minutes after the fuselage is closed up if you did

 

 

:)

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1 hour ago, Christer A said:

 

What Airfix-kit had do donate it's bomb-bay roof?

 

Vickers Valiant.

 

This (Argosy) is one kit I'd like to have a go at: where did you get your references for the internals please?  I wish I could blow your images up far enough to do your work justice.

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On 19/12/2016 at 07:14, Christer A said:

Nice scratching skills there!

What Airfix-kit had do donate it's bomb-bay roof?

well spotted Christer..........I actually used parts from an AIRFIX Valiant.......the Valiant mainwheels make a perfect replacement for the poor kit ones,

 

Adey

Edited by adey m
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9 hours ago, stever219 said:

 

Vickers Valiant.

 

This (Argosy) is one kit I'd like to have a go at: where did you get your references for the internals please?  I wish I could blow your images up far enough to do your work justice.

thanks Steve.

 

All Argosy cutaways I could find were of the civil cargo version and most internal videos and photos on the web are of preserved civilian versions.

The civil versions have a different flight deck layout and cargo hold nose area to the RAF version.

I trawled and trawled to find something on the interior of the RAF version.....there are some nice photos of one preserved RAF cockpit and a view looking forwards in the cargo hold of a T2.

I also just had to make an educated guess with some detail

The cockpit is a dilema....a reference states that the RAF version had a crew of five on the flight deck.......well I could not fit another workstation on my flightdeck without some serious overcrowding....the civil versions only had a flight crew of three.

 

Adey

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In this view you can see the circular crew entry hatch which I cut out and the air dropmaster's window under the fuselage nose.

 

The area of the nose around the window is flat in profile so I used a large metal file to flatten it.

Edited by adey m
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Trial fitting of the crew entry hatch under the nose.

 

The two pilots waiting patiently in the background and supervising the install of comfy seating...................

Edited by adey m
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Interior painting underway.

 

Spot the mistake I made..........how am I going to fit the nose weights now with that bulkhead in place...............woops

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All the required nose weight is now in place........do you remember those Chinese puzzles you got in Christmas crackers...............................

 

How did I know how much weight to install you may be asking.............I will show you later.

Edited by adey m
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