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1/48 Airfix Gloster Meteor F8


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I like to have 3 models underway at any one time. Definitely no more. This way I have something to work on while paint is drying on two other models. So, this one got started today as number 3 in the queue. 3 shall be the number of the count, and the number of the count shall be three.

 

Anyhoo, was quite interested to take a look at one of the latest releases from the all new and improved Airfix. I'm a lazy modeller - I no longer have any time for hours and hours of re scribing and filling. I want good quality kits that minimize the amount of that stuff I have to do. My hat's off to the serious modellers who do all that to get the most accurate representation of a subject possible - it's an awesome approach. But I'm too lazy for that.

 

So having heard good things about the recent Airfix incarnation kits, this seemed like fun.

 

Box:

 

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The mouldings do look nice. There are very small amounts of flash here and there, but nothing serious. I haven't found anything in the way of sink marks either - so far so good.

 

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Made a start with the cockpit tub and ejector seat. Gone are the old days of a crudely moulded seat to be placed into a bare cockpit area - now the tub is made up of several pieces, as is the seat.

 

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Not bad really - I think that will look OK through a closed canopy once painted up. Certainly not up the look of a nice resin cast seat, but not bad.

 

I thought it was interesting that there were two seat options - one without moulded in seat harness. Great idea - but no pilot chappie to put in place on the bare seat. Oh well.

 

Cockpit parts

 

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Front wheel well assembles on to the underside of the tub.

 

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Dry fit of the seat into the tub looks good.

 

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I also assembled up the undercarriage bays on the wings. Really, I'm quite pleased with this model. For the price, there is plenty of detail included. I think that with some basic techniques this will make into a nice OOB model Meteor.

 

I got as far as priming some areas today, and I'm looking forward to picking this up again next time I get to the bench.

 

IMG_4206%20Large_zps4g9o1yyv.jpg

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Recently I completed an Airfix Beaufighter and a Lightning (I used the Alleycat conversion to make an F1). I now have the Meteor on the workbench, to be done as an F/TT.8.

We may build the same kits, but I build mine one at a time!

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You may find that you'll need to trim the outer edges of the gun bays in order to get the fuselage halves to mate properly.  On my first kit I cemented the gun bay doors on before assembling the fuselage as it appeared easier to get them to sit flush with the surrounding skin by doing it that way.  If you're not doing a target tug there's a small semi-conical fairing below the rear fuselage that needs to come off.

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  • 1 month later...

I have been having difficulty with the cockpit on this. Being painted black, it's difficult to give it any tone at all. I think I should have gone for a really dark grey to give it a faded look. For now I'm settling with some dry brushing of metal to simulate some paint wear.

 

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I'll pick out some detail in dark grey. Since this hasn't really gone according to plan, I'll close the cockpit up. Basically, on every model I build, I'm going to weather cockpits until I get the hang of it. When I get one decent, I'll pose the canopy open. :D

 

For now I'll soldier on. I did some assembly on the engines:

 

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Along with a test fit.

 

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I'm not going to go overboard here - I'm going to have the engine bays closed, but the engines can be seen a bit from the intake end, so they need to be installed.

 

Not much progress, but a little here, a little there and it comes together.

 

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Thank you!

 

I did a little dry brushing with ocean grey and white in the cockpit, and it has added a little more depth. Not superb, but a little better, should hold up well enough when built up with bang seat and instrument panel.

 

IMG_0126%20Large_zpsb2naaiyn.jpg

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I think you've taken the right tack, it's difficult with a black cockpit so drybrush with silver/white and then find pics of the real thing and just colour in a few knobs and dials with red or yellow.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Looking good. I will get one of these when I finish my Javelin.  (in about 2018 as there are a few in line first).

 

 

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I must say, I am very impressed with the new Airfix - this kit is going together very well, and without the need for lots of filling and sanding. I really cannot stand to do too much of that, so this is the kind of kit I like.

 

I assembled up the wings today

 

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And also added the little wing root fairings to the fuselage.

 

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They fit fine. At this stage I used just a small amount of adhesive on the mounting tabs.

 

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This allows them to flex just slightly when the wings are added. Dry fit test:

 

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Fit looks good here also. When I apply a small amount of pressure with my fingers, gaps close up nicely. The wing root joints are perhaps a little wide, but they are even. I think that when glued up they may not actually need filling.

 

I made sure to add a few weights up front before I forget. Don't want  a tail sitter!

 

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More on fit - main undercarriage legs are a two piece assembly, and a very light go over with a sanding stick cleans up the top side.

 

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Backside may need a little more work.

 

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The engine intakes are very well done. A neat two piece assembly fits perfectly, and means no filling or mould seam marks in the intake cone.

 

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I decided to clean up wings and fuselage before joining them together.

 

It looks like this is about all the filler I will need on the top of the fuselage. I can deal with that!

 

IMG_4444%20Large_zpsxqp61kdm.jpg

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Also I closed up the gun bays, I'm just going to make the model as a simple closed up display. The covers fit OK. Not perfect, especially on the starboard cover, but pretty good. Once painted I think they will look just fine.

 

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I am very pleased with the rippled sheet metal effect on the gun covers that Airfix moulded in. Very realistic!

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  • 1 month later...

Little bit more progress - starting to look like a Meteor anyway.

 

Wing fit is pretty decent - bit of a gap on the starboard side, and a smaller one on the port side (shown below), but those should fill with thick superglue readily. Engine cowlings, intakes  and covers fit well, with no need for filler.

 

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I've been carefully dry fitting the nose cone - the only area that I have had a fit problem, and I put that down to poor assembly of the front bulkhead on my part. I did not get it flush to the front fuselage joint, so have had to trim the bulkhead back, but the fit is good now, so once I have painted the undercarriage gear I will add the nose.

 

Edited by propforward
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Looking more aeroplaney.

 

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Ejector seat wouldn't pass muster for an open cockpit, but through the canopy will do well enough.

 

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The canopy has some framing to be added. I glued this piece in place using micro krystal kleer. There is a little cross bar that needs to be snipped off, but I left it on for now because it was handy for manipulating the frame into the windshield.

 

IMG_4496%20Large_zpsrouta5yf.jpg

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I agree with Jaffajake. I have one of these which I started early in the year and go back to frequently as a break when I get to the difficult/tedious stages of other kits.

For black cockpits I use an undercoat of aluminium, then very dark grey or NATO black and scrape it off some of the raised areas to represent wear.

 

John

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Thanks for the positive comments! Overall I'm fairly satisfied with this. There are a couple of little areas to clean up, but for the most part fit of this kit is very good. It is really pleasing to see Airfix up their game this way.

 

Thanks for the tip on the black cockpits - sounds like a good approach - may well try that next time. Just a little bit more work and this will be ready for the main painting, which I'm looking forward to as i want to try some shading techniques.

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Looking really good, you certainly seem to have done a better job than me, I had issues with the wing roots and the nose cone but the engine access panels were the worst fit on mine you look to  have mastered them. Enjoy the painting stage.

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I did have a tough time with the nose cone - and it definitely isn't a great job on this one, but I think I managed to get it close enough - hoping it blends in once painted. 

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Definitely glad I got these painting stands. Also made progress with my airbrush technique today. I changed paint consistency, went a bit thinner, reversed the nozzle cap on my Omni 4000, and forced myself to do more coats, but make each one much lighter. The result was good - this is only primer, but I had much finer atomization, better coverage, and no paint runs. Very happy - might have time yet today to put some metal colour down on the underside.

 

This is during prming

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After priming complete:

 

IMG_4520%20Large_zpspxu0rw8d.jpg

Edited by propforward
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