Matchbox Meteor 1/72

[Mark4700]

Having spent most of last year on the Vulcan build , then finishing a Spitfire I'd had kicking around half finished for a while , it was time to pick a new project for a WIP. 

 

After half an hour our looking through the stash looking for something that would be a nice quick build I decided on the Matchbox Meteor. I only received this as part of my Christmas present from my wife last month. I've seen a few Matchbox kits built on here recently and have been impressed by what can be done with them.

 

 

 

I haven't built a Matchbox kit since the 70's so I'm really looking forward to this one. I'm going to build the NF.14 version as it was based at RAF Church Fenton, just up the road from where I live. I'm planning on building it mostly as it comes, but having said that I'm  rescribing it, just bring it up to date a little. I'll see that else there is to do along the way. 

 

Here's the box contents. A real blast from the past with the multi coloured sprues. I feel I'm reliving my childhood

 

 

I'll post some more pics as soon as there's any visible progress. 

 

Edited January 3, 2018 by Mark4700
Pics replaced

[S5 modeller]

Ooohh multicoloured plastic. Looking forward to seeing what you can do with this old kit.

 

Matt

[BritJet]

In case you don't already know ignore the Mk14 nose as it's too long, use the Mk12 nose instead. Be prepared to use quite a lot of filler as the fit isn't too good. I've built a few of these and the tabs on the wings are a sloppy fit but some plastic card shims soon sort them out.

 

Hope it goes well.

 

Steve

[Max Headroom]

Good luck. Get plenty of filler ready and make sure you use the mid length nose option in the kit for the 14, because our own John Aero (Mr Aeroclub no less),  determined that the longest nose option offers in the kit were a work of fiction.

 

Trevor

[Mark4700]

4 minutes ago, Max Headroom said:

Good luck. Get plenty of filler ready and make sure you use the mid length nose option in the kit for the 14, because our own John Aero (Mr Aeroclub no less),  determined that the longest nose option offers in the kit were a work of fiction.

 

Trevor

 

5 minutes ago, BritJet said:

In case you don't already know ignore the Mk14 nose as it's too long, use the Mk12 nose instead. Be prepared to use quite a lot of filler as the fit isn't too good. I've built a few of these and the tabs on the wings are a sloppy fit but some plastic card shims soon sort them out.

 

Hope it goes well.

 

Steve

 

Thanks for the tip. I thought it looked on the long side from the pictures I've seen. I was going to work it out in scale feet so you've saved me a job. 

 

And im used to filler after the Vulcan. 

[Crossofiron1971]

Now there's a blast from the past!

 

[Shalako]

12 hours ago, Mark4700 said:

for something that would be a nice quick build. 

 

Ha! I thought the same thing when I was building this kit back in the late-90s and believe me it's NOT!!!

 

But, then again, it's a Matchbox kit so, everything is forgiven! 

 

Cheers

Shalako

[Martian]

Cool! a Matchbox build!

 

Martian

[theplasticsurgeon]

Cracking choice - that I've built many times.

Here's a link 3 that I did in BM's first GB - in 2007.

And - I've got another in the stash, awaiting the next Matchbox GB.

Edited January 24, 2017 by theplasticsurgeon
More info

[Mark4700]

9 hours ago, Shalako said:

Ha! I thought the same thing when I was building this kit back in the late-90s and believe me it's NOT!!!

 

But, then again, it's a Matchbox kit so, everything is forgiven! 

 

Cheers

Shalako

 

Yes, spent a couple of hours rescribing this afternoon. It seems a bigger project than I was hoping for, but with all the encouragement I'm getting, I'm feeling up for it.  

[Mark4700]

First round of scribing done. All I've done is scribe over the kits raised detailing, which seems a bit on the sparse side and added a few obvious missing extras. Next step is adding more of the detail that is missing. I've taken a pic of some of the parts, however I'm not sure the scribing can be appreciated. 

 

 

I've also tried dry fitting the nose. It doesn't seem a bad fit, and I think I get get it looking good enough by sanding the nose down rather than adding filler to the body. Well, that's the plan anyway. 

Edited January 3, 2018 by Mark4700
Pics

[stever219]

Don't worry about sparse detailing: what you've achieved so far looks nice and neat.  What are you using as a scriber?

 

If you really want to go to town go have a quick shufti on the Walkarounds pages for some inspiration.

 

The Meteor has a bit of a "gotcha" for skin joints on the rear fuselage: the joints are offset from the centreline, so once you've got your fuselage assembled you can have more fun sorting those out.

 

On the subject of joints there's a narrow strip over the joint between the centre section and outer wing panels just outboard of the engines.  If you fancy doing it a thin strip of 5 or 10 thou plasticard, or even paper can suffice for this.

 

Despite its reputation as a filler queen I've enjoyed building this kit a number of times but I've never done an 85 Squadron example even though I've flown from West Malling, where they were based with the NF. 14.

 

Please keep at it: I'm enjoying following your progress.

 

 

[bentwaters81tfw]

Most of the joins on the Meteor are lap joints, there are no real panel lines in the regular sense.

[stever219]

Thanks Bentwaters: you knew what I meant even if I didn't have a clue!

[Mark4700]

5 hours ago, stever219 said:

Don't worry about sparse detailing: what you've achieved so far looks nice and neat.  What are you using as a scriber?

 

If you really want to go to town go have a quick shufti on the Walkarounds pages for some inspiration.

 

The Meteor has a bit of a "gotcha" for skin joints on the rear fuselage: the joints are offset from the centreline, so once you've got your fuselage assembled you can have more fun sorting those out.

 

On the subject of joints there's a narrow strip over the joint between the centre section and outer wing panels just outboard of the engines.  If you fancy doing it a thin strip of 5 or 10 thou plasticard, or even paper can suffice for this.

 

Despite its reputation as a filler queen I've enjoyed building this kit a number of times but I've never done an 85 Squadron example even though I've flown from West Malling, where they were based with the NF. 14.

 

Please keep at it: I'm enjoying following your progress.

 

 

 

Thanks for the information and the encouragement. I'll have a look at that strip on the outbboard of the engines. Compared to the Vulcan, this is easygoing. So far 

[cngaero]

I'm looking forward to this one. There's been quite a few lovely Matchbox builds on here recently with some cracking results.

Good luck with your build.

[Mark4700]

On 25/01/2017 at 16:39, stever219 said:

Don't worry about sparse detailing: what you've achieved so far looks nice and neat.  What are you using as a scriber?

 

 

Sorry, I forgot to answer this question the first time. For the straight lines I use a Tamiya plastic scribed 2, and for the more challenging areas a scriber I picket up from a model shop some time ago.

 

Here's a pic of my favoured scribers. 

 

 

Edited January 3, 2018 by Mark4700
Pics

[Mark4700]

All the bits needed for a basic cockpit. 

 

 

I've never tried enhancing a cockpit before, so seeing as this one should be almost all black, and the parts are so basic, I think this is an excellent opportunity for a first go.  What's the worst that can happen 

Edited January 3, 2018 by Mark4700
Pics

[Greenshirt]

Well Mark I've pulled up a chair. Looking forward to this one. 

[Martian]

If you take your time with the cockpit, you should be fine and there are plenty of us here willing to help if you get stuck. That's part of what BM is all about.

 

Martian

[stever219]

5 hours ago, Mark4700 said:

 

Sorry, I forgot to answer this question the first time. For the straight lines I use a Tamiya plastic scribed 2, and for the more challenging areas a scriber I picket up from a model shop some time ago.

 

Here's a pic of my favoured scribers. 

 

 

Thanks for that Mark; I shall be on the lookout for those at the next show I can get to.

[Mr T]

As I am currently working on a NF12 , which will also be a Church Fenton aircraft, but from 72 Sqn, this should interesting. I also live a few miles away. I have built a couple over the years, one on the 80's when the kit came out and the using an Aeroclub conversion kit for an ex 609 squadron member a few years later.

[Mark4700]

On 25/01/2017 at 4:39 PM, stever219 said:

Don't worry about sparse detailing: what you've achieved so far looks nice and neat.  What are you using as a scriber?

 

If you really want to go to town go have a quick shufti on the Walkarounds pages for some inspiration.

 

The Meteor has a bit of a "gotcha" for skin joints on the rear fuselage: the joints are offset from the centreline, so once you've got your fuselage assembled you can have more fun sorting those out.

 

On the subject of joints there's a narrow strip over the joint between the centre section and outer wing panels just outboard of the engines.  If you fancy doing it a thin strip of 5 or 10 thou plasticard, or even paper can suffice for this.

 

Despite its reputation as a filler queen I've enjoyed building this kit a number of times but I've never done an 85 Squadron example even though I've flown from West Malling, where they were based with the NF. 14.

 

Please keep at it: I'm enjoying following your progress.

 

 

 

Thanks for the information and the encouragement. I'll have a look at that strip on the outbboard of the engines. Compared to the Vulcan, this is easygoing. So far 

[Mark4700]

I've been working on the cockpit for a couple of hours. I'm not after the totally accurate depiction, but a more realistic looking one. The seats looked very basic, a bit like plastic patio chairs with the legs cut off. So they were first to be changed. 

 

Here's a pic of the first one I've done compared to the original. 

 

 

Obviously it still needs a bit of work, but you get the basic shape. 

 

Then I noticed that the cockpit is particularly roomy, far too much elbow room, so I've added some plasticard to narrow the gap and make the cockpit sides straight. 

 

Here's where I'm up to. 

 

 

Obviously still ill a work in progress. 

 

Any my advice at this stage would be appreciated as this is the first cockpit upgrade I've attempted. As I've said, I'm not looking for absolute rivet and bolt accuracy, but a more realistic 'feel' to the cockpit. 

Edited January 3, 2018 by Mark4700
Pics

[stever219]

You've been more diligent than I was with the seats in mine!  My excuse was that with the canopy shut you can't see a thing in the cockpit anyway, and I'm sticking to it.

 

The Meteor front fuselage and (front) cockpit didn't change much structurally between DG202 and WS848: the cockpit walls were inboard of the blast tubes for the cannon in the single seaters.  When the T. 7 was devised the rear cockpit was required to be as close as possible to the front in terms of appearance and locations of controls, so keeping as much as possible in the back identical to and directly behind its equivalent in the front made a lot of sense and avoided unnecessary dog-legs in the control runs.  

 

As the night fighters were derived directly from the T. 7 the structure followed the same principals as the earlier two seater whilst providing the minimum of additional room for the navigator's black boxes, extra oxygen bottles and other bits and pieces.  The probable reason for this is that it avoided introducing new structure with the consequent requirement to re-stress half of the aeroplane, which kept the costs down, which kept the Misery of Disarmament happy which kept the Treasury happy (or thereabouts).