Lockheed L-1011 Tristar 200, with 26 Decals 'Gulf Air' .

[TME3]

Beautiful...!!!

[Gimme Shelter]

On ‎01‎/‎08‎/‎2017 at 0:56 PM, Eric Mc said:

My first sight of a Tristar was when N305EA carried out a sales tour in 1972. It was painted in a partial Eastern Airlines/BEA scheme. It's areal pity we never got to see genuine liveried BEA Tristars. By the time they were delivered, BEA had gone and they only operated in BA colours.

 

Luckilly, 2-6 do the hybrid Eastern/BEA aircraft and if and when I do get around to building a Tristar that is the scheme i will do it in.

 

In fact, we are coming up on the 45th anniversary of me seeing N305EA. It was on 21 August 1972 and the aircraft was on long finals to the old Runway 24 at Dublin. I spotted it coming in as I lived along the coast about six miles from the airport. At first I thought it was a BEA Trident but then realised it was a Tristar.

hey Eric - my dad was lined up as one of the skippers for BEA's L1011's - then bingo, merger and he ended up flying them for BA - he took me up and on-baord it while in BEA split colours and sat me on the left hand seat up front with a stack of log books so I can just about nose over the top of the instrument panel at the age of 5 - happy days

[Gimme Shelter]

my most favourite ever civil airliner (well, perhaps not including concorde) - a great model and nice to see what Eastern Express have come out with - looking forward to see their dash500 version when available.

 

I love your choice of livery - the best that came into LHR for many a year in the days of the demise of the tri-jets, until BWIA updated their steelpan livery and suddenly the UK got a daily dose of green and yellow tristars

 

Lovely, lovely model

 

11/10 from me

[Eric Mc]

Very much inspired to dig my Airfix Tristar out of the stash.

[woody37]

Chris just told me about this so had to go and find it John, absolute stunner. The twins may be bigger, but they're not as nice as the tri-jets. I need to get me one of these after seeing yours

[MarcNewitt]

These used to be a regular occurance at Cambridge back when I was a kid, wow this has brought back some memories, thanks for the nostalgia! Awesome finish.

 

Marc

[mitchem]

"Mummy - that nasty Viking man just made me buy a Tristar and it hurts (my wallet)"

 

Sorry John. Your build just tipped me over the edge. I didn't have a choice and I had to blame someone ! 

 

mike

[Viking]

 

Thanks for the comments folks, much appreciated as always and apologies for being slow in replying (I've had a busy week!).

 

On 7/30/2017 at 7:55 PM, Turbofan said:

It's interesting to notice the airliners.net image shows different engines on the same aircraft, the starboard engine has the short afterbody. Did you modify the kit engines at all?

 

On 7/30/2017 at 7:53 PM, Skodadriver said:

You must have modified the engines since the kit ones represent the very early standard.  As Alex says EE are supposed to be re-issuing the kit with the later engines but I've got two with the original engines (LTU and Cathay Pacific are planned) and I'd be interested to know what you did.

Ian & Dave, I'm struggling to remember, beyond making good the already noted gap between the pylon & hot section. (I did the engines when I first got the kit last August. The model was almost finished by December, but I only got round to finishing it off recently). Looking at an unstarted Tristar from the stash, this is the engine sprue. Note the shapes of the hot section halves. I now remember cutting off the top & bottom strakes, and I think I may just have shortened the hot sections themselves by a small amount. I worked from engine photos on the internet, doing it by eye as I could not locate any drawings.

 

While I have an unstarted kit out of the stash, here's a few more pictures to illustrate some points about this kit.

The tail section is a separate part. The fit is exceptional though, a little care cleaning it up and it is nearly impossible to see the join. Chris Stringbag found the same on his model. (He has it built, but like most of his fleet it awaits painting ) We were both very impressed with how neat this join is, it really is excellent.

 

Chris's previously mentioned copper plumbing pipe, with a small bend to make the intake trunking;

 

It is a limited run kit, so there is a bit of flash to clean up. The fuselage halves need these 'nubs' and flash trimming off. It's an easy job, but now you know what to expect!

 

Thanks again folks,

 

John

[Viking]

On 7/31/2017 at 8:03 AM, Eric Mc said:

That is lovely.

 

What gloss varnish do you use to get that beautiful sheen? And is it brush or spray painted?

Eric,

 

It is brush coated Johnsons Kleer.

 

Cheers

 

John

[AV O]

Hello Viking,

 

Very fine painting and finish . I love this Airline scheme. I have been fighting for such markings.

Rules being : The critiquing is limited to the build itself, not the accuracy of the kit  / Be Fair. Is it the fault of the kit  or the fault of the builder?

I will not comment the many decal inaccuracies. You couldn't help it. They are not yours. One can only be surprised you did not mention any of  them which can be spotted when comparing with pictures.
 

However, one thing you can modify without damage is reversing the front gear which should have the calliper in the front.

 

Have a nice week-end.

AV O

[bzn20]

Great job ! Amongst it all I really like your cowlings and the clean but not new ,not filthy look straight off a check in the hangar.

 

I flew back from Oman in 85 in -200 A4O-TB,don't remember a TZ. We were supposed to be half empty but a Gulf 737 went tech with an engine problem at Seeb so we took on their PAX which meant we had to visit 5 airports in different Sheikdoms including Saudi, dump them off ,pick up more and get rid of them in Kuwait. Took forever, wasn't designed as bus stop jet. Supposed to be non stop to Blighty and a SWMBO under training .

 

Three odd Tristar operators....Aer Lingus, United and Air India

Edited August 18, 2017 by bzn20

[Dandaire]

That is a wonderful job you have done there. I remember walking through one of these at the Farnborough air show in about 1976, it was labelled the "5 star Tristar".

[Viking]

On 8/18/2017 at 3:00 PM, AV O said:

However, one thing you can modify without damage is reversing the front gear which should have the calliper in the front.

Ah, that is my fault! I knocked the nose leg off during construction breaking it in half, and have re-attached the broken bit the wrong way around!

Also I just remembered that the door outline decals are too big for the recessed door outlines. I cut them in half ad applied them to match the outlines.

 

Cheers

 

John

[Viking]

Just an update. I have been in contact with member AV O, who knows his Tristars inside out. He has forwarded some very useful information with regard to the Gulf Air scheme, so hoping that he doesn't mind I will add his comments here.

On 8/18/2017 at 3:00 PM, AV O said:

 

While building mine, I had made an attempt to know more about the decal set I had purchased.

 

 

Since then the building is suspended. I think I won’t be able to get an appropriate decal. Makers say the gold colour is no longer suitable with their printers.

In this link to the discussion :
http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?/topic/292513-gulf-air-tristar/
 you’ll find links to the pictures I am referring to.
The aircraft you built is in both liveries and configuration (some windows are blanked on the silver belly).

You’ll notice how the doors as you mentioned are too wide and not high enough. That the windows are probably too large considering the fitting in between the doors (most noticeable between door 3 and 4 – count 10 – but also between door 2 and 3).
You can also check the place of the Registration in this area. As well as the bulk doors shape.

Thee purple stripe stretches as far as the second window behind door 2, but the windows are set further back than on your model. Thus, it should be longer.

The galley below the deck has its window on its own door ahead of the Right side door 2.

Depending on the type (and probably its building period), the Tristars have a different front bulk door :  narrow on early ones, wide on later ones, placed further forward. Yours should have a wide one. Silver belly aircraft have a metal threshold at their doors (though not always). And the silver belly stripe has a different shape from one aircraft to another in the front area around the front gear door.

All these details I noticed while looking for references, and it took quite a long time to see all of them. So I perfectly understand that you could not spot them all at a glance.

Good luck with the front gear if you can move it.

I hope this can help.

Cheers.
AV O

 

So too late for me to modify mine, but very useful info from AV O for anyone else with this kit/decal sheet combo.

Many thanks AV O!

 

Cheers

 

John

 

[26Decals]

Great looking Tristar especially in that livery, maybe Gulf Air will consider a retro jet

Incidentally I now have the TriStar 200 kits with the later engines available

[Abandoned Project]

Superb Tristar! I have just bought one and it comes with this setup for the tail mounted engine

Edited September 23, 2017 by dadofthree
get the pic to show