Ark Royal's last cruise -Phantom FG1:Tractor and base close to completion

[Massimo]

On 8/12/2017 at 12:20, Giorgio N said:

Massimo, the Italeri set is a rebox of the old Esci ground crew. IMHO it's quite a good set, not all figures are for a carrier crew, some are late '80s NATO style figures while others are Vietnam era. Problem is that they are in soft plastic, while the Fujimi ones are in our usual polistyrene.

 

On 8/12/2017 at 13:46, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Massimo, I have the 1/48 version of that Fujimi set, and they will be good for an RN deck crew.  At that scale any differences are hard to spot, and in my experience RN flight deck crews were very quick to nick obtain adopt USN gear if they ever got the chance (e.g. on a US visit - US servicemen tended to be extremely generous with handing out their kit, from which I can only assume that it wasn't hard for them to get replacements).

You're both right!!!

I've seen the Italeri set's sprues and they seems to be a little too "generic", more suitable to ground scenes than flight deck.

I'll go for the Fujimi set for with no doubt! Just have to find it!!!and the scale will help too!!!

Thanks for your appreciated 10 pence!!!

[Roof Rat]

Hello Massimo, hello all

 

First off let me apologise for the slight delay in replying SWMBO has had me out and about seasonal shopping oh joy of joys, anyway down to the important stuff.

 

Just a bit of a history background regarding Ark's flight deck. Ark entered a three year "phantomisation" refit 1967 through to 1970 at Devonport Dockyard Plymouth. In a nutshell the flight deck (fd) was enlarged and strengthened, the starboard (stbd) bow cat was removed and the waist cat installed and the port bow cat was upgraded, the arrester-wires were upgraded. The fd aircraft (a/c) parking area forward of the island was enlarged Fly 3 helicopter operating area was added stbd of the arrester wires and Fly 4 a/c parking area portside aft added. The forward a/c lifts was upgraded to allow for the heavier phantom, Carrier Controlled Approach radar was installed (the phallic shaped structure aft of the island) and the landing sight was upgraded again for the phantom. And last but not least the angle of the angled-deck was increased from 5 1/2 to 8 1/2 degrees.

 

Pree Refit                                                                                                                                      Post Refit

      

 

The added areas Fly 3 to stbd, Fly 4 to port aft and the enlarged angled deck

 

From October 1976 through to June 1977 the Ark carried out a refit where amongst other things the deck marking were changed to the style used as on the final commission.

Pre refit

 

 

Orange arrow landing area centreline Yellow arrows landing area edge safety line and Blue arrows wingtip safety line, during recovery stations nothing would be parked within the wingtip safety line.

During the refit the area between the landing area safety line and wingtip safety line was filled in in places to help increase the pilots vision of the landing area. The picture below was taken as the Ark was being moved from dry-dock to the basin to finish the refit, the areas in yellow circles show the new deck marking starting to be painted. 

                   

 

Also the deck ID "R" was removed from portside aft

 

The final article below, so individual lines pre 77 block joined lines post 77

 

I hope this has been of help/interest there are a couple of areas I'll cover at a latter date, sorry if its gone on a-bit.

 

RR (Chris)

[bootneck]

Hi Chris,

 

I have been watching Massimo's thread for a while; plus I am gathering the data together to build a waterline Ark model.  Your detailed information about what and when it changed is extremely useful and I hope you post more, if and when you can please for both Massimo and myself.

 

Thanks

 

Mike

[Massimo]

4 hours ago, Roof Rat said:

First off let me apologise for the slight delay in replying SWMBO has had me out and about seasonal shopping oh joy of joys, anyway down to the important stuff.

I hope this has been of help/interest there are a couple of areas I'll cover at a latter date, sorry if its gone on a-bit.

RR (Chris)

Sorry for the delay answering, but...I got involved in something similar and...that was fun too!!!

Anyway all what you said and the pictures you posted will be veeeeeeery useful, as all models will be standing on different areas of the flight deck and I've got a Fujimi model of the Ark on its way from Japan which doesn't look exactly the way it did during its final deployment.

Thanks very much alL this info!!!

cIAO

Massimo

Edited December 9, 2017 by massimo2

[Massimo]

Hi mates,

after a week in Sicily for work, I came back home and could spend a little time on my Gannet.

 

I went on with the cockpit by adding the piot’s seat and arm rests and the rudder pedals.

 

Then I had some fun trying to get an instruments’ panel from a plastic card sheet. Took me a few attempt to get the right shape , but the final one fits quite well to the cockpit.

 

Next were the openings at the pilot seat’s back.

 

The nose wheel bay’s floor was drilled as on the real thing. It isn’t finished yet, more to come.

 

The operators’ office behind the cockpit is resin cast and very nice indeed. Once painted it’ll be …all black!!!

 

… but, to be able to see at east some of it, the side doors have to be open, thus I took the decision I had postponed until now:  I decided to represent my Gannet in parking configuration, with folded wings and so I fied the back openings to their correct sizeand shape.

 

On the inside I gluedsome pastic strips as a reference for the resin assemby’s positioning.

 

From outside, it doesn’t look bad!!!

 

To represent my Gannet with folded wings, I cut them along the folding lines. I’l have to add the folding system detail from scratch.

That’s all for now.

Ciao

Massimo

[neil5208]

nice work

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

<homer> Mmm. Folding! </homer>

[TheBaron]

13 hours ago, massimo said:

From outside, it doesn’t look bad!!!

From the other side of Europe it looks brilliant Massimo!

Gannet folding = mandatory viewing. I'll be fascinated to learn from your approach to the task; the very best of luck with it.

Tony

 

 

 

[perdu]

Looks good Massimo

 

(Bear in mind that folks who want bent wings really want YOU to do it, so they can see if they really like the idea...)

 

Ill be sitting here watching, with a gentle smile on my fizzog

 

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

‘See if they really like the idea”?  Ain’t no “if” about it, Bill!  

 

 

But I’m definitely interested in “how”

[giemme]

Great job, Massimo What did you use to cut the wings in such a neat way?

 

Ciao

[71chally]

these might come in handy for the observers cabin,

Fairey Gannet AEW.3 observers access door by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

Gannet AEW.3 XL472 044 observers cabin 4 Sep 13 by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

Fairey Gannet AEW.3 observers cabin aft by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

Fairey Gannet AEW.3 observers cabin port side by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

Fairey Gannet AEW.3 observers cabin stbd side by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

Fairey Gannet AEW.3 observers cabin looking fwd &amp; seat bases by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

Fairey Gannet AEW.3 observers cabin looking fwd by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

There's a few more if you click on the pictures and look around the album

 

[F111Fan]

Bloody nora, I would not want to be the observer in that if it ditched! Enjoying watching this Massimo, excellent work so far!

[Massimo]

5 hours ago, giemme said:

What did you use to cut the wings in such a neat way?

Hi Giorgio, I used our beloved Trumpeter scriber along the wing folds' pane lines, some fine files and Tamiya green cap glue to remove the swarf.

 

3 hours ago, 71chally said:

these might come in handy for the observers cabin,

There's a few more if you click on the pictures and look around the album

 

THEY MIGHT INDEED!!!

I had no pictures at all of this area and thought everything inside was painted...black!!!

Another area of interest is the wingfolds section, expecially the outside one, as it isn't easy to find somebody tall enough to take good pictures of this area once these wings' portions are folded  up there!!!

Here below a picture of the wings' edges glued and being worked on.Iused cianoacyilate and four to fil the aierons' gaps.The one on the left has already been fied down. A picture of these would be of great hep!!!

Ciao

Massimo

[giemme]

8 hours ago, massimo said:

Hi Giorgio, I used our beloved Trumpeter scriber along the wing folds' pane lines, some fine files and Tamiya green cap glue to remove the swarf.

Cheers Massimo, thanks

 

Ciao

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

8 hours ago, massimo said:

Another area of interest is the wingfolds section, expecially the outside one, as it isn't easy to find somebody tall enough to take good pictures of this area once these wings' portions are folded  up there!!!

 

These are all I have which shed any light on the wing fold:

 

Mostly taken at Yeovilton (in the reserve collection in Cobham Hall) a couple of weeks ago - it's all a bit tight in there, so some of them are at odd angles and/or have other things in the shot.

 

Hope they help!

 

Crisp

 

[71chally]

I have some of the outer wingfolds, but need to dig them out.

 

There's some quite clever little features out there, such as pop up 'folding' indicator on the upper surface of the wing mid panel which acts as a steady/rest when it comes down against the top of the fuselage.  You can make it out in the first picture I posted above, ahead of the observer door.

[moaning dolphin]

Hey Massimo, just found this thread and caught up, what a great idea and nice to see the Gannet coming along nicely. Just a couple of points for you from way back, the Wessex from Italeri would be a good base (apart from the short fuselage and reverse tail rotor) but beware the kit comes with straight exhaust pipes, the HAS 1 had bent exhaust pipes as hopefully you can see in the pictures. Pavla did a set for a MK3 which came with a load of radar type extras, and they did have the exhausts. I used the set on a previous Mk3 so didn't need the bent pipes so if you have trouble tracking some down let me know as I think I still have mine but no kit to use them on. The Revell Seaking is also a pretty good kit with a couple of short comings but my personal preference was to erase all those rivets on the fuselage as I think it is overdone for that scale. Underneath those rivets are some nice panel line details and I think it does look a whole load better.

Keep up the cracking work,

Bob

[71chally]

Here's some wing fold detail,

 

Gannet AEW.3 outer wing fold by James Thomas, on Flickr

The lower wing panel shows the outboard fold detail of the mid wing.   

Ignore the upper panel.

 

Gannet AEW.3 outer wing fold by James Thomas, on Flickr

The lower wing panel shows the inboard fold detail of the mid wing, note the two hinged flaps on the upper wing surface which close up on folding to hide the fold hinges and mechanism. 

The top wing panel shows the outboard fold detail of the outer wing, note the fixed part of the wing which shrouds the aileron leading edge.

 

Gannet AEW.3 outer wing fold by James Thomas, on Flickr

The lower wing panel shows the inboard fold detail of the mid wing, note the two hinged flaps on the upper surface which close up on folding to hide the fold hinges and mechanism, the wing is the right way up in this shot. 

Ignore the upper wing panel.

 

Gannet AEW.3 wing fold by James Thomas, on Flickr

The inboard fold

 

Gannet AEW.3 wing fold by James Thomas, on Flickr

Inboard fold, showing the supporting jury strut mounting point

 

Gannet AEW.3 wing fold by James Thomas, on Flickr

The mid wing folded back against the fuselage, note the pop up 'wing folded' indicator in the upper wing surface which serves as a steady post in a rubber seat on the upper fuselage.

 

Gannet AEW.3 wing fold by James Thomas, on Flickr

Outer fold detail, note aileron and the fixed shroud ahead of it.

 

Gannet AEW.3 wing fold by James Thomas, on Flickr

This detail shows another hinged panel which hides the outer fold hinge/mechanism, on the underside of the mid wing, can be seen at the base of the 'X'

 

Gannet AEW.3 wing fold by James Thomas, on Flickr

Edited December 21, 2017 by 71chally

[Massimo]

WOW!!!!!

Thanks Crisp and James!!! All these pictures will be of GREAT help!!!

 

Tonight, when I got home, I found this: 

Airfix decal sheet for the Buccaneer, courtesy of Scimitar!!!

 

Thank you all for the support!!! This is what I call "Team Work"!!!

 

Now she's waiting her turn.

 

I'm actualy waiting for the resin noseand I'll purchase the Airwaves fret for the airbrakes. I think she'll be good besides the Gannet. The picture is slooooooowly taking shape!!!

 

 

 

[Brandy]

Holy c***! You've got your work cut out with those wing folds! Fabulous pics @71chally

 

Ian

[CJP]

Nice work so far on your Gannet AEW3 Massimo - fabulous photos which will make this a valuable reference build - interesting to note how open the mechanism is on the AEW3 inner wing fold break compared to the AS/COD version

CJP

[perdu]

Lovely wingfold details, thanks James

 

NOW I  know I was right not to fold my Gannet (either of them!)  but you are well on the way now Massimo

 

Good thing to not flash the address over the interweb too Massimo, more fantastic support work from Scimitar,

I don't know where we'd be without the very substantial support we get from friends like him and others

(the list of those who have given me support alone would use up gigathingies of data if I were to embarrass them by naming them, this community is wonderful)

 

Anyway, I have just ordered more popcorn and beer

 

[Massimo]

1 hour ago, perdu said:

Lovely wingfold details, thanks James

 

NOW I  know I was right not to fold my Gannet (either of them!)  but you are well on the way now Massimo

 

Good thing to not flash the address over the interweb too Massimo, more fantastic support work from Scimitar,

I don't know where we'd be without the very substantial support we get from friends like him and others

(the list of those who have given me support alone would use up gigathingies of data if I were to embarrass them by naming them, this community is wonderful)

 

Anyway, I have just ordered more popcorn and beer

 

You're absolutely right :

1. precious pictures by James, without whom I would have had no idea of what the AEW3 wingfold and operators' interiors look like!
2. Now I know you were right not foding yours!!!
3. I wanted the envelope on the picture to increase the drama, but the address isn't needed!!!
4. The support I'm getting is great both in terms of decals advice and information. This community is really wonderful!!!

Unfortunately I couldn't spend any time on the wings tonight and in the next few days there'll be many other things to think about, but I'm watching the photos and getting a better picture of what I've got to do, hoping to find some time for modelling!

Thanks again to you all for the support!

Ciao

Massimo

[Massimo]

Hi mates,

just a quick update. This morning I woke up early and, before my Tresure could come up with plenty of things for me to do, I got some work done.

 

Up to then I had already filed and sanded down the ailerons. I filed a strip of thick plastic card with a round file to match the aileron front's shape, then I cut it in two halves and glued them in front of the ailerons.

 

 

Then I shaped another piece of plastic card to match the inside of the wing section and glued it to it, using a couple of bitd of plastic strips as a back stop.That was it as at that point, my lovely half arrived and I got to real work!!!

 

After a long day getting things ready for tonight and tomorrow, We've just exchanged our presents and among other things I got a fantastic tie from my daughter and a book.

It'll be a very interesting read for the next few days.

 

This morning I got up early again and completed the wings sections inner frame. Now I'll have to add some detail. Back to James' pictures now!!!

I think this is it for this time. 

I'd like to wish a very Merry Christmas to all of you!

Ciao

Massimo

 

 

 

Edited December 25, 2017 by massimo2