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

[Massimo]

59 minutes ago, giemme said:

Strangely enough, I know what haggis is, for having seen a documentary about it on TV (one of those "How it's made" kind of stuff).

Well, you seem to be having a great time, so enjoy it!

 

 

well...I'm here for work, but every time I get out, I see the Campsie fells in front of me, and it's a great look! 

The food is lovely, so....yes, I'll probably have a great time!!!

[825]

3 hours ago, massimo said:

WOW WOW WOW!!!

This is exactly the way I hoped things would have turned out for this thread!!!

 

I'm determined to go for it,  but due to my lack of knowledge, the ifs are so many !!!

For a project like this, every little piece of info adds something to the picture!

this morning Since this morning my knowledge has already improved a lot !!!

Thank you all!

I really appreciate it!!! 

Now I'll read everything again and take notes of what I've learned !!!

 

...by the way, tonight I really enjoyed a different sort of...modelling...

this will be my diet for this week!!!

Ciao 

Massimo

A few days early for this Massimo, St Andrew's day is this Thursday. And I have the haggis in the fridge, with the neeps and tatties awaiting peeling, all ready for the Saint's day meal.  Eating our national dish all week is dedication indeed.

[perdu]

Nicely prepared too

 

Massimo, enjoy

[Martian]

On ‎26‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 18:57, massimo said:

Martian’s putting everything else momentarily aside to start a Kamov 28.
Forgetting for a moment he did momentarily put his Roc project aside to go on with what seems to have been another project momentarily  put aside … the Karel Doorman’s last cruise.

To be fair, work on the Roc had to be suspended due to a nasty hand injury which robbed me of about six weeks modelling time. She can and will be at SMW 2018, the Tracker might even make it as well.

 

Martian

[matteo44]

I'm sad for the jaguars... but I'm happy for your new project!

Good work Massimo!!!!!

[Massimo]

2 hours ago, Martian Hale said:

To be fair, work on the Roc had to be suspended due to a nasty hand injury which robbed me of about six weeks modelling time. She can and will be at SMW 2018, the Tracker might even make it as well.

Well...I can tell you your hand recovered very well for what I've seen on your friend's Karel non-Wessex !!!

I'm seriously thinking I might join the party next year! I spend so much time in the UK, but I've never been to Telford Show!!! Looking forward to seing your Roc and Tracker going on!!!

[Massimo]

28 minutes ago, matteo44 said:

I'm sad for the jaguars... but I'm happy for your new project!

Good work Massimo!!!!!

Don't worry, I'll go on with the Jaguars too, but this is filling me with new motivation and it isn't a project for a couple of month, thus I may go on with different builds!

[heloman1]

Looking good Massimo, I like your initiative with the theme, however, the flap set for the 1/4 may not fit the AEW 3, if I remember correctly and having served on 849 NAS in the early '60's the wing configuration was different. You may just get away with it though!

I'll follow your build with ineterst.

 

Colin

[Massimo]

15 minutes ago, heloman1 said:

however, the flap set for the 1/4 may not fit the AEW 3, if I remember correctly and having served on 849 NAS in the early '60's the wing configuration was different. You may just get away with it though!

You remember correctly!!!

I realized it last week,immediately after having cut th flap from one of the wings and I had confirmation on BM.

I might be using only the hinges or opt for the folded wings option, even because it's really difficult to get pictures showing flaps out on a parked aircraft. Faps out means turning propeller and extended wings.

None of the walkarounds I've seen on the net show flaps extended and most of them have folded wings!!!

[Martian]

6 hours ago, massimo said:

Well...I can tell you your hand recovered very well for what I've seen on your friend's Karel non-Wessex !!!

I'm seriously thinking I might join the party next year! I spend so much time in the UK, but I've never been to Telford Show!!! Looking forward to seing your Roc and Tracker going on!!!

Frankly, it you spend a lot of time in the UK then its a no brainer for you. Its only the best bun fight in the Galaxy, especially if you get involved in the "social" side of it. Just ask @Corsaircorp!

 

Martian

[71chally]

@massimo, if you are featuring the Ark on its last cruise, then the take a look at this invaluable list as it will give you the individual aircraft involved at the time, scroll right to the bottom of the page

http://www.aviationinmalta.com/MilitaryAviation/NavalAviation/UK/ArkRoyalR09/tabid/709/language/en-US/Default.aspx

[Massimo]

23 minutes ago, 71chally said:

@massimo, if you are featuring the Ark on its last cruise, then the take a look at this invaluable list as it will give you the individual aircraft involved at the time, scroll right to the bottom of the page

http://www.aviationinmalta.com/MilitaryAviation/NavalAviation/UK/ArkRoyalR09/tabid/709/language/en-US/Default.aspx

WOW!!!!

Great and useful link!!!

Got some homework to do now!!!

Last night I bought a Fujimi model of the ark on Ebay from Japan...and a book (Phoenix Squadron).

I know the model i wrong, but I'd like to see it. It may be another challange!!!

[Massimo]

On 27/11/2017 at 11:34, andyf117 said:

the Wessex belonged to the Ship's Flight, which I believe operated two of the type for 'Planeguard' duties. Note that they were the HAS.1......

and as such will need to be converted, either from the Italeri HAS.3 or Matchbox/Revell HAS.5/HAS.31.....

7 hours ago, 71chally said:

@massimo, if you are featuring the Ark on its last cruise, then the take a look at this invaluable list as it will give you the individual aircraft involved at the time, scroll right to the bottom of the page

http://www.aviationinmalta.com/MilitaryAviation/NavalAviation/UK/ArkRoyalR09/tabid/709/language/en-US/Default.aspx

 

From the info found in the precious list of aircraft onboard Ark Royal in November 1978, the Westland Wessex were  HAS.1  XS881/046  and   XP151/047  , belonging to 771Sq.

For what I can understand, I could use Italeri HAS.3 which should  include the parts for The previous version too: STD nose and back.

 

I’d like to add Eduard  PE set  73 464, dedicated to HAS.3 version. I think most of the parts, at least the exterior ones should be god for HAS.1 too.

Can anyone confirm this?

Another issue is about the colours to be used for this version, as to me it’s a dark blue/ blue –grey, but I’ve seen some pictures of models where they’re a sort of dark green…

The decal sheet reports RAF dark blue grey BS381 C: 633, but to me it looks…not blue enough…is this reference correct?

To me this royal blue seems more accurate, but it ìcould be the effect of the pictures...

Can anybody suggest a paint which represents correctly this shade ?

the red color looks Dayglo…

This seems a good start , any suggestions?

Edited November 29, 2017 by massimo2

[71chally]

RAF Blue Grey is correct, the orange is fluorescent Red Orange.

047 is interesting with the replaced blue grey panel in the orange nose area.

 

Others can help with Wessex HAS.1 & 3 differences better than I can, apart from the gearbox fairing, intake lip and radome, the other difference I can think of is the extra refuelling point fwd of the main cabin door for airborne refuelling on the 3.

The Italeri kit allows you to leave these bits off.

The Eduard bits look good to me.

Edited November 29, 2017 by 71chally

[perdu]

It is definitely NOT Royal Blue, RAF BlueGrey is the proper colour

The photographs just above here show the right tones on my monitor too

 

Those Eduard bits look OK to me too

 

Humbrol 209 is a good match for the Dayglo in use on RAF aircraft, I doubt if it was a different colour for Naval machines those pics look like my sample sheet

[corsaircorp]

Hello Massimo,

Good Lord, Where did you catch the Corsaircorptis !!

Did'nt mind that it was contagious

Be carefull of the Martianalosis .... It's a variant from the Netherlands !

Congratulations my Dear ! That's a project !

Can I take a seat and look , Promise that I will at least try to be quiet !

Sincerely.

Corsaircorp

[bar side]

I remember watching that fly on the wall documentary series on the last cruise of the Ark Royal in the 70s, with Rod Stewart’s Sailing as the theme.  Then one day my godfather ran in to a bloke who said he did a ‘bit of scrap’ and had just bought the Ark Royal!  Aparently he made enough from the copper hull that the rest of the scrap was profit.

Love the idea, but wouldn’t it look cool with 3 or 4 Tooms, a small row of Buccaners, couple of Gannets and Wessexes?  Like a scaled up UK equivalent of those Tamiya Enterprise flight deck pictures but in 1/72.   You know it makes sense....

[Massimo]

29 minutes ago, bar side said:

but wouldn’t it look cool with 3 or 4 Tooms, a small row of Buccaners, couple of Gannets and Wessexes? 

Oh yes, It would have been very cool, but...even with just one for each type...that'll be enough to keep me busy for a while!!!

...did you say ...copper hull???

Edited November 29, 2017 by massimo2

[bar side]

Apparently one of the last in the royal navy

 

http://www.copper.com.au/copper/wcms/en/home/projects/aquaculture/CoppersHistorywiththeRoyalNavy.html

 

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Ark didn’t have a copper hull, or copper sheathing; the main point of copper sheathing was to protect wooden hulls from the teredos worm (actually a type of clam, despite the name) which can bore a hole right through a ship.  Steel aircraft carriers, however, are seldom under threat from marine life! 

 

Her engine and boiler rooms, however, contained a vast amount of copper, which would have gladdened the heart of any scrap man.

[andyf117]

Content withdrawn - I will NOT be threatened by a moderator, simply because I queried the actions of another...

Edited June 27, 2020 by andyf117

[heloman1]

Looking good, before you go any further with the Wessex, you might want to contact Freightdog and ask for the corrected fuselage plug. The Italeri kit fus is 6mm too short. The problem lies between the aft end of the cabin and the sart of the tailcone.

The kit when build, looks ok but so much better with the plug.

 

Colin

[Massimo]

5 hours ago, bar side said:

Apparently one of the last in the royal navy

http://www.copper.com.au/copper/wcms/en/home/projects/aquaculture/CoppersHistorywiththeRoyalNavy.html

 

 

4 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Ark didn’t have a copper hull, or copper sheathing; the main point of copper sheathing was to protect wooden hulls from the teredos worm (actually a type of clam, despite the name) which can bore a hole right through a ship.  Steel aircraft carriers, however, are seldom under threat from marine life! 

 

Her engine and boiler rooms, however, contained a vast amount of copper, which would have gladdened the heart of any scrap man.

I thought it a bit strange on a modern ship's hull, but a lot copper was involved for sure!!!

3 hours ago, andyf117 said:

An event in that series was the inspiration for this build:

 

Excuse me! What about the Sea Kings?

By '78, they carried the stylised birds in yellow, as seen in Massimo's magazine article, which is the aircraft on Modeldecal 49......

Mmmhhhhhh...I just had a quick look and looks really interesting.Back on it tonight!!!

2 hours ago, heloman1 said:

Looking good, before you go any further with the Wessex, you might want to contact Freightdog and ask for the corrected fuselage plug. The Italeri kit fus is 6mm too short. The problem lies between the aft end of the cabin and the sart of the tailcone.

The kit when build, looks ok but so much better with the plug.

Mmhhh...so would you suggest another kit or Italeri kit can be corrected? For what I've seen on the net, it looks more accurate and detailed than old Frog offering...

Anyway thanks for the info, I still haven't bought any model for it and I'll check with Freithog!

 

Thank you all!!!

Ciao

Massimo

[perdu]

Massimo look here I have done some of your research for you

 

I have always said the Frog kit is the most accurate of the three Wessex models I know in 1/72 scale, but yes it is a little bit dated and I never use the Frog kits wheels but as you want a HAS1 and the Frog kit is of a HAS1/31 where is the problem?

 

I roll this out every time we have the which kit is the best discussion

 

Frog fuselage, Matchbox rotor gear, scratch built tail rotor, nose filter and undercarriage

my SAR2

 

Here is an untouched Frog kit against the Italeri thing

The Frog at the back has the right windows for an early HAS1 but they can easily be opened out if you want the bigger ones for your model

Italeri couldnt even get the cockpit side steps in line, the thing is a travesty

and to prove Colin's point here is an overhead of both fuselages, the stunted fuselage shows up like a glaring flame

 

Which is what will probably happen to this one after I have mined all the reasonably decent bits from it

 

Wheels and undercarriage are fine, the winch isn't too bad either but the tail rotor is another mess

 

How could they get the direction of rotation so wrong on every version of  Wessex and H34 they make?

 

Somebody very dumb at Italeri 

 

These fuselages have been lined up at the cab window rear edges, can you see what Colin was talking about?

Matchbox used to produce a dual version model with noses for the HAS1/3/31 and also the twin Gnome versions the HU5 but their later version was only available for the HU5

 

The nose shape was too flat across the section and needed some work but dimensionally it outshone the Italeri one too

 

For Ark's plane guard I would use Frog

 

For keeping you warm on a cold winter's night

 

The Italeri

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Not my scale, so I have never really clocked this before - but that is one hell of a difference!

 

Nice Perdu-Wessex, though.  

 

 

 

 

[Wrong colour, obviously]