Airfix 24th Typhoon Zipp X

[bobsyouruncle]

I couldn't resist picking this one up at Telford last year (at the price, I had to ask to see if they were a 'dodgy batch' or something) and when I opened up the box and had a look at the parts, I just couldn't resist starting it (despite having a Lightning F6 and U889 on the go also - they will have to wait, I'm afraid). 

I love what Airfix has done with this one and it represented fantastic value for money with all the detail involved (I should've got two really).

 

I wanted to know where I was heading with this from the start, so spent a lot of time looking in books and asking lots of questions (thanks very much for your patience, Chris!).

I decided on Johnny Button's 193 Sqn Normandy 'Bomphoon' Zipp X in the end. 

I wanted to be able to see a full outline of the machine on one side and to still see some of the detail, so I'm opting to leave panels open on the port side only, including the lower cockpit panel above the wing.

 

I've made a start on the cockpit. 

Lots still to do, though. Extra pipework and cables, bomb jettison lever, etc., to be added to this visible area on the port side. I'm covering up the oil tank so was just really practising to see how things go, (with the oil spill).

I've been adding some panel mounting points and moving the position of others. I've also added a couple of pipes that I can see in photos.

I hadn't noticed until looking at these photos that I'd left a locating lug visible in the seat bottom, so will add filler there.

Great fun so far. Very absorbing.

 

 

 

 

Cheers Bob.

 

 

[Gorby]

That looks excellent so far.

[Christer A]

I really like that cockpit!

Have fun with this big brute, and testfit at least five times before gluing stuff...

[MarkSH]

That really looks good, I've been trying to avoid buying this kit.......your not helping much . Very nice start another one to watch 

[bobsyouruncle]

Hi again Gents, thanks for the encouraging comments and advice from last time (yes plenty of test fitting just prior to dropping said item into the carpet, normally, Christer).

A small update showing the progress from the last two days 'busying up' the area of the cockpit on the port side where I'm intending to leave a panel off.

Like I said before, I'm covering up the fuel tank and upper cockpit (the intention being to only have panels off that I've seen off in some period photos).

 

Mainly just bits of wire, rod and strip. I know I'll have missed a lot out and made other errors but it looks a little busier than it did (still got to add a couple of panel mounting points in the bottom left) and the control column's not gone in yet.

My personal favourite addition was the emergency bomb release lever (now whether it's in the jettison position or not, I have no idea).

Also started to put the engine block together (test dryfit here).

I hope to do a similar thing with wire again to replace the ignition plastic kit wires. We'll see.

Some shots. 

Cheers Bob.

 

 

[Christer A]

Is that pipe D03 I see there? I hate that part, and I could never get it in...

The extra wiring is really top stuff!

[bobsyouruncle]

Hi Christer, thanks.

No, that's not part D03.

The pipes there are C21, D25 and one I added myself.

The Airfix pipes coming from the oil tank agree with plans I've seen in the AJ Press Typhoon book, but don't match what I've seen in photos, so I still used D25 but in a slightly different place.

I checked the instructions to see if this would interfere with future stages and I couldn't see any conflicts but......we'll see.

Cheers Bob.

[bobsyouruncle]

Another very small update.

After realising that a lot of Typhoons in photos have the elevators hanging down when parked, I figured that would reflect in the control column position.

Not knowing how far towards the instrument panel this might be, I wondered if I could 'articulate' the control column.

So yesterday it was off to get a small sized razor saw....

I decided to commit,.. took saw to plastic and removed the already installed control column base, elevator lever and connecting tube. 

 

There are four joints here which needed to be articulated, so I thought about this and then used some tubing, wire, rod and pins to create some joints.

I also took the opportunity to add some small wire detail to the column, replace the brake lever and aileron rods and strengthen weaker parts.

 

I think it went as well as could be expected and hope to have it all installed and painted tomorrow.

 

 

This is the modified column with pivot joint at bottom and elevator lever and connecting rod (note joint loop added in left end)

 

The bracket, incidentally for the joint in the lower third of the control column with the elevator control rod, was carved and drilled from the discarded keel of the Revell U-505 (which I've waterlined as is in progress as U-889, so have no use for the lower half - was wondering when that plastic might come in handy!).

 

This shot shows the column and elevator rods connected prior to paint and installation hopefully tomorrow. Note the aileron control rod and cable drum ready to be re-installed alongside.

 

 

Cheers Bob.

 

 

[f111guru]

Wonderful progress thus far Bob. I don''t have this kit yet but will hopefully one day. Watching with great interest.

 

Thanks,

Ron VanDerwarker

[Terry1954]

This is superb, I'm loving it!

 

I really like the way you have built and painted the cockpit parts, it all looks very realistic. It looks like you are planning to add extra detail on the way which is excellent. Watching this with much interest and admiration!

 

Cheers

 

Terry

[tonyot]

Wow,.... you are doing a superb job of this so far and I like your subject too,..... I did his next one ZIPPXI in 1/72nd scale;

DSCF4719 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

Cheers

          Tony

Edited March 27, 2018 by tonyot

[bobsyouruncle]

That's a great looking Zipp XI there Tony. It's very distinctive with that spinner and the blades isn't it. I see you included the cannon mounted camera installation too.

 

Installed the control column and elevator lever and linkage without any problems and it moves freely so it can be positioned wherever for the elevators.  Looking to move onto the engine next.

The elevator lever will remain visible with the port side panel off so I'll add some cables to that before closing up.

Cheers for the comments Gents.

 

Stick forward...

 

...and back.

 

 

[phildagreek]

Very impressive! Like what you're doing with it.

[bigbadbadge]

Wow this is great what a fantastic job you have done. The articulation of the column too. Great stuff. 

 

All the best 

Chris 

[The Spadgent]

Ace! I bought one of these last year. £40 I think. Absolute bargain. Love what you’re doing here. I’ll tag along and get some tips if you don’t mind.

 

Johnny.

[bobsyouruncle]

Thanks for the kind words, gents.

Another small update having started on the engine now.

 

Having put together the basic block, I was looking at the seams from the supercharger unit.

Looking at photos of the real thing, it looked like there was a 'hexangonal' shaped joint at both of these points, so I thought I'd try to replicate these with some plastic card and wire.

You can see my version of it sat next to it in this shot.

 

 

After adding the joints, I painted the block in a lightened black and started to add some detail with some pipes and bits down at the firewall end.

Looking at photos, I couldn't see the pipe type attachment that Airfix has coming out of the generator at 'A', so I removed that. I also changed the position of the pipe into the generator and modified the pipe to fit.

I decided to remove the ignition leads and instead drilled holes where they'd been (B).

I made some new leads out of wire, etc., a couple of which are sat at the bottom.

 

 

I've added the first twelve of these here. Some tidying work needs to be done to these, but I think they'll clean up ok and look alright when finished.

Will be tidying up along the way at various stages.

 

 

Cheers Bob.

 

 

 

 

 

[Terry1954]

This is coming along superbly Bob. So enjoying this build.

 

Terry

[bobsyouruncle]

Minor update again.

A bit of a case of two steps forward, one step back in the last two days. 

I decided to replace part of the ignition harness with some braided hose, which first involved cutting out the previous piece, very gingerly.

I found that the Napier Sabre varies in photos, but decided to go for the one with the basic looking air pump (not the one that looks like a motorbike engine). This has a pipe running up to it from the one going to the generator.

I also noticed that the pipe running along the top of the engine casing needed changing in shape, so that involved cutting a section out (again very carefully), bending cutting and inserting a new piece (note difference to the one on the far side).

I'm only having this side open and the top cowling in place so I don't think much will be visible and I don't whether to scratch the vacuum pump or not. Added magneto and distributor and some piping, plus some other details to generator and engine.

 

 

Pipework in progress.

 

Much more pipework to add.

Cheers Bob.

 

 

 

[The Spadgent]

Wowza. Super detailing wth those wires. Amazing. 

 

John.

[bobsyouruncle]

13 hours ago, The Spadgent said:

Wowza. Super detailing wth those wires. Amazing. 

 

John.

Not much work compared to what you're doing. Just found your Lanc thread John. Amazing and I don't know how I missed it so far. Thanks.

[Christer A]

Surely you're some kind of wiring and piping expert?

Top stuff!

[bobsyouruncle]

Just another very quick update.

I was looking at period photos in between working on the engine and started wondering whether it'd be possible to do anything with the windscreen part of the canopy to reflect the minimal external framing and have more of the internal one.

There looks to be some variation in the windscreen side framing strips depending on which machine you pick.

I contemplated doing something with the kit part, but didn't want to ruin it, in case it went wrong, so I wondered if I could scratch a new one out of bits (the transparent inner case for an external hard drive and some plastic strip).

This is the result so far wit the kit part for comparison and I think it can be done, so I've stopped worrying, put this away again, and will now stop messing about and go back to where I was with the engine again and the instructions.

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers Bob.

Edited May 23, 2018 by bobsyouruncle
Forgot to add bracket in text

[Azgaron]

Excellent work so far! Cockpit and engine looks amazing!

 

Håkan

 

[bobsyouruncle]

Yet another very small update.

Got back onto the engine and the instructions again.

I'm not sticking exactly to the sequence (dangerous I realise), as I wanted to try and squeeze some extra bits it along the way if possible.

My extra (oil overflow?) pipe might have interfered with the fit of D01 (oil outlet pipe, but I had this as fitting in a slightly different way to the kit instructions anyway so it was modified and fit ok then.

I needed to attach the 'thing' to the firewall that appears in photos (looks like a bracket with a tubular object in the middle that's topped by a 'rounded thing' with cables attached in various places) as one of the firewall pipes/lines squeezes up to it.

 

I wondered whether or not to bother with any work on the coffman starter as the top panel will be in place, but wasn't sure if any might be visible peeking in from below and I figured it might be a good way to discover a bit more about the Typhoon, so

I started work on this as well.

More bits still to add up top, before the radiator area (more lines linking up the firewall, etc).

Quick snap:-

 

 

Cheers Bob.

[Azgaron]

Looks very nice! Just waiting for you to start it up!

 

Håkan