adey m Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 (edited) Aeroplanes that take off and land on water have always fascinated me and the Short Sunderland has always been one of my favourite seaplanes. The Airfix Sunderland model first appeared in 1960 and it is still available in the current Hornby Airfix range. I built an Airfix Sunderland for my younger brother when I was thirteen. I made sure that every working feature on the model worked as Airfix intended, guns and turrets, sliding bomb carriers, propellers, control surfaces, beaching gear and the retractable bow turret. I loved that model and was sure that one day I would have one of my own. Well it took 42 years for me to finally build one for myself. Back in 2015 I started building my 1980s Humbrol Airfix boxing of the Sunderland. A friend had donated a Sunderland that he had been building but which he had lost interest in. I had a go at making something of it but unfortunately he had stuck solid every part that was supposed to move such as the turrets. But his model contained a White Ensign Models etched brass flight deck and bomb bay so I carefully dismantled his Sunderland and decided to use these in mine. I remember being dissappointed with the emptiness of my brother's Sunderland interior so I decided that I would scratchbuild a complete interior in mine around the White Ensign parts. The bottom box is my favourite one from the 1960s with that stunning action artwork that wrapped around the sides of the box. This is the actual box that my brother's Sunderland came in back in 1973 ( I hope he doesn't want it back ). The middle boxing is the 1980s Humbrol Airfix one that I built. The top one is a Humbrol Airfix boxing from 2001 I think when their marketing department realised that exciting artwork sells kits ( and bad photos of made models do not ). I will show a few photos I took of the interior during the build ................. The White Ensign flight deck with plastic card and parts from my spares added. The White Ensign bomb bay and plastic card bulkheads and decking have been installed in the fuselage. The retractable bow turret housing has had a couple of thin layers of plastic card wrapped around it to reduce the gap in the nose opening. The dorsal turret and mounting is from an Airfix Stirling as it is a better size and shape than the kit's one. The anchor winch came from a Moldova Mil 4M helicopter ( amazing what you find in your spares, and what memories they bring back ). The painted interior. I used a dorsal turret and mounting from an Airfix Stirling as it is a better size and shape to the kit's one. Upper deck front to rear we have the flight deck, then radio operator this side and navigator other side, then flight engineer and aircraft batteries, crawlway over the bomb bay and past the turret mounting to a ladder down into the rear fuselage where stowage and the master compass are located. Lower deck front to rear we have the bomb aimers position, mooring equipment ( boaty stuff ), stairs up to flight deck with toilet behind, dining and rest area, galley and drogues stowage, bomb bay with bunks and workbench, and crew rest area. I opened up the roof hatch as it would be a pity not to be able to see any of the stuff behind the flight deck. In this view you can see the flushing toilet, basin and water tank next to the staircase. And then it was time to populate the model. Okay guys look busy. I sprayed the model with Humbrol Acrylic matt white from a can. Then I brush painted Humbrol 156 Satin dark camouflage grey enamel over the upper surfaces. It just looks like one of those Scarborough sea gulls has landed on my desk. All the turrets are removeable and contain scratchbuilt internal fittings and Airfix gunners. The guns elevate too, but they don't fire ( no ammo ). The fuel cells panels on top of the wings are thin plastic card cut to shape and just glued onto the upper wing with liquid glue. The front and rear turrets are from the kit. I had to cut open a second gun slot with a saw in the front turret transparency as Airfix very strangely only put one gun in the front turret. I have gone for an aircraft which is quite new with minimal weathering. The factory applied white paint is just starting to burn off the exhausts and rings. I opened out a galley hatch to show off some more interior ( I think that is the pans and dishes rack I can see ). Drogues were stowed below these hatches and lowered into the water to help steer and slow down the aeroboat. Removeable mooring bollard and bomb aiming window and panel. Scratchbuilt detail inside the kit's rear turret. All window framing on the model is painted freehand with a fine quality brush. Stretched sprue bracing wires on the wing tip floats. Bomb carriers slide in and out of the bomb bay as Airfix intended. The landing light transparencies have had recesses drilled out from the back which are then filled with chrome silver paint. The propellers came from my spares but the spinners are from the kit. I sawed them off the kit's propellers. Okay, well that should have got the ball rolling, more still to come ................... More photos have been added further on in this post Edited June 17, 2018 by adey m 67 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unfinished project Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Cracking, I love the head on shot and the subtle weathering does this old lady justice. Very nice build sir 👏👏👏 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinSK Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Very nice job on this beatiful&big old lady. Great scheme too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinChipmunkfan Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Amazing detail on the fuselage- nice to see the old lady looking so well. Great effort Adey. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 That's a very clean build. It's nice to see a grey and white one as well. The way the white wraps over the wing tops is very flattering to the planes shape, it seems to slim it right down! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Another classic piece of plastic turned into a modern day marvel adey. Both the model and back story are always great to read and watch. This is truly a magnificent build and I hope you will consider joining some of us in the current Classic Airfix Group Build that still has until late September to run. I also built this kit as a 10-12 year old so do know all the working features you describe. After seeing you’re build I’m keen to add another “Porcupine” to my collection, however need to toss up the time and effort needed to get it looking somewhere close to yours. My concentration span is quite short I’m afraid. Cheers and thanks for the great post.. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold55 Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Very nice indeed! Love the interior as well as the finish, just amazing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FAAMAN Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 Wow, just love this kit, your build does great justice to this classic, very well done indeed mate 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatbox8 Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 Outstanding, Adey. We had this kit when I was a boy and I remember how 'hollow' it seemed. Your superb interior building has seen to that. A fantastic build. I wonder if we are EVER going to see the MPM kit, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BerndM Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 Incredible work and a proof that old kit not only having "charme" but they can turned out into well detailed results with some care ( and photo etch ). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 The Mk.I with the early FN.11 turrets only had one mg. fitted. I think that's where Airfix got that from. I've been through 4 different publications and still can't find a decent photo of the single-gun turret. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 Lovely build, I hope my stash bound Sunderland turns out as good as that one day! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fightersweep Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 21 hours ago, TonyW said: It's nice to see a grey and white one as well. The way the white wraps over the wing tops is very flattering to the planes shape, it seems to slim it right down! Remind me to see if I can find a T-shirt in the same colours...I could do with looking slimmer! Lovely build Adey! Always nice to see an Airfix classic built so nicely. Top job all round! Steve 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 Wow Adey what an amazing build. She looks awesome. Great work on the interior. A very impressive model. Thanks for sharing. All the best Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adey m Posted June 16, 2018 Author Share Posted June 16, 2018 (edited) The kit has quite a draughty gap between the retractable turret housing and the fuselage. I reduced this by gluing a couple of layers of thin plastic card around the housing. A view down into the mooring position with removed mooring bollard. The dorsal turret which came from an Airfix Stirling. Do not worry about my Stirling as I intend to build it as an early Mk 1 without a dorsal turret, camouflage up the fuselage sides and those lovely tall rudder stripes. The kit's tail turret. The spinning circular clear vision panel in the cockpit window is made from fuse wire made into a circle around a paint brush handle and fixed to the inside of the canopy. The pipe below the third porthole is from the toilet, now we know what some of the brown staining might be............ . Spinning clear vision panel and windscreen wipers added to cockpit windows. Exhausts made from plastic rod. Removeable bomb bay doors and the track for the sliding bomb carriers. Open galley hatch. Downward identification lights below starboard wing. The detachable beaching gear. The kit's wheels are too thin so I replaced them with wider ones from my spares. I drilled out the hubs and fitted the kit's hubs in place. I made the wheels steerable with the use of a brass pin pivot in each leg. The beaching gear attachment holes. The open galley hatch. Ladder up to flight deck visible. Lower deck from front showing crew dining and rest room, then the galley with drogue stowage, and then the bomb bay. Galley with drogue stowage below the hatch, then the bomb bay with rest bunks and workbench and lowered bomb hatch, and then the rear rest area. The galley, then the bomb bay and then the rear rest area. Close up of the side servicing door and flush handles. Cabin heating vent with cloth gauze. Compass calibration on the compass swinging apron. There are some servicing diorama photos farther on ................... Edited June 24, 2018 by adey m 13 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adey m Posted June 16, 2018 Author Share Posted June 16, 2018 4 hours ago, dogsbody said: The Mk.I with the early FN.11 turrets only had one mg. fitted. I think that's where Airfix got that from. I've been through 4 different publications and still can't find a decent photo of the single-gun turret. Chris I found this photo in one of my books of an FN11 turret with its single gun on a 228 Squadron Sunderland at Alexandria in 1939. regards, adey 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardiff guy Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 Really very very nice well done. Glenn. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cngaero Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 You've done a splendid job with the old AIrfix Sunderland Adey. Both your detailing and finish are superb, especially in the very busy crew compartments. I really love that late grey and white Coastal Command scheme, it makes the old girl look so elegant. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 These would have to be some of the nicest and cleanest photos of aircraft models I have come across of late. The detail and explanations are just terrific and what elevates these even more is that it all revolves around a model kit that’s been wonderfully built, with moulds that have been around for close to 60 years! Just goes to to show what one can achieve with any old bit of plastic. I’m in awe of this type of modelling talent. Very well done (yet again) Adey. Cheers.. Dave 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FAAMAN Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 Exceptional mate, well done 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray S Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 Absolutely stunning Adey, great work! Ray 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 You have done a superb job,.... well done indeed! Cheers Tony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapam Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Great work on an iconic Airfix kit. Their early box art would have to be some of the best, and most inspiring, aviation art ever produced. Your build proves that a lot of these older kits can still make excellent replicas. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev The Modeller Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Lovely build 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherry268 Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Superb modelling 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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