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1/48th Hunter - 4 FTS Valley


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HI folks

 

There comes a time in a Hunter build when you just have to sit back a stare lovingly at its sheer elegance (and then get the camera...). For me it's always the moment the airframe is completed.

 

DAMN! This aircraft is just SO gorgeous! 🙂

 

Hunter%20Airframe%201.jpg

 

It doesn't matter how many of these I build, or how often (or rarely) - it always takes my breath away.

 

Hunter%20Airframe%202.jpg

 

This one I've been building "just for fun" and I intend to finish it in 4 FTS' glorious Red and White scheme (which comes with the kit).

 

Hunter%20Airframe%203.jpg

 

This (as you can see) is Academy's 48th Hunter F.6/FGA.9 kit, which has its problem. The biggest of those problems is the appalling cockpit, which I used SBS Models excellent Detail Set to overcome. The SBS set has the proper dimensions (cockpit tub and Ejection Seat) and fits with a minimum of fettling. Their Wheel Well walls (for the Main U/C only) are also excellent. Here's a side-by-side shot of the SBS seat and the built (but unpainted) Academy seat:

 

Ejection%20seat%20Comp%201.jpg

 

As you can see, they are worlds apart!

 

It's been a great weekend, working on this (and a Tamiya Honda NR in 1/12th). Hope you've all had as much fun this weekend as I have.

 

Cheers

 

Kev

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

One of my favourites, such an elegant design and symbolic of when we actually had enough squadrons of jets to be a major power. It must have been fun spotting back then too, one might actually see something!

 

That ejection seat is amazing, it looks real! 

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Fantastic build so far!

 

I built the very same kit earlier in the year. had a few issues with the air intakes but generally went together extremely well.

 

Looking forward to your paint scheme and the MAMOUTH task of decalling...

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I forgot I'd posted this - D'uh!

 

Thank you all for your kind comments. The Hunter is still waiting to get into the spray shed for its airframe primer. Been some issues that have slowed me down. Then I got involved in a few too many other projects (the usual curse of a ditherer like me - hee hee).

 

I shall get back onto it soon and remember to post more pics. One sour note - I looked at it earlier today and realised that I've somehow distorted one of the ejector handles on the top of the seat - not major, but I did say a few choice words and called myself a few naughty names.

 

CanopyCloseup.jpg

 

oh... and the HUD glass isn't squarely cut across the top! Nothing quite as annoying as being your own worst critic, eh? 🙂

 

Kev

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14 hours ago, Biggles87 said:

I agree, one of the most beautiful aircraft designs ever. It's my favourite jet, followed by the F-86 Sabte.

Are you  going to continue with this, or are you waiting for the new Airfix kit?

 

John

I won't bother with the Airfix kit, I like the Academy one - once you've replaced the terrible cockpit. Plus I have two more Revell Hunters (72nd and 32nd scales) and am trying to find either Mark 1 Models or Revell 144th scale one - but I need twenty two of them cos I want to do the famous loop as a display dio, with the 32nd scale one in the front of the stand 'at rest'.

 

Kev

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9 minutes ago, Steve Coombs said:

Did the F.6 have the bumps on the upper wing surfaces?

Ooh.. I don't know... I'll have to check that. Otherwise it's out with the scalpel and sanding stick QUICK! 😉

 

Kev

 

Looks like some did and some didn't. I'll have to see if I can find a pic of the actual FTS bird I'm modelling. Found a couple of pics of other FTS birds which did have the bumps, but a little more research to do before I hit the primer.

Edited by modelman182
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I had a similar issue with the HUD when building mine.....except it was lost to the carpet monster never to been seen again.......I managed to find the block, but not the glass....tiniest bit of clear plastic, and a new one was made.

 

Wouldn;t worry too much about the bang cord, actually looks pretty decent :)

 

Have you decided one which paint scheme you are going with yet?

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14 hours ago, stringbag said:

If you plan to build XF526 as shown on the box top, then it did indeed have the wing top surface bumps.

There is a picture https://www.flickr.com/photos/24101413@N03/13474685725/in/photostream/

 

All the best.

Chris.

 

Many thanks for that link, Chris - just what I needed. XF526 is cleared for priming...

 

Kev

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5 hours ago, Mikey-1980 said:

I had a similar issue with the HUD when building mine.....except it was lost to the carpet monster never to been seen again.......I managed to find the block, but not the glass....tiniest bit of clear plastic, and a new one was made.

 

Wouldn;t worry too much about the bang cord, actually looks pretty decent :)

 

Have you decided one which paint scheme you are going with yet?

I should imagine that a dropsy of that little piece of clear acetate would be a total loss irregardless of the floor covering, but we all know the carpet monster delights in our torments. 🙂

 

Thanks for the compliment on the bang cord, but we both know it's " just not quite right", don't we? 😉

 

It'll be finished in the boxtop art  scheme, though I won't follow the instructions paint callout, as it calls for a yellow fuselage (Academy just keeping me on my toes, I guess).

 

BTW - your avatar gave me a chuckle - you DO know it's a man with a girl's name wearing a woolly hat his Mum knitted for him?  🙂

 

Kev

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Oh I am fully aware of the Hero of Canton.....the man they call....Jayne! I'm a HUGE Firefly fan, Trying to find a good model of Serenity is a holy grail kit.

 

A man walks down the street in hat like that knows no fear, and I have too.....actually quite warm :)

 

Glad you like though :)

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2 hours ago, Mikey-1980 said:

I'm a HUGE Firefly fan, Trying to find a good model of Serenity is a holy grail kit.

 

 

Me too, but it has to mean that my days of taking you seriously as a modeller are definitely coming to a middle! 😉

 

I've an inkling to do a scratchbuild as there only seem to be a few resin models of Serenity but there is plenty of info out there (hidden somewhere among Mulder's truth, I suspect).

 

In the meantime I have to make do with my wallpaper shot (one of several SciFi favourite wallpapers I use on my main PC)

 

firefly_serenity_small.jpg

 

Kev

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There is a paper kit I found some time ago that was highly detailed. I thibk the overall length was about 1m ish. 

 

I'll have to find it again and send it across to you. I'll also have to put some of my sci-fi build up in the forum too. 

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48 minutes ago, Mikey-1980 said:

There is a paper kit I found some time ago that was highly detailed. I thibk the overall length was about 1m ish. 

 

I'll have to find it again and send it across to you. I'll also have to put some of my sci-fi build up in the forum too. 

Ooh - that would be great, thanks.

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44 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Hunters and Firefly. What's not to like?

I wouldn't worry about the seat handles, as they got older they could distort like that.

 

I see from your tag line that you're intrigued by Incept dates and Morphology 🙂

 

Not gonna do anything about the small errors as it means cracking open the canopy - not something I'm keen on trying.

 

Kev

 

Now going over to the dark side - watching a new Model Railway programme on Channel 5 (oh, the shame....)

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8 hours ago, modelman182 said:

Many thanks for that link, Chris - just what I needed. XF526 is cleared for priming...

 

Kev

No problem Kev.

Looking forward to seeing this one in red, white and grey.

 

Chris.

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35 minutes ago, Irish 251 said:

Note that the F.6 depicted seems to have had no guns fitted, hence no gunsight and no Sabrinas.

The Kiera Knightly of Hunters.  Still looks good without them. 🤣

I've only just put 2 and 2 together Irish. Hope you didn't mind links to your picture gallery. I very often visit for reference purposes.

 

Chris.

PS. I was there in 1979 too. Great day :thumbsup:

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8 hours ago, stringbag said:

No problem Kev.

Looking forward to seeing this one in red, white and grey.

 

Chris.

Actually, Chris , it's Red, White and Aluminium - though in most lights it does look like a grey. I toyed with the idea of making mine a little garish and using Alclad's Polished Aluminium, but decided to use the duller Airframe Aluminium instead. 

 

Now I just need to get rid of the cold 'gifted' to me by a work colleague yesterday and I can start on the primer (white all over for this scheme, I reckon).

 

Kev

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8 hours ago, Irish 251 said:

Note that the F.6 depicted seems to have had no guns fitted, hence no gunsight and no Sabrinas.

Thanks for that info, irish 251, but I think I'll take the 'artistic licence route' and leave it as is. 

 

BTW, what are 'Sabrinas', please? I'm fairly sure you're NOT referring to a teenage witch... 😉

 

Kev

Edited by modelman182
Get the name right, Kev you dolt!
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