1:72 AZ Model Supermarine Attacker

[Navy Bird]

Apparently, I cannot pull myself away from Czech short run kits. Even in the midst of building the superb 1:32 Tamiya Spitfire, where the parts actually fit together (sometimes without the need for glue - engineered molecular adhesion perhaps?), I find myself yearning for those halcyon days of putty and sandpaper and razor saws and bandages and cursing. Oh, and beer.

 

So here we have the AZ Model kit of the Supermarine Attacker in glorious braille scale. For those obsessed with such things, I have personally verified that this entire kit has fewer parts than the big Tamiya Spitfire rudder pedal assembly. Or nearly so anyway. The kit I have is nominally for the post-navalisation prototype and FB.1 versions of the aircraft, and comes in one of those kind of boxes that bring forth expletives from the most God-fearing of men. And here it is:

 

 

There are only two sprues of plastic, plus the clear canopy and a one-piece(!) resin cockpit.

 

 

 

It would appear that all the parts are here for the FB.2 version with the exception of the canopy. The part included in this kit is the original canopy, prior to the addition of extra framework. But framework can be painted on, so I think I can use this one should I build the FB.2. Which I might do, assuming this old Modeldecal sheet I have is still good. Along with those stickers, I also have the Airwaves photoetch set.

 

 

The photoetch is designed for the Frog kit, but let's face it - Airwaves PE usually doesn't fit the kit it's intended for, so I figure I have a fighting chance it may fit a kit it's not designed for. Besides, I think I should fold the wings. I started cleaning up the parts and having a look at the instruction sheet (silly knave!) and immediately discovered that step number one is wrong. As in, they have you install the part in absolutely the wrong place. I'll take some photos and show you what I mean. Ah, short run kits...AZ is re-releasing this kit soon, and it will be interesting to see if they fix this rather egregious error.

 

So this is my side project while the paint dries on the big Spit. My FAA collection needs more members, and this one should slot nicely in-between the Seafire and Scimitar. Which reminds me, I don't have a Seafire! Long live Extra Dark Sea Grey.

 

Cheers,

Bill

[Martian]

Who in their right mind can resist an Attacker, or even wants to? Even though I have clearly never been in my right mind, I'm in anyway!

 

Martian 👽

[Aardvark]

Very interesting topic for me. 

I have almost this set for built Attacker in 72nd scale, but with next differences:

- my base for Attacker is CMR, because when I bought it, the AZ models were not there yet.

- brass gun barrel

for Spitfire wing type E (? don't remember) from Poland Master. 

 

Other (Modeldecal & Airwaves PE) I have too.

 

Therefore, it will be interesting for me to observe your built!

 

B.R.

Serge

 

P.S.

 Does anyone have any factory sections of the Attacker's nose?

I have a vague feeling that CMR & based on CMR - AZ models 

made the nose piece thinner than necessary.

 

 

[Hamden]

 

Look forward to watching work your magic on this -  don't see Attackers built very often

 

     Roger

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

1 hour ago, Martian Hale said:

Who in their right mind can resist an Attacker, or even wants to?

More of a point, what kind of freak doesn’t have a Seafire?

 

Mind you, if you’re filling the slot between Seafire & Scimitar, there are a couple of doozies to add: Sea Hornet (sublime), Firebrand (dog), Sea Venom...

 

Got me, too.

[Martian]

55 minutes ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

More of a point, what kind of freak doesn’t have a Seafire?

 

Mind you, if you’re filling the slot between Seafire & Scimitar, there are a couple of doozies to add: Sea Hornet (sublime), Firebrand (dog), Sea Venom...

 

Got me, too.

Well, this freak does have six Seafire kits in the stash so it would have to be someone dafter than me!  I don't know why but the image of a Twin Seafang just leapt into my fevered brains.  Now see what you have done Crisp, you have set me thinking which, as Mrs Martian can attest is never a good thing! 

 

Martian 👽

[Aardvark]

1 hour ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

More of a point, what kind of freak doesn’t have a Seafire? 

I am doesn’t have a Seafire 😶.....how to me live now?😭

All this: 

loses meaning without Seafire!!!???

😭😭😭

 

B.R.

Serge

 

P.S.

But Seafire evolution in Seafang, who gave the Attacker a wing.

I have an Attacker, the wing of which has a genealogy from Seafire ..... maybe I’m still not completely lost to society? 😉🤔

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Serge, it’s perfectly OK not to have Seafires if you don’t do Spits either!  I’m not seeing any non-jets there...

 

[Besides, I wasn’t being serious!]

[Terry1954]

A Supermarine aircraft.....

a naval aircraft......

an Attacker.....

 

Three good reasons why I'm in Bill, oh and of course another short run czech, bliss!

 

Terry

Edited October 6, 2018 by Terry1954

[corsaircorp]

Hello Bill,

Naval aircraft ??? May I have a seat at the bar ? I will try to behave….

I also have an attacker but in quarter scale !

And still I must find a Scimitar and a Firebrand 1/48 too obviously !

2 hours ago, Martian Hale said:

Well, this freak does have six Seafire kits in the stash so it would have to be someone dafter than me!  I don't know why but the image of a Twin Seafang just leapt into my fevered brains.  Now see what you have done Crisp, you have set me thinking which, as Mrs Martian can attest is never a good thing! 

 

Martian 👽

Twin Seafang !! Holly Molly, I catch that fever too….

I have a twin Seafire, they called it a Sea Mosquito ! But Twin Seafang….🤔🤔

Let's see if Fairey or Blackburn did'nt at least tried it ….🤔

Sincerely.

CC

[Martian]

2 hours ago, corsaircorp said:

May I have a seat at the bar ? I will try to behave….

Don't listen to him Bill, he is genetically incapable of behaving. He has spent most of this year in the naughty corner on Mercury!

 

Martian 👽

[Graeme H]

OK, i'm in

[Procopius]

4 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Serge, it’s perfectly OK not to have Seafires if you don’t do Spits either!  

Don't lie.

[stevehnz]

Hmmm, think I better keep an eye on this too having got one of the other boxings of this kit, its one of THOSE  boxes too.  Also got a Frog spawn one in a plathtic bag, Have long wondered whether to get silly & build it up with the benefits of Falcon, Airwaves & Modeldecal stuff or use the wings to built a Spitfire with Spiteful wings prototype.

Steve.

 

[giemme]

Cor, there's a crowd in here already!

 

Alright, I'll sit at the bar with @corsaircorp (McChouffe maybe, CC? 😉) - good thing my sight is still good...

 

Ciao

[Max Headroom]

Oi! Let me in, I’ve brought some beer and a large pack of Cheetos to share. 

 

If Bill is feeling a bit left field then he could always do one of these......

 

https://goo.gl/images/CRNDU1

 

Trevor

[Vesper]

Pulling up my chair with the rest of the gang!

[Courageous]

What a crowd, usual riff-raff I see, same faces at the bar too...just my crowd and place.

I have an AZ Attacker in the stash, so I'll tag along and take notes.

 

Stuart

[corsaircorp]

6 hours ago, giemme said:

Cor, there's a crowd in here already!

 

Alright, I'll sit at the bar with @corsaircorp (McChouffe maybe, CC? 😉) - good thing my sight is still good...

 

Ciao

Hello Mister G,

Of course ! Mc Chouffe and Tripel Karmeliet !

I'll bring some Tripel Westmaale for our dear @Martian Hale....

5 hours ago, Courageous said:

What a crowd, usual riff-raff I see, same faces at the bar too...just my crowd and place.

I have an AZ Attacker in the stash, so I'll tag along and take notes.

 

Stuart

May be calling it "The attacker gang "??

 

Sincerely.

CC

[Courageous]

Aahh CC, always at the bar 

 

Stuart

[Terry1954]

21 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

More of a point, what kind of freak doesn’t have a Seafire?

Maybe the same sort of person that has no Sea Fury, Buccaneer, Sea Vixen, Scimitar, Barracuda ............. need I go on?

 

12 hours ago, stevehnz said:

or use the wings to built a Spitfire with Spiteful wings prototype.

Neat idea Steve!

 

 

 

[Navy Bird]

22 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

More of a point, what kind of freak doesn’t have a Seafire? Mind you, if you’re filling the slot between Seafire & Scimitar, there are a couple of doozies to add: Sea Hornet (sublime), Firebrand (dog), Sea Venom...

 

Well. I have several Seafire kits in this stash, just none built yet. So I guess that means I'm not a freak?  Although Mrs. Bird would beg to differ. Now let's see...Sea Hornet - check, have the Special Hobby kit in the stash. Firebrand - check, got the CMR resin kit. Sea Venom - check, been there, done that with the CMR kit:

 

 

21 hours ago, Martian Hale said:

Well, this freak does have six Seafire kits in the stash so it would have to be someone dafter than me!  I don't know why but the image of a Twin Seafang just leapt into my fevered brains.  Now see what you have done Crisp, you have set me thinking which, as Mrs Martian can attest is never a good thing! 

 

A twin Seafang? Twin like two engines, or twin like two fuselages, ala F-82?

 

19 hours ago, Terry1954 said:

Three good reasons why I'm in Bill, oh and of course another short run czech, bliss!

 

Bliss is not normally the word I use to describe these short run kits...

 

18 hours ago, corsaircorp said:

Naval aircraft ??? May I have a seat at the bar ? I will try to behave….

 

Behaving is not required during any Navy Bird build. In fact, it's actively discouraged, so feel free to misbehave as you feel necessary.

 

16 hours ago, Martian Hale said:

Don't listen to him Bill, he is genetically incapable of behaving. He has spent most of this year in the naughty corner on Mercury!

 

I will have good company then, as I am usually in the naughty corner myself!  

 

8 hours ago, Max Headroom said:

https://goo.gl/images/CRNDU1

 

Although I like the Pakistani markings, the thought of doing an aluminum finish on an AZ short run kit is too scary. This one will be British - EDSG and Sky it shall be!

 

7 hours ago, Courageous said:

What a crowd, usual riff-raff I see, same faces at the bar too...just my crowd and place.

I have an AZ Attacker in the stash, so I'll tag along and take notes.

 

Yes, indeed, where did all these people come from? Yikes! I never thought that the Attacker would garner so much interest. I shall do my best to make the model look respectable, if only at a distance.   

 

 

Now, let's see, where we we? Right, the model. As I mentioned, step number one in the instructions is a boo-boo. Have a look here, and note where AZ have you position part number 10 on the starboard fuselage half. Note also how they've shown the outline of the cockpit on part number 10.

 

 

This would require doing this:

 

 

If you actually followed this instruction, you would then have to sand off ALL of the side consoles on the cockpit to make it fit. And, the intake would be partially blocked. This is obviously not right. Here is where part number 10 needs to go:

 

 

Looks a bit rough, but the important point of alignment is viewed from outside the fuselage, looking into the intake. Part number 10 is the continuation of the fuselage side as it enters the intake area. Hopefully, you can see that here.

 

 

Now the cockpit fits with just a bit of sanding on the sides. The louvers on the top and bottom of each intake (you can see one in the previous photo) are a bit rough. The Airwaves set provide these in photoetch, and I'm thinking of sanding off those moulded on the fuselage and using the PE. I doubt these louvers were proud of the surface, but the PE is pretty thin.

 

Cheers,

Bill

[Martian]

I was thinking along F-82 lines Bill.

 

Martian 👽

[Martian]

42 minutes ago, Terry1954 said:

Maybe the same sort of person that has no Sea Fury, Buccaneer, Sea Vixen, Scimitar, Barracuda ............. need I go on?

You guys try to stop him getting too excited while I go and find the vet!

 

Martian 👽

[Martian]

3 hours ago, corsaircorp said:

I'll bring some Tripel Westmaale for our dear @Martian Hale….

I hope its stronger than the stuff you tried to get me Squiffy on at Telford! 🍻 I may have the tentacles of a weak and feeble Martian but I have the heart and stomach of a Galactic Mega-Elephant! 

 

Martian 👽