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Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR1 - 1/72 Airfix


CedB

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Hi Ced.

 

It's always fun spending other peoples' money but if inclined, I'd recommend checking out Alleycat's replacement clear resin windscreen for this. I'm a bit worn out and can't think of words to concisely describe what's wrong with the kit windscreen, but the panes of glass around the front are the wrong shape along their top edge. The line they follow should go "up and over" but the kit item goes "round the front". A quick look at a photo and the kit windscreen together will show what's up.

 

Alleycat actually make a number of items for this kit including a detailed bomb bay and new intakes/engine areas. The kit intakes, contours etc aren't quite right and the lights aren't quite right, but the resin is a lot of cutting and blending and whilst it does fix most of it, the new engine air intakes are worse than the kit items! Whether it's worth the effort and cost will vary from person to person.

 

The windscreen is a good bang for buck improvement though :)

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Watching this one closely, I built one a few years ago and plan to make a second some time next year.

1 hour ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

Hi Ced.

 

It's always fun spending other peoples' money but if inclined, I'd recommend checking out Alleycat's replacement clear resin windscreen for this. I'm a bit worn out and can't think of words to concisely describe what's wrong with the kit windscreen, but the panes of glass around the front are the wrong shape along their top edge. The line they follow should go "up and over" but the kit item goes "round the front". A quick look at a photo and the kit windscreen together will show what's up.

 

Alleycat actually make a number of items for this kit including a detailed bomb bay and new intakes/engine areas. The kit intakes, contours etc aren't quite right and the lights aren't quite right, but the resin is a lot of cutting and blending and whilst it does fix most of it, the new engine air intakes are worse than the kit items! Whether it's worth the effort and cost will vary from person to person.

 

The windscreen is a good bang for buck improvement though :)

I have to agree with you Jamie the kits windscreen looks, well,  just wrong. The replacement Alleycat screen comes with, if I remember correctly, masks and photo-etch windscreen wipers.

 

gazza l

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One thing to note - if you're doing the bomb bay open you need to include the insulation.  I've never seen any of the airfix builds include that.

The inside of the bomb bay doors was lined with Plastazote sheets which was a light blue in color, roughly 24" x 36" sheets... all glued in with Evostik.  The edges and seams of the sheets were sealed with Thiokol PRC (?) which was a mucky brown color.  It was a two part mix and it was like trying to mix a thick yogurt with (almost set) treacle toffee into a homogeneous gooey glob, then spread on with a stiff brush.  If you were nice 'n' neat like wot I was, you'd use masking tape to get nice neat lines, but there was always a disgruntled rigger who just slapped it on any old way.  If I remember correctly, it had a real high lead content - so we always made sure it had a nice smooth finish by spitting on our finger and using the sodden digit as a spatula

 

I can't find any photo's of the insulation fitted online but I am assuming that's because all the photo's are more recent and (I'm guessing) the insulation was removed after the bomb bay fire incident (but could well be wrong).  I left the mob back in '88 and the insulation was definitely still in use then.  On the 'recent' photo's you can still make out the flanges which the sheets sat into

 

oh, and don't forget the big black sealing strips along the bottom edge.

 

Edited by hendie
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2 hours ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

Hi Ced.

 

It's always fun spending other peoples' money but if inclined, I'd recommend checking out Alleycat's replacement clear resin windscreen for this. I'm a bit worn out and can't think of words to concisely describe what's wrong with the kit windscreen, but the panes of glass around the front are the wrong shape along their top edge. The line they follow should go "up and over" but the kit item goes "round the front". A quick look at a photo and the kit windscreen together will show what's up.

 

Alleycat actually make a number of items for this kit including a detailed bomb bay and new intakes/engine areas. The kit intakes, contours etc aren't quite right and the lights aren't quite right, but the resin is a lot of cutting and blending and whilst it does fix most of it, the new engine air intakes are worse than the kit items! Whether it's worth the effort and cost will vary from person to person.

 

The windscreen is a good bang for buck improvement though :)

The Alley Cat windscreen is a very good plot: it also shows why the kit part overhangs the fuselage sides.  IIRC Hawker Siddeley had to apply doubler plates over the existing Comet window frames to cater for the changed stresses when the side and direct vision windows were enlarged and the “eyebrow” windows were installed.  Alley Cat provide masking tape sections to properly replicate the additional plating below the transparencies (have a look at some of the photos of XV249 in the Walkaround section to see what it looks like).

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I also have one of these in the stash.  Found out one of my Uncles, Victor, used to be a crew chief on them.  He was on the first one to land on the Falklands after that last bit of nastiness.  He is kneeling 2nd from the left in the pic.  Also one of a different plane he was on saying hi to some Russians.  I plan on trying to do his bird but think I need to modify the kit markings.

 

8tJQGw6K-1IjlLo0K4nsHPQGQILfPiRG444IW-rc

 

bTQjQ9mrlzoY4pnDyYPWzkpJHtvveBLVN1SGE55c

 

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I know that there are lots of correction and detail sets for this kit, and you could easily spend more on them than the kit itself, which is one reason why I probably won't build mine.

Incidentally, the same friend who flew Shackletons went on to fly Nimrods, but we had lost touch by then so I don't have any funny stories about them.

 

Good luck.

 

John

 

PS the new Spitfire fuselage is en route so the fun ( gulp ) should begin soon.

Edited by Biggles87
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Wow, what a crowd! Apologies for not welcoming everybody personally but pleased to see you all :) 

 

Having finished the Wellesley I've done some research on the Nimrod... later. I'll answer specific points first…

 

23 hours ago, keefr22 said:

(Crew)

Who I believe are dressed nothing like the way the guys and girls who flew Nimblobs did....!! 

 

Can't wait to see the B-36 - Nimblob formation....!!

 

Is the bar open yet...?

 

Keith

22 hours ago, perdu said:

Good point re: crew fashions

 

Should a asked Debs on Sattiday mate

 

I 'like' the original clean white and grey, for which @Jamie sold you a tinnie of Light Aircraft Grey on Saturday

Which (of course) makes the Fincastle Trophy winner a potential destination but hey mate, it is you that needs to have her on the ceiling

 

Having her on the ceiling with her bomb bay open looks like a very crowd pleasing option

 

I vote for OPEN BAY

 

I hope madame ze Shootmeister® is watching and could give you the assists you might need in info on crew states

Thanks Keith - er, what were they dressed like? If you can point me in the right direction I might have something suitable, although most of my crew are WWII :) 

Thanks Bill - um, you wanted me to ask Debs what she was wearing? Are you MAD! That sort of thing always brings out the Shillelagh (try Googling for that, should be shelayley surely? Ask Siobhan or Sean…)

Now then, "the original clean white and grey"… :hmmm:The schemes from the Airfix kit AND the Xtradecal sheet show just white and grey BUT many photos show a darker grey band between the two like this:

 

mid_000000.jpg?action=e&cat=photographs THE ROYAL AIR FORCE 1945 - 1975. © Crown copyright. IWM (CT 484) IWM Non Commercial License

 

I tried to convince myself it's shadow but Lord Riot did a great build here and I’ve been pawing over the thread for reference. He did the dark bit. What's the story, Jackanory?

That photo is of XV262 of 206 Sqn RAF Kinloss, winners of the Fincastle Trophy in 1974. Wiki says “The International Fincastle Competition is a contest of skills between the air forces of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. During the competition, crews compete in anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and intelligence and surveillance gathering.” Coo. I'll be building that one then, just for you Bill (er, and AW) :) 

 

On 12/11/2018 at 06:11, bigbadbadge said:

Very nice indeed Ced.  Bill is a very nice man.  I have one in the stash too and will watch with interest.  I have read that you will possibly need to space out the front part of the top of the fuselage so that the canopy section fits as I think it is slightly wider and this will save you lots of sanding later. I am no expert though so please check this out. 

Good luck with your build. 

All the best 

Chris 

Thanks Chris - see below! :) 

 

12 hours ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

Hi Ced.

 

It's always fun spending other peoples' money but if inclined, I'd recommend checking out Alleycat's replacement clear resin windscreen for this. I'm a bit worn out and can't think of words to concisely describe what's wrong with the kit windscreen, but the panes of glass around the front are the wrong shape along their top edge. The line they follow should go "up and over" but the kit item goes "round the front". A quick look at a photo and the kit windscreen together will show what's up.

 

Alleycat actually make a number of items for this kit including a detailed bomb bay and new intakes/engine areas. The kit intakes, contours etc aren't quite right and the lights aren't quite right, but the resin is a lot of cutting and blending and whilst it does fix most of it, the new engine air intakes are worse than the kit items! Whether it's worth the effort and cost will vary from person to person.

 

The windscreen is a good bang for buck improvement though :)

Thanks Jamie - it sure is fun spending other peoples' money and thanks again for Friday night! It was great to see you, Gill and Stew again, I had a great time, thanks :) 

As some sort of recompense I've ordered the Alleycat windscreen and bomb bay.

Here's "A quick look at a photo and the kit windscreen together":

 

31980619938_299d4542c7_z.jpg

Flickr

 

Thanks for the tip :whistle:

 

On 12/11/2018 at 09:20, Beard said:

Please can we have a shot of the fuselage with a foot for scale?

:rofl:

Just for you Simon I took off my slippers this morning and although my toenails are nicely trimmed (after last time) my feet are, how can I put it, 'not photogenic' today so you'll have to make do with a picture with my new 2' rule:

 

31986873028_90402b8acc_z.jpg

 

 

Big. Again.

 

13 hours ago, TheBaron said:

Wonderful to see so many comrades suggesting massive extra detailing duties Ced.

No slacking now! :whip:

[snip video]

 

Thanks Tony - I'll probably need that on in the background as I tackle this one :) Especially with all the extra demands...

 

10 hours ago, hendie said:

One thing to note - if you're doing the bomb bay open you need to include the insulation.  I've never seen any of the airfix builds include that.

The inside of the bomb bay doors was lined with Plastazote sheets which was a light blue in color, roughly 24" x 36" sheets... all glued in with Evostik.  The edges and seams of the sheets were sealed with Thiokol PRC (?) which was a mucky brown color.  It was a two part mix and it was like trying to mix a thick yogurt with (almost set) treacle toffee into a homogeneous gooey glob, then spread on with a stiff brush.  If you were nice 'n' neat like wot I was, you'd use masking tape to get nice neat lines, but there was always a disgruntled rigger who just slapped it on any old way.  If I remember correctly, it had a real high lead content - so we always made sure it had a nice smooth finish by spitting on our finger and using the sodden digit as a spatula

 

I can't find any photo's of the insulation fitted online but I am assuming that's because all the photo's are more recent and (I'm guessing) the insulation was removed after the bomb bay fire incident (but could well be wrong).  I left the mob back in '88 and the insulation was definitely still in use then.  On the 'recent' photo's you can still make out the flanges which the sheets sat into

 

oh, and don't forget the big black sealing strips along the bottom edge.

 

Er… :weep:

I'll try Alan, I'll try. 

"I can't find any photo's of the insulation fitted online". Hmmm. That said your instructions are quite clear so I'll do my best. (Now, where's my yogurt and tin of treacle…)

 

8 hours ago, perdu said:

Ced

Seriously I was considering getting Ali's windscreen but I doubt if the intakes would make much difference to me

I (and thus, you) could make the intakes in the kit do a job for us

Bill I want to make the best I can of this kind gift so I will be trying (very trying…). AM ordered.

What do you think I should do about the intakes? Be gentle…

 

7 hours ago, philp said:

I also have one of these in the stash.  Found out one of my Uncles, Victor, used to be a crew chief on them.  He was on the first one to land on the Falklands after that last bit of nastiness.  He is kneeling 2nd from the left in the pic.  Also one of a different plane he was on saying hi to some Russians.  I plan on trying to do his bird but think I need to modify the kit markings.

[snip photos]

Great story and photos Phil - thanks! :) 

 

I'd better post this before I lose it - more on the research soon…

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So, where are we…

Plastic still in the box, theme chosen as XV262 of 206 Sqn RAF Kinloss, winners of the Fincastle Trophy in 1974. 'Original' grey and white.

Alleycat windscreen and bomb bay ordered - hopefully won't be too long but I can always start something else if I'm help up (doubtful).

 

By popular request she will be built with the detailed bomb bay open (and maybe with Hendie's insulation fitted if I can find some treacle).

With stencils. Lots of stencils.

The kit undercarriage is really nice so, although she'll be on the ceiling, I may pose her in 'low-level pass display mode' with things dangling.

Maybe even the flaps.

 

Lord Riot ('LR') mixed some paint for the cabin 'lino' (says Bill) so I thought I should try that too. Being a 'systems guy' I of course fired up iModelKit, navigated to the picture in LR's thread, chose a lighter area of the floor as a reference and added paint from my inventory until I got a suitable mix:

 

30917840417_206b9264ed_z.jpg

 

Of course there are several issues with this method.

The picture may be in the wrong light.

I may have chosen the wrong area as a reference.

I have no idea how to measure out 44.2% H73.

As usual with this sort of thing I'll end up with about four of those, about four of those and one of those and we'll see what it looks like.

Waste of time maybe, but as I have zero 'Art' skills I need a system to blame for guidance.

 

Enough chat, time to fondle some plastic…

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43 minutes ago, CedB said:

Thanks Keith - er, what were they dressed like?

 

From what I can remember, on normal ops they'd just wear the usual green growbags (flying suits!) with intercom type headsets, ankle type flying boots (tan or black) and intercom headsets (think headphones) with boom mics. The pilots would probably be wearing Nomex gloves, likely white in the  early 'Blob era.

 

Scroll down here, there's a pic of a R1 crew at work

 

http://www.spyflight.co.uk/nim.htm

 

Don't forget this was a converted airliner so they wouldn't normally need oxygen masks, lifejackets and fast jet flying boots like the guys Airfix give you.

51 minutes ago, CedB said:

I tried to convince myself it's shadow but Lord Riot did a great build here and I’ve been pawing over the thread for reference. He did the dark bit. What's the story, Jackanory?

 

I'm 99.9 % sure it's a shadow

 

Keith

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3 minutes ago, CedB said:

Of course there are several issues with this method.

The picture may be in the wrong light.

I may have chosen the wrong area as a reference.

I have no idea how to measure out 44.2% H73.

As usual with this sort of thing I'll end up with about four of those, about four of those and one of those and we'll see what it looks like.

Waste of time maybe, but as I have zero 'Art' skills I need a system to blame for guidance.

 

 

And a further issue being it's in the cabin, totally invisible on a Nimrod doing a low ceiling flypast....!! :rofl2:

 

K

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Hi Ced the intakes in the kit may just be slightly on the weedy side

 

I have White Milliput

 

And sihrsc

 

And aninterweb full of usable pictures

 

And a friend, Sir Ced of this parish whose skill set increases in massive increments with his every build

 

What do you think he would do?

 

As for the shadow, read my lips mate, I lived on base at Kinloss in the seventies, its a blooming thick shadow

 

The instructions do not lie!

 

If Lord Riot used a darker colour to emphasise the shape that was an artistically biased decision

 

The aircraft scheme is White upper surface to the fuselage, overall Light Aircraft Grey the rest

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For balance

 

I only lived at Kinloss for a fortnight

And most of the Nimmies were living along the coast at Lossie at the time whilst the runways were being resurfaced and my unit needed a secure base to operate from on a scheme in the Hielands

But a couple of the Nimblobs hadn't left home

And pretty well most of them flew over home base, maybe just checking...

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Plastic has been fondled. And cut. And sawn. And chiselled.

 

45 minutes ago, keefr22 said:

 

From what I can remember, on normal ops they'd just wear the usual green growbags (flying suits!) with intercom type headsets, ankle type flying boots (tan or black) and intercom headsets (think headphones) with boom mics. The pilots would probably be wearing Nomex gloves, likely white in the  early 'Blob era.

 

Scroll down here, there's a pic of a R1 crew at work

 

http://www.spyflight.co.uk/nim.htm

 

Don't forget this was a converted airliner so they wouldn't normally need oxygen masks, lifejackets and fast jet flying boots like the guys Airfix give you.

 

I'm 99.9 % sure it's a shadow

 

Keith

Thanks Keith :) 

Boom mics… hmmm. The rest I can do - thanks!

No oxygen masks… I can do that. Out with the chisel:

 

44945918705_1372bccaf3_z.jpg

 

 

Better? The one on the left - the other hasn't been touched. I guess the lifejacket has to come off too… later. But wait… no bone domes either? Perhaps I should be using something else?

 

43 minutes ago, keefr22 said:

 

And a further issue being it's in the cabin, totally invisible on a Nimrod doing a low ceiling flypast....!! :rofl2:

 

K

Correct. But where's the fun in that? :D 

 

41 minutes ago, perdu said:

Hi Ced the intakes in the kit may just be slightly on the weedy side

 

I have White Milliput

 

And sihrsc

 

And aninterweb full of usable pictures

 

And a friend, Sir Ced of this parish whose skill set increases in massive increments with his every build

 

What do you think he would do?

 

As for the shadow, read my lips mate, I lived on base at Kinloss in the seventies, its a blooming thick shadow

 

The instructions do not lie!

 

If Lord Riot used a darker colour to emphasise the shape that was an artistically biased decision

 

The aircraft scheme is White upper surface to the fuselage, overall Light Aircraft Grey the rest

Aww, thanks Bill, your confidence is encouraging! I've made a start below :) 

 

8 minutes ago, giemme said:

One can't really catch a breath, can one? Page 2 already .... :frantic: 

 

Alright, I'm in for yet another big beast from Ced's Labs :popcorn: :beer:

 

Ciao

Hi Giorgio - pleased to see you! :) 

 

Fondling plastic. Nice er, what do you call those things I don't normally use? Undercarriages, that's it… Look at these:

 

45809554342_2288b3b4ac_z.jpg

44042285690_1ca61a7e40_z.jpg

 

Too nice to ignore?

 

Anyway, let's address the Elephant in the room. (Morning Jumbo, could you eat a bun?)

 

Let's see what the intakes look like. Better take the wings off the part trees / sprues. Nasty blocky connectors that need sawing to prevent stress marks. Out with the contour saw:

 

31987993178_70b675aeec_z.jpg

 

The removal of the wings also meant I could chop up the big trees so that they fit in my usual kit box place on the bench:

 

45809708602_1beaa22852_n.jpg 31988118388_d58b2e1c70_n.jpg

 

Obviously there's still a big box of big bits on the floor too. Groan. Need more space:

 

45134536624_fc2d56e55e_z.jpg

 

I'll put the crew painting paints away, at least most of them. Those flippin' connections also go inside the wings:

 

45810035932_1dc7608c48_z.jpg

 

… and need trimming off. That done we can dry fit the internals and see this:

 

45809789202_920d8319d2_z.jpg

 

… which, with this:

 

30920019117_eb00bfcff6_z.jpg

 

… and Bill's guidance we can get this:

 

nimrod_mr2_fairford_25_of_65.jpg

(thanks to Howard Mason on the Prime Portal MR2 walk around

 

Hmmm, we shall see.

 

That's it until later. I have a man coming around to look at erecting the new garden shed. I'm not convinced I can get the base right and, from experience, the felt will probably fly off in high winds if I stick it on. The door's on the wrong end too so we need a little path extension.

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Ced don't you just have ordinary folks sitting around in overalls?

 

By the way, I took riskier chances with herself on Saturday but I think she's just a great big pussycat really

 

;)

 

( when herself reads this, she will, I would like to thank her for not knee-nutting me for that. And tell her it was a real pleasure to see her, Neil and Andy at the Bomber Command tables)

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59 minutes ago, CedB said:

Plastic has been fondled. And cut. And sawn. And chiselled.

 

Thanks Keith :) 

Boom mics… hmmm. The rest I can do - thanks!

No oxygen masks… I can do that. Out with the chisel:

 

44945918705_1372bccaf3_z.jpg

 

 

Better? The one on the left - the other hasn't been touched. I guess the lifejacket has to come off too… later. But wait… no bone domes either? Perhaps I should be using something else?

Being fundamentally lazy, when I build mine, I'll most likey drop in a couple of PJ Promotions' resin pilots and keep the kit ones for spares!

 

On a wider note, I'm following this with real interest Ced; it's looking cracking so far and I'd always planned to have mine with an open bomb bay too (I'm a 'ceiling-hanger' as well). I've only just been aware of the imposing beast bult by @Lord Riot and am sorry I didn't get to follow it at the time   @Lord Riot

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