1/48th Trumpeter Fairey Albacore!

[tonyot]

Thanks for the kind remarks lads,

                                                   Here is the model after the decals were applied,....... they are a mixture of decals left over from the SH kit and generic decals...... the `4M' codes are from a Fantasy Prinshop sheet although the `M' doesn`t match the one on the real aircraft exactly,..... it was the best I could find, those from the SH sheet were much too small.

 

 

Cheers,

           Tony

[At Sea]

Looking good, watching with interest. 

[fubar57]

Looking good Tony. Despite the deficiencies, I'm still thinking of getting one

 

 

George

Edited December 8, 2018 by fubar57

[belugawhaleman]

A very interesting looking plane. I never heard of this plane until now. Nice work.

[72modeler]

On ‎11‎/‎23‎/‎2018 at 11:29 AM, tonyot said:

it appears as if either the windshield is too big or the entire nose forward of it is too small?

Tony and Jeff,

 

I've been following the WIP and I  think the windscreen is definitely wonky! The kit w/s side panels extend from the base of the front panel to the bottom edge of the sliding hood, but if you look at the photos in the post, it sure looks to me that the side panels do not meet the hood at its bottom edge, but further up. In addition, the horizontal frames on the sliding hood are not in the same location on the kit canopy compared to the photos. The upper horizontal frame on the sliding hood should be almost at the top of the hood, as seen in the photo. I'm thinking that makes the w/s too tall and I think the height of the sliding hood, too. What do you think? I found some very nice detail photos, many I have not seen before- I have posted the link to them below. Some very nice  photos I hope you and others will find helpful. I sure wish Special Hobby would get off of their bums and release the 1/72 one they've had announced for ages, as I missed getting one the first time around!

Mike

 

http://axis-and-allies-paintworks.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?13436 

Edited December 11, 2018 by 72modeler
added text- corrected spelling

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,

                Thanks for all the kind comments,....... here is another update,........

Well the painting is all but done,..... next for the bit that I`ve been dreading,....... the rigging!!!

 

 

And with the upper wings test fitted;

 

You may have noticed that I`ve added some plastic rod to represent the arrester hook A Frame as this is missing from the kit. I seem to have lost the small struts for inside the main undercarriage fairings and one of the torpedo racks has fallen off while moving the model for photographing,....hopefully it will turn up!

 

Well it may not be perfect but it does look like an Albacore to me,........ wish me luck with the rigging!!

 

Cheers

          Tony

Edited December 12, 2018 by tonyot

[Silver Fox]

Looking good Tony, I'm sure you'll do a great job on the rigging.

 

[Mike]

I was thinking to myself "Why's he left the front of the cowling such a mess?" until I realised it was because you were painting it another colour I've given up wanting one of these thanks to this thread, which is no reflection on your modelling, just the unfortunate deficiencies in the kit, especially around the canopy, so for taking one for the team.  I've used the 10% eBay voucher to finally pick up an SH kit instead, and although it's not meant to be the easiest of builds, it'll be a bit more accurate, hopefully.  You're moments away from a successful completion, so grit your teeth and get the rigging squared away

[Nickthebrief]

You're continuing to make a lovely job of a not so lovely kit, Tony - and yes, it does look like an Albacore and good luck with the rigging...

Lots of photos show the white ring around the front of the cowling - and in some it almost looks like an extra layer of sheet metal or similar. When I built my SH kit I couldn't find any reference to what this was, or why it was white... As the "go to" man on FAA colours and markings, can you shed any light - just to satisfy my curiosity?

Cheers,

Nick.

[tonyot]

23 minutes ago, Nickthebrief said:

You're continuing to make a lovely job of a not so lovely kit, Tony - and yes, it does look like an Albacore and good luck with the rigging...

Lots of photos show the white ring around the front of the cowling - and in some it almost looks like an extra layer of sheet metal or similar. When I built my SH kit I couldn't find any reference to what this was, or why it was white... As the "go to" man on FAA colours and markings, can you shed any light - just to satisfy my curiosity?

Cheers,

Nick.

Cheers Nick,.......  I think that you have more faith in me than I really do mate!!

 

As for the white area on the collector ring,...... as far as I know it was an optional cover over the top of the exhaust collector ring, which was also seen on Beauforts with the same Taurus engine and also on Hercules engined aircraft like the Beaufighter  This was usually painted with heat proof enamel, presumably as a safety precaution during night ops for groundcrew on the ground? You an see it here; 

H

 

And another Albacore without the cover in place;

 

Here are more pics showing the white painted cover;

You can see the gap between the cover and the exhaust ring in the above photo.

 

I`ve included this photo below to help with the rigging;

 

 

Cheers

          Tony

Edited December 13, 2018 by tonyot

[Nickthebrief]

Thanks for that Tony - very interesting.

For the aircraft used primarily at night - like the Malta based Albacores that I'm sure you know much more about than I do - I'd have thought the white ring out there on the nose of an oncoming attacker would be an almost perfect aiming point for a ship's anti-aircraft gunners...?!

If, by some miracle, I have succeeded in finally working out how to post a photo, then an image of my model should have appeared above... Very much inspired by your magazine article. Despite being kept in a cabinet there seems to be dust accumulating on it and in it - I'm sure the cockpit glazing was clearer than that last time I looked...

You might also spy the tail of another of Fairey's finest currently under construction.

Keep up the good (great) work...

Nick.

[tonyot]

Nice Albacore Nick,...... glad my article helped!! I remember reading somewhere in the dim and distant past that the white `ring' was added for ground handling safety,..... but whether there is any truth in it,.... who knows,...... but it is the only explanation that I have heard! I hear where you are coming from about it being a target,...... but at anything beyond a few hundred yards, at night,...... would it really make much difference?  I have fired at targets in the dark and they could have been fluorescent yellow,..... yet without any illumination I would never have seen them! Night torpedo bombers silhouette their ship targets using flares dropped on the far side of the ship while they came bombing in from the other side out of the pitch black.  

 

Right,...... I`ve done a bit of tweaking today/ tonight,.... first of all I painted up the bombs and added them to the model with the kits supplied bomb shackles, as seen here, with the kit supplied torpedo in the foreground ;

 

 

 

 

Now I`m not very happy with the shape of the bombs as they appear too long and thin,... and the shackles are a job,... making the whole thing look toy like,...... so as you can probably imagine,..... these photos are for the sake of show only and I will not be using them! I have some shackles from an old Italeri B-57 kit which should fit the bell nicely and I shall fit these empty, opting for a torpedo armament instead and although the kit item seems OK, I`ll be using the torpedo and air tail from the new Beaufighter TF.X kit;

 

 

The Albacore that I have decided to replicate had the later style under nose air intake and the kit only provides the very early style,...... so I have decided to alter one of the intakes from a Revell Beaufighter kit and this can be seen above, part converted. It has been rounded out here and just needs to be cut down to fit onto the chin of the kit, having removed the original kit intake,leaving some sanding, filling and cleaning up to carry out followed by a local repaint job,

 

Cheers for now,

                        Tony 

Edited December 13, 2018 by tonyot

[bigbadbadge]

Looking good Tony. This is coming on nicely.  I am sure you will be fine with the rigging fella. Out of interest what are you going to use for the rigging?

Keep up the good work

All the best

Chris

[woody37]

Looking gorgeous Tony....well as a model I mean, the aircraft itself probably never won any beauty awards 😂

 

i asumed the light covered area on the front of the collector ring was aluminium, they were quite common on the Stirling where the height would of rendered them not to be a ground handling concern...well unless the undercart collapsed!

 

as much as I think it’s an ugly aircraft, it’s a great modelling subject that you’re hoping to great effect

 

[tonyot]

2 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

Looking good Tony. This is coming on nicely.  I am sure you will be fine with the rigging fella. Out of interest what are you going to use for the rigging?

Keep up the good work

All the best

Chris

Cheers Chris,

                    I`ve been toying with the idea of using thin piano wire as the rigging wires were quite large on the Albacore,........ but might just use elasticated thread? I`ve not fully decided yet, maybe a combination?  

1 hour ago, woody37 said:

Looking gorgeous Tony....well as a model I mean, the aircraft itself probably never won any beauty awards 😂

 

i asumed the light covered area on the front of the collector ring was aluminium, they were quite common on the Stirling where the height would of rendered them not to be a ground handling concern...well unless the undercart collapsed!

 

as much as I think it’s an ugly aircraft, it’s a great modelling subject that you’re hoping to great effect

 

LOL.... cheers mate. Yeah I made the same deduction about the Stirling and needing stilts to be in danger of the propellers!! I have seen this cover finished in silver and white,...... and I just remember reading somewhere in the long distant past that white was used for ground safety,....... and it has just stuck, maybe they left the factory in natural metal originally but later changed to white,...not knowing which aircraft they were to be fitted to? I know that later Beaufighters also had them painted black too,... although the later Coastal Command practice was to remove them altogether.  In one of the colour pics that I have posted here the cover does appear to be light silver on an Albacore,.... and seen it on Beaufighter`s too. 

It is strange how some Stirling`s appear to have had a mixture of these covers fitted on some, but not all engines;

  While the colouration can differ too from silver looking to white and anything in between;

 

 

Cheers lads,

                   Tony

Edited December 18, 2018 by tonyot

[bombernut]

Hi Tony,

 

It seems an age (probably is really) since I've posted anything, but it seems no-one (may be mistaken) has noticed that Trumpeter would have you believe the Albacore flies tail first. The Taurus engine, like all Bristol products I know of, turns clockwise when viewed from head on. So in my book they've made a complete hash of what to me is the most obvious aspect of a prop driven aircraft. That aside you're doing a terrific job as per usual. Never fail to marvel at your brush finishes!

 

Cheers, and Merry Christmas,

 

Matt

[heloman1]

Looking good Tony. Have you throught of using fishing trace wire for the rigging? Comes in several diameters and you can get it with a shellack finish which looks like the varnish coating sometimes applied.

 

Colin

[Brandy]

I seem to remember reading that some exhaust collector rings had a habit of glowing red when the throttles were retarded. That could have a lot to do with the covers. A white cover would be a lot less visible at night than a glowing exhaust ring!

 Re the rigging, my plan for my Ilya Muromets is to fit dual wires and fill the gap with Mr Surfacer. Tests show it could work.

 

Ian

[Mattlow]

Nice Albacore Tony, especially considering the base kit..

 

Could the ring not just be oxidised aluminium? It tends to lose its metallic look and take on a variety of (often) pale grey colours that could look white-ish in B/W photos....? The heat from the engine exhaust may have added to a white oxidation layer forming...

 

Matt

[tonyot]

On 12/18/2018 at 7:29 AM, bombernut said:

Hi Tony,

 

It seems an age (probably is really) since I've posted anything, but it seems no-one (may be mistaken) has noticed that Trumpeter would have you believe the Albacore flies tail first. The Taurus engine, like all Bristol products I know of, turns clockwise when viewed from head on. So in my book they've made a complete hash of what to me is the most obvious aspect of a prop driven aircraft. That aside you're doing a terrific job as per usual. Never fail to marvel at your brush finishes!

 

Cheers, and Merry Christmas,

 

Matt

It wouldn`t be the first time Trumpeter have done this,...... they also got the pitch of the propellers wrong on the Sea Hornet/ Hornet kits!

 

Cheers, glad you like the painting Matt,

 

Tony

[tonyot]

11 hours ago, heloman1 said:

Looking good Tony. Have you throught of using fishing trace wire for the rigging? Comes in several diameters and you can get it with a shellack finish which looks like the varnish coating sometimes applied.

 

Colin

Thanks Colin,..... I might have to look into that.

 

3 hours ago, limeypilot said:

I seem to remember reading that some exhaust collector rings had a habit of glowing red when the throttles were retarded. That could have a lot to do with the covers. A white cover would be a lot less visible at night than a glowing exhaust ring!

 Re the rigging, my plan for my Ilya Muromets is to fit dual wires and fill the gap with Mr Surfacer. Tests show it could work.

 

Ian

Thanks Ian and yes I agree,..... the cover could maybe have been fitted for such a reason or maybe even helped with cooling too, hence the small gap?  If I were to drill holes for passing the rigging through the wings I just know that it would end in disaster for me,... but if you have the skill and patience then all poer to your elbow,.... I really don`t envy uou rigging that model!

51 minutes ago, Mattlow said:

Nice Albacore Tony, especially considering the base kit..

 

Could the ring not just be oxidised aluminium? It tends to lose its metallic look and take on a variety of (often) pale grey colours that could look white-ish in B/W photos....? The heat from the engine exhaust may have added to a white oxidation layer forming...

 

Matt

Cheers Matt,..... re the exhaust ring,..... if you look at the reference photos that I have posted there is definitely a separate cover with a gap between it and the collector ring,...... I`ve put a photo with the cover removed alongside for reference too.  

 

Cheers

         Tony

[85sqn]

Hey Tony, did you get this one finished? I've taken one on. I got a Trumpy kit pretty cheap so prepared to roll with the errors and try and correct a few along the way. Have only just seen this thread though😥.

[tonyot]

18 hours ago, 85sqn said:

Hey Tony, did you get this one finished? I've taken one on. I got a Trumpy kit pretty cheap so prepared to roll with the errors and try and correct a few along the way. Have only just seen this thread though😥.

No I haven`t got around to the rigging yet,...... for some reason I have a mental block,....... same with my Walrus!!!! 

Good luck with the kit and I hope that this thread helps you,

Cheers

           Tony

[85sqn]

21 hours ago, tonyot said:

No I haven`t got around to the rigging yet,...... for some reason I have a mental block,....... same with my Walrus!!!! 

Good luck with the kit and I hope that this thread helps you,

Cheers

           Tony

Hi Tony, this thread has helped massively already. I'm working my way through aircraft that were housed at RNAS Cowdray Park and one of your colour profiles above is BF608 which was here for a while. That could be one I may do, though I prefer EDSG/SG and Sky. 

 

Good luck with the rigging. I'm a big fan of using EZ-line with a sharp blade and a dab of superglue!

 

All the best

 

Nick

[85sqn]

Incidentally the kits decal option of BF612 was at Cowdray for a time. I think I may have a winner!