Tornado!

[Lord Riot]

Happy new year everyone! Sadly, 2019 will see the withdrawal of yet another still capable and very popular jet from RAF service, the Tornado (how did about ten squadrons of these disappear so fast?).

 

To honour the service these have given, and to celebrate the memory of seeing so many screaming low over East Anglia in the 80s and 90s (who wishes now they hadn't taken the Tonka for granted!?), my first build this year will be the Airfix 1/48 Tornado GR1.

 

 

My first impression was there were lots of parts, but two of the sprues were stores, which I won't need. Does anybody want these 1/48 Tornado stores/weapons? Free to a good home:

 

 

 

The kit also included two cockpit tubs and two different tailfins (one without the ECM bar). One of the cockpits looks more detailed with raised instruments, but that's not the one the plans say to use. I might try both and see which looks best ...

 

Huge decal sheet, as big as the box!

 

But I won't be using the kit markings as I have these! Not sure yet whether to do 27 sqn or TWCU.

 

Either way I'll need some decals for the serials under the tailplanes. 

[phildagreek]

Choices, choices, choices. Are you planning on building it totally "clean" then? No underwing stuff at all?

[Lord Riot]

Most photos I've seen of TWCU Tornadoes seem to show them with just the smaller underwing fuel tanks, two empty outer pylons and the under fuselage racks, so I'm think I'll just do her in this configuration.

 

 

If I can find another cheap 1/48 Tornado kit I'll save the ECM and BOZ107 pod for that to do as 27 sqn. The rest of the stores I don't need.

[Harry_the_Spider]

Is there a mechanism to swing the stores/pylons with the wings?

[stever219]

The Airfix Tornado GR. 1/1A kit is derived from the earlier ADV/F 3 kit and has a number of “quirks”.  The longer cockpit floor is for the older kit and is based on that of the even older 1/72th kits: any resemblance between it and a full-scale Tornado cockpit is purely accidental.  Use the shorter “stepped” floor and associated instrument panels.

 

There’s no mechanism in the kit to enable the pylons to pivot as the wings sweep.

[Lord Riot]

Thanks Steve.

Luckily the cockpit decals look ok so it should scrub up alright. I like to have the canopy open so I'll need to do some work on the interior.

[mackem01]

In answer to your question and query - yes I wouldn't mind the weapons, and TWCU colours. Looking forward to you starting this.

[Lord Riot]

23 minutes ago, mackem01 said:

In answer to your question and query - yes I wouldn't mind the weapons, and TWCU colours. Looking forward to you starting this.

I'm using the TWCU colours but you're welcome to the weapons. PM me your address and I'll get the sprues in the post to you.

[Lord Riot]

Back on the Tornado this evening, finished off the bang seats. I just used the kit ones and stuck a bit of wire on each for whatever the tubing is on the real thing, and my usual masking tape straps.

 

The kit decals didn't include any stencilling for the seats so I used some from the spares. They should hopefully look ok once in the cockpit. 

 

[Lord Riot]

I'm quite impressed with the old Airfix cockpit decals. Good enough for me anyway, no need for expensive Aries/Eduard add-ons here.

 

[Lord Riot]

Cockpit done!

 

[Lord Riot]

I'm not keen on how Airfix has done the tailplane with a smaller underside part. It means filling is required. It would have been much better if they'd made it in two equal halves. It doesn't need to be like this as the axle part fits on tabs, not inside the tailplane.

 

Edited January 7, 2019 by Lord Riot

[Pete in Lincs]

And those tabs are VERY fragile.

Whenever I built one of these I would put a tube through the fuselage

(lolly stick) drill the tailerons and insert a wire 'axle' as a matter of course. 

[mackem01]

I'm working on the old F3 version and that cockpit is light years ahead of what I've got.

Those seats are nicely done though, and you've reminded me I've forgotten some detail

on mine. Thanks for the heads up - and keep it coming.

Edited January 7, 2019 by mackem01

[RMP2]

I have one of these in the stash, got it for the JP233 and ALARM missiles really as its known for being something of a fight to build to say the least. I do however quite fancy a challenge so will be watching to see how you get on.

 

Good luck!!

[theplasticsurgeon]

2 hours ago, Lord Riot said:

I'm not keen on how Airfix has done the tailplane with a smaller underside part. It means filling is required.

Tailplanes are where I nearly binned my last Tornado.

Peruse the build thread from post 23 to see just go narrow the escape, and the solution suggested by a fellow BMer.

[matti64]

11 hours ago, theplasticsurgeon said:

Tailplanes are where I nearly binned my last Tornado.

Peruse the build thread from post 23 to see just go narrow the escape, and the solution suggested by a fellow BMer.

I'd suggest stretching some sprue and using that to infill the large gaps. That way, once it is rubbed down it will be the  same "consistency" as the sorounding kit parts and you won't have to  contend with a "phantom seam"

[Jonny]

Deleted - not the wanted area

[Lord Riot]

@matti64 I tried the sprue method but it was quite disastrous! The first sprue just melted and caught fire, dripped a blob on the tailplane and caused black smog floaters in the room and the most awful smell. Valiantly trying again, the second piece was held further from the flame but just snapped when pulled apart and then instantly became too hard to be maleable. Adding insult to injury the smell of burning plastic annoyed the lady of the house! 😂

 

Thanks for the tip though, one has to try these things!

 

So, back to the old school! ...

 

[Lord Riot]

Nobody likes a tail sitter ...

 

 

The instructions say 15g, so I gave it that in nails plus Blu-tac. It does feel quite heavy so I'm sure that'll do.

[Lord Riot]

The tailplane connection is very flimsy. Even after I melted the parts together it just broke loose when I glued the fuselage, so I decided to cut it off and I'll just glue the tailplanes to the side later. It doesn't need to move and will make it easier to sand down all the glue stains along the fuselage join too.

 

 

The fuselage is as bad a fit as the 1/48 Buccaneer, in fact worse if anything. It's exacerbated by the floppy wings, whose connector to make them swing doesn't really have a long enough pin on the right wing so kept popping out leaving them to fold independently. I eventually sorted it by bending the connector down and sticking it to the wing with masking tape. Once completed I won't fold the wings anyway as the pylons and stores have no way of changing angle, but it's handy folding the wings for now so I can paint the roots.

 

 

It's a struggle this one, pops apart as there are glueless gaps where the wings fold back. It'll need a lot of fine sanding along the front fuselage join to hide that line too, just like the Buccaneer did. Hopefully some rougher sanding then a buff up will sort it.

[Pete in Lincs]

7 hours ago, Lord Riot said:

paint the roots.

You'll then need to glue the wing glove fingers (the rounded bit where you have the blue clamp)

to the wing. Those engraved lines are supposed to represent the 'fingers' and on the real

thing there isn't a gap* as can be seen on your picture. That's above & below the wing BTW.

It's a complicated beastie, and this really isn't the best kit.

 

*Having said that, there is, otherwise you'd wear holes in the wing skin. But it's very tight & wouldn't be seen in 1/48th scale.

 

[Lord Riot]

Thanks for the wing glove tip Pete, I hadn't really considered that. I'll glue and clamp them down.

[Lord Riot]

If you make this kit, remember to paint the back of the intakes before adding them.

 

 

I'll need to neaten up the interior of these before gluing them.

 

[Lord Riot]

The fin wasn't the best fit. Needs a bit of sanding to sit low enough but there was a big gap down the right side and where it joined the fuselage spine.