1:48 Sea Fury from Airfix - MiG killer!

[Kallisti]

I just realised I had something in the stash that was totally appropriate to this GB and something I've been wanting to build for a while now!

 

 

I've got the AeroMaster decals that have the Sea Fury of 802 Sqn FAA which shot down the NK MiG on Aug 9th 1952 with the lovely invasion stripes

 

 

I've also got some Eduard seat belts for the cockpit.

 

As has been well documented, there were some quality control issues with these kits, in particular around the tail fin being badly moulded. The kit I received last year actually had two sets of sprues containing the fuselage halves as can be seen here

 

 

 

In one of them you can clearly see where the tail is short shot

 

 

so they included another sprue that fixes this problem. Unfortunately this part ont he second sprue has a correctly moulded tail but there is a problem with the exhaust cover moulding

 

 

What this means is I'll need to cut the tail off this one along the panel line at the back and attach it to the fuselage of the first one! Deep joy!

 

Edited February 23, 2019 by Kallisti

[modelling minion]

The Sea Fury is a perfect fit for this GB, but I'm afraid one operating over Korea is not, way outside the geographic scope of this GB.

[Kallisti]

Before it went to Korea on HMS Ocean 802 Squadron was based in Malta from November 1951 until they left with HMS Ocean in April 1952, so would that time frame fit the geography of the GB?

 

Before that they were on HMS Vengance which was in service in the Atlantic and North Sea from 1948 until 1951

Edited January 21, 2019 by Kallisti

[Col.]

31 minutes ago, Kallisti said:

Before it went to Korea on HMS Ocean 802 Squadron was based in Malta from November 1951 until they left with HMS Ocean in April 1952, so would that time frame fit the geography of the GB?

 

Before that they were on HMS Vengance which was in service in the Atlantic and North Sea from 1948 until 1951

So long as you model it without the Korean Campaign stripes then it's good. I am, of course, biased due to the Sea Fury being my all-time favourite propellor-driven aircraft  

[Kallisti]

Bleagh, thats why I want to build that aircraft, the invasion stripes... okay looks like I can't do it for the BG... oh well never mind...

[Paul Bradley]

19 hours ago, Kallisti said:

I

In one of them you can clearly see where the tail is short shot

 

 

so they included another sprue that fixes this problem. Unfortunately this part ont he second sprue has a correctly moulded tail but there is a problem with the exhaust cover moulding

 

 

 

What this means is I'll need to cut the tail off this one along the panel line at the back and attach it to the fuselage of the first one! Deep joy!

 

Would it not be easier - and less subject to potentially greater issues - to just fix one of the issues? Try fixing the exhaust cover while the part is still on the sprue, and if that doesn't work, try fixing the tail. Seems you are potentially creating more and greater issues by undertaking drastic surgery. 

[Kallisti]

To be honest, I didn't consider it to be drastic surgery - the panel lines in question - the first one after the tail - is straight vertical and not very long and there is the other fuselage side to ensure correct alignment. I reckoned either fixing the short shot or the exhaust deformation would be just as much a faff as simply cutting. I've done much worse (and ultimately pointless) surgery to models in the past so I can't say it fills me with fear to do this., but I did sit and look at all the potential fixes before settling on using a razor saw