Popular Post Pat C Posted May 5, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted May 5, 2019 This is my attempt at the old Airfix kit of the Scottish Aviation Bulldog, flying in RAF training colours of the mid 70s. With Mrs C frowning on additional shelf space being made available, kits of the size of the little Bulldog become more attractive - wonder what she will make of my plans to do an RAF Neptune???!!! bulldoga bulldogd The kit is pretty basic but still quite crisply moulded. Mine was an older boxing with a Swedish Air Force trainer on the front. The critical advice is to get enough noseweight into this thing. I stuffed the nose with stell shot but there is very little space to cram much in and it was still determined to tail sit. In the end I hollowed out the back of the spinner and stuffed some Tungsten putty in there which just brought the CoG forward enough. bulldoge bulldogc The nose gear is very spindly and was snapped off early in the build and then vanished into thin air. In the end I fabricated a rather crude replacement from bits of white metal and thin metal tubing but it is just about passable. Decals came from an old Modeldecal set and represent an aircraft from the London University Air Squadron. Paint was Humbrol 208 for the red with Gunze white and Xtracrylic Light Aircraft Grey. I wondered about the instructions to paint the front tips of the blades red/white/red as most Bulldogs appear to have black/white striped blades - however Modeldecal were indeed correct that at the time this aircraft was portrayed (1976) it did have the red/white/red tips. If only you could rely on all decal instructions! Hope you like!! Pat bulldogb bulldogf 81 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Brilliant! I assume its size is diminutive, although to be honest I have no recollection of a 2 Pence coin!!! A foot in diameter for all I know... Extremely sharp paint job. Did you play with an airbrush to get such a good finish? Congrats!!! JR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troffa Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Beautiful Bulldog, great Photography too. Are those the Kit decals? Remarkably in register for an Airfix kit of that Vintage (I remember the 1/72 P51D and Mosquito NFXIX having Swedish AF decal options - a major market for Airfix at the time) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat C Posted May 5, 2019 Author Share Posted May 5, 2019 3 minutes ago, Troffa said: Beautiful Bulldog, great Photography too. Are those the Kit decals? Remarkably in register for an Airfix kit of that Vintage (I remember the 1/72 P51D and Mosquito NFXIX having Swedish AF decal options - a major market for Airfix at the time) Thank you! Kit decals went in the bin alas! They are Modeldecal for the stencils and the ULAS badge plus generic sheets for the serials and the roundels. 31 minutes ago, jean said: Brilliant! I assume its size is diminutive, although to be honest I have no recollection of a 2 Pence coin!!! A foot in diameter for all I know... Extremely sharp paint job. Did you play with an airbrush to get such a good finish? Congrats!!! JR Thanks! 2p coin is very small 😉. Finish was airbrushed but it needed several touch up sessions to get the demarcation between red and white to my satisfaction. pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 (edited) Beautifully made, especially for such a tiny kit. Nice to see proper RAF trainer colours and not that silly gloss black or all over 'biz-jet white' nonsense. Very well done! Edited May 5, 2019 by Lord Riot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ c Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Brilliant job on that old kit, really nice work 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Lovely work Pat, cracking little Billie! Brings back many happy memories of 70's UWAS flying! Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmerboy Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Brilliant! Wish l had your eyesight that’s a sharp finish on such a tiny model. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phildagreek Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Very smart! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire31 Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 There are at least two 1:48th Bulldog kits around. Honestly, when I saw the first photo or two, I thought it was one of those, built to first class standard. Excellent modelling! Kind regards, Joachim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Smashing job on this tiny Airfix classic Pat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Stunning example of such a smart aircraft. You have finished this so well. Terry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza l Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Great result on a very old kit... lovely sharp paint work. gazza l 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phone Phixer Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Fantastic. The finish is so neat for a tiny kit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 Nice one Pat, a lovely build of a pretty little aeroplane, I'm thinking to keep an eye out for one if these. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 Great build of a pretty difficult kit to find these days, I've been looking for one for ages. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 That's a great build. Hard to tell it's the old Airfix kit. I spent many a 'happy' hour in Bulldogs scaring my QFI and then later being scared by my students!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skodadriver Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 Superb modelling Pat. In the late 1960s and early 1970s we spent several family holidays at a house belonging to friends of my parents near St Andrews. I have happy memories of lying in the back garden watching the Bulldogs from the University Training Squadron at nearby Leuchars. It was always a slightly worrying moment when you heard the engine stop (presumably engine out drill or something similar) but they always got it going again! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobo Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 Very nice! Love the old Airfix kits. Brings back good memories. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 Hey, a little cracker! Cheers John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winenut Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 Corker! Looks fantastic and just feels like a build that was heartfelt I have a sweet little piper L-4 in the stash and your diminutive build has inspired me Cheers Bruce 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephLalor Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 (edited) Fine little model indeed. Another long-acquired kit that I really must finish. I didn't know what they were at the time, but Bulldogs were the first aircraft with RAF markings that I saw 'in the metal'. They flew over the Scout centre north of Glasgow when I was there on summer camp in 1976. I wonder what unit they would have belonged to; I imagine it would have been one of the UAS's. Edited February 10, 2020 by JosephLalor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binbrook87 Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 What a corker! You've done a fine job from the old airfix kit. 👏 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Very nice - I'll build one of these kits myself one day. I'm another one who has happy memories of flying Bullies on a UAS 'back in the day'. Jon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobo Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 Looks very nice. Love these old Airfix kits - brings back good memories! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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