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Airfix Canadair Sabre 4 RAF - The final chapter with a happy ending!


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This project was started in May 2018, just over a year ago! Those that have followed the build thread will know it well, and the sorry story that happened around November last year. It was declared "finished" ready for Telford 2018 and indeed took part in its original form. On returning from Telford, I decided to refine the model by the addition of some subtle pin washes to accentuate some of the NMF panel detail. The idea was fine, but the execution was a big blunder. Me, the reasonably experienced modeller managed to completely ruin around 40% of the rather neat looking Alclad finish by not properly sealing it with Acrylic varnish, and then using an oil/enamel based pin wash. The result upon clean off was large parts of the Alclad finish being wiped away!

 

Well, since that time, I have threatened the model with the dustbin, sworn at it, vowed never to build another NMF aircraft, and certainly never another sabre. Between those moments I have spent some background time carefully cleaning up and restoring many of the damaged panels. The result is declared finally finished.

 

The model is the Airfix Sabre with modified positioning of wing fences and pylons, and a totally scratch built cockpit interior. I chose an early RAF Sabre 4 as it would have appeared after the early delivery flights with the red conspicuity markings applied for the occasion. Alclad shades were used to give differing panel effects and the red used was Xtracrylics RAF Red Arrows Red with a touch of a deeper red.

 

Much technical assistance came from @Sabrejet and @Tony Edmundson plus others on here too numerous to mention. Also very grateful to @Courageous, @perdu, @Martian Hale, @TheBaron, @RidgeRunner, @opus999 and many more who encouraged me to press on when the disaster happened!

 

Original RFI is here, for those who like to see a long build with a nightmare towards the end!

 

 

Thank you all.

 

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A few close up shots, which can be a bit cruel on the modeller!

 

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This one shows just some of Airfix's magnificent stencilling decals.

 

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And finally, she is in good company. A head to head shot each with an Avon Sabre and an F-86H

 

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And all three together:

 

20190604_105801

 

Other projects to crack on with now, but there will be another Sabre build quite soon.

 

Thanks for looking

 

Terry

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Tsk tsk, you'd expect the flightline erks to keep it a bit tidier

 

Or would you?

 

:shrug:

 

maybe not

 

:)

 

She looks awesome mate, beautifully done in fact

 

Top job ahoy

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41 minutes ago, Terry1954 said:

encouraged

Thanks Terry, I like that but I think my encouragement was more of :poke:.

17 minutes ago, perdu said:

Tsk tsk, you'd expect the flightline erks to keep it a bit tidier

Rough crossing...

The poor thing has been through the mill a bit, then neglected a bit and like a Phoenix, rose from the ashes, good resurrection.

 

Stuart  

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1 hour ago, Mark Joyce said:

Nice save, Terry!  The final result, especially the NMF, looks great so kudos for persevering and finally finishing it.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

Thanks Mark. I needed to get it done and move on!

 

1 hour ago, perdu said:

Tsk tsk, you'd expect the flightline erks to keep it a bit tidier

 

Or would you?

 

:shrug:

 

maybe not

 

:)

 

She looks awesome mate, beautifully done in fact

 

Top job ahoy

Thanks Bill. I wonder if I could ever deliberately repeat that well used look! A bit of a stretch on this one really as I think they only had the red marking to do the crossing from North America, but I'll assume this one spent a few weeks on a grim flightline as well!

 

47 minutes ago, Courageous said:

Thanks Terry, I like that but I think my encouragement was more of :poke:.

Cheers Stuart. Yes, some prodding on the way!

 

44 minutes ago, Buzby061 said:

Lovely job, they look great together.

Thanks Pete!

 

Terry

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56 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Well done Sabre's ! :yahoo: ... Really love the side by sides. 

Thanks! Glad you like the side by sides. Three very different versions of the F-86.

 

54 minutes ago, Sabrejet said:

Lovely job!

Thanks Duncan, appreciate that.

 

46 minutes ago, twinpin said:

Looks great - hard to believe what it has been through ..  . What kit is the F86H ?

Thanks. The H is the Special Hobby offering. Not too bad but there are some shape issues around the nose I think. If I did another I would try to correct the issues.

 

Terry

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I love that display to bits. Such a fine collection of metallics + hot colour Terry.

Chapeau doffed thrice at such a magnificent trinity.

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2 hours ago, Graham T said:

Wow, beauteous!

Thank you Graham!

 

1 hour ago, TheBaron said:

I love that display to bits. Such a fine collection of metallics + hot colour Terry.

 

Thanks Tony. I think it's time for some non metallics soon!

 

Terry

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1 hour ago, stevehnz said:

Came out good in the end Terry, that/they look great. :)

Steve.

Thanks Steve. I had to leave it quite a while before sorting the mess!

 

2 minutes ago, keefr22 said:

Glad you didn't carry out your threat to bin it Terry as it looks great! I like its stablemates too!

 

Nice work!

Thanks Keith. I'm glad I persevered too. When I do my next F-86 I think I'll go for a camouflaged jobby!

 

Terry

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Looks great.  A really nice metallic finish.  I really wish there was a decent set of decals out there for silver RCAF Sabres.  They were very nice and colourful.

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6 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

Beautiful skilled work, Terry. I admire your persistence

Thanks Martin. There were times I did want to give up, but glad I didn't!

 

6 hours ago, Meatbox8 said:

Looks great.  A really nice metallic finish.  I really wish there was a decent set of decals out there for silver RCAF Sabres.  They were very nice and colourful.

Thanks. I know Model Alliance did some decals and I also recall some recent Canadian specific sets, but don't have reference to hand at the moment. Will get back to you on that later!

 

Terry

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43 minutes ago, Terry1954 said:

Thanks Martin. There were times I did want to give up, but glad I didn't!

 

Thanks. I know Model Alliance did some decals and I also recall some recent Canadian specific sets, but don't have reference to hand at the moment. Will get back to you on that later!

 

Terry

That would be great.  Thanks.

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5 minutes ago, Meatbox8 said:

That would be great.  Thanks.

There you go.............

 

https://www.blackbirdmodels.co.uk/canadair-sabres-72-514-p.asp

 

Although I have not seen them myself, I'm told they are printed by Cartograf, so they should be good.

 

Terry

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2 hours ago, Terry1954 said:

 

9 hours ago, Meatbox8 said:

Looks great.  A really nice metallic finish.  I really wish there was a decent set of decals out there for silver RCAF Sabres.  They were very nice and colourful.

Thanks. I know Model Alliance did some decals and I also recall some recent Canadian specific sets, but don't have reference to hand at the moment. Will get back to you on that later!

Yes, and a very nice set it is too :). 

 

martin

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2 hours ago, Terry1954 said:

There you go.............

 

https://www.blackbirdmodels.co.uk/canadair-sabres-72-514-p.asp

 

Although I have not seen them myself, I'm told they are printed by Cartograf, so they should be good.

 

Terry

Cheers Terry.  That's the kind of thing.  Nice colourful natural metal.  Surprised there aren't more sets available of Canadian Sabres to be honest.  The RCAF really went for it with their markings.  The camouflaged 'Blue Nose' one is appealing too as we sang a song about Blue Nose, the ship that it, when I was at junior school.  

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