F154 Hawker Sea Fury fighter *** FINISHED! ***

[Johnson]

On 7/19/2019 at 7:38 PM, PeterB said:

Let me know if you decide to give it a go and want any help

Hi Peter,

 

I meant to reply earlier, sorry, been busy celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing, big BBQ!

 

I think your idea for home made decals for the black codes is a great one. I did vaguely look into home made decals a while back but never pursued it. I saw that Amazon sell decal sheets to go into the printer. I have a reasonable ink jet printer. I guess I would need a sealing solution on top? Airbushed on?

 

If you've got any tips and recommendations, that would be great. No hurry, I still haven't finished the Harrier, it's hovering near to completion. Won't reach the decaling stage of the Sea Fury for weeks.

 

Best Regards,

[Johnson]

On 7/20/2019 at 8:21 PM, Whofan said:

A little while ago I mentioned that the Frog Sea Fury I have is in a dark blue plastic, and the box art is similar to, but not quite the same as in the picture put up by @Johnson.

 

Here's the box art for my kit;

Interesting @Whofan that FROG labelled their last boxing as the Sea Fury X.

 

A quick bit of research on the internet indicates that VR943/105 (or VR943/'232' assuming it has the later decals) was the later Sea Fury FB 11. Only 50 F Mk Xs were made of the 650 Sea Furys produced, most being FB.11s.

 

Cheers.

[PeterB]

Hi Charlie,

 

I will send you a PM as I don't wish to deliver another of my "lectures". I did give a basic outline on either the Shackleton, or more probably the 410 thread. It's actually very easy once you know how.

 

Pete

[Whofan]

2 hours ago, Johnson said:

Interesting @Whofan that FROG labelled their last boxing as the Sea Fury X.

 

A quick bit of research on the internet indicates that VR943/105 (or VR943/'232' assuming it has the later decals) was the later Sea Fury FB 11. Only 50 F Mk Xs were made of the 650 Sea Furys produced, most being FB.11s.

 

Cheers.

 

I’m not sure that any kit manufacturer did a decent amount of research in those days, or even these days, judging by the comments I see on BM! 

 

The saving grace is is of course with a bit of work, it’ll (probably) look like a Sea Fury when it’s done.

 

I’ll have a look at the kit again tonight to see if it is a 1974 or 1976 boxing.

 

 

[Ventora3300]

2 hours ago, Johnson said:

Interesting @Whofan that FROG labelled their last boxing as the Sea Fury X.

 

A quick bit of research on the internet indicates that VR943/105 (or VR943/'232' assuming it has the later decals) was the later Sea Fury FB 11. Only 50 F Mk Xs were made of the 650 Sea Furys produced, most being FB.11s.

 

Cheers.

Yes, I picked up two of these kits to do in the 'Britmodeller 10th Anninversary' GB then gradually found out that Frog had more closely followed the FB 11 version. No complaints though - I learned a mountain about this superb aircraft and it was interesting to narrow down viable serial numbers and codes to a particular aircraft carrier. I'll enjoy your build all over again.

[Johnson]

1/72 Sea Fury Prop Blades:

 

 

 

The original FROG and the Pavla resin prop blades match the plan, and photos, better than the later FROG 1 piece, in profile at least. None have the twist that you see in pics and they are all a tiny bit small in diameter by about 5" or 1.8mm @ 1/72 (I can live with that). The spare spinner is FROG, not PAVLA... but you probably knew that.

 

Another pic from the archives, Flight I think;

 

 

Cheers (must get back to the Harrier!) 

 

Edited July 22, 2019 by Johnson
SNAFU

[Johnson]

Hi folks,

 

Having survived the Sidmouth Folk Festival, the weather that is, the gig (Richard Thompson) was excellent, it's back to the Sea Fury.

 

So what have I got? FROG or Novo?

 

 

I reckon it may a late FROG. I've bought some other FROG Sea Furys since I acquired this from King Kit. It came as a Black Boxed F154, but I think it's actually the later 'hang bagged' F221 in an early box. I bought another cheap hang bag Sea Fury on ebay, and the quality of the moulding is much rougher, which is why I think this may be original FROG. But who knows? The plastic looks good, a few sink holes that need filling. I'll sand down the raised panel lines and re-scribe. Obvious mods are improving the wing root/fuselage profile, a longer hook (the kit hook is too short - OK for a Mk X), the canopy will have to be replaced and I ought to add the carb intakes. Under the wings there's nowhere for the shell cases to eject. On my early Sea Fury I added these with a hot electrical screwdiver (!), but for this they'll probably be painted.

 

My intention is to try to model VR943/105 as it takes off from HMS Glory;

 

 

which for me is a bit ambitious considering the time left. We'll see.

 

Decals.

 

 

I've amassed a small collection over the years. The decals that came with the kit look fine. 1989 Almark decals are OK but have to be cut out of a continuous carrier film. I recently found some 1/72 Airfix Sea Fury decals on ebay, they look good, very thin and well printed. But the roundels are too small compared to the others and the plans I have, but the stencils will help. For the main '105' decals I will have to make my own with the help of @PeterB and his excellent tutorials.

 

Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. It has to be assembled and painted first.

 

Cheers.

 

 

Edited August 10, 2019 by Johnson
More info

[PeterB]

Hi Charlie,

 

That was kind of you, I hope they work after that build up as I am still experimenting myself!

 

Good luck.

 

Pete

[Johnson]

If this is going to be taking off, it's going to need a pilot.

 

The FROG chap looks a bit undernourished, so I'm going to replace him with a standard Airfix Spitfire pilot (have they ever changed?)

 

 

But does anyone know what the well dressed Royal Navy FAA Sea Fury pilot wore?

 

Very few pics on the internet, none in colour. I found some b&w pics of Aussie pilots on the excellent FAAAA website, Overalls (green?), Mae West (yellow) and leather flying helmet.

 

Looking at the pic of 105 taking off, little can be seen of the pilot, but maybe he's wearing a 'bone-dome'? Had these been introduced in the early 1950s?

 

Any guidance greatly appreciated!

 

Cheers

 

 

 

Edited August 11, 2019 by Johnson

[PeterB]

1 hour ago, Johnson said:

If this is going to be taking off, it's going to need a pilot.

 

The FROG chap looks a bit undernourished, so I'm going to replace him with a standard Airfix Spitfire pilot (have they ever changed?)

 

 

The original Airfix pilots as in the Bristol Fighter etc were stick insects!. The one in the pic is at least 3rd generation. I have looked at several pictures I have of Sea Furies in the Korean War and I would say stick with the normal helmet - bone domes were probably a bit later - but I could be wrong.

Pete

 

Edited August 11, 2019 by PeterB

[zebra]

I’d go with the frog one and paint the flash around him orange to give him a ready brek glow

[Johnson]

Given the amount of time left, and my usual rate of progress, I should be making an OOB kit. But I ought to try to do better than my previous FROG Sea Fury attempt (post #5) circa 1970 - 1990.

 

I'd forgotten how basic the FROG Sea Fury is. The overall shape is pretty decent but there is a lot of room for improvement. So I'd better start abusing the plastic.

 

Easier to scribe the panel lines while it's still in bits. FROG simplified and used a certain amount of imagination on the raised detail. I found some plans on the web and and have an old 1/72 plan on clear film which is invaluable for using a 'pricker' (excuse me) for transferring the location of the new panel lines and other detail.

 

 

The plans also reveal how FROG got the radiator length and carb inlets wrong;

 

 

 

On the LHS the radiator inlet is too long and will need to be shortened. On the RHS I've moved the fairing out to make room for the carb inlet.

 

The flaps are lowered for takeoff, so time for a bit of surgery. FROG were a bit stingy with the flaps (simply enormous for those slow carrier approaches).

 

 

 

I may be able to use those flaps later. The wheel wells need some detail, but they're never going to be exactly right as the tabs (I'm sure that's the wrong word) cannot be chopped off, as they hold the wings on! 🤔

 

Back soon I hope.

 

Cheers,

 

 

 

Edited August 15, 2019 by Johnson
picture link didn't work

[Jinxman]

I like it - very ambitious!

I know with my own policy of starting a kit, and then storing it carefully on the shelf of doom, it would take me years to get this done.

 

Good luck!

[bigbadbadge]

Great work so far, I can't wait to see this progress. 

Keep up the good work

All the best

Chris

[Ventora3300]

2 hours ago, Johnson said:

The wheel wells need some detail, but they're never going to be exactly right as the tabs (I'm sure that's the wrong word) cannot be chopped off, as they hold the wings on! 🤔

 

Johnson, a lot of excellent work here on the detailing, well done. The tabs for the wings can indeed be chopped back so that they only occupy the 'socket' in the fuselage - I did that and the wings stayed solid in the fuselage. It lets you create a bit of detail in the wheel wells - I did mine with photo paper no less. Enjoying this build. All the best. Mike

[Johnson]

7 hours ago, Ventora3300 said:

The tabs for the wings can indeed be chopped back so that they only occupy the 'socket' in the fuselage

Thanks Mike! Brilliant! A bit of lateral thinking (why didn't I think of that - dohh 🙄).

The tabs don't actually do a lot, a bit of extra support but not much and just get in the way.

Cheers,

[Johnson]

The scribing panel lines and chopping up plastic seemed to go OK. I've shortened the wing tabs as Mike suggested which is going to improve the wheels wells considerably. But before I can start seriously sticking stuff together, I'm going to have to think about some internals - the 'office'.

 

 

And that's it. All FROG provided. One seriously empty cockpit.

 

Actually, given that it's going to have a whopping great Airfix (sorry) pilot at the controls with his seat fully raised for takeoff, and it's a dark dingy cockpit anyway, not too much of a problem. But an instrument panel would help. A rummage in the 'it's gonna come in useful someday' box revealed this;

 

 

IIRC bought at the Aviation Hobby Shop in West Drayton (sadly, now gone) for the previous Sea Fury. I'm thinking that, with the thickness of the fuselage plastic, there may be a reason I have two photo-etched control panels left, but I'll see if the panel fits (more surgery?) and the u/c covers look as if they might be useful.

 

Cheers!

 

[Rabbit Leader]

This is looking fabulous, the scribing in particular is quite extraordinary. Scribing is not my favourite modelling chore and what you have achieved on those wings is very impressive indeed. 

Cheers.. Dave 

[Johnson]

Thanks Dave, very kind. Of course, the test will be how it looks once painted.

 

Bit of progress on the cockpit. It's not going to have much detail, it really doesn't need to. But an instrument panel and gun sight will be needed. The pilot has a nice comfy blu tack cushion (possibly something more permanent for take-off). He will also need an oxygen mask.

 

 

I cut part of the floor away to accommodate the pilot's legs. It would have been easier to chop them off , but for some reason I feel uneasy about it. Weird! It's only plastic!

 

I was wondering what the additional lug was for towards the engine, there's another on the port side. I think it's for the motor (for the prop) that FROG never got round to.

 

And I will box in the wheel wells and add some ribs in an attempt to make them look a bit more realistic.

 

Looking forward to getting the fuselage joined and the wings on!

 

Cheers,

 

 

[Johnson]

A quick update on the Sea Fury. More work than I expected, or remembered. I got the fuselage halves together yesterday and the join needs a day or two to harden. Plenty of other things to do while it sets.

 

The poor driver (an unwilling Airfix Spitfire pilot) looks on forlornly at a bunch of parts and is probably wondering if it will ever fly. As does the modeller. This particular 1/72 representation of the ultimate piston engined fighter ever produced (a subjective opinion open to debate ) is currently looking like something out of air crash detective. FROG were quite ambitious in their design with separate rudder, ailerons and elevators - although it's hard to see why as they can only be joined in one position. The outer wings can be modelled 'in flight' or the folded position (I must do that one day). They also intended to motorise the prop and added additional lugs to the forward fuselage but also cut a slot in the top which considerably weakened the join - you can see green putty filler that I used to fill the slot which has oozed out of the hole just in front of the cockpit.

 

 

Next steps; the radiator (oil cooler) on the leading edge of the port wing needs shortening to allow space for a carb intake, with another on the starboard side. The rear wing roots / fuselage join needs building up. The rear fuselage deck should be continuous to the amour plate behind the pilot. 18 exhaust stubs, flaps, rockets, guns, pitot tube. And for some daft reason I decided late last night that clear wing nav lights were a good idea.

 

I'm a bit doubtful about the FROG Corsair I'd hoped to build, but there's still 4 1/2 weeks to go!

 

Cheers!

[Rabbit Leader]

That is quite an assortment of parts, however you have build history on your side so I’m backing you in for another winner with this kit. Like all of us, just keep plugging away and it will morph itself into a Sea Fury before you know it. 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

[Jinxman]

That's a nice selection of finely fettled parts - the scribing looks very neat from here.

 

A quick squirt of primer and it will look fantastic!

[stevej60]

Great job on the scribing Charlie,i think this is going to be very special!

[Grey Beema]

I would guess your Sea Fury pilot would be attired in a similar fashion to these Seafire pilots

 

 

Good luck with your build..

Edited August 22, 2019 by Grey Beema

[Whofan]

On 20/07/2019 at 20:42, Richard Humm said:

Your box could be 1974 or 1976 - the way to tell is to look at the box side next to the kit name. If it says there's a Skybase included, it's 1974, if it doesn't it's 1976.

Richard,

 

Mine's a 1976 boxing - no Skybase included.

Edited August 22, 2019 by Whofan