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Panavia Tornado P.12 XZ630 1978


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Hi folks I’ve finished this tonight and have taken photo’s in the garage under LED lighting as it’s way too gusty outside. The story of this started for me as a kid spotting at Boscombe Down during any holiday. I vividly remember the Tornado there and it flying locally and over the ranges at Larkhill. Fast forward to modern times and information becomes available that the aircraft I was watching was XZ630. This was the 12th pre-production aircraft so wasn’t the final build standard. These aircraft were given “P” numbers and thus was known as P.12.

 

The kit - I really only build 1/32 kits so when Revell re-released the kit, the spark happened. I gathered the Airies pit, Airbrake housing and Paragon flaps and slats, finally Paragons access ladder. I started this kit just under a year ago with a 4 month break to do a commission build of a 212. The cockpit was constructed but back dated by removing some switches and putting blank panels in. The ejection seat straps on the front seat were placed over the headbox waiting for an engineer to dive in and start her up. The resin airbrake housing was fitted by cutting out the kit part and fitting the resin replacement. A weather seal was added around the airbrake housing as I noticed it in reference photo’s. The resin exhaust were constructed and fitted but it looks like Airies didn’t plan on you using both as there is interference and the cans needs cut down and moved aft of the airbrake housing. The fin was modified as you’ll notice the lack of fillet below the rudder. The vortex generators were removed as it was clean but later they were retrofitted. I did learn that the RWR housing are different shapes for each country. The kit ones are flared outwards at the extreme tips which are for German aircraft, so these were thinned down for an RAF version. The tailplane leading edges were straightened removing the kink and reprofiling the leading edge. The intakes were modified in that there is a hump profile on the upper surface which was removed on production aircraft. There are also 3 visible vertical struts on the rear of the intake outlet. I scratch built the open panels for the ground power and comms on the lower side, down near the gun ports which you’ll notice have been flushed as this aircraft at the time didn’t have them fitted. The wing glove was a poor fit and the Paragon wasn’t brilliant, so I put backing plastic and on the inside, filled it with Plasto filler and pressed the kit part onto the wet filler. Once it was tacky I used a scalpel and created the groove and let it set. The nose leg was cut down as it’s way to high, giving a distinctly nose up attitude. 

 

I wanted something different so I wanted to try Engine ground run guards. So through help on here I managed to get a couple of photo’s and ordered some mesh from “the mesh company”. With my bending tool and purely by eye I knocked up these, which look ok. I then added the strengthening ribs and sprayed then red.

 

The period of the aircraft dictated wrap around camo with the tri-country roundels on the fin. The Antenna colours on the fin are a mottled brown colour which was actually quite easy to replicate. The Fin staining was Tamiya weathering pastels, the Green/Grey is Xtracrylix which was Windsor and Newton gloss varnished then decals applied and then Matt W&N varnished.

 

The artistic license bit is the refuelling probe. This can be fitted with the guards but I couldn’t find a photo of it extended, but I wanted to add that key bit of detail.

 

The access ladder wasn’t used as it was from the wrong period.

 

Photography is not my thing and there’s not much more to be said!.

48577692182_6937ea12b9_k.jpgC65C9732-232F-4C09-824F-5F2DD69EF3F4 by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

48577540206_a1448a7b69_k.jpg07A2E7B2-7E3F-4959-BA7E-E437194D5C05 by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

48577693012_2e3ec9dfc1_k.jpgD71BFE01-ED62-4B60-A5F4-BED2580249B2 by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

48577693432_da402553a5_k.jpgD957F858-FCC5-4536-94CB-F4EF74AD2915 by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

48577541941_b9a9c97150_k.jpgBC196558-7E01-4A0A-97C1-CE2E61D21B8C by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

48577694887_f16b754515_k.jpg1A87F4B5-1FF1-4B69-9F04-9FE6CFE70B78 by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

48577543081_022e72b4e0_k.jpgD6330E9C-DBB8-46E6-87F5-72DC24FB40FB by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

48577543701_5a44f9ee82_k.jpg46F17DB6-85E6-424F-B5A7-60A02E455FA9 by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

48577696432_1fd918c1e9_k.jpg8947E4B8-7DF6-47E7-94E2-2B1622143BD5 by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

48577544496_10f4b9156c_k.jpgB57C25D2-1685-4EB3-8242-55B6D1528EFB by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

48577697097_5de1bdf144_k.jpgF4345F25-BB41-42F7-A355-107049E56782 by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

48577545216_d7a4751ea4_k.jpg34EF27F8-221D-49D7-BBDF-F379E5923D18 by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

48577697862_38774ee241_k.jpg70D0A82E-928E-4E7D-A6AE-A35773B37C2D by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

48577698162_d2567b69e1_k.jpgAFDCB954-6B56-44E7-AF7F-39E9CB21CA5D by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

48577698507_5b9dc1a701_k.jpg7F6598C3-BBA6-4B22-8963-9834923A6009 by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

48577699192_01f05e134b_k.jpgF5EDCE22-EF2F-4266-9192-56C40188FD5A by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

48577547476_6db59a3cc6_k.jpg28D4A7DC-0280-41FB-888E-4163154CA787 by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

48577547956_74b096709b_k.jpgABC9C2AD-0FB0-4285-8060-936C6989DE94 by Stephen Priestley-Dean, on Flickr

 

Any questions please get in touch. The kit is going to the Boscombe Down Museum in a couple of weeks.

 

my thanks go to, Canberra kid (John), MickE, 71chally, Pete in lincs, Julien.

 

Steve.

 

Edited by speedy
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Beautifully done Steve, that's a hard kit to bring up to such an amazing standard.

 

So many great details and nice touches, one of the best big scale Tornados I've seen.

 

Alan

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5 hours ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

Outstanding build. Perhaps I should do mine rather than trying to move it on.

As a certain advert says at the moment - “do it”👍

 

Steve

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As far as I've just been able to affirm XZ630 lives on at RAF Halton, masquerading as a 31 ,Squadron GR. 4.  She was flown in "convertible" form with the canopy off and rear seat removed as part of the trials programme.  Lovely model of a significant survivor.

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