jyguy Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 The Heralds cabin windows are different to those of the Viscount the former being slightly flattened ovals as can be seen in the picture of WA which is in preservation at the Berkshire Aviation Museum near Reading UK. To reply to some earlier posts in this thread Herald operators that passed through Turnhouse back in the 1960s would have been BEA,BUA and Autair.The Lydd based Herald was operated by the short lived Janus Airways. Despite being rather basic the Frog Herald is a nice kit for its vintage.As for the 144 Eastern Express kit the fit of parts is poor,prominent ribs on the fin are missing and the main gear wheels are oversized,though another contributor here has worked wonders and produced a very nice model in the BUA Sandstone livery. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Mc Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 On 15/01/2020 at 18:37, alancmlaird said: G-APWA was not a BEA service aircraft. It was only painted up that way for a sales tour of South America (with Prince Philip I think!) subsequently sold there. However, It came back and is preserved somewhere in the UK. (is Woodly a place?) G-APWB/C/D were the BEA service machines on Scottish regional routes. All 4 were short, earlier version. Yep, it's at Woodley (near Reading). Me and a few mates went to see it at the Bekshire Aviation Museum a few months ago. You can get on board. It's painted in BEA colours. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busnproplinerfan Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 I was looking at the walkaround pictures. The lined detail on the tail's skin, is that raised or recessed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Mc Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 It's a form of currugation. The ailerons and elevators are also corrugated. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 Hello Zebra, Colorful.Excellent finish. Never seen before. Regards, Orion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Womby Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 Don't see many of those built. Lovely job on the livery. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOPGUN88 Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Lovely build of the herald. I bought mine at £60 a couple of years ago. A bagged kit that represents the Malaysian Air Force transporter. Sadly the decals look like they would crumble if I used them and don't know if or how I could save them. Tried looking for Malaysian Air Force decals but no luck. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheyJammedKenny! Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Nicely executed! It's really difficult to make this kit look good, and you've done quite the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapam Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Very tidy job on a kit/subject not too often seen. As a massive F-27 fan, I can much appreciate and enjoy the Herald for being quite similar. Makes me wish Airfix would re-issue their previously-reissued F-27 kit - which has less shape issues than the Esci/Italeri, even if it is a cruder kit. Well done with your Herald, anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fazzman Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 Bravo to an excellent build of this now very rare kit, Zebra! Absolutely first class and authentic dazzling finish too. Having seen that if you're lucky enough to find one of these rare Herald kits nowadays it'll cost an arm and a leg, I just wonder if there's a way of converting the old Airfix or Italeri Fokker Friendship kits into a Herald? Ok, so it may be a mammoth project with heaps of scratch building here and re-profiling there but I just wonder....at least you'd have the twin Darts on a reasonably similar wing, plus the tailplanes for a start, then you'd probably have to fatten the fuselage but.....hmmm....I just wonder! First job of course would be obtaining & comparing some decent 1:72 drawings.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Mc Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 I am sure the moulds must exist somewhere. They were in production in the Soviet Union well into the 1980s. The main problem with the kit is that it is based on the original production version of the aircraft so can really only be built to represent the first few built. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebra Posted March 17, 2021 Author Share Posted March 17, 2021 Thanks @Fazzman. I think converting an F-27 to a Herald would end up as a scratch-build! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fazzman Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 Yes, I did think so Zebra! Probably the rantings of an old and senile chap who once converted and part scratch built the old 1:32 scale Matchbox DH Venom into a Vampire T11 so.....you can see I like a challenge😉! As Eric MC says, someone, somewhere must have the moulds, and even if they only represented an early pre-production version, I'd love to get my teeth into it!! Any kit donations gratefully received....😉🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 Quite the contrary: the Frog kit was based on the longer fuselage of the Series 200, not that of the series 100 as used by BEA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fazzman Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 That's a very interesting point Graham, and being a longer fuse', the world is your oyster for shortening to other marks etc. Do I assume then that the profiles and lumps and bumps are accurate? And of course, were back to spending megabucks for those ex-FROG, Novo etc....if you can find them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 44 minutes ago, Fazzman said: That's a very interesting point Graham, and being a longer fuse', the world is your oyster for shortening to other marks etc. Do I assume then that the profiles and lumps and bumps are accurate? I can't swear to that, but the Herald was a fairly smooth aircraft and there were not a lot of examples. I seem to recall a slight kink in the lower fuselage section rather than it being a perfect circle, but memory may be playing tricks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Mc Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 5 hours ago, Graham Boak said: Quite the contrary: the Frog kit was based on the longer fuselage of the Series 200, not that of the series 100 as used by BEA. It certainly doesn’t have the radar nose. So it’s the longer fuselage with the blunt nose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fazzman Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 Thanks for your help and guidance gentlemen. It sounds like a 'reasonable' (to my eyes!) facsimile of the Herald might be doable. I'll have a play with some drawings, place a finger in the air and take it from there. It probably won't get passed this scrutinising stage but I thrive on the 'what if'/'soldier on' scenarios, so I'll see how it goes. I'd be a very happy man if I was able to finish one to the same quality of Zebra's featured here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 Remember that the F.27 undercarriage and engine nacelles were in a straight line, whereas the Herald undercarriage and wing structure was that of the original 4-engined design with smaller diameter props, so the actual engine nacelle was asymmetric with the engines outboard. So it may be an even greater problem than you imagine. When I was at Pages, I worked for a while in the "work study" department (it wasn't called that - Production Methods?) I was told of a study to reorganise the Spares Department. In order to produce a model of the new layout an employee was sent out to bring back some Herald models for loose wings, tailplanes, etc. Needless to say he couldn't find any so brought back, and used, some Airfix F.27 kits. If anyone noticed, no-one commented. I didn't think to ask if it was still around, I could perhaps have stocked up my spares boxes, at least! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 Beautiful piece of modelling, she looks great 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fazzman Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 Graham Boak, many thanks for that very useful information. I could well imagine that the 'Pages design team would have obviously wanted to keep any design changes between the original four-engined- and the later two-engined aircraft to a minimum, so it does indeed sound like there would be a fair bit of work to be done to 'fatten' the outboard side of the 'ex-F-27' nacelle, complete with 'dog-legging the undercarriage installation....my head hurts! And actually, I've just found a super photo of the Herald's offset undercarriage instalation in an 'inverted plan' photo. All I've got to do is work out how I add a photograph here... That was interesting to hear of your work at 'Pages and the 'unnoticed' F27 model, not only because of the modelling but I remember when I came out of my 'time' at Hatfield, the department I worked in had about 50% of 'Pages guys working there. They'd obviously come over to Hatfield after 'Pages had closed in around 1970. Seems like centuries ago now.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fazzman Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 15 hours ago, Graham Boak said: Remember that the F.27 undercarriage and engine nacelles were in a straight line, whereas the Herald undercarriage and wing structure was that of the original 4-engined design with smaller diameter props, so the actual engine nacelle was asymmetric with the engines outboard. So it may be an even greater problem than you imagine. When I was at Pages, I worked for a while in the "work study" department (it wasn't called that - Production Methods?) I was told of a study to reorganise the Spares Department. In order to produce a model of the new layout an employee was sent out to bring back some Herald models for loose wings, tailplanes, etc. Needless to say he couldn't find any so brought back, and used, some Airfix F.27 kits. If anyone noticed, no-one commented. I didn't think to ask if it was still around, I could perhaps have stocked up my spares boxes, at least! Hi Graham, I've just had a good look at Herald drawings on the 'net and can see exactly where you're coming from with the nacelle having that 'offset' with the extra 'meat' on the inside of said nacelle. Through health reasons I'm not currently in a position to do any modelling but at least I can have a look at drawings to see if there is any chance of making such a conversion work. Yes, Zebra's excellent build here and talking to you about back in the day at 'Pages has certainly planted a seed in my mind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAT69 Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 Beautiful work on a kit seldom seen built up. I'm impressed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busnproplinerfan Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 Came back to see this again. Has anyone made the radial version yet? i thought of doing the conversion but I'd have to find one cheap enough first. I did finally get a kit but have a scheme picked for it already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fazzman Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 On 19/03/2021 at 02:40, busnproplinerfan said: Came back to see this again. Has anyone made the radial version yet? i thought of doing the conversion but I'd have to find one cheap enough first. I did finally get a kit but have a scheme picked for it already. busnproplinerfan, I think at this rate it would be easier if all of us searching for the fabled FROG, NOVO etc etc Herald kit club together and make new moulds between us!! Good luck in your search anyway...and I hope your wallets fat enough!😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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