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1/32 Buccaneer anyone?


bentwaters81tfw

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Hi Alan, again as others have said please look after yourself and get well soon. 

 

Great news that I'm in line for one of the next kits. 

 

As for decals I'd be more than happy to work with others to pool resources. 

 

For me a EDSG RN Bucc would be a firm favourite if achievable. 

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Thanks to you all for your support, it has been reassuring and comforting. I returned from the hospital after some treatment, the good O'L NHS, where would we be without it. 

I have almost finished the bulged bomb bay door and the Martel missiles are good to go. I assume that they will cast without any problems as I have redesigned the moulds for them, I will only know when I start casting again. As a matter of interest, are there any of you who are interested in Sea Eagle missiles? I haven't made any yet, I will have to locate some designs for them but I am sure I can make them, if required. I will commence casting next week, as I am likely to feel a lot better. 

I just thought I would add some extra comments made by others on other forums and those at Telford: Quite a few people were disappointed with the 32nd  Buccaneer, citing that is poor quality and not up to the mark. One very distinguished modeller made some remarks and I could see in the tone of his voice and expression that he was not impressed. Another modeller in the 32nd group said that they were waiting for the IM version to come out. The comments I made to some of these characters was to quote ''If you think your standards are too high, then may be you lower them to my standards''. As Simon Cornes reminds us, this is a builders kit not assembler. I fear most of these so called high standard modellers, spend their lives in the fast lane, building IM kits, so naturally they are disappointed with the standard. If I given a few modellers the subject they have long desired, then I have achieved my objective and the rest is history. Without your support, I cannot finance other projects. So I shall continue working on projects, others ignore or fear. Lets keep our aviation heritage alive and let the dreamers stagnate in their world. 

 

Alan

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3 minutes ago, Icelandic Fine Art said:

Ijust thought I would add some extra comments made by others on other forums and those at Telford: Quite a few people were disappointed with the 32nd  Buccaneer, citing that is poor quality and not up to the mark. One very distinguished modeller made some remarks and I could see in the tone of his voice and expression that he was not impressed. Another modeller in the 32nd group said that they were waiting for the IM version to come out. The comments I made to some of these characters was to quote ''If you think your standards are too high, then may be you lower them to my standards''. As Simon Cornes reminds us, this is a builders kit not assembler. I fear most of these so called high standard modellers, spend their lives in the fast lane, building IM kits, so naturally they are disappointed with the standard. If I given a few modellers the subject they have long desired, then I have achieved my objective and the rest is history. Without your support, I cannot finance other projects. So I shall continue working on projects, others ignore or fear. Lets keep our aviation heritage alive and let the dreamers stagnate in their world. 

 

Alan

We'll have to collectively build a bunch of absolute corkers with our Buccs then and plonk them on your table at Telford next year to show these 'distinguished modellers' what they passed on. 

 

I'm certainly working at pace on my Vulcan and have found few problems in the fuselage - those I have found I've worked around. It's not far off ready for final buttoning up. Everything is square, 95% of the panels line up and heck, this is the old one with the less-refined casting technique! 

 

Cheers,

  WV908

 

 

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Hi  thee a;an,, I'm glad you're feeling better , and as an employee of the NHS,(sort of), we'e glad to be of service!

 

I read the comments over on LSP  and to be honest as a long standing member I was more than a little disappointed  in what I read. Comments re lack of quality , "mis shaped" pieces etc are fair enough when the manufacturer is one of the larger =companies , but to apply those same standards to the product of a one man operation such as your self  just seems wrong somehow. 

I had a good look at the pics of the detail pics posted on LSP , and frankly I didn't see what the "issues" were, to me it looks like an eminently buildable model of a subject that will not, in my opinion , ever appear as an injection moulded kit, 20 yeas ago a one man band not entirely unlike you produced a vac form 1/32 Buccaneer and to my knowledge he never produced a single complete kit , not one was ever fully finished , and I should know I had one for a while, until common sense took over and I sold it.

 

The news that you've finished the bulged bomb bay is very encouraging , since the RAF version was only the only version I really wanted , and don't sweat the Martels on my account, mine is going to have Flightpath Sea Eagles..

 

I'm delighted to hear that I'm on the list, and that knowledge has made my year , ,,,Keep up the good work, and don;t let them get you down

 

PS On LSP I'm Scotsman over on the LSP forums  just read the Buc posts on LSP , you've got an ally over there!

 

 

 

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Hello all,

 

If you have heard the song by the Verve, ''the drugs don't work'', well they have been doing something as I have now finished the bulged bomb bay. Just a little sanding and adjustment to fit it into the underside of the fuselage; that's where I leave and the modeller's skill takes over. You will, of course, have to add all the detail to the bulged doors, I have done my part. I now have to cast it. I had very little information on its construction, so had to use photos and some basic sketches but I think it looks alright and will do the job. 

I only have 6 clear transparencies left, so will have to get some more made, they are not cheap to make, at £20 per transparency, it may seem reasonable but there is a high wastage rate and the resin is expensive. 

I am working on a new set of decals, the same but looking much better. I am in contact with a decal design manufacturer who will do the design work, its only when I get the bill that I may finally drop dead!

 

Alan

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Alan. Hope you get better soon. My Bucc arrived today and I almost sneaked it into the house while she who must be obeyed was out. My smugness was undone when my neighbour asked the boss if I got my parcel ok this afternoon. I have not opened the box yet as too much housework penance to do. I am sure it will be worth it though. 
For other readers I’d be up for sharing and pooling resources for stuff like decals etc. 
Last but not least don’t be put off Alan. You are not Mr Tamiya and while no doubt some modelling input may be required you have filled a gap which is unlikely to be done in IM any time soon enough to take my funeral money. 

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Mine turned up in the post yesterday and I've checked it over this morning. Just wow. Lost for words when I opened it. Took the wings out of the box first and it just got better and better as I opened the rest of the bags. Very happy with the external stores options - I've had to Google one of them to see what it was it's that extensive. The slipper tanks are work of art as are the intakes. The canopy is damn near perfect and, despite Alan's comment about panel lines, everything lines up on mine bar the radome, but that's because it's ever so slightly warped, but I'm not complaining about a 1mm deflection over a casting that's a good two feet-ish long. 

 

Unfortunately mine has to go away for Christmas, but that just gives me time to prepare, hopefully watch someone else build one and get my decals in order. HHA's XX885 in grey for me! Or XX901 in pink. Not fully decided yet....

 

Cheers,

  WV908

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WV908,

I think a modeller over at LSP is in the process of starting a build. It seems some of the crowd over there have become rather impatient and demanded that a build thread be started. I am also looking forward to a build. I think a comment was over there about the Bucc, the owner of which, said that this is for real modellers and not IM kit assemblers. I think he was inferring that plastic kit builders are amateurs and not use to real modelling; that suits me fine. Lets get stuck into some real modelling and show the IM kit assemblers, how it is all done.!

 

Alan

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4 minutes ago, Icelandic Fine Art said:

WV908,

I think a modeller over at LSP is in the process of starting a build. It seems some of the crowd over there have become rather impatient and demanded that a build thread be started. I am also looking forward to a build. I think a comment was over there about the Bucc, the owner of which, said that this is for real modellers and not IM kit assemblers. I think he was inferring that plastic kit builders are amateurs and not use to real modelling; that suits me fine. Lets get stuck into some real modelling and show the IM kit assemblers, how it is all done.!

 

Alan

Wot he said Guv’ner. 
MrsT says that if I do lots of housework today I can get a fondle tonight. Somehow I think that refers to owning my box of Buccaneer bits rather than any other interpretation. 
mind I disagree with the distinction between modellers and assemblers in that they are one and the same - just in different places on the same spectrum. I am trying to work out where I am as a plastic basher

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I’ve just ordered one from Alan. My bench has been empty for 2 weeks and the CEO is buying me this for our 30th Wedding Anniversary. So I’m using the downtime to catch up on jobs around the house and garden. When it arrives unless there is a fire I’m unavailable 😏

 

Steve.

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The moulds for the wings have now solidified and I am in the process of removing the wing masters. Just released the wings and wow, they look fantastic; they are as good as WV908's wings, careful I don't come round there, WV908, climb through the window and take the wings back! I'll just look for the Christmas tree. 

One thing has just occurred to me, sorting through my masters this morning, I found the windscreen wiper for the canopy, which is quite intricate, in itself; I moulded that this morning and will take it out the mould tomorrow. 

I have just taken some more pain killers to get me through the day but the share enjoyment of how this project has unwrapped, with all its problems, trials and tribulations, just to know that the modellers here are finally getting something they have wanted, is enough to keep me going. Of course it hasn't done my overdraft any good, since that is how I live these days but if I can make modellers happy, then my job is done and nothing else matters. 

Working on the design of the Buccaneer has proven to be difficult and even Airfix has said they had similar problems with making their moulds in one piece and releasing the parts. What this all amounts to of course, is I have now gained valuable knowledge when it comes to moulding and casting the 32nd F4K. In some ways casting the F4K will not be easy, as it has a toroidal shape fuselage, from a design point of view, which basically means, the fuselage section to the rear, will flex a lot, thereby causing other alignment problems; there are mathematical solutions to this problem, in theory but my preferred method is to use thick mould sections where the fuselage radius changes direction, thereby providing more support, so that I can then leave the aluminium resin matrix to cure for a longer period of time. The result is, if I leave the cured sections in longer to harden, what that does is to allow the aluminium particles to take up their covalent positions in the molecular structure of the poly-isocyanates, so that the actual host which is the isocyanates, does not know the difference and readily accepts the aluminium as part of its own family: the end result is a strong structure, where dimensional stability is ensured; the only disadvantage is that the ends of the fuselage tends to flare out a little, as WV908, experienced, when he took his Buccaneer out of the box.

The technical aspects of this project has been immense and even with all my years of industrial experience, I am still learning new ideas, where science is constantly pushing new boundaries. 

I have placed the bulged bomb bay doors in the mould and will remove them tomorrow, they should come out nice.

 

Alan 

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Yes, I am definitely very happy and that is an understatement; today I removed Colin and Rich fuselage and wings from the mould and the improvements to the re-design has made a big difference. The surfaces are smooth, without any blemishes; I will have to leave them to cure overnight. The bulged bomb bay doors have come out nicely as well, just a few air pockets here and there but I think Colin's line up of an RAF Bucc is looking more likely. We haven't heard anything from John T, that could only mean one thing, either he's gone into hiding or his wife has confiscated the goods, Sorry John T, no more Buccs left. Signing off.

 

Alan

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Hi Alan, and all Britmodellers. 

 

I was fortunate to pick one of the Buccs up at Telford and have to say, what a great piece of work it is. Many thanks To Alan for spoiling us with this huge kit of an iconic aircraft.

 

On the subject of Decals. I have made an approach to Kitworld who are looking into the possibility of upscaling some of their 1/72 sheets which include some RAF subjects, Gulf war pink aircraft and radar research aircraft. 

 

I am collating a level of interest for this so I ask 2 questions 

 

1.  how many have the kit / have one on order

2. how many would be interested in the markings offered by KW.

 

Alan, I hope this will take some of the pressure off you in having to sort markings from scratch (i know what goes into them) KW already have the artwork its just a case of scaling up and producing the sheets. 

 

I hope this helps. 

 

 

 

 

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one on the way it seems !!!

 

Yes I would welcome a set and  , since my interest is mostly RAf , a re-print of 137 would be Favourite for me , the Gulf War scheme isn't really of much interest I'm afraid, RAF Geen/Grey all the way 

 

 

CR

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I’ve also ordered one from Alan and I can’t wait with excitement:yahoo:I’ve replied on LSP, but for the sake of BM I was thinking the Yellow/green/black/white one but then again 137......

 

Steve.

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As great as this looks, I'm going to hold out for the F-4K, thats a build I've wanted to do in 1/32 for the longest time. Even have a Tamiya kit ready to be converted, and then an IM kit was announced but that seems to be going nowhere fast so I'd jump on a resin one!

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The latest update on the Martel missiles, no joy, looks like I will have to redesign yet again, so when I find a quiet moment, nigh on impossible, I will get to work on it. Another point concerning the navigator's station transparency, there are some air bubbles in a few of them, I have tried to eliminate them as much as possible but can prove to be difficult. I will cast a new set next week and as you can expect, I am doing a 1001 jobs all at the same time, whilst on the road to recovery. 

 

Alan

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Thanks for the update , the Martels , for me , aren't really that big an issue , there are plenty of other options 

 

Nav station - is that the blast screen that separates the Nav station , from rest of the cockpit  if so , again that's not too big a problem , might look at doing a vac form pull using the kit one as a basis , but again , that  really isn't a showstopper for me 

 

And for goodness look after yourself, you are rapidly becoming a one man industry , and people with your abilities are so rare you need to get well and stay that way!

 

CR - still listening out for the Parcel Force van!

 

 

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Thanks to all for your support, it is much appreciated. As regards the bulged bomb bay doors, I have noticed after casting, the centre (mid) bulges out slightly, this can be rectified by placing in some hot water for a couple of minutes and then restoring the uniform shape as everything should be in a straight line, with no deviation. This occurred because I used thin side walls that proved to be insufficient to support the whole structure and also I had to rush the design to get things moving. 

On a different note, it seems to me some individuals (not on this site) have found the Bucc kit wanting, as it has a few air bubbles here and there, so some have seen it fit to condemn it to be unworthy of their patronage. No model representation is perfect and I don't think some individuals are aware of how difficult it is to design and manufacture such a complex kit; it is no easy task and there is simply no pleasing some.

 

Alan

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