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1958: Airfix Control Tower


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First released in 1958, there have been several release dates of this kit with a basic change to the boxing and artwork.

 

Brit-Lancaster-018.jpg

 

I must have built this on numerous occasion but its only in the last twenty years or so that I realised its not really typical of any RAF Control tower of the war years.

This is a plan of a tower that is the closest and that is only because of the front window arrangement;  the kit is far to small to be truly representative.

 

Brit-Lancaster-019.jpg

 

If I was to change it to match the plan then basically you would have very little of the Airfix kit itself.

I intend to at least have the front flat, have a balcony that goes around the front and BOTH sides as well as a door each side onto the said balcony.

I have an old kit that has a few windows spare (after an earlier conversion of the same kit) so I think I will be putting a couple extra ones in. 

I shall probably make a start tomorrow  . . . .

Edited by Mancunian airman
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A couple of hours work to alter/ change a few things.

 

I have extended both side wall by placing a door (+window on the right hand side) to bring the front of the building totally upright flat. The kit provides a balcony of sorts with the ground floor rooms directly below.

Tower-mods.jpg

 

At the rear of the building I have blanked out the top two windows and altered the one to the right of the door, this elongated window ran up the internal stairs to the first floor.

 

Brit-Lancaster-022.jpg

 

The window to the left of the door is for a toilet room and should be a little narrower so If i have a small window I shall change that as well.

Looking at the plan one can clearly see the scale of the kit is really small compared to the smallest tower in use with the RAF 

 

Brit-Lancaster-020.jpg

 

Because I have extended the building, the roof will need extending but more on that later  . . . .

Edited by Mancunian airman
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Welcome aboard and so nice to see something completely different with this Airfix Control Tower. I've never had the pleasure of building one of these so will look on to see how you go about your craft. 

Cheers and thanks for joining.. Dave 

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With the wall alterations I have applied Mr. Surfacer to try and make good.

This morning I painted over Mr. Surfacer to see how it appears . . . .

 

I will be putting the kit windows in and some glazing.

Photos to follow . . . .

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Photos of progress . . . 

Brit-Lancaster-023.jpg

 

The bottom front windows are as the plan with them reduced but will the sill still visible 

 

Brit-Lancaster-024.jpg

 

Painted black inside as you would see nothing from some distance on the real thing 🤔

 

More work on this, this evening . . . 

Edited by Mancunian airman
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Dave

I think I shall place it on its own base with a vehicle along side it ??

 

I got some brown paint on it last night and the green this morning.

Tamiya tape on the inside of the window frames to paint everything totally Brown. When the green is dry I shall remove the tape and get some glazing in there.

With that it place I shall put three walls together and start to add the first floor and some interior walls.

 

Brit-Lancaster-026.jpg

Edited by Mancunian airman
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What an excellent contribution to the group build. It's not often that we see a building in these. In fact it's probably the first. 

I visited a tower in England once which seemed to be a lot like the Airfix one but bigger. It might have been the Yorkshire air museum. That would explain your plans. 

Colin 

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Good to see something completely different. I had one of these once upon a modelling time. Think it was the 1988 boxing - one of my childhood efforts that was always destined for the bin. I always thought it strange that the scale was OO, yet all my Airfix aircraft models at the time were 1:72. Close enough I suppose!

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Got the glazing in and the two side walls glued to the rear wall.

A floor was put in so you cant see right thro' it, there will be another wall across the first floor for the same reason . . . .

 

Brit-Lancaster-029.jpg

 

Bottom section of the front wall is glued in place and because I modified the top half of the building, I shall probably have to put some filler in the top half corners.

With the top section held in place with spit, I drew a rough camouflage on a sheet of paper to see how it might look . . . .

Brit-Lancaster-028.jpg

 

Brit-Lancaster-027.jpg

 

Next up will be the roof and the balcony, both of which need extending 🙂

Thanks for looking in 

Ian

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I am fortunate that I have a second kit containing odds parts. I converted two towers into one previously and it left a few spares  . . . 

 

Twin-towers-034aa.jpg

 

The kit balcony is an 'L' shape and almost ever tower had a 'U' shape wrapped around the front elevation so  . . . .

with a second kit balcony cut up we have this  . . . not glued as yet

 

Brit-Lancaster-030.jpg

 

Having two of the original kit roof, I cut the second to fit the new square shape of the tower . . .

Red section cut from the front, the holes are aligned the same, so it is then moved to the rear.

On the first roof I filled in the three centre holes (marked Blue)

 

Brit-Lancaster-035.jpg

 

and it ends looking like this

 

Brit-Lancaster-034.jpg

 

I hope that is as clear as mud ? I 'm sure in will be apparent 

Mr Surfacer to be applied on the roof sections.

I have placed a cross section wall in on the first floor and painted all the doors . . . .

waiting on drying times now 😕

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Ian, well done for starting this - a really interesting and unique build - have you a location / diorama in mind for it once completed? Does this lend itself to 'detailing' with telephone equipment or lines etc.? All the best for the build. Mike.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Sorry for no recent post, I've been on holiday and then a chest infection  . . . . 

I have started on the railings around the balcony and the roof 

 

Airfix-Control-Tower.jpg

 

I shall endeavour to get it finished despite the closure of the GB 

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