New Tool Airfix Vulcan 1/72 - Black Buck rebox announced

[rob]

Well! it's gone 11am now, what is it?

[Rabbit Leader]

We’ll tell you in 15 mins. 

[Homebee]

Wrong scale... 😥

Source: https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/big-news-from-airfix-at-scale-modelworld-2019

 

 

 

 

 

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Even though only 136 of these aircraft were eventually produced, they are regarded as design classics and one example in particular claimed to represent the very embodiment of the indomitable ‘British Spirit’ – our Scale Modelworld 2019 new tooling announcement is a 1/72nd scale Avro Vulcan B.2.

 

Airfix ‘Mighty Delta’ delight

 

Absolutely stunning – this beautiful artwork will be making its debut at Scale Modelworld 2019 and used to announce the existence of our new 1/72nd scale Avro Vulcan B.2 tooling project

 

The lead up to any Scale Modelworld show can be a rather hectic period for the Airfix team. Not only do they have to get everything ready for their show attendance and quite a significant presence, but all their usual work still needs to be done, which includes preparation for the forthcoming 2020 range launch. With regard to our new 1/72nd scale Avro Vulcan B.2 announcement, this project is still relatively early in its development and the example we have available for inspection on the Airfix stand at SMW will be a prototype model and one which represents a significant investment for the company. For anyone fortunate enough to see it, this unique model represents a fascinating and rather expensive stage in the production of this magnificent new tooling project and will undoubtedly attract plenty of attention over the coming show weekend.

 

In the next edition of Workbench, we will be including a full early development review of the new Avro Vulcan tooling project, including a selection of images taken during the Scale Modelworld unveiling, the scanning of a full size Vulcan and exclusive computer generated images produced in support of this fascinating new project. For this announcement edition, please enjoy the following selection of images which are being published for the first time, in addition to discussing why the Avro Vulcan will make such a popular addition to the Airfix kit range.

 

When looking at the rather futuristic delta profile of Avro’s mighty Vulcan bomber, it can be difficult to appreciate that work on this magnificent aircraft actually began back in 1947, just a few short years after its famous predecessor, the Lancaster, had proved decisive for Bomber Command during WWII. At their Chadderton facility near Manchester, the A.V Roe design team began work on this significant project, in response to Ministry of Defence requirement B35/46, which called for an aircraft which must possess an operating range in excess of 3,350 nautical miles, be capable of speeds approaching 500 knots and have an operating ceiling of 50,000 feet. Importantly, the aircraft was also required to carry a ‘special’ payload of 10,000 imperial pounds in weight (a nuclear device), as it was intended to serve as a flying deterrent to any future threat against the UK. It has been described that these specifications represented a 100% increase in the capabilities of any previous bomber aircraft.

 

The high altitude operating requirement said much about the military thinking of the day and was intended to keep the new aircraft above the effective range of surface-to-air missile defences, making it difficult to locate on radar and too high to be intercepted by current fighter aircraft technology. The range requirement was also significant and clearly pointing to the belief that any potential future military threat would be coming from behind the shadow of the Iron Curtain. Also, with its nuclear capabilities confirming that from a weapons delivery perspective, bombing strategies would never be the same again in this nuclear age.

A first look at some of the development images produced in support of the new Vulcan B.2 project. These skeletal images clearly show the iconic wing shape of the Vulcan and how the designer built up this section of the model. Please note that these represent development images and are being shown for illustrative purposes only

With such demanding specifications as these, the Avro design team were quickly forced to explore revolutionary aviation concepts for their new aircraft and the adoption of a large delta wing configuration, which whilst posing some significant technological challenges, offered aerodynamic benefits which far outweigh these difficulties. They would, however, be breaking new aviation ground in developing their new jet bomber.

 

As the huge doors of Woodford aerodrome’s construction hangar were pushed back on 30th August 1952 and Avro Vulcan prototype VX770 was wheeled out onto the hardstanding outside, she must have made for a breathtaking sight. Looking absolutely resplendent in its all-over white ‘Anti-Flash’ paint finish and proudly wearing Royal Air Force insignia, what the Avro engineers had managed to produce was not only the world’s first delta bomber, but also the most advanced bomber in the world. As chief test pilot ‘Roly’ Falk embarked on the aircraft’s maiden flight, he brought the county of Lancashire to a standstill, as the population marvelled at the unusual sight of this distinctive bomber and were the first to experience an aviation phenomenon which would later become known as the ‘Vulcan Effect’.

 

Vulcan 'First Strike' – A nuclear peace keeper

 

As the Avro Vulcan entered squadron service with No.83 Squadron at RAF Waddington in July 1957, the Royal Air Force had one of the most advanced aircraft in the world at their disposal, which was at that time not only the world’s first delta bomber, but also the fastest nuclear capable bomber in the world. It seems to be something of a strange dichotomy to describe an aircraft which possessed such devastating destructive potential as Britain’s most effective peace keeping asset, but that is exactly what the Vulcan was. During the frosty relations of the Cold War, the Warsaw Pact nations were in no doubt that if they dared to launch an attack against a NATO country, the consequences of the inevitable retaliatory strike would be catastrophic. At that time, nothing represented this doomsday scenario more effectively than the mighty Avro Vulcan.

 

Produced by the designer responsible for the new Vulcan, these development images will be on show at the Scale Modelworld show and used as a backdrop display for the resin prototype model, which will be sitting majestically in our display plinth

 

A computer rendered 3D image showing some of the internal detail and wing structure incorporated in the new Vulcan kit

 

Absolutely central to the deterrent threat of a Vulcan nuclear strike plan was the speed at which Britain could launch an attack. This massive aircraft possessed almost fighter like performance and their crews were trained exhaustively in performing rapid reaction tactical scrambles - A Vulcan could start all four engines simultaneously with little ground support required and could be airborne in less than 5,000 feet of runway.

In this rapid reaction role, Vulcans could be dispersed to airfields all over the UK and Europe and had a launch reaction time only restricted by the readiness state of the crew – typically, a Vulcan could be in the air and heading for Russia in around four minutes, sometimes even quicker. Britain’s early warning system would allow Vulcan crews fifteen minutes notice of an impending Soviet strike, by which time as many Vulcans as possible would need to be in the air and heading for their targets.

 

Despite being one of the most attractive bombers to take to the skies, the Vulcan was a weapon of war and it was extremely effective in that role.

 

Avro Vulcan B.2 – The Ultimate Delta

 

A thing of Cold War beauty, the Avro Vulcan B.2 has been the most heavily requested new tooling suggestion of the past few years and news of this new kit will be welcomed by many modellers

 

Despite being one of the world’s most distinctive aircraft, the technology behind the Avro Vulcan was highly advanced and as the aircraft settled into service life, a number of unforeseen problems with the original design became apparent. The most significant of these related to the installation of more powerful Rolls Royce Olympus engines and wing instability when operating the aircraft at higher speeds – this concerned designers so much that a re-design of the wing was initiated. Indeed, of the many upgrades and improvements applied to the Vulcan during its service life, the most noticeable was the change in wing size and shape.

 

By the time the definitive B.2 variant had entered service, the wing area had increased significantly and although still classed as a delta, looked quite different from the first aircraft to enter service. To cope with the increased power availability from subsequent engine upgrades and to cure the stability issues of the original straight wing design, the B.2 wing had two defined kinks in its leading edge, well forward of the profile of the original. Rather than detract from the simple aesthetics of the early Vulcan’s delta wing, the B.2 actually enhanced the profile of the aircraft, even though these changes were obviously made for reasons of operational effectiveness and not the aircraft’s appearance.

 

The service introduction of the Vulcan B.2 in July 1960 coincided with the availability of more capable nuclear weapons for the V-bomber force, both in number and destructive potential. It would also bring about a change in thinking regarding the delivery of these weapons, as significant advances in Soviet anti-aircraft technology now threatened the successful delivery of a free-fall gravity bomb. A new weapon would have to be developed in order to maintain the deterrent threat of the Vulcan and its V-bomber partners.

 

This next exclusive trio of images feature the prototype model which will be the Airfix star of the show at Scale Modelworld 2019. Representing a significant investment for the company, this unique model plays an important part in the development of the new model, however, die to the fragile nature of its construction, will probably only ever be seen in public at this weekend’s Telford show

 

 

Developed to maintain the validity of Britain’s nuclear deterrent threat, designers at Avro produced the powerful ‘Blue Steel’ air-launched, nuclear stand-off missile, which would allow V-bomber crews to launch their attacks out of the range of Soviet surface-to-air missile batteries and give them additional time to avoid the resultant blast. Further boosting the effectiveness of the V-bomber force the arrival of ‘Blue Steel’ raised the nuclear stakes in Britain’s favour once more and would have caused much consternation amongst the Warsaw Pact nations.

 

Nuclear equipped Vulcan’s were given an all over anti-flash white paint finish, which was designed to have the dual benefit of making the aircraft extremely difficult to see from the ground and in the event of a nuclear delivery, offer some reflective properties which would help to deflect any thermal energy hitting the aircraft, therefore protecting the aircraft and its crew. Mercifully, this theory was never put to the test and in actual fact, despite possessing incredible destructive power, no British bomber would ever fly with a live nuclear weapon on board, which in itself stands testament to the deterrent threat posed by the Vulcans of the nuclear V-force.

 

The mighty Avro Vulcan stands as one of the world’s most famous aircraft designs and served the Royal Air Force for 25 years, which encompassed the most dangerous nuclear period the world has ever known. It would also be involved in the longest bombing raid in the history of warfare (at that time) and was held in such affection that the Vulcan Display Flight maintain an aircraft for Airshow appearances for nine years following the type’s service withdrawal. One aircraft, XH558, would go on to be a historic aviation phenomenon and rival such acts as the Red Arrows and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in the aviation affections of the British public, until its enforced grounding at the end of 2015.

 

This final image is quite magnificent and shows us all what we have to look forward to with the release of this new kit. Described as a computer rendered 3D exploded part view, it splits the new Vulcan into some of its component parts and shows some of the detail incorporated into this exciting project

 

As an icon of the British aviation industry, we know that the announcement of our newly tooled 1/72nd scale representation of this magnificent aircraft will be of great interest to modellers and the Workbench team are very much looking forward to bringing you regular updates from the project as it progresses through its various development stages. We will begin by featuring the process of scanning a real Vulcan and how this played an important role during the early stages of the project, as well as including the thoughts of the designer responsible for working on this high profile project.

 

For now though, we are all very much in Scale Modelworld mode and working hard presenting our new Vulcan at this year’s show, however, we hope everyone has enjoyed this special show announcement edition of the blog and a first look at our beautiful new 1/72nd scale Avro Vulcan B.2 project.

 

V.P.

Edited November 12, 2019 by Homebee

[Mr T]

Looks to be a lot more rigid in the wings than the original. I am at Telford and see this on my phone as having a coffee, marvels of modern technology.😊📱☕

[Wez]

Cool!  Hopefully the way they've moulded the intakes will overcome some of the problems with the earlier kit.  Full bomb bay option too!  As @Mr T has noted, looks like it will be a more rigid structure than the earlier kit too.

 

VP's expanded post with the parts break down also shows Olympus 200 and 300 series exhausts so a Blue Steel option is on the way.

 

Looks like those of you wishing for a B.1 option are out of luck but as I've said before, the B.2 gives more in-service options so I think it's the better choice by Airfix.

 

Bravo Airfix, well done!

 

Edited November 9, 2019 by Wez

[Steve Coombs]

So, I already have a Nimrod, a Valiant, and two Victors, all from Airfix. Now there's going to be a 21st century Vulcan kit. I need a bigger flat.

[Meatbox8]

As hoped, a separate nose 'nipple' and RWR.  Fantastic news.  Note to self:  must finish Nimrod and actually build Victor and Valiant. 

[SleeperService]

Got to say that I'm very happy for all you who've got what you hoped for. Not my cup of coffee but there are a lot of happy modellers and buyers it seems.

[k5054nz]

To save everyone else time: the YouTube video is about 1min of the prototype model with voiceover from an unknown male saying "We know this is what you want, so here it is". No further info at all.

[thepureness]

The Vulcan is obviously the 2020 flagship release for Airfix, but there couple be a couple more new tools too

[Homebee]

 

A few days before the big reveal at IPMS Telford, Airfix designer Chris Parker-Joy discusse one of his latest projects – the newly tooled 1:72 scale Avro Vulcan B.2.

 

 

V.P.

Edited November 13, 2019 by Homebee

[Rabbit Leader]

I believe that’s the voice of Simon Owen, Airfix’s lead researcher and holder of the ‘Best job in the world’ title! 
 

Well done Airfix.. looks smashing! 

[delticfan]

Looks like a two stage release with the last 1982 version to follow similar to what happened with the Victor.

[TEXANTOMCAT]

Looks amazing! Certainly I would have used the CAD drawings in the video it looks mighty impressive!

 

so we can see.. alternate noses, bomb load and Blue Steel (And separate bomb bay inserts) and potentially alternate jet pipes and a set of FOD covers (nice touch!) crew ladder full crew positions, separate control surfaces and air brakes !

 

a Blue Steel transporter, pressure refueller , Houchin and a Land Rover Would be a smashing ‘support set’ for all the V bombers as well! 
 

Well done Airfix to quote A Bridge Too Far ‘you may be late but we’ll forgive you!’

 

TT

[tangerine_sedge]

Good news, but any other new tools announced?

[Rabbit Leader]

2 minutes ago, tangerine_sedge said:

Good news, but any other new tools announced?

That’ll be early in the new year... You see most of us Airfix lovers are getting on a bit age wise, Airfix don’t want to elevate our heart rates and blood pressures too high, that’ll just kill off a big percentage of their clientele! 

[Meatbox8]

Looks like options for either Blue Steel or a detailed bomb bay.  So a Yellow Sun, Red Beard or 20 1000Ib bombs.

[Rabbit Leader]

So is the Vulcan mock up being displayed under the clear cabinet at Telford? Anyone got any pics?? 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

[stever219]

If the colour artwork from the blog is going to be the box art there’ll be a lot of impulse buys of this kit.

 

Can’t disagree with Texantomcat’s wish for some support vehicles but I’m not holding my breath.

[Greg B]

Some of the posters on this thread may need reminding that it is considered to be poor form on here to rubbish other modelling websites. It would be disappointing to have to deal with it if it occurs again.

[Meatbox8]

1 hour ago, jenko said:

IF... big IF …. if this fake news from Airfix there are going to be some very red faces on here...……. just saying...………………......

 

A Blue Steel ground support set would be nice to go with it.

 

Dick

I think AIM will be releasing an AEC Mandator Blue Steel transport as well as a bomb trolly.

[Rob G]

28 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

So is the Vulcan mock up being displayed under the clear cabinet at Telford? Anyone got any pics?? 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

 

I'm onto it Dave!

 

Edit. Or I would be if the verdammt WiFi would cooperate!

[71chally]

9 minutes ago, Meatbox8 said:

I think AIM will be releasing an AEC Mandator Blue Steel transport as well as a bomb trolly.

I have heard this from a good source aswel.

[Meatbox8]

1 minute ago, 71chally said:

I have heard this from a good source aswel.

I think they do the various tow bars for the V bombers as well.

[Adam Poultney]

So here's my observations:

First thing's first, a beautiful box art showing a half camouflaged Blue Steel Vulcan. This is incredible and probably just surpassed the Blue Steel Victor for my factorite box art.

So we can gather from this that we will be getting a Blue Steel in the box, I would be disappointed at a blue steel for initial release, but.....

Bombs! A full bomb bay with 21 1000 lb bombs! 

Here we get a good look at the parts breakdown, you can see we have a detailed cockpit, although the rear looks a bit basic (remember, it's far from finished), and perhaps as a disappointment to most, but two but three part intakes. 

There's a vertical split through them, and the front of the bit where they split off is separate. 

From screenshots on the video we can see that the intakes join the wings at the front, making an easy seam to clean up. Also just made for aftermarket B1 intakes for the early B2s and B1 conversions!

You can also see one of my favourite features of the kit, the airbrakes.

Looking at this part breakdown we can see how Airfix has structured the model.

The wings have upper and lower halves as expected and include half the fuselage each. The nose section is, unlike the tool, separate and appears to be built to accommodate all three major versions the B2 had: with or without TFR blister, IFR probe or not. 

The model has septate control surfaces which I am very happy about! 

Here you can see the jetpipes, they look very much like Olympus 301 engines to me. Wouldn't have been my choice, I prefer the 201 (the howly ones). However, looking at the parts breakdowns it appears that Airfix have built the model to accommodate another set of jetpipes, perhaps a set of 201s will be included.

Under the Vulcan you can just about see a very nice Blue Steel. Also shown is that the kit will include two ECM plates.