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


Adam Poultney

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 have a few questions about this kit that I hope you are able to answer @general melchett 

Does the kit have the full set of blisters associated with the Skybolt program under the wings? I can see the twin blisters and the one further back but am struggling to see if it has the coolant blister just forward of the twin blisters or not

Which version of the X Band Jammer is in the kit? Is it one emitter head or two, or have both been included?

I can't see the tail bumper on the model, is it just the photos or is it there? 

Have they the early style of VHF aerials, the one they first had that looks a bit like the pitot tubes but backwards. I see your build has the yellow one of a more uniform shape fitted in the 70s

 

 

Adam, Firstly, yes all the Skybolt parts are there, including the twin blisters, rear dome and forward coolant blister, (XM594 only had the coolant blister fitted, so to build any other airframe, references are needed), also if you're building a 200 series aircraft the four small raised inlet ducts (two pairs adjacent to the main gear bays) for the high altitude anti-icing system need to be removed as these aircraft didn't have this fitted.

 

Both X-band emitter heads are included, single and double. The tail bumper is also included but you'll have to add your own over-rotation sensor, as it was minute.

 

Yes, both styles of VHF aerials are included, early swept and later vertical style.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited by general melchett
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11 minutes ago, general melchett said:

This is another excellent video of the early high-gloss camouflaged B2s.

Brilliant videos Andy;  my favourite scheme - many thanks. At the moment I have it in mind to do Vulcan B2 XM599, 35 Squadron based at RAF Cottesmore from that famous photo of it releasing a full bomb load of twenty-one 1000lb bombs during an exercise in 1965.

 

Thanks again - now where's my volume control...

 

Rich

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I agree that the lighter grey (MSG) is not accurate for a regular Vulcan, but I do think it looked/looks great on 588

Thanks Robert, just one thing though, the Vulcans of the period were finished in MSG/DG over white and later over LAG. There were a couple of exceptions like XM600 which featured DSG/DG for a brief period before reverting to the standard scheme.  XH558 was actually painted a different colour, somewhere between DSG and MSG along with the strange positioning of the wing roundels, it was a bit of a Frankenstein scheme wise, but a beautiful one nonetheless.

 

 

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10 minutes ago, general melchett said:

 

Adam, Firstly, yes all the Skybolt parts are there, including the twin blisters, rear dome and forward coolant blister, (XM594 only had the coolant blister fitted, so to build any other airframe, references are needed), also if you're building a 201 engined aircraft the four small raised ducts (two pairs adjacent to the main gear bays)  for the high altitude anti-icing system need to be removed as they didn't have this.

 

Both X-band emitter heads are included, single and double. The tail bumper is included but you'd have to add your own over rotation sensor as it was minute.

 

Yes, both styles of VHF aerials are included, early vertical and later swept style.

 

Hope this helps.

brilliant! I don't know if you've seen my most recent 1/200 scale vulcan, but I've gone insane making sure they're all accurate as I can make them in configuration at least. The over rotation sensor, well that sounds fun to add, but probably less fun to break. I bought have to miss that on mine then and stick to obsessing over blisters and aerials. 

3 minutes ago, general melchett said:

 There were a couple of exceptions like XM600 which featured DSG/DG for a brief period before reverting to the standard scheme.  

Is there any photographic evidence of this one? I've never seen any

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There you go Adam, she had a replacement rudder fitted which included the original MSG by way of contrast.

 

XM600 in DSG/DG at RAAF Butterworth

 

And I certainly trust Dick Ward of Modeldecals.

 

1-img249-001.jpg

 

I'll definitely have a look at your 1/200th model, cheers. 
 

 

 

 

 


 

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1 hour ago, general melchett said:

There you go Adam, she had a replacement rudder fitted which included the original MSG by way of contrast.

 

XM600 in DSG/DG at RAAF Butterworth

 

And I certainly trust Dick Ward of Modeldecals.

 

1-img249-001.jpg

 

I'll definitely have a look at your 1/200th model, cheers. 
 

 

 

 

 


 

Looks like I'm building XM600 in DSG soon then, thanks for sharing that, I've never seen photographic proof of the scheme before. Might try it in 1:200, gives me a challenge to make the Sqn markings, although I already have the right ones in 1:144 so that would just be easier.....

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9 hours ago, RobertF said:

 Sorry, did not see your post until after I put in my own. Yes, hopefully they will re-release the set

Fundekals informed me last year when the new Vulcan kit was announced that they had plans to re-release their Vulcan decals.

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10 minutes ago, Space Ranger said:

Fundekals informed me last year when the new Vulcan kit was announced that they had plans to re-release their Vulcan decals.

oh good I will certainly pick up a few sheets, probably some more in 1:144 as well

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One word of warning regarding the 1/72nd Fundekal sheet. For some odd reason the roundels are the wrong size. According to the design team the Airfix kit will include the correct sizes, so use those instead. The Fundekal fuselage roundels are way undersize and the wing roundel oversize! I replaced them with items from the Xtradecals and Airdoc sheets. The rest of the sheet is spot on. Talking of decal sheets, I was sent a few to review and personally, I'd avoid using the Kits-World sheet as virtually none of the decals are correct, wrong font, size, simplified detail and overly thick to boot. On the other hand I also received their new 3D-printed pre-coloured cockpit set, which looks excellent, looking forward to using it. I can see a raft of Vulcan related stuff being released very soon.

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12 hours ago, Space Ranger said:

Fundekals informed me last year when the new Vulcan kit was announced that they had plans to re-release their Vulcan decals.


Yes, I’m good friends with the two of them and this is accurate.

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On 05/02/2021 at 16:26, general melchett said:

Here she is at the Greenham Common show in 1974 a show I remember very well as we were there both days, great memories. My good mate Rob Hayes added the soundtrack to this clip, certainly captures the power of the beast.

 

 

 

Well well (Three holes in the ground ) 

it’s been a VERY long time... since I logged in here sadly. (Been a lot going on...)

 

Wow my dream kit has finally arrived and still trying to finish more of the old kit off.

 

Excellent work on this General good sir ! 
it’s ironic you picked the same Vulcan you challenged me to build in a few weeks for the Cosford 2014 show.

Happy memories and hope we can soon sit these two beside each other at more shows in the near future when we have Nuked Covid into oblivion.

here is the old beast from then. 
I can’t wait to get my hands on 89 of these beauties haha ! 
Cheers Rob :) 

 

F8760066-97E3-485D-93BE-12F5ADEED7BB-669

 

2FE2EC76-C2DA-435B-BFAC-F56D2F72CD6E-509
 

 

 

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On 05/02/2021 at 15:44, general melchett said:

The 1/72nd set has been out of production for a while now and very hard to come by, also the site is down at the moment awaiting an overhaul, so hopefully they will release them again soon. They really are superb.

Just after the last Telford show I was buying some decals from Fundekals, I mentioned that the new tool Vulcan kit had been announced, they were aware that it was due out the following year and they were going to be re-releasing their 1/72nd Vulcan decal sheet when it comes out. :winkgrin: 

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I can see some very sad news for my credit card coming up.... but I will try and wait until Airfix follow up on the initial release with the 588 version and the after market have released their goodies.. So you all now go and kindly pre-order this kit so as to nudge Airfix! :)

 

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Excellent work on this General good sir ! 
it’s ironic you picked the same Vulcan you challenged me to build in a few weeks for the Cosford 2014 show.

Happy memories and hope we can soon sit these two beside each other at more shows in the near future when we have Nuked Covid into oblivion.

here is the old beast from then. 
I can’t wait to get my hands on 89 of these beauties haha ! 

 

 

Thanks Rob, yes I remember that weekend well, all a bit frantic, if I recall you didn't get much sleep the night before, but true to the spirit of Bomber Command, you pulled it out of the bag.

 

Only 89...you must be slipping! 

 

 

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On 2/5/2021 at 4:49 PM, general melchett said:

Thanks Robert, just one thing though, the Vulcans of the period were finished in MSG/DG over white and later over LAG. There were a couple of exceptions like XM600 which featured DSG/DG for a brief period before reverting to the standard scheme.  XH558 was actually painted a different colour, somewhere between DSG and MSG along with the strange positioning of the wing roundels, it was a bit of a Frankenstein scheme wise, but a beautiful one nonetheless.

 

 

My understanding is that it was painted in the upper grey (Light Aircraft Grey ISTR?) that Nimrod MR.1s used, as there was plenty kicking around at the Kinloss sprayshop at the time.

Love the pic of XM600, not seen that before.

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My understanding is that it was painted in the upper grey (Light Aircraft Grey ISTR?) that Nimrod MR.1s used, as there was plenty kicking around at the Kinloss sprayshop at the time.

Love the pic of XM600, not seen that before.

That's my understanding too James, it would make sense.

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12 hours ago, general melchett said:

 

 

Thanks Rob, yes I remember that weekend well, all a bit frantic, if I recall you didn't get much sleep the night before, but true to the spirit of Bomber Command, you pulled it out of the bag.

 

Only 89...you must be slipping! 

 

 

Haha yes it was a stupid thing to do I only had 2 hours sleep for that.. crazy. Was worth it though.

I have so much catching up to do here and with everything. 
can’t wait to get my hands on one of these new kits (you know that already haha)

All the best dude :)

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12 hours ago, 71chally said:

My understanding is that it was painted in the upper grey (Light Aircraft Grey ISTR?) that Nimrod MR.1s used, as there was plenty kicking around at the Kinloss sprayshop at the time.

Love the pic of XM600, not seen that before.


Yep In the 90s XH558 looked like it was barley grey as it could appear both very pale or very blue. Different to the usual medium sea grey which could look quite deep and blue with a more purple tone too it or just bleached bone grey when faded. 
beautiful scheme for sure. 
I painted one of mine once with barley grey and it looked right. But the usual lighting etc can cause all sorts of distortions of perception.

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XH558 really looked interesting pre-repaint, lots of things going on with the finish, multiple tones with fading, patches, soft and very soft camouflage demarcation lines, etc.....a 'weatherers' delight.

 

https://www.pinterest.de/pin/390265123942704412/visual-search/

 

Here's a link to the best air-to-air images of XH558 I've seen, fantastic detail down to the riveting in the intake ducts. They also show the placement of the extra avionics/GPS aerials, fitted to the fuselage, post refurbishment for anyone wishing to model her.

 

https://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=130744

 

 

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Sightly off topic, but does anyone have any information on which Vulcan B2s flew with the B1 tailcone? I've seen pictures of XH533 and XH536 with it, and unreleased pictures which I saw as the museum at Woodford reveal that XM596 (the fatigue one which never flew) had a B1 tailcone (I suspect that was actually a much earlier one not really an XM batch Vulcan at all). 

I'm wondering if there's any more.

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