V Force Group Build - 36 members so far, any more?

[ThreeGreens]

Hi,  I'm a new BM member and came across the V Force GB thread so thought some of you might be interested in this b/w shot of a Valiant.  I found it recently during a lockdown loft clear-out!

 

Not sure this is the appropriate thread to post this on so hopefully someone can advise if I've got it wrong!

 

I was curious to discover more about this specific aircraft so with some zoomed-in scanning I managed to identify the squadron, crew and possible serial number.

 

I believe its a Valiant B(PR)K1, under the command of Wing Commander Ronald "Ras" Berry DSO OBE DFC, who was O/C 543 Squadron at RAF Wyton.  Picture probably taken in 1957/8 period when he held that role?

 

This aircraft carries the 543 squadron badge and a wing commander's pennant.  Berry's crew are listed as:

 

Co-pilot. Flying Officer FD Cretney

Navigator. Flying Officer MA Barratt

Navigator/Radar. Flight Lt. WA Black

AEO. Flying Officer SVB Downer

ASC. Chief Tech. RW Downe

 

Serial number is difficult to decipher from this photograph, angle is too oblique, however after a lot of online searching and close up scanning of the rear fuselage, I'd put money on it being WZ394.  I could be wrong...

 

The colour photo was found online and looks to me as if its the very same aircraft judging by markings and distinctive signs of paint wear on the nose (identical in both photos).

 

Hope thats of interest to Valiant fans - now back to building my Supermarine Walrus - a very different beast!

 

Phil

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stefan Buysse]

Wonderful pictures, Phil.👍

 

Adam and Steve,

Thanks for the replies to my query about XH592.

I edited my original post because I'd left out the "not" in "not as a tanker".

Remarkable that Mikromir picked two options that were never tankers and depicted them with the pods.

 

Cheers, Stefan.

[Adam Poultney]

Yes it is quite odd. XA940 was a unique Victor as it was the only standard B1 in camouflage, so I'm glad they included that one. Always best to research the schemes you choose regardless of the manufacturer. You find odd errors all over the place (Airfix's old tool Vulcan XH558 boxing is full of errors, and ones you'd think they'd catch). 

Very few V Bomber kits are truely accurate in the schemes, the closest I think is the Airfix Victor K2 in hemp. The roundels on the camo version (and in the Blue steel box) are too small. 

 

I believe Mikromir said they would release two versions of their Victor, one tanker kit and one bomber kit. Hopefully the bomber one includes the early canopy with two extra panels and the early wing version... and correct schemes... 

My wishlist would be XA918 in silver (needs an additional nose probe part), XH648 in white (like the famous photo with the aircraft dropping bombs) and an aircraft with sqn markings that are fairly common, so I can use them to build more 😂 (very difficult to find Victor b1 sqn badges in 1/144)

Edited June 30, 2020 by Adam Poultney

[Stefan Buysse]

10 hours ago, Adam Poultney said:

(very difficult to find Victor b1 sqn badges in 1/144)

+1 on the badges. I really wish that Xtradecals or On Target Decals would realease 1/144 versions of their 1/72 sheets.

 

A wild, heretic even 😉, idea of mine is to build a Mikromir Victor B.1 and paint it in silver and black, like the prototypes.

They looked so fabulous. I know there are many differences, but it's of course extremely unlikey that a kit like that would ever become available.

 

Cheers, Stefan. 

[Adam Poultney]

4 hours ago, Stefan Buysse said:

+1 on the badges. I really wish that Xtradecals or On Target Decals would realease 1/144 versions of their 1/72 sheets.

 

A wild, heretic even 😉, idea of mine is to build a Mikromir Victor B.1 and paint it in silver and black, like the prototypes.

They looked so fabulous. I know there are many differences, but it's of course extremely unlikey that a kit like that would ever become available.

 

Cheers, Stefan. 

If you want to do that, I'll direct you to this thread:

 

[Stefan Buysse]

Thanks for the link, Adam.

 

I had never heard of the Kader kit. JamesP did a great job on it. I was really impressed with the modification to the base of the tail. 

 

I might just build a Mikromir B.1 and paint it that way. For the spectators at Farnborough 1952 this really must have looked like a spaceship.

 

Cheers, Stefan.

[Adam Poultney]

18 hours ago, Stefan Buysse said:

Thanks for the link, Adam.

 

I had never heard of the Kader kit. JamesP did a great job on it. I was really impressed with the modification to the base of the tail. 

 

I might just build a Mikromir B.1 and paint it that way. For the spectators at Farnborough 1952 this really must have looked like a spaceship.

 

Cheers, Stefan.

It still looks like a spaceship 😂

 

Honestly, I might have to do a Victor prototype some time.... Certainly would have to cast the mods I make in resin if I do it. 

[Adam Poultney]

Visited Newark Air Museum the other day and took 100s of photos, I'll post up some useful Vulcan ones at some point on here for reference (and more will be linked via my pinterest once they're on there)

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

32 minutes ago, Adam Poultney said:

Visited Newark Air Museum the other day and took 100s of photos, I'll post up some useful Vulcan ones at some point on here for reference (and more will be linked via my pinterest once they're on there)

Ask @Julien he may like to post them in the walk around section ? 

[Adam Poultney]

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/adamjackpoultney/0-newark-air-museum-xm594-vulcan-b2/https://www.pinterest.co.uk/adamjackpoultney/0-newark-air-museum-xm594-vulcan-b2/

Here's just a few of my pictures from the museum, as I said before, many more are on my Pinterest (linked above) - and I still have more to upload yet!

[Adam Poultney]

11 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Ask @Julien he may like to post them in the walk around section ? 

yes @Julien would be more than welcome to use any of my images for Britmodeller walkarounds

 

[Adam Poultney]

https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/massive-mighty-delta-update

For anyone who has missed this

[At Sea]

Count me in!

 

I have a Victor SR.2 to build and will definitely be building a new tool Airfix Vulcan.

[Adam Poultney]

Just now, At Sea said:

Count me in!

 

I have a Victor SR.2 to build and will definitely be building a new tool Airfix Vulcan.

In for two builds? I like it! 

[At Sea]

39 minutes ago, Adam Poultney said:

In for two builds? I like it! 

A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?

[Adam Poultney]

5 minutes ago, At Sea said:

A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?

interesting quote, where's that from?

[At Sea]

38 minutes ago, Adam Poultney said:

interesting quote, where's that from?

Robert Browning.

 

It's the mantra I live by...

[Guest]

Adam, stick me down for some V bomber whatiffery.

 

TBH, I've a mini GB here on my own, with a Vulcan ready to spray, more priming needed doing on a Matchbox Victor, and a modium of tidy up of a Mach Poo Valiant before a final prime.

 

And a massive thank you for the photos of XM594, although mine will look a bit different!

[Adam Poultney]

6 minutes ago, The Wooksta! said:

Adam, stick me down for some V bomber whatiffery.

 

TBH, I've a mini GB here on my own, with a Vulcan ready to spray, more priming needed doing on a Matchbox Victor, and a modium of tidy up of a Mach Poo Valiant before a final prime.

 

And a massive thank you for the photos of XM594, although mine will look a bit different!

You should see my desk on a normal day, I've gained 14 V Bombers this year, most since covid! 

And you're added for the what if, what exactly do you plan to do?

[Guest]

Not entirely sure yet, but a Valiant K,1A in an early 80s Hemp/LAG scheme was what I'd planned originall for the Mach Poo one, until I got the thing together and realised a darker scheme would hide some of the flaws better.  That'll be one of the Airfix ones.  Possibly an early in service Vulcan Skybolt carrier in antiflash rather than the camo one I already have.  Definitely XM594 from a piece of fiction but in it's WWIII camouflage, rather than what it's wearing at Newark.

 

Exportwise, Australia wanted Vulcans to fill the gap after the Canberra left service and the replacement.  The Air Ministry said they ould have Valiants based in Australia under RAF control.  Obviously, the reply was unprintable.  So Valiant or Vulcan in RAAF markings.

 

If I wanted to really go off the wall, there's a very early transport/arirliner Valiant.  There's two versions of the airliner Victor, I'd like to do the Avro Atlantic again, but this time in the more usual transport scheme.

[Adam Poultney]

On 08/08/2020 at 21:43, The Wooksta! said:

Not entirely sure yet, but a Valiant K,1A in an early 80s Hemp/LAG scheme was what I'd planned originall for the Mach Poo one, until I got the thing together and realised a darker scheme would hide some of the flaws better.  That'll be one of the Airfix ones.  Possibly an early in service Vulcan Skybolt carrier in antiflash rather than the camo one I already have.  Definitely XM594 from a piece of fiction but in it's WWIII camouflage, rather than what it's wearing at Newark.

 

Exportwise, Australia wanted Vulcans to fill the gap after the Canberra left service and the replacement.  The Air Ministry said they ould have Valiants based in Australia under RAF control.  Obviously, the reply was unprintable.  So Valiant or Vulcan in RAAF markings.

 

If I wanted to really go off the wall, there's a very early transport/arirliner Valiant.  There's two versions of the airliner Victor, I'd like to do the Avro Atlantic again, but this time in the more usual transport scheme.

All this sounds great! Instead of just choosing one to do why don’t you build all of them? 😂

[TonyW]

I have a pair of built FROG V Bombers. A Valiant and a Vulcan, both needing full restoration.

The paintjobs have to go. they are rather thick! Then there's a bit of undercarriage scratch building needed along with possible stand moulding required plus transfer reproduction.  I'll be looking at taking the pair back to out the box builds. There's not many bits to these kits, so the construction already done goes over the usual 25% rule.

 

Would these two be allowed?

 

 

....pretty please.

 

Tony.

[Adam Poultney]

3 hours ago, TonyW said:

I have a pair of built FROG V Bombers. A Valiant and a Vulcan, both needing full restoration.

The paintjobs have to go. they are rather thick! Then there's a bit of undercarriage scratch building needed along with possible stand moulding required plus transfer reproduction.  I'll be looking at taking the pair back to out the box builds. There's not many bits to these kits, so the construction already done goes over the usual 25% rule.

 

Would these two be allowed?

 

 

....pretty please.

 

Tony.

I think these would be welcome, sounds like quite an extensive project to restore them

(and I'm jealous! I'm after a frog vulcan and they're so rare!)

[Adam Poultney]

Yesterday I uncovered some more info that could add another type to the GB. The Avro Ashton, the jet airliner based on the Tudor (itself based on the Lincoln, which was in turn based on the Lancaster), was used as an engine tested for Conways, Avons and Olympus engines. All of those powered V Bombers (in fact all three have powered Vulcans, vx770 has Avons then conways).

Edited August 17, 2020 by Adam Poultney

[Adam Poultney]

I’ll also be taking a trip to Woodford this Saturday and taking far too many photos of XM603, the only complete Vulcan preserves in anti flash white. I’ll post them here then

Edited August 17, 2020 by Adam Poultney