Hey Bulldog!

[72modeler]

I thought it best not to incur the wrath of Julien or Mike, so I will post this as a new forum discussion topic instead of taking the original topic on 1930's biplane finishes further off course. Pulled several kits out of storage after reading  the comments on the 1/72 Airfix Bulldog prop. For what it's worth, here goes!

 

The Airfix prop is indeed bass ackwards, with the flat side to the front and the airfoil side to the rear- very, very difficult to correct, especially as the prop blades are molded to the spinner and Hucks starter dog.

 

The prop and spinner from the Matchbox Siskin is a very good match- correct length, blade profile, spinner, and rotation. The prop and spinner from a Matchbox, Heller, or Frog Gladiator are very good matches as far as the prop blades are concerned, but the spinners are not the same as the ones on the Bulldog- again, very hard to correct as the blades and spinner are molded as one.

 

The spinner from the Matchbox Fury is a match, but the direction of rotation is the opposite of the radial-engined Siskin and Gauntlet/Gladiator/Bulldog. (I don't have any of the Gauntlet kits- Aeroclub or AZ, but I would think they would work as well.

 

I know Airfix is about to re-release their Bulldog, and while I am betting it will have new, much nicer decals, I wish (and it's a dream, I know!) they would consider adding a new sprue with a correct prop, and cockpit parts- they could do the same for the Demon, and I sure wouldn't mind paying more for a "revised" tooling!

Mike

[Peter Roberts]

Or you could use the Kora replacement prop?

 

And Yahu do a very nice instrument panel.

 

PR

Edited November 17, 2019 by Peter Roberts

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

6 hours ago, Peter Roberts said:

Or you could use the Kora replacement prop?

 

And Yahu do a very nice instrument panel.

 

PR

Hello Peter i agree the Kora is the best option but about as common as 🦄💩 this side of the Atlantic. Ive tried finding one as well no joy, even Hannants shows them out of stock. Ordering from the U.K. or E.U. is a very bad option for myself and others as we don't always have the budget. Personally I'm on Disability and my modeling budget is about $200-$300 dollars a year. And most of that goes to paint and other supplies. So some of us make do by finding a correct prop the old fashioned way by stealing it from a another kit. I know Mike and in this case he has more than one kit of the others, so he can borrow the prop from one. 
 

Dennis

Edited November 17, 2019 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[Peter Roberts]

Ah, understand Dennis. If you can spring for these parts, you can put them on a watch list and Hannants will notify you when they come in, so you get to catch them before they go out-of-stock. But nothing wrong with good old fashioned modelling!  

 

I was lucky enough to score a prop. Just have to deal with the upper wing joins ......  

 

PR

[Smudge]

Aeroclub did a nice metal replacement prop for the Bulldog. Always worth picking one up if you see one at a show or ebay etc.

[MigModeller]

I cannot imagine Airfix doing a correction or insert prop, or for that matter changing the decals.

 

So is there another manufacturer other than Kora who might produce a replacement prop?  Who is susceptible to lobbying!

[John Aero]

The Bulldog prop was done by the same pattern maker who could not read aircraft drawings as he also did the Henschel 123 top wing (inverted section)  and I think a Lysander had the same problem.

 

John

[Work In Progress]

Yes, the Airfix Lizzie wing is upside down. 

That's less of a shame than the Bulldog prop being wrong though as the Bulldog is otherwise delightful! 

[Seahawk]

On 11/14/2019 at 5:08 PM, 72modeler said:

The Airfix prop is indeed bass ackwards, with the flat side to the front and the airfoil side to the rear- very, very difficult to correct, especially as the prop blades are molded to the spinner and Hucks starter dog.

 

The prop and spinner from the Matchbox Siskin is a very good match- correct length, blade profile, spinner, and rotation. The prop and spinner from a Matchbox, Heller, or Frog Gladiator are very good matches as far as the prop blades are concerned, but the spinners are not the same as the ones on the Bulldog- again, very hard to correct as the blades and spinner are molded as one.

 

The spinner from the Matchbox Fury is a match, but the direction of rotation is the opposite of the radial-engined Siskin and Gauntlet/Gladiator/Bulldog. (I don't have any of the Gauntlet kits- Aeroclub or AZ, but I would think they would work as well.

So, absent a Matchbox Siskin prop or the funds to buy a Dora replacement, is a workable solution to graft the blades off a spare Gladiator 2-blade prop (there are 2 props in most Airfix boxings) onto the Bulldog hub?  There are only 2 blades to align after all.

[72modeler]

That would work!

Mike

[MigModeller]

On 12/4/2019 at 3:19 PM, Work In Progress said:

Yes, the Airfix Lizzie wing is upside down. 

 

Surely the Lysander is at the top of Airfix's re-tooling list.  There being actual a/c to measure and its popularity

[Work In Progress]

Apparently not the top of the list as they keep doing new tools of other ancient Airfix things.

 

You could argue as one of many that are strong possibilities on the basis of popularity and clapped-outness or inaccuracy of original tooling, as decent commercial priorities.

 

In the orginal Series 1 and 2 line-up alone I'd argue the Lysander has to be seen alongside the Camel, Albatros V, Fokker Triplane, Yak-9, dh.88 Comet, Hawker Hart/Hind/Demon, Harvard, P-51B, F4U-1D , P-47D, Mirage III, Skyraider, Dauntless, Battle, Firefly, Meteor, Hellcat, Mig-21, IL-2, and Walrus, all presenting strong arguments as being the top 20 next new tools of smallish Airfix 1/72 oldies with a lot of sales potential

 

But I am sure it will bubble up at some point.

[MigModeller]

Strange list!

 

The trouble is that the competition has already 'stolen' the sales potential of: Yak-9, P-51B, MirageIII, and Mig-21.  Modellers will know who have won these particular kit of choice types and I expect someone at Hornby is aware of the gaps in the market.  A new Lysander fit the bill nicely.

[Work In Progress]

1 hour ago, MigModeller said:

Strange list!

 

The trouble is that the competition has already 'stolen' the sales potential of: Yak-9, P-51B, MirageIII, and Mig-21.  Modellers will know who have won these particular kit of choice types and I expect someone at Hornby is aware of the gaps in the market.  A new Lysander fit the bill nicely.

The question is surely not what have other manufacturers done, otherwise Airfix would never have done their recent 1/48 P-51D or their third all-new Lancaster a few years ago. Also on that basis you would be taking account of this recent high quality 1/72 Lysander

The question is what are the big-league types that Airfix has done in the past and knows people buy, but need new tools because the old ones are damaged, worn out or unacceptably poor by modern standards.

Edited December 11, 2019 by Work In Progress

[Peter Roberts]

Answer - the 1/24 Spitfire Mk I. 

 

Being re-popped I believe but needs retooling to add better details, as per the recent Hellcat.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

     Can I ask the Hive-mind @dogsbody, @72modeler & others a Bristol Bulldog question ? I am very unfamiliar with Pre-WW2 aircraft but expanding my knowledge and trying to build models. On the doped fabric and internal surface of the cockpit what color would/should it be ? Ive seen on some Vickers builds red doped fabric internally then painted externally ? Would it be similar for Bristol aircraft ? Im trying to get my 🦆🦆🦆🦆 in a row so i at least don't look silly ? The exterior colors will be Green over silver or all Green so would that show through at all ? 
 

Dennis

Edited January 27, 2020 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[Work In Progress]

Normal practice at the time was for fabric to be first red-doped - on the outside, but it bleeds through to make the fabric air-tight - and then aluminium doped for UV proofing (and in a lot of both inter-war and post-war types that was of course the final finish), with anything else like yellow for trainers, or camouflage, being applied over the top of the aluminium.  So where you are seeing the external fabric skin of the aeroplane from inside the aircraft it is reddish. The fabric was not actually painted on the inside face.  You can't see anything at all of the external colours from inside. The red dope is completely opaque.

Edited January 27, 2020 by Work In Progress

[Troy Smith]

5 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

On the doped fabric and internal surface of the cockpit what color would/should it be ? Ive seen on some Vickers builds red doped fabric internally then painted externally ?

 

8 minutes ago, Work In Progress said:

Normal practice at the time was for fabric to be first red-doped - on the outside, but it bleeds through to make the fabric air-tight - and then aluminium dopde for UV proofing and in a lot of post-war types that was of course the final finish, with anything else like yellow for trainers, or camouflage, being applied over the top of the aluminium.  So where you are seeing the external fabric skin of the aeroplane from inside the aircraft it is reddish. The fabric was not actually painted on the inside face.  7ou can't see anything at allk of the external colours from inside. The red dope is completely opaque.

as seen here, inside the Hurricane preserved in Finland, just behind the cockpit, looking up

 

[Work In Progress]

great example!

[dogsbody]

What those two said!

 

 

 

Chris

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Anyone have a decent rigging diagram for Bristol Bulldog’s and Hawker Fury Mk.I’s 

[Colin @ Freightdog Models]

Good afternoon,

 

Replacement bulldog propeller available now; https://www.freightdogmodels.co.uk/featured/freightdog-1-72-bristol-bulldog-corrected-propeller-for-airfix-vintage-classics-series.html 

 

Thanks, Colin

Edited July 11, 2020 by Colin @ Freightdog Models

[MigModeller]

Thanks Colin

[Work In Progress]

*orders three*

Well done, Colin