David Womby Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 I was away all summer and got home at the end of October. This is my first completion since. It's the old 1/72 Airfix GR1 kit with Modeldecals. The bombs are from the Mbox Phantom. Not the most accurate kit of a Tornado but really looks the part to my eyes. ZA586 was the first Tornado delivered to an operational squadron. She was delivered on 6 January 1982. Sadly she experienced total electrical failure and crashed on Wolferton Marsh in Norfolk during a night training sortie on 27 September 1983. Navigator Flt.Lt. N. Nickles ejected safely but pilot Sqn.Ldr. Michael Stephens was killed. I don't know if ZA586 ever carried this loadout of 8 x 1000lb bombs for a 'bomb toss' or 'loft' delivery but IX Squadron did while based in Germany a couple of years later. To me, it just emphasizes what a total bruiser the Tonka was for ground attacks. Comments and criticisms welcomed. David 39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumblestripe Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 I like it very much. A nice clean build. Hyper critically, the gap at the rudder is a little too large (probably more the kit than your build). Good job! As an aside, I have just been watching some of the You Tube footage of GR4s and F15s and many others flying the "Mach Loop" one thing that struck me was that the aircraft are generally pretty "clean". Some of the models that turn up on here and in magazines use that exaggerated pre-shaded panels technique that to me looks like every panel is convex and bulging. Some look as though they are fit for the bone yard. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Womby Posted December 17, 2019 Author Share Posted December 17, 2019 5 hours ago, Rumblestripe said: I like it very much. A nice clean build. Hyper critically, the gap at the rudder is a little too large (probably more the kit than your build). Good job! Thanks for the comments. I appreciate them but if you mean the front of the rudder that's not a gap 🙂 though I agree that strip at the front of the rudder is too wide. I couldn't think of a safer way ( I considered masking and painting it on or painting and cutting a skinny strip of decal) to do it. So it's actually a line drawn with a marker containing silver paint! The gap at the bottom I never noticed until now! By 'clean' do you mean the weapons load or the condition of the aircraft? David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 I'm a sucker for a well-made Tornado and that fits the bill. Love the dynamic mounting and tooled up loadout. Alan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 Cracking Tornado that! Always good to see these. Love that Mach Loop video. What's the postcode for the nearest car park for that area? Interesting to see the Osprey flies straight and level with the rotors pointing up. And a couple of F-15Cs down in the weeds. I would have assumed they'd play at higher altitudes. Practising chasing mud movers perhaps? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cariado Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 Very nice indeed! Always nice to see a loaded Tornado in camo. I have a fondness for these old no-frills kits from Airfix and Matchbox, etc. Well done. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard E Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 (edited) A well finished proper old school Tornado - what's not to like. When you have half an hour to spare over the Christmas holidays: RAF 9 Squadron Tornado Recruitment Video Edited December 17, 2019 by Richard E 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phone Phixer Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 Great looking Tornado build. Nice job. That time was my first posting in the RAF, lots of memories. Including being on one of the search teams for the missing pilot of ZA586 that night. He was initially presumed to have ejected as he had shouted to the nav he would follow. Unfortunately the canopy jettisoned at an angle and caught the side of his head knocking him unconscious, so he never got out of the aircraft.😥 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Womby Posted December 18, 2019 Author Share Posted December 18, 2019 3 hours ago, Richard E said: A well finished proper old school Tornado - what's not to like. When you have half an hour to spare over the Christmas holidays: RAF 9 Squadron Tornado Recruitment Video I watched that video just the other day. A treat for Tonka fans. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Womby Posted December 18, 2019 Author Share Posted December 18, 2019 1 hour ago, Phone Phixer said: Great looking Tornado build. Nice job. That time was my first posting in the RAF, lots of memories. Including being on one of the search teams for the missing pilot of ZA586 that night. He was initially presumed to have ejected as he had shouted to the nav he would follow. Unfortunately the canopy jettisoned at an angle and caught the side of his head knocking him unconscious, so he never got out of the aircraft.😥 Very sad. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 (edited) I thought it was the Airfix 1/48 one at first. Looks amazing. Edited December 18, 2019 by Lord Riot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire31 Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 A simple kit given The Treatment! In fact, at first glance, the top photo gave me a fleeting impression of being the real thing. Then I saw the support pedestal, but still… The same goes for the last pic. Excellent modelling, and photography. Kind regards, Joachim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-32 Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 I've built a couple of those over the years, none of them turned out quite as well as yours! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark4700 Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 That looks superb with the camo and heavy loadout, ready for business. Also love seeing the Airfix stand. Really takes me back to my builds in the 70’s. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abandoned Project Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 8 hours ago, Spitfire31 said: In fact, at first glance, the top photo gave me a fleeting impression of being the real thing. Then I saw the support pedestal, but still… The same goes for the last pic. Excellent modelling, and photography I was caught out too. Gotta love the wraparound camo. Best paint scheme ever, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumblestripe Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 23 hours ago, David Womby said: The gap at the bottom I never noticed until now! By 'clean' do you mean the weapons load or the condition of the aircraft? It was the gap at the bottom which I referred to and as I said, that is me being hyper-critical I would be delighted with such an end result. And by clean I meant the condition of the aircraft, I'm not a fan of over weathered aircraft particularly those flying in peace time which tend to be pretty clean and regularly painted which is why I linked the video. Personal preference. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMCS Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 Niiiice 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Womby Posted December 20, 2019 Author Share Posted December 20, 2019 Thanks, everyone. Glad you like it. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wulfman Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 Great build and impressive presentation. Wulfman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigglesworth Posted December 21, 2019 Share Posted December 21, 2019 You are right, it does look the part, and that's the most important thing. I really like the clean build. Cheers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatbox8 Posted December 21, 2019 Share Posted December 21, 2019 Superb. It looks so sleek and business like posed like this. Hard to believe the type has gone. I remember buying the original Airfix MRCA kit back in the day. I must be getting old. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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