neilg Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Happy New Year to you all! After doing a number of complex builds in 2019 (the Richelieu 1:350 is still work-in-progress...), I wanted to do some simpler kits just to keep my interest going over the holidays. I think I was getting more satisfaction completing a kit rather than the experience building. In the local model store, I saw these two starter kits and thought a dual build would be a bit of fun. I remember building a Tornado years and years ago. I never got to finish it before someone "tidied it away"... The Typhoon was a first for me. As expected, the kits were very basic, there's no cockpit detail to speak of, other than a control stick - not even raised gauges on the instrument panels. There are no decals for the instruments either, but on completion, you would not be able to see any instruments in the cockpit anyway, unless you choose to have the canopies open. The Tornado went together without any issues, but the starboard wing droops when the wings are in the forward position. When they are swept back, they are level. Even though the Tornado has moveable wings, the weapons/drop tank pylons have no pivots, so they need to be cemented in position. This means that when the wings are swept back, the pylons and stores are no longer pointing forward in the correct direction. This inaccuracy frustrated me, and forced me to buy the Revell 1:48 version. It looks like this one has linkages inside the wings to keep the pylons at the correct angle when the wings are moved, something that even the Revell 1:72 or 1:32 do not have according to the instructions I have read online. In any case, for the price that I got these, I think these are two nice-looking kits, and I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out. I am not one for weathering, partly because I like the "clean" look, and weathering is a skill that I do not have. Weathered models can look like works of art. I may try to practice with these two. 26 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exdraken Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Very nice pair! Maybe the EF is a bit dark for RAF, but looks nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilg Posted January 2, 2020 Author Share Posted January 2, 2020 Yes I think you're right, but it looks darker in these pictures. I did paint it a lighter grey, but it looked like the bare plastic, so I went a bit darker. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilg Posted January 2, 2020 Author Share Posted January 2, 2020 Here's what it looks like in natural light: My house has tinted windows, so it's pretty dark inside! 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulcanfan Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 You've made a really nice job of the Typhoon (I built the kit a few years ago and it looks nothing like as good as your does). The Tornado looks great too! Regards, Vulcanfan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delticfan Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Nice job, satisfying to finish something even if it’s not the cutting edge of kits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djos Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 In natural light both looks much better. Very nice models Regards Djordje 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delticfan Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Nice job, satisfying to finish something even if it’s not the cutting edge of kits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilg Posted January 2, 2020 Author Share Posted January 2, 2020 18 minutes ago, delticfan said: Nice job, satisfying to finish something even if it’s not the cutting edge of kits. That's why I wanted to do two at the same time 😁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMCS Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Niiiice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exdraken Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Great! The second photo setup really does them justice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilg Posted January 3, 2020 Author Share Posted January 3, 2020 5 hours ago, exdraken said: Great! The second photo setup really does them justice! Thanks, the weather hasn't been conducive for outside photos of late! I should do more of them during the spring/summer! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonkaGuy Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 Very nice how was the build of the F3? I have found one in my garage I plan to use to get me back into the hobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilg Posted February 21, 2020 Author Share Posted February 21, 2020 On 19/02/2020 at 13:40, TonkaGuy said: Very nice how was the build of the F3? I have found one in my garage I plan to use to get me back into the hobby I really enjoyed the F3, no real fit issues, but I guess for many the cockpit would be too simplistic, no detail in the landing gear bays or intakes, etc. Considering you cannot see anything inside with the canopy closed, this was not really a concern for me, and I have the larger 1:48 and 1:32 Tornado kits to build for more detail. The wing-sweep mechanism is a bar that connects the two wings, which is simple but effective. The only issue here is that the weapons pylons do not have any hinges, so they have to be cemented appropriately in either the wing forward, or wing swept position. And then they will be at the incorrect angle if you move the wings forward or aft. The decals were great, and I think overall it's a nice representation of the F3 for the price. I didn't do a WIP thread for it because it was pretty straightforward, and I didn't think people would be interested in a low-detail build. Actually I don't think I've seen a WIP for the Airfix F3 in 1:72, so you could do a good job documenting your build! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Womby Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 Well done. I haven't built the Typhoon but have done that Tornado F3. Not great but not a bad kit for its vintage. I managed to make my wing pylons pivot using pins. I love the scheme you painted her in. David 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-32 Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 Very nice indeed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigbeale Posted August 26, 2020 Share Posted August 26, 2020 Great looking pair of Defenders of UK Airspace. After restoring my Wellington, I’ve decided to build the EuroFighter. It’s a Then & Now kit which came with a mk II Spitfire. Is there anything which stands out to look out for during the build? I dry fit tested the air intake agains the lower fuselage and it’s slightly wider so will need filling or sanding down😒 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilg Posted August 26, 2020 Author Share Posted August 26, 2020 2 hours ago, Brigbeale said: Great looking pair of Defenders of UK Airspace. After restoring my Wellington, I’ve decided to build the EuroFighter. It’s a Then & Now kit which came with a mk II Spitfire. Is there anything which stands out to look out for during the build? I dry fit tested the air intake agains the lower fuselage and it’s slightly wider so will need filling or sanding down😒 I think the kit went together pretty well, but it could do with some added details. There is no intake detail for example, just a blank part that you can see if you look into the intakes, and no exhaust detail either. I think there is quite a bit of a gap between the exhaust nozzles and rear fuselage, which I didn't fill, but probably would if I could build it again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigbeale Posted August 26, 2020 Share Posted August 26, 2020 Thanks for the info. I’ve notice the air intake blanked off. I might 3D print the intake ‘passageway’ and simulate the front of the engines (assuming there’s room inside the fuselage,and also the rear engine detail. Or I could cheat and find a photo of the intake and rear engine detail and turn them into a decals....🤔. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilg Posted August 26, 2020 Author Share Posted August 26, 2020 59 minutes ago, Brigbeale said: Thanks for the info. I’ve notice the air intake blanked off. I might 3D print the intake ‘passageway’ and simulate the front of the engines (assuming there’s room inside the fuselage,and also the rear engine detail. Or I could cheat and find a photo of the intake and rear engine detail and turn them into a decals....🤔. I think decals would work for the exhausts, but the intake is an S-duct with the engines positioned far back, so you shouldn't be able to see the engine fans. The Revell kit has no engine fans either, but the intake ducts just lead to the fuselage cavity, which looks a little bit better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilg Posted August 26, 2020 Author Share Posted August 26, 2020 1 hour ago, Brigbeale said: Thanks for the info. I’ve notice the air intake blanked off. I might 3D print the intake ‘passageway’ and simulate the front of the engines (assuming there’s room inside the fuselage,and also the rear engine detail. Or I could cheat and find a photo of the intake and rear engine detail and turn them into a decals....🤔. Here are the differences between the two: The Revell Eurofighter is on the left, the Airfix version on the right. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now