Jump to content

Did Somebody Say Victors?


Recommended Posts

I thought it was when I cut up a Vulcan to convert it to a Vulcan B.1a was when I had officially lost it, but wow.... I have built a second 1/72 Victor (much better than my first I think!) and am planning to buy a K.2 next to put on that lovely hemp scheme, after that I'll probably get around to a camouflage aircraft (perhaps by then there'll be a conversion set for the Airfix kit to make a BK.1a!).

Not only have I built another of these, I also used Air Graphics' conversion set to convert this to a Victor B.Mk.2 at the very beginning of its service life, this is XM718 which I think was the final Victor built and left the factory with the later drooped leading edges on the outer wing rather than leading flaps.

Anyway, my ramblings aside, here is my second Airfix Victor B.Mk.2:

1d3585d9e955aaa9ad72eb7626eb9513.jpg

0b0cef5526570e8edbac5b38e802a546.jpg

I particularly like his image from the front, probably the angle the Victor looks best from.

f5d30e8bd1e319fb2ee9d72310ed02d4.jpg

Another great angle to view this aircraft from. The flaps and airbrakes are deployed, which isn't right for a parked aircraft but perhaps they were testing them or showing off the aircraft? Imagination needed there a bit. 

34313f3a878669ce27eaaa512fa29486.jpg

The awesome airbrake assembly of the Victor. It's one of my favourite parts of the aircraft, I'd love an airbrake door from one on my wall but they're quite big and I imagine quite rare to find. If XH673 is scrapped (I feel very strongly about how that aircraft should be saved!) I might go after one from that.... I imagine they'll sell off all sorts of bits, I can only dream... I'd still rather the full thing to to a good home though!

3b55c80fe52a53e1e2366d0e9e13a202.jpg

And the underside, I don't think the weathering is that bad on here at all. I will admit, there's one spot I need to work on at the rear of the bomb bay where I'm still repairing the paint after a crack opened up between the fuselage halves.

16ad6b7fa59197d45dcac1dabaf4f580.jpg

Bomb bay is open, the part at the front is held on my friction only so I can put on the closed bomb bay part if I so wish (and if I could find it!) which is also held on by friction alone, clever engineering from Airfix to be able to do that. 

a385fe8c375deba3632d44ff9833bf38.jpg

 

And now with my other Victor I've said so much about

073c7909e6cf82a8170344009c9acdea.jpg

ac79d81730634d080de582571b69fd54.jpg

Now having finished the model I think adding the extra intake vanes was an improvement aesthetically

2ed986a7077dcf1b739bddc0018e10fc.jpg

Here's where I used the resin APU intake (less than perfectly blended in) showing the difference between the original B.Mk.2 APU intake (XM718) and the B.Mk.2R (and later) APU intake (XL512)

db81e51200acb171c7a7754b3e945c5c.jpg

And my three Victors together

71b9117e70f75cddd4c93ee88b7066b2.jpg

 

Some pictures of my other Victors on their own:

Mikromir 1/144 Victor B.1, XA940

d4bf778c816d023b44e0f2d6e7582270.jpg

Through a filter which I think is closer to how the model actually looks

91091d83a98a3e64837dccdb703574d3.jpg

 

And my first Victor, also Airfix's Victor B.Mk.2R (built out the box that time), XL512. I need to replace the IFR probe on this which I snapped a few months ago (part of the motivation for doing the conversion on my second one of the kit was to end up with a spare, aside from the fact that I really really like early Victor B.Mk.2s)

7cc72fb64a2700fc1ce0cae750435f22.jpg

6fc913d79fffa25e70b3809aabeea881.jpg

  • Like 36
Link to comment
Share on other sites

924f59b9cdc3c1210bef61dac26567a7.jpg

And here's the model where it will be staying for a while. I'm going to get some new furniture to display my V Bombers on as soon as my second Valiant gets near to completion. 

Also, off to the side is where I just moved a good chunk of the boxes that have left my stash to, mainly boxes of spares and some I just like the box art on. Anyone else keep the old boxes?

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Retired Bob said:

Impressive Victor collection, Adam. :like: Have you any room left for the new Vulcans.

No not currently unless I start putting them on my non-models desk but I'm going to be addressing that hopefully soon once my second Valiant gets to a stage of relative completeness. 

If for some reason I can't get more furniture, plan b is move my old tool Vulcan elsewhere (on top of a bookcase? It'd fit) and a new tool one will take its place. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice models Adam, V bombers (especially Vulcans) were part of my growing up , living on the outskirts of Nottingham and my grandparents living in South Lincolnshire. And the four Vulcan scrambles at Finningley and Waddington airshows were worth seeing. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Beautiful Victors! They always look good whatever the colour.

 

Don't worry about the 'artistic licence' for displaying with everything hanging down and sticking out, I do exactly the same. Models always look better with their various bits showing (!) It makes them more interesting in my opinion and shows your skills and a bit of miniature engineering. I don't think I've ever built one with the wheels up either. 

 

You'll need a big wall for a Victor airbrake! Hopefully '673 is saved. I never heard back from Woodford though.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Like Victors much? Definitely the most sinister-looking of the V-bombers. How in the world do you maintain your focus? I have yet to do two of anything, much less as many as you have done- and all to a high standard. (Just curious- hoe many bottles of primer does a 1/72 Victor take?)

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, 72modeler said:

Like Victors much? Definitely the most sinister-looking of the V-bombers. How in the world do you maintain your focus? I have yet to do two of anything, much less as many as you have done- and all to a high standard. (Just curious- hoe many bottles of primer does a 1/72 Victor take?)

Mike

How do I maintain my focus? Carefully? With difficulty? 

Honestly the Airfix Victor is my favourite kit to build so I just built and built, taking a few breaks here and there, hence why it was finished in only 29 days. A lot of that time was also spent researching the modifications I'd need to make to the model in orders backdate it, although much of that proved redundant as the conversion set includes most of the information.

Not only is the kit very enjoyable to build (cannot recommend it enough) but it's also a subject I take a keen interest in, that definitely helps. The V Bombers are some of my favourite aircraft and the Handley Page Victor is a very close second only behind the Avro Vulcan. 

 

With regards to the primer, I used a spray can rather than airbrushing primer for this (I really need some his airbrush primer). Probably about a third of a can of Citadel Corax white and about twice that of Halford's Appliance White (two coats and in some places, three) also out of a spray can was used. 

Preshading took up a lot of paint, partially because I ended up wasting so much because the black I used was well.... Awful in the airbrush. Clogged it up very quickly and just didn't behave at all

Edited by Adam Poultney
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Sky Keg said:

Very nice Adam!!!!!  You made a bland white airframe look very convincing!!!!!  Outstanding!!!!!!

 

Mike

Thank you, they are quite bland in white but I like them nonetheless.

Putting this through some quick editing looks quite good as a dirty Victor

fd6579dc4c6e3fa2e6cbc3063620c3e3.jpg

16 minutes ago, TonyW said:

Yup. The boxes are as important as the models for me!  It takes all sorts...

 

sellers-982.jpg

 

FROG-Hunter.jpg

Glad to see I'm not the only one 😂 

Although that collection is quite different to my stored modern (mostly) Airfix boxes

2 hours ago, Mr T said:

Nice models Adam, V bombers (especially Vulcans) were part of my growing up , living on the outskirts of Nottingham and my grandparents living in South Lincolnshire. And the four Vulcan scrambles at Finningley and Waddington airshows were worth seeing. 

I was lucky enough to be able to have seen XH558 flying a number of times (and not only at airshows!), aside from that one incident in 2009 were XM715 stretched her wings briefly, XH558 is the only V Bomber that's flown in my lifetime. I almost modelled this Victor as XM715, but I want to leave that one free to do as a K.2 in 1/72 as it's my local Victor (25 minute drive away yet I've only ever seen it while flying over brunty). 

Never seen a multi Vulcan scramble, never got to see a Vulcan B.1 (thanks Cosford....), but I've seen a good number of the surviving v bombers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lovely model, I will get round to mine someday

 

I was lucky enough to go to Marham in 1991 with the Handley Page Society and saw the tankers up close. I must dig out the photos and put them up

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, SimonL said:

Very nice. I just up to the decal stage with mine 🙂

Can't wait to see yours finished, I really want to do a hemp K.2 like yours now

1 hour ago, cherry268 said:

Lovely model, I will get round to mine someday

 

I was lucky enough to go to Marham in 1991 with the Handley Page Society and saw the tankers up close. I must dig out the photos and put them up

I look forward to seeing it. I've got a potential v force GB for 2021 if you need an excuse to build yours

 

And now Marham's probably going to scrap its Victor gate guard unless a museum rescues it... Only five left and they're wanting to get rid of it! Frustrating how little value is put on cold war history....

 

Edited by Adam Poultney
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, Adam Poultney said:

I look forward to seeing it. I've got a potential v force GB for 2021 if you need an excuse to build yours

Ha ha , never gonna happen. I have a Valiant to finish first and a couple of cars. Don't get a lot of time to model so there is no way I could finish a model in a GB timeframe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Adam,

Enjoyed your Victor contribution. Massive and Impressive.

Regards, Orion / The Netherlands

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Adam Poultney said:

Anyone else keep the old boxes?

Yup, but only Airfix artwork. I have a load of lever arch files where I keep my box lids. Unlike Tony I cut them out (though IIRC Tony had a complete Type 3 Red Stripe Dennis Fire Engine box from me).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, F-32 said:

Very very cool, you can never have too many Victors!

Correct!

On 24/01/2020 at 00:19, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Say what you want to me the Victor is still the best looking of all the “V” bombers. :yahoo:... I still have respect for the others but thats my opinion. 

I like the Vulcan but the Victor isn't very far behind

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...