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Sea Vixen **FINISHED**


FortyEighter

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This one has been sat in the cupboard for several years, so this GB is a good excuse to actually build it!

 

As it seems there is no aftermarket etch still available it will be mainly be OOTB but with some Reskit rocket launchers (the originals were used for my Colonial Navy entry in the Phantom GB.

 

Having once lived in Yeovil, the "Simon's Sircus" livery is appropriate.

 

20200226_100852

 

With two other GBs currently being entered, this might not see much progress for a week or two.

 

Mike

Edited by FortyEighter
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  • 2 weeks later...
22 hours ago, Graham T said:

Nice find but to be honest very little of the work involved in applying that set will be seen inside the black holes that are the Sea Vixen's crew positions.  I'd just opt for a resin seat!

You're probably right but as I have got the set it will get used.  However there are no seat belts on the etch, so will compare the etched set of them with a pair of resin seats.

 

Mike

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So, this one is now at the stage where the upper and lower fuselage can be glued together.  I'm going to build it with wings folded so the four box spars aren't needed

20200325_173458

 

Following suggestions in another online build I've added the jet starter pipes to the front turbine faces and have split the rear ones into two parts so that they can be correctly oriented at 45o to suggested position.

 

A few views of the cockpit (I forgot to take any before gluing it in situ).  Using matt spray over both the paint and etch has given a more uniform finish - hopefully much of the detail will still be visible when the open canopies are in place.

20200325_173548 20200325_173655 20200325_173714

 

Some resin seats (and an etched ladder arrive recently) and will be added later.

 

Mike

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And starting to look more like a Sea Vixen

20200402_164733

 

I had a few fit issues (which are probably my fault) but none are a major issue:

 

  • The port boom was a great fit but there was a gap at the inboard end of the starboard one (a small amount of filler needed)
  • The forward sections of the intake plates (11A, 12A) didn't line up vertically with the wing edge sections (26A, 27A) (some filing & sanding needed)
  • The front fuselage joint under the cockpit was stepped on both sides and required more major filling and reshaping.

 

I'm building with the overboom flaps down but the two underside sections of the boom (10C, 11C) which are meant to trap the flaps are a poor fit, so I may well fit & fettle those first and then glue the flaps over them afterwards - which would make painting the flaps an easier task.

 

Mike.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I forgot to post last weekend, so this is where I was at then:

 

 

20200524_193645

Basic painting finished; having decided that the Mr Hobby EDSG used for my phantom last year was too dark, I've gone with Hu27 Sea Grey on this one, oversprayed with Tamiya Ocean Grey (which has a blue hue) in random areas.  The variation in colour is (just about) visible in this photo but isn't so obvious under several coats of varnish

20200524_193740

 

The last week has seen 250+ stencils applied and only a few decals left - some more photos in the next 24h.

 

I did originally intend to go with the "Simon's Sircus" variant but having discovered that that aircraft never got a revised "coal hole" when converted to an FAW2, I've chosen XP954 from HMS Victorious (1966).

 

Mike

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On the final stages now and no need to rush with an extra week to go.

 

Main airframe completed and a panel line wash applied to underside:

20200605_153007

 

Those red "Keep Off" decals went on quite well, some silvering under two or three of them but that went with a needle and some more Microset and/or Daco medium setting solution:

20200605_152832

 

and of course these parts still need fitting:

20200605_154834

Following my appeal for help with the Red Top colour, I used Alclad White Aluminium which actually gives a grey metallic effect.

 

So, panel line wash and some weathering to do in the next week.

 

Mike

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Now finished and in the Gallery (OK technically not quite finished as I've forgotten to "dirty" the wing fold area but that won't get done today!)

 

A few more photos

20200614_134621 20200614_134904 20200614_134812

 

Will add a photo of the underside if I can work out how to pose it upside down without knocking off the wings.

 

Mike

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