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Airfix 1/72 TSR2 upgrade.


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spacer.pngspacer.pngEvening Gents,       Update No 3. Cockpit replacement.

 

Firstly some shoutouts: thanks for welcoming me back Woody. 

                                        : thanks for helping me on this journey of discovery, Martian.   Am really looking fwd to seeing your next two builds. 

My shift pattern is now over, three days of 12 hr shifts.

 

I’m of the opinion that the focus of most models is the cockpit, and so, it should as good as possible. And with modern jets it needs a resin bang seat as a minimum. ...

..And another thing I just love resin and modern brass etched. 

 

The replacement cockpit is from CMK, the first steps is to remove the plastic detail on the kit sidewalls, this was done with just a craft knife. The kit plastic was really thick so the replacement sidewalls looked like they really needed thinning. I reduced to just half the thickness via scraping.

 

The CMK cockpit is old school tech and I think shrinkage is now a problem. Get the rear cockpit bulkhead in place and the fwd cockpit bulkhead is out by 2mm, so, with much grumbling I cut the two apart at the fwd cockpit bulkhead, then stuck a 2mm plastic shim in. This will be hidden under the aft cockpit instruments.

 

The cockpit sidewalls are very nice, but I don’t think they’re worth criticism, but they are as good as your going to get in 1/72. By this I mean: I have many photos many of them, but are trials/mock-up, so weeding out the real XR219 cockpit photos is a real task, I think I’d be more critical in 1/48.The filling of gaps and blending in has been a chore. 

 

Mean while  the cockpit is a tidy update, but, it requires a lot of filing and test fitting to get best results. Again a good up date for 1/72. But, the green arrows shows work I’ve had to do, a tatty scabby lump on the L/H sides of the rear bulkheads is the canopy actuator jacks . These have been removed and replaced with brass tubing. Both are not mentioned in the instructions, but good photos pay dividends. 

Also, from the photos the canopy actuator mechanisms is not well built in the CMK. I really wanted to depict this.  As it stands I’m scale difficient, I see stuff but just can’t make it in such a small scale. The main actor assembly is a little too small and set too far back into the rear bulkhead recess. I think some of the afformentioned details will be dealt with later on.

 

Second on my list of needs is a set of nice ejection seats, very good they are, resin and brass details.

 

Third on my list of needs, the canopy detail, the Airfix canopy’s are utterly rubbish so vacform canopies and inner detail is very nice. I’ll come back to this area later on.

 

Pilots instrument coaming, a lovely casting, but comes with no where for it to bond to , so a plastic landing was fashioned to suit. Grumbles but no complaints. It’s left off for now until the cockpit gets a coat of paint.

 

The rear cockpit, the Nav’s instrument panel is very weak, it really does not make me happy, at 1/72 it’s a trade off, I want perfection but am offered sub-perfect, so, I’ve cross-kitted the Eduard etch with CMK resin.

Some work done, some work to do in the future.

 

That’s  all for now ,    Stay safe.

 

Edited by amos brierley
Spelling mistakes, some sentences added for a better read.
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Hello Gents,         Update No 4 - it’s all about the base.

 

Talking point - two things, firstly they say that some of the great artists of the generations the Rembrandts and Sezan’s can’t do their art is they can’t imagine it completed. Secondly, recently  in order to stop a model ending up on the shelf of doom I like to try to do some of the end bits in the middle, so that I am compelled to continue to move forward.

 

With the above in mind, I needed a break from the hard core modelling.

 

Back in the old times when we were free to do model shows, Bolton 2020 saw me thinking about the end of this project.  My stack of bases had nothing able to support this model idea, short of having a bespoke base made I found this one , the seller had hundreds (all wrong) the one and only seems to have worked out nicely.

 

The base is made of MDF, it’s cheap a material but a pain to paint. I always start with a priming session, all this good weather making life much better. With 4-5 thin coats applied it still looks very transparent, when dry the edges being rough get a sanding, when sanded they then start to look smooth. My past base was good in 3 sessions, this one a little more labour intensive at 8 sessions to get to satisfied. The base is now stopped at gloss black for now, until I tackle the decal options. I thought about glossy black sides and Matt black middle also some form of anti-flash white roundle.

 

A work colleague some years ago asked me to paint his RC car body, now I’m not a fan of customer builds, but again this one had benefits. He didn’t want the BAE / BAC emblem, as it happens, as little as 5yrs ago I had an idea .......

With the words British Aerospace and logo to stick on, then it’s a choice of Edwards placards or the Heritage Aviation Models’s placard. And another project the tow bar for another day.....

 

My thanks goes to the sunshine 🌞 for assisting me with an easy bit of modelling.

 

Thats all for now, stay safe. 

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Hello Gents,         Update No 5 - just the nose bay.

 

Firstly several apologies, the photos non too good.

Secondly not the most appealing of posts, but I’ve still a lot of scribing and re-working to do.

Thirdly this kit and several others in my collection are A.B.A. Anything But Airfix, as I’ve replaced as much as humanly possible with aftermarket stuff.

 

The related update set is from CMK, it contains a whopping one piece main wheel bay with bomb bay similar to the Airfix offering, and everything’s else is replaced and upgraded. Then you come to to nose wheel bay, and this is where CMK have very much dropped the ball. If I was to be building a 1/48 TSR 2 then CMK have really gone to town with giving you a detail set to please you. Sadly this 1/72 part of this detail set seems to gone very wrong. Fittment is fairly straightforward, a little filling for best fit, one side fits a little better than the other. The only other extra I added was some plastic stock between the U/C bay and the model sidewalls so as to hold it in place first with super glue, then when I was happy final bonding took place with Araldite.

     With the Airfix U/C bay it’s just a simple male/female box section and therefore no detail inside. If you’re a modeller who believes if you can’t see bits and pieces then the replacement set is not for you. My own thoughts are if it’s more trouble than worth for little gain then I don’t add it, how do I know this? I recently fully detailed an Airfix Shackleton wheels up and nose to tail, ONLY adding what could be seen, for the most part did people see the difference on the club table, or did it get me armfuls of competition medals, that would be a no. So, here I tread carefully.

       CMK’s basic replacement is just that, more then Airfix but nowhere close to Pavala’s 1/48 amazing work. What you get in CMK’s 48’th set is all four U/C doors for that ground servicing look, what you get with this set is the fwd doors fully detailed and they 👀 look the part. Then you get the rear doors as a single square bit of resin, as in doors close as in the A/C is live. Maybe that’s why I’m expecting more detail. The answer  will be to copy the 48’th doors detail to 72 scale. Also no door jacks are given. The final bit of work I did was all Airfix’s doing, the fwd U/C bay wall is really scabby, so a shim of plastic has been added to smooth out the plastic issues. More filler, more time spent ggggrrrr. Nearly forgot to say, the only other work done was to modify the Airfix nose stay in accordance with CMK’s instructions by cutting 1mm off part #47.      Of course things like the nose leg have still to be detailed at a later date.

 

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Hello Gents,        Update No 6 - a photo update.

 

I’ve just finished my shift pattern and O.T and now feel the need to now crack on with some modelling. As the saying goes a photo says a 1000 words, and that’s the problem, I don’t have the time tonight for a large script.

 

       So, the fuselage - the area under the wing, the adding of the screw details is coming along nicely and I’d just like to keep the momentum going as that’s where I left off. The front R/H side scan radar would be the last bit to complete the R/H side of the nose, if I can do that this would constitute a result and I could post a build update.

        The wing assy - the L/H wing is stock Airfix, the R/H wing and centre box section is vastly improved. This I hope shows you where I’m going with this build and why after five months it hasn’t changed much. As I’ve said before about results and set backs, the L/H flap , stuck on first time and looks marvellous, no problems since. The R/H flap, stuck on three times - eventually, was never happy with how it looked then it fell off. It’s staying off until the wing work is done/finished.

 

Thats all for now, say safe.

 

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Hello Gents,         Update No 7 - fwd R/H side fuselage.

 

Over this weekend I’ve made some small gains. For this model I’ve not been working in any set working plan, it’s very much what I feel capable of concentrating on at any given time. This ad hoc approach is very much a double edged sword, when the modelling mojo is low and any modelling is appreciated, working the wing one day then the fuselage another day will only see immediate spot gains and very little big picture gains. And so, weeks after completing the L/H side the R/H fuselage is done. But, like all things a lot of other work still has to be done at another time, for example, the rain dispersal system requires the front wind screen to be in place first and I’m not there yet.

 

       Panel line removal - Firstly the upper fuselage line like its other had has to go as it’s not on most drawings. The oblong under the canopy had to go, this is fictional Airfix (the other side was for the flight refuelling probe). And the very stupid line going through the middle of the side scan radar bay ending mid fuselage is again pure fiction. All other lines were re-scribed. 

        Panel line additions - from the side scan radar bay to the nose cone a new line is added, just like the other side. And the skin area covering the nav’s equipment received a new line like the other side. The panel line from the intake cone to the A/V bay is not straight so this was re-worked.

       Screw fasteners - the Avionics bay, side scan bay, side camera bay and where the roll sensors sit all received some form of details adding.

        As the canopy’s are to be opened the operating handles needed to be added, to open the canopy you would have to press the button to release the handles to pop out then 1/4 turn clockwise. The recesses were created using a scribing template and a hss drill bit in a power tool to create the recessed feature. At a later date the handles will be made.j

         Canopy ground jettison handle - just like the other side this has been made. Airfix supply this as a decal, a hole is drilled into the fuse and a circle scribed around it. Again, later on the glass for it will be made.

           The eye type feature - Firstly looks really naff, but, it’s there in period XR219 photos and on XR220 at Cosford. A scribing template was used and my thinnest plastic stock sheet at just 5 thou. 

           Omission - crew ladder location luggs not being added. This is because I have set of ladders (I think from AMS). The pick up points are two squares and a circle below just above the side scan radar bay.

           There a good 6 different additions to XR220 which to trip modellers up with, whilst not willing to go into these at this point, my own photos show two today. One that I’ve started but really need to use periodic photos to provide my evidence. Under the intake shock cone, follow the horizontal and vertical panel lines is a step change, there you’ll find I’ve extended them. Now even with my considerable collection of photos I don’t have all the info I need, what is visible in period photos is a horizontal aerial, it’s rather small. The best photo I have is of XR219 being built, and to lesser degrees another four photos. At this point in time I can’t get my printer to work for me properly  and this is work in progress.

 

Thats all for now, stay safe.

 

 

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Hello Gents,              Update No 8 - Intakes - I love these suckers.

 

With this 1/72 kit it’s just two things bugging me that needed to be addressed: firstly the auxiliary intake doors are not open, secondly like a lot of jet A/C the intake throats are not full length, (yes I know) thirdly the intake splitter plates are not correct. I say only the two points to correct as the third point is not so much an issue with this build but on a future 1/48 build it will/is a prominent feature. Over the years I have fully give Airfix a lambasting for their lack of representation of the real thing, in this case, the aux intake doors were mechanically operated and seen open on the ground and in the air.

 

As always the fix, again CMK have stepped up, it’s a good job for this build I have just the two gripes as that’s all they’ fixed. And the instructions and fit ment are less than stellar.

 

Fittment started with the obvious, like for like replacement, once in place they stood out at a good 45 degree angle. The fix was to chamfer the intake lip with needle files and cut back the fuselage opening as per the two orange arrows. Now, having fitted the bomb bay it was very satisfying to see the intake throats match up with the U/C bomb bay assembly. The reason CMK have given the full length throats is that once the aux doors are open you can see further down. 

 

One of my short sighted approaches only appeared post fittment , in the clean up phase it’s not very clear about the intake splitter plate and in this scale it’s all very subjective. I say it was short sighted as my full attention was that the intake FOD guards are to go on, so correctness is mostly academic. 

 

Fittment and details. The CMK instructions are not the best and and modelling skills are needed, nor have CMK given the modeller all they need, The actuating rods for the aux doors are not given nor mentioned. Fittment is a mixed bag too, not being a drop in replacement is by the by, but externally not fitting is not good enough. The intake fits at the bottom of the kit, matches it lovely, but, get to the top where the wing joins and the whole thing is off. That job is for another day.

 

Finally, one of the green arrows is pointing to a small metal strip. It’s only depicted as parallel lines on both Airfix and CMK, it should have some screw fastener detail. On my last Airfix TSR 2 build I tried and failed to achieve this, from 8-9 years ago I can’t remember great details of what went wrong and caused me to 🗑 bin the model. But I do very much remember this aspect grinding my gears. As the rest of the build is getting the full screw head detail treatment, then I’all very much have to keep going. Dividers - not the best approach, the reason is they can twist by their own design. So, trying to get a good line of holes with them is a challenge....at the best of times. Times change, today I have the straight edge etched strip, but the intake detail is curved. I have a ponce wheel ( yes snow flakes need not criticise me ) it’s a parchment/paper tool for making divets. It’s spikes have a bigger separation than my set of ‘Rosie the riveter ‘ tools. A different approach this time to this problem.......

 

Untill next time, stay safe.

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Hello Gents,         Update No 9 - side flanks and underside.

 

Little results again. The sides of this beast are strewn with errors and nonsense, fixing them is an ongoing toil. Firstly, removal of some of the panel lines, as you can see, it’s the ones that are cutting through other panels, these are the hardest to erase due the scribes tendency to want to wander off.  As I’ve said before, the drawings are just there to add to the confusion. The dark grey dot is more filler, it’s the location of the former air scoop , the one on the L/H side is correct as per my photo, the one on the R/H side is pure fiction from Airfix. 

          

      Screw details have been added in the access panels and now I’ve got something to be cheerful 😁 about. The reason these panels were heavily stained was that they were hydraulic and ancillary services.

 

        The tail section is still work in progress, it has cracked and tried my patience several times, I’m trying not to give it rough handling. It’s full of filler and trying to re-scribe is difficult.

 

        The undersides - the PFCU panels were a pain to get right , in 1/72 only the bigger panels will receive screw details. The R/H side is done, L/H to do.

 

          The engine bay doors - what were Airfix thinking 🤔 here. Fictitious raised details were simply sanded down, replacing them is no easy task. Why? I’m scale deficient, I’d love to make the oblong covers as scribed affaires but in this scale there minuscule. So I’ve just represented them as screw heads for the simple reason is my scribe templates just won’t recreate. For me the R/H eng bay door oblong cover is out by 1mm it’s very close too close to the edge of the panel. My reasoning is that adding the eng bay door closure fasteners are difficult to add.

 

Thats all for now, stay safe.

 

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Hello Gents,       I think I’ve done the right thing, I think Covid 19 rules have been relaxed in the parts wanted section today. If so, my request is for 1/48 TSR2 parts. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

Stay safe.

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Hello Gents,            Update No 10 - bomb bay.

 

Various bits and pieces.       This week saw me taking delivery of two pre-ordered items, firstly as a massive Luftwaffe fan the ICM 1/48 Dornier Do217J1/2 is something I’ve been very much after for a long time. Also the new Arado Ar234 book is top draw. Both of these were by my modelling table in the living rooming on the the floor. A humorous comment come in handy. After a gruelling day at work Mrs B offered me a Tesco gin and tonic, after offering me the glass then retreating to the sofa she managed to stub her toe-on the weighted model box. Some choice words were used to which I replied not all of my models are Fockers some are Dornier night fighters. Boom, Boom.

 

With it being Father’s Day tomoz , whilst out shopping this week, Mrs B suggested that I choose something new so tomorrow will see me trying out Japanese gin with some Fever Tree tonic.

 

Sunday saw me getting some more grey primer on the model, but my modelling mojo is right down at the mo. It should be quite good, more of the white is disappearing so signifying progress. This time round see’s more positive aspects than past efforts, so bad modelling mojo is perplexing. Still not everything is so good, whilst stabbing the fuselage and making screw details I ‘ve cracked the rear fuselage again.  I’m now off work for a week, so the plan is to try to get the fuselage all complete and for now it can be compartmentalise.

 

The bomb bay.  It’s not often I’ll praise Airfix for something to do with the TSR 2 but on this occasion the kit bomb bay and U/C bays aren’t that bad, but, as I love resin details CMK again come to the for. Before I started this project I made the mistake of looking over the 1/48 scale bits. At least this kit unlike Airfix’s Vulcan comes with a bomb bay.

 

The CMK replacement is a stunning piece of work, a large one piece casting, with many new other pieces. Fittment is very straightforward requiring a little work to make it fit. One of the first gripes is that the U/C legs have to be fitted first before adding to the lower fuselage skin. Most of the replacement parts can be dealt with at a later time.

 

As always the replacement parts from CMK are not the best and in this case really lousy. I’m not up on the process of casting resin and what it takes to cast the stuff, so don’t know much about shrinkage. Well, the bomb bay was a whopping 3/16” too short, or 3-4mm. Get the fwd portion of the bomb bay in place and the rear bulkhead is out vice versa. The most logical solution was to add to the rear. Off came the rear bulkhead and my thickest stock plastic was just the ticket. Some careful shaping seems to have worked, the close out bulkhead is just sheet plastic. For the most part the replacement seam line has gone but I ‘m not sure if I should add a rib to cover it. 

    The replacement U/C doors are fragile and their casting blocks are a proper pain to clean up. As you can see one of the outer door skin has become thin and snapped off, I think both doors will have to be re-skinned with my thinnest stock plastic sheeting.

     A mistake I made was looking at what CMK offered in 48th scale. CMK offers you things like replacement bomb bay doors, in 72nd scale you have to use the kits and finally you don’t even get the bomb bay door actuators and U/C door actuators. A very mixed bag here, some stunning replacement parts, some galling errors. 

      And another thing, CMK don’t give you the electronics crate fitted to XR219, it was all test equipment (all FTI). You’ll have to buy that separately. In a strange twist of fate I’ve decided to keep the bomb bay empty, two reasons, one this 72nd scale kit is low enough not to fully view the bomb bay, secondly I now have another three  TSR 2 kits to build and so will leave this detail for the 48th scale build.

 

One thing I forgot to mention with the nose U/C bay and one that I’ve spent some time obliterating. As good as the resin is , it’s mating with the plastic is not as good as I would like and so much filler and time has been spent blending everything together for a seamless look. The resin casting has some very fine lines that get in the way of a smooth finish. They’ve been removed, but, like all things I’ll have to research them then replace. As always the work is coming along nicely nicely but will need a re-visit later.

       The third photo is of the top wing surface and the work done so far, a glimpse of the future work and direction of travel in which I’m going. This last photo I hope will please. 

       For now that’s all, stay safe. Drink Gin.

 

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Hello Gents,               Update No - 11 Oh no it’s a horror show.

 

Sadly this piece of white junk is properly grinding my gears. This kit is my nemesis, and I really resent the bottom  😖 ache it’s taking to just try to make a fairly accurate one.          ..........   So, in the face of adversity, and with a large gin and tonic I see some positive probability’s.

 

The jet pipe just gave up , 60% coming lose , with this I thought about a longer term fix. As I’ve said before this kit has only one purpose in life and that’s to royalty pee people off. So, as Humbrol glue and this white plastic don’t seem to get on, it’s time for a different train of thought.

 

The nagging niggle’s can now be resolved. Firstly, the model is to be finished with exhaust blanks fitted which is not a problem. But as you can see the tail planes now have metal rods inserted, now as the fixing points. As the fuselage is quite thin this point will make bonding them a little harder. One of my looking back with hindsight is that I should have fitted the full exhaust cans , the reason being that with these fitted I can drill through them and use them to anchor the horizontal stabs.

        The way Airfix have made the rear fuselage, being three pieces is some of the source of my woes, and as if that’s not enough the plastic is very thin. Now with the whole of the back end on view its time to get serious once and for all. The fuselage is as to be expected very strong around the bomb bay and air brake bays due to the fact that they are bonded with Araldite. 

         Firstly the exhaust cans are to be added, most for a fixing point for those stabs, secondly they may well help to give some support. Secondly all of the joints and thin areas are going to get some form of plastic reinforcements. I’ve come this far and now feel it’s too far to just give up. It’s a massive distraction, time to crack on then.

Stay safe, that’s all for now.

 

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Edited by amos brierley
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Hello Gents,        Update No 12 - repair and tail feathers.

 

So far I’ve been using Mrs B’s iPad, it’s usually close by , takes photos which can be quickly up loaded to PostImage and does predictive text (only if I could spell the works correctly in the first place.) I was on Fighter Control’s web site checking out the latest news when up popped PostImage, I was on the home computer and so don’t see how and why it happened. The good news, this is where all my own photos are and so I’ve give it a go. This is why I’ve so far been reluctant to do so. Maybe now the seal has been broken........    As an aside, the reason my model posts are scattered with printed stuff is that I love to be able to have stuff at hand.

 

The tail pipe repair. With this piece falling off, on another day I’d have been sending this kit to landfill, but, I really want a kit of this plane, so, in a good mood I’ve moved on. After some thought and trials, this is my fix. Firstly I recovered the kits exhausts from the garage, with some fetteling and trialing they’ve been added. The good news here is that the assembly now gives me a fighting chance to achieve a solid back end. 

        For the bottom skin that meets with the side skins some of this has now been reinforced with plastic, sadly the last inch will need to stay cracked in order to get the tail pipes in place. 

       The way Airfix have designed this kit I was always going to fail. The left and right fuselage pieces are some 6mm shorter than part #23 and both of them offer no support for the bottom piece. Having filed and fettled part # 23 the mating surface has been thinned to wafer thin, hence why it gave up. From my photo you can see that I’ve now added a strengthening strip here. 

      As an added bonus I’ve added some plastic card by the fin mounting base. As a rule as you can see, I like to add brass rods for attachments, I like to add strength and the ability to tweak for any angle.

       Later on tonight I’ll be breaking out the Araldite and a very large dollop of this is going to be applied down the inner sides and around the exhaust cans. I now see that because the exhaust pipes were not fitted this has led to a slightly less strengthened area. Now with a lot of Araldite a lot of small gaps will be filled and hopefully made rock solid.

 

Following on from repairs. The horizontal stabs are from CMK, there’s not a lot wrong with the Airfix offering s but as always this kit will have a specific 👀 look I’m after. The top left picture shows the tail planes with their flaps lowered, my model will be displayed with the stabs at full downward deflection with the flaps also. So the CMK offering has the flaps as separate. The two metal rods, one will be the pivot point, the second one will fit inside the slot in the kits side skin. Airfix have got this slot correct and from very few photos that slot is for flexible hydraulic lines. In my case I’ll be using this to strengthen the stabs.

 

Thats all for now, stay safe. 

 

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2 hours ago, amos brierley said:

Hi    Nikolay.  Thanx for looking, there’s not been many worded replies so this is very much appreciated.

Hi amos, I have just found your thread and have read through it.  A similar build of the Airfix white elephant introduced me to this site a couple of years ago, it was by a member called @Navy Bird and after reading his thread I bought all the CMK resin parts and a 2nd kit (just in case) that was the Stratos 4 boxing that has better decals than the original Airfix issue.  So, at the time, I was recently retired, just joined Britmodeller and ready to build a TSR2 in 1/72nd scale and a stack of Airfix  Vulcans that have been taunting me for years from the stash.  So far though the nearest I have got is building the the Frog boxing of the Vigilante that I bought in 1971 (15/-) for the Frog  GB last year.  So amos, I'm with you in spirit, I may walk down to the shed and look at my TSR2 kit again, but I'll not start it......yet.

regards, Bob.

 

p.s.  Excellent work and some really interesting photos, thanks.

Edited by Retired Bob
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Hi Bob .         I'm a long way from retirement, I hope your enjoying the freedom to pick and choose the modelling as you feel your spirit.

 

Firstly I've long held out hope of a new Vulcan, and just three or so months to go till the new Airfix is released. I'd hold out for one of these and refrain from committing to a 30 yr old boxing. I'm sure the new kit will have some additional options.

 

Secondly , my TSR2 kitting is the Stratos boxing , having liked previous Airfix decals sadly this box contains less than stellar looking ones. Whilst I do have replacement decals, should I need to use them I hope the milky brown coating will wash of. 

 

Thirdly, I'm glad to be of some support to those willing to follow. With some modelling skills fitting CMK accessories should be relatively easy, I had all of mine done over Xmas. But as a fan of this A/C I really want my kit to be a more faithful representation, this correcting and additional work is time consuming.

 

For now , stay safe.

 

 

 

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Great build and thread! The speed tape scribing method is very helpful for me since I've always had a difficult time getting decent scribing results, and your results are outstanding. 

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Hi amos, I can honestly say that retirement has been the best job I have ever had, though I worked for almost 50 years to get it.  I would have been thinking of retirement about this time but ill health pushed me into it 2 years ago, and as always people think you only build models because you have nothing better to do, so they try to be helpful and get you out of your man cave, not realising that it's what you are really happy doing. (even when things go wrong and the air is turning blue)

  

When Airfix released the kit originally, I bought one by chance after finding it in an art shop in Darlington, no really, there is an art shop in Darlington.  The Stratos boxing I got from ebay, no one was bidding and it was only £30 so I got lucky, the decals are good.

 

The Airfix Vulcans, where do you start, when Airfix went bust in the 80s they were being sold off at £5.95 each, so I bought a stack, well 5 of them and after attempting to build a Blue Steel carrying one, I have left them well alone since.  I saw the new kit test shot at Telford last year, full cockpit detail including open hatch and ladder, conventional 21 bomb load or a Blue Steel.  Should be a winner but don't think I'll get 5 of them though.

 

I did wander down to my shed and look at my TSR2,  I think after looking at the problems you have had at the blunt end, I will treat it more like a vac-form and strengthen it as much as possible on the inside with superglue or 5 minute epoxy.  Where I have to re-scribe panels I do not use filler anymore as it is too soft or brittle, depending on type, I use sprue gloop, I use bits of the kit sprue dissolved in thin glue, I make it using the kit sprue as its the same colour and strength as the kit parts, works fine I've found, just can be a bit stringy.

 

I have the full set of CMK resin bits plus the CMK and Eduard photo etch, it has been noted before about the shrinkage problem, especially the bomb bay section.  Talking of the bomb bay, the photo you posted with a mock up weapon in it, strange looking thing, more like a Paveway laser guided bomb than anything else having  a narrower front section and fins, I would have thought that a WE177 bomb shape would have been more in keeping with the main role of the aircraft.

 

Anyway, enough of my ramblings, stay safe and keep modelling.

Bob.

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Hello Gents,          Update No 13 -  the fin.

 

The heat is not good for me anything above 20 degrees is too hot, so for the mo I’m not really feeling the modelling mood.   The heat is nice at a beach or on hols but 29 deg at St Helens is not for me. I was looking for holidays in the 🇬🇧 UK, last years hols we went to Bath and I use some of this time for the Avon show, I was holding of for a post Covid 19 lock down show but this has now been cancelled. I’m now not feeling so confident about Scale Model World, but by November all could change.   On a positive note, not going to model shows has seen me use online shopping more and so yesterday saw me taking a delivery from Hannants.

 

So , the fin, I felt the need to do something a little different yesterday. What’s wrong with the Airfix offering? Mostly three things, firstly the biggest sin is that the fin is asymmetrical in real life and the access panels for the fin spigot is only on the port side. Most of the line drawings are very much incorrect. Secondly Airfix have made no attempt to depict the air scoop in the leading edge. Thirdly there’s the pressure sensors that are on XR220 and not XR219. And as always there’s no fastener details. Whilst it’s a niggle the covers at the base of the fin covering the spigot are incorrect but depicting them doesn’t seem easy. 

 

A replacement fin fin is available from AlleyCat Models, but, as always with TSR 2 things are not so good. By that I mean the spigot panels are on the starboard side of the fin. And my copy of this replacement has a slightly filled in leading edge air scoop.

 

Last time I tried and failed to build an Airfix TSR 2 I 😡 made a right dogs dinner of detailing it. First I’m avoiding trying to impart screws into the circular panels I just won’t get the pitching right. Firstly I’m using the kit fin as if it had gone wrong I had a fall back. The access panels on the starboard side we filled and flush sanded. Screw fasteners were added to the fin top and spigot covers. This time round has seen me achieve decent results. The air scoop, it’s a small but prominent feature, I wasn’t really sure of the end result so I cut a notch in the leading edge. But, my thought 💭 S have always harboured fitting aircraft blanking media. Some overly thick plastic sheet has been crafted to create the scoop, and silver tape used to protect the surrounding surface whilst it’s shaped. 

 

Several things to point out , firstly the model will not have the pressure plates ( some have referred to them as ‘bonkers’ or TUI) on my model. Secondly the fin was an all moving affaire I think the model with a skewed fin will look wrong, so it’s to be mounted dead straight. Finally I have only two photo’s showing the fin blanking media. 

 

With the back back end of the model together in a later post I’ll show in greater detail how I’m scribing.

 

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Amos,

 

Thanks for sharing some of the finer points of the TSR2 and how to correct them on the Airfix kit, very much appreciated. I'll certainly be trying to incorporate them on my future build.

 

Mark.

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Hi amos, I'm with you on the temperature thing, the problem is the humidity rise with the increase in temperature, anyway enough of the "it's too hot" whinge.  TSR2 fin, I have looked at photos of that intake and there does not seem to be much widening of the fin around it, when I last went to Cosford museum I wish I had remembered to take some close ups of that area.  Anyway, I'm still here watching and learning. :nod:

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Hi Amos,

 

Really enjoying the corrections you're making to this one and I'm taking notes as I have one of these. Did you use CMK intakes on yours? I have them but think the kit ones seem to fit better.

 

Regards,


Mark

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Hello Gents,                  Update No -14    A general state of play.

 

Work getting in the way.   I’ve just finished my shift pattern for this week, these 12hr 20 days are tough, but the week is done in just three days. This pattern is a month of Sun, Mon, Tue. So, now with four days off to recover it’s now time to pickup where I left off.

     When I got home from work last night the latest IPMS mag had been delivered, my concentration levels weren’t up to modelling so I was hoping for some news from the society. Too much to ask........

      Every year I plan to end my modelling year Oct 31st or there about and re-start post Scale Model Word. I’ve vowed never to be building a kit especially the morning of the show as it’s far too stressful. With my last build completed just in time for the show this left the post show modelling table free to start something new. One of my modelling trends tends to be just one model at a time. The reason is simple, I just don’t like to convolute my modelling process. Since Xmas this TSR 2 has been the sole focus of my modelling time. .......

     As long ago as December with model show dates becoming available one of the hotly anticipated event especially for our club was the Staffordshire show AKA RAF Cosford. Even though I have many TSR 2 photos it’s not until you start a kit build that holes 🕳 your knowledge appear a large chunk of my photos are old school wet film. If I’d only gone in February and not held out for the model show I’d be better prepared..... So if I’m right then from this Saturday museums (as well as pubs) will be re-opened. Whilst running some errands and booking 🚙 cars in for repair Mrs B asked why I had the need to trot off to Cosford to which I reminded her of several points........

      With a renewed vigour for all things TSR 2 I’ve been visiting our favourite auction site and taking many deliveries of now hard to get stuff, a lot has come my way.... A first day cover with the four test pilots signatures , and more to the point another project. It’s taken me four months of progress to get most of the salient bits together for a Dynavector 1/48 TSR 2 what-if. That said the boat 🚣‍♂️ has long sailed for 1/72 + 1/48 what-if stuff. What is still outstanding is a refuelling probe. Should one not be fourth coming despite an open request in parts wanted then the inevitable scratch build will be happening. My take on modelling is brass and resin first then scratch building as a last resort.........

     One eye 👁 on the time. With four months to go to S.M.W 2020 I’ve now got to start pressing on with this kit build, I won’t be rushing to complete for 31st Oct, but all done in good time. But I need a little more progress. Whilst I ‘m focused on this kit it’s not going stop me planning for the next kit. Weather it’s a Dynavector or something different .........

       Last see on the model bench was the kits fin, having built the intake and shaped it, it received a quick coat of primer. As good as I thought I was it still needs a little more work to be passable. Today has been very disjointed in life, sorting cars out, getting a parts request in the post, with the heat of last week gone I’ve now got to re-aquatint myself with this model. No photos today......

 

Hi FZ6.      Yes the intakes are CMK, correct, the lower part of the cowlings fit perfectly but, the upper section is very poor    poor indeed. Dealing with the upper part will feature in a future update probably when the wing is finally fitted. And in a soon update will be the side skins of the intake.

 

Hi Gondor44,        This week’s photo post will likely feature the photos and plans I have for the R/H side of the fin as evidence to backup what I’m saying.

 

 Hi Harry Lime,    Thank you for you support and for looking.

 

Thats all for now, stay safe.   (It’s taken me three sittings to pen this, I hope 🤞 it reads ok and gives some insight into how I operate, especially shift patterns.)

      

      

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