FROG Fairey Firefly MkI

[Eric Mc]

Another dive into my childhood modelling days. I built one of these not long after FROG first released it (1972). That build is long since gone but I've always liked FROG kits. They were a bit basic with little interior or wheel well detail. But FROG used nice sharp plastic with refined raised detail and they usually clicked nicely together.
My aim these days is to get models actually built and finished rather than waste time on interior detail that is pretty much invisible. I get far more satisfaction out of actually finishing a model rather than stuffing it full of resin or etch.

Here is the box. This is the second issue by FROG from around 1975. It had originally been sold in a plastic bag with a cardboard header. They switched to boxes in around 1974.

 

 

I did have a go at a later Novo release of this kit a couple of years ago but for some reason the build stalled so the bits ended up in the bin - but the box survived. You can see that Novo used the original FROG artwork -

 

 

The plastic bits -

 

 

 

The old decals are really past their use by date -

 

 

I'll be choosing something from this set -

 

[jean]

Hi Eric,

great choice and I agree with you about the crisp Frog plastic.

Deep down I fully understand your choice of modelling, and you are right, most of what is inside disappears for eternity... Although I try, I find it very difficult to remain "pure and hard" and disregard AM goodies.... self discipline needs to be worked upon!

Like you I love Frog kits, so enjoy building it, and we shall enjoy watching!

Cheers

 

JR

[Martian]

Looking forward to this very muchly. 

 

Martian 👽

[fatalbert]

Am  going to pull up a stall and make my self comfortable, I grew up on Frog and Novo kits🙂

[Eric Mc]

Have made some progress. This is going to be a pretty much out of the box build - but there will be some modifications to make the model look a bit more realistic.

Simple belts added from masking tape

 

As was normal at the time, no wingtip navigation lights were provided, only some raised lines on the wingtip. I've cut the section out of each wing and will let in some clear plastic

 

Same thing with the big landing light, which was represented by just some raised lines. I've cut this out and blanked off the hole which appeared at the back of the lamp housing with a piece of plastic card. Once the cement has set, I'll trim it back and sand it to make it flush with the wing.

 

[jean]

Hi Eric,

well this is more involved than straight OOB! Wingtip lights can be a mission. But you are right, they do add a lot of realism to a model.

Keep it up.

 

JR

[Eric Mc]

Well, when I said OOB, I was thinking along the lines of resin and photo-etch rather than improving the original plastic. Another little improvement will be the need to drill out the wing rtoot air intakes which are not present in the original moulding. 

 

I polished and Klear dipped the canopies which look a lot better now and have started the tedious job of masking the window panels.

 

Having said all that, I did succumb to a little bit of cockpit enhancement. I had a couple of Hurricane instrument panels (Eduard) and I installed one yesterday. However, as I originally stated, it will be completely invisible once the fuselage is together - which kind of backs up my original thoughts. I won't bother again if I ever build another one of these.

[Spec7]

I think this highlights two different sides of modelling, both of equal value.

Those who get great pleasure for years from building and  displaying a  model for the shelf

those (like me) who get their fun from altering and enhancing. I struggle to get past the decal stage, by that time its almost finished and ready for the bin.

To me its a bit like a really challenging Sudoku , great fun to do but once its done ?? Frame it and put it on the wall ?  not really 🙂 

 

Been a few years since i built a frog, i always went for Airfix or sometimes Revell kits as a kid in the 60's bit like Dinky and Corgi,  Frog and Dinky was the sort of cooking model  

[Eric Mc]

Never really into die casts - always a plastic man.

 

(I have two die casts in my current collection - a Corgi Viscount in Aer Lingus colours and a Black Arrows Hunter (from a charity shop).

[Eric Mc]

Progress so far.

This model is from original early FROG production is the fit is generally good but there were some gaps which needed filling. I used liquid filler from the "Mr Hobby" range because once applied, excess can be quickly wiped away using a cotton bud. This means that there is very little rubbing down required. In a kit with raised panel lines the less rubbing down needed, the better. It is much more difficult to reinstate lost raised panel lines compared to lost recessed panel lines.

 

 

 

Following the above work, I attached the already masked canopies and applied some interior green to the framing. I then spayed the model with Halfords Primer Grey followed by some random preshading.

 

 

 

 

 

[perdu]

Good choice from Frog Eric, I love a Froggy (kit)

 

Coming along nicely too 👍

[Eric Mc]

It has been a very pleasing build, so far.

I have made a bit more progress since those pictures were taken and I will post them up shortly.

 

I'm going to do it in the colours of DK438/"277" "Lucy Quipment" which was operated by 1771 Squadron, FAA on board HMS Implacable in the Far East right at the end of the war in the Pacific.

[jean]

We shall be waiting!

 

JR