Popular Post Bangseat Posted June 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted June 30, 2020 I finished this a while back, but it has taken me time to get round to photographing. Not my favourite activity, especially with whoppers. Anyway, after a long and educational build, here is my completed 1:72 Super VC-10, based on the Mach 2 kit, as a late service British Airways G-ASGI: A few mm bigger than the Heller 707-320, she is now (marginally) my largest model! The choice of airframe was largely inspired by this picture: https://www.airliners.net/photo/British-Airways/Vickers-Super-VC10-Srs1151/1202712 There is little to distinguish the Negus airframes, and Golf India as far as I know had no particularly distinguished history – not going on to RAF service afterwards, for example – but I like building ‘vanilla’ models to represent a forgotten moment in time, rather than recreating a famous airframe. With so few VC-10s built, its quite hard to come by one without an interesting story – Gulf War veteran, taxiing at Bruntingthorpe, Sultan's personal transport, blown up by terrorists..Golf India achieved none of these accolades, but does represent a late build Super in honest BA revenue service in the autumn of the 10's civilian life. I’ve tried to create with this model a visually striking and reasonably accurate representation of the Super VC-10. When dealing with a very basic and limited kit like this, where no details can be relied upon as accurate, there is a danger of driving oneself slowly crazy as the list of fixes mounts up, especially with a large plane - and this is meant to be a fun hobby. So I make no apologies for inaccuracies that are undoubtedly there, but at the same time I warmly invite anyone to point them out, after all can be useful for those who follow after with later, and better builds. Also pro apologia, there isn't a single straight edge or smooth surface in the kit, so its all down to my sanding and finishing, and plenty knarly close up! The build thread will give you the gory detail, but the main structural work involved converting the nose to be a more accurate, flush profile – in the end this meant pretty much scratch building it. This was hard. The fuselage has been extended with 3D printed plugs to create a Super VC-10. This work was not as difficult as I anticipated, and I have learnt a lot about 3D part finishing along the way. This technology has a lot to offer us, and there are other areas where I could have employed it – for example replacing the errant window line on the rear fuselage – that would have been relatively easy to design and print. I’d like to thank those who followed the build and provided indispensable encouragement, advice and resources along the way, particularly @71chally for a very useful nose reference pic and @Scott Garard for the British Airways logos. I’d also like to thank my Mum…who in the absence of my regular print shop actually printed the decals for me! (She is a retired graphic design teacher with a decent laser printer, so this isn’t as mad as it sounds). I could also thank BA for painting their planes white and not leaving them bare metal - I think if I had to do this in BMF, with the amount of filling and sanding I had to do, I would be in The Priory by now... Would I recommend the Mach 2 kit? Well, its tricky. I can't see how it is an advance - even marginal - on either the Anigrand resin or the Airways vacform, although I haven't built either. To put it into context – I didn’t use anything smaller than the engine pods from the original kit plastic. I think Darth Vader has more original components than this model. In its favour though, Mach 2 is marginally cheaper and more available than either of the alternatives, and it will build up easier. The wings attached remarkable easily for example. But without extensive mods, it will not be an accurate model, and if you are keen enough on VC-10s to build one in this scale, that will probably bother you. There is still, in 2020, a vacancy for the position of decent 1:72 VC-10 kit. Not an international scandal of course, but when I can buy a very nice 72nd kit of the Il-62 from HpH, or even the An-225 from Modelsvit, albeit for an arm and a leg, you can't blame a chap for looking forlorn! Anyway, it was a good lockdown project, though I do think it drove me little crazy at times and my attention span is now completely shot. For something a bit different, I have moved on to tiny car models done on my 3d printer, which make fun diorama accessories. I call this “British Engineering – A Paradox”: Thanks for stopping by! Harry 80 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangseat Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 And the build thread is here: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince1159 Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Beautiful,absolutely gorgeous... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binbrook87 Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Absolutely stunning build from what seemed like a nightmare of a kit! Great job 👍👌👏 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterfingers Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Brilliant Model. The VC10 was my favourite plane in my childhood spotting days & this does it justice. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skodadriver Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Congratulations on such an excellent result. Reading the WIP makes me very glad I build in 1/144 and can just pull a Roden kit out of my stash! Dave G 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wulfman Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Beautiful looking VC-10 , excellent build ! Wulfman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza l Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Wow, amazing result, very impressive work. gazza l 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Ranger Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Excellent work, especially considering how it fought you all the way! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canberraman Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 What a beauty! I can only begin to imagine the hard work and effort that went into to turning the Mach 2 sow's ear into the silk purse you have created. Beautiful clean finish and the decals look great too. Thanks for sharing and for the inspiration. Mark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinChipmunkfan Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 That is impressive- not only the size but the way you have got such a great model from the basic kit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbay133 Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Superb rendition of a very sleek aeroplane. Love it. Cheers Graeme 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfhound32 Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 My compliments for this beautiful build👍 ! Very impressive in this scale 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbofan Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Hi Harry, Seriously awesome! Really impressed by your perseverance on this difficult kit and what a result, this is how the kit should look OOB. Love the Douglas Tugmaster and Leyland National too! Quick question, what is the small lump on the underside in the 6th pic? I can't find any pics of it. Cheers, Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangseat Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 11 minutes ago, Turbofan said: Hi Harry, Seriously awesome! Really impressed by your perseverance on this difficult kit and what a result, this is how the kit should look OOB. Love the Douglas Tugmaster and Leyland National too! Quick question, what is the small lump on the underside in the 6th pic? I can't find any pics of it. Cheers, Ian Hi Ian, Thank you - I haven't the foggiest I'm afraid! But there is a lump there: To be honest I relied more on pictures of @kev67's fabulous model for its location rather than the real thing, but that's not a bad thing. If only I could have looked at Golf Charlie at Duxford. I've poured over it many times, but not in a sufficiently businesslike way. And thanks again for the refs of the walkways! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAT69 Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 The VC-10 and Super VC-10 are such elegant designs. Got to see a military VC-10 at Altus AFB, years ago, when am RAF contingent came to visit. My most vivid memory of that airplanes, aside from its good looks, was that it was loud, louder than our KC-135As even with water injection! Your model is gorgeous! Reading the comments above, you're to be commended for persevering with what appears to be a very difficult build. I'm struggling enough getting three AMT 1/72 tankers together (warped fuselages) and what you dealt with sounds much more challenging. Gold medals of all kinds for a successful and beautiful end result. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev67 Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 I think it's a auxiliary unit, the little doors open and a fan pops out 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev67 Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Just had a look at your finished VC10, you have done a brilliant job on Mach 2 model, especially with all the extra work in making into a Super VC10 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheyJammedKenny! Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 5 hours ago, Bangseat said: I’ve tried to create with this model a visually striking and reasonably accurate representation of the Super VC-10 And you've succeeded. I'm really impressed. I like your description of it as "based on the Mach 2 kit;" that is apropos. Well done, sir! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael301757 Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 What a magnificent beast, lovely job,surely the most beautiful airliner ever. Cheers Michael. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Lots of work but worth it! Lovely model! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Mc Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Truly impressive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Well well, the Mach2 kit can be beaten into shape! Superb build and wonderful (and hard) work correcting the nose profile, such an important part of the aircrafts' character. Yes, the little bump is part of the two doors that covers the ELRAT, the deployable windmill that provides electrical power in an emergency. Seen below the fuselage here with red covers on, VC-10 K.3 ZA150 J 11 Jan 12 by James Thomas, on Flickr Excellent work Harry! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatbox8 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Possibly the most beautiful airliner of all time stunningly rendered. I dipped in and out of your WIP and was highly impressed by the work you put in, particulalrly the nose/cockpit area which Mach 2 seemed to get so wrong. All that work paid off handsomely though. I don't think I would ever have the skills or patience to build this kit so will instead go for the Roden 144th one at some stage. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-32 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 That's superb work 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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