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Airfix Hawker P1127 - heading for the KUTA GB...


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I have been fondling this plastic for a while now:

8197-C471-666-F-466-C-83-FF-8-CF126-FFC2

D72-BCA92-0488-40-A7-9809-2586-CA5-DB680

 

It's in quite good condition, although it needs a bit of a rinse to get rid of a brown dusty deposit, and one of the alternative tails is missing (not a big problem, it's just a cylinder). The decals may even be usable!

 

The biggest problem with the kit (apart from general over-simplification) seems to be that the  canopy is wider than the fuselage. It looks like this can be fixed with a bit of judicious bending (already done), so I think I will limit myself to that, a light pass over details for airframe, cockpit and wheel wells, and some de-riveting. It seems to represent XP831 pretty well at one stage of its career (from photos in "British Experimental Turbojet Aircraft"), so I'm hoping for a simple and quickish build, possibly taking a back seat to a rather rash entry in the Buccaneer GB...

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That brings back memories for me as I had one as a youngster, but my elder brother built it for me. 🙄

Looking forward to seeing how it should be built!

 

Dave

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Thanks all, no pressure then! Given the end date of this GB and the imminence of the end of the Buccaneer GB, this will have to be post-Buccaneer build. TBH I'm looking forward to building this rather more than I am the Buccaneer, but hey-ho. See you later!

 

Regards,

Adrian

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Suddenly I am ten again, when I first built that kit. I painted it in camouflage as I though it would look cooler and that's how Hunters were painted. I will be interested to see how it turns out

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I too had one of these as a youngster - I recall the nose probe was lethal and didn't last long when completed!

I was too young for paint then - it was tube glue and then transfers in those days!

It'll be nice to see one built properly Adrian - they are quite collectable now (but I'm sure you know that)

Watching...

 

SD

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well, we're off! After a week of super-high temperatures and a ton of quite stressful work, I dedicated yesterday to doing a weeks' worth of delayed exercise and sleep catchup. Feels good!

 

Now using a totally unscientific method of evaluation, It looks like the fuselage profile is pretty good:

62-BA63-E3-24-D1-4907-9-D44-D15-BD2-E86-

There are a few issues besides the inevitable lack of interior detail and over-simplification:

The "pen-nib" fairing after the rear nozzle is a bit long but I'm not sure I want to go there.

  • Tailplanes are a tad too small. Probably ignore.
  • Main wheels are a bit button-ish. Will fix or replace.
  • Nose wheel has nice detail one side, but it's a bit chewed up on the other. Not sure if that's not just my kit. Will fix.
  • Kit is covered in brown dust - needs a good wash. Will wash. I don't normally bother with washing kits as I reckon my greasy fingers will remove all the gunk!

Now to make sure the plug is firmly in the basin, and make sure it's not an "active" toothbrush!

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I remember this one... this was going to be my main entry and the Mi-4 was going to be the sideshow. Hey-ho. I’ve boxed in the front undercarriage well and I’m busy cutting paper panels by trial and error to get a smooth intake into the fan, which is moulded on a flat plate. I think I’m nearly there:

7-FFAC7-D5-AD40-4743-A49-B-34529-B6-A148
 

When that’s in I can add the inner wall and add a bit of filler to fair them into one another.

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Here’s the inner intake wall all set up to ready to soak in superglue:

657747-EB-3-D29-4-AB8-9-C53-CD2-A6-DA531
 

I think I will let it run all the way to the fan - probably not accurate but close enoug and better than the “clock on a flat plate” that the kit provides.

 

It turns out that thin superglue is quite, well, thin. And runny. So when you tip the bottle up it runs over the paper, over the plastic, over the elastic bands and over your fingers. Good job I’m going to be sanding the rivets off anyway!

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  • AdrianMF changed the title to Airfix Hawker P1127 - heading for the KUTA GB...

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