AdrianMF Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 I have been fondling this plastic for a while now: 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... 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 Outstanding choice Adrian and "Red Stripe Royalty " to boot whats not to like ! Best of luck with this one. cheers Pat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halcyonjet Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 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 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockeyboy76 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 I have one in the stash, will be watching and borrowing ideas along the way. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dermo245 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 Look forward to seeing you work your magic on that one Adrian. 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted July 21, 2020 Author Share Posted July 21, 2020 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr T Posted July 23, 2020 Share Posted July 23, 2020 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 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SafetyDad Posted July 23, 2020 Share Posted July 23, 2020 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 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aardvark Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 Bought this when it was on sale at 90, boxed edition. B.R. Serge 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 Great to see you tackle this oldie Adrian,nice one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted August 16, 2020 Author Share Posted August 16, 2020 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: 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! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted August 16, 2020 Author Share Posted August 16, 2020 I've made a start: Opened the undercarriage wells and filled the stand slot. Also cut the front fan face in two to make construction easier. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted September 9, 2020 Share Posted September 9, 2020 Great to see this one off and running Adrian. cheers Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 Quite sure we're in for a detail treat here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted September 27, 2020 Author Share Posted September 27, 2020 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: When that’s in I can add the inner wall and add a bit of filler to fair them into one another. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted September 27, 2020 Author Share Posted September 27, 2020 Here’s the inner intake wall all set up to ready to soak in superglue: 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! 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 That's very impressive Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 Clever work within the intake Adrian. Hopefully the rubber bands are not now a permanent feature of the fuselage! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 Great bit of innovation 👍 Looks really sharp Cheers Pat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy G Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 Built one of these in my younger days and have been trying to find one for a while but those on eBay tend to go for silly money. Looking forward to watching you work your magic with it Adrian. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now