Sharkit 1/72 Edgley Optica in "Slipstream" livery

[Hamiltonian]

This is the 1/72 Sharkit resin-and-vacuform kit of the Edgley Optica. It's a pretty basic kit, and even to build the yellow G-BGMW prototype (which is what the kit is intended for) it would benefit from some detailing inside the cockpit and at the rear of the ducted fan nacelle.

 

But I wanted to reproduce the Optica that flew in the cult-but-dire movie Slipstream (1989).

This needed some modification of the prototype version: an extension to the upper nacelle and elevator trim tab, shrouds on the undercarriage, an overhead control box and wider instrument panel in the cockpit, flow directors on the upper wing surfaces ... in addition to the necessary pitot tube, sundry aerials, landing lights, a stone guard on the front wheel, control columns and rudder pedals, and rear support struts for the engine. And some other bits and bobs. In addition, I printed up decal sheets to reproduce, as best as I could, the feathered patterns on wings and nacelle, and the odd symbol on the tail.

Build log is here:

It's a resolute tail-sitter, with no room for added weight in the very open and thin-floored cockpit. I've made no effort to photographically conceal the short transparent rod that props up the back of the nacelle.

 

 

Edited to add: here are a few views on the Coastal Kits "Abandoned Airfield" display base, which arrived in the post today.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 6, 2020 by Hamiltonian
Additional photos

[billn53]

Nicely done!

[SAT69]

The transparent rod doesn't detract from the model in any way. I use them a lot. Your model is very well done. Quite a unique airplane.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

You have done a great job on a very remiss kit!

It looks very "movie-like", thus achieving your goal.

Well done!

[Space Ranger]

Excellent model of a unique aircraft in a unique livery.

[Andy Dyck]

Yes indeed a very special and rare type of plane. Good to see it. Very well done too!

Cheers

Andy 

[stevehnz]

That has come out really well, something that the early part of your WiP had me doubting, but all credit to you, you beat it into a very attractive submission. 👍

Steve.

[peely20]

Excellent result! I do love an unusual aircraft and the Optica is certainly that. Now, what are the chances of us getting an injection moulded kit in 1/32 scale? Slim?

[phildagreek]

Looks good!

[TEXANTOMCAT]

Wonderful - my favourite model in RFI this year. Love it!

 

TT

[RMCS]

Lovley 

[Hamiltonian]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. The Optica is one of my favourite modern aircraft, and I'll certainly buy the Avis 1/72 kit if and when it becomes available. I'd love to see something in a larger scale, too. The Sharkit version is extremely basic.

I chose the Slipstream livery because that's the first time I ever saw an Optica, and I remembered it fondly. Unfortunately, I misremembered the paint job as being pale grey with random streaks of dark grey. Picture my surprise when I rewatched the movie (after starting work on the kit) and realized the flippin' thing was covered in stylized feathers. Oops.

[Spitfire31]

Very effective recreation of this unique bird! A fascinating prototype and an impressive build.

 

Kind regards,

 

Joachim

[invidia]

looks fantastic 

[Hamiltonian]

I had planned on photographing this one on a Coastal Kits "Abandoned Airfield" base, but I hadn't realized how long it would take to arrive. It's the first time I've ordered from them, and I now presume they print on demand, which seems entirely reasonable--I should have given my order a bit more lead time.

Anyway, it arrived today, so I've edited the original post to add a few more photographs. I'm not sure, but I actually think I prefer the original plain grey background. Maybe that's just me, though. Opinions welcome.

[Tim R-T-C]

Its a smart little build and you set a neat challenge replicating that obtuse scheme.

 

The Abandoned Airfield looks more like a fancy marble effect kitchen counter to me! Camouflages the plane well though.

[bigbadbadge]

Oh wow this is lovely, you have really done a cracking job on the model.  As said above the plane looks very camoflaged on the base.

Chris

[Hamiltonian]

18 hours ago, Tim R-T-C said:

Its a smart little build and you set a neat challenge replicating that obtuse scheme.

 

The Abandoned Airfield looks more like a fancy marble effect kitchen counter to me! Camouflages the plane well though.

Thanks. Yes, the texture of the airfield doesn't quite work for me. My first thought was that people would think I'd photographed the model on an old tiled floor.

[Christopher Jenkins]

A lovely job Hamiltonian, just what I intended to do with an Optica kit, and I now have the Avis one to try it on. But like you I was horrified to realise how complex the Slipstream colour scheme is. So I understand you designed your own decals? Would you be willing to share the files, or (even better) would you sell a printed sheet of the decals?

[Natter]

Great model.

[Hamiltonian]

14 hours ago, Christopher Jenkins said:

A lovely job Hamiltonian, just what I intended to do with an Optica kit, and I now have the Avis one to try it on. But like you I was horrified to realise how complex the Slipstream colour scheme is. So I understand you designed your own decals? Would you be willing to share the files, or (even better) would you sell a printed sheet of the decals?

Well, I wouldn't want to sell you a set of decals to be applied to a different version of the same aircraft--I suspect there will be differences in proportion between my modified Sharkit kit and the Avis kit. And there are things about the decals I designed that I don't like.

But you're very welcome to have (and modify as you like) the decal images I built for myself. They're at the end of this link--it's a zip file containing a single .png image with a transparency channel, at 600dpi.

 

[kapam]

Can't say I'm familiar with the movie.  Nevertheless, you have produced a great model.

Well done!  

[Hamiltonian]

15 hours ago, kapam said:

Can't say I'm familiar with the movie.  Nevertheless, you have produced a great model.

Well done!  

Thanks. I think the fact you don't know the movie puts you in a significant majority.

[Wolfhound32]

My compliments for this little beauty! And a great livery.

 

I just received my AVIS 1: 72 Optica kit from the Ukraine:

(I used this kit for scale comparison with the wheel bay of my 1:72 antonov 225, hence the strange big construction on the right )

I always wanted a model of this unique plane. You did a great job with that resin kit!

 

[ththtttu7]

On 7/29/2020 at 10:54 PM, Hamiltonian said:

This is the 1/72 Sharkit resin-and-vacuform kit of the Edgley Optica. It's a pretty basic kit, and even to build the yellow G-BGMW prototype (which is what the kit is intended for) it would benefit from some detailing inside the cockpit and at the rear of the ducted fan nacelle.

 

But I wanted to reproduce the Optica that flew in the cult-but-dire movie Slipstream (1989).

This needed some modification of the prototype version: an extension to the upper nacelle and elevator trim tab, shrouds on the undercarriage, an overhead control box and wider instrument panel in the cockpit, flow directors on the upper wing surfaces ... in addition to the necessary pitot tube, sundry aerials, landing lights, a stone guard on the front wheel, control columns and rudder pedals, and rear support struts for the engine. And some other bits and bobs. In addition, I printed up decal sheets to reproduce, as best as I could, the feathered patterns on wings and nacelle, and the odd symbol on the tail.

Build log is here:

It's a resolute tail-sitter, with no room for added weight in the very open and thin-floored cockpit. I've made no effort to photographically conceal the short transparent rod that props up the back of the nacelle.

 

 

Edited to add: here are a few views on the Coastal Kits "Abandoned Airfield" display base, which arrived in the post today.

 

 

 

 

Very nice. You should make the CFM Shadow to go with it next. That had a cool paint job I recall as well. My mates dad was the designer of the aircraft! He still has the fairing between the wing and cockpit painted in the movie colours in his garage.