1:48 Fairey Firefly MkI

[Dunny]

Hi All,

 

Flushed with the success of my recent Chesapeake build, what better than to follow up with another single engine, twin seat FAA aircraft?! This one was decidedly more successful than the Chesapeake, however. I have the Trumpeter kit in my stash, but following @85sqn's advice (thanks Nick!), I'm leaving the Trumpy kit where it is and building the Special Hobby kit instead, which looks to be a far superior offering (and largely accurate, unlike the former ). I'm planning to build it as Z1830 of 1770 Sqn FAA, which flew from HMS Indefatigable in July 1944. This aircraft participated in Operation Mascot, which was the unsuccessful attack on the Tirpitz at anchorage in Kaafjord, Norway. 

 

And so to the kit. Here's the box artwork:

 

 

And here's the sprue shots - detail looks good!

 

 

 

 

There's a few resin pieces, including the undercarriage bays and some beautiful exhausts:

 

 

The transfers look pretty good (although the IP decal is complete bobbins) 

 

 

 

I wouldn't say that bears too much resemblance to the real thing - have to do something about that! Anyway, on to the build. The kit only provides for a closed canopy, so I bravely decided to see if I could separate the canopy components. I started with the pilot's canopy, as if I stuffed it up I could always build the other version - I'm not as daft as I look 

 

I used masking tape over the joint, and after a few nerve-wracking minutes with the razor saw ended up with this 

 

 

 

Next I taped up the Observer's canopy - the stakes were somewhat higher for this one as there was only the one component:

 

 

The first cut is the deepest (cue the music):

 

 

And here's the lot after cleanup:

 

 

I was this relieved!

 

 

Next I primed all the cockpit components and gave them a squirt of interior green:

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly I turned my attention to the instrument panel. Here it is after painting and drybrushing:

 

 

Out came the trusty Airscale instrument transfers:

 

 

And here's the final result after Microscale Gloss over each instrument (it's not quite dry so is a little milky):

 

 

Not unhappy with that. Anyway, that's all for today,

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Roger

[85sqn]

Great stuff Roger, you've made a good choice with the kit👍

[TonyOD]

Love a Firefly. Going to follow with interest.

[LorenSharp]

A Special Hobby Firefly, Time to pull up a chair and follow with great interest. Carry on.

[bigbadbadge]

Great Start Roger, cutting the canopy glazing too, great job fella.

 

Love the Firefly and can't wait to see this progress 

Chris

[Quiet Mike]

This looks like an interesting build! Look forward to following progress. I'm not an expert on the Firefly at all, but it's a handsome 'plane for sure.

[Dunny]

4 hours ago, TonyOD said:

Love a Firefly. Going to follow with interest.

 

1 hour ago, LorenSharp said:

A Special Hobby Firefly, Time to pull up a chair and follow with great interest. Carry on.

 

1 hour ago, bigbadbadge said:

Great Start Roger, cutting the canopy glazing too, great job fella.

 

Love the Firefly and can't wait to see this progress 

Chris

 

26 minutes ago, Quiet Mike said:

This looks like an interesting build! Look forward to following progress. I'm not an expert on the Firefly at all, but it's a handsome 'plane for sure.

Lovely to have you all aboard gents!

[Dunny]

Hi All,

 

Some good progress today! Following a flurry of detail painting, oil washing (Abteilung Shadow Brown), and addition of Eduard RAF seatbelts, here's the front cockpit:

 

 

As I found with my recent Maryland build, Special Hobby kits seem to have a lovely level of detail, but engineering and fit is, shall we say, somewhat vague. 

 

This was particularly noticeable for the Observer's position, where the floor and bulkhead components had no location whatsoever. Just to be sure I ended up dry fitting and then gluing individual components into a fuselage half, just to be sure - seemed to work ok! Here's the finished article (one has to wonder about the design intent behind the compass location - I bet that interfered with a gonad or two 😬)

 

 

Here's the cockpit sidewall - again lovely detail, but very vague location:

 

 

Here's the cockpit fitted into position - dry-fitting is the order of the day:

 

 

Here's a shot of the IP fitted in position. I'm currently missing the gunsight as SH's component callout is entirely fictitious and I cannot identify the required components - watch this space...

 

 

Finally I painted the resin exhausts and glued them into position - sadly they cannot be added afterwards so I'll have to figure out a masking strategy later:

 

 

They are bloody lovely though!!

 

Next on to buttoning up the fuselage, but that will have to wait for another day!

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Roger

 

[corsaircorp]

Great Job Roger !!

A Firebox now !! Excellent choice !

I did mine as a Korean war Mk I !!

I'll make the énd one in BPF markings 

I used to build the Grand Phoenix one, and I used the Barracuda vac formed canopy for the opened glazing !!

Keep that good job !!

Sincerely.

CC

[Dunny]

14 minutes ago, corsaircorp said:

Great Job Roger !!

A Firebox now !! Excellent choice !

I did mine as a Korean war Mk I !!

I'll make the énd one in BPF markings 

I used to build the Grand Phoenix one, and I used the Barracuda vac formed canopy for the opened glazing !!

Keep that good job !!

Sincerely.

CC

Thanks Alain - opening the glazing was simple but scary! I haven't seen the Grand Phoenix version, but do have the Trumpeter MkI also in the stash (apparently it's a load of old )

[europapete]

Also check out Barracuda for a more accurate spinner and prop, wing cannons, canopy. Eduard do some PE too. Regards, Pete in RI

[Biggles87]

This looks nice, I'll follow if I may.

 

John

[Dunny]

8 minutes ago, europapete said:

Also check out Barracuda for a more accurate spinner and prop, wing cannons, canopy. Eduard do some PE too. Regards, Pete in RI

Thanks for the tip Pete!

[bigbadbadge]

Great progress Roger and great work.  I have the Grand Pheonix kit and replacement correct prop/spinner. It looks a very nice kit.  

Chris

[corsaircorp]

2 hours ago, Dunny said:

Thanks for the tip Pete!

Grand Phoenix issued a Firefly Mk I and then, it has been reboxed by AZ models.

Barracuda issued a Canopy, propeller and weighted wheels.

The canopy was a must since the GP one was not only innacurate but too wide for the fuselage...

The prop is really better than the GP offer, same goes with the wheels...

I did'nt have the SH in hand, so I cannot tell about !

I've found intersting pics of the opened canopy, Here's the WiP feel free to use it.

sincerely.

CC

[Grey Beema]

Lovely job so far, and brave for cutting the canopy, especially the Observers canopy.

 

I did the SH Firefly MkI.  BPF DV119/S281 1770 NAS HMS Indefatigable.  It was flown by SLt P Stott, the only Firefly Aces.

 

I am afraid to tell you though, that you will have to cut the Observers canopy again to get the opening panel to fold.  This is my attempt.

 

 

Go and take a butchers at Nick’s @85sqn Firefly, it’s a beaut..

 

Goodluck with you model.

[woody37]

Great start, always fancied getting one of these if I can without a mortgage so I'll be along for the ride

 

[Dunny]

6 hours ago, Grey Beema said:

Lovely job so far, and brave for cutting the canopy, especially the Observers canopy.

 

I did the SH Firefly MkI.  BPF DV119/S281 1770 NAS HMS Indefatigable.  It was flown by SLt P Stott, the only Firefly Aces.

 

I am afraid to tell you though, that you will have to cut the Observers canopy again to get the opening panel to fold.  This is my attempt.

 

 

Go and take a butchers at Nick’s @85sqn Firefly, it’s a beaut..

 

Goodluck with you model.

Thanks @Grey Beema - I hadn't picked up that fold! Will make one final cut (fingers crossed!)

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[Dunny]

10 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

Great progress Roger and great work.  I have the Grand Pheonix kit and replacement correct prop/spinner. It looks a very nice kit.  

Chris

Thanks Chris - be interested to see how the GP kit compares,

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[Dunny]

On 12/09/2020 at 19:30, 85sqn said:

Great stuff Roger, you've made a good choice with the kit👍

Thanks Nick - I'll be very happy if it turns out half as good as your brace!

[bigbadbadge]

9 hours ago, Dunny said:

Thanks Chris - be interested to see how the GP kit compares,

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

Hi Roger

The GP kit is the AZ models kit,  so could be related to the SH kit , although i am not sure.  I was looking at it again after seeing your thread and I located a 72nd scale SH Mk v Firefly and I have that lined up for a conversion to a T5 .  Now the Seahawk is finished i have a Cirrus Moth on the go along with a very modified 32nd scale Hobbyboss Spitfire Vb then I will start the conversion. 

Chris

[Dunny]

5 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Hi Roger

The GP kit is the AZ models kit,  so could be related to the SH kit , although i am not sure.  I was looking at it again after seeing your thread and I located a 72nd scale SH Mk v Firefly and I have that lined up for a conversion to a T5 .  Now the Seahawk is finished i have a Cirrus Moth on the go along with a very modified 32nd scale Hobbyboss Spitfire Vb then I will start the conversion. 

Chris

Chris,

 

Sounds good - will watch out with interest!

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[bigbadbadge]

1 hour ago, Dunny said:

Chris,

 

Sounds good - will watch out with interest!

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

Thanks Roger.  Not sure if I will do a WIP at mo, there is one for the Spitfire when I originally started but not really much interest so might just finish without continuing the WIp anyway.  

Chris

[Dunny]

5 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Thanks Roger.  Not sure if I will do a WIP at mo, there is one for the Spitfire when I originally started but not really much interest so might just finish without continuing the WIp anyway.  

Chris

Chris,

 

Just looked up your Spitfire WIP - it's lovely work and I'd encourage you to continue! Great job mate,

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[bigbadbadge]

21 minutes ago, Dunny said:

Chris,

 

Just looked up your Spitfire WIP - it's lovely work and I'd encourage you to continue! Great job mate,

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

Thanks Roger,  I appreciate that,  it has changed a bit now with all the wiring on the Srarboard cockpit wall and IP installed  and mojo is returning on this one.

Chris