Jump to content

Airfix Buccaneer S. Mk. 2


David H

Recommended Posts

I assume it (the EDSG/white scheme) was phased out because of the Bucc’s SOP of mega low level toss-bombing.  RN Tooms arrived after Buccaneers had gone all grey, but they had white undersides.  I guess the thought was that you were pretty unlikely to be trying to spot a Buccaneer from below, but the white would have been pretty visible against the sea.

 

You’re making a lovely job of it, anyway.  I am taking notes on your techniques for spraying white, since I have 2 of the infamous Airfix 1/48 Buccaneers in my stash... and one will be an S1 in anti-flash white

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since i took the last round of photos, i found a couple of places on the model i wasn't satisfied with. Mainly the separatipn between the Grey and the White on the sides of the intakes and nose.

So, a little bit of repair work was in order...

Repair Layup 01

i wasn't happy with the way the demarcation angled up, and when more pictures came in to work from, i REALLY couldn't let it go.

Repair 06

i didn't take a picture of it specifically, but i found some seam rot on the centerline forward of the windscreen, so i sanded that area out, re-masked the waterline and re sprayed the entire upper front fuselage.

EDSG 12

I also ripped out the confused straw-basket-thatched-mess that i masked the intake throats with. I masked off around the outer intake lips and wet sanded the paint and over spray off them to prepare for the LP-11 silver that will come next.

 

There will probably be other little tweaks here and there to the paint scheme, but the front end was really where the worst places were. The model has sort of a semigloss eggshell finish to it and i'm thinking about going over it with sanding pads and applying another coat of Super Clear to make it smoother.

-d-

  • Like 11
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Painting of the Buccaneer continues. In today's episode of "Masking Tape Theatre"  i did the BLC slots, using Tamiya LP-11 Silver.

Leading Edges 04

I was slow and methodical in doing this. i started off with the starboard BLC slot inboard of the wing fold, which is only on the wing upper surface. I then moved next to the outer wing BLC slot (it wraps completely around the leading edge) and then finally, the slots on the horizontal stab. I then repeated the process on the port side. As you can probably guess there was much senseless and wanton wastage of various brands of specialty masking tapes. As far as i can figure out, the Buccaneer is the only plane i can think of which "blew" air over the horizontal tail. Probably a safety measure against "Pitch Up", which victimized every other aeroplane that had a T-tail at one time or other.

 

Leading Edges 05

Masking the leading edges requires good close-in vision and good lighting, because Airfix is not trying to re create a panel line, but an actual slot in the wing. On close inspection, it looks like a clumsy Matchbox panel line, but they are supposed to be there.

I need to emphasize the  "slow is fast, fast is slow" philosophy here. By focusing on only one slot at a time, i made far fewer errors. Any silver over-spray i found cleaned up easily with a Q-Tip and Novus #2 polishing compound. Toothpaste would probably also work too.

Leading Edges 02

Getting the slots painted now was also important because of the ARI 18218 aerial housings, which are mostly white, would have been a nightmare to mask around. I'll prime those, inspect for molding defects, and paint those up. Whether i do so while in situ on the wing i haven't decided yet. I left off the aileron actuator pushrods up to this point mainly to prevent them from getting snagged or whacked.

Leading Edges 06 Leading Edges 03 Leading Edges 01

There is a yellow BLC caution stripe, located just upstream of the flaperons. I might tackle that before to turn to painting the intake lips, which i'm sure is gonna be a drawn-out affair.

 

Until next time, thanks for shopping!

-d-

  • Like 17
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, TheyJammedKenny! said:

Beautiful!  Simply gorgeous work on this--with all the back-dating, you've created a new model!

i just hope that with all the backdates it winds up looking as good as a comparable Airfix model, built straight from the box and set next to it. A lot of models that are "fixed" don't look as good as if they were simply left alone.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, that's super nice.  But I saw that some of your masking tape was making contact with the bare metal leading edges, which caused me some trepidation.  Did you suffer any casualties there, or did you gloss-cote those areas first?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, TheyJammedKenny! said:

Ok, that's super nice.  But I saw that some of your masking tape was making contact with the bare metal leading edges, which caused me some trepidation.  Did you suffer any casualties there, or did you gloss-cote those areas first?

Kenny, no casualties to speak of really. The tape you see there is a German-made derivative of Tamiya tape which is less sticky.

 

The issues i had with the LP-11 are caused more by repeated handling or rubbing, which slowly wears the paint away.

I only had a minor issue with that (so far!) on the L/H wing leading edge. I handle my model with a nitrile glove, but in the course of repeated handling, the space between my thumb and index finger has rubbed the left leading edge a bit and wore a little paint away. But not much; you have to look for it.

 

I think eventually the leading edges will get clear-coated when i seal down the decals. What i have not yet decided, is if i will go back over them again with something brighter like the Mr Color Stainless.

 

One step at a time. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

 

-d-

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Navy Bird probably thinks i do too many updates......

 

Decaling has begun on the Buccaneer. In an homage to the late Dick Ward, i've chosen to drag these 1980s vintage Modeldecals out of the dungeon and put them to use.

Because....if not now, when??

Modeldecal number 57

I have chosen serial XN977 of 801 Squadron from late 1965.  Partly because it dates back roughly to my birth (1966), but also because modex 230 has actually been pretty well photographed. As of this morning i have the upper right-hand side decked out, and i finished with the requisite carpet-bombing strike of Mr Leveling Thinner over the Mr Super Clear UV Cut to seal down the decals.

decals 03

i included the above, rather cluttered photo to illustrate just how differently the Extra Dark Sea Grey can look, when you have only a single incandescent light bulb on your desk lamp, and you take pictures with an iPhone. Here's another photo taken against my conventional, knackered blue construction paper background...

decals 05

Some of my friends say the Bucc actually looks dark brown. I'm not sure if its an issue with their monitors or what but rest assured, i'm using Mr Color straight from the bottle.

Some observations about the decals themselves:

1) Considering that they date back to the Falklands War, the Modeldecals have performed extremely well. They have not yellowed, they did not crack up after dipping them in water, and they responded predictably to the Micro Scale decal system protocol. Given the large size of the decals, it might be better to cut the big XN977 and 230 into smaller pieces and apply them individually, though of course that would take longer. There are a lot of weird convex and concave curves right behind the radome and i was dubious as to whether the Modeldecals would work. After repeated attacks with Microsol, they did.

 

2) The opacity of the white printing on the Modeldecal is somewhat wanting; when applied over an extra dark sea grey base, the grey shows thru, giving the decals a somewhat "dingy" appearance. However, for what i want to do its okay for me. There are of course much newer offerings by Kits World, Print Scale and Xtradecal that probably have deeper background ink, though also with problematical levels of accuracy. Jus' sayin.

decals08

With respect to the decals Airfix provides in the kit, i'm just chuffed to bits. They are cleanly printed with excellent registration and have an absolute minimum of background film. The red centres of the Roundels are well, centred which can't always be said for these things. Airfix provides an exhaustive battery of stencils for this bird, the only frustration being that they're for an overall grey plane. Obviously for ones with a white underside, black stencils are required. Presently i'm trying to ascertain if the new RAF offering includes black stencils. It's worth pointing out that nobody else on the market comes close to offering a set of Buccaneer stencils this extensive.

 

Decals 80 and 81 are interesting; they are rather large ones that go over the skin covering the fuselage uppers- a lot like the big red Xes that are all over the back of a Sea Vixen. This decal laid down extremely well with only a trace of silvering that was easily fixed. The printing of the tiny detail on these stencils are really something to see...or perhaps, not see given my declining eyesight.

Now a problem i am having with some of the decals is, they are kind of gluey. Especially in the case of decal No. 53, my wastage rate is very high; they want to stick to the paintbrush, they want to wrap around the edge of the decal paper rather than slide off it, and once on the model they slide around only when you don't want them to. This is probably a direct result of having such minimal surrounding carrier film. I've had similar issues with Barracudacals and it might just be endemic to Cartograf's printing methods. For my eyesight, the tiny white stencils are very hard to see against the light blue backing paper, until the decal has been dipped in the water and the wet paper darkens up a bit.

decals 07

The original plan was to clear coat the underside of the right side as well, but i will put that on hold until i get a better idea as to what the New Airfix RAF Buccaneer boxing offers in way of decals for the underside.

ALSO, IMPORTANT NOTE (which is code for, i made a stupid mistake): delay installing part D2 (Pitot Boom assembly) and parts D50 and D51 (ARI 18218 aerial housings) until after decaling the underside. The Pitot Boom impinges over the port underside insignia and the 18218s come very close to the front edges of the big serial codes that go on the wing undersides. More room to maneuver decals is better than less.

So, next step i guess will be to decal the port side. As the Russian chess players like to say, "If in Doubt, Develop".

Thanks for Shopping. Keep your Knots up and your Powder dry.

  • Like 17
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That paint job is absolutely superb. I rather like S2's in this white/EDSG scheme, but then I rather like S2's in overall EDSG also! For that matter I rather like S1's too. You guessed it, I'm a Buccaneer nerd.........

 

Really impressive job you are doing here.

 

Terry

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Terry1954 said:

That paint job is absolutely superb. I rather like S2's in this white/EDSG scheme, but then I rather like S2's in overall EDSG also! For that matter I rather like S1's too. You guessed it, I'm a Buccaneer nerd.........

 

Really impressive job you are doing here.

 

Terry

Thanks Terry!

If you go back and look at my Tomcats, you will see a pattern emerging of my taste for clean, glossy, colourful paint schemes. I'd like to do another Bucc in overall extra dark sea grey, but i have to get my Trumpeter Wyvern off the Shelf of Doom first....

 

-d-

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excellent work with the decal application. I have a good selection of Model Decals. My in-laws lived in Fareham and we used to come down form Manchester to visit. Nine am our first call was Modetoys and a purchase and chat with the late Mike Silk.

 

Colin

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 23/02/2021 at 14:34, David H said:

Navy Bird probably thinks i do too many updates......

 

Nah, I like updates. That's one good lookin' Buccaneer you got there - you are a masking guru!    :)

 

Cheers,

Bill

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, general melchett said:

Great job -d-bot, all the work’s been worthwhile, that’s one good looking banana jet...I rather fancy an all-white S.1 myself at some point...(or maybe just settle on finishing my 1/24th S.2B before the onset of the next ice-age)

The S. Mk. 1..... the "Dog Whistle" Buccaneer?

Navy Bird did a beautiful one, from the CMK kit....

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, LorenSharp said:

Beautiful job on the Buccaneer David. I built the 1/48 Airfix version many years ago, but didn't tuen out as good as this.

The new 72 scale Buccaneer is SUCH an improvement over those which came before.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, David H said:

Navy Bird did a beautiful one, from the CMK kit....

 

Thanks. If anyone is interested, here it is. I fixed the wings after the RFI. Silly me.

 

Cheers,

Bill

 

PS. Actually, it was the Scale Resin kit, cast by CMR. I get confused between CMR and CMK - not sure how, or if, they're related. :drunk:

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Navy Bird said:

 

Thanks. If anyone is interested, here it is. I fixed the wings after the RFI. Silly me.

 

Cheers,

Bill

 

PS. Actually, it was the Scale Resin kit, cast by CMR. I get confused between CMR and CMK - not sure how, or if, they're related. :drunk:

yeah you're right. I get CMK and CMR mixed up....

 

-d-

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello to everybody at Britmodeller, and our troops serving abroad.

 

Time for a status update.

 

Decaling is winding down; just a few more stencils to go. Airfix decal Number 53 has given me fits, and i'm presently foraging for some replacements. However, i've decided to clear coat over the ones i *do* have on at the present moment and i'm pushing ahead. The white-bellied Buccaneers had many black servicing stencils on them, and i'm hoping to get my hands on the new Airfix S. Mk. 2B release*. From what i can determine, the underside ones are mostly printed in black.

As an observation, i've seen no other kit or aftermarket decal with a more extensive treatment of servicing stencils than the Airfix decal sheet. Modelers have made many snarky and derisive comments about the quality of Airfix decals in the past, but these have performed brilliantly. If you're looking for a place where they've upped their game by leaps and bounds, this would be one of those areas.

 

*The newer S. Mk 2B release also includes air brake cones without all that bothersome "Boilerplate" cast onto it, and i kind of need those for this S. Mk. 2C build.

63668791951__AE26CEC1-1A52-4CB8-B235-69ED9C756AD5

Notice that i masked off the brightwork, prior to applying the  GX-112.

 

Now this photo i took last night, just before i finished applying the "Buzz Numbers". Note the red anti-collision beacon. This is provided in the kit, and nests inside an aerofoil-shaped recess. Glued it in with Krystal-Kleer, and then rinsed away the excess glue with a wet paintbrush.

There are a few more things to go on the belly, but i'm holding off on installing those as long as i can. I will mask off the brightwork before i clear coat the undersides.

63669371086__6690D4F2-A26C-4BB7-845C-6356EA303301

I'm giving the Eduard Brassin wheels a try. They are painted with Mr Color 137 Tyre Black and Humbrol 156 ADC Gray (Filling in for Light Admiralty Grey which is away for the weekend with the kids). Incidentally, i thinned the Humbrol with Mr Leveling Thinner. I'd heard stories that people were using MLT to thin this stuff, so i'm doing some experimentation.

63669445063__18E5EB14-5E3D-4347-8D3B-798C5FB0342D

The Eduard masks worked pretty well, though it can be a bit harrowing to lay down and adjust them since they're cut to very tight tolerances. You don't really relax until after you apply the paint, remove them and see what you got. Any slight overspray should clean up nicely once i apply a wash to the "bead" around the tyre/wheel assembly.

 

Time to talk about the canopy. Painting the metal framing was pretty easy. I used my 4 layer technique of Mr Surfacer Black as a base coat, after which i applied my home-made aviation primer mix of Mr Base White 1000 tinted with Mr Color Interior Green. After letting it sit for 8 days, i next applied Mr Color Extra Dark Sea Grey and finished with Mr Super Clear UV Cut.

 

The Buccaneer canopy, like many other jets from its era, featured fibreglass/ phenolic resin/ composite reinforcement straps on the *inside* of the glass. I really wanted to depict this correctly but try as i might, i just wasn't able to maneuver the strips of masking tape accurately enough to make the sides parallel and uniform, especially the strap located mid-length that is swept back.

So, i punted and applied the framing to the exterior, using the Eduard canopy masks.

63668822353__EF03B2B2-3460-4962-9F2F-13E7E3186DA4

Now, for the most part the Eduard masks were accurately cut and lined up pretty well. However, try as i might, even with a sharp contrast and magnified vision when the masks were removed i was still left with areas where the whitish-tan ran over the frame lines and went where it wasn't supposed to go. Guess i'll have to re-mask and chisel away the excess. After the masking was removed, i went over the inside and outside with Novus No. 2 polishing compound, Q-Tips and a cotton T-Shirt. I also applied Malm's Concentrated Carnauba Wax to the insides of the canopy (for now) and polished that out with a Q-Tip.

63668819189__A7F87896-3200-4A5C-9293-AF0D6F756484

Airfix provides some "Cut Here for Emergency Rescue" decals that run around the periphery, so they remain to be added as well as the frame cleanup work i alluded to. So, more work to be done there.

63668795467__A961CD17-EE67-4ED9-BF63-91BEA7C3138D

I'm gonna cheat and use some very slender black pinstripe decal to represent the "slot" cut in the sheet metal for the canopy actuator, and i will drill a hole in the base for the IFR probe to install a small piece of re-enforcing wire for the probe installation. Some more work to be done there as well.

 

'Til next time- Your signal is Charlie.

 

-d-

  • Like 12
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...