Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 My other attempt for this GB will be the Airfix Fokker F-27 converted to a Laser Airborne Depth Sounding aircraft operated on behalf of the Royal Australian Navy. I will again be using a Hamilton Hobbies conversion as well as some replacement white metal under carriage legs Decals are from Southern Sky this time around From Wiki The Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS) Flight was a unit of the Royal Australian Navy. Unlike the rest of the flying units of the RAN, it was not controlled by the Fleet Air Arm from HMAS Albatross (NSW), but instead fell under the operational control of the Australian Hydrographic Service at HMAS Cairns (QLD), providing a platform for the operation of the laser airborne depth sounder system. in 2009 the F-27 was replaced by a DHC Dash 8 which operated until 2019. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 Another interesting build, off to go see what this LADS stuff is all about ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janneman36 Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 I have seen this one and photographed it in the Netherlands in 2010 and after this visit I was able to make some pictures again a few months later in Egypt at Sharm el Sheik...didn’t expected it there but it was on the way back to Australia It was then already in Fugro colors.. My picture😉 cheers, Jan 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROBOT Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 Most interesting. Love a fokker f 27!! Will be watching closely! Oli🤗👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob S Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 Will be watching this one too as saw this in Cairns a number of times. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 Great stuff Ray I haven't seen this Airfix classic being built for a long time. Best of luck. Cheers Pat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 Hi Ray Are you planning on starting your Fokker now your Washington is finished ? Cheers Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted April 22, 2021 Author Share Posted April 22, 2021 Pat, I am not sure, I am working on a Halifax at the moment but came across the F-27 in the cupboard this arvo. So maybe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted May 1, 2021 Author Share Posted May 1, 2021 With some time on my hands now I spent a few hours this morning making a start on the F27. The conversion includes parts missing from the Airfix kit like intake scoops and a couple of fairings at the rear of the horizontal stabs. You also get a replacement tail fillet, MLG legs and wheels (copies of the ESCI kit parts) and the fuselage plugs to make the -200 into a -500. The parts were separated from their pour blocks and cleaned up I also have white metal gear legs which are also copies of the ESCI which I will use instead of the resin parts It was then time to do the surgery on the fuselage making the cuts and removing the undersized tail fillet My preferred method is to use Dymo label tape to mark the line, scribe a line as a guide for a razor saw and then to finish off making the cuts with the saw. I glued each subassembly together and then started to connect the parts Some putty added, which was sanded Which was sanded and round two of putty going on, this time also puttying the cabin windows as they are undersized and I will be using decals anyway. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted May 2, 2021 Author Share Posted May 2, 2021 On to the white metal gear, I had to modify the mount holes of to take the ESCI part copies I also got the flying surfaces assembled And initial sanding priming and refilling done, I also added the rear door. I'll add the nose and front door once I figure out how much nose weight is required. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 Great work Ray I always admire anyone, ballsy enough to cut their model in half let alone into thirds ! Cheers Pat 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted May 2, 2021 Author Share Posted May 2, 2021 Thanks Pat, Pretty much ops normal for me these days. So I jumped ahead a little this arvo, most of the sanding a filling and the the major assembly done bar the nose cone. I also added the resin intakes down the back on both sides which replaced the moulded on one in on the kit. Now to figure how much nose weight required... about this much I left the front entry door and nose cone off to allow it all to go in. Now to fit the nose which is way over size and has the wrong profile if you build OOB. I started another F27 kit soon after the last issue was released which has been a primary fixture one shelf of doom for some time (well 11 years in fact). Here is the stalled build with my current one, I hope to finish it along with this one now. One thing that did bug me were the overly thick pitot probes on the wings, so they will be replaced with some tube on both F27s. Here is a shot of how much the nose can be brought down to correct the shape as the retooled nose plastic is so thick (picture from my older build). 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 (edited) 8 hours ago, Romeo Alpha Yankee said: Here is a shot of how much the nose can be brought down to correct the shape as the retooled nose plastic is so thick (picture from my older build). WOW Would you look at that schnoz ! What a nose and well done on correcting it. Edited May 2, 2021 by Corsairfoxfouruncle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 The nose has gone on the F27-500, all I can say is what were the tooling guys thinking! Such a mess (again). After a little time with putty, files and sandpaper it becomes presentable. And then I added the LADs specific fittings 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted May 6, 2021 Share Posted May 6, 2021 That is looking good Ray, I'm looking forward to seeing this progressing. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted May 6, 2021 Author Share Posted May 6, 2021 Cheers Steve, Time for some antennas, I grabbed a couple of towel rails from the spares box (Ex-C-130) and modified to suit Added a couple of HF wire posts to the forward fuselage and installed more bits and pieces underneath which all needs a clean up once the paint sets 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray S Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 It is amazing how different this looks with the two plug extensions and a proper nose! I was also surprised at how few rivets there are on this old Airfix kit, when rivets were the 'norm'. All the best, Ray 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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