Plastic Bonsai Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 (edited) Hi. i hope I can join in with this. As a lucky recipient of the new Airfix 1/72 Buccaneer S2B for my birthday and a phobia of paint jobs it would seem ideal that I at least try to actually finish a model for the first time in 4 years with an easy paint scheme (I hope). Some added nagging on here would be welcome if I seem to be slacking. The model has all the bits for the Gulf War missions but I'm not sure if the included grey scheme would back-date to the Gulf War scheme so I've just got a sheet of half a dozen schemes which should suffice, Pictures to follow when I've figured out how to do it these days, Oh and "Usherette"? I did hear reports at the time that that's what the crews called themselves, initially; venturing out into the dark and shining a light for the Tornadoes to drop their laser guided bombs. I aim to do the early configuration with the sidewinder for self-defense/offence before they were allowed to fly much deeper into Iraq after designating for the Tornadoes to drop their own LGB's to great effect. Edited February 6, 2021 by Plastic Bonsai Grammer 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 Welcome along and good luck with your build. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 Excellent, @Plastic Bonsai, another Buccaneer! Count yourself lucky with the new Airfix kit, it looks like a considerable advance on the vintage Matchbox 1974 kit that I'm working on. But as the Revell rebox it does come with Gulf decals, "Miss Jolly Roger". Does your sheet come with the various nose-art decorations? Looking forward to seeing what you're up to 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastic Bonsai Posted February 7, 2021 Author Share Posted February 7, 2021 (edited) Thank you thank you. At the moment I'm absorbing the plethora of information on this site for the Bucc. I'm not sure the cockpit needs much adding that can be seen. 20210204_155344 by John Bradley, on Flickr I only have a little time available each day to work in the model so progress will be in tiny steps. At least with this model you don't have to complete the cockpit first.. 20210204_155849 by John Bradley, on Flickr Ah the Matchbox Buccaneer! I had one when it first came out and it did several years service on my work desk as a motion visualization model - at least that's what I told everyone. I read recently that Matchbox were considering doing a UK Phantom in 1/32 but went for the Sea Venom instead. What were they thinking? They should have gone for the Buccaneer. Edited February 7, 2021 by Plastic Bonsai 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 3 hours ago, Plastic Bonsai said: They should have gone for the Buccaneer. Or done all three!! I had the Sea Venom in a bag for a few years and thought about doing it from time to time. But last year I passed it on to a great BM builder, Johnny "the Spadgent", who was looking for one. He did an absolutely fantastic job with it..... It makes an epic model in the right hands. So yes, a Buccaneer in the same range would be the business, wouldn't it ⁉️ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastic Bonsai Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 Here are the kit's decals and the set I bought especially. Plenty to choose from. Looking at Rob's thread (doing sterling work there) I see the aircraft did not carry a drop tank on the missions and opted for a bare pylon. I read this after I put the holes in for one. Oh well a bit of battle damage won't go a-miss. I do have one shot of a Buccaneer being prepped for an early mission but it only showed the starboard side. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 A good start and plenty of inspiration here:- https://dstorm.eu/pages/en/gb/bucc.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 1 hour ago, Plastic Bonsai said: Here are the kit's decals and the set I bought especially. Oooooh...... Spoilt for choice there!! Nice to see some of the other artworks being featured Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastic Bonsai Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 (edited) Thanks Jabba they look great. There is a second sheet of these schemes so most should be covered. And it has to be this one.. At the end of this build I may have enough bits left over to enhance a Matchbox/Revell Buccaneer. Anyway further to the operational picture above is the airbrake generally open or not? Edited February 8, 2021 by Plastic Bonsai Choice and info request. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Buysse Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 Ah, cool. The new Buccaneer is out then. I've had a couple of them reserved for me at my local kit seller since last summer. I look forward to seeing this one being built. Cheers, Stefan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pappy Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 On 2/8/2021 at 7:52 PM, Plastic Bonsai said: Here are the kit's decals and the set I bought especially. Plenty to choose from. Looking at Rob's thread (doing sterling work there) I see the aircraft did not carry a drop tank on the missions and opted for a bare pylon. I read this after I put the holes in for one. Oh well a bit of battle damage won't go a-miss. I do have one shot of a Buccaneer being prepped for an early mission but it only showed the starboard side. Did you mean the port sidde perhaps? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastic Bonsai Posted February 11, 2021 Author Share Posted February 11, 2021 43 minutes ago, Pappy said: Did you mean the port sidde perhaps? Yes sorry. Starboard side to the viewer:). I always have to spin the instructions round to align with models as I get it wrong so easily. I think the only addition I need to make is the chaff and flare dispenser boxes around the tail hook. The kit has the Operation Pulsator fit under the nozzles but I'm thinking they might be in there - there are several bits and pieces from the S2C kit and I can't see Airfix wanting to do a third option on the molds for this one item unless they have a sprue for the Sea Eagle/Martel fit waiting to be used.... and the buddy pack. The range of the Buccaneer was phenomenal due to it's exceptionally low drag. When they were trialing the Tornado to replace them for the Sea Eagle mission the RAF sent a Boscombe F2 to fly a sortie with them. After half an hour the Tornado had to call it needed to turn back as it was running low on fuel (to be fair it didn't help that the Buccaneer cruised 100 knots faster than the Tornado.) One of the Buccaneers rolled out in front of him and reeled out a refueling hose from the buddy pack fitted amongst the full war load and offered him a top up. It was refused so the Buccaneers carried on to Iceland and back and the F2 went home. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 48 minutes ago, Plastic Bonsai said: I think the only addition I need to make is the chaff and flare dispenser boxes around the tail hook. The kit has the Operation Pulsator fit under the nozzles but I'm thinking they might be in there - there are several bits and pieces from the S2C kit and I can't see Airfix wanting to do a third option on the molds for this one item unless they have a sprue for the Sea Eagle/Martel fit waiting to be used.... and the buddy pack. The newer flare dispensers are there on the new extra sprue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 13 hours ago, Plastic Bonsai said: so the Buccaneers carried on to Iceland and back and the F2 went home. That's a great yarn!! The more I find out about these planes the more I like them! 🤩 Carrier operations, ultra low level, rotating bay, laser designatin', going slow so the Tornadoes can keep up with them, flying art gallery, "blown wings"..... This plane is the Business! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastic Bonsai Posted February 11, 2021 Author Share Posted February 11, 2021 20 minutes ago, rob Lyttle said: This plane is the Business! Sadly now was. Anyway as Jabba said the hook comes with the chaff and flare box in this issue and the extra scab on dispensers though I am confused that the instructions show only to use hook box and a single dispenser on the sidewinder pylon for both the Pulsator version and the grey pirate versions whilst it still has the locations showing under the nacelles for what was the Pulsator fit and 2 dispensers on the sprue,. Anyway more than happy I can do the Gulf War fit with no effort. Sorry for the random picture sizing and orientation. Flickr seems to be lacking some basic controls. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastic Bonsai Posted February 11, 2021 Author Share Posted February 11, 2021 Anyway a little real progress. Engine mid-section and undercarriage bay - still have a final prominent pipe to add. I didn't have the instructions grey but went with something similar - it would be so weathered anyway it wont' matter. As many have noted the fit is clever and excellent though I think I should do a little to the gap on the bomb bay door. The photo doesn't show it well but on the engine exhaust pipe I have gone for a bronzed steel look using a bronzed lacquer on the Mig Oil Brush steel colour. I just wanted to mention how much I like the Mig Oil brush paints - they go on like a dream.. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted February 12, 2021 Share Posted February 12, 2021 Looks an intricate and well designed area. I guess that it has exact mounts for these parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastic Bonsai Posted February 12, 2021 Author Share Posted February 12, 2021 The internals have been studied carefully and go together well. It's easy to accidentally not glue the parts. There are even 2 sets on the wing joint braces, only differing in a little surface detail you see when the wing fold doors are missed off that was common after the mid 70s. Brough had to trial the removal of the wing fold doors. They found their removal made no discernable difference though the test pilot got into a bit of trouble for his humerous flight test report about it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastic Bonsai Posted February 14, 2021 Author Share Posted February 14, 2021 A "merry" hour decaling the cockpit, I could only get this one in focus unlike my eyes for a couple of hours afterwards. Intakes on - hopefully the right way up. Fuselage top on and upper wing surfaces. The excessive pegging is just to ensure all the joins are well made - the fit is excellent but there are a lot of touching parts on this bit. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Coming together very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastic Bonsai Posted February 16, 2021 Author Share Posted February 16, 2021 (edited) Well sort of. Rear end and tailplane on. The fin cap fit is a little off compared to most of the fit of parts. The rear body join and nozzle fairings have had a wipe of white stuff and hopefully will not need much more than that. I attached the wrong hook well but I broke the end off and managed to got the chaff and flare bit on instead. I also am stuck with the airbrake open option as I managed to use the wrong petals on the closed option- next time mark the bits you aren't using! All this without finishing the cockpit first.. I normally get away with leaving the seats out and add at the end which is rarely happening these days, but the fit looks a bit tricky on this one so I have to finish the seats next. Edited February 16, 2021 by Plastic Bonsai 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastic Bonsai Posted February 20, 2021 Author Share Posted February 20, 2021 (edited) OK so I lied... I was a bit stumped by the seats (more on that momentarily) and they did seem to slide in so I put the nose together (with a healthy snippings of lead sheet and plastacine in the radome) and stuck it on the fuselage. I had two goes but I haven't got it lined up and there is a step to remove both sides. I think the arrangement of having the rear cockpit bulkhead act as the key to fitting the two parts together might be the issue or just I'm cack-handed.. Now the seats. The ones supplied are the early model. Later ones had the large fibre glass pack behind the pilots shoulders so... ...the Phantom seat from the new Airfix kit has the right seat cushion arrangement and nicer straps. I toyed with the idea of a straight swap but I like most of the Bucc seat detail - though the top canopy breakers need thinning - so I've cut off the top half of the seat and inserted the Phantom seat cushions. I've roughly modified one and it looks promising. I don't normally sweat it this much but I once built two 1/32 F4 seats for the 70's Revell kit and it seems to have left me with a bit of a fetish about this seat type. Or maybe I should get out more. Edited April 17, 2021 by Plastic Bonsai Seat info 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastic Bonsai Posted February 22, 2021 Author Share Posted February 22, 2021 Anyway 4th time is the charm hopefully. Nose is on for the last time. The intake shrouds fitted OK on top but not quite so well underneath. Added the airbrake which also needs a smidge of filler. At least everything is Bucc shaped at last. I can now work on the seats and have sessions of sand and fill at the same time. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desert falcon Posted February 22, 2021 Share Posted February 22, 2021 Coming together nicely, nothing a little filler can’t fix I guess 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastic Bonsai Posted February 22, 2021 Author Share Posted February 22, 2021 (edited) I've had worse but I keep wondering why I am having problems when a lot of it goes together so well. One outer wing fitted perfectly but the other needed some fettling to fit acceptably. Thankfully I don't mind sanding and filling at all. Edited February 23, 2021 by Plastic Bonsai 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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