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Here's my finished entry to this the Australia and New Zealand GB. Unsurprisingly, it's a Vulcan. What else do I even build these days? Now it's not just any old Vulcan, that wouldn't have much of a link to NZ or Australia aside from quite a number of visits, this is XH562 which was the victim of a RNZAF practical joke in 1972. As recalled by Crew Chief Bill Pearsey:

Quote

"The 'vandalism' was done at Ohakea. Even the station commander was involved. We threatened to fly under Sydney Harbour Bridge on the way back. We had arrived at Ohakea on the Monday; the following day we were taken on a trip to Roturua in a VIP Dakota. They were just removing the steps that they used to paint the kiwi as we arrived back in the evening. On the Wednesday we flew down to Christchurch. Some Yanks came to ask us how long us Kiwis had been operating Vulcans and my mate told them that 562 was the first of 94 that we were getting. Some months after I arrived back in Akrotiri I received a very large envalope containing a photo of a squadron of 9 Kiwi Vulcans flying over Ohakea control tower. It was definitely the best trip I ever did."

 

So here's my model, representing one aspect of the RNZAF's hospitality when it comes to hosting foreign guests. It's the 1:144 scale Great Wall Hobby Avro Vulcan B2, decals are from Printscale, Fündekal and some that I printed myself. Paints are a combination of Tamiya, Vallejo and Citadel. This is probably one of the least modified vulcan builds I've done. I only removed a few blisters, changed some of the ECM equipment and removed the RWR fairing from the tail. 

IMG_20210223_015544442_HDR~2

 

IMG_20210223_015654611~2

 

IMG_20210223_015603769

 

IMG_20210223_011111829_HDR

 

IMG_20210223_015544442_HDR~2

 

IMG_20210223_010840719_HDR

 

IMG_20210223_010906447_HDR

No trace remains of the X-Band Jammer that was previously on the tailcone. XH562 never had either version of this equipped. 

IMG_20210223_010912808

WIP thread here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Adam Poultney
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Cracking build, and a fantastic story to boot! I do enjoy hearing stories of friendly air forces tagging aircraft; I'd never heard this one before.

 

Great job on the kit, I've always fancied a Vulcan but never really had the space. Seeing more of the GWH kits makes me want to do one even more!

 

Daryl 

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Just to add to Adams Build theme, this is another Vulcan XM598, at an

Open day at RNZAF Base Ohakea (said Base of the Alleged Offending :D) unfortunately.

not (yet) wearing a Kiwi Roundel

 

OhG8115-73.t5e8623af.m800.xiF5eD3Wr.jpg

 

Thanks Adam, for sharing your Build/Model photos with us.

 

Regards

 

Alan

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1 hour ago, Darth Vader said:

Now that does look good. Ive seen so many Vulcans with iffy camouflage patterns but yours looks spot on. Great job on an unusual scheme

Thanks, I certainly hope I've got it nailed after painting it eight times. This one I think is my best one yet. The only thing I forgot is to mask so that the green of the camo doesn't cover any of the rear panel of the radome (the one behind the black one). 

I have the unfortunate predicament that I now know Vulcans well enough that I notice just about every mistake I see on them. It's somewhat irritating me that this build lacks the twin Skybolt blisters that XH562 had. I was thinking about adding them but decided it wasn't worth the effort. 

My Vulcan B1a's camouflage pattern is probably not quite right, good reference material for the top of camo B1as isn't easy to find online, and I'm not fully happy with the quality of the paintwork on this one so I might repaint it at some point

IMG_20210107_153801970~2

 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, swralph said:

Lovely build Adam.😀

thanks :)

2 hours ago, exdraken said:

Great Vulcan as usual :D

 

94 of them... that had been a tad many ... ;)

 

only 94? I'm going for 136. 

1 hour ago, TallBlondJohn said:

 

The Vulcan would have suited NZ - it had the range to find someone to bomb :devil:

they might have needed some Victor tankers too, unless they were only going to bomb some kangaroos and empty roads

1 hour ago, daryl_five_zero said:

Cracking build, and a fantastic story to boot! I do enjoy hearing stories of friendly air forces tagging aircraft; I'd never heard this one before.

 

Great job on the kit, I've always fancied a Vulcan but never really had the space. Seeing more of the GWH kits makes me want to do one even more!

 

Daryl 

The Aussies did it to a Valiant too, although that one was in Australia for quite a while, and the Canadians did it to a Victor which I found some photographs of a few months ago. 

 

1/144 Vulcans aren't that big, not compared to the truely huge 1/72 ones (can't wait to buy 5 or 6 of the new ones!). I've got a shelf with 10 1/144 V Bombers on and room for a few more. 

1 hour ago, LDSModeller said:

Just to add to Adams Build theme, this is another Vulcan XM598, at an

Open day at RNZAF Base Ohakea (said Base of the Alleged Offending :D) unfortunately.

not (yet) wearing a Kiwi Roundel

 

OhG8115-73.t5e8623af.m800.xiF5eD3Wr.jpg

great photo, not seen this one before. XM598 is of course now preserved at the RAF Museum Cosford. Not easiest Vulcan to photograph well in that hangar (that strange shaped building really does make the museum far too cramped).

Avro Vulcan

 

 

13 minutes ago, SAT69 said:

Great build and paint and the weathering on the bottom is very impressive.

Thanks, I'm rather pleased with the weathering underneath considering it was just over an hour from applying the wash to weathering done.

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9 hours ago, ColinChipmunkfan said:

Nice Vulcan Adam.  It is a shame there is not one still here.

Colin

it would be nice if they'd flown this one out there when it was retired, with its RNZAF graffiti.

7 hours ago, Vinnie said:

Very nice build, Adam. Good story to go with it.

thanks :)

5 hours ago, Team Aer Lingus said:

Another lovely looking Tin triangle Adam well done

 

thanks for sharing

 

Eamonn

Thanks :) might be the last one for a while, I'm finishing up a Buccaneer and will probably build a TSR2 soon as well

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3 minutes ago, binbrook87 said:

That's another superb Vulcan. I really do love the camo. Very neat. Do you use masking, blu tac sausages or something else?

I usually do use blue tack, but having had good results using masking tape cut to the camouflage pattern on another model recently, I used that on this Vulcan. It took a couple of days to do, but it was worth the results.

Edited by Adam Poultney
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3 minutes ago, Adam Poultney said:

I usually do use blue tack, but having had good results using masking tape cut to the camouflage pattern on another model recently, I used that on this Vulcan. It took a couple of days to do, but it was worth the results.

Wow... masking tape! You definitely need patience for that. The results have certainly paid off though 👍

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2 hours ago, binbrook87 said:

Wow... masking tape! You definitely need patience for that. The results have certainly paid off though 👍

certainly did, but I had a good TV show to binge a few episodes of while doing it.

ff66ff089f374a4dc8b3d9b5228529af.jpg

 

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I've met a number of enthusiasts since moving here nine years ago.... so many of them still remember the 'Ohakea Vulcan' it made a h*ll of an impact on the locals ! - Superb model, matey, like the others have said it 'just looks so right'.

 

 

Best from NZ.

 

Ian.

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29 minutes ago, binbrook87 said:

Have you bought shares in Tamiya tape? 😂 Much patience needed but great result! 👍

Maybe 😂 Probably should, given the amount people will need for the new 1:72 version

6 hours ago, Gary Brantley said:

Magnificent bird; magnificent model!   Great scale modeling in a very small package! :clap2: 

Thanks :)

4 hours ago, Paulaero said:

Very nice work, I take it you rate this kit then.....

It's pretty good, not perfectly accurate but I like it well enough. There's still no definitive kit of and of the V Bombers in 1:144, just some that range from bad to acceptable. 

41 minutes ago, Ian said:

I've met a number of enthusiasts since moving here nine years ago.... so many of them still remember the 'Ohakea Vulcan' it made a h*ll of an impact on the locals ! - Superb model, matey, like the others have said it 'just looks so right'.

 

 

Best from NZ.

 

Ian.

I imagine graffiting a vulcan isn't something you easily forget! 

And this isn't the only one. Quite a lot of ones that ended up as instructional airframes after retirement were graffitied by other squadrons; a B1a ended up with lightning squadron markings, and XL317 received some unique markings as well

https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/001129513.html

001129513.jpg

 

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