Frog 1/72nd scale Gloster Meteor F.4 RA444

[Team Aer Lingus]

Well I thought it was time for me to join the Guild of Gluemakers (TM) 😉 and was humming and hawing about what to go for like an Irish Seafire but the Meteor is  simple enough for my ham fisted skills.

 

RA444 was the first jet aircraft to visit the Republic of Ireland and spent five days at Collinstown flying up and down the country.  She was accompanied by a Dakota but I've never seen any pics of the Dak.

 

I know Xtradecal did this jet  in 1/48th scale but sadly it isn't featured on the 1/72nd sheet.  I will be  using a number of different sheets to model RA444

 

Any thoughts techniques information etc. please feel free to send them.  I actively encourage thread drift humour or nonsense as the idea is too have a laugh learn and develop my skills along the way 

 

Pics to follow 

 

Eamonn

Edited March 4, 2021 by Team Aer Lingus
bad grammar

[Team Aer Lingus]

 

 

An idea of what I've got to work with more to follow  I will be using the official Aer Rianta photos from the visit to help me and some more from the interweb 

 

regards

 

Eamonn

[bigbadbadge]

Looking forward to this Eamonn,  just bought an old Frog kit myself for a nostalgia trip.  Good luck with the build.  I love these old Frog kits.  

Chair suitably pulled up

Chris

[2996 Victor]

I'll pull up a chair, too, if I may! Never built a Frog kit (gasps!) but quite fancy a Meteor at some point!

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[Team Aer Lingus]

Ok guys as long as your happy with mediocre building tag along I hope to learn a little along the way.

 

There's very few parts so it shouldn't take too long 😉

 

Not sure about the type of bang seat the lump of plastic in the kit isn't great looking to be honest

 

Eamonn

[bigbadbadge]

16 minutes ago, 2996 Victor said:

I'll pull up a chair, too, if I may! Never built a Frog kit (gasps!) but quite fancy a Meteor at point!

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

Wash your mouth out with soap Mark !!! Your punishment is to visit the 2019 Frog squad group build archive a look though  all the builds, you will be converted after that!!!

 

[2996 Victor]

29 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Wash your mouth out with soap Mark !!! Your punishment is to visit the 2019 Frog squad group build archive a look though  all the builds, you will be converted after that!!!

 

 

Indeed I will!

 

[Marklo]

Me too. I’ve been  threatening to add a meteor to the collection for ages. Still I can live vicariously through yours

 

Edited March 4, 2021 by Marklo

[Team Aer Lingus]

According to Scalemates this kit was first introduced in 1970 similar vintage to me but it's in better nick 😉

[KevinK]

14 hours ago, Team Aer Lingus said:

Not sure about the type of bang seat the lump of plastic in the kit isn't great looking to be honest

 

No bang seat in the Meteor 4, just a seat. Ejection seats came in from the Meteor 8 onward.

[Team Aer Lingus]

Many Thanks Kevin that's good information I'm trawling for seat pics as I write hopefully get started later today 

 

Eamonn

[Team Aer Lingus]

Having reviewed the interweb & the excellent walkaround on here I shall be starting the build this evening.

 

If anyone has any tips or advice regarding the kit paint work or decals I'd be very happy to hear from you

 

Eamonn

[bigbadbadge]

HI Eamonn 

I would imagine that the decals will behave perfectly,  Frog decals are very good and still work well, the Novo ones on the other hand will shatter as soon as you introduce them to water!!!

Chris

[Team Aer Lingus]

Thanks Chris I've heard the Frog decals still work after all those years which is a testament to their quality.  Novo decals still give me the shivers as I grew up with them and their aversion to water 😉

 

I've a couple of Xtradecal & Modeldecal sheets to work from only thing missing is the Squadron nose badge,  but as i said not 110% accuracy on  this build as it's my first WIP 

 

Eamonn

[bigbadbadge]

There is a short build thread if this kit in the Frog Squad GB in the completed GB section under 2019 GBs. That shows a nice build of the kit. 

Well worth a look.

Chris

[Team Aer Lingus]

 

 

A start getting everything ready I've messed about with a sharpie round the cockpit following a legends great builds, just to see if I can actually do it.  When it's closed I don't think you will see too much which is good enough for me 😅

 

I will be putting a pilot in but need a little help with flightsuit colours for the late 1940's and advice on undercoat for NMF finishes using Tamiya paints

 

thanks for looking

 

Eamonn

1 hour ago, bigbadbadge said:

There is a short build thread if this kit in the Frog Squad GB in the completed GB section under 2019 GBs. That shows a nice build of the kit. 

Well worth a look.

Chris

Many thanks Chris Impressive finish on that model hoping mine turns out half as good.

 

Eamonn

[bigbadbadge]

Excellent,  good to see it started and great start too Eamonn.   

There are some amazing models in that GB and just shows what can be made from these fantastic old models.  

I am not sure what to suggest for your NMF  , I wonder if it might be worth doing some areas in black and leaving some areas and just doing top coats , I use enamels and use the hairy stick so always post shade. I did try Tamiya paints once but could not get on with them so have never used them since.

 

Chris

[Team Aer Lingus]

I'm told black is the way to go Chris so I will be trying that and see how I get on I can always strip it if it doesn't work so no harm done and keep trying until I get it right 

 

Eamonn

[stever219]

32 minutes ago, Team Aer Lingus said:

 

 

A start getting everything ready I've messed about with a sharpie round the cockpit following a legends great builds, just to see if I can actually do it.  When it's closed I don't think you will see too much which is good enough for me 😅

 

I will be putting a pilot in but need a little help with flightsuit colours for the late 1940's and advice on undercoat for NMF finishes using Tamiya paints

 

thanks for looking

 

Eamonn

Many thanks Chris Impressive finish on that model hoping mine turns out half as good.

 

Eamonn

RAF flying clothing in the immediate post war years was little different to wartime issue; I don’t think that Meteor IVs had provision for g-suits.  Overalls were generally a faded blue-grey, a slightly lightened Humbrol 96 or near equivalent might be a good place to start.  Life jackets (Mae West’s) we’re generally an orange yellow colour and helmets would be wartime leather style.

 

The finish for early RAF Meteors was High Speed Silver, an aluminium-pigmented pant; there would be very little bare metal visible anywhere apart from tailpipes and undercarriage oleos.  I know it’s not very exciting visually but it’s what it was.  The aeroplanes tended to be kept cleaner then as well; dirt is drag and no-one wanted to get caught out if some visiting brasshat carried out a surprise inspection.  The most grot you’d probably see would be around the blast tube muzzles if the guns had recently been fired and cockpit access steps/handholds and around the inner wing areas where access to engine and fuselage tank fillers was required.

 

Which Squadron was RA444 with?  I’ve some Modeldecal and Xtradecal sheets which might have appropriate squadron badges and markings on them that might fit your bill.  I still have my old FROG Meteor. IV wearing its out-of-the-box 263 Squadron markings and the decals still look fresh.

[Team Aer Lingus]

42 minutes ago, stever219 said:

RAF flying clothing in the immediate post war years was little different to wartime issue; I don’t think that Meteor IVs had provision for g-suits.  Overalls were generally a faded blue-grey, a slightly lightened Humbrol 96 or near equivalent might be a good place to start.  Life jackets (Mae West’s) we’re generally an orange yellow colour and helmets would be wartime leather style.

 

The finish for early RAF Meteors was High Speed Silver, an aluminium-pigmented pant; there would be very little bare metal visible anywhere apart from tailpipes and undercarriage oleos.  I know it’s not very exciting visually but it’s what it was.  The aeroplanes tended to be kept cleaner then as well; dirt is drag and no-one wanted to get caught out if some visiting brasshat carried out a surprise inspection.  The most grot you’d probably see would be around the blast tube muzzles if the guns had recently been fired and cockpit access steps/handholds and around the inner wing areas where access to engine and fuselage tank fillers was required.

 

Which Squadron was RA444 with?  I’ve some Modeldecal and Xtradecal sheets which might have appropriate squadron badges and markings on them that might fit your bill.  I still have my old FROG Meteor. IV wearing its out-of-the-box 263 Squadron markings and the decals still look fresh.

Hi Stever

 

Many thanks for your reply she was with 257 Sq @ Norwich.  The info regarding the overalls and the high speed finish is brilliant & much appreciated 

 

many thanks 

 

Eamonn

[Team Aer Lingus]

 

So it begins 😅 wish me luck

 

many thanks for all the advice and encouragement so far 

 

Eamonn

[bigbadbadge]

Good luck fella, although you won't need luck , you'll do fine.

Chris

[stever219]

Looking good so far Eamonn, but I hope you've not assembled the wings just yet; the intake ducts are also High Speed Silver back as far as the front spar.  I can't remember if FROG gave us "blanking plates" that include the wing leading edge where it crosses the duct and my example's in the loft.  If you've got a compass cutter and some thick plasticard you can make them up reasonably easily if they're not in the kit.

[Team Aer Lingus]

 

Quick update on work so far as you can see figure painting (ex skyvan pilot)  is not a strong point but he will not be well seen in the small space for him.

 

Thanks Steve I had seen some good pics of the engine space and used some paint and a sharpie on the kits engine blanks just to break up the dark areas not 100% accurate but again not a lot to be seen.

 

I think I may have made a schoolboy error and been better off building the kit before putting the undercoat on 

 

Onwards and upwards

 

Eamonn

[bigbadbadge]

I am the same when it comes to figure painting Eamonn.   Don't worry about the undercoat as one fuselage joined and the joints rubbed down a bit it may help as the area of the join will go grey and black areas left may indicate low areas, like a marker coat used on cars when spraying to show high and low areas.  

Great work fella

Chris