1/72nd British Aerospace EAP, Silver Cloud Resin. Finished

[Mr T]

With the decals on the MB3, it is time to start on my next entry for this Group Build and what a contrast! The Silver Cloud EAP was produced by Freightdog Models and is a resin kit with white metal undercarriage legs and some PE for missile fins aerials etc. The canopy is resin and clear instructions and colour guide is given all packed in a stout cardboard box. A decal sheet with the distinctive fin arrow and cheat lines is included as well as smaller items for the airframe and dummy missiles.  The mid-grey resin parts have good, if a little soft, recessed detail and the resin appears to be easy to work with. There were a few air bubbles and one wing tip was definitely a bit warped, but this was easily sorted with hot water and care. Unlike the Pegasus offering, this kit appears to be the right size and seems to capture the subtle shape of the composite wing well. The photos below show what you get in the box.

 

The Experimental Aircraft Programme (EAP)  was designed in the early 1980s as a demonstrator for a number of emerging new technologies including composite construction, full fly-by-wire and relaxed stability. It was never intended as a prototype for a new fighter, but a lot of design elements and concepts ended up in the Typhoon. Originally two aircraft were to be built, one in the UK and one in Germany and the Italians were also involved. The German and Italian governments withdrew support (although there was still input from industry, e.g. the Italians built one wing), but BAE and the UK Government continued the project. To reduce costs and also to replace parts that would have been built by the other two partners recourse was made to using off the shelf parts. The fin and rear fuselage were taken from the Tornado production lines. The engines were the RB199-104 used in the Tornado F.3 with the thrust reversers removed. The aircraft first flew from Warton on 8th August 1986 and appeared at that years Farnborough Airshow. (and I saw it). It flew until 1991 when it was loaned to Loughborough University for teaching purposes. In 2012, it was donated to the RAF Museum, Cosford where it is in illustrious company in the Flight Test Hanger.

References to help me build this kit are the walk round on Britmodeller, my own photos and two books, The Linewrights special published in 1986 by Bill Gunston and 'British Experimental Jet Aircraft 1941-1986' by Barrie Hygate published in 1990.

My first task on this build was to sort the missiles out as there were a lot of PE fins to attach to the resin bodies. The locations are shown but needed a bit more depth and so out came a pin vice and drill. At the same time I added the links to the u/c legs and the rudder pedals. The missiles are just aerodynamic shapes and are all one colour (white) which makes life a little easier.

Next up will be the two or three big bits of airframe. A test fit throws a potential fit problem, but I do not think it will be too difficult to sort out. 

Until the next time

 

Edited July 4, 2021 by Mr T

[LorenSharp]

This will be an interesting build. The wing shape reminds me of the F-16XL from the same time period. I'll tag along if its ok.

[Head in the clouds.]

I am in, This kit is in my stash so this build could become bit of a bible. Good subject too.

[Mr T]

I will do my best, I am juggling a couple of other builds at the moment and there will be a break of a week from next Saturday. So far it does not seem to bad. The rear fuselage looks to be a bit warped and so needs a bit of sorting. Hopefully something to put up by Monday. Looking at the kit, I think once the major components are together and joints sorted, the rest might be straightforward (famous last words). 

[Mjwomack]

2 hours ago, Mr T said:

what a contrast!

Definitely a case of, 'And now for something completely different'

 

2 hours ago, Mr T said:

A test fit throws a potential fit problem,

That certainly builds the suspense and will keep the ratings up on this build; looks really nice.

[zebra]

This has piqued my interest! My time as an aeronautical engineering student and then postgrad at Loughborough University overlapped with the EAP's time on loan to my department - I used to see it every day - so I'm finding the Combat Kits version of this kit very tempting. The only thing that's holding me back is a perverse desire to scratch build one in 1/48!

[bentwaters81tfw]

Having built the Pegasus offering, anything has to be an improvement.

[Mr T]

11 hours ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

Having built the Pegasus offering, anything has to be an improvement.

I also had that experience in about 1988. I think Chris Gannon bit off more than he could chew at the time. My memories of it revolve around trying to get the parts to fit together as there were large amounts of flash around the parts and the wing halves were different thicknesses. If you could get the rear fuselage together and squared up, you had a chance. I know a couple of people binned them in frustration. It was also under scale. I was pleased to have finished it, but was never entirely happy with it. 

The Silver Cloud kit has a lot more going for it, the front and rear fuselage join looks to need work on it, but it is a resin kit and each kit will be different. It also looks to be the right size. 

Still part of the attraction of modelling is problem solving and not having everything done for you. 

Edited May 1, 2021 by Mr T

[bentwaters81tfw]

The rear fuselage was horrendous. I think I had more scrap sprue and filler than kit plastic by the time I had finished. None of the parts were uniform thickness.

 

[Mjwomack]

2 hours ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

The rear fuselage was horrendous. I think I had more scrap sprue and filler than kit plastic by the time I had finished. None of the parts were uniform thickness.

But you've made a fine job of it, hold on I've missed something here haven't i🤐

[Head in the clouds.]

5 hours ago, Mjwomack said:

But you've made a fine job of it, hold on I've missed something here haven't i

@bentwaters81tfw is good but not that good...😆

[bentwaters81tfw]

I'm most hurt

[Mr T]

Gosh, looking at those photos it could almost be the real thing, oh, wait a minute....😉. I agree with you on the Pegasus fuselage, trying to get the two upper halves to fit together and then sit on the lower fuselage was a bit of a nightmare as nothing lined up. BTW, whatever happened to Chris Gannon, one minute he was winning everything at the Nats and then setting up Pegasus and then completely disappeared.

Back to the Silver Cloud kit. My upper fuselage has a bit of warp to it and so would not sit level with the one piece wing (the wing might have been wrong, but it is a big relatively thin casting and I did not want to mess around with it). A bit of hot water treatment made it a better, but not perfect kit. The instructions tell you to add the intakes first. This I have done and helps align the rear fuselage, but not sure how it will affect the forward fuselage. A test fit shows all is not completely well, but I will come back to it as I am going to paint the side consoles up and add the forward fuselage before putting the rest of the interior in to make handling and clean up easier. The rear fuselage and wing were clamped and then tack glued with cyanoacrylate. Once this was set I then added two part epoxy to the join. I often use this in resin models as I have found it fills gaps well and makes the joint much stronger than just superglue on its own.

Next up will be the forward fuselage, plus work on the 'bits'. You realise the EAP is about the same size as a Typhoon, but its shape is subtly different

Edited May 2, 2021 by Mr T

[Mr T]

Forward fuselage on and hopefully secured after it went on an unauthorised test flight on to our laminate dining room floor. Possibly as a result of the main fuselage piece being warped and requiring some correction the fit with the forward fuselage was difficult, and it took a bit of time and fettling to obtain  a fuselage that is relatively straight. Quite a bit of superglue, accelerator and epoxy resin is holding it all together. Still, Miliput was invented for a reason and should fill the gaps and given a bit more strength to the joint. As the nose and cockpit is all one piece of solid resin, there should be no need to worry about whether the model will stay on its undercarriage.

Once the fuselage and wing has had the joints sorted out, then the fin will go on and some other bumps and lumps will be added. The missiles are now awaiting a final coat of gloss white and the instrument panel and bang seat are being painted.

[Mr T]

After a week away on holiday, back to the EAP.  The airframe is virtually complete with the addition of the fin, missile pylons and a couple of other bits. Some of the fit of pylons etc is not brilliant, but that is what Miliput was invented for. I will add the instrument panel and bang seat now that most of the filling is out of the way. The filling around the nose and intake is down to me having to put the nose back on after an 'incident' involving the laminate dining room floor. Since the photo was taken I have put a first coat of primer, and it doesn't look as if there will be a lot more filling to do. Going to be interesting to compare it to the Typhoon I  built a few years back.

[Mr T]

After a bit of a break from posting, the EAP is getting very near the painting stage. The canopy caused some concern as it was resin and the rear and  piece and windscreen were slightly too wide at the bottom and needed pinching in to fit. UV setting Bostick proved to be the answer, and it didn't cloud the resin either. The filling process went on longer than I would have liked. The canards are going to be attached after painting as they will be just asking to be knocked off. I am in two minds about painting order. It is tempting to paint the Dark blue area first as it will take less masking and I think the pale blue I have will cover OK. 

[Mr T]

Paintwork on. Vallejo Model Air for the Pale Blue and Tamiya for the Dark blue. The colours used were apparently to FS595A, and by chance I had them both. After a coat of gloss varnish work has started on the decals  from the kit. I have gone with the aircraft as it appeared on its first flight, when it lacked the 'Skyflash' markings on the forward set of dummy missiles.

 

There will be a short break in the proceedings as we are away this weekend, but it will hopefully include a diversion via Coningsby on the way back on Monday as well as a drive by Cranwell

[Mr T]

Decalling done and bits added, and the EAP is finished. A bit of an issue with dislodging one of the decals on the tail fin, but soon sorted, if not as tidily as I would have liked.

The picture below shoes the EAP next to a Revell Typhoon I built some years back. Although they share a similar configuration, they are quite clearly different  aircraft.

[Head in the clouds.]

Very nice job indeed , they may not be the same but you can see the development linage.

[Mr T]

Yes, you can see the family likeness and also the bits of Tornado.