1/48 Airfix TSR-2

[Pappy]

G'day Matt,

 

I wasn't going to mention this as it looked like you had already applied paint but the 'hump' transition on the upper fuselage is a little too stark, it should have a more gradual blend into the surrounding area. This issue is also manifest on the 1/72 kit but being a smaller scale is easier to sand and blend in. I am not sure what sort of appetite you have to remediate but since you will now be sanding the upper surfaces anyway this may be something to consider -or not, In any case please keep up the excellent work so that the rest of us numpties  can copy all the fixes (and avoid any pitfalls) when we get around to this kit,

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

[Back in the Saddle]

On 13/11/2021 at 21:50, Pappy said:

I wasn't going to mention this as it looked like you had already applied paint but the 'hump' transition on the upper fuselage is a little too stark, it should have a more gradual blend into the surrounding area. This issue is also manifest on the 1/72 kit but being a smaller scale is easier to sand and blend in. I am not sure what sort of appetite you have to remediate but since you will now be sanding the upper surfaces anyway this may be something to consider -or not, In any case please keep up the excellent work so that the rest of us numpties  can copy all the fixes (and avoid any pitfalls) when we get around to this kit,

Thanks Pappy. I think at this stage of the build I will just have to live with it...🙂

 

This build has been neglected for the whole of the winter, as I want to spray it using rattle cans and have been waiting for warmer weather! I think that moment could be nearly upon me, so I have returned to prepping the model. It was left with a poor finish, due to me spraying the paint too heavily last year and causing it to run. The excess was sanded back, but some of the surface detail was buried under paint:

 

 

No other option other than to re-scribe the affected areas! I read a top tip on this website regarding using dyno tape, so duly purchased some especially for this job. It has a good thickness to guide the scriber and is sticky enough not to slip:

 

 

A few minutes later and the panel lines were more uniform again:

 

 

I will give the model a gentle sanding and then hopefully get the paint applied on the next warm day.

[Back in the Saddle]

The warm day has finally arrived, gloss white was applied and final assembly is underway. First I attached the exhausts, then glued a tailplane into position using my Vulcan as a support to hold the piece at the correct angle:

 

 

The other tailplane and fin will follow, then it's just airbrakes and undercarriage to finish the build.👍

[DonH]

Looking good, if a little lopsided

 

Is it just me, but when I look at the TSR2, I see hints of Tornado and Jaguar hidden in there.

[Back in the Saddle]

On 17/05/2022 at 06:49, DonH said:

Looking good, if a little lopsided

Thanks Don and sorry for the delay - I wasn't ignoring you, I was ignoring the entire build!

 

Hopefully not so lopsided now a few more bits have been added:

 

 

The few remaining components are now getting some attention. The first challenge is removing them cleanly from the sprue - those attachment points are huge: 

 

 

The airbrakes need assembling too:

 

 

And I have no idea what these bits are for and cannot see these part numbers on the instructions either:

 

 

Hopefully a final push will see this one over the finishing line soon.👍

[Tinners]

I think they are bracing rods for the undercarriage wheel struts. They were added to XR220 due to the shimmying that Roland Beaumont experienced when he landed XR219 at the end of its first flight.

[Back in the Saddle]

On 15/08/2022 at 09:44, Tinners said:

I think they are bracing rods for the undercarriage wheel struts. They were added to XR220 due to the shimmying that Roland Beaumont experienced when he landed XR219 at the end of its first flight.

Thanks Tinners and apologies for the delay in replying… other builds have been stealing my attention!

 

As I’m building XR220, I will do some more research on these braces.👍

 

I think I’ve finished spraying all the remaining bits, so will get decals on next before adding all the fragile pieces!

[Back in the Saddle]

Just a quick update, as I've only managed a few small jobs on this model. This was the state of play a week ago:

 

 

I have painted the actuators for the airbrakes. Instead of Alclad, I cheated again and used a chrome pen:

 

 

These will be attached at the very end off the build, due to the likelihood of getting broken off!

 

I have also painted the wheel assemblies:

 

 

And started the decals:

 

 

These are not a strong point on the kit, being very brittle and fragmenting frequently. However, I am slowly beating them into submission!

[Back in the Saddle]

Over six months have passed, so I thought I should really resume work on this one! 😆

 

It was taken down from the shelf of doom and the dust removed... I decided to continue with the decals, as these are fair easier to fix before all the fragile bits get glued on!

First the gear doors had a few additions:

 

 

Followed by the nose:

 

 

And the underside:

 

 

These decals were quite brittle and the colour ran on some of the pink ones. However, they have added some good detail to the model. There has been a degree of silvering, but I'm hoping the varnish will hide most of this...

 

Time for final assembly! Here are the bits that currently need fixing onto the model:

 

 

The undercarriage doors were the first parts to get attached, ignoring the instructions which show them wide open... I believe this was from a museum example which had them open for exhibition purposes?

 

 

The bomb bay doors are just offered up to check the fit. I think I will glue these in the open position and expose the bomb bay.

 

Some painting is required next, to complete the nose gear lights. Then I'll add a few more bits to the model - it's getting there!

[Back in the Saddle]

Nothing for seven months then two updates come along on the same day...!! 🚌

 

Due to non-stop rain today, I never managed any spraying. I did however have an enjoyable few minutes though gluing more bits into place - airbrakes and bomb bay doors:

 

 

The doors are just tacked on at the front, due them being a bit bent... Once the fronts have set, I will persuade the back ends into the correct position and glue those too!

 

Getting closer...!

[Back in the Saddle]

Almost done!

The main gear bogies and remaining undercarriage doors were attached:

 

 

One of the inaccuracies of this kit is the main gear - it is splayed out far too much, as can be seen in this shot:

 

 

The tailplanes were also re-attached after an unfortunate 'dropping' incident about a year ago:

 

 

And the canopy unmasked. There was a significant amount of paint seepage:

 

 

Some work with a cocktail stick and thinners helped remove the excess, then it was time for a Flory wash:

 

 

 

At least 99% of this will be removed. The aircraft was not in use for that long, so probably did not get overly grubby. However, I suspect a pristine white finish was not representative either!

 

A final picture, showing the diagonal bracing strut mentioned by @Tinners previously in this thread, added to XR220 to dampen undercarriage vibrations:

 

 

Talking of undercarriage vibrations, this video might be of interest, showing a firm landing during the testing phase:

 

 

Once the model is cleaned up I have two more bits to glue on, then it will be the RFI!

[GrahamS]

Looking good!

 

I think you’re going to need to reinforce the main undercarriage joint - mine looked okay for a short time but quickly began to sag. A metal pin (a paper lip I think) sorted it on my second build.

 

Graham

[Zephyr91]

18 hours ago, Back in the Saddle said:

alking of undercarriage vibrations, this video might be of interest, showing a firm landing during the testing phase:

Excellent video clip.  I winced when I saw the landing ....... ouch! 

 

Bit of background in support of the need for the bracing.   Earlier in my career at Warton I did a lot of simulation and calculation work for undercarriage loads on EAP and Typhoon and although we didn't retain any data from TSR2 (and it was well before my time), that aircraft's problems were well known to us.  In fact we did unearth a video taken during the investigation to try and understand and then sort the vibration problems.  The camera was placed in the u/c bay looking downwards and during landings you could see the u/c leg bending back and forth rather alarmingly - despite looking quite chunky it was relatively delicate for such a large aircraft.  It wasn't a "traditional" shimmy (think unruly supermarket trolley wheels), rather it was fore/aft leg bending triggered by the wheel spin-up drag forces on touchdown.     Unfortunately, the video was misplaced again.  If I recall correctly the frequency of vibration was quite low (8-10Hz) and hence very uncomfortable for aircrew to experience.  I seem to remember that eyeballs could be particularly affected as they are prone to resonate in that frequency range 🤔    

 

Hope that wasn't too boring.

 

Cheers

 

Rob

[GrahamS]

1 hour ago, Zephyr91 said:

Excellent video clip.  I winced when I saw the landing ....... ouch! 

 

Bit of background in support of the need for the bracing.   Earlier in my career at Warton I did a lot of simulation and calculation work for undercarriage loads on EAP and Typhoon and although we didn't retain any data from TSR2 (and it was well before my time), that aircraft's problems were well known to us.  In fact we did unearth a video taken during the investigation to try and understand and then sort the vibration problems.  The camera was placed in the u/c bay looking downwards and during landings you could see the u/c leg bending back and forth rather alarmingly - despite looking quite chunky it was relatively delicate for such a large aircraft.  It wasn't a "traditional" shimmy (think unruly supermarket trolley wheels), rather it was fore/aft leg bending triggered by the wheel spin-up drag forces on touchdown.     Unfortunately, the video was misplaced again.  If I recall correctly the frequency of vibration was quite low (8-10Hz) and hence very uncomfortable for aircrew to experience.  I seem to remember that eyeballs could be particularly affected as they are prone to resonate in that frequency range 🤔    

 

Hope that wasn't too boring.

 

Cheers

 

Rob

Rob

if you go about five minutes into this clip, is it the film you’re thinking of?

 

Graham

[Zephyr91]

10 minutes ago, GrahamS said:

f you go about five minutes into this clip, is it the film you’re thinking of?

Brilliant.  I think there was more than that available, but yes!!   Beamont even confirms my memory of the eyeball resonance.   The undercarriage excited modes of vibration that transmitted through the airframe and (again from memory) I think theer was a fuselage mode around that frequency as well - which is what he would have felt.

 

Thanks for sharing that.

 

Sorry for the diversion Matt, but we nerds need a fix now and then!!

 

Not my era of modelling, but a subject dear to my heart for its industry heritage significance and engineering "lessons learnt". 

 

Excellent build of an awsome aeroplane.  Looking forward to the final bits coming together.

 

cheers

 

Rob

[Back in the Saddle]

2 hours ago, Zephyr91 said:

Sorry for the diversion Matt

These diversions are most welcome, my inner nerd is thoroughly enjoying learning more about the history of this beast!

 

Removing the Flory is very much a WIP and I will hopefully post an update soon. Suffice to say, removing it from a satin finish is far harder than removing it from a gloss finish! However it is gradually returning back to a cleaner condition, albeit taking much more effort than expected!

[Martian]

She's looking great. Don't worry too much about the excess undercarriage splay, she still looks the part. The fix is very complicated and long winded and I am in two minds as to whether I will repeat the exercise when I build this kit again.

 

Martian 👽

[Back in the Saddle]

On 08/05/2023 at 18:26, Martian said:

She's looking great. Don't worry too much about the excess undercarriage splay, she still looks the part. The fix is very complicated and long winded and I am in two minds as to whether I will repeat the exercise when I build this kit again.

Thanks Martian, I'm hoping the splay won't be too noticeable...👍

 

In other news, the Flory wash has finally been removed. Some Tamiya fine polishing compound was used to remove the more stubborn stains...😉

 

A few pictures showing the process, starting with the filthy stage:

 

 

I then removed the worse of the this dirt, leaving just a few areas that needed additional scrubbing:

 

 

Moist cotton buds (and the polishing compound!) finally left it looking like this:

 

 

Hopefully appropriately dirty in areas around the panels and in the recesses, but suitably clean in all other areas? I couldn't find any decent reference photos showing the aircraft whilst it was in use, so much of this is guesswork...

 

The same process, showing the nose before cleaning:

 

 

Note the SLUF in the background, which is part of a current GB and a fun little kit to build!

 

Finally a photo of the nose once the Flory had been removed:

 

 

The whole aircraft has been cleaned, a bit more Flory added and removed in a few areas, then the final aerial and probe were added. I also had to re-attach the tailplane for a third time, having knocked it off again...! 

 

It is now finished! Hopefully I will get the RFI done soon...🤞

[Back in the Saddle]

This model is done (although I will be re-visiting the undercarriage at some point to make improvements!).

 

Here is a belated link to the RFI:

 

Thanks for the help, support and banter along the way!

[PeterB]

Looks good to me Matt.

I remember having to do a little surgery on the undercarriage of my 1/72 version to reduce the "splay" on the main legs - not sure which kit came first but it seems both large and small versions have the same problem.

 

Pete

[Back in the Saddle]

1 hour ago, PeterB said:

Looks good to me Matt.

I remember having to do a little surgery on the undercarriage of my 1/72 version to reduce the "splay" on the main legs - not sure which kit came first but it seems both large and small versions have the same problem.

Thanks Pete. I think removing the bogies and fixing new metal axles at right angles to the ground (not the strut) will improve things immensely.

[Zephyr91]

On 19/05/2023 at 13:53, Back in the Saddle said:

(although I will be re-visiting the undercarriage at some point to make improvements!)

I suppose, rather than a difficult looking fix (no problem to you I'm sure), you could just say it happened due to the heavy landing shown in the video above!   

 

looks great

 

Rob

[PeterB]

46 minutes ago, Back in the Saddle said:

Thanks Pete. I think removing the bogies and fixing new metal axles at right angles to the ground (not the strut) will improve things immensely.

I seem to recall that I had read a review which highlighted the problem and that on my 1/72 build I cut away part of the upper leg and maybe fuselage to allow the legs to go on with less of an angle. That automatically corrected the sit of the bogies

I guess it is a bit too late for you to do that now so adjusting the bogies is the only option.

 

Pete

[SouthViper]

51 minutes ago, PeterB said:

I seem to recall that I had read a review which highlighted the problem and that on my 1/72 build I cut away part of the upper leg and maybe fuselage to allow the legs to go on with less of an angle. That automatically corrected the sit of the bogies

I guess it is a bit too late for you to do that now so adjusting the bogies is the only option.

 

Pete

Smart guy PeterB, I liked your solution and I will try the same way.

Thanks 

SouthViper 

[PeterB]

1 hour ago, SouthViper said:

Smart guy PeterB, I liked your solution and I will try the same way.

Thanks 

SouthViper 

Can't take any credit having  read about it in a review as I said. Bit nerve racking and you have to make sure you don't take too much off, but it does work.

 

Later!

Actually, I think this may be where I read about the legs, here on Brit Modeller not actually a review. I actually adjusted both the legs and the kit bay wall - it does not take too much! Navy Bird was using a replacement resin bay unlike me!

 

Very long thread and full of info.

 

Pete

 

Edited May 22 by PeterB