New Tool Vulcan B2 - "rivet counted" build X2 - second build now active

[Adam Poultney]

The cockpit is more or less ready to seal up now.

 

 

All that work and this is exactly how much of it will be visible.....

 

 

If you've followed any of my Britmodeller threads since October, you'll know that gliding often features in them. Well this weekend I have done pretty much nothing but gliding and finally, after 103 flights in my logbook, have done my first solo flight. 103 is a fitting number because this glider, which I have done about 75% of my flights in, is a Grob 103A Twin II Acro. The Twin II often gets called a Twin Pig due to its somewhat unpolished handling compared to the more popular K21, but I like the way this one flies.

My first solo was really good, 26 minutes of soaring in thermic conditions. The launch and landing were nice and smooth as well. Can't wait to get back to Cranwell next weekend and go up again

 

 

 

[Hook]

4 hours ago, Adam Poultney said:

 

All that work and this is exactly how much of it will be visible.....

You'll know it's there. Lovely progress!

[Back in the Saddle]

Congratulations on your first solo! 🥳

[Adam Poultney]

2 minutes ago, Back in the Saddle said:

Congratulations on your first solo! 🥳

Thanks can't waitfor next weekend so i can get back up again

[Paulaero]

Nice one on the solo ,

 

I did mine on the Viking at RAF Syerston in 1986 and my claim to fame is going solo on the Day of Prince Andrew's wedding......

 

 

 

 

[Paulaero]

oopps wrong thread

[Paulaero]

On 15/10/2021 at 10:59, Dave Swindell said:

Hi Adam

As this is a rivet counting thread, hope you don't mind me picking up on something I've just spotted and you don't appear to have commented on - the Blue Steel insert in the new kit omits the missile cooling system NACA intake and exhaust vent on the starboard side of the bomb bay, and the vent depicted on the port side aft should in fact be in a mirror position on the starboard side. The original tooling had all 3 items correctly positioned if a little soft in rendering.  These features aren't easy to spot in photos, I've found several as per Airfix original release, but I've not found a photo of a Blue Steel Vulcan where I can positively say the fairing is as per the new kit.

https://www.militaryimages.net/media/avro-vulcan-with-blue-steel-missile.17270/full?d=1521491454

https://en.missilery.info/files/m/blue_steel/vulcan_b2_blue_steel_alex_christie.jpg

 

 

That's a great picture Dave , it just looks  COLD.....

[Adam Poultney]

On 09/08/2022 at 11:16, Paulaero said:

Nice one on the solo ,

 

I did mine on the Viking at RAF Syerston in 1986 and my claim to fame is going solo on the Day of Prince Andrew's wedding......

 

 

 

 

The Viking is of course just a Grob Twin II Acro with roundels, so the very same as NU2 which I just went solo in, down to the reinforced spar for aerobatics. 

[Adam Poultney]

Quick update today, getting the cockpit sealed. It is very important to make sure the surfaces which will be in contact are smooth and clean, otherwise the tight tolerances of the kit will be an issue later on. I had the same issue as the first build with the seats not sitting right, and confirmed it by dry fitting up to adding the canopy. This time I fixed it before it got to an awkward point to do so, the attachment tabs just need sanding down in every dimension a little to fit right. 

 

 

 

Remembering to add the rear crew's windows, I then added the second half of the cockpit and taped it to keep everything tight while the glue sets. 

I also added the nose cone. As I'm building an anti flash white Vulcan, I need the part for a smooth nose and no ifr probe. White schemes were phased out before the TFR mod was started, remembering that the mod was initially only for the fittings for the TFR and had a blanking plate in place until the tfr was fitted, there is no part in the kit that is correct for a white Vulcan with a IFR probe. The best you can do is use the part for a TFR mod Vulcan with ifr, but TFR not fitted and then sand smooth the blanking plate, fill the gaps and rescribe the panel lines smooth like this nose tip. This Vulcan though will have no IFR so this part from the kit is OK.

Something for etch manufacturers to note is that many Vulcan B2s had the hole for an IFR probe cut and a blanking plate added over it in the factory, in anticipation that IFR would be fitted at a later date. I might add this to this build at I believe it would be correct for XL385.

You can see a rather nasty seam around the nose cone. This does not correlate to a real panel line, and as with my first build of this kit I will spend far too long removing it entirely. 

 

 

 

 

[Adam Poultney]

With the cockpit now sealed up, I've begun to work on the internal structure of the model. At this point I am planning to have the bomb bay shut, hence the parts will remain unpainted.

 

At the same time I've begun the fun process of eliminating the seams around the nose. Lots of Mr Surfacer and sanding to begin with

 

 

 

[Biggles87]

I envy you the gliding, that looks like a nice machine. In my days ( early’60s to mid’70s ) it was T21s, T31s and the occasional Prefect.

 

John

 

[Adam Poultney]

1 hour ago, Biggles87 said:

I envy you the gliding, that looks like a nice machine. In my days ( early’60s to mid’70s ) it was T21s, T31s and the occasional Prefect.

 

John

 

We have a disassembled Slingsby Prefect (not airworthy) in our hangar. Its trailer fell apart.... Very rare birds now, apparently only about a dozen flying

[Adam Poultney]

I've begun to mark the various lumps and bumps that need removing for this airframe in its early days. 

 

 

 

XL385, as with all XL serial Vulcans with the exception of XL391, lacked any of the hardpoints intended for carrying Skybolt Missiles. I covered which ones these are earlier in the thread. 

The wings of XL360 and XL319 are about as good a reference for XL385 as it can get on a surviving Vulcan now. These Vulcans too had no skybolt hardpoints. XL318, XL361 and XL426 are the same if those are more easily accessible for you. 

 

 

 

The red covers for the anti collision lights should also be removed as the planned scheme predates their addition. The anti icing blisters are also to be removed as XL385 was built without these, having Olympus 201s initially and not being refitted with 301s until after the point at which I'm modelling her. The square doppler radar panel also was added long after XL385 burned up so it too is going to be removed. 

 

I then noticed that this blister is not moulded in the kit. I'm unsure what exactly this was, and it appears as if it was added at some point rather than built as is. This warrants further investigation, I will check photos of comparable Vulcans from that era and see if I need to add it. 

 

 

 

 

[Adam Poultney]

First wing suitably modified

 

 

[amos brierley]

Hello everyone.          Rivet counting - what’s new - Key Publication: The Ultimate Guide To The Avro Vulcan - Southend Vulcan back under cover - new photos for me.

 

This is new in on the shelves of Tesco’s, and, other well known stockists. NICE, VERY NICE. It’s well stocked with useful photos, many not previously readily available. 
BTW Adam don’t look at page 79. 😬  it’s that photo you don’t like to see.

 

Also in at Tesco is the latest edition, September, FlyPast, this article reporting of XL426 being moved from external storage to back under cover.

 

I often hoover up negatives and photos, all get enlarged to a suitable size for better viewing ie: spotting extra details, I’ve not printed off negatives and so on for a little while , like busses this is the third instalment of my Vulcan fix today.

 

Thanks for looking.       😉

 

 

 

[Adam Poultney]

Might have to go to tesco in a bit... except Hinckley tesco is a right pain to get to at the moment because of road closures. Worth the trip me thinks

[Adam Poultney]

On 28/07/2021 at 13:13, Adam Poultney said:

A bunch of useful reference material for vulcan wheel wells:

 

You can see on XJ823 (top) there are three silver squares, these are painted over on XM594. I also found some images of XM655's wheel wells and these agree with XM594.

 

 

A bird's nest which needs to be evicted. Don't include this on a model! 

 

 

Nose gear wheel well with anti-bird netting:

 

 

Soon to be built for this model, wheel wells. Here are the reference photos I posted for the previous build

[Fritag]

On 8/8/2022 at 11:53 AM, Adam Poultney said:

have done my first solo flight

 

Brilliant, Adam.  A day to be remembered. Congrats.

[Bell209]

On 8/8/2022 at 8:53 PM, Adam Poultney said:

The Twin II often gets called a Twin Pig

Why? I quite like the Grob. It's single version is not quite so nice for taller pilots like me but I do like the 103. I did a five hour flight by myself in one just after I soloed.

 

Very nice work on the Vulcan so far - such a shame it'll all disappear behind those tiny windows!

[XrayLima]

On 15/08/2022 at 20:05, Adam Poultney said:

II then noticed that this blister is not moulded in the kit. I'm unsure what exactly this was, and it appears as if it was added at some point rather than built as is. This warrants further investigation, I will check photos of comparable Vulcans from that era and see if I need to add it. 

 

Apologies if I'm late to the party on this. The blister is extant on 426 too. I'm told that it covers the alternator on No4 engine, which is mounted differently to the other engines.