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

[Adam Poultney]

27 minutes ago, STRAT'71 said:

Are you going to pin wash the panel lines?

The ones I have seen with this just don’t look right, including Airfix’s demos.

I'm going to go for a similar level of weathering as my build of XH562 in 1:144 scale (not as accurate as this one due to the limitations of the GWH kit). I think the problem with Airfix's ones are they they used a wash that's far too dark for the size of panel line, and also didn't correctly eliminate the nose cone seam which really throws off the look. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Back in the Saddle]

26 minutes ago, Adam Poultney said:

I think the problem with Airfix's ones are they they used a wash that's far too dark for the size of panel line, and also didn't correctly eliminate the nose cone seam which really throws off the look.

100% agree. A more subtle panel line wash and removal of that particular seam would improve the appearance of the model dramatically.

[STRAT'71]

42 minutes ago, Back in the Saddle said:

100% agree. A more subtle panel line wash and removal of that particular seam would improve the appearance of the model dramatically.

What colour wash is best for white?

[Hook]

1 hour ago, STRAT'71 said:

What colour wash is best for white?

I tend to go with light grey.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Back in the Saddle]

I tend to go a couple of shades darker than the area you are washing.

 

Light grey should work for the white undersides. Something a little darker on the topsides, but not black - that will be too harsh.

[STRAT'71]

I did a wash using MIG Ammo Storm Grey, but it didn’t appeal to me.

I over-sprayed with a thinned down white to subdue it.

I actually think pre-shading without the panel washes gives the best effect. I should have stopped at that. The plain panel lines are evident enough.

[Adam Poultney]

 

 

Wheel wells built and painted. They came out a bit darker than intended, but it's underneath so not the end of the world. 

 

 

[Adam Poultney]

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:

 

The whole XJ823, which I visited on my way back from Scotland the other day:

 

Actually why not have a bunch of pictures of different Vulcans I've seen:

 

XM594, Newark Air Museum

 

XJ824, IWM Duxford

 

XH558, RAF Waddington Airshow 2014

 

XL319, NELSAM

 

XM598, RAF Museum Cosford

 

XL360, Midland Air Museum

 

XM575, East Midlands Aeropark

 

XM607, RAF Waddington. This one was removed from display today, I think the RAF may have actually learned from the scrapping of the Marham Victor (XH673) so it's having XM607 restored in a hangar across the airfield. No doubt it'll be back outside once it's done though... It would be nice if there was an adjacent site with a Falkands War oriented museum, bring in a harrier or two, bunch of other aircraft from that time, build a hangar, and that could be a great little museum. Only problem would be who would be funding it..........

 

XL318, RAF Museum London. By far the hardest Vulcan to get a decent photo of. It's in a corner, this angle is the only good one easily accessible, but the nose is slightly blocked. The lighting is awful and uneven in there, hence the terrible quality photo. Why can't the RAF museum just put a little more thought into the positioning of its exhibits....

 

 

 

 

 

[72modeler]

@Adam Poultney,

 

Thanks for sharing the great Vulcan pics! What a magnificent beast! (My pre-ordered kit is supposedly on its way- can't wait to see it!)

Mike

 

BTW- following your build and taking notes! FWIW,  the aircraft  on display outdoors at Lackland AB here where I live all have wire mesh screening over intakes, cowling fronts, and exhausts; and almost all have the wheel bay openings skinned over with aluminum to keep all the nasty Texas critters out- your wheel bay photos reminded me!)

 

[amos brierley]

Hello everyone.                        Adding to the rivet counting details.

 

Some years ago I was researching another modelling project, but this photo has snook into my collection.  XH563 looking very sorry. 
 

 

And the research subject was E.E Lightning F6 XR718, in a farmer’s field at Over-Dinsdale N.York’s.

 

Some of the details mentioned so far, and some not. 
XM594’s nose section showing the refuelling probe lights, a static port, and of course some wiper bump stops.  Also some protrudsions near the static ports, and a square access panel.

 

 

And some lumps and bumps around the engine nacelles at RAF Cosford. (Ignore the wires that are visible bottom right as they’re for the TV screen in the bomb bay.)

 

 

Thanks for looking.       😉

[FZ6]

This is a really informative thread and probably the go to place as a starting point for anyone building the Vulcan. Mine hasn't stayed on the sprues for long.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[Biggles87]

Looks like someone forgot to rub down the seams and fit the canopy properly in that nose shot!

 

[stever219]

On 7/27/2021 at 12:23 PM, STRAT'71 said:

What colour wash is best for white?

White!  Or at most something around a 2H pencil line, application Ed lightly.

[Gondor44]

Talking about colours, what colour Blue is a practice Blue Steel?

 

Gondor

[Space Ranger]

4 hours ago, Biggles87 said:

Looks like someone forgot to rub down the seams and fit the canopy properly in that nose shot!

 

Another case of life imitating modeling.

[Jeff G]

Always love reading through the extensive research you put into your builds. Passion for the hobby is contagious! If there was something smaller than rivets to count, you’d do it!

[Adam Poultney]

I've spent a while looking at Vulcan jetpipes, I believe the inside should be bare metal, which became darkened and weathered as the engines were used. The exterior I believe to be painted, as evidenced by the variation in colour. I am fairly certain this was the same on 200 series and 300 series engines.

 

I found this image of an Olympus 202 jetpipe being restored, I assume during XH558's restoration to flight which appears to confirm this: paint has clearly been removed from the exterior and one interior part looks like it has not been painted.

link

 

My photo of XM594's Olympus 301 jetpipes in July 2020 shows, aside from being quite dirty, that they are painted silver with a worn interior

 

 

XM575 has very dark (gloss black?) jetpipes, as of East Midlands Aeropark reopening, its repaint was almost complete at this point.

 

Side note: looks like an X Band Jammer has been removed from XM575's ECM bay doors, but this Vulcan didn't have one so I suspect these are replacements from another aircraft. I could be wrong and it could be nothing; it would be unusual for a museum to bother with this, XM612 at Norwich has an incorrect ECM bay door fitted which is a replacement from another aircraft which didn't have an X Band Jammer. XH558 has one with a jammer fitted, which is incorrect for that aircraft, perhaps they should swap... if anyone cares about 558 anymore.

 

And the jetpipe covers which I wish they'd included in the kit. If I want them I could probably make some, but aftermarket ones would be nice.

 

 

More dark jetpipes from XM603 at Woodford in August last year. 

 

And a decent shot of the air oil separator pipes

 

Unfortunately I don't have many photos of the insides of a shiny new unused Vulcan jetpipe, or many at all. They're not exactly very easy to photograph

 

So, well these are a little too shiny. I bought a Molotow chrome marker from Amazon (which they delivered to the wrong house 🙄), and applied it to these parts. As satisfying as these shiny parts are, I'll need to tone them down and dirty them up.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 4, 2021 by Adam Poultney

[XrayLima]

The 201 end caps are double skinned. The inner skin is bare metal, due to the temperature at which it runs. (The JPT probes around the circumference are just visible.) The outer surface is painted.

The engines on 426 are run regularly so this is representative of 'in service' colouring.

 

It is normal for exhaust blanks to be fitted if intake ones are fitted.

 

 

[Bell209]

7 hours ago, Adam Poultney said:

if anyone cares about 558 anymore.

I do! Such a shame it's rarely heard about nowadays. I do hope they can continue to keep her taxying about. Unfortunately, multi-engined aeroplanes are just too expensive to keep flying forever and diminishing maintenance skill sets mean we're unlikely to ever see a Vulcan fly again..

[Adam Poultney]

8 hours ago, Bell209 said:

I do! Such a shame it's rarely heard about nowadays. I do hope they can continue to keep her taxying about. Unfortunately, multi-engined aeroplanes are just too expensive to keep flying forever and diminishing maintenance skill sets mean we're unlikely to ever see a Vulcan fly again..

Yeah I gave up hope of seeing her fly to a more suitable location a while ago... Hopefully I can see one of them taxi again at some point though

 

[Adam Poultney]

 

The wheel wells are in

 

I had some issues with the upper half not fitting correctly, the parts were slightly warped and I didn't catch it in dry fitting because it's difficult to accurately dryfit such large parts with so little contact area. I'll have to deal with this later. I've since taped everything together to see how the cockpit fits, the good news is that the cockpit will go on just fine, the bad news is that gap on the upper right is going to cause a problem. I just can't get it to stay closed, I'll figure something out though.

 

 

 

I have also now decided to put in the intake blanks on this model. Some useful reference photos from XJ823 and XL360:

 

 

 

 

 

You can see that only a little of the white is actually visible when the intake blanks are in place. What I don't have is a decent picture of the lower surface of the intake, so I have a vague plan to visit my nearest Vulcan (XL360), which conviniently has intake blanks fitted and get a really long selfie stick, put my phone on it and get a photo of what I need, if the museum is ok with using a really long selfie stick around their Vulcan. Vague plan, if I can't find what I need elsewhere. Might just go anyway as it's been a while since I visited, and I didn't get good photos of a few of the aircraft

 

 

[Adam Poultney]

So if you try to use the kit's intake templates, they won't line up. across the two halves... I think they got the top and bottom ones mixed up. 

I'd love to see these replaced with decent masking tape ones in the next boxing of the kit

[Peter O]

10 hours ago, Bell209 said:

I do! Such a shame it's rarely heard about nowadays. I do hope they can continue to keep her taxying about. Unfortunately, multi-engined aeroplanes are just too expensive to keep flying forever and diminishing maintenance skill sets mean we're unlikely to ever see a Vulcan fly again..

As a former Strategic Air Command KC-135 and FB-111 maintainer, I can't let the "diminishing maintenance skill sets" remark pass without comment. There are many hurdles to operating former military aircraft, but maintenance skills are not one of them, and I doubt that they played any role in grounding 588. Any competent aircraft mechanic could just as easily work on a V-bomber given the proper tools, parts and technical information. Many of the KC-135s I maintained 45 years ago are still in the inventory today.

 

To get back to modeling, I'm still waiting for the Vulcan to arrive on this side of the pond. This thread will be a great help in building her! In the meantime, I've started my Victor K.2 which, of course, will be XH669, "zapped" with a SAC Milky Way sash in Pittsburgh.

Edited August 5, 2021 by Peter O

[BLACK_MAMBA]

4 hours ago, Peter O said:

As a former Strategic Air Command KC-135 and FB-111 maintainer, I can't let the "diminishing maintenance skill sets" remark pass without comment. There are many hurdles to operating former military aircraft, but maintenance skills are not one of them, and I doubt that they played any role in grounding 588. Any competent aircraft mechanic could just as easily work on a V-bomber given the proper tools, parts and technical information. Many of the KC-135s I maintained 45 years ago are still in the inventory today.

As far as I understood things it was air frame fatigue (that was already extended ~ 2013 to fly till 2015 with remade parts), engines and other spares shortages that grounded 558 instead of the lack of technical expertise. Probably the usual case of "we have lots of spares, except of the things we actually need".

[STRAT'71]

Can anyone advise me of the colour of the panel behind the left main undercarriage on the early white Vulcan B2?

The kit has it in light brown but I thought it was black. The old kit has it in black.