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


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5 minutes ago, STRAT'71 said:

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. 

Kit has it wrong, it's black. You need to also remove the raised square bit pre 1974

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I think a major problem with 558, or any attempt to get a Vulcan into the air is around the lifetime of spares and the cost of making new ones. Any spares made of a material that will deteriorate with age would probably be unusable by now. I know new parts can be made, but they are expensive and unlike a Spitfire, the Vulcan is a much larger and complicated beast. A couple of reasons given for the grounding of 558 centres around spares provision and also Rolls Royce (as design authority for the Olympus) being no longer willing to support the engine. 

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7 hours ago, Adam Poultney said:

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

 

XL426, Southend, 11 September.

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16 hours ago, Back in the Saddle said:

The guys at Southend are doing a great job with XL426 - I hope Airfix release this as a future kit variant at some point, especially as the aircraft is almost on their doorstep!

XL426 would be a great scheme to include! They could easily enough do two variations on the scheme with the preserved markings and VDF scheme. For the modern scheme, G-VJET reg and iirc it's got different sqn markings on each side of the tail(?), for the VDF scheme well you only need to change the sqn markings and leave the civvy reg off 

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So I've just been putting together the intakes (pictures to come later) and I'm not impressed by how much of a seam thhere is between the intake parts. Modern kits can have joints with practically no visible seams, why can't Airfix do this... Or make use of slide moulding.

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5 minutes ago, Adam Poultney said:

So I've just been putting together the intakes (pictures to come later) and I'm not impressed by how much of a seam thhere is between the intake parts. Modern kits can have joints with practically no visible seams, why can't Airfix do this... Or make use of slide moulding.

 Mine has very fine seams needing minimum cleaning up. There appears to be some variation between samples.

 On YouTube Nigel had issue but Flory didn’t.

Edited by STRAT'71
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Mine showed up yesterday at Kitlinx which is local so I don't have to cover shipping.

 

Not sure when I will get to it.  Hmmm, the US Nats is just over a week away.  I wonder...

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7 hours ago, Adam Poultney said:

XL426 would be a great scheme to include! They could easily enough do two variations on the scheme with the preserved markings and VDF scheme. For the modern scheme, G-VJET reg and iirc it's got different sqn markings on each side of the tail(?), for the VDF scheme well you only need to change the sqn markings and leave the civvy reg off 

 

426's current scheme does not feature the G-VJET lettering but, as you say, carries tributes to her service with 50 and 617 Squadrons.

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3 hours ago, XrayLima said:

 

426's current scheme does not feature the G-VJET lettering but, as you say, carries tributes to her service with 50 and 617 Squadrons.

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Oh good to see they got rid of the reg

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15 hours ago, Adam Poultney said:

I'm not impressed by how much of a seam thhere is between the intake parts.

I agree, I’m working away at mine but I’m still not happy with how they look…

 

10 hours ago, XrayLima said:

426's current scheme does not feature the G-VJET lettering but, as you say, carries tributes to her service with 50 and 617 Squadrons.

She’s looking much smarter than when I last her!


vul1.jpg

 

Note the tribute flypast lining up behind!

 

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Vulcan intake.


 

My seams are practically invisible.

I only glued the painted separate halves allowing the paint/glue to ouse out, and sanded smooth with Flory sticks.  
The supplied transfers are excellent and very thin. You have to take care to apply them before using any Microsol.

Edited by STRAT'71
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12 minutes ago, Biggles87 said:

That seems (seams?) like the right approach to take, I hope I can remember it for mine. What glue did you use please?

 

John

PS sorry for the highjack Adam

Tamiya Extra Thin.

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Well I got a little carried away just building the other night. Instead of putting up an update of my Vulcan's intakes I've got an update showing this:

IMG_20210807_161924

It's very Vulcan shaped... Vulcanoid?... now, the canopy and IFR probe are only added for the photos but the rest is fully assembled and waiting on seams bring dealt with. 

I've seen a few conflicting views on whether to install parts E38 and E39 when the instructions say or whether to install them in the intake inserts before they are glued in place, which would make seam work a little easier. So I decided to do one of each. Right one before the intakes were glued in, left one as per the instructions. I haven't yet dealt with seams and gaps on the left side so I'll post the results of that in the next build update.

 

IMG_20210807_161945

 

The main control surfaces are in a slightly deflected position downwards, very slight.

 

IMG_20210807_161918

Even looks good from the side, just looks so much better than any other Vulcan kit. The shape is just right. 

 

 

IMG_20210807_161828

Gaps around the first part of the jetpipes... The rearmost parts, which I was writing about the varied colours of earlier, will be painted seperately, from dryfitting it seems there isn't going to be any notable gap there.

 

IMG_20210807_161808

 

These intakes will definitely need new paint, it's worn down badly from the gap and seam work, the other side is going to be just as bad 😬

 

IMG_20210807_161819

Yet to be filled.

 

 

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So something which has been mentioned on @Back in the Saddle's brilliant thread, and I think is worth mentioning again here, is rather disappointing oversight from Airfix. The rather prominent retraction jacks from the crew door are missing.

IMG_20210808_222835

 

These are prominent enough that I bothered to add them to my 1/200 Vulcan B1a conversion earlier this year, even though working in that small size they are a little overscale.

IMG_20210408_010557896~2 PSX_20210408_144921

 

 

IMG_20210408_005541425~2

 

I'm quite surprised that Airfix missed this, considering how many museums regularly open up their Vulcans and how easy photographs of open Vulcan crew doors are to find. Here's some of my photos which show open crew doors:

 

XL360 - Midlands Air Museum

IMG_20200208_121339095_HDR

 

 

XH558 at Waddington Air Show one year

06072008_0020_Nikon

 

 

XM575 with the door open but the ladder folded up.

IMG_20210530_144347333_HDR

 

IMG_20210530_144343027_HDR

 

 

I was considering opening up the door on this model, but I'm not not sure what I'll do. I could add the retraction jacks easily enough I'm sure, but I'd want to get some good close up photos of them first. But I also wouldn't mind just having this one closed up, maybe think about having the white one open as if it were ready for its crew to board and start up, fly off and deliver its instant sunshine to some target in eastern Europe, especially since this one has one intake blanks like it's parked up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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On 8/5/2021 at 11:34 PM, Peter O said:

Any competent aircraft mechanic could just as easily work on a V-bomber given the proper tools, parts and technical information.

I think you misunderstood me, Peter. As a lifelong career engine/airframe maintainer (both civil and military) I agree with you entirely but what killed XH588 was the lack of resources at a deeper level. The people required to provide support to the aeroplane in BAE workshops, etc were apparently already past retirement and had extended just to keep XH588 flying. BAE would've had to train new people in the skills require to maintain the spares supply and eventually, cost won out.

 

Back to the subject at hand - this new Airfix moulding is looking like a kit I have to have!

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Sorry to interrupt this thread Adam but have some questions and you and the other chaps watching seem to be the ones to have the knowledge.

 

The more I think about my initial build the more I am leaning towards a white one and having just seen pics of them in the later full color roundels I am inclined to do a small dio of a QRA scramble.

My questions are which squadrons would have had the normal roundels and are there decals available?

I see the starter cart (accumulator) is available from Aircraft in Miniature.  Would they have been in RAF blue at that time?

How would the crew be delivered to the plane?  I am thinking of having them running to board but would they have been sitting in the plane on alert or close by or bussed in?  If the later, what kind of vehicle and is it available in 72nd?

Finally what would the pad look like?

 

I did find this thread from 2011 on Brit but lots of the links no longer work.

 

Also found this video:

 

And found this article:

https://avrovulcan.com/vulcan/quick-reaction-alert

 

Any further help greatly appreciated.

 

We now return you to your regularly scheduled topic.

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5 hours ago, philp said:

My questions are which squadrons would have had the normal roundels and are there decals available?

What do you mean? Vulcans carried three standard roundel types. 

 

 

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11 hours ago, Adam Poultney said:

I was considering opening up the door on this model, but I'm not not sure what I'll do. I could add the retraction jacks easily enough I'm sure, but I'd want to get some good close up photos of them first. But I also wouldn't mind just having this one closed up, maybe think about having the white one open as if it were ready for its crew to board and start up, fly off and deliver its instant sunshine to some target in eastern Europe, especially since this one has one intake blanks like it's parked up.

 

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6 hours ago, philp said:

My questions are which squadrons would have had the normal roundels and are there decals available?

 

Like Adam, I'm not quite understanding the question. Do you mean the difference between the pale anti-flash shades of roundels vs. Roundel Blue and Post Office Red? If so, no operational B2 in the overall white scheme wore RB/PO Red roundels, only a few early production ones involved in trials.

6 hours ago, philp said:

I see the starter cart (accumulator) is available from Aircraft in Miniature.  Would they have been in RAF blue at that time?

 

No. Whilst vehicles were specified to be painted in BS381C 633 RAF Blue Grey, ground support equipment (GSE) was specified to be painted BS381C 169 Traffic Blue. This link to the IWM website gives an idea of the two shades, compare the Land Rover and tractor with the Blue Steel handling trolley.

 

Regards,

 

Mark.

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On 05/08/2021 at 13:38, Adam Poultney said:

IMG_20210804_195424

 

The wheel wells are in

IMG_20210804_195435

Does anyone see a slight issue with the nose wheel well here? I just realised it's positioned too far back. With the fuselage sealed up and the nose on, I have no idea how I'm going to fix this. The landing gear certainly won't fit unless I do fix it.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to fix this short of cutting off the nose?

Edited by Adam Poultney
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