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Heather's Workbench - SH 1/72nd Blackburn Skua


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I’m feeling a bit of group build burnout, so I’ve decided to start a couple of builds of kits that have been occupying the stash for some time. Both, obviously, fit my 1940 remit, and both will probably be a fairly slow burn.
 

First up, a final Fleet Air Arm build - until I can get a Fairey Sea Fox, Gloster Sea Gladiator and possibly a floatplane Swordfish - is the Blackburn Skua MkII from Special Hobby.

 

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Ages ago, I built the Roc turret fighter from SH, and this kit shares many similarities. This boxing dates from 2009, and offers three aircraft that took part in the attack on the Scharnhorst in July 1940. I may dig around and see if there are other aircraft I might choose, but one of the three in the box will probably be quite adequate.

 

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Typical SH family instructions. I’ve already made notes on colour callouts, and I will go over the runner trees with a fine felt tip to number the parts.


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Three runners of pale grey plastic form most of the parts. Some fine flash is evident, and some care tidying up feed points will be needed.

 

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The clear parts are a single piece canopy, so no chance of having the clamshell open for the observer, plus two landing light covers. A small PE fret for cockpit fittings, belts and engine detail. The engine is resin, and every inlet and exhaust pipe is separate. :frantic:


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Transfers by AviPrint. I may be tempted to try cutting my own stencils and painting the markings, now I have the Silhouette. 

 

So, that’s what’s in the box. I’m not sure quite when I shall make a start on construction, but it won’t be too long. While my day job work is still busy, I am getting styrene and plastic cement fumes withdrawal symptoms!

 

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1 minute ago, Beard said:

I'll follow too, if that's alright, I have one of these in the stash and need some tips on how to build it.


Well, if the Roc is any guide, suitable offerings to the styrene, PU and PE gods, throw various adhesives in the box, shake and hope. 
 

If memory serves, the worst part was the PE support struts for the engine exhaust ring. I couldn’t get it to fit, and ended up butchering things to make it work. Apart from that, and the fiddly small parts - many of which will never be seen again - it’s not a bad kit. Not for the beginner, but okay for the experienced plastic mangler.

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There is a site you should refer to:-

 

https://dingeraviation.net//skuaroc/modelling_the_blackburn_skua.htm

 

As a a heads up, there should be no floor or seat in the TAGs compartment.  Seat was a strap suspended across the space, harness that a strap to the lower structure of the aircraft,  foot rests I think came from the rear bulkhead.

 

Also there was no floor under the fuel tanks, they rested on the roof of the bomb recess which btw should not have rounded corners.  Of course I found this out after having completed mine in 1/48.

 

Good luck..

 

 

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25 minutes ago, Grey Beema said:

There is a site you should refer to:-


Excellent resource. Thank you. I dimly recall finding that site when researching the Roc. It does appear SH corrected some of the errors they made in the 1/48th kit when they cut the 1/72nd mould. That doesn’t mean it’s all plain sailing, though.

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Nice!  I really like the Skua.  I can still remember assembling the Frog/Novo version at the age of six or seven.  Sitting on the floor and turning the canopy this way and that...  Trying to choose which direction did not look wholly un-aerodynamic.  :)

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 12/10/2021 at 18:08, dogsbody said:

I'm here! I gotta see this build.


Chris, I apologise for the tardy build. Here we are at the end of the month, and what have I to show for it? Well, I’ve been busy with life and the day job, and frankly my heart's not been interested in model aircraft at all. Yes, I’ve been doing research, and acquiring more for the stash, but fettling tiny bits of styrene and PE - nope. Nothing doing. Well, I did say it would be a slow burn, but I didn’t mean quite this slow!

 

So, here we are on a wet and windy Sunday and I decide to make a start.

 

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First up, exercising the editorial red pencil. Things I have crossed through in the instructions are errors on SH's part. The poor old TAG in the back wasn’t given the luxury of a proper cushion and backrest. He was afforded a padded bench, and not even a safety belt. So, leaving the seat cushions out - and the erroneous bulkhead, leaves…

 

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… an empty floor and a pair of fuel tanks that aren’t even the right shape. This is going well so far. What else?

 

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Peering closely at my Roc build, I decided the rudder bar, compass and seat height adjustment lever can easily be left out. You can’t see them, even in the cavernous space of a Blackburn cockpit.
 

(I’ve since glued the rudder bar and compass on, but no way am I bothering with the PE foot loops. I’ve served my time attaching microscopic parts to kit internals only for them never to be seen again. Life's a bit too short, especially at seventy-tooth scale.)

 

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This amuses me. I know, I know, it’s short-run. It’s what we expect. Somehow, the two parts forming the base of the rear gun mounting are to be joined together. No idea of how they’re meant to do that, and no real attempt made by the mould toolmaker to give any locating surfaces or hints. Any clues from further on in the instructions?


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Hmm, not really. It all sort of depends on how it fits together with the rear of the cockpit, doesn’t it. I mean, what do these short-run chaps have against location pins and slots anyway?
 

You know, my heart's still not in this. I will let glue set, and perhaps throw some paint at what I’ve done so far. Then, I fear, it’s back in the box for a bit. Perhaps I’ll feel more like it another day. 

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Alright. I went away for a bit, read through Bill's @Navy Bird Skua WIP, and felt a bit better about things.

 

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My takeaway from Bill's build was to fix the cockpit parts into the fuselage to get them align properly. Well, here we are. There’s PE, paint retouching and the instrument panel to go in, but the cockpit looks okay. I replaced the kit tank filler necks with some Evergreen rod, which was much simpler than trying to clean up the moulded nubs. Inevitably, they don’t align with the moulded flaps on the outer fuselage, but there you go. I also whizzed up a cylinder to go behind the pilot. When I feel brave, I’ll attach the PE details and get some paint dabbed hither and yon, and then I might get the fuselage joined up. 

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1 minute ago, dogsbody said:

Have you seen this photo?


I have, thanks! :like:
 

I’ve got a little selection of useful images, from various threads and web sites. This image is part of a set that also shows the other direction to the rear. 

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Looks like i need to get myself one of those,am toying with the idea of modifying the old frog kit and folding the wings,having that kit will help with getting the airframe dimensions right.

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1 hour ago, fatalbert said:

Looks like i need to get myself one of those,am toying with the idea of modifying the old frog kit and folding the wings,having that kit will help with getting the airframe dimensions right.

 

Check out this web site. Lots of excellent information on the Skua and Roc.

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Today is an odd day, with domestic and personal things disrupting the flow. So, I decided to complete the cockpit detailing.

 

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I made the rookie error of fitting the IP before attempting to paint it. According to the site I linked to in my previous post the instrument panel was interior green, save for the centre six dials on a black panel. Individual instruments were black, but the main panel was green. I dry-brushed some satin black about, followed by a little silver. It’s the best it’s going to be at this scale and seen through the cockpit glazing. A quick black wash to bring out some relief detail, and I’m done. The rear cockpit looks very bare with no seat, but I shall assume the bench seat is currently stowed and out of sight.

 

Once paint is dry, I’ll join the fuselage halves. That’ll feel like progress.

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The fuselage is together. The alignment is not that bad, but I’ve concentrated on getting the upper seam as good as I can. The underside is mostly holes for the wings and the arrestor hook. A little filler here and there, and all will be good. The tailplane is just posed. It’s a tidy fit without excessive fettling. Likewise, the bottom wing half (third? :smirk: :giggle:) which clicks into place. The main wheel recesses are glued on to the lower wing, and need sanding back a little to let the top halves to settle neatly. 
 

I recall the wing fit and finish when I built the Roc, and it was as good. I will need the tiniest amount of filler - probably Perfect Plastic Putty for the ease of cleanup - along the wing roots. 
 

Once the interior faff is done, the rest of the airframe comes together very quickly. Of course, I’ve got a bazillion little polyurethane pipes to fit on the engine block, which will be an exercise in fun, then the fiddle of attaching the engine in the right place. All still to come, but I’m happy with progress so far.

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Nice built so far. I will watch it.

I will make my Skua in 48, this is my scale, but with wing fold. The Skua is remarcable for this, because the technique which was used you find later on the Hellcat and Avanger again.

Happy modelling 

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