Adam Poultney Posted October 14, 2021 Share Posted October 14, 2021 (edited) So for my first (kind of) build since I moved to uni accommodation and started using my much reduced models setup here, it'll be a Vulcan B1 of course. If you've seen my Mk1 Vulcan threads before you'll probably know that there is no available kit of any Mk1 Vulcan, only 1950s kits that are long since OOP and not remotely accurate, so the only option is to convert. Despite it being my favourite variant, the standard Vulcan B1 is one of the few missing from my collection (I do have a couple of vintage Frog kits but neither are completed). Of the 45 Mk1 Vulcans, 40 were initially built as standard B1s with the Phase 2 kinked wing (the first 5 were initially fitted with the original pure delta and at least three of those were refitted with the Phase 2 wing's leading edge). It is this variant which I will be building. It'll be quite an extensive task to convert this 1/200 scale Cyberhobby Vulcan B2 to a B1, but I'm confident I can manage it. I made a model of the prototype B1a (an ecm upgrade on the B1) a few months ago, now one of my favourite models in my collection. This will be a fairly similar conversion with the main difference being in the tail, I'll have to remove the ECM tail and build a new one, which also means I need to extend the rudder, but I'll get to that later. Anyway, I started with just marking out where I need to cut the wing to hack out the rough shape of the Phase 2 wing from the B2's larger Phase 2C wing. You can see just how much is to be removed. Chop! Now we have a much slimmer Vulcan Chop! More bits chopped off... and half a Blue Steel Missile? A surprisingly useful basis around which to build a new tailcone. By cutting off the fins and most of one half of the missile, it fits perfectly in the inside of the upper half once the ECM tail has been removed. Milliput will be used to make the new original tailcone. But first I'll need to work on refining the shape of the wing. I will be painting this in the original white scheme with full shade markings, possibly as XH481 which carried very few if any Sqn markings at one point. A list of tasks to do in this conversion: Cut wing shape - done Refine wing shape and smooth out leading edge - Remove all B2 specific panel lines - Rescribe control surfaces - Maybe rescribe wing panel lines (probably not) - Build new tailcone - in progress Extend rudder - Remove TFR from nose - Shorten jetpipes - Replace landing gear (unlikely, probably going gear up) - Remove air scoops from under the engines - Add air scoop for bomb bay cooling Fill the holes meant for attaching pitots and other aerials - Make the intakes narrower - not worth it in this scale Edited November 14, 2021 by Adam Poultney 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted October 14, 2021 Author Share Posted October 14, 2021 Also, worth mentioning here as we are getting close to the annual group build bunfight, I'm hoping to run a group build focusing on this kind of build next year. Lots of options and it doesn't have to be quite as extensive as this conversion. Only need seven more members needed to get it in the running for next year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmas Posted October 15, 2021 Share Posted October 15, 2021 Great start! 👍 I’ll be following with interest 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted October 21, 2021 Author Share Posted October 21, 2021 Haven't had much time this week to build, but I should have next week as I have a reading week at uni. I'm going to try and get the wings smoothed out by the end of next week and the intakes done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 On 10/21/2021 at 2:25 PM, Adam Poultney said: reading week Isn't that when you are supposed to be studying? Hahahahahahahaha! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted October 23, 2021 Author Share Posted October 23, 2021 42 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said: Isn't that when you are supposed to be studying? Hahahahahahahaha! haha shhhhhhh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 3 hours ago, Adam Poultney said: haha shhhhhhh We won't tell on you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted October 26, 2021 Author Share Posted October 26, 2021 Tail extended. A spare from the kit was used as a donor. It'll need blending in properly and rescribing yet. The panel lines on both wings have been filled with plastic dissolved in Tamiya Extra Thin. It'll be a long process to smooth it out, but the results will be worth the work going by the B1a I did with the same method. All the relevant air scoops from under the engines have been sanded off, one of the most awkward and fiddly steps doing this in 1/200. I've also shortened the jetpipes to an approximation of Vulcan B1 jetpipes. @robvulcan, whose Vulcan B1 conversions directly inspired these ones, used parts from an Airfix VC10 which are a good approximation. I'd probably use the jetpipes from the ancient 1/360 Academy Tu144 if I had a set spare and something to cast copies with; they're just about the right diameter and look to taper just about right. So that I can start to deal with the leading edges, I've glued the upper and lower halves together, and put in the intakes. I'm sure you've probably seen a million Vulcan intakes before, especially with the recent abundance of Vulcan threads following the release of Airfix's new kit so I didn't bother to take any photos of those. The bomb bay was modified with a cutout for a stand, similar to my Vulcan B2 XM605 which is the only completed Vulcan model I brought with me to uni (although I might fetch my anti flash XJ783 in 1/144 from home at some point). Sits on the stand well enough, at a bit of an angle but I like that. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted October 26, 2021 Author Share Posted October 26, 2021 On the topic of Vulcan B1s, here's a very nice picture of one on this month's cover of this magazine Quite a good article inside about them, but as usual Vulcan B1s are mislabeled as B1As and vice versa.... Not seen any mix up of a B1 and B2 though so I'll give them a free pass on that one. The unbuilt six Skybolt Vulcan makes an appearance, odd that they went back to straight edges for all the designs I've seen. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted November 4, 2021 Author Share Posted November 4, 2021 This is taking quite a long time to get smooth enough. On to the trillionth application of filler and sanding, bit of Mr Surfacer here and there... I printed off some 1/200 Vulcan B1 drawings when I went home last week. They came out ever so slightly underscale but it's nothing i can't work with. So far I've been doing this conversion essentially from memory, but when I get to the finer details I'll need something better for reference. Work has started on smoothing out the second wing. Doing them one at a time may have been a mistake. On the first wing, I've scribed in new control surfaces. The inner two are similar to the B2's so the existing lines were used for reference, the outer ones have to be added from scratch. I've drilled a small hole to mark where the pitot tube will eventually be added. The air oil separator pipes meant for the B2 in the kit are conviniently just about right to cut down and make into pitots And to illustrate that difference between the Phase 2 (B1/B1a) and Phase 2C (B2) wing, here they are. Note that the sweep of the trailing edge of the unmodified B2 kit's wings increases whereas the trailing edge of the B1's wing is straight. The aerilons are significantly narrower on the B2 than on the B1. Also, I've put up an Avro Vulcan STGB proposal running for for a 2023 slot. Sign up on the thread below if you're interested 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted November 4, 2021 Author Share Posted November 4, 2021 A photo from the build of my previous Mk1 Vulcan conversion in this scale, you can see the placement and prominence of the pitots on each wing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted November 12, 2021 Author Share Posted November 12, 2021 Proper update coming later but I made the tailcone, this is a picture of it before any refinement. I have an aerodynamics lecture to be at so I'll do a proper update after that 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted November 12, 2021 Author Share Posted November 12, 2021 Not the best pictures but after the first round of refinement it's looking about the right shape The bomb bay details are the wrong way around on this kit so that required fixing. Looking at photos, it appears there may be a few differences in this area on the B1 and B2 which will warrant further investigation before I can move on to painting in a few days once the tail is done. Early and late. The wrap around camo one (XM605 c.1981) is the only completed Vulcan model I brought to uni so I will have these two displayed together showing two extremes of the Vulcan's service life 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted November 14, 2021 Author Share Posted November 14, 2021 (edited) Ahhhhh guess who dropped a book on this model..... me! damage is the stand is destroyed (I have spares) and I've pitot snapped off. Thankfully that's all the damage I can see for now, so shouldn't be too hard to fix. In other news, the group build voting process is drawing to a close very soon, Big and British is currently in but it's very close, could do with a few extra votes if anyone wants to participate! Edited November 14, 2021 by Adam Poultney 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'V' Posted November 15, 2021 Share Posted November 15, 2021 Ouch - Had a 1/72 Valiant once slip off furniture and wedge down by a chair. Sounds like you've had a lucky escape, disheartening though. Hope it recovers O.K. 'V' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted November 26, 2021 Author Share Posted November 26, 2021 Having repaired the damage from the crash (I even managed to salvage the broken stand), I've finally found some time in between flying 1:1 scale gliders and doing uni work to put some paint on this thing. Some of the gliders in the hangar 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted December 1, 2021 Author Share Posted December 1, 2021 Halford's Appliance Gloss White is on. It looks like I might have a lot of modelling time on my hands soon. Nottingham seems to be the centre of this new covid variant spreading and the uni has a case.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted December 1, 2021 Author Share Posted December 1, 2021 got the model ready for decals 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted December 1, 2021 Author Share Posted December 1, 2021 Once again my home printed decals of the correct size and shade replace the kit ones. Anyway I need to save the not quite correct ones with a white backing for a camo B2. The red stencil markings are taken from a GWH Vulcan K2 and cut down to size, the only other decals which I didn't make are the underwing serials simply because I haven't made a full set of 48" serials in 1/200 (same as 18" serials in 1/72) because that would take a ridiculous amount of decal paper. I do however have a full set of 1/200 18" serials for the tail in both black and pale blue. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted December 1, 2021 Author Share Posted December 1, 2021 (edited) Once the decals were finished, a Flory wash was applied earlier so it could dry while I've been out doing archery this evening. I'll remove the excess when I get back. I also painted the ends of the pitot tubes in silver, which by chance gives the illusion that they are thinner on this section as the real thing would have been Edited December 1, 2021 by Adam Poultney 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 Looks terrific. I do like the early Vulcans. Regards, Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted December 2, 2021 Author Share Posted December 2, 2021 And with the wash removed and a bit of other weathering I'm calling it done. This fantastic image of Vulcan B1 XH497 from the IWM, which is on the cover of a book about the Vulcan by Tim Mclelland, shows how dirty the underside of B1s could get. I particularly like this angle Next to a late B2 in wrap around camouflage RFI up soon with more photos 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook Posted December 3, 2021 Share Posted December 3, 2021 What's not to like! Cheers, Andre 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted December 3, 2021 Author Share Posted December 3, 2021 The RFI went up yesterday 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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