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Well, I ride on a mailtrain, baby Can't buy a thrill - Airfix 1/72 Phantom FG.1


AliGauld

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This one is a bit of a nostalgia build that I've been putting off for a while for one reason and one reason only.

More on that later.

 

From 1984 until 1990 I was in Leuchars manning the Signalbox for what at the time was British Rail.

On returning to Dingwall after College I had fallen into the Signalling job as a temporary thing to keep me off the dole.

The Traffic Manager in Dingwall was the Father of one of my friends from school and asked me to take the job for at least six months as he couldn't get it filled and he knew I was at a loose end.

It was a Surprise to me but I liked the work and 18 months later they were closing the Dingwall boxes so I moved to Leuchars before I was sweeping the platform.

At Leuchars part of the Signalling duties included changing the paraffin lamps in the signals on a Tuesday.

 

Get on with it I hear you scream. 

The point of all this long winded introduction comes now.

The up Section Signal at Leuchars was an old fashioned type which was about 30 feet up on a pole supported by wire stays.

It was also directly under the flightpath for the base.

One of my abiding memories is being up the pole when one or more of the Phantoms took off on full reheat and feeling the air rattle in your lungs.

 

I'm pretty sure that Black Mike would have been one of the Phantoms, so that's who I intend to build here.

 

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Some aerocraft aftermarket to go with it.

 

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I've also got the pylon set if I need it.

 

And, finally the reason I've put this off for so long.

 

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:door:I have decided that I will need to set aside at least 4 sessions/days for these alone.

 

I have rambled on enough for one post.

I'll get started tomorrow.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Cheers,

Alistair

 

 

 

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Excellent choice Alistair. I'm getting towards the end of my Airfix 1/72 Phantom FGR.2 build which has a similar number of stencils, most of which were white. I gave up on putting all the stencils on and worked on the principle that if I can't them on the decal sheet, then they're not going on the model...

 

Looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

Cheers,

 

Tom

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1 minute ago, Tomjw said:

Excellent choice Alistair. I'm getting towards the end of my Airfix 1/72 Phantom FGR.2 build which has a similar number of stencils, most of which were white. I gave up on putting all the stencils on and worked on the principle that if I can't them on the decal sheet, then they're not going on the model...

 

Looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

Cheers,

 

Tom

Thanks.

The stencil philosophy certainly works for me.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

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Lovely choice Alistair this is a surprise,  I was thinking you were going to do a Target Tug!!!

You should do something that scares you and that stencilling is certainly scary!!!

Looking forward to this and what an intro too, what a great experience whilst working at height.  

I have the Fujimi kit in the stash for a one day build.

Good luck with your build.

Chris

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10 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Lovely choice Alistair this is a surprise,  I was thinking you were going to do a Target Tug!!!

You should do something that scares you and that stencilling is certainly scary!!!

Looking forward to this and what an intro too, what a great experience whilst working at height.  

I have the Fujimi kit in the stash for a one day build.

Good luck with your build.

Chris

Thanks Chris,

I'm planning a TT but I'll need to source some decals to turn the new Airfix Mosquito into one.

I'll also need to do a bit of research to figure out which decals I actually need.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

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3 minutes ago, AliGauld said:

Thanks Chris,

I'm planning a TT but I'll need to source some decals to turn the new Airfix Mosquito into one.

I'll also need to do a bit of research to figure out which decals I actually need.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

Oooooo looking forward to that one, isn't the Duxford one a TT??? I haven't been for ages.

The yellow and black scheme is very satisfying to paint too and not as daunting as people think. 

Great stuff

Chris

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4 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Oooooo looking forward to that one, isn't the Duxford one a TT??? I haven't been for ages.

The yellow and black scheme is very satisfying to paint too and not as daunting as people think. 

Great stuff

Chris

Yes I think it is.

You can blame @Dandie Dinmont as he put the idea in my head.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

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1 hour ago, AliGauld said:

It was also directly under the flightpath for the base.

One of my abiding memories is being up the pole when one or more of the Phantoms took off on full reheat

That sounds like it beats the pants off anything that Alton Tower has to offer, and there's quite a few on here who would pay good money for THAT ride. 

I was working on Scilly Isles many years ago, harvesting potatoes in a field that reaches up to the perimeter of the little airport. And a couple of Phantoms used the runway for low level practice. 

I'd seen them a couple of minutes earlier way out at sea, but we didn't know anything until they burst over the hedge basically on top of us. 

Holy Moly..... 

I believe they had to stop doing it because houses in town were getting their windows broken, and general mayhem caused. 

But yes.... "You know, when you've been Phantomed....!" 🍊😶🍊

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8 hours ago, rob Lyttle said:

That sounds like it beats the pants off anything that Alton Tower has to offer, and there's quite a few on here who would pay good money for THAT ride. 

I was working on Scilly Isles many years ago, harvesting potatoes in a field that reaches up to the perimeter of the little airport. And a couple of Phantoms used the runway for low level practice. 

I'd seen them a couple of minutes earlier way out at sea, but we didn't know anything until they burst over the hedge basically on top of us. 

Holy Moly..... 

I believe they had to stop doing it because houses in town were getting their windows broken, and general mayhem caused. 

But yes.... "You know, when you've been Phantomed....!" 🍊😶🍊

It was a great time. The box itself gave a fantastic view of the comings and goings from the base.

Where I grew up we used to catch a lot of low-flying especially at the golf course in Strathpeffer. It wouldn't be the first time that a Buccaneer or Jaguar thundered over the course with absolutely no warning.

I loved it.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

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13 hours ago, AliGauld said:

 

 

J2CDIEv.jpg

 

:door:I have decided that I will need to set aside at least 4 sessions/days for these alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It took me at least 5 days to do these stencils on a RN FG1. Good luck with the build.

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15 hours ago, AliGauld said:

 

J2CDIEv.jpg

 

Alistair

 

Blooming 'eck (for want of a better phrase) in 1/72nd?? You've got steadier hands than I.

 

Hope you have a good optometrist on standby.

 

Ciao

Ish

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44 minutes ago, Ish said:

Alistair

 

Blooming 'eck (for want of a better phrase) in 1/72nd?? You've got steadier hands than I.

 

Hope you have a good optometrist on standby.

 

Ciao

Ish

I think I might just need one.

 

21 minutes ago, Chrisj2003 said:

4 days, blimey you’re fast. 😀 It took me a week to get the stencils on the underside of my current rhino. It is satisfying when they are done. 

 

Chris

 

 

OK, I think I may have been more than a tad optimistic then. :oops:

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7 hours ago, AliGauld said:

Where I grew up we used to catch a lot of low-flying especially at the golf course in Strathpeffer. It wouldn't be the first time that a Buccaneer or Jaguar thundered over the course with absolutely no warning.

 

I wonder if that was within the OLF (Operational Low Flying) area in the North of Scotland; in which, when active, the clearance for military low flying was 100’ msd (minimum separation distance) rather than the usual 250’ msd.

 

During work up for the Red Flag and Green Flag exercises in North America the Jag squadrons would usually detach to Leuchars and go and play train in the OLF area at 100’.  It was a bonus that the Phantoms could come and play train too.

Edited by Fritag
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1 hour ago, Fritag said:

 

I wonder if that was within the OLF (Operational Low Flying) area in the North of Scotland; in which, when active, the clearance for military low flying was 100’ msd (minimum separation distance) rather than the usual 250’ msd.

 

During work up for the Red Flag and Green Flag exercises in North America the Jag squadrons would usually detach to Leuchars and go and play train in the OLF area at 100’.  It was a bonus that the Phantoms could come and play train too.

Our part of Ross-Shire was quite definitely in the OLF we were only about 20 miles from Tain and used to be able to look down on the planes as they flew up the Cromarty Firth.

 

Cheers,

Alistair 

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Wondered into a friday afternoon bunfight about 20nm SSE of North Berwick. 3 ship Herc, low level, surrounded by Jags, Harriers, 'Tooms and Buccs, all burning fuel.

I might have squeaked a bit, but my old cigarette smoking skipper just said 'wings level, they'll go around us...'.

 

And they did....

Good times!

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30 minutes ago, Spookytooth said:

Nice choice indeed, I know what you mean about the blast of those engines.

 

Stencils from hell mate.

4 days, more like weeks.

 

Simon.

Oh well, I suppose I'll just have to stretch it out then. :D.

 

Cheer,

Alistair

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Not much to report.

All the cockpit bit snipped off, cleaned up and primed.

 

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Now I have to try and find some Gull grey paint for this.

Not very organised, me. :D

I think I have some somewhere.

 

Thanks for looking,

Cheers,

Alistair

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