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An Airfix 1/72 Westland Lynx


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With the Phantom restoration finished and receiving a lot of positive feedback on it (which I thank everybody who contributed for), I decided to do a new build of something a little different this time.

As the titles suggests, I picked the Airfix Westland Navy Lynx Mk8 from the stash.

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I remember building at leat two Matchbox Lynxes when I was a lot younger- one Army and one Navy. They were in the boxes with the other models my brothers smashed.

I was going to start it last night, but the mojo wasn’t quite there as I almost put it back and built an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley instead. SWMBO said she was looking forward to me doing a helicopter so that was that - the Lynx it was. 
My stepson bought me three new-old-stock/pre-owned models for Christmas. A Fujimi 1/72 Lynx, a Heller SA316/319 Alouette and a 1/48 scale Airfix Apache. the Lynx I kind of knew about but the other two were a surprise. Although I like the Apache, I doubt if I’ll build it as most of my kits are 1/72 due to space reasons. I was thinking of trading it for a 1/72 Apache and/or aChinook (in uk markings) if anyone would be willing. Anyway I digress…

 

I got the instructions and the kit out and it quickly became apparent that this eBay purchase in 2020 wasn’t all that I thought it was.
I first noticed that the infrared/thermal equipment nose parts were missing. Not really a problem as I could simply build the next Navy HAS 8model.

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Then I noticed the rotor blades were wrong for the instructions (the kit depicts steel blades where the instructions show carbon blades). I did an internet search to search Britmodeller and Lynx. First up was a useful page giving the differences between the types with engines, main and tail rotors (where I learned the tail rotor in the kit was an early model as it spun anti-clockwise (a minor detail but the astute among us would have spotted it immediately).

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Tonight, I thought it would be a good idea to do an inventory check against the instructions. I found the main cabin seating wasn’t as the instructions suggested. The kit has separate canvas/frame seating whereas the kit suggested what I could only term as a cross channel ferry seat! (You’ll see in the photos).

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I don’t know if this kit initially came with two sets of rotors or if a previous owner had taken the newer bits out and replaced them with older bits. 
Either way the kit and instructions don’t match on some parts although a majority are the correctly numbered parts. 
The kit appears to be an HAS 2/3 Lynx originally from 1976 last reboxed in 1990. 
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Its not the start I would have liked, but it’s not insurmountable as I could make up the smaller missing parts, add the ‘paddles’ to the main rotors, reverse the tail rotor and shorten the horizontal stabliser. The engine intakes are doubtful as the instructions aren’t that clear in either case from 1976 or the set I have at the moment.

Edited by Brigbeale
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I’ve just noticed as well that the main gear sponsons are from the early kit and therefore are wrong shape for the intended build. Maybe I could build them up with filler???

 

Why don’t you just build the Fujimi Lynx?  you may ask. It’s also an HAS 2.

 

The parts marked with a Red Cross are missing.

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I always enjoy following your builds (reconstructions) for the ingenuity and skills that you demonstrate to us. Also your seemingly perverse determination to repurpose old wrecks back into good looking models.

Looking forward to this.

Colin

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7 minutes ago, ColinChipmunkfan said:

I always enjoy following your builds (reconstructions) for the ingenuity and skills that you demonstrate to us. Also your seemingly perverse determination to repurpose old wrecks back into good looking models.

Looking forward to this.

Colin

I think that’s a compliment🤣🤣. I think my wife called me perverse the other day (or was it perverted). My hearings a bit out at the moment as I’ve got tinnitus in my right ear.

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My Christmas presents. Are we still allowed to say Christmas?

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The apache is missing it’s glue, paints and brush - probably no great loss though!

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Edited by Brigbeale
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13 hours ago, Brigbeale said:

I got the instructions and the kit out and it quickly became apparent that this eBay purchase in 2020 wasn’t all that I thought it was.

I really hate it when that happens and it happens far too frequently, bugger!

 

Mind me sitting at the back and watching?

 

I've a few repurposed ex-unloved Fujimi and Airfix early Lynxes to find enthusiasm for.

 

Seeing you do this proud will certainly help me out with one or two of them.

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Ooo a Lynx , lovely,  shame all tge bits are misding though. I am sure you will be able to push through this though.

Yes you are still allowed to say Christmas, we are still eating Turkey !!!  Although admittedly it was one purchased the other day for a very cheap price. 

Chris

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1 hour ago, perdu said:

I really hate it when that happens and it happens far too frequently, bugger!

 

Mind me sitting at the back and watching?

You can sit wherever you like - all seats are available at the moment😆

1 hour ago, perdu said:

 

I've a few repurposed ex-unloved Fujimi and Airfix early Lynxes to find enthusiasm for.

 

Seeing you do this proud will certainly help me out with one or two of them.

No pressure then!😆

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1 hour ago, bigbadbadge said:

Ooo a Lynx , lovely,  shame all tge bits are misding though. I am sure you will be able to push through this though.

Yes you are still allowed to say Christmas, we are still eating Turkey !!!  Although admittedly it was one purchased the other day for a very cheap price. 

Chris

Thanks Chris.

I think once I get past the rotors and sponsons and part 145 on the nose cone, I think it’ll be relatively plain sailing - he hopes🤞

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If I have interpreted your red crosses correctly, it looks like you have most of the parts for an HAS2.  
 

145, 152 & 153 are the aerials for Orange Crop ESM, which was first appeared on the HAS3; it would also account for the ‘wrong direction’ tail rotor.  

 

The aerials under the tail in Stage 22 look pretty confused in the instructions: 158 is the “bean can” I-band transponder (scratch build?); 160 is the lower U/VHF aerial, but that version with what looks like a rod on the end was HAS3 only - but 48 in the Stage 9 view looks right for a Mk.2; I think 156 & 157 are supposed to represent the supports for the HF wire aerial.  [Check out the BM walkround section, esp XX910, an early HAS2 at the Helicopter Museum].  Without knowing what schemes A, C & D are, the lumps on the starboard side of the tail are hard to interpret, but personally I wouldn’t fret about them.

 

The instructions showing “HAS8 ICE” are pants.  There was never any such beast.  There was an HAS3 ICE of Endurance Flight (the ICE bit means optimised for Antarctic ops), which seems to be what is shown.  The Mk.8 was never “HAS”; only ever “HMA”, and I’m almost certain that Endurance Flight never used the Mk.8. @Chewbacca was on Endurance Flight, I think; he’d know for sure.

 

As I say, with a small amount of work a relatively respectable HAS2 should be buildable from that - or maybe try a foreign Navy, which never had Orange Crop anyway.  Argentina?  Plenty of AM decals available.

 

Hope that helps!

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Thank you @Ex-FAAWAFU for that very useful information. 
I took another look at the walkaround of XX910 and, as you suggested, I decided to build an HAS 2 in Oxford Blue - which reminds me once more of the Matchbox Navy Lynx when I was a teenager many, many moons ago.

The other optionS for the mk8 kit were 

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None of which have either the correct nose or rotor assemblies.

 

 

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Work commenced on the Lynx tonight - ‘Finally!’ Or ‘It’s about time’ I hear you say!

The main rotor mounting bush seats and horizontal stabiliser all have ejector pin marks in them which required sorting out. Most parts have ragged edges or flash to be removed.

The main rotor was assembled, photographed and placed in the display cabinet to set. 
One rear seat was assembled to see how they went together. No issues to report apart from the ejector pin marks in the seat fronts (Why??), which required filling as did the pilots seats and horizontal stabiliser.

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I’m sorry this seems a bit in note form tonight, but I had it all typed out and then the IPad forgot where it was when I went to add the pictures. I couldn’t recall it as the editor still had the typing from the previous post, so it was all lost. I didn’t have the inclination to re-type it.

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I  purchased a set of these decals last night for about £4.50 which include Royal Navy HAS2 Lynxes - two from NAS Yeovilton. I’ve just had a notification that they’re being posted. Who knows, more lynxes may be on the way………

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Just found this thread. I recently built the original HAS.2 boxing of this kit and it would seem that somewhere along the way, someone has swapped the Mk.8 kit out and put an HAS.2 kit in the box. Which is unfortunate if you were looking to do an 8. However, I see you also acquired the Modeldecal sheet for HAS.2, which is what I also did. The good news is that you can still build a very nice model from the kit - here's mine:

 

 

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48 minutes ago, Paul Bradley said:

Just found this thread. I recently built the original HAS.2 boxing of this kit and it would seem that somewhere along the way, someone has swapped the Mk.8 kit out and put an HAS.2 kit in the box. Which is unfortunate if you were looking to do an 8. However, I see you also acquired the Modeldecal sheet for HAS.2, which is what I also did. The good news is that you can still build a very nice model from the kit - here's mine:

 

 

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😍😍😍
if my one turns out half as good as yours, I’d be very happy.


With the extra decals, I can try to sneak some other ‘patients’ past SWMBO!

:wicked::wicked::wicked:

Edited by Brigbeale
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Right then… more progress - or more like more preparation!

I started this evening by using a knife blade to scrape back the filler in the pilot and observer seats due a large shrinkage dip in the joint between the back and seat base. The filler filled the worst of the shrinkages but some was still visible. As the Lynx is going to be depicted (at the moment anyway!) crew-less they needed more filling - which I did with Mr Surfacer 1000.

I snipped the floor panel from the sprue and thought at first that the ejector pin marks were underneath and didn’t matter. Then I looked closer at the instructions - 9 ejector pin marks in the top of this one panel alone which needed filling. More Mr Surfacer to fill them. Two coats were applied tonight - so they will need to dry thoroughly to see if they’ve filled entirely. The two under the seats won’t be seen.

 

The cabin rear bulkhead was cut and offered up to the floor to dry fit and check the fit. Guess what - more ejector pin marks in the recess! Yet more Mr Surfacer although it’s going to be fun sanding them back in there!

 

The other two canvas rear cabin seats were assembled and they too had some Mr Surfacer put in the ejector pin marks. They probably won’t be seen but it’s probably one of those things that will stick out like a sore thumb as one door is going to be open.

 

The centre console and seat mounts were fitted to the cockpit floor. I didn’t fit the instrument panel yet as I wanted to get the floor in and the two fuselage halves buttoned up first. I should then be able to fit the instrument panel through the glazing opening. The instrument panel also has the now obligatory ejector pin marks but these two don’t look too bad. If it’s visible from outside then it’ll just look like some interior detail!.

 

Running out of things to do as the Mr Surfacer is still wet, I decided to fit the overhead 1/4 glazing to the panel. 
 

I looked at the images of XX910 again and saw the seat backs were flat (with a fire extinguisher and emergency packs fitted. The kit seats are hollowed out, so they were filled in with Revell filler. They can also wait till tomorrow to dry and I can sand them smooth.

 

I snipped the fuselage halves from their cut off sprues and sanded back the raw edges around the centre seam. As expected there’s some slight warping in the tail section but it’s thin enough to pull back into shape once assembled. The sponson mounting holes need cutting out as well as the various appendage holes underneath and along the side of the tail. AND yet more ejector pin marks. Most will be hidden behind the rear bulkhead but there’s two by the flight crews’ feet. I don’t know it’s they’ll be visible - so I applied he Mr Surfacer to them as well. 
At this rate - I’m going to need another pot of Mr Surfacer!😆

 

I decided to finish off tonight by assembling the nose cone and the small rectangle which fits underneath which houses (what I presume to be) a landing light (with an ejector pin mark next to it!. It fits together ok but the fit against the fuselage leaves a bit to be desired (but it’s not a new modern Airfix kit so allowances must be made). It may need some sanding to get it fitted once the fuselage is finally fitted together..

 

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Edited by Brigbeale
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Nice work,i have a soft spot for the Airfix lynx having built it when it first came out,one thing you may want to address is the fwd lower windows,they are the wrong shape and should be more square.

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2 hours ago, fatalbert said:

Nice work,i have a soft spot for the Airfix lynx having built it when it first came out,one thing you may want to address is the fwd lower windows,they are the wrong shape and should be more square.

Thankyou @fatalbert for that bit of information. I looked for an image of a Lynx and found this one. Hopefully it won’t be too bad to do.

UADwY3g.jpg
 

 

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In tonight’s thrilling instalment……:tired:

I sanded back the now dried Mr Surfacer in/on each of the EPM’s (ejector pin marks - easier than writing it out each time). The ones by the flight crews’ feet are visible (maybe not when the glazing is fitted but better to make sure). 

The main rotor mounting plate had some flash on the inside edge removed so the mounting boss on the rotor itself would seat properly. It was then tried between the fuselage halves and it seems to fit well. 

 

The rear bulkhead was fitted to the floor. The three rear cabin seats were fitted as well. 
The filler in the pilot and observer seats was sanded back, which revealed a small divot in each one, which in turn was treated to - yes you guessed it - some Mr Sufacer. 
 

I decided to emulate the survival packs fitted to the rear of the pilot and observer seats. I found, in my scraps box, an engine bulkhead from my Halifax build (it was previously started, but the previous owner of it got the build sequence wrong and it was beyond re-use on the Halifax). It was quite thick so I cut a strip off it and filed the edges on both faces all the way round to simulate canvas packs. They were then sprue goo’d onto the filler in the back of the seats. Very thin strips of Tamiya tape were then placed in a cross pattern over the ‘packs’. A piece of stretched sprue was then fitted to the rear of the observer seat to make (what I presume to be) a fire extinguisher. These can be seen in the walkaround images of XX910. 
 

The two seats were then fitted to their runners. The control column was fitted to the pilots side and the hole in the observer floor filled with more stretched sprue and nipped off flush.

 

Thanks to @fatalbert’s note about the lower side windows, I resized the image and cut the window out. I placed it over the fuselage window and marked the new shape. I trimmed both windows with a knife and filed them. They may be a little larger than the intended size but I had to find the thicker plastic to get a good bond for when I fit the replacement windows.


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Edited by Brigbeale
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7 hours ago, fatalbert said:

Nice work,i have a soft spot for the Airfix lynx having built it when it first came out,one thing you may want to address is the fwd lower windows,they are the wrong shape and should be more square.

Same. I’m in for the follow. 

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Tonight, I began with airbrushing the interior parts Light Grey.

After 20 minutes or so, I began painting the rear canvas seats blue with an acrylic general use paint - which was a pain in the backside as it didn’t want to paint on neat or diluted. It’s only bin fodder. As it dried it got darker - now it’s too dark. I’ll try to give the seats an off white wash to lighten them up a bit or repaint them with a lighter blue.

The front seat cushions were painted with Revell Dark Green while the backs were painted with a Revell orange which required to be mixed with other colours for a non modelling project. It came in useful for the seat backs though.
The fire extinguisher was painted red and the first aid/survival packs were painted with Mr Color Flesh. The straps need to be white with a red bit in the centre to form a Red Cross.

Yellow was applied around the seat bases as on XX910 (although it’s hard to see it when the cockpit’s closed up). The centre console was painted with NATO Black as I felt full on matt black would be too strong.

White paint was applied to the tops of the simulated knobs on the console with a cocktail stick.

The instrument panel had the raised simulated dials removed and the new decal from the Modeldecal sheet was cut up and fitted to the various sections. I then found out that the instrument panel only fits in one place so it was fitted in position.

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Ooh! More ejector pin marks - lovely!🙄

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Tonight is one of those evenings where, on the face of it, not much has been done.

I started by using airbrush cleaner and cotton buds to clean the paint off the rear seats. I felt if I applied another coat of paint on top of the blue paint already on them, it wouldn’t lay flat so off it came!

They we’re repainted with French Blue which required a matt varnish as it was a gloss paint. They look a lot better now.

 

While that was drying,  I set about re-scribing the panel lines on the fuselage. I slipped once on the starboard side, but I should be able to remedy that with Mr Surfacer. In any case, it’s going to be hidden as the rear cabin doors can be slid to the open position.

 

Then it was time to make the windows for the re-shaped apertures near the pilot’s/observer’s feet. I have some lexan left over from my son’s R.C. car shell. I was going to use an old cd case, but it was too thick. Once I got the shape about right, I found it easier to adjust the aperture to the size of the window rather than the other way round. Once I had a good tight fit, Mr Cement S was run around the edges inside and out. Hopefully, the fuselage plastic melts enough to absorb the lexan windows and the set again locking them in position permanently. I’ll find out when I go to remove the masking tape - although it may be easier to use masking solution🤔.

 

The parts were dry-fitted back together to reveal……..pretty much how it looked last night!

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Edited by Brigbeale
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I had a good modelling session this evening - mainly due to the fact I have turned off the tv in the background and used the radio instead. It surprising how much the tv distracts.

I started by applying Tamiya tape seat belts to the rear cabin and the flight deck seats. The flight crew seat harnesses are meant to be black (as in XX910) but as yet, I’m I decided as to whether I should use a fine tip Sharpie on them.

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A quick check was made to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything. Yep - the tail rotor axle pin. The instructions say to put the axle pin through the port fuselage half and fit the rotor assembly to it. Yeah, right! I’d probably knock a blade off or the whole thing. I decided to fit the rotor assembly later, but the axle pin had to be fitted before fuselage was glued together. There was a problem with that - the axle pin itself could be slid in and out of the tail assembly by about 1mm+, which would mean the rotor assembly wouldn’t fit fully onto the axle pin. The solution was to glue a piece of 1.5mm styrene rod to the inside end of the axle pin to prevent it being pushed in. I also had to chamfer the inside of the tail assembly near the pin to prevent the Mr Cement S capillary action getting onto the pin locking it solid (eventually).

 

The cabin roof/rotor hub mount was painted silver (my aluminium paint has gone lumpy and can’t be used but it’s nearly empty anyway), which dried pretty quickly.

 

The cockpit/rear cabin assembly and cabin roof/hub mount was fitted to the starboard fuselage. The tail rotor axle pin was reinserted again and the fuselage was fitted together with Mr Cement S runs around the seams. At the moment the tail rotor pin still turns.

 

I took the exhaust surround panels about of the bag where the previous owner had put one (the other one broke off the sprue so I put that in there for safe keeping as well).

The moulding piece was removed from the centre, the holes cleaned up and general flash removed. I painted the area where they would fit with NATO black just incase it was passable to see past the exhausts. The two surrounds were fitted in position - the fit was a lot better than I had been led to believe from the internet. 

The engine intake covers were fitted as well - again fitting very well - one not perfect but the other is comparable with modern Airfix kits.

 

I decided to fit the nose cone, but a quick check to see where the tipping point to see if it would be a tail sitter was a bit inconclusive so I added some nose weight anyway and glued the nose cone in position after filing the top and bottom of the fuselage straight - as it was curved forward at the top and bottom.

 

Time was nearly up for tonight’s session so I just had time to run some Mr Surfacer around the fuselage and engine exhaust/intake seams. The seam underneath I will require multiple coats to cover the highly visible seam line.

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And for the sheer hell of it, a photo with the main rotor assembly dry fitted on top.

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Edited by Brigbeale
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