Airfix 1/48 Buccaneer S.2 for 2022!

[wadeocu]

This profile has me scratching my head.  One issue is that I am not sure I have ever seen a photo of the squadron markings with gold wings; I thought this was all pale blue (wings and trident) with a white H.  I may be wrong about this but the serial is more puzzling and I am more certain that there is an error here.  It's hard to make out the serial but it looks like XV621.  The first number may be a 3, 5, 6 or 8 but under any of those options, it's not a correct serial number for any Buccaneer.  Airfix usually gets this sort of thing right so I am doubting myself more than Airfix.  What say the committee?

[john224]

11 minutes ago, wadeocu said:

I may be wrong about this but the serial is more puzzling and I am more certain that there is an error here.  It's hard to make out the serial but it looks like XV621.  The first number may be a 3, 5, 6 or 8 but under any of those options, it's not a correct serial number for any Buccaneer.  Airfix usually gets this sort of thing right so I am doubting myself more than Airfix.  What say the committee?

I make it out as XV521, which I believe was a Phantom.

[iainpeden]

XV521 was assigned for a cancelled order of Phantom FGR.2s so never actually existed.

 

IIRC, Airfix put out a "draft" profile for the 1/72 Bucc which also included an inaccurate serial and, maybe, spurious markings; don't panic until the final variant becomes clear.

[JoshWilson]

2 hours ago, wadeocu said:

This profile has me scratching my head.  One issue is that I am not sure I have ever seen a photo of the squadron markings with gold wings; I thought this was all pale blue (wings and trident) with a white H.  I may be wrong about this but the serial is more puzzling and I am more certain that there is an error here.  It's hard to make out the serial but it looks like XV621.  The first number may be a 3, 5, 6 or 8 but under any of those options, it's not a correct serial number for any Buccaneer.  Airfix usually gets this sort of thing right so I am doubting myself more than Airfix.  What say the committee?

Spurious code and as others have said I'd wait until the final boxing. Just to throw my contribution in, it could be XV162 of HMS Hermes '68-70. Pre-Mod 1188 - relocation of hard points to allow for Martels. Easy enough to mix 621 and 162! 

Edited January 21, 2022 by JoshWilson
Grammar

[john224]

49 minutes ago, JoshWilson said:

Spurious code and as others have said I'd wait until the final boxing. Just to throw my contribution in, it could be XV162 of HMS Hermes '68-70. Pre-Mod 1188 - relocation of hard points to allow for Martels. Easy enough to mix 621 and 162! 

It seems XV162 had the code 232 letter H when it served with 801 Sqn on Hermes when the carrier visited Malta in February 1970, so I think you're right.

[wadeocu]

27 minutes ago, john224 said:

It seems XV162 had the code 232 letter H when it served with 801 Sqn on Hermes when the carrier visited Malta in February 1970, so I think you're right.

 

As someone afflicted with dyslexia I can see how this would happen! 

 

Nothing a good pair of scissors and a ruler can't sort out, but I bet they catch this before it goes to the printer anyhow. 

[wadeocu]

(https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10151979267221819&set=o.317002341715791)

 

Ah yes here we have it.  Indeed the wings should be pale blue rather than yellow/gold.  Hope that gets sorted out; much more difficult to remedy than the transposed serial numbers.

[tony.t]

When Airfix say "folding wings" do they mean optional folded or deployed wings may be built, or do they mean they are movable? 

 

I'd like to do mine with a recce pallet. Were these in use on the Ark Royal in the 1970s and does anyone make one in 1/48th scale?

 

Tony 

[Muzz]

16 hours ago, wadeocu said:

This profile has me scratching my head.  One issue is that I am not sure I have ever seen a photo of the squadron markings with gold wings; I thought this was all pale blue (wings and trident) with a white H.  I may be wrong about this but the serial is more puzzling and I am more certain that there is an error here.  It's hard to make out the serial but it looks like XV621.  The first number may be a 3, 5, 6 or 8 but under any of those options, it's not a correct serial number for any Buccaneer.  Airfix usually gets this sort of thing right so I am doubting myself more than Airfix.  What say the committee?

No photographic evidence but found a couple of colour side profiles on sites which show the gold wing colour. One these sites is 

 

http://www.wings-aviation.ch/32-FAA/4-Sqn/801.htm

 

the other being Wings Pallete. It’s possible that these profiles are also wrong and Airfix have copied them, although neither profile carries the same aircraft serial numbers. Or I’d say ‘no smoke without fire’, possibly special markings for squadron centenary or such like?

[Tbolt]

10 hours ago, tony.t said:

When Airfix say "folding wings" do they mean optional folded or deployed wings may be built, or do they mean they are movable? 

 

I'd like to do mine with a recce pallet. Were these in use on the Ark Royal in the 1970s and does anyone make one in 1/48th scale?

 

Tony 

 

I think it's just bad English and it should say "optional folded wings", not folding wings.

[dambuster]

13 hours ago, wadeocu said:

(https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10151979267221819&set=o.317002341715791)

 

Ah yes here we have it.  Indeed the wings should be pale blue rather than yellow/gold.  Hope that gets sorted out; much more difficult to remedy than the transposed serial numbers.

Let’s hope that optional locations for the outer wing pylons are included. 
 

Peter

[bobsyouruncle]

On 1/11/2022 at 7:51 AM, sniperUK said:

You can't do a grey over white early Mk.2 from the kit, the early ones didn't have the bulged faring to reduce the noise between the front fuselage and the intakes, when these were retrofitted to the early ones at Sydenham they were the painted into the overall EDSG scheme. 

Hi SniperUK, I'd read your comment here and don't doubt what you say at all, as I've not seen any photos of the Grey and White schemed S2s with that bulged fairing in actual use, but I did find this in production photo on the BAe systems website here (if you scroll down to the gallery, use the arrow keys and have a look at photo number 3 of 6).

Are my eyes seeing this wrong or does this Grey and White aircraft have what looks like the bulged fairing?

To my eyes it even looks like it has the curved panel removed that's present on the bulged fairing?

Of course there's no serial number visible and it could have been repainted when it came out of the factory? 

Just idle curiosity really and wondered what you thought?

https://www.baesystems.com/en/heritage/blackburn-buccaneer

 

 

 

[Muzz]

1 hour ago, bobsyouruncle said:

Of course there's no serial number visible and it could have been repainted when it came out of the factory? 

Just idle curiosity really and wondered what you thought?

 

Cancel, I see the image your talking about. 

[Alex Gordon]

It certainly looks like there is a fairing there.

 

 

[Shar2]

On 18/01/2022 at 11:24, AMB said:

How do you know - it's not been released yet?   I have seen excellent jobs made with the current  Airfix 1/48th Buccaneer without the need of another one!  Would prefer to see something different made that really needs a new mould.

I did say LOOKS light years ahead, certainly in terms of detail. It can't be any worse than the old iteration, which was not a pleasant build to say the least. The original moulds were lost/damaged, so there could never be another production run, so yes, it really needed a new mould. It's a significant aircraft in British aviation history, along with that of South Africa.

[Phone Phixer]

On 1/21/2022 at 2:54 PM, wadeocu said:

(https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10151979267221819&set=o.317002341715791)

 

Ah yes here we have it.  Indeed the wings should be pale blue rather than yellow/gold.  Hope that gets sorted out; much more difficult to remedy than the transposed serial numbers.

 

That looks an interesting hybrid configuration to build. It's had a partial embodiment of the Martel capability.

Inboard pylons are universal type for Martel carriage, but must still have pre-mod outer wings. They are the stubby pre-Martel pylons on the outboard.

I wonder if the kit will have both types of pylon included.

[71chally]

On 1/21/2022 at 10:26 PM, tony.t said:

I'd like to do mine with a recce pallet. Were these in use on the Ark Royal in the 1970s and does anyone make one in 1/48th scale?

There's certainly pictures of 809 NAS Buccaneers S.2s with the recce crate fitted, unsure of the time period of the pics but they were the unit operating aboard Ark Royal in the '70s.

 

[Julien]

On 18/01/2022 at 11:24, AMB said:

How do you know - it's not been released yet?   I have seen excellent jobs made with the current  Airfix 1/48th Buccaneer without the need of another one!  Would prefer to see something different made that really needs a new mould.

Well the old mould certainly had its issues and was a "challenging" build to say the least, and needed some aftermarket help along the away, plus its getting harder to find these days.

 

A new tool of anything is welcome, Airfix think its worth the investment so we should applaud that.

 

Julien

[wadeocu]

20 hours ago, Phone Phixer said:

 

That looks an interesting hybrid configuration to build. It's had a partial embodiment of the Martel capability.

Inboard pylons are universal type for Martel carriage, but must still have pre-mod outer wings. They are the stubby pre-Martel pylons on the outboard.

I wonder if the kit will have both types of pylon included.

That is a keen observation PP; I missed it!  Indeed that is rare to see a short chord pylon and a long chord pylon on the same aircraft.  It looks like they are spaced closer together per S.2, S.2A and S.2C configuration.  I know that there were "interim S.2Bs" delivered to 12 Sqn initially which had the reconfigured pylon spacing and long chord pylons but were not yet actually Martel capable.  This shot of XV162 appears to be something different with just a mix of pylons.  I bet the fifth from inboard vortex generator is still present.  I know there were more changes to the outboard location than the inboard; the position of the inboard remained the same.  Maybe the short chord and long chord pylons were interchangeable for the the inboard station as the picture seems to indicate.  I can't recall ever having seen this before now.

 

By the way, I think yes we will see both long and short chord pylons in this release as the S.2D option will require the long ones and the other options will require the short ones. 

Edited January 24, 2022 by wadeocu

[bobsyouruncle]

This is another shot where I'm not sure if my eyes are seeing something that's there or not, regarding a fairing between intake and fuselage on the Grey and White scheme. This one's a period shot of trials and development aircraft XN974.

I have thought it could be tricks of shadows or reflections?

https://www.facebook.com/FleetAirArmBuccaneerAssociation/photos/buccaneer-s2-xv163-110-of-800-squadron-on-board-hms-eagle-1967-68-issued-to-800-/564078263629990

 

 

[71chally]

3 hours ago, bobsyouruncle said:

This one's a period shot of trials and development aircraft XN974.

I have thought it could be tricks of shadows or reflections?

https://www.facebook.com/FleetAirArmBuccaneerAssociation/photos/buccaneer-s2-xv163-110-of-800-squadron-on-board-hms-eagle-1967-68-issued-to-800-/564078263629990

XN974 retained the EDSG and white scheme for a long time,, so I would assume it to gain that fairing while still in grey and white.  It might have even been used for flight-testing the fairing.

The production line shot is dated Dec 1966 and I'm sure I've seen this as captioned as XN974 in the past, perhaps in for mods after the fairing was fitted.

I would concur with what Sniper says, I can't say I've seen a picture of a service S.2 in grey and white with that fairing, and there are even quite a few in all over EDSG without the fairing.  Might be generalisation though.

[salomon]

Saw a couple of lovely pictures from the next coming S2, but the blue painting scene isn't that fun. Anyway this kit is on my list.

 

https://www.themodellingnews.com/2022/01/three-british-legends-added-to-airfix.html#more

Edited January 25, 2022 by salomon

[RMP2]

Really nice to see this and that Airfix have listened.

 

What would be nice would be some optional PE for the cockpit, belts, wing fold details - any or all of those. A folding nose would be great but that would really mean a resin radar... hey, we live in hope, right?

 

The price (RRP at least) took me back a bit too, but I will wait and see what is in the box and at what price the likes of Jadlam etc knock them out for and hope a DSG over white scheme makes it into the box at the very least. The FOD covers and ladders are a nice touch and I suspect/hope there are a couple of surprises to come.

 

Regardless - it is a far better buy even at the RRP than the old one and been a long time coming. Now... wheres the Jaguar?  

[Bertie McBoatface]

4 minutes ago, RMP2 said:

A folding nose would be great but that would really mean a resin radar

 

Scratchbuilding opportunity there!

[RMP2]

9 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said:

 

Scratchbuilding opportunity there!

 

Ah. I am thinking of the Phantoms exposed radar with the nose folded. The Bucs is in the folding section of course! Which makes me query the nose insert shown on the CAD drawings - have Airfix covered the nose folding along with a "removable" cone to expose the radar perhaps?

 

Best just wait n see me thinks.