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1/72 - Gloster Meteor F.Mk.8 by Airfix - released - new F.Mk.8/FR. Mk.9 boxing in July 2024


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4 minutes ago, Wez said:

 

There's a good sized B+W photo of WX978/Z in MMP Books Combat Meteors by Alex Crawford on page 22.  The top part of the arrow is the lightest tone, the lowest band is very dark whilst the middle bar is a mid grey colour.  The middle colour band is tonally very close to the red centre of the roundel, the trouble is it's also very close tonally to the blue of the roundel, in other words, there's very little tonal difference between the centre and the outer parts of the roundel however, the dark colour of the sqn markings is much darker than the outer part of the roundel.  The joys of trying to interpret B+W photos!

 

 

There's a pic of WH539/Y in Steve Bond's book on the Meteor that shows the same tonality in the squadron marking, in that case the roundels are a bit less faded, but the tones in the chevron are very close to the fin flash shades for red and blue - I do wonder if they were painted 'wrongly' and then corrected at a later date, as the colour photos of 8 Sqn aircraft show the 'correct' tones.

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BTW, my kit just arrived. There's a fresh sprue with the new nose and a full set of rockets (sorry if this was mentioned before, I usually check such things before posting but this is a long thread and I want to get a cup of coffee, so..............). One minor gripe, the internal canopy defect that appeared on one side of the later style  in some issues of the original boxing, with different degress of severity, is also evident here, but in my example it's not quite as bad. I'm about to close up the otiginal boxing and suspect it won't show too badly given that the interior is mostly variations on black.

 

Paul.

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Mine's just arrived too, the box had been left out on the doorstep in the rain, the shipping box is soaked through but the contents are unaffected fortunately.

 

A quick check of mine shows the flaw in the clear canopy (the other one is fine).  Checking the extra sprue, it gives you 24 rockets - that's an awful lot o' rockets for a Meatbox!

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32 minutes ago, Wez said:

Mine's just arrived too, the box had been left out on the doorstep in the rain, the shipping box is soaked through but the contents are unaffected fortunately.

 

A quick check of mine shows the flaw in the clear canopy (the other one is fine).  Checking the extra sprue, it gives you 24 rockets - that's an awful lot o' rockets for a Meatbox!

Look closer, there's more than one sort of rocket (or, more pedantically), they're carried on different rails. Only 8 shown in the instructions as a load.

 

Was your delivery by Evri? I heard the car door go, and footsteps on the steps up, then because I was already listening heard the lightest of taps on the door. No attempt to try the doorbell. Got there in 10 seconds, he was already back in his car, having left the parcel on the doorstep. Fortunately it wasn't raining..................

 

Paul.

Edited by Paul Thompson
Punctuation.
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23 minutes ago, Paul Thompson said:

Look closer, there's more than one sort of rocket (or, more pedantically), they're carried on different rails. Only 8 shown in the instructions as a load.

 

Was your delivery by Evri? I heard the car door go, and footsteps on the steps up, then because I was already listening heard the lightest of taps on the door. No attempt to try the doorbell. Got there in 10 seconds, he was already back in his car, having left the parcel on the doorstep. Fortunately it wasn't raining..................

 

Paul.

 

Paul,

 

TBH, I don't know who delivered it, I didn't look too closely at the labelling but it was all pretty wet!

 

As for the rockets, good spot that man!

 

Having read Alex Crawford's Combat Meteors I'm now looking for some 208 Sqn RAF markings to use with this kit.

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25 minutes ago, Wez said:

 

Paul,

 

TBH, I don't know who delivered it, I didn't look too closely at the labelling but it was all pretty wet!

 

As for the rockets, good spot that man!

 

Having read Alex Crawford's Combat Meteors I'm now looking for some 208 Sqn RAF markings to use with this kit.

Euro decals sheet has 208 markings, or the MPM/ SH FR9 release. (Has two sets of markings iirc)

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3 hours ago, Dave Fleming said:


Which this morning was remarkable!

 

 

Had I been awake in the morning, now that would have been remarkable.  But the post never arrives before 1.00pm anyway, by which time the rain was history. Although now it's repeating itself.

 

Paul.

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Mine arrived yesterday afternoon, which was a surprise because I had received no indication from Airfix that it was on the way,and no indication from the courier either (no idea which courier it was).

 

First impressions are that I am impressed by how fine the details on the kit are, some of the parts are going to need very careful handling.

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Got an email this  morning from Evri saying it was accepted at Heathrow this morning at 8:13. So presumably it'll  be in Dublin this afternoon and possibly left on my doorstep tomorrow morning, yes they do that here too. 

I'm quite looking forward to it. Hopefully no flaws with the  canopy.🤞

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Mine finally arrived on Friday. No canopy flaws, phew!

 

I definitely think it's one of the best kits Airfix has produced. If they  keep up the standard with the Gannet. It will be quite a model.

 

It does look with all those rockets, as if an RAAF in Korea version will follow. In fact if you can get decals you could build it as one now. Actually I  might  just acquire an F8 and aftermarket decals and use the rockets from this kit.

 

I'm very pleased with this kit.

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39 minutes ago, 71chally said:

Mine arrived yesterday, well pleased with it and the whole club thing.

 

FR.9s were rocket capable obviously, but has anyone ever seen pictures/references of RAF machines so armed?

Don’t recall ever seeing any, in fact I don’t think RAF Meteors used rockets at all. They were an export fit as far as I recall

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Here's a colour  photo of the FR9 featured in the club kit.

 

https://www.airteamimages.com/gloster-meteor_VZ603_united-kingdom---royal-air-force_130215.html

 

Very  useful  reference.

 

Have a look at the thumbnail picture  below it. With  red nose  colours.

Edited by noelh
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Unless I see two Meteors parked side by side, I can never tell those small and large intakes apart.
I’m guessing they’re the small intakes fitted to that 8 Sqn’s VZ601… is that tight? 

Do Airfix suggest these parts with their instructions? 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

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5 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Unless I see two Meteors parked side by side, I can never tell those small and large intakes apart.
I’m guessing they’re the small intakes fitted to that 8 Sqn’s VZ601… is that tight? 

Do Airfix suggest these parts with their instructions? 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

They say use the small bore ones for the one in the photo, and the large bore for the Ecuadorian one that uses the rockets.

 

Paul.

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1 hour ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Unless I see two Meteors parked side by side, I can never tell those small and large intakes apart.
I’m guessing they’re the small intakes fitted to that 8 Sqn’s VZ601… is that tight? 

Do Airfix suggest these parts with their instructions? 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

Yes  Dave, Airfix advise the small intakes. Which  looking at the  picture seems to  fit.

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53 minutes ago, Dave Fleming said:

Rule of thumb is anything before WH is usually small, anything after large


That’s a great tip to go by Dave.. kinda like the Lancaster fuselage windows (approximate) serial break (post HD no windows from sketchy memory). Much appreciated. Cheers.. Dave 

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2 hours ago, Dave Fleming said:

Rule of thumb is anything before WH is usually small, anything after large. Change seems to have happened in that range.  Some appear to have had them changed, but as per the Airfix kit, some had the small bore until the end.

I think that the change occurred in the WK- batch; there is at least one image of WK748 with small-bore intakes but there’s also at least one image of WK800, as a U. 16, with large-bore intakes.

 

 I know that the intakes can be swapped between airframes relatively easily, likewise canopies and ailerons, and that some Meteors from earlier production batches could receive some or all of these modifications either on overhaul or even at unit level so unless someone has correspondence between Gloster, Armstrong Whitworth (who built an awful lot of Meteors of various marks) and the Air Ministry, Aircraft record cards detailing any and all modifications and/or dated photographs showing Meteors at various times in their lives pinning down the change to an individual airframe or two is going to prove difficult.

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13 hours ago, stever219 said:

I think that the change occurred in the WK- batch; there is at least one image of WK748 with small-bore intakes but there’s also at least one image of WK800, as a U. 16, with large-bore intakes.

 

 I know that the intakes can be swapped between airframes relatively easily, likewise canopies and ailerons, and that some Meteors from earlier production batches could receive some or all of these modifications either on overhaul or even at unit level so unless someone has correspondence between Gloster, Armstrong Whitworth (who built an awful lot of Meteors of various marks) and the Air Ministry, Aircraft record cards detailing any and all modifications and/or dated photographs showing Meteors at various times in their lives pinning down the change to an individual airframe or two is going to prove difficult.

I was thinking specifically of the FR9

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19 hours ago, 71chally said:

Mine arrived yesterday, well pleased with it and the whole club thing.

 

FR.9s were rocket capable obviously, but has anyone ever seen pictures/references of RAF machines so armed?

OK, I’m convinced. Joined the club and ordered the red box since that seems to be the only way to get the FR9 (it was absent from this years list of new releases). Not so sure about the club thing. Club membership, red box price, and. Hornby’s legendary overseas shipping cost made it a $75 kit.

 

of course, I won’t be getting it anytime soon because of the hacked Royal Mail’s inability to dispatch export packages. Maybe the FR9 will be in 2024 program before the Royal Mail unhacks itself. Once again modelling desire trumps economic good sense. Not the first time for me, but I shall have an FR9 !!!!

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Just in case there's any doubt, this FR.9 kit contains the nose cone and bits to make an F.8, so if you can get it it's the best boxing you can get, especially with the weapons.

Aftermarket decals should cover many options.

 

@Dave Fleming I forgot that RAF Meteors weren't rocket armed, seems odd given that ground attack was the aircrafts' strong point.

 

@Trenton guy, now I feel bad! Personally great for me as I have loads of Flying Hours, until last week I didn't even know what they are!

Once you join you can buy more FR.9s for £15 if I understand it correctly.

 

 

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30 minutes ago, 71chally said:

Just in case there's any doubt, this FR.9 kit contains the nose cone and bits to make an F.8, so if you can get it it's the best boxing you can get, especially with the weapons.

Aftermarket decals should cover many options.

 

@Dave Fleming I forgot that RAF Meteors weren't rocket armed, seems odd given that ground attack was the aircrafts' strong point.

 

@Trenton guy, now I feel bad! Personally great for me as I have loads of Flying Hours, until last week I didn't even know what they are!

Once you join you can buy more FR.9s for £15 if I understand it correctly.

 

Don’t. I knew what I was getting into. Hope to have more luck with fit than I did with the F8 by not glueing the cockpit to either fuselage side until everything clicks in. Last time I glued it to one side, leading to much mis-alignment, gaps, and extensive applications of my favorite small gap filler, Gunze Model Color flat white. Sorted in the end but less fun than it should have been.

 

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8 hours ago, Trenton guy said:

Hope to have more luck with fit than I did with the F8 by not glueing the cockpit to either fuselage side until everything clicks in. Last time I glued it to one side, leading to much mis-alignment, gaps, and extensive applications of my favorite small gap filler, Gunze Model Color flat white. Sorted in the end but less fun than it should have been.

I'm just about to paint one up and had no trouble getting the cockpit in so no filler on the fuselage or the wing/fuselage join, but did find both jet pipe ends to be a tiny bit smaller than the nacelle they attached to, which took some minor sanding. But you still need to double check a few things even when you think the cockpit is in safely. The nose fits together well, the nose  wheel leg goes in okay and is quite robust, but you'll save yourself grief by removing the guide ridges on the back of the bulkhead, they're meant to slot in between the wheel well top and cockpit floor. I found the tolerances (or my lack of assembly skills) too fine because the fit of the nose wheel box is slightly ambivalent, and you only need to be the smallest fraction out to throw it so the bulkead doesn't fit fully flush leading to a gap. The guides aren't needed anyway, the gun ends moulded to the bulkhead serve very well to align the nose cap to the fuselage when they click into the recesses in the front of the gun fairings. It's also possible to get the cockpit assembly marginally too far forward or askew, which will also keep the nose bulkhead seating properly. 

 

I'm talking about the F8, haven't done the other yet but hope the new nose fits okay.

 

Paul.

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