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Another Restoration- This Time, An Airfix 1/72 A.W Sea Hawk


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31 minutes ago, Brandy said:

Looking great, but you've got your wingtip lights the wrong way around. Red left, green right.

Remember "red, right, wrong!"

 

Ian


:oops:

Edited by Brigbeale
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The only way I could sort the wing tip light c*ck-up was to paint over the clear plastic. Not ideal, but they’re the right colour on the right side now.

 

I spent the last two nights figuring out the correct height and size of the landing gear and the wheels.

I copied the same image of a Sea Hawk sprue with the nose gear and main gear in the same image. Somehow, the main gear legs turned out a lot smaller. I figured they were approx 3mm to short, so I lengthened them in Cura (3D printer slicing program). They look a bit better now. 
The nose gear was printed as well as the main wheels (which were also enlarged as they looked way too small). 
With the aid of white tac, the landing gear was ‘fitted’ in position and the Sea Hawk gingerly set on the wheels. 
The stance looked about right and so the main gear wheels were removed and the landing gear legs were sprue-goo’d into position. 
I will have to wait until tomorrow for them so fully set before I can fit the main wheels. 
I painted the wheel wells and wheel centres Aluminium. 
The landing gear legs were painted with the Mr Color Off White which appears near enough the correct colour.

 

After a quick photo was taken, the Sea Hawk was put back on the stand the right way up and put in the cabinet for the sprue goo to set.

JYzot0y.jpg

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Very nice but it is a pity you got the wrong fonts for the numbers and letters.  Shame really after all that effort. There are plenty decals sets out there with the right fonts and sized  numerals and letters.  But you have done a nice job on the restorations.

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I wasn’t entirely happy with the main wheels as they weren’t perfect or turn out good enough to be used in the Sea Hawk. I felt I could print a better set by taking the original design and splitting it in half and printing 4 halves flat onto the build plate on the 3D printer - I’d previously printed the two wheels upright.

The re-printed wheels turned out a lot better.

fRbJkSv.jpg
 

Two halves were each glued together with sprue-goo to make the wheel complete with some 1mm styrene rod for the axle to line them up. They were then painted aluminium in the centres and Revell Anthracite for the tyres. The landing gear was given another coat of Mr Color off white (once I’d got the damned lid off!). The nose wheel was also painted with anthracite on the tyre. 
The wheels were then sprue-goo’d into the landing gear legs. 
The inner wheel bay doors/covers were fitted to the outside of the landing gear leg as in the photo of XE368.

rTdZzJX.jpg
RkjDqeN.jpg

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22 hours ago, Paul J said:

Very nice but it is a pity you got the wrong fonts for the numbers and letters.  Shame really after all that effort. There are plenty decals sets out there with the right fonts and sized  numerals and letters.  But you have done a nice job on the restorations.

Thanks for the observation.I thought I’d got away with it.

When I did the Phantom, I found what appeared to be a correct rendition of the FAA font, but do you think I could find it again?? No!

 

I did find an image which kind of showed the underside of the wing serial numbers and they weren’t in the correct font either. The 2 in the ‘200’ isn’t entirely correct either, but I was able to find a similar font to that, so that’s what I used on the 200 and the serial number underneath. 
So I could just call it an depiction of XE368 as she was displayed.
 

Typically, I found the correct font again this afternoon.

Ideally, I could try to remove the serial numbers, but it may mess up the paint, so I think I’ll just let sleeping dogs lay.

 

Even though it’s not entirely correct, I’m happy with it.

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11 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

Cracking work on the undercarriage Brian and it looks good standing on it too. Nearly there now

Chris

Thanks Chris

 

2 hours ago, opus999 said:

Your decals turned out very nice!  

Thanks @opus999. I’m happy with them.

 

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I designed a replacement arrestor hook this morning and printed it. This evening, I fitted it with the obligatory sprue-goo. 
The main gear outer doors/covers were fitted also.

I made the two sections of the nose gear doors/covers and sprue-goo’d them into position as well.
The nose gear doors and arrestor hook received a coat of Tamiya Sky and Aluminium to finish them off. 
Unfortunately, the ‘200’ for the nose wheel forward section is too large. If I remember when I next print a set of home made decals, I’ll revisit the ‘200’ and fit it into position on the Sea Hawk.

 

Sooo, the Sea Hawk is finished apart from the ‘200’ decal.

I’m quite happy with the way it’s turned out.

GGPtEd0.jpg
lp60g6s.jpg

j6iMmg5.jpg
 

And with the other 1/72 FAA models from the cabinet. The Sea Harrier is going to get a set of wheels when I restore another Sea harrier.

Y11XTp0.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

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