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Building the Fleet Air Arm Collection


James K

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I've decided on the Post War FAA aircraft I wish to build in 1/72 scale and would like any recommendations about the best kits (and warnings about the worst) of each type.  I've been fascinated by the Fleet Air Arm since I did a Look at Life course at RNAS Daedalus in 1979 and my RN Medical Assistant Phase II training at RNAS Yeovilton some year later.  When I'm in the area I always drive past Ford Prison to take a look at the Hunter Gate Guard at the former RNAS Ford.  Just love naval air stations!  My father did a draft on HMS Implacable when he was in the RN.  

 

Supermarine Sea Fire (late model) 

Farey Firefly

Hawker Sea Fury

Westland Wyvern 

Blackburn Firebrand

De Havilland Vampire

Gloster Meteor F3/F8 and NF (Flight Requirements & Air Direction Unit) 

De Havilland Sea Venom Single Seat and NF 

Supermarine Attacker

Hawker Seahawk

Supermarine Scimitar

Hawker Hunter GA11 & T8M

De Havilland Sea Vixen FAW

Blackburn Buccaneer

Hawk T1 (RN 736 S)qn

Sea Harrier FRS1

Sea Harrier FRS2

Sea Harrier T4N

Harrier GR7 (Naval Strike Wing) 

F35B Lightning II (809 Squadron)  

Gannet

British Aerospace BAe 125

Heron

King Air

 

Edited by James K
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1 hour ago, bootneck said:

Canberra - T.4 and TT.18 

Gannet - AS.1, AS.4, COD.4 and AEW.3

 

I forgot FRADU Canberra's which is odd as I used to pass them regularly by the fence at Yeovilton.  I'd probably just build one Gannet (does anyone make a model? in 1/72) given the choice COD.4.

 

Ex Royal?  I served with 45, CHF and at RM Poole as a scablifter 

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32 minutes ago, James K said:

I forgot FRADU Canberra's which is odd as I used to pass them regularly by the fence at Yeovilton.  I'd probably just build one Gannet (does anyone make a model? in 1/72) given the choice COD.4.

 

Ex Royal?  I served with 45, CHF and at RM Poole as a scablifter 

Yep,  40, 41, 42, 848 NAS Culdrose, 845 NAS Yeovilton and 3BAS Yeovilton.

 

Mike

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5 hours ago, James K said:

I've decided on the Post War FAA aircraft I wish to build in 1/72 scale and would like any recommendations about the best kits (and warnings about the worst) of each type.  I've been fascinated by the Fleet Air Arm since I did a Look at Life course at RNAS Daedalus in 1979 and my RN Medical Assistant Phase II training at RNAS Yeovilton some year later.  When I'm in the area I always drive past Ford Prison to take a look at the Hunter Gate Guard at the former RNAS Ford.  Just love naval air stations!  My father did a draft on HMS Implacable when he was in the RN.  

 

Supermarine Sea Fire (late model) 

Farey Firefly

Hawker Sea Fury

Westland Wyvern 

Blackburn Firebrand

De Havilland Vampire

Gloster Meteor F3/F8 and NF (Flight Requirements & Air Direction Unit) 

De Havilland Sea Venom Single Seat and NF 

Supermarine Attacker

Hawker Seahawk

Supermarine Scimitar

Hawker Hunter GA11 & T8M

De Havilland Sea Vixen FAW

Blackburn Buccaneer

Hawk T1 (RN 736 S)qn

Sea Harrier FRS1

Sea Harrier FRS2

Sea Harrier T4N

Harrier GR7 (Naval Strike Wing) 

F35B Lightning II (809 Squadron)  

Gannet

British Aerospace BAe 125

Heron

King Air

 

You seem to have missed out all the rotary wing aircraft!

 

Selwyn

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55 minutes ago, ClaudioN said:

Avenger (Hobby 2000, it is the Hasegawa TBM-3 with post-war Suez decals)

Skyraider AEW (Sword)

Hunting Sea Prince (rumours Valom)

 

Remember: both F.20 and T.22 (Airfix) for the Vampire

It the Avenger post war?  True I missed the Skyraider but do they do an AEW model?  The Sea Prince would be interesting but again is there a model of it? 

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4 hours ago, James K said:

It the Avenger post war?

According to Air-Britain's Fleet Air Arm Fixed-Wing Aircraft Since 1946, 100 Avengers were supplied under MDAP in 1953 (or maybe from 1953 - I didn't check the delivery dates for all 100) and serialled in the XB range. Most were converted to AS4, AS5 and ECM6. Sword do a kit of the ECM6, and yes, also the AEW Skyraider.

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Exactly when post war is your starting point? Most wartime types, including lend lease, lingered on into 1946/47.

 

Fairey Barracuda. 815 used the TR.III until 1950 for ASW training (it was aboard Implacable in 1950). TR.V was used by a number of second line units early postwar.

 

Supermarine Walrus and Sea Otter. The last Sea Otter rescue was off Korea in 1950 before it was replaced by helicopters.

 

Hellcat NF.II. 892 squadron had a 6 month tour on Ocean from Nov 1945 trialling the night carrier concept.

 

Handley Page / Scottish Aviation Jetstream T.2 & British Aerospace Jetstream T.3

 

DH Mosquito TT.39

Edited by EwenS
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Since the OP asked for advice on 1/72 kits, here's some input on the more modern end of the list (happy to be corrected/amended if others know more):

 

Hawker Hunter GA11 & T8M
Best: Revell (conversions needed for your desired types)
Avoid: Matchbox, Frog, Airfix, Plastyk

Blackburn Buccaneer
Best: CMK Resin if price and availability are no object; if they are, Airfix new tool
Avoid: Airfix old tool, Matchbox (also reboxed by Revell), Frog

Hawk T1 (RN 736 S)qn
Best: Revell AG (non-Italeri rebox)
https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235078937-hawk-t1-04970-172-revell/
Avoid: Matchbox, Fujimi, Airfix (old tooling)

Sea Harrier FRS1
Best: ESCI (also reboxed by Italeri)
Avoid: Matchbox, Hasegawa (beautiful kit but noticeably short), Fujimi (also reboxed by Revell AG and Testors)

Sea Harrier FRS2
Best: does not yet exist
Either Airfix kit or Xtrakit/Special Hobby (same tooling) tie for "least worst" but may be best used in combination with an ESCI FRS.1 as an FA.2 conversion

Sea Harrier T4N
Best: Sword
Avoid: Heller/Bobkit

Harrier GR7 (Naval Strike Wing)
Best: Airfix new tool, Hasegawa (also reboxed by Revell)
Avoid: Italeri, Airfix old tool

F35B Lightning II (809 Squadron)
Best: Hasegawa, Fujimi
Avoid: Italeri X-35 (also reboxed by Revell)

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An unusual one that's easily missed is the Shorts Sturgeon which was designed initially as an anti submarine aircraft but evolved into a fairly useful Target tug. There's a Magna resin kit which is probably difficult to get hold of, and is a bit of a challenge. I know as I'm working my way through it at the moment. Quite slowly to be honest. 

 

Also:

Sea Bailiol -Special Hobby

DH Dragon Rapide - Airfix/Heller boxing has FAA markings

DH Sea Mosquito -  No kit in 1:72 but can be converted from existing kits

FAA also flew Harvards, Miles Martinets, DH Tiger Moths and Avro Ansons for a period post war. In fact Tiger Moths were in use until the early 70s IIRC

 

Currently the FAA has some King Air 350 Avenger T1s. There is a resin kit from RVHP

 

 

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I forgot the DHC Chipmunk. AZ Models boxing I think. And possibly new Airfix. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 14/06/2022 at 20:58, CT7567 said:

Since the OP asked for advice on 1/72 kits, here's some input on the more modern end of the list (happy to be corrected/amended if others know more):

 

Hawker Hunter GA11 & T8M
Best: Revell (conversions needed for your desired types)
Avoid: Matchbox, Frog, Airfix, Plastyk

Blackburn Buccaneer
Best: CMK Resin if price and availability are no object; if they are, Airfix new tool
Avoid: Airfix old tool, Matchbox (also reboxed by Revell), Frog

Hawk T1 (RN 736 S)qn
Best: Revell AG (non-Italeri rebox)
https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235078937-hawk-t1-04970-172-revell/
Avoid: Matchbox, Fujimi, Airfix (old tooling)

Sea Harrier FRS1
Best: ESCI (also reboxed by Italeri)
Avoid: Matchbox, Hasegawa (beautiful kit but noticeably short), Fujimi (also reboxed by Revell AG and Testors)

Sea Harrier FRS2
Best: does not yet exist
Either Airfix kit or Xtrakit/Special Hobby (same tooling) tie for "least worst" but may be best used in combination with an ESCI FRS.1 as an FA.2 conversion

Sea Harrier T4N
Best: Sword
Avoid: Heller/Bobkit

Harrier GR7 (Naval Strike Wing)
Best: Airfix new tool, Hasegawa (also reboxed by Revell)
Avoid: Italeri, Airfix old tool

F35B Lightning II (809 Squadron)
Best: Hasegawa, Fujimi
Avoid: Italeri X-35 (also reboxed by Revell)

Thanks for the advice, you don't seem to be a fan of Matchbox.  With the F35B Lightning II what are the problems with the Italeri?  as the Hasegawa, Fujimi are more expensive and difficult to get hold of.

 

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6 minutes ago, James K said:

Thanks for the advice, you don't seem to be a fan of Matchbox.  With the F35B Lightning II what are the problems with the Italeri?  as the Hasegawa, Fujimi are more expensive and difficult to get hold of.

 

 

Nothing against Matchbox as a brand in general, just that for the subjects in question their kits are among the lowest quality available (oversimplified, lacking pylons/weapons, and in the case of the two-seat option for the Hunter, particularly inaccurate shape).

 

I should clarify that my "avoid" recommendation is for the X-35 prototype tooled by Italeri and reboxed by Revell. It resembles the F-35B STOVL variant but was designed before even the original prototype had been finalized, so seriously lacking accuracy and detail.  There is a recent new tooling of the F-35B also by Italeri that I haven't seen or read any reviews of, so it may be a worthwhile budget alternative to Hasegawa or Fujimi.

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6 minutes ago, CT7567 said:

 

Nothing against Matchbox as a brand in general, just that for the subjects in question their kits are among the lowest quality available (oversimplified, lacking pylons/weapons, and in the case of the two-seat option for the Hunter, particularly inaccurate shape).

 

I should clarify that my "avoid" recommendation is for the X-35 prototype tooled by Italeri and reboxed by Revell. It resembles the F-35B STOVL variant but was designed before even the original prototype had been finalized, so seriously lacking accuracy and detail.  There is a recent new tooling of the F-35B also by Italeri that I haven't seen or read any reviews of, so it may be a worthwhile budget alternative to Hasegawa or Fujimi.

Thanks.

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2 hours ago, alt-92 said:

No love for the Sea Hornet?

Conversion work for a F.20 would be needed (wing fold lines & tailhook) but there's a good Hornet kit as starting point.

Special Hobby did both the F.20 and the NF.21 a few years back.  You may pick up either on the secondhand market.  Not particularly wonderful kits (wrong shape to canopy, undersized spinners in relation to nacelle fronts) but I haven't gained the impression that the newer AZ Hornet kits are much better (haven't ever actually seen one).

 

I'd add Airfix to the list of "avoid" (in fact "strenuously avoid") for the Sea Harrier FRS.1 (@CT7567 probably omitted from his list on grounds of taste).  Airfix did not properly represent the raised cockpit of the SH so you just get something that looks plain wrong.  And it's from Airfix's trenchline surface detail era.  Same problems with the Sea Harrier F/A.2.  For me the Italeri (ex ESCI) Sea Harrier FRS.1 is only show in town: good outlines, delicate surface detail despite its age.  Still need a bit of work on the inside of the cockpit though (seat moved rearward) but nothing too daunting.

 

Reportedly the canopy of the Special Hobby Balliol doesn't fit well: a reviewer resorted to using a spare one off the Alley Cat short-run Sea Balliol T.21.  I have the latter aand am very happy with it.  Probably difficult to find nowadays though.

 

FAA also flew some straight Mosquito FB.VIs (811 Sq) from Ford just after the war: Tamiya kit without modification.  They also had some late model Mosquito B. and PR. variants for which you could start out from the new Airfix Mosquito B.XVI.

Edited by Seahawk
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Just now, Seahawk said:

but I haven't gained the impression that the newer AZ Hornet kits are much better (haven't ever actually seen one).

Prerequisite thread with useful Sea Hornet info interspersed

And seeing as @David A Collins supplied info on that I'm inclined to say it is a better starting point.

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11 hours ago, alt-92 said:

Prerequisite thread with useful Sea Hornet info interspersed

And seeing as @David A Collins supplied info on that I'm inclined to say it is a better starting point.

Yes, I remember that excellent thread well: it contains practically all I know about the kit.  As you say, probably a better starting point - but not as great an improvement as it should have been.

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The Skyraider AEW.1 from Sword is a cracking kit and definitely worth getting, also their Avenger AS.3, 4 or 6 looks good, have it in the stash .

SPECIAL Hobby Firefly  mk4/5 is a nice kit, so is thier Firefly T2, Sea Fury T20 and the Admiral Airspeed Oxford used for radio training.

Special Hobby Sea Hawk FGA.6 , not built that one.

Cyberhobby do a Sea Vampire F.20 which is a nice kit if a bit basic and a Sea Vixen  not built that one, but their Sea Venom can be made to look gorgeous and is a joy to build.

Hope that helps with a few.  I have built a few on my FAA thread and still have loads to do.

Good luck on this noble quest

Chris

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