Nostalgia - 1/72 Airfix Gloster Meteor Mk.III (red stripe box) [done]

[alt-92]

This may well be the first ever model kit I built myself at age 6.

The original one survived 3 moves but has disappeared somewhere along the years - I do remember re-re-re-re-repainting it until it was more humbrol paint than plastic. 

 

 

So: for sentimental reasons, I have one red-stripe box in pristine state & sealed. That'll stay that way. 
The other one will be an attempt at doing better than 6 year old me. 

 

 

What could possibly go wrong?

 

[George Norman]

Good luck , from what I remember this is a nice model to build. Nothing fancy but nice.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Excellent sir … Always nice to see a classic kit get its day in the sun. 

[alt-92]

Almost done!

I think those are the right tools? 

240 grit sandpaper, nail file, scissors and Poly cement.

 

 

 

--- 

I'm joking of course. A few mods will be made. The engines need an extra box on the Wellands, and the standard seat position is way too high so that will be lowered a bit. 
I checked my MPM  Meatbox 4, but that cockpit has no more detail than this, so 

 standard it is.

 

[Andwil]

Re the box art, I recall reading that the Meteor was stopped from flying over enemy territory to prevent one falling into German  hands, so only flew defensively over England.  Is this correct?

 

AW

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

2 hours ago, Andwil said:

Re the box art, I recall reading that the Meteor was stopped from flying over enemy territory to prevent one falling into German  hands, so only flew defensively over England.  Is this correct?

 

AW

If memory is correct a few were moved to the continent towards the end of hostilities. They were kept over friendly territory as air defense. They were painted white so as to be identifiable by AA crews. I could be wrong but I think thats what I remember reading. 

Edited November 17, 2022 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[Celestialsphere]

A sentimental journey indeed. Thankyou for sharing your build @alt-92

 

 

Interesting that Doris Day sung this in late 1944, only a year or so after the Meteor's first flight.

 

Cheers 

Andrew

 

[gingerbob]

6 hours ago, Andwil said:

Re the box art, I recall reading that the Meteor was stopped from flying over enemy territory to prevent one falling into German  hands, so only flew defensively over England.  Is this correct?

 

The white ones (four) did not fly operationally, and returned to UK in April.  The rest of the squadron, with normal camouflaged Mk.IIIs, came to Belgium at the start of April, and began flying armed recces over Northern Holland on the 16th.

 

bob

[George Norman]

remember nose weight!!

 

[alt-92]

What, and not make use of the pilot figure and Authentic Airfix Stand ^{(c) (r) (tm)}  ?

You must be joking

 

[George Norman]

5 hours ago, alt-92 said:

What, and not make use of the pilot figure and Authentic Airfix Stand ^{(c) (r) (tm)}  ?

You must be joking

 

Good Call!! Must track one of the old Kits down with a stand to do the very same!

[alt-92]

Well then: 

Fuselage & coal hole all buttoned up, and by slowly going from back to front managed to prevent seams. The mating surfaces are slightly raised, so with gentle scraping and careful sanding all smooth without losing many of the raised rivets. 

 

 

The astute observer will also notice I've added a front coaming & rear deck to what otherwise would have been a gaping hole.

 

 

The engine fronts were blank plates with a spar but the real thing at least shows some of the engine gubbins. 
A few rods of plastic improved the look - not glued here yet.

 

 

 

Bottom wing is glued on as well, and shows a remarkablty nice fit. Just a few swipes of plastic putty, and a minor lick of Surfacer 500 to use.

 

 

Yes I'm going to use the stand

 

 

 

[Marklo]

For such an old kit it’s looking well. But if it were me the raised panel lines would have to go.

[stevehnz]

4 hours ago, Marklo said:

For such an old kit it’s looking well. But if it were me the raised panel lines would have to go.

Fwiw, I don't mind raised detail on a older classic kit but I do tend to give them a buffing to reduce the severity a little so you still have a look in keeping with the original but not so over done.

Steve.

[alt-92]

 wot he sez.

Although usually once a coat of primer is on, a few swipes tend to both egalise the coat and even out the sometimes variable height (like the hatch near the cockpit).

It'll be fiiine. Don't worry, you're not the one who has it in the display cabinet

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Good work for an older kit. I cant re-scribe all that well but I find if you sand the whole plane down with 1000+ wet-dry it leaves very fine raised panel-lines and is almost as good

[Marklo]

7 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

I cant re-scribe all that well

Me neither but having worked in aerospace for a while raised panel lines on my models just annoy me  although I would add it’s your model and  your call as to which way to go, so long as you’re enjoying it there’s no real right or wrong.

Edited November 28, 2022 by Marklo

[JOCKNEY]

Great seeing another early Airfix Meteor being built here.

I'm building the same kit, but later boxing, and have to say the parts fit so far has been really good, thankfully 👍 

Cheers Pat 

[alt-92]

Ladies & Gentlemen, 

 

May I introduce you to Roger?

P/o Roger Welland would also like to ask you if the engines were indeed his namesakes, or if he'd been pipped at the post by Capt. George Derwent

 

 

He will be taking place once his host (me) has found something to mask the canopy with in order to proceed to the primer phase.

 

 

The canopy has been gently scraped to fit better, and a sanding sponge reduced the raised detail to a more even level.

 

 

Onwards!

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Good work on Roger and the meteor. 

[stevehnz]

4 hours ago, alt-92 said:

P/o Roger Welland would also like to ask you if the engines were indeed his namesakes, or if he'd been pipped at the post by Capt. George Derwent

If you're doing it in the kit markings, of EE239, then it was powered by Rogers namesake engines in which case use the supplied tail pipe & remove the lumps from the top right of the engine nacelles. If you're doing it as a later one, ie after EE245 in one of the serial blocks as mentioned on this page, make short jet pipes almost flush with the rear of the nacelle & keep the bumps, those were Derwent powered. I'm thinking that if the mods will allow it I might have to dismantle & rebuild my kit from about 45 years ago into the one operated by the RNZAF.

Steve.

PS, the diagram on the page I've linked to is wrong as it shows the plane with Welland tail pipes but Derwent bumps.  

[CliffB]

The old girl's looking very nice for her age, without too much plastic surgery to destroy her character 

[Mr T]

The other thing you might want to change is to fill the mass balance on the ailerons. This was only on the prototypes and MkI. I can remember James Goulding mentioned it in his review in 'Aircraft Ilustrated' when the kit came out. It was a nice kit for the period, and I recall buying one on the way to school from a newsagent. Funny how selective memory can be, when I think of all the work stuff I have forgotten. 

[alt-92]

10 hours ago, stevehnz said:

If you're doing it in the kit markings, of EE239, then it was powered by Rogers namesake engines in which case use the supplied tail pipe & remove the lumps from the top right of the engine nacelles.

Fantastic Thanks Steve. 

 

1 hour ago, Mr T said:

The other thing you might want to change is to fill the mass balance on the ailerons. This was only on the prototypes and MkI.

 

Good one, I'll check the Tamiya destructions as well - there should be a whip antenna behind the big post for instance.

[alt-92]

...and it appears these early Mk.IIIs weren't fitted with the cast iron fences airbrakes either. 

Yay. More fun