Salty Dog - Lt Cdr JM Bruen - Special Hobby 1/48 Fairey Fulmar - Fairey Fulmar N1951/6A *** Finished ***

[Grey Beema]

John Martin Bruen was a true Salty Sea Dog. 

 

Born in Dublin 20/12/1910 (just up the road), the son of an MP, joined the Royal Navy in Sep '24 and served on various Battleships and Cruisers as he rose up through the ranks.  He gained his flying certificate Oct '31 and was appointed as a fighter pilot in 802 NAS on board HMS Glorious in Jun '36 and stayed until Jun '38 .  In Oct '38 to Apr '39 he served with 801 NAS on HMS Courageous.  Aug '39 saw his re-appointed to the newly formed Fleet Air Arm and in Jun '40 he became CO of 803 NAS flying Skuas off HMS Ark Royal.

 

During the war Bruen Destroyed 4 enemy aircraft, shared in the destruction of 4, damaged 2 and shared 2 damaged.

 

He scored victories in the Blackburn Skua - Mers-el-Kébir

 

 

 

Fairey Fulmar

 

 

Hawker Sea Hurricane MkI - Operation Pedestal

 

 

Hawker Sea Hurricane MkIIb. - Operation Torch

 

He retired from the Navy 20.12.55 and died 20.04.67 in Birmingham

 

My Objective in this GB is to:-

build the Fairey Fulmar the Bruen used to destroy a Ju88 21.03.41.  I am planning to do some Origami to this aircraft - so it is not exactly going to be out of the box. 

If that all goes well, I also intend to build the 1/48 Hasegawa Hawker Hurricane MkIIb but converting it to a Hawker Sea Hurricane MkIIb by inserting the Airfix underside under the rear fuselage (wish me luck with that one) to model the aircraft Bruen flew to achieve his final victory.

 

Anyway - that's the cunning plan for this GB

 

 

 

 

Edited April 23, 2023 by Grey Beema

[Colin W]

Sounds like a great plan.

[Ngantek]

Excited about this one. Always love your builds and the aces theme gives them a lot of context. 

 

Which fulmar are you using? (EDIT: guess who can't read titles) I always like to see wings posed folded on carrier aircraft and the fulmar fold is particularly cool. I have a (72) smer vista one that I also was hoping to apply some airwaves origami to one day. 

 

And Sea hurricane of course who doesn't love a sea hurricane. I know nothing about the hasegawa kit but wish you luck with the surgery! Bill Bruen is also one of those names that seems to pop up everywhere in FAA histories so it'll be interesting to hear more on him.

 

Andy

 

[TonyOD]

I always like to see a bit of in depth FAA work, @Grey Beema, and you're the man for that!

 

Could you oblige me by doing a separate WIP thread for the Sea Hurricane if it ends up a goer? Many thanks.

[Grey Beema]

We have launched. 

 

The obligatory box and Sprue shots.  This Fulmar is going to represent N1951/6A 803 NAS (stash aircraft are labelled with the aircraft they are to represent).

 

 

I haven't unpacked the Resin parts yet.

 

 

 

The inspiration, I had decided to do a Fulmar with the wings folded but this scene adds some inspiration.  

 

There is no Airwaves set in 1/48.  I thought, working with this diagram and some walkaround pictures, I should be able to scratch up the structures for the wings which seems to consist of some framing and some boxing in.  I have started the build with the wings first.  I will do the outer panels and work out how the hinge will fit and then move on to the fuselage.  Loads of fitting of the resin cockpits there.  From experience I know there is a lot of milling out of the fuselage to be done.

 

Couple of hours with a scalpel and a razor saw gets you this  (Machine guns are spares from an Airfix 1/48 Hurricane). 

I will build a front wall for the Gun bays and build frames around the other sides of the guns.  I think I'll use Airfix ammunition boxes to feed the guns (well thats the plan anyway.  

 

Thanks for looking in.

 

 

[Ngantek]

I have that airwaves set lying around somewhere if you want me to take some better pictures. I doubt it would be half as good as some decent actual Fulmar photos though (IIRC the yeovilton one sits with its wings folded?). Looks nice. I can't put my finger on what it is, but Special Hobby kits (and particularly sprues) have their own particular 'tang', don't they?

[Grey Beema]

1 hour ago, Ngantek said:

I have that airwaves set lying around somewhere if you want me to take some better pictures. I doubt it would be half as good as some decent actual Fulmar photos though (IIRC the yeovilton one sits with its wings folded?). Looks nice. I can't put my finger on what it is, but Special Hobby kits (and particularly sprues) have their own particular 'tang', don't they?

 

Thanks Andy, If you have the Instruction that go with the Airwaves set - that would be handy.

 

One thing I noticed is that the rear sections of the wings when cut out - the top and bottom on each wing don't quite match (even though I cut along the panel lines. I think some engineering is required there so in the long term I think scratch building the frames is the way to go.  Boxed in areas should be straight forward.

 

I like the SH kits, if you build 1/48 FAA Aircraft you have to - I have built a few (2 Skuas, 2 Fulmars, 4 Seafires) and have more to build (Fulmars, Seafires, Albacore Barracuda).  Just remember to add alignment stubs when nailing them together (Fuselages, WIng panels that sort of thing) but the detail is really good.

 

 

[Ngantek]

1 hour ago, Grey Beema said:

Thanks Andy, If you have the Instruction that go with the Airwaves set - that would be handy.

Here are a few, there are more in the Album, but happy to take some more if it's not clear or 'flat' enough for you purposes:

 

1 hour ago, Grey Beema said:

One thing I noticed is that the rear sections of the wings when cut out - the top and bottom on each wing don't quite match (even though I cut along the panel lines. I think some engineering is required there so in the long term I think scratch building the frames is the way to go.  Boxed in areas should be straight forward.

That's a bit of a bummer. If it's span wise, it's a bit hard to fix; chord wise, perhaps having the cross-sectional scratch piece at an angle will be enough to sort it out. I don't really know what the correct 'section' angle should be, but given the likelyhood of people scratching a wingfold onto a naval aircraft, it's a shame they didn't get that one right.

 

1 hour ago, Grey Beema said:

I like the SH kits, if you build 1/48 FAA Aircraft you have to - I have built a few (2 Skuas, 2 Fulmars, 4 Seafires) and have more to build (Fulmars, Seafires, Albacore Barracuda).  Just remember to add alignment stubs when nailing them together (Fuselages, WIng panels that sort of thing) but the detail is really good.

Yeah they're one of the manufacturers who I feel indebted to simply because they make a lot of subjects I like; namely carrier based FAA aircraft.

 

Looking great so far, kudos for getting the really scary stuff out the way early on!

 

Andy

 

[Grey Beema]

20 hours ago, Ngantek said:

Here are a few, there are more in the Album, but happy to take some more if it's not clear or 'flat' enough for you purposes:

 

That's a bit of a bummer. If it's span wise, it's a bit hard to fix; chord wise, perhaps having the cross-sectional scratch piece at an angle will be enough to sort it out. I don't really know what the correct 'section' angle should be, but given the likelyhood of people scratching a wingfold onto a naval aircraft, it's a shame they didn't get that one right.

 

Yeah they're one of the manufacturers who I feel indebted to simply because they make a lot of subjects I like; namely carrier based FAA aircraft.

 

Looking great so far, kudos for getting the really scary stuff out the way early on!

 

Andy

 

That is perfect - Thanks Andy

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

Some interesting engineering here. 

[Col.]

This should be a treat; the added scratch-building to achieve all the origami of a wing fold as well as the open gun bays looks particularly interesting.

[Grey Beema]

6 hours ago, Col. said:

This should be a treat; the added scratch-building to achieve all the origami of a wing fold as well as the open gun bays looks particularly interesting.

There is plenty of opportunity for me the screw this up Col. Slowly, slowly catch a monkey on this one...

[Grey Beema]

Spent some time  at the bench yesterday using the picture posted by Andy @Ngantek (thanks again Andy) as my guide.  This consisted of the framing for the wing outer panels and boxing in of the folding flap section.  This being more complicated on the Starboard wing due to the fact I decided to build out the Gun bay.  The added complication is that the flap section of the SH model as cut out are different shapes top to bottom which meant some addition blocking in and squaring up.  I also added the UC bay walls to the centre section so that I had a height reference to work from.  There is still filling and adding of detail to be done to these areas yet.

 

Well after a long session of chopping, hacking, slicing and sanding, this is as far as I got,  Doesn't seem much though..

 

Overall View

 

Port wing blocking in.  Profile around Landing light still needs to be sorted as does the landing light structure.  More detailing too on the blanked out section.

 

Wing centre section needs to be done but I think I'll wait until the fuselage is assembled and the centre section fitted.  But this is roughly the position when the wings are folded - lots of detailing to be done here.

 

Starboard wing Gun bay.  Spare Airfix Hurricane Brownings were used and the Ammon box and ammunition feeds.  I think it looks OK.  Lash some paint and a wash it will be ok (I hope).

 

Starboard wing with the top surface in position, so will not be able to see much (especially once the Flap section is in place over the wing.

 

So, as they say, loads done, loads still to do.  I am now going off the research Rivet decals...

[Bertie McBoatface]

39 minutes ago, Grey Beema said:

 

 

Doesn't seem much, he says. Overboard with the modesty mate, it's brilliant! Really tidy building and a lot of work done. Outstanding!

[Ngantek]

That's some serious work put in. The structural work on the front/back wing fold is particularly good. Scratching this particular fold is a massive job, it really looks great so far.

[TonyOD]

59 minutes ago, Grey Beema said:

I think it looks OK.

 

That's some next-level modelling. There should be a "wow" option in the little emoticons for work like this.

[Grey Beema]

6 hours ago, Bertie McBoatface said:

 

Doesn't seem much, he says. Overboard with the modesty mate, it's brilliant! Really tidy building and a lot of work done. Outstanding!

 

6 hours ago, Ngantek said:

That's some serious work put in. The structural work on the front/back wing fold is particularly good. Scratching this particular fold is a massive job, it really looks great so far.

 

6 hours ago, TonyOD said:

 

That's some next-level modelling. There should be a "wow" option in the little emoticons for work like this.

 

Thanks Guys,  as I said to an early comment - plenty of time to feck it up yet.  It looks rougher in real life I can assure you.

 

I think I'll extend the back frame on the right wing a bit which will allow me do a cord wise frame to the right of the gun bay.  That will obscure the view when you look down the length of the folded wing, through the gun bay panel, from the nose.  I might also add a wire or two just behind the frame to busy it up a bit though bare in mind this surface faces the fuselage so you wont see much (I'll know its there though..  I wonder if I can get that done at work during the week....

 

Thanks for stopping by..

[Bertie McBoatface]

10 minutes ago, Grey Beema said:

It looks rougher in real life

 

So do I. 😜

[Col.]

I do enjoy seeing scratch-built structure and detail of this nature. It takes on a beauty of its own and shows the time that has been spent creating it in a way we can't always fully appreciate once everything has been painted.

[Grey Beema]

53 minutes ago, Col. said:

I do enjoy seeing scratch-built structure and detail of this nature. It takes on a beauty of its own and shows the time that has been spent creating it in a way we can't always fully appreciate once everything has been painted.

 

Thank you @Col..

[heloman1]

An interesting subject and a more interesting build with the folded wings.

 

Colin

[Grey Beema]

Progress is continuing - Slow but I'm getting there.

 

General Progress:-  The outer wing panels, flaps and ailerons are largely done, landing light is in place and the wing around it shaped and polished.  All the filler has been rubbed down and polished.  I would move to the stub wings but before fixing in place I need the fuselage in place, so that's what I am building next.

 

Working on the Cockpits today.  These are mainly Resin and come as part of the kit.  They clean up well and are quite impressive if someone with more skills than I have finishes them out.  Only about 50% of what is in the box can be seen in the finished kit even if you adapt the canopies to be open (which I will do).

 

Here we go then - Eduard pre-printed Instrument panel.  This builds up really well.

 

 

This needs a spot of Matt Varnish to dull it down.  Instrument faces are filling with Superglue to represent glass.

 

Next up the Pilots Cockpit.  A bit fiddly but it doesn't look to bad if you kind of close your eyes and squint a bit..  Combination of resin & etch.

 

 

 

Again - maybe a quick blow over with Matt Varnish

 

 

The Observers cockpit.  This also is resin with a couple of etched parts.  Its a bit warped and I'm not convinced it went together well but, I do know that there is a lot of work to get it to fit the fuselage - so a little bit of flexibility is not such a bad thing.  Dremal and burrs are ready for next weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is an overall view to the small progress made to date. 

 

 

Still a good bit to go.  I might have to re-think the Hurricane which will be another cut and shut job...

 

Thanks for looking in..

 

 

 

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

You are making good steady progress. Somehow. I can't imagine you having a difficulty getting the cockpit in. 🙂

[Grey Beema]

2 hours ago, Bertie McBoatface said:

You are making good steady progress. Somehow. I can't imagine you having a difficulty getting the cockpit in. 🙂

 

Cheers Bertie.  The cockpit is fitted by grinding away all of the moulded detail in the fuselage and then by half of the wall thickness of the fuselage.  Constant dry fitting to try and make sure the high points are gone.  Its a bit nerve wracking because you don't want to grind through the fuselage wall.  

[Ngantek]

I can see it's a big job this one, and that's before you consider all the scratch on the wing fold. Good job getting so far so quickly. The cockpits are looking really nice, the worn effect you've manage on the floors in particular.

 

Andy