Airfix 1/48 Fairey Gannet 2023

[sniperUK]

5 minutes ago, john224 said:

Noticed something new for Airfix, 2 windscreens are provided, one with the wiper molded in and one plain without a wiper "To allow a photo-etch part to be fitted". Not seen that before, a reaction to the criticism they got for the Vulcan canopy perhaps.

On the Sea King as well. 

[AntPhillips]

5 minutes ago, john224 said:

Noticed something new for Airfix, 2 windscreens are provided, one with the wiper molded in and one plain without a wiper "To allow a photo-etch part to be fitted". Not seen that before, a reaction to the criticism they got for the Vulcan canopy perhaps.

 

They did it on the 1/48 new tool Buccaneer too 👍

[john224]

4 minutes ago, AntPhillips said:

 

They did it on the 1/48 new tool Buccaneer too 👍

Perhaps should have said new to me! 😁    Don't have the Buccaneer yet, waiting for the S2B to come out.

 

(Same with the Sea King)

[wellsprop]

35 minutes ago, 71chally said:

Excellent, thank you!

 

Trainer periscopes and modded port side canopy fairing to follow at all?

 

I won't say no - to be honest, the main limitation is information/plans/drawings!

 

29 minutes ago, john224 said:

Noticed something new for Airfix, 2 windscreens are provided, one with the wiper molded in and one plain without a wiper "To allow a photo-etch part to be fitted". Not seen that before, a reaction to the criticism they got for the Vulcan canopy perhaps.

 

They did this on the Buccaneer too, I much prefer the canopies without the windscreen wipers, easier to mask/paint and making the little wipers out of plasticard/PE is rather rewarding

[Cheshiretaurus]

Has anybody identified parts L4,5,6&7 from the clear sprue? Dont think they are used in this kit, but for future releases. Just trying to work out where the would go. Or have I missed it in the instructions?

[Dave Fleming]

Got a photo? Could be the periscope for the middle cockpit on the trainer variant and the fairings for the rear cockpit with the view holes in them?

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by Dave Fleming

[wellsprop]

36 minutes ago, Cheshiretaurus said:

Has anybody identified parts L4,5,6&7 from the clear sprue? Dont think they are used in this kit, but for future releases. Just trying to work out where the would go. Or have I missed it in the instructions?

 

EDIT: they are the little portholes fore of the rear cockpit, as seen in the photo in the post above this one.

 

There is a recess on the inside of the fuselage for these to be put in to.

[71chally]

Yes, the extra parts and the depressions are for the portholes used on the trainer Gannet T.2s/T.5s and early WN serial AS.1s, an indication of another boxing and variant to come, I hope.

[Cheshiretaurus]

Thanks for that ill have another look when I get home. Maybe I missed it in the instructions. Cheers

[71chally]

I doubt they are in the instructions as they remain unused for the options in this kit.

[wellsprop]

8 minutes ago, 71chally said:

Yes, the extra parts and the depressions are for the portholes used on the trainer Gannet T.2s/T.5s and early WN serial AS.1s, an indication of another boxing and variant to come, I hope.

 

Interesting, I wonder if the mythical Sprue K might include all the parts for a T variant. The only bit I can see being a particular challenge is the port side enlarged fairing.

[wellsprop]

Just an observation, the majority of photos of parked Gannets (AS/T/COD) show the propellers feathered, Airfix has chosen to have unfeathered props (for fairly understandable reasons).

 

EDIT: @NAVY870 had already pointed this out

 

Here's my 3D printed feathered propeller conversion (requires the propellers to be cut off then refitted).

 

 

[NAVY870]

8 hours ago, sniperUK said:

 

I'm there as well 😉😁

Secret hand shakes then 😁

[NAVY870]

1 hour ago, wellsprop said:

Just an observation, the majority of photos of parked Gannets (AS/T/COD) show the propellers feathered, Airfix has chosen to have unfeathered props (for fairly understandable reasons).

 

Here's a photo to counter the above point however, forward prop "normal" and rear prop feathered!

 

I made comment on this in a previous post.

That one however has the rear prop feathered to stop it wind milling when they start the left engine

[John B (Sc)]

On the AEW variant. Thanks for the extra information on differences. The atilplane attachemnt differnece is minor and easily dealt with. The inner wing I hadnb't realsied was different - it looks as though it is mostly that the AEW inner wing doesn't have the leading edge extension towards the fuselage which the AS version has - I wonder why. Perhaps because of the engine mount and  exhaust location. That would mean  some internal structural changes and higher wing loadings, unless the max AUW was lower since there was no need for warload provision. 

I know the undercarriage had to be longer, though the drawings I jhave seen show no significant variation in bay dimensions. Perhaps an extension on lowering?  

 

So that would leave the fuselage as the main headache. 

Let's hope soemone has a go at a resin fus, eventually. I might investigate 3D moulding, bit by bit ! 

 

Meantime, I await my AS kit !

 

John B

[wadeocu]

Wouldn't it be cheeky of Airfix to follow this up with a 1/48 AEW in early 2024 as a surprise release!  As for this kit, can anyone point me to a resource for discerning what needs to be done to depict the COD Gannet with the 1970s Ark Royal Air Wing? - Jack 

[gunzo]

2 hours ago, John B (Sc) said:

Let's hope soemone has a go at a resin fus, eventually. I might investigate 3D moulding, bit by bit ! 

Have you seen the Fairey Gannet AEW 1/48 thread by Colin W? It would appear a resin kit is already out there (somewhere).

 

 

[Ad-4N]

The universe has revealed to me that Special Hobby will observe Airfix’s success with the Gannet and issue the never released Classic Airframes Gannet AEW that was promised in the Before Times.

[71chally]

9 hours ago, wadeocu said:

As for this kit, can anyone point me to a resource for discerning what needs to be done to depict the COD Gannet with the 1970s Ark Royal Air Wing? - Jack 

The two COD Gannets used for Ark Royal when she became the sole carrier were XG790 and XA466, both were with B Flt 849NAS coded 040-R while with the carrier.  By the mid 1970s the CODs were high on utilisation and hours with XG790 being withdrawn and later scrapped, and XA466 attached to the HQ flt of 849 at Lossiemouth as 777-LM until the unit disbanded in 1978.  In fact, by then the dedicated COD role had evaporated and Gannet T.5s, AEW.3s and Sea Kings were all used for carrier mail, spares and crew deliveries.

There are 1:48 decals of XA466 777-LM when it wore its unique and short lived Sky/Extra Dark Sea Grey scheme, but not sure there are any that depict a 1970s Ark Royal COD, you would probably need to mix and match existing decals.

 

The basics of a full COD* conversion was fitting the ventral radome blanking panel, and removing the radar and associated equipment from the rear and middle cockpits.  Baggage pods and pylons could be fitted, though these weren't always used. 

In line with all Gannets, various mods were made over time, obvious external ones by the 1970s were ILS aerials mounted on a plinth mid way down the spine, anti-collision lights fitted aft of the rear cockpit canopy and aft of the radome blanking panel, HF aerials and wires, blade aerials on the outer wings and the 'towel rail' aerial under the fwd port bomb door.

 

*XA430 & XG786 retained the radome for a short while, early-mid 1960s.

 

Can't think of good single online resources as such, I find for reference pictures you're best Googling the aircraft by serial, seems to find more pictures than if you do it by type.

I've got some images here, but haven't got around to scanning most of my historical images yet, 

 

[John B (Sc)]

10 hours ago, gunzo said:

Have you seen the Fairey Gannet AEW 1/48 thread by Colin W? It would appear a resin kit is already out there (somewhere).

 

 

 

Thanks Gunzo,  I hadn't seen this. Sounds promising, must find out more !

[sniperUK]

2 hours ago, 71chally said:

The two COD Gannets used for Ark Royal when she became the sole carrier were XG790 and XA466, both were with B Flt 849NAS coded 040-R while with the carrier.  By the mid 1970s the CODs were high on utilisation and hours with XG790 being withdrawn and later scrapped, and XA466 attached to the HQ flt of 849 at Lossiemouth as 777-LM until the unit disbanded in 1978.  In fact, by then the dedicated COD role had evaporated and Gannet T.5s, AEW.3s and Sea Kings were all used for carrier mail, spares and crew deliveries.

There are 1:48 decals of XA466 777-LM when it wore its unique and short lived Sky/Extra Dark Sea Grey scheme, but not sure there are any that depict a 1970s Ark Royal COD, you would probably need to mix and match existing decals.

 

The basics of a full COD* conversion was fitting the ventral radome blanking panel, and removing the radar and associated equipment from the rear and middle cockpits.  Baggage pods and pylons could be fitted, though these weren't always used. 

In line with all Gannets, various mods were made over time, obvious external ones by the 1970s were ILS aerials mounted on a plinth mid way down the spine, anti-collision lights fitted aft of the rear cockpit canopy and aft of the radome blanking panel, HF aerials and wires, blade aerials on the outer wings and the 'towel rail' aerial under the fwd port bomb door.

 

*XA430 & XG786 retained the radome for a short while, early-mid 1960s.

 

Can't think of good single online resources as such, I find for reference pictures you're best Googling the aircraft by serial, seems to find more pictures than if you do it by type.

I've got some images here, but haven't got around to scanning most of my historical images yet, 

 

 

 

CTA Decals have a dedicated 1970 Ark Royal sheet that includes the COD Gannet, I have used the Sea King ones from it on my build, it also has Phantom, Buccaneer and AEW Gannet on the sheet. 

[71chally]

22 minutes ago, sniperUK said:

CTA Decals have a dedicated 1970 Ark Royal sheet that includes the COD Gannet, I have used the Sea King ones from it on my build, it also has Phantom, Buccaneer and AEW Gannet on the sheet. 

Ahhh thank you, their 1:72 set is CTA-48 which led me to think they hadn't done a 1:48 set.  What are they like to use & quality wise?

[wellsprop]

14 hours ago, wadeocu said:

Wouldn't it be cheeky of Airfix to follow this up with a 1/48 AEW in early 2024 as a surprise release!  As for this kit, can anyone point me to a resource for discerning what needs to be done to depict the COD Gannet with the 1970s Ark Royal Air Wing? - Jack 

 

3 hours ago, 71chally said:

Can't think of good single online resources as such, I find for reference pictures you're best Googling the aircraft by serial, seems to find more pictures than if you do it by type.

I've got some images here, but haven't got around to scanning most of my historical images yet, 

 

 

Then let's make that resource

 

 

[71chally]

Fine-pitch heaven.

 

XA454 by Roger Winser, on Flickr

@Roger Winser Flickr

 

849NAS HQ, A and D Flight Gannets at RNAS Brawdy, 1969.

 

Edited November 29, 2023 by 71chally

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

57 minutes ago, 71chally said:

Fine-pitch heaven.

 

XA454 by Roger Winser, on Flickr

@Roger Winser Flickr

 

849NAS HQ, A and D Flight Gannets at RNAS Brawdy, 1969.

 

They all appear to be Gannets if I’m correct ? I can see what appears to be two versions, triangular tail and squared off tail. What are the differences in types ?