Just Like A Boomerang - Circling Back to 60's Airfix ***FINISHED***

[Ray_W]

My entry in the GB will be Airfix 1/72 Boomerang. I see Scalemates has this kit being tooled in 1965. Since then it has had a number of rebaggings/reboxings, the latest being Airfix's 2022 "Vintage Classics" release which I picked up for the GB. Also pleased to see it comes with the original Roy Cross artwork.

 

 

Parts are typical Airfix for the period with a nice positive rivet rendition. Not really appropriate for the Boomerang which was largely flush rivetted. Easy fix by sanding off and re-scribing. 

 

 

 

As to aftermarket, nothing at this stage. I may do a little in the cockpit. I see Yahu has an instrument panel. I am probably saved by not having a vacu-formed canopy to replace the original, so some basic detail should suffice. 

 

A great little kit. Looking forward to the starter's gun.

 

Ray

 

Edit: Here are the clear parts and decals. The "Vintage Classics" release has new decals. 

 

 

Edited June 8 by Ray_W
Added Image

[CliffB]

Welcome to the Group Build, Ray 

Last month I visited Australia for the first time and had the inevitable boomerang lesson.  It was very satisfying indeed!

 

Cheers

[TonyW]

57 minutes ago, CliffB said:

Welcome to the Group Build, Ray 

Last month I visited Australia for the first time and had the inevitable boomerang lesson.  It was very satisfying indeed!

 

Cheers

 

Charlie didn't get on with it...

 

 

 

Apologies for thread hijack, it's possible Boomerang references are going to creep in now and again though...

 

Tony.

[Ray_W]

20 hours ago, CliffB said:

Last month I visited Australia for the first time and had the inevitable boomerang lesson.  It was very satisfying indeed!

 

Hi Cliff, that's great! Hopefully the weather was kind. We've seen a lot of rain on the East Coast in recent years.

 

19 hours ago, TonyW said:

Apologies for thread hijack

 

No problem Tony, all the merrier.

 

Ray

[matford]

[Ray_W]

Good news! I've made a start on time. My usual first up regime. Dry fit and avoid the use of fillers, and this with a 1965 tooled kit, let's see how we go.

 

I separated the fuselage halves, removed the locating pins and sanded flat the adjoining parts on a glass plate. Test fitting gives a good join.

 

 

I decided to remove the positive rivets and re-scribe the panel lines. Originally, this was going to be an OOB build with minimal improvement, but, that thick tailplane changed my mind. I opted to thin the trailing edges and with that remove the surface detail, so decided to do the whole kit. I'll go a step further and fill the control surface groves with a CA/talc mix and re-scribe those too.

 

  

Much better ...

 

 

I have seen images of this kit covered in filler. Take you time, test fit and adjust and you'll fill find bulk filler and sanding will not be needed. For example here are the tailplane halves just pushed in place. A little pressure when gluing and those gaps will largely disappear.

 

 

I also achieved a good fit with the mainplane. Again, just clipped together.

 

 

I did need to put a spacer between the bottom front of fuselage halves to splay them out slightly. This did not adversely affect the cowling fit.

 

 

The rear underside fit is also pleasing. I did slightly file the inside fuselage halves, where they join with the rear of the wing, to eliminate a small step. 

 

 

So we are underway. Let's make a smooth Boomerang.

 

Ray

[Jinxman]

Great preparatory work with the fit of parts - much better than a slathering of filler.

[Troy Smith]

On 08/06/2024 at 10:08, Ray_W said:

I may do a little in the cockpit.

In 1981 Gary Byk did a upgrade article in Airfix Magazine, I started a thread on this

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235140915-cac-boomerang-article-airfix-magazine-march-1981-by-gary-byk-super-details-the-airfix-model/

 

@Ed Russell  kindly emailed a pdf of the article....  I'm pretty sure I have the mag still... but where!  Ed also gets a credit for helping with I presume the new decals.

The article is of it's time, well, at the top end of articles from then,  but does have dimensions for cockpit floor.  

 

One point, I think the fuselage is skinned with plywood

 

I may even have the remains of my Airfix build from the mid 70's......

 

Cheers

T

[Ray_W]

2 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

 

One point, I think the fuselage is skinned with plywood

 

Thanks Troy. Good point and one I followed up on.  I note in the old Profile Publications  No.178 on the Boomerang it is described:

 

 

I do not know if you have seen it but Kermit Weeks has done a very interesting YT series on restoration of his and other Boomerang's by Matt Denning at Caboolture, Queensland. A lot of interesting detail.

 

 

I appreciated your query with @Ed Russell and also followed up to get Gary Byk's article. Useful as I will detail the cockpit. 

 

Ray

[Ed Russell]

Good work so far. One of Airfix's better kits from that era.

[Ray_W]

I decided to fill the control surfaces gaps and rescribe. I used Gel CA mixed with talc as a filler.

 

First I masked the gaps to eliminate filler in unwanted places and provide a regular thickness to minimise sanding. 

 

 

As soon as the CA had set, just a few minutes, the tape was removed. The filler was proud of the surface by the thickness of the tape ready to start sanding.

 

 

The result, with positive rivets and panel lines removed and control surface gaps filled and sanded, was a nice smooth surface ready for the next job.

 

 

 

Next up rescribing. 

 

Ray

 

 

 

 

[Ray_W]

I was planning to start rescribing. Instead, opted for shaving some more plastic. I will be scratch-building the cockpit, so I started by thinning the side walls, sills and removing features that are not required. I did cheat and purchased the Yahu IP, which is a nice bit of detail to build around. Here are some images showing the before and after. 

 

 

 

 

And ready for the next step ...

 

 

....... replace the moulded in place cowling flaps?  🤔 maybe.

Edited June 18 by Ray_W
Added additional image.

[Listel]

Hi,

 

Nice classic Airfix kit, you've done an excellent job so far, I'll keep following your progresses on this one!

 

Cheers,

François

[Ray_W]

Parts clean up and correction continues.

 

I did remove the moulded in situ cowl flaps. 

 

 

I built a radius forward. Not strictly correct, but seeing I just want to crack them open a little, and it being dark inside and in 1/72, I expect nothing will be seen.  I intend to fabricate the replacement flaps with thinned styrene card or brass. Probably use the styrene to more easily replicate the shape.  

 

 

I thought it was a good time to work on the engine seeing I was working on the cowling. I can use the Airfix engine as a basis and add the obligatory push rod tubes and ignition harness. This will largely hide the weird cylinder shape. However, assembly of the engine, as is, has some issues when mounted in the cowling. The engine backing disc locates in a groove that prevents the engine going forward to the correct location. Also a location tab ensures the cylinder arrangement is correct but then offsets a bulge on the reduction gear housing.

 

 

It is really difficult to get a good side view of a Boomerang, but looking at most images and the following period drawings, that reduction housing is at least flush or most probably slightly protruding.

 

 

 

 

If you reduce the diameter of the backing plate and remove the location tab:

 

 

The engine can then go forward and provide much better positioning.  Removing the tab allows you to rotate the engine and position the reduction gear housing bulge at 6 o'clock as the attachment point for the oil scavenger pipe (although I have a suspicion I'll end up removing it completely and do something else). The propeller governor I'll scratchbuild and mount in the 12 o'clock position.

 

Looking much better.

 

 

 

One thing I did notice was the lack of the oil cooler intake in the bottom of the cowling.

 

 

I'll make this with Milliput and it should also improve the round shape and remove the gap with the cowl at the 6 o'clock position. 

 

 

Work continues. I have not built a 1/72 kit for 30 years, sad I know, but I am really enjoying this. 

 

Ray

[Chuck1945]

Interesting, I like your approach. I’m sure the one I built back in late 60s-early 70s was slathered in filler😅

[Ray_W]

1 minute ago, Chuck1945 said:

I’m sure the one I built back in late 60s-early 70s was slathered in filler

 

Same here, these days I avoid filling and sanding with a passion. 

 

Ray 

[Ray_W]

Does not seem much progress this evening, but actually a fair bit of time was put in.

 

I used green stuff 2-part putty to build the oil cooler intake. I put in a styrene backing disc covered in foil and Blu-Tac'd in place to support the moulding. I'll pull the backing disc out tomorrow and clean up.

 

 

You might recall the Airfix engine looked like this:

 

 

I improved the shape of the cylinder heads, added the push rod tubes and a couple of other details and this was the result.

 

 

Tiny engine. I still have to add the wiring harness. I'll save that for some good light tomorrow.

 

Ray

[silverfox63]

That can't be the same engine, it looks far too good! Well done that man.

Cheers,

Chris.

[Ray_W]

5 hours ago, silverfox63 said:

That can't be the same engine

 

Thanks Chris. I was very tempted to leave the engine as is and just paint, but, in the end I am glad I went the extra yard. Here it is with the ignition harness and some extra piping.

 

 

As you would expect, not much to see once assembled in the cowling. 

 

 

Nicely busy though.

 

Ray

[Listel]

Very nice job indeed, the original Airfix engine can't be recognized anymore...

[John]

The last one of these I had was a Humbrol era kit and the moulding was pretty rough and flashy. Yours looks like it has had a bit of a clean up, which is all to the good. 

That decal sheet looks superb. 

John 

[Derek_B]

Some excellent work going on here Ray, you've taken the bull by the horns!

[Ray_W]

On 6/21/2024 at 8:36 PM, Listel said:

the original Airfix engine can't be recognized anymore...

 

I am very happy with the final result. Maybe I should paint the Pratt & Whitney bald eagle on the light blue disc. 🙄

 

1 hour ago, John said:

That decal sheet looks superb. 

 

Always the challenge with older kits. Airfix did us a favour with the reissue.

 

1 hour ago, Derek_B said:

Some excellent work going on here Ray, you've taken the bull by the horns!

 

Good to have you on board Derek as I go a little silly with this little kit. Not my usual scale but it is delivering a lot of fun - I haven't even got into the cockpit yet. Rescribing is finally underway. One of my least favourite jobs. However, once you get into it, it ain't too bad at all. 

 

Ray

 

[stevehnz]

Impressive work on that Ray. I recall building one of these close to 60years ago, I should get one of these Vintage kits & give one another go. You're setting a very fine example.

Steve.

[Ray_W]

29 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

I should get one of these Vintage kits & give one another go.

 

I think so!